‘Soup or Salad’ offers taste of race relations

Race relations is on the menu in “Soup or Salad,” a satirical student-written play that runs through Oct. 4 at UW–Madison.

The production in three acts – “breakfast, lunch and dinner,” says co-author Jeremy Kamps – is set in a restaurant where patrons of different backgrounds dine and discuss the relative merits of soup or salad.

Kamps says the production tries to expose some of the hypocrisy he sees in the way many Americans think about ethnicity, and to start a dialogue on the different ways we view race relations.

‘Soup’ represents the traditional way of viewing the racial mix of the United States – a melting pot in which ethnic differences blend into a distinctly American identity. “Salad” represents the tossing together of ethnicities – with each retaining its own distinct character.

“Like any satire, we want people to laugh,” Kamps says. “But while they’re laughing, we hope that they will think, ‘Hey, there’s some truth to that’.”

Kamps, a theater major, and recent theater graduate Srinu Sonti began collaborating on the script for “Soup or Salad” in 1996. About 40 students are involved in the production, 23 of them onstage. Half have no previous college-level theater experience, Kamps says.

“Rehearsals have been great,” Kamps says. “It’s so fun to sit back and watch everyone interact. This is what it’s all about. We want a quality show and a good audience reaction, but within the 30 or so people who come to rehearsals, we accomplish the goal of multiculturalism each night.”

“Soup or Salad” is being staged in the Gilbert Hemsley Theatre, Vilas Hall, 821 University Ave. The free performances are Friday and Saturday, Sept. 25 and Sept. 26 and Thursday through Saturday, Oct. 1-3. Curtain is at 8 p.m. No tickets or reserved seating are required.