Nativity PlaysEvery year the little kids at schools all over get to put on a play. Often it's christmas themed, but the key thing is that everyone gets a part, whether it's Snowflake #12 or Mary or Grendel (yes, really).
Personally I played a 'Rich Husband' who refused to buy matches from some scabby street urchin. Never did see her again...
Who or what did you get to be? And what did you have to wear?
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chthonic, Thu 26 Mar 2009, 17:45)
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Accidental Racist Christmas NativityIn my first year of primary school we were all told that for our christmas play, we'd be having a global celebration of christmas/kwanzaa/etc., which meant different acts with each act representing a country/ethnic group.
So far, so good, and you may be thinking that this all sounds par for the course in a modern school, trying to do it's best at catering to everyone. Only this wasn't a modern school, this was a small school, in a small town, 25 years ago, where the ethnic variation was more vanilla than neopolitan.
It was this combination of attempted good heartedness and slightly confused racial views, that led to me and some of my classmates representing the "chinese" with a rather colourful tunic, a lamp shade, a little skin yellowing make up and a bit of eye liner to give me slanted eyes. I am seriously not exaggerating any of this, I was just one set of comedy buck teeth away from Peter Ustinov at his best.
The other racial groups didn't get off any easier either, all of the "arabs" had tea towels and all of the "africans" had long-grass skirts.
At the time it all appeared perfectly acceptable, and it wasn't until a very long time later that I had cause to remember it and realise just how bad it was, even at the time.
The only real plus side to it is that the teachers at least had the good sense not to use blackface on anybody.
Length? Three choruses of "Christmas Calypso"
(, Fri 27 Mar 2009, 16:05, Reply)
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