This year’s AGM started off with a bang and a fiery display of emotions in a theatrical roller-coaster. Theater director, Julia Hart, put together a collage of episodes highlighting American reactions to the election in 2016 and its aftermath on American expats and their families. The eight amateur actresses sang, yelled, whispered and laughed through scenes they had experienced themselves in the US or abroad. The idea for the piece actually occurred to Julia at a workshop hosted by one of our own Democrats Abroad members in order to work through the post-election emotional storm. It became clear to Julia that a theater piece would not only help the women on the stage, but also other Americans living abroad. Shortly before this special performance for the AGM, Julia and her actresses updated the piece to include elements reflecting the Parkland mass shooting and the #MeToo movement.
After the standing ovation, the actresses and the director sat next to each other on the stage to take questions from the audience. Most members of the audience, who were shaken and had streaky cheeks, welcomed the chance to express gratefulness to and admiration of the performers. There were also non-Democrats Abroad people in the audience who drew parallels to Europe and the issues here with populism.
In years to come, when one looks back on the election of 2016 and the subsequent presidency of Donald Trump, the feelings of frustration, disappointment, abandonment and utter helplessness will no doubt come to mind. Now, thanks to Neuland and the impressive theater company, the feelings of belonging and being understood among fellow Americans far away from home will be present as well.
Text by Cynthia Walther