el Don News
Oh, Yes She Did!—Sandy Brown’s one-woman show—presented by the Santa Ana College Teaching Learning Committee in honor of “The Book of the Year,” The Help, was a major success on April 24.
Brown opened the free show as Phillis Wheatley, the first African-American poet to be published, captivating the audience with her character’s realism.
“It was extraordinary how she could speak and act just like those women from history. It’s what makes the show so good,” Librarian Yolanda Garcia and event coordinator said.
The performance, which lasted about an hour, included five excerpts from the original show featuring characters like Harriet Tubman, Madam C.J. Walker, Josephine Baker and Rosa Parks.
“This show is not just about African-Americans or even women, it’s about so much more. It’s about equality,” Brown said. “Racism is taught, it’s
not born.”
“The Book of the Year” program will be going into its fifth year next fall.
“It has been a great program, and I can’t wait to see what else they have in store,” Santa Ana College President Erlinda Martinez said.
SAC’s TLC announced after the show that the 2013-2014 book of the year will be Tortilla Soup, T.C. Boyle’s story of two middle-class families and their struggles to succeed in a society that rejects both of their culture.
