The story of American immigrants live on stage

If you wish to understand the present, you have to study the past.

That might be the guiding philosophy behind "America Amerique," a new theatrical production created by the JENA Company of New York about the immigrant experience in the United States. The play will be presented to local middle school children Monday and Tuesday during the day, and to the general public Monday evening at 7:30 at Ponus Ridge Middle School.

The driving force behind the show's appearance in Norwalk is Sonja Ahuja, a Weston resident who works as a private consultant for various non-profit organizations. In a recent interview, Ahuja explained how she became involved with JENA.

"I became familiar with the JENA Company because I saw its first play in Wilton, which was `My Soul is a Witness,' a civil rights play," Ahuja said. "It was great to see it in Wilton but I just thought it would be greater to see it in Norwalk, which is a more diverse community."

As Ahuja explained, the JENA productions root current events in a historical context, the culmination being a more enlightened discussion about what is going on today. She felt that such a discussion might be beneficial for Norwalk schoolchildren and residents, so she contacted John Adams, the managing director of JENA, whom she had sat next to when she had seen "My Soul..." Unfortunately, by the time she contacted Adams, "My Soul..." had run its touring course, but Adams had another project in development and he suggested that it might be appropriate for Norwalk.

In early 2008, Ahuja contacted then superintendent of schools Salvatore Corda as well as Joan Glass, an instructional specialist in the Norwalk school system. Both embraced the idea and discussions were held, but then the economic crisis interjected itself and the window of opportunity was closed. However, the idea was resurrected in the fall of 2009 with the possibility of a different venue than that of the Norwalk public schools.

"I had first thought we could do it at Norwalk Community College, where I had previously put on the Festival of Words," Ahuja said. "It's an incredible institution and the people there were great. They really opened the doors, said `Yes, let's try to make it happen here.'"

However, as the project gestated and the number of middle school children projected to be involved grew, it became apparent that the facilities at the college would not be adequate. At that point, Ahuja became a bit frustrated but was unwilling to let the project die, so she revived the idea of having the program presented at one of the public schools in Norwalk and eventually received an invitation from Linda Sumpter, the principal of Ponus Ridge.

In an email communication, Sumpter noted that she had also seen JENA's "My Soul is Witness," as well as other JENA productions, and found them superb. "This type of production helps to make history come to life for students in a way not often told," she wrote. "As a former middle school American history teacher, I couldn't resist this opportunity to contribute to our students' knowledge about our past and how it impacts our present lives."

"Sumpter's invitation made everything work," Ahaja said. "Of course, there are different challenges because the space available is not a professional theater, but we were able to more than double the number of children who would see the performance as well as cut down on the number of children who would have to be transported."

Thus, early next week, students from Ponus Ridge and West Rocks middle schools, as well as more than 300 students from Middlebrook Middle School in Wilton, will have the opportunity to hear the words of those who, for one reason or another, left their homes and made the arduous, sometimes dangerous journey to the United States in search of better lives. The students will learn that, despite the welcoming statue of Lady Liberty in New York Harbor, the country did not always eagerly embrace these newcomers.

The production is based on immigrants' eyewitness accounts; the voices are as varied as the countries the people left behind. There are the voices of Irish immigrants who left their homeland in the 1840s because of famine and repression, blended with the voices of Chinese workers who, in the 1860s, were brought to this country to help build the transcontinental railroad. Adding to the rich "melting pot" of voices are the Russian Jews who, fleeing destitution brought on by various pogroms, came to this country in the 1880s.

Many of these immigrants got their first taste of life in America while being processed at Ellis Island, a rather impersonal, unpleasant, befuddling experience for those who did not speak English. Others, once admitted to the country, found life to be very harsh, and some, such as the 141 garment workers -- mostly immigrant women and girls -- who lost their lives in the Shirtwaist Factory Fire of 1911 -- found that America offered no shelter at all.

As is often the case when the "new" meets the "old," friction arises, and that friction can cause an explosion. Such was the case in the 1920s when two Italian immigrants -- Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti -- were executed for the murder of two payroll guards. The "facts" of the case remain controversial, with many suggesting that the two men were scapegoats, convicted because they were "foreigners" rather than because they were guilty.

The facts of the "Zoot Suit Riots," however, are very clear. In 1943, nearly two thousand American servicemen rioted in Los Angeles, randomly attacking Mexican and Latino immigrants who were wearing the distinctive "uniform" of wide-shouldered jackets and pegged pants.

Thus, the history of those who, over the past 150 years, have come to America's shores in search of new lives, is one of struggle and occasional violence coupled with eventual, if still sometimes uneasy, assimilation. Sometimes, it took two or three generations for the process to take place, but it did, and today many a proud American family can trace its roots back to those turbulent times. All of this, and more, "America Amerique" captures in dramatic form, bringing to life the cold, impersonal facts presented in history books.

During the school day on Monday and Tuesday, students will see parts of the entire production, followed by "talk-back" sessions with the play's author and the actors. The students, as well as their parents and the general public, will have the opportunity to see the entire performance Monday evening.

"What is nice about it," Ahuja said, "is that by having the evening performance the parents can see what the children have seen, or will see, and they can help continue the learning experience. Hopefully it will promote a lot of dialogue."

Beyond the possibility of enhanced student-parent dialogue about the past, Ahuja hopes that the students "will have a great learning experience. I hope they will be able to make a living connection between the past and their own day-to-day lives."

Thus, though children normally look towards the future, these students will have an opportunity to look over their shoulders and perhaps gain a new perspective on where they, and their country, have come from.

Ponus Ridge Middle School is located at 21 Hunters Lane in Norwalk. Those interested in attending the Feb. 8 evening performance can call 203-557-3730 to purchase tickets: adults $10; students $5; family $20. The event is sponsored by the Festival of Words with support from Hilton Garden Inn Norwalk, the YWCA Darien-Norwalk and the Graustein Memorial Fund.