By Marc Larocque

Hip-hop beats and a latin tunes filled the air in the in Curry Student Ballroom on Thursday evening.

On stage, actors paced back and forth, reciting lines to “Platanos and Collard Greens” under the dimmer lights.

The six-person play, which attracted about 200 people, was adapted from a novel called “Do Platanos Go Wit’ Collard Greens?” by David Lamb.

Described as hip-hop fiction, the play was originally started as an independent off-Broadway show. It has toured more than 40 different colleges in the past three years.

“When we started doing the college tours, the show was seen in a new light,” said Ben Rivers, an actor and technical director for the play. “It’s really dealing with issues that college people are dealing with.”

The play is the story of two college students, Freeman, an African-American man, and Angelita, a Latina woman, both forced to confront and overcome the social reaction to their bi-racial relationship, while dealing with conflicting messages sent by parents and friends.

“The play brings to light many issues we face every day and don’t talk about,” said Sergio Marrero, president of the Latin American Student Organization (LASO) and organizer of the event. “It’s educating students on the confrontations of culture that exists in the world.”

The play deals with the fusion of African-American and Latin-American culture through different dialogues, including one about how the two cultures were affected by European colonists.

Additionally, music from Latin boogaloo to modern hip-hop is used throughout the performance to further show the mixture of the two cultures as they intertwine in a variety of ways from past to present.

Jessica Juarez said the event has a positive message, but not enough people hear it.

“There is a divide between minority and white students,” the junior English and linguistics major said. “Events like this are good, but there aren’t enough white students attending to learn these important lessons.”

Tristen Grannum, a middler English major, said the play has something to which everyone can relate.

“… By realizing how race affects our relationships, we realize how stupid it is,” he said. “It [the play] was very realistic and aligned with reality. I’ve been through this and have had friends who have experienced similar situations.”

After the show, the cast and crew had a question and answer session with the crowd regarding the problems of racial prejudice.

“This show really speaks to the future in that it is about the ‘melting pot’ and it is about relationships,” said Teresa Rivera, who played the character Nilsa, the main character’s best friend. “[It’s about] really taking people for what they are and not on the basis of stereotypes.”