Carla plays “Condi” in the upcoming production at The FringeNY Festival.
New York – While her father channeled his grief through political activism, Carla Euphrates Kelly channeled hers through her art. The grief the Kelly family bears is that of the death of Carla’s brother … in Iraq.
“Since my brother left – and later, after he died – I’ve been clinging to my music and my writing in hopes of finding the key to waking us all up so we can stop this. The Deciders is a direct response to my pain and my prayers,” exclaimed Carla, the Bronx-born and globally trained performance artist. “This is new to me, but this situation with my brother has got to be heard. My father’s been on the Peace and Anti-war Rally circuit for the past two years, and in his speech he referred to my family and the others like us as “Collateral Damage.” Interestingly enough, Mitch Kess wrote a song by the same name, which is sung by the character of Cindy Sheehan in the show.
Carla follows in the same unfortunate footsteps as the real Cindy Sheehan. Mitch Kess met Cindy Sheehan last summer during a rally in Union Square where the lyrics of her daughter Carly’s poem, “Nation Rocked to Sleep,” was heard for the first time put to music by Mitch Kess. Carla’s mission is also to wake up the nation.
Carla has indeed created many avenues for expression. Trained in ballet and modern dance; a former flutist for – among other groups – the Bronx Borough-wide Band (performing at Carnegie Hall); and ultimately a singer and writer with credential ranging from Alice Tully Hall to Barcelona, Spain, Carla – an alumna of La Guardia High School of Music & Art – has always expressed the challenges and breakthroughs she has faced in life through her art: “Music is my life… my everything… music is keeping me alive. May we never be apart.”
Carla is grateful to the Deciders creative team for giving her the chance to finally see the beauty of being a “Gold-Star Sister.” Her brother, Sgt. Clarence LaVon Floyd of 101st Airborne Infantry, was killed on December 10, 2005 in Taji, Iraq. He was felled by sniper fire 20 minutes into a 2nd security detail shift with his battalion at his Commanding Officer’s discretion. His heroism earned him the Bronze Star and a Purple Heart. She prays that message of this project will reach far beyond political affiliations, to the heart of each person. “Everyone is somebody’s brother or sister. And no one should experience losing theirs. My family has suffered the type of pain I don’t wish on anyone else. And the fact that we were family number 2000+ defies reason.”
“When I informed her she was cast in the production, she literally cried… now I know why,” said director J. Michaels.
It is Mitch Kess’ wish that Carly Sheehan and Cindy Sheehan will attend the production and meet Carla Euphrates Kelly and the entire company.
Mixing reality with satire, The Deciders weaves the paranoid parable of “Dubya,” “Dick,” and “Condi” – architects of the Iraq War, their “real” reasons for it, and those who have to live with the consequences. Along the way, we discover a “Sad-damn” double had been running Iraq. Concerned with plummeting approval for the war and his future legacy, Bush offers to save the imprisoned Saddam’s life if he will help to restore order in Iraq. Saddam agrees, but only if his musical is given a Broadway run.
