Why are we afraid of the dark?

Excerpts from “A History of the Body,” a new work by Aimee Suzara, will be staged at CSU Monterey Bay on April 18.

The production is part of the university’s celebration of Asian Pacific Islander American Heritage Month.

“A History of the Body,” directed by Pamela Wu Kochiyama and co-produced by The Pagbabalik Project and Third Root Productions, is about what happens to two women who meet in a beauty salon. The play addresses modern-day attitudes toward beauty and skin tone for Filipina women and women of color, the global rise in the use of skin-whitening products, and the historical events and stereotypes about people of color perpetuated at the turn of the century.

Following the performance, Suzara and writer/scholar Lisa Marie Rollins will discuss what went into creating this provocative work. Afterward, the audience will have the opportunity to talk with the director and cast.

The production will take place at 7:30 p.m. in the World Theater. The event is free, but visitors must purchase a $2 parking permit. The theater is located on Sixth Avenue near B Street. Driving directions and a campus map are available here.

CSUMB’s Special Events Committee, Division of Humanities and Communication, Otter Cross Cultural Center and the NAACP are sponsors of the event.

For more information or to request disability accommodations, call Cross Cultural Center coordinator rita zhang at 582-4676.

Photo by Noemi Enriquez Frances Sedayao (standing) and Aimee Suzara