Jambalaya Tour Journal

19 April - "I believe in you!"

We woke to Matzohbrei for breakfast, brought to us by Eben and Paul who traded spatulas and challenges in the kitchen all during the making. We had a brief logistical meeting to set up the day, and then there was music and juggling and getting ready. Joan brought out her fabulous Snappy the camera costume and worked on finishing touches for the outfit. Barbara set up in the dining corridor and did some writing for her blog. Another frequent activity around camp is getting on line for e-mail and map searches. We knew coming in that wireless and computer access were to be available at the library across the street, but as it turns out we have wireless here in the field, best accessed from an area near the porta-potties. In fact there is fabulous signal inside the potties themselves.

We got directions to our two show locations, and divided into travel groups. A few people have their own cars here, and there are some rental cars, 2 rented vans, and the bus, truck and Joan's RV to move us around. Joan's RV will be both vehicle and dressing room today. Andrea is our wagon master (the minder of who is getting where, how and with whom, and hugely importantly, the mastermind of making sure everyone gets back), a huge job given the number of vehicles and the tendency for everything to change constantly.

The heat here is a force to be reckoned with, especially for the pale northern posse. Tiberio is passing out out Emer'gen-C right and left, and we drink gallons and gallons of water. It is sobering to think of the time immediately after the storm, when they had incredible heat and no water or electricity. One resident with a large truck drove hundreds of miles round trip for five days after the storm to keep the survivors supplied with water. It was five days before the National Guard even arrived in Bay St. Louis.

 

We were first bound for God's Katrina Kitchen, a kitchen and distribution center caring for the area of Pass Christian. Once five minutes from Bay St. Louis, Pass Christian is now a forty-five minute drive around a bridge that is still out since Katrina. The railroad bridge on that crossing was given priority and is just now running again. There are no clanging crossing gates here - the long freight trains just blow their horns like crazy as they thunder through town.

Pass Christian, like Bay St. Louis, took a tremendously direct hit from the hurricane. There are a few areas where structures remain undamaged, but mostly there is destruction. There are blocks that are empty of houses, and foundations where a truncated set of front stairs and a fireplace are the only remaining traces of what was once someone's home. God's Katrina Kitchen is across the street from the beach, 2 large circus tents housing their kitchen and distribution center, and a number of temporary structures and tents housing volunteers. After parking our varied collection of vehicles, we explored the show space. The show is set for the distribution tent, huge structure full of racks of clothing and shoes, boxes of toys, and twenty foot high stacks of food and other supplies. Through the open doors of the tent we can see the bright white sand and shining waves of the gulf. Some of the group set quickly to moving racks of clothes to the sides of the tent to create an audience space. There is a stage and a sound system, so Harry and Andrea and the rest of the stage crew decorated and set up for the show. Chairs were brought out and set up, and voila, a theater by the sea emerged.

While everybody's show preparation and a quick band rehearsal took place, Ruby practiced her newly acquired juggling skills, coached by Jeremiah while Nanda rehearsed and Karl was spotted taking a quick nap. Tiberio swung poi while wearing his apron, ruffled orange cancan pants and a pirate hat. Joey has planned on doing his trick that involves back up singers and dancers doing "Burning Down the House" while he works with his volunteer, so the the newly minted dancers (Ruby, Michael and Petra) worked out their choreography and practiced while Petra learned the words to the song and the band worked out the licks. Meanwhile Joey hung up the box that will provide the thrilling denouement to the trick.

During this early preparation time, I met a couple with a young son in the tent. They weren't even able to stay for the show, but the woman asked where we were from, and then started to cry as she thanked us for coming all that way to do something for them. They lost everything in the storm, and like everyone we have met here, express amazed gratitude for the help they have received and the distances people have come to help.

 

Across a parking lot covered with blowing sand is the red and white striped kitchen tent. At the end of the band rehearsal we decided to march over to the kitchen tent, march through the tent, announce the show, play a tune and march back. It was also time to pick up the bag lunches that they had made for us. By the front door to the now theater there was now a large box with yellow foam shapes in it, with a sign that said, "One only." It would remain a mystery what the shapes were and why they were a hot commodity until the show started. After a quick break to eat and finish preparations, we went back outside to march in and start the show.

The foam pieces turned out to be valued by the audience members as little headrests for the chairs. As usual, Faith kicked off the show, with the tune "It's a Miracle." The crowd went crazy, singing along with fervor. In the middle of the house, two young men held up their lighters and swayed back and forth as they sang and hollered along. It is evident in every encounter we have that faith matters here. Faith in fact could have done the whole show by herself and the audience would have been with her every step of the way.

 

Then Paul and Howard played the question game.

 

Then Harry Levine had another treat for us and the audience - his newly written song, sung to the tune of "Fever." Needless to say, the crowd went wild, as did we.

 

  Here are his new words:

Never know how much I would need you,
Never knew how much I could care.
When I put my call out to you,
I was met with an icy stare.
You gave me F.E.M.A.
      in the morning,
F.E.M.A. all through the night
F.E.M.A. can't you hear me?
F.E.M.A. don't do me right.

G.W. was out on vacation
Said,"Brownie's doing a heck of a job"
Chertoff is busy with Homeland
And Cheney's busy being a snob
They gave us F.E.M.A.
      in the morning
F.E.M.A. all through the night
F.E.M.A.! I don't need you
Cause F.E.M.A. you didn't do me right

You said that you were watching the storm front
You said that you were prepared
You said that all your assets were ready
Then Katrina blew your words in the air
And all you gave us was F.E.M.A.
      in the morning
F.E.M.A. all through the night
F.E.M.A. you make me screama
Cause F.E.M.A. you don't do me right
F.E.M.A. don't do me right...
F.E.M.A. don't do me right.

 

Gina sang about the shark, Petra tap danced to "King Porter Stomp" and Joey wowed them as always with the reappearing twenty dollar bill. Nanda finished big, and then it was time to quickly pack up and go on to Waveland, where we had a date with a Head Start center for another show. We loaded up in the heat and then reconvened at the elementary school facility for the next show.

They had designated one classroom as a green room, and another as our performance space. We set up a band area and tiny stage, and then many people succumbed to the lure of a fleet of sturdy red tricycles we found parked in a hallway. Once the kids were set and ready, we marched in from the hallway. They were a great audience. While Joey did his magic trick of multiplying, appearing and disappearing red foam balls with two small volunteers, the kids became more and more excited, until one of them said, "You're magic!" and then another cried out, "I believe in you!" at the conclusion of the trick. Artis' spoon playing elicited many exclamations and enthusiasm, as did everything everybody did. Nanda once again fit their act into a little space and then we had some time to visit with the staff after the show. Two women who work with Clowns Without Borders had also come to the show, and it was great to meet them and trade talk about experiences in the area.

 

Then it was back to camp, where there was an organizational meeting about tomorrow and where Andrine had been readying a Seder for everyone. She brought the family Haggadah from Portland and there are matzoh from Williamsburg and gefilte fish from Zabar's as well as matzoh ball soup. We gathered at the long tables in the campground and together took another spiritual journey. We were joined by the women from Clowns Without Borders. It was Ruby's first experience of a Seder, and upon discovering from Jan that she is Jewish in descent, she avidly queried Howard about everything. When we reached the part about the plagues, Lorraine said that her son was younger he had added the plague of vegetables. We decided that for Bay St. Louis it was the plague of gnats that should be mentioned. Twilight had passed and darkness had fallen while the Seder proceeded, so we had all been sitting quietly providing dinner for the denizens of the air during the evening. Everyone will be covered with itchy red welts by tomorrow morning. We began to pass a flashlight around the circle for the readings as it grew ever darker. Petra found the afikomen and struck a bargain for a hair tie and five dollars, and then we feasted.

 

We will be going into New Orleans tomorrow, to the Common Ground volunteer center in the Ninth Ward. One group will be leaving at 6:30 AM to go out with a Common Ground crew to assist with the seemingly endless task of gutting out houses that were under eight feet of water for five days when the levees failed. The next shift to go in will be a kitchen crew with Tiberio in the lead, to cook dinner for 300 volunteers. This group will also take Ray to dialysis. After that will be Gina, CiCI, Faith and Jan and the mask workshop crew to do a concert and workshops at a women's center. The final groups will be remaining show and band folks and everyone else who hasn't already come in. Oliver painstakingly created directions to the different locations, and then I helped him transcribe copies for all the vehicles, sitting in the kitchen until 2 AM.

---

Return to Jambalaya Tour Journal's main page

---