By John Kuebler

Wetback.
Chink.
Nigger.
Strong words. Strong enough to sting the ears and cause the blood to rise like steam up the neck. These words are used to provoke, to demean, to injure, and otherwise piss people off. So why would a California theatre company name its current touring production “Nigger Wetback Chink”?
“Those words have been given so much power,” says company member and actor Miles Gregley. “What we’re trying to do is to strip them of that power.”
The provocatively titled show, which was born of collaboration among the five members of Speak Theater Arts, makes its Denver premiere October 18, presented by El Centro Su Teatro and the Newman Center for the Performing Arts.
As the title might suggest, “N*gger Wetb*ck Ch*nk” is a comedy that confronts the serious concerns of racism and racial stereotyping. The three actors – college buddies Gregley, Allan Axibal and Rafael Agustin – constructed monologues about their own personal experiences with racism. It was the beginning of what has become a full-length multi-genre production that blends classic theatre with standup comedy and slam poetry.
“We were very good at exploiting our personal talents when we started this project,” Agustin says. “Allan is an award-winning spoken word artist, Miles is into standup, and I’m trained in theatre.”
The two other Speak Theater Arts collaborators, Liesel Reinhart and Steven T. Seagle, have helped guide the writing and the staging. The two are acting as co-directors for the current national tour, though according to Agustin, none of the members have titles, as they have collaborated in every aspect of the production.
Audiences have responded to the play, though reactions to the title have been somewhat more uncertain. Both the Seattle Times and the Chicago Daily Herald banned advertisements of the show.
“We want people to understand the title is not just about shock value,” says Axibal. “We’re trying to create a dialog about race, and so far, I think it’s working.”
From the beginning, the title has always been written with asterisks – as much a design element as a commentary on censorship. “In some cases we have consented to allow people to use the alternative title N*W*C: The Race Show,” says Reinhart, “though the artists strongly discourage it. The content stays either way.”
Axibal says some people have crossed out the title on event posters, or crossed out only one of the epithets. “The title has definitely come under fire,” says Axibal, “but the content of the play has gotten only praise.”
It seems the people giving “N*gger Wetb*ck Ch*nk” the most praise are the very groups whose stereotypes are being challenged, says Agustin. “The more diverse the audience, the more they laugh,” he says. “An all-white audience will laugh, but not with the same strength and abandon.”
Says Axibal, “No matter where they come from, they’re always laughing comfortably by the end.”
Editor’s note: El Centro Su Teatro and the Newman Center for the Performing Arts will present “N*gger Wetb*ck Ch*nk: The Race Show” by Speak Theater Arts Wednesday, October 18, at 7:30 p.m., in the Gates Concert Hall on the University of Denver campus. For tickets and other information, contact El Centro Su Teatro at (303) 296-0219 or visit www.suteatro.org.