Senior feels, love and Casino Royale were all themes of the EROT fall show

This semester, Ebony Readers/Onyx Theatre took a gamble with its Casino Royale-themed fall show, which took place Thursday.

EROT is a spoken word collective, and its annual fall show features pieces related to the theme with references to gambling, addiction and catch-22s. For some, the theme was easy to connect with, but for many, it was a challenge.

Mike Roberson, EROT’s president, said she struggled to fit her original idea into the Casino Royale theme. Her initial idea, a love poem, wasn’t coming out how she wanted, so she made the decision to start from scratch. 

Roberson’s newfound inspiration came from her status as a senior at UNC.

“Basically, it’s about how I want to approach being a real adult after I leave here,” Roberson said.

Roberson said most of her inspiration comes from what’s most prevalent in her life at the time, whether it’s issues about race, being a woman or other parts of her identity. 

“I write about love from time to time,” Roberson said. “But I don’t like to write a lot of love poems because they can be corny really easily.”

Senior member Pk Krentsil said he writes pieces that help him process what’s going on in his head. 

“EROT really got me out of my comfort zone,” Krentsil said. “It’s teaching me how to be vulnerable as a writer.”

Krentsil said a lot of work has gone into the show and that homecoming and the water crisis have posed some challenges. The Casino Royale theme was one aspect of the show that came together smoothly.

The theme is decided for each show about two months in advance, Roberson said. The next step is to choose which pieces will be in the show. As president, Roberson said she tries to incorporate the ideas of everyone on the executive board when planning the show.

For the two weeks leading up to the final performance, rehearsals were held every day.

For rehearsals, the EROT members practiced individually with a team of artistic directors who gave constructive criticism. Finally, the day before the show, there was a dress rehearsal. 

Michael Spears, a senior member, said the dress rehearsal is a good indicator of where everyone is for the show. Spears chose to write about his grandmother for this year’s fall show. 

In his three years in EROT, Spears has written about a range of topics. He said he often writes about his family, but he used to write mostly about politics, especially topics like the Black Lives Matter movement. 

“EROT strives to give poets a voice,” Roberson said. “Especially for poets of color and people in marginalized groups, it gives them a voice and a platform to express themselves.”

Roberson said she got involved with EROT when her RA told her about it as a first-year. She was the only first-year accepted, which encouraged her to become president four years later.

For many first-years, this fall show will be their first performance with EROT. Spears said seeing the new members perform is what he’s most looking forward to. 

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