Let My Enemy Live Long! is a close-up and very personal look at writer/performer Tanya Shaffer's adventures on a river trip to West Africa. She offers an energetic tour de force, a trip well enjoyed, a trip of personal interaction between a white Jewish woman and the natives. The educated few spoke French; the others communicated using sign language. Her story is about personal interactions between cultures -- the successes and the failures. It is about understanding and friendships. It is, mostly, joyful as she becomes one with her fellow passengers in a long, canoe-like, river boat -- no cabin, just partial roof.
Shaffer is a multi-talented actress adept at dance and song as she weaves her story, aided by the excellent percussion work of Benjamin Williams. Williams sets the mood with a strong African beat. Shaffer is passionate as she interacts with her fellow travelers. She is equally convincing as the white girl from California and as the various folks she encounters along the way. Her ability to not only provide us with a native accent but to give us variations is outstanding. Williams, a talented San Diego musician, uses a full range of percussion instruments to set mood, both musically and with sound effects. You can feel the rain. You are aware of the boats movements.
The stage design by David Cuthbert, utilizing "The Space" is simple, allowing Shaffer full mobility on the stage. And she uses almost every area quite effectively. The simple props become a boat, a hill, a building. Her costume, designed by Keri Kessler, costume is simple, very native-looking and, also allows Shaffer free movement. Music arranger Baba Dura Demetrius takes full advantage of native themes throughout.
