ArtsFest Day 9: Orisirisi and Out of This World Costumes

From the moment I met Tutu at the kickoff of ArtsFest at the Enzian Theatre, I knew I had to attend her event.

Tutu and her husband, Don, were in charge of Orisirisi African Folklore: Drum Sermons, Folktales, Legends and Myths from the Far Corners of Africa. When she introduced herself to me for the first time, she was dressed in traditional African attire. She was happy to tell me a little bit about her event, then she motioned between her husband Don and herself.

“I am African, and he is American; therefore, we are African American,” she explained with a huge grin on her face. “We’re the real deal.”

The atmosphere in the Orlando Public Library, where Tutu and her husband were set to perform on Saturday the 13th, was just as playful and lighthearted as the drummers themselves. Children were laughing, parents were chattering and everyone seated in the audience seemed to be smiling.

The stage was filled will all sorts of traditional African drums. In fact, they covered so much of the stage that there was hardly enough room for Tutu and her husband to make their entrance. Somehow they found a way, and the couple, along with a guest drummer from Nigeria, started off the event with a traditional African song.

After that, Don shared the African folktale about how music first came to be. That story preceded many more like it, all of which were more fun and interesting than the last.

African stories are different than the Anglo-Saxon tales more of us are accustomed to for one key reason; they require listener participation. If you were intending to slump down in a chair and be lulled to sleep by a storyteller, you‘ve come to the wrong place!

Each story has its own individual song that is broken up into two parts. The first part is sung by the storyteller, and the second is the designated audience response. The way it works is that the storyteller will go through the story up until the point where the song fits in. Beforehand he’ll teach the audience the appropriate response, so when he sings the verse of the song, with a little prompting the audience will sing the next verse, and then it’s a trade-off between singers.

Other than that, African sermons are similar to fairytales in other cultures; they’re filled with magic, humor, and, of course, plenty of talking animals.

Don, whose narration of the African folklore was the equivalent of James Earl Jones', playfully embodied all of the colorful characters in his stories, from the bald, troublesome turtle to the loud elephant, making the children in the crowd squeal with laughter and the adults chuckle, too.

Then came the moment everyone had been waiting for. Tutu invited everyone to grab a drum and beat to their hearts’ content, and the kids didn’t hesitate to rush the stage and claim their instruments. The adults hung back, content with relaxing and watching their children enjoy themselves. But Miss Tutu wasn’t having any of that.

“If you’re not a drummer, that makes you a dancer,” she announced, which sent a good-natured groan echoing through the crowd.

As Don taught the children the beat of the song, Tutu and some African-costumed helpers in the front row taught the audience to dance.

“Always dance as if no one is looking!” Tutu cheered encouragingly.

Far too soon, the event was ending and the audience dissipating. But the Orisirisi Drummers’ good humor and vivacity had been positively contagious, and everyone left the event with a smile on their face.


I spent the remainder of the day in downtown Orlando at the Orange County Regional History Center for Film and Television. I’d heard through the grapevine that the new exhibit there was pretty cool, so I thought I’d go take a look.

From the outside, the building appeared normal enough. It was concrete and conservative like the buildings around it; nothing out of the ordinary.

Therefore I was sharply taken aback when I entered the museum and there were manatees hanging from the ceiling and what appeared to be a red Ferris Wheel peeking out from one of the upper levels. This, I thought, must be what it’s like to set foot in Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium.

It was definitely full of wonder.

I walked past- or under, rather- the manatees and down the hallway that led to the new exhibit: Out of This World: Extraordinary Costumes.

The entire room was dimly lit for theatrical effect, and all around, preserved in glowing, glass cases were some of the most historical Hollywood costumes in existence.

Darth Vader’s black cloak and helmet was there, along with many other of the Star Wars outfits. Indiana Jones’ whip, leather jacket and Holy Grail were one of my personal favorite pieces, along with the jumpsuit worn by Dan Aykroyd in Ghostbusters.

The model of the ship Voyager from Star Trek was there, and so was Luke Skywalker’s severed hand from Star Wars [don’t worry, it’s fake].

I made it through the costume exhibit, but I thought I’d meander on and see what else was in the building as long as I was there. There was an entire exhibit dedicated to Florida oranges, and another on the history of Florida Native Americans. Yet another was dedicated to the plight of pioneers and life on the prairie.

There was even a legitimate courtroom on one floor!

The new exhibit may have been put in the spotlight for ArtsFest, but the History Center will remain open long after the ten days of ArtsFest have passed. You can check out details by visiting their website, www.thehistorycenter.org/
This place was just one adventure after another, and I have to say, I was glad I stopped by!


Day nine has come to and end, and with only one more day left of ArtsFest, I can certainly say that this has been one of the most fun weeks I’ve had in a while.

Happy ArtsFest!