Actress Kaki Hunter was in a dreamlike state 10 years ago when she first heard a voice that appeared to be the spirit of a 130-acre radioactive waste pile along the Colorado River. Hunter said the spirit identified itself as “Yo Mama,” who, she said, told her to “Call council for me! Ah got sumpin’ tuh say!”
Hunter will perform solo when she takes the stage at Star Hall, 159 Center St., on Friday, Jan. 27, through Sunday, Jan. 29, and again from Thursday, Feb. 2, through Saturday, Feb. 4, for the production of “Yo Mama ~ Un-canned!” Hunter wrote and rehearsed the piece, which will also contain spontaneous material. The performance is expected to last about 90 minutes, and all shows are scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.
“It really is a shamanic experience – she comes through me,” she said. “I have created structure and she has had to learn songs. But a lot will be expressed in a way that is spontaneous.”
Hunter likens Yo Mama to a Native American “heyoka,” or sacred clown, trickster or prankster.
“It will reflect to the community what’s going on,” Hunter said.
The musical group The Cosmic Clues will accompany Hunter on stage to provide mood and audio effects during Hunter’s performance.
The band is comprised of Doni Kiffmeyer on drums – he also helped compose some of the songs and is the show’s producer. Nancy Kurtz will join in on piano, with Josie Kovash playing bass; a drummer who goes by the name of Kiran; Jay Prentiss on guitar; and a second woman on bass, Melissa Graciosa.
Hunter is a former professional actress who has worked in film and theater in both Europe and Hollywood. She starred in the film “Roadie” with actor-musician Meatloaf, and performed with Richard Dreyfuss in the movie “Whose Life Is It Anyway?”
She won Best Actress awards at a German film festival and the San Sebastian Film Festival in Spain, for the German-Czech film “The Maiden’s War.” Hunter has also done some television work.
She later became a natural building instructor, along with her partner Kiffmeyer, while at the same time acting in plays in Moab, where she moved in 1988.
“One of the things that enamored me is what a wonderful community theater is in place here,” she said.
Hunter performed in “The Vagina Monologues” 14 years ago with the Moab Community Theater, and five years ago, she wrote, produced and directed “Vipassana – The Musical,” about a 10-day silent meditation retreat. In 2015, she performed a 15-minute piece about paganism.
Blending their interests in theater and natural building techniques, Kiffmeyer and Hunter have been working on a play called “The Right Brain,” which is about permaculture and natural building principles.
Hunter and Kiffmeyer call the “Yo Mama” performance a “fun-raiser,” with proceeds benefiting community theater.
“There are costs associated with putting on any kind of performance that ticket sales alone won’t cover,” Kiffmeyer said. “So we raise funds by patronage as well.”
Costs include renting Star Hall, printing programs, advertising and costumes. OkOkOk Productions, which Hunter and Kiffmeyer started in 1994 to inspire solutions to social dilemmas through the art of performance activism, is offering several contribution options that will get you tickets, your name in the printed program and a CD or DVD of the show. If you contribute at the highest level, you will be invited to a daylong Wild Earth Plastering workshop in Moab.
Kaki Hunter’s unique one-woman show comes to Star Hall next week
“It really is a shamanic experience – (The spirit) comes through me.”
When: Friday, Jan. 27, through Sunday, Jan. 29, and Thursday, Feb. 2, through Saturday, Feb. 4, at 7 p.m.
Where: Star Hall, 159 E Center St.
Cost: $10 at the door; other ticket options available at okokokproductions.com/index.php/yo-mama-fundraiser/
For more information about ticket options, go to: www.okokokproductions.com/index.php/yo-mama-fundraiser/.
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