Aloha, Aloha or When I Was Queen
Aloha, Aloha or When I Was Queen
81%
81%
(19 Ratings)
Positive
95%
Mixed
5%
Negative
0%
Members say
Funny, Clever, Delightful, Intelligent, Relevant

About the Show

Writer and performer Eliza Bent uses a home movie as a jumping off point to lead audiences on a journey that grapples with personal history, legacy, and cultural appropriation.

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Critic Reviews (3)

The New York Times
April 9th, 2018

"This is not a declaration of wokeness. As it turns out, the likably entertaining Ms. Bent has something more urgent and complex on her mind, though the show doesn’t so much build as meander toward making that apparent...There’s self-flagellation, too, and ultimately a surprising poignancy, as she recounts a snarky piece she once wrote...She wishes that piece had gotten a better edit before it went out into the world. I wish something similar for 'Aloha, Aloha.'"
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Theatre is Easy
April 11th, 2018

"Bent deftly dodges some of the common traps white people fall into when discussing race...Bent is funny, charming, and deeply sincere, a persona that carries the complexity of the story with humor and compassion, and her sophisticated writing offers the kind of frank hilarity that makes solo performance shine...Bent asks her audience to consider their own way of taking space, participating in culture...It's a smart, funny, and vital contribution to the ongoing conversation."
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Village Voice
April 13th, 2018

"Bent's self-study, if unfinished in places, is the kind of candid introspection many of us should be undertaking — though probably funnier and sweeter than most of ours would be...There is no shortcut to confronting our white privilege, Bent observes; no course of action besides acknowledging mistakes, apologizing, and listening. She’s not the first to say so, but she’s funny and convincing, and her cringe-worthy confessions might inspire some self-examination of your own."
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