Chicago-based American actor and writer Esho Rasho is the child of an Assyrian-Iraqi refugee and an Assyrian-Lebanese immigrant, both of whom are war survivors. In the intersectional narrative of his well-crafted solo show he points out that life is problematic.
A gentle, warm and endearing manner that reaches to the hearts of his listeners
Dummy in Diaspora is an autobiographical story of a queer boy growing up in the USA, whose family’s culture was at odds with the lifestyle and values of their newly adopted country. Although it’s about him and replete with specifics in his life, the themes and issues he deals with extend to many people in similar circumstances and those who have experienced any form of alienation, disassociation or striving for acceptance and an understanding of their world.
Rasho thinks of his writing as existing ‘at the intersection of poetic realism and comedy, often weaving the two together’. Certainly this comes across in the telling of humorous stories of situations and people that are frequently heightened by a simple rhyming of words or a sentence that goes beyond prose in its refinement. He also has some delightful expressions. He is most proud of “vinegar-filled”, a term he developed as a substitute for a favourite, if overused word, that was less socially acceptable.
Growing up he never heard stories in which he felt represented, despite the universality of exploring your world, searching for your self and claiming your identity. He knew there must be other queer men in a similar situation, so decided to tell his story. In a largely chronological journey we meet his family and friends, for whom he has distinctive accents and voices. We navigate the path of realising and proclaiming his sexuality, with each age bringing new experiences, not least the wild time in the famous BOTOX club in Milan. Youth begins to fade but the nicotine demon, amusingly personified as a puppet, won't leave him alone.
Rasho is an accomplished storyteller, proud to lay his life bare so that others might identify with his experiences. Told with manifest honesty, the highs and lows are related in a gentle, warm and endearing manner that reaches to the hearts of his listeners.
