By Rochelle Fritsch

With the stage lit and the audience seated, there was a palpable buzz. Show emcees Alea and Kim were the perfect balance of “Hey, IT’s MY BIRTHDAY” and cool collected calm for a night that had everyone laughing, crying, and sometimes fidgeting uncomfortably in their seats.

Setting the stage was Elijah, a young artist whose piece “Alien” reminded us of what it feels like to be invisible and wanting to be seen, but not fully seen. Because sometimes, being fully seen means seeing what a person is from the outside and making assumptions about what’s on the inside.

Jodyann, a NYC transplant confirmed what Milwaukeeans already know: we’ve got a mass transit problem. They lived a WHOLE, FULL LIFE for thirty-plus years without being a licensed driver. When they came to Milwaukee, they had to get their license. A new electric car soon followed. Now, what used to be an hour bus ride from one side of the city to the other is a short fifteen-minute trip. They can even buzz out to Waukesha on our freeways. Here’s a tip: if you happen to be on the freeway and notice one, single car going five miles under the speed limit, don’t beep in frustration, wave a happy “hello” to Jodyann, because that’s how they roll.

When MissDia shared her poem, you understood what it was like to be a Boy Mom…in particular, a BLACK Boy Mom. MissDia’s slant on Snow White, the Seven Dwarves, and Cocoa Puffs had everyone laughing, crying..and thinking: were these childhood memories solely sweet or subversive? Maybe the revolution was being televised to yesterday’s — and today’s kids. 

UltraShorts were not in short supply. In a few words, we heard the story of  “Lady L” and a romance of euphoric first blushes, disappointment, betrayal, to the final separations of bodies, hopes, and dreams. We don’t know who Lady L is or what she did, but Lady L, you broke somebody.

Sebas took us on a journey from his childhood after school visits at his grandmother’s house, to dreams of being like his dad – a hardworking foundry employee, to the streets where kids played and doubled as translators for relatives entering the US. We were in the kitchen to listen in on a heart-to-heart conversation after his mother’s death. We experienced the journey’s final leg as he met the woman of his dreams. What a trip it was.

Brit Nicole closed the show with “Queen”. This joyful, then heart-wrenching story of love that developed before our eyes into verbal and physical abuse, and a break-up…and then Brit’s realization that she owned the title of Queen affectionately given to her by her ex — and understood that title meant that as Queen, she was above the treatment of her former subject. A perfect, joyous, and fitting finale for the culture.