Using storytelling, poetry, movement, and song, Three Countries, One Mother examines the history and culture of the Bhutanese-Nepali-American people who were displaced from their homeland as part of the Bhutanese Refugee Crisis in the 1990s and early 2000s.

This play is inspired by the true story of Bal’s family– members of the Tamang tribe, an ethnic group in the Bhutanese-Nepali community. The Tamang tribe speak their own Tibeto-Burman language and have a diverse spectrum of influences on spirituality–including Buddhism and indigenous shamanism.

Spanning generations and countries, this deeply personal narrative weaves together family stories and shamanic ritual to explore the impact of cultural legacy on an individual. The audience is invited to journey with Neema through his cultural inheritance as part of a quest to better understand himself.

This event is part of The University of Akron’s Rethinking Race event series, a two-week forum of events focused on facilitating “courageous conversations designed to promote inclusive excellence” regarding race and race-related issues. Thank you to our sponsors the County of Summit ADM Board, Mercury Plastics, Goodyear, FirstEnergy Foundation, FedEx Custom Critical, Alpha Phi Alpha Foundation of Akron, Ilene Shapiro’s Summit County Department of Job and Family Services, the Akron Community Foundation, the City of Akron, Philip and Paulette Thompson, and Dr. Sheldon Wrice.