Review and sketchbook: Dohee Lee Puri Arts’ ‘Ritual on the Road’ invites communities to receive, transform
By Heather Parish
At one point in Saturday evening’s CSU Summer Arts performance of “Ritual on the Road” by Oakland-based Dohee Lee Puri Arts, Dohee Lee, our guide on this journey, reassures the audience that it is okay to be confused, encourages us to stay open, and to just “receive.” By that time in the performance, I had long since given up trying to put words in my notebook and just started sketching.
Such is the sensory power — and the narrative meandering — of Lee’s performance, which incorporates Korean traditions, song, movement, soundscapes, drumming, and more in this multidisciplinary performance art unique to Dohee Lee. Intended to help immigrant communities heal from trauma, loss, and displacement, “Ritual on the Road” is perhaps best viewed with that in mind. If, like me, one does not carry the scars of displacement or a diaspora experience, a little cultural humility goes a long way.
Lee’s performing talent and singular vision are fully displayed in “Ritual.” Structured as a liturgical roadmap guiding the audience from one call and response to another, she builds a symbolic story with each element. The stillness and breathwork in the invocation, the mummer’s masks, the swings from focus to chaos, and the repetitious use of drumbeats, choral motifs, anointings, and sacred gestures layer on top of each other. All of this has an elemental familiarity to anyone who has experienced ceremonial and mystic religious traditions.
Even without understanding the language of most of the performance, viewers were invited to witness, receive, and perhaps create their own meaning of each piece in the process.
The hope, of course, is that transformation comes with each element of the ritual. Personally, as the performance went on, the drumming and repetition of movement began to impede my ability to think about the meaning of what I was observing, putting me in a place where I could only respond nonverbally. This may be the point. In the evangelical church I attended when growing up, I was always sensitive to the noise and imagery of my church’s rituals, and perhaps Lee’s performance tapped into that.
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If this kind of nonlinear, immersive art experience appeals to you, “Ritual” delivers a lot to like. If you are accustomed to a tight Western-canon narrative structure that can be more readily followed, Lee’s approach may be too leisurely and repetitious to be satisfying. From the perspective of mainstream theater expectations (which are admittedly biased toward privileged audiences), this two-hour performance could have been just 75 minutes and had the same impact.
Again, though, a little cultural humility goes a long way. Staying receptive to something different than expected can open up new channels of thought and communication, both as a community and within ourselves.
I mean, I got some new sketches in my art journal this week. And for that, I’m grateful.
Editor’s note: Dohee Lee’s performance was the last show by a guest artist in the 2024 Summer Arts season. You can see students from the class she’s teaching, “Dance Improvisation & Ritual,” perform in a free student showcase at 7:30 p.m. Friday, July 19, at the John Wright Theatre at Fresno State.
The other showcases:
• Writing for Film, Television and Theater: 2 p.m. Friday, July 19, John Wright Theatre.
• Comics and Graphic Storytelling: 4 p.m. Friday, July 19, John Wright Theatre.
• Art-Anthropocene-Action: 11 a.m. Saturday, July 20, Phebe Conley Art Gallery.
• The Business of Acting: 1 p.m. Saturday, July 20, Woods Theatre.
• Jazz Conclave: 2 p.m. Saturday, July 20, John Wright Theatre.
• Animation Production Studio: 4 p.m. Saturday, July 20, John Wright Theatre.
• Shakespeare & Company: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, July 20.
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Jackie Ryle
I thoroughly enjoyed this review! Through a series of circumstances, am not able to get to Summer Arts performances, so this is next best. Heather’s ability to capture feeling, accompanied by these totally charming sketches, gave me a wonderful vicarious experience. Thank you, Heather❤️