Yumie Yun
Multicultural Desk Writer

God's Trombones, a spiritually heated musical, combines gospel with rap in a way which will appeal to any audience. Performed by UC Santa Cruz's African American Theater Arts Troupe (AATAT) Feb. 20, it stands out for relaying biblical messages in a modern African American cultural context, taking audience members through a spiritual journey with a mix of music and humor.

One of God's Trombones biggest accomplishments is the combination of spirituality with African American cultural elements. At the beginning of the show, director Don Williams said there is usually more engagement from the audience in African American churches. "When the preacher says something you like, you give praise and clap your hands," Williams said to the audience.

The audience would often yell "Amen" or holler encouragingly during a heated rendition of a gospel song, or an intense moment in a skit. One of these people was Gordon Smith, a UCSC staffer and regular church-goer. "In African American churches, it's a lot more emotional and participatory," Smith said. "In white churches, it tends to be an intellectual experience, but here it's a lot more than a passive experience."

Another audience member, Oakes senior Patrick Kindred said "The show reminded me of church.">

The play is a combination of songs and skits. It started out with a prayer, then moved into a series of skits wherre biblical stories were told by a preacher and acted out at the same time. In the "Prodigal Son" skit, performer Aaron Woods played the part of a preacher telling a story of the Prodigal Son. While he was telling the story, actors performed the story at the center of the stage.

The show's highlights came when actors took advantage of the spontaneous atmosphere and pushed their impromptu performances to a different level. Performer Sista Monica stood out with her animated act as a preacher telling the story of Adam and Eve. She gave a different rendition of the story as she talked of how Adam was simply a man, and could not resist taking a bite out of the apple.

Williams said this show is different from the plays performed by AATAT in previous years because it offered more leading roles to women. "THe last two years consisted of mainly male leading parts, but this time I made sure to look for something where there were multiple leading female parts," Williams said.

One of these leading roles was played by Oakes senior Rhyan Caldwell, who gave an excellent performance as a preacher telling the story of Moses in a skit called "Let My People Go." She walked and talked and dressed like a preacher, and at times would stand back fanning herself from the intensity of her speech. She even had to adjust her wig a few time because of her animated movements.

According to Caldwell, the character was based on her grandmother Minnie Coats. "I named the character after her because she was a real inspiration to me," Caldwell said. "I mean, my grandmother was really like that on stage."

Williams said that inspiration is the fundamental element of the play. "There's a real spirit one has to feel to sing gospel," Williams said. "Gospel comes from the heart and goes to the heart."

As a result of this spirit, the proceeds of the play go to a scholarship fund for students. Williams said that aside from providing scholarships for students, AATAT offers a way for students to connect to the African American culture. "It offers a true cultural glimpse of African Americans," Williams said. "Because students need to create a vehicle to share their way of life."