Jiv Parasram begins “Take d Milk, Nah?” with his distaste for “identity” plays. He goes on to explain their structure, their predictability, and how all of them talk about snow, especially the Canadian ones. At first, I just couldn’t stop moving to the music – the soca-reggae and calypso blues combination reminded me of my childhood growing up in Etobicoke, Toronto. Then Jiv threw in a Bollywood classic throwback and I was sold! These songs were what we danced to in our middle school dances.
So, when Jiv asked the audience members who amongst them identify as mainstream, I knew he wasn’t talking to me. “Take d Milk, Nah?” is a brave effort at an honest conversation about colonization, racism, safe spaces, and what it means to be an ally: it means, you have to get uncomfortable, including stepping outside what you know and the spaces you occupy. I could go on and on about this performance, but I’ll give you my top three reasons why everyone needs to go watch this show:
Number One: The cow is amazing.
The (un)expected cow is phenomenal. Her sounds, her stories, her veracity are magnificent to witness.
Number Two: Riveting history lesson.
If you haven’t done the work of an ally (i.e. educating yourself on race, gender, and historical oppression through colonization and imperialism), this might be a good lesson no matter where you are in your journey. It’s also the place to be as a marginalized individual because it’s the first time in a long time where you might get to breathe in a safe place, especially in Vancouver. The play also makes history, as apparently the only Indo-Caribbean Hindu Canadian show, a first of its kind.
Number Three: Because we’re all Jiv.
Literally (which you’ll find out when you go see the show) and metaphorically because of how fraught, our identities are – how prone we all are to being fragile, and how we can move forward in our bodies while progressing in our commitments to reconciliation.
All thumbs up and a glorious cow to “Take d Milk, Nah!” To truth-telling and taking up theatre space for stories that move us and make us feel our uncontested sense of belonging in our beautiful bodies.
Get your tickets here!
– Maira Hassan