Othello and the Fireknife Dancers

      My title sounds like a 60's rock group, though alas it is not.

     Entertainment in American Samoa is there to be had, but you have to look around a bit.  Thursday evening Cyndi and I went over to the Community College to watch their production of Shakespeare's Othello.  Tickets were only $5 apiece for a couple hours of delight.  It had little to do with Shakespeare; they put on a show which was loosely related to Othello but went far afield.  Here's us at the show, also our palagi friends who came as well:

     It was held in a lecture room.  Seating was at tables; lighting was switching the overheads on & off; actors came and went up and down the aisles.  The production began with some entertainment by the actors:

Singing with his ukulele

Two young women singing a capella

It quickly morphed into the play.  Rather than Venice as the location, with Othello the Moorish captain, the action happened in American Samoa with Othello being from Western Samoa and thus different somehow.  Characters had Samoan titles, carried at times the Samoan symbols of rank - the staff and the whisk - and went to the Samoan island of Manua rather than Venice.  In fact, despite a couple lines recognizable from Shakespeare (I caught a reference to crocodile tears) it was in mixed Samoan, English, and rap.  Characters had cell phones; extras were called "crackheads" and any number of free associations took place.  

     It was dark, so the photos are not great, but here are some shots to give you the flavor:

Desdemona with Cassio and Othello.  Note the staff and whisk.

Rodrigo with Iago

An early scene

Rodrigo disguised in drag - dancing!

End scene, almost everybody dead, Othello stabbing himself.

Othello being set up by Iago.

Cast and director, taking "curtain call"

     The actors and actresses were having a great time.  They had designed their roles, ad-libed, and at times couldn't keep a straight face.  But they were earnest and threw themselves into the play with all their hearts.  A rollicking good time was had by all.

     Here's a video to show you best how things were:

     Next night, Friday eve, we went to see the tryouts for the world fireknife dance competition.  These dancers were competing for a few positions at the finals in Hawaii next month.  This took place at the outdoor pavilion in Fagatogo.  As the MC pointed out, were we at a resort we'd pay big bucks to see this kind of a show; here its free just by showing up.  Here's a warm-up act, a dancer (the only woman participating) and a guy who later danced with a big knife:

The appreciative crowd watches intently.

Here's the introduction of the junior division contestants, a real hit with the ladies in the audience:

The senior division, 7 contestants in all, was the highlight.  They came out with fire knives (they actually have a sharp blade) to incessant drum beating music, whirled and danced, "ate" fire and threw the knives high into the air.  Photos were hard as the show was, of course, after dark and the dancers constantly in motion.  Here are a few still shots to give you an idea:

Twirling 2 knives while on his back.

Only one knife here

Two knives

A pause in the action; note drummers behind.

Two fireknives

Kneeling down

Two again, jumping

Can you do this?  I didn't think so.

     Here a couple short videos, giving a much better sense of the excitement and action:

     I have a longer video, it's of a fireknife dancer from my "home town" of Leone. I've read that a major dancer, who helped create this as a modern event in the Samoan Islands, was a high chieftain in Leone until his death at a ripe old age some years ago.  Perhaps this young man is related?  I don't know.   This clip runs about two minutes; longer ones can't upload well.  Here's Leone's Finest, in action:

Hope he does well in the judging!