La Crosse Tribune/ Winona Daily News 9.7.00 "A Slice of Life" By Geri Parlin of the Tribune staff UW-L event to focus on diversitiy			"A Slice of Rice, Frijoles, and Greens" has a multicultural flavor as it has people tell their own personal stories.

"Over the years, the oranization has evolved from primarily dance to theater and performing arts, and expanded to multicultural," said Cara Chow, booking coordinator at Great Leap.

Miyamoto came up with the concept of "A Slice of Rice," Chow said, to convey the Asian American experience. The show was cast entirely with Asian Americans telling their own personal stories.

When Miyamoto expanded the show to have a multicultural flavor, the name changed to "A Slice of Rice, Frijoles and Greens."

The show, which comes to the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse on Sept. 14, is mix of contemporary stories from Asian, Latino, African and deaf American experiences. Included in the cast are:

	Dan Kwong Kwong is a Los Angeles-based performance artist who draws from his experiences and discoveries as a Chinese-Japanese-American male. He intertwines poetry, athletics, multimedia, dance, martical arts and music in his theater pieces. "Song for Grandpa" is an excerpt from a full-length work. "Monkhood in 3 Easy Lessons," sharing the tale of a minority family and the lessons of an eccentric grandfather.

	Arlene Malinowski Malinowski is an educator, actor and storyteller wh has appeared in numerous Los Angeles theater productions. Her TV credits include "ER," "L.A. Law," "Doogie Howser" and "Days of Our Lives." Her solo piece is taken from a full-length work, "What Does the Sun Sound Like?" an autobiographical story of a hearing daughter growing up with deaf parents. This piece revolves around the rites of passage of a 12-year-old brat, her deaf parents, a coffee cup and the healing power of the sun.

"One of the themes in Arlene's story was to play translator," Chow said. "She had to mediate the communications, which parallels the immigrant family experience."

	Paulina Sahagun Sahagun is a writer and peformer who has performed on both sides of the Mexico/U.S. border. She began her theatrical training as a member of the Mexican Theater Company Los Mascarones and was a founding member of Group Cultural Zero. Sahagun is a graduate of the Dell' Arte School of Physical Theater and the University of California - Los Angeles World Arts and Cultures Program. "Nahuatl - Now What?" is a self-help extravaganza about Sahagun's life as a high-tech Aztec in Gringolandia.

	Chic Street Man He's an urban acoustic folk blues singer, guitarist and songwriter whose songs explore a love for people, music and the planet. Chic travels extensively, performing in clubs, concerts, high schools, middle schools, universtities, benefit shows and festivals. His lyrics focus on positive alternatives, while entertaining in a spirited manner.

These separate theater pieces taken together as a whole give a broad view of America, Chow said, letting people get a little taste of a culture other than their own.

The point of the show, Chow said, "Is expanding and giving voice to the multicultural American experience."

"We try to have a multicultural representation," she said with each actor presenting their own personal story about their culture.

"Most of our venues are universities," Chow said, "But we also have a children's version of the show, which we tour through the greater Los Angeles area."