PIERRE, S.D. – A team of actors from Sinte Gleska University gave a fabulously funny performance of a pair of plays written by Hanay Geiogamah as a fund-raiser for the Citizen Advocacy Program or CHAP INC.

While the March 29 performances of Don Moccasin and Claudette Sabor at Riggs High School raised some funds for the organization, a sparse crowd attended the presentation of the plays which have won powerful reviews from literary and theater critics. The plays are part of the works in two Native American anthologies produced by Project HOOP, a collaborative effort between the Sinte Gleska University and the University of California at Los Angeles.

The play was advertised in a variety of different mediums hoping to bring a diverse audience, but only a few devoted theater fans and sponsors attended. The large auditorium became home to a more intimate crowd of onlookers as the plays unfolded.

Jeff Kellogg, who directed the two plays, said he was puzzled why it drew such a small gathering.

What people missed was a hilarious portrayal of “Grandpa” as Don Moccasin took the audience through his character’s adventures to find his glasses so he could watch pretty women as they went by.

Moccasin’s character allowed him to demonstrate his ability to play the drum and sing traditional songs. His delivery of the writer’s humor left people laughing in their seats.

Claudette Sabor, who recently gave a short performance on “Buffalo Nation Journal,” a South Dakota Public Television program, brought the “Grandma” character to life with a great range of emotion. Her preparations for the family’s celebration giving an Indian name to her newest grandson, rocked the audience, then she walked them through a capsule version of her life, recalling the loved ones lost along with the hopes she held for a new generation.

Many of the supporters were there as part of the celebration of a month devoted to people overcoming disabilities. The theme for CHAP INC’s celebration was “People with disabilities are people with possibilities”.

Commissioner of Tribal Government Relations Webster Two Hawk told the crowd a little about what it meant to be a grandfather in Sioux tradition.

“Grandpa is the most respected person in the tiospa,” Two Hawk said.

Now a grandfather himself, Two Hawk said he identified with the character portrayed by Moccasin who forgot where he put his much-needed specs.

Catherine Seifken said she brought her foster children to give them the opportunity to experience their own culture, adding she was surprised by the low turnout, but enjoyed both plays. She said she found herself wishing other such events were readily available to her children.

Timothy Swimmer, an artist whose work was displayed outside the theater, played the flute and explained the role of the flute in Sioux tradition to the audience.

The Pierre resident, originally from the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation, said he learned about the flute from his grandfather who was a central figure in his life. He said the flute players often appeared to those in need.

“I think it is the healing our people need. The greatest responsibility of a flute player was to comfort people in times when they were discouraged.”