class of 2008 - Los Angeles Art District @ traction
8/11/08
8/10/08
8/9/08
8/8/08
day 30 - evaluation + the staff of i5
Mary on stage management: My name is Mary. I am an Assistant Stage Manager for our show. Stage management is what I do; I enjoy it greatly. I’ve worked on a lot of shows, and this is my first time working on a community-based theatre production. My job varies. I’m in a rehearsal room a lot. I did a lot of work with props, making spreadsheets of which prop goes to which actor, and where that prop needs to be a the top of the show. During rehearsals, I am either on book (reading the script as the actors say their lines so I can help them if they need it) or taking down blocking for Marisa, our stage manager. To keep things simple, I write blocking in shorthand. For example, Darell enSL, x->CS means that Darell enters stage left, and then crosses to center stage. With the help of Zohar, the other ASM, I make phone calls to the actors to let them know of their rehearsal schedule, and if they are late to rehearsal. With a cast of +50 actors, it is great to have someone else working with you! As a team, myself, Marisa and Zohar set up the rehearsal room to make sure there are chairs for actors and the director to sit in, as well as enough clear space for everyone to move in. This job got harder as we got closer to production because there was more equipment and costumes in the back room of Cornerstone. During the show, I live backstage right. I am on the American Hotel side of Traction Avenue. I generally sit next to the phone booth around the corner from Blooms. I don’t get to see much of the show as a result, but my job is important. Zohar, who is on the Zips side of Traction, and I are in charge of making sure actors get onstage when they are supposed to. We keep our backstage areas as calm and aware as we can. Marisa gives us our cues through walkie-talkies. Zohar has all the car traffic during the show (we have a few cars and a motorcycle!). I have a lot of people waiting on my side, as well as people coming in and out of Blooms and the American. I also have the Safety Team on my side. It is definitely the craziest backstage environment I have been in! I love being able to help keep things safe and calm, though, giving positive energy to the actors. I have two favorite moments that I am a part of in the show. The first is Adam’s flashback to 1985 at the beginning of the show. We have a thief who runs off with Adam’s briefcase, and then two guys AND a woman on a motorcycle that chase after the thief! I have to make sure that the sidewalk on my side is clear, and that there is no oncoming traffic. If any of the actors from onstage run into the street, then they could be hit by the motorcycle. My other favorite moment is cueing the Artshare Teens, along with Zach, Adel and Dee, to enter. The Artshare Teens wait at least thirty minutes to go on, and they are so patient! Their stomp routine is so fun to watch, and I love being around their happy selves.
Mary Kimball
8/7/08
day 29 - opening night
from Joseph Fernandez, Community Artist
thanks first of all for being a part of this vibrant and loving community and i guess i answered your first question; to why i am attracted to traction ave. i do allot of traveling and along the way i stopped by ground works to get something to drink, i noticed the commotion at the cornerstone theater so like always i walked a little closer and said if there was any help needed and sure enough. so really it was by chance that i was given the opportunity to be one of the many talented artists to to help beautify this production. let me see from the time i was at the cornerstone theater i was either painting on buildings or giving original henna designs to beautiful people, two of the many things that makes me content in living comfortably. i have never felt challenged more like inspired, i worked along side other talented artists and the outcome was great. i also sat in on a reading which was intense and interesting. i started my career in art as i was wasting my time enlisted in the u.s. Navy, i was left working on diesel engines being the quote unquote greese monkey for eight years. when i left in 04 of aug i went straight to community college, where i am pursuing my degree in fine arts/sculpture. so now i am a sculptor, i've held a job as a bronze caster, i weld bronze alluminum and steele. i make various things from clay pots & clay figures, and i also make figures out of found material (the artsy way of saying trash) i draw, i paint, and i art. i have had a great experience working with everyone and seeing the behind the scenes mayham of making a play come together. i really dig the vibe and how everything came together artistically, visualy, and hummanly. thank you cornerstone theater for the opportunity to be apart of this beautiful play depicting one of L.A.'s unique communities.
8/6/08
8/5/08
day 27 - management class
I talked with John Joo, who plays Stantin and our praise team leader, at a break during rehearsal the other night. Becky Dale, fellow Institute student and our music composer for the show, has credited Joo with the idea to sing “God of This City” as the praise song towards the end of the play. Joo's connection to the Traction Avenue community is through his involvement with New City Church, the church Joo (and some other cast members) belong to. New City Church is one of the congregations mentioned in the play and has been meeting at e3rd Steakhouse for the last seven months, but will soon be moving to another location a few blocks away. Joo volunteers as a music leader as his church and began to go to the church after a period in his life when he was working in the Fashion District for a family business. “Everybody is very business-minded there and I used to drive through Skid Row daily, but didn't really care about the homeless people. I started thinking about ways to be involved in the neighborhood,” said Joo. Although Joo grew up in the church, he realized a lot of the teaching he grew up with was wrong. “Compassion is community,” said Joo. “Many people at my church used to be addicted, but they found that when they believed in God, they cleaned up and got jobs.” Joo came to audition for the show after the announcement was made at church that the play needed praise leaders. He said as an artist, he likes singing and performing and thought that if the invitation was extended and that his own church was portrayed in the play, he could help out. Though Joo originally auditioned with the intention to be part of the praise team, he quickly took on the role of Stantin, a Japanese American man in his 60s from Saint Francis Xavier. “It's scary to play Stantin,” he said. “But I've always wanted to try acting and this is an easy way. Page and Michael sat down with me and helped me dissect each line.” Another unexpected benefit is that the play has also given him a chance to know his fellow church members better. Joo has been playing guitar since the 7th or 8th grade and has been self-taught. He was originally an illustrator but now considers himself more of a songwriter. He bought himself a four-track recorder and went to Minneapolis for two years to go to school for music. Joo was also in a band called Cornerstore. Now, Joo is attending Glendale Community College as an English major and wants to be a high school English teacher in Los Angeles, preferably in an underserved community. To hear more of John Joo's music, visit http://www.myspace.com/volleythemusic.
Ching-In Chen
Lyrics from “God of This City” by Bluetree/Chris Tomlin
Greater things have yet to come/ Great things are still to be done/ In this city/ Greater things are still to come/ And greater things are still to be done here.
I breathe some stuff in, I breathe some other stuff out. I take in food and drink and expend activity and waste and more. Our physical beings are created over and over from the environment around us. We take in some words and ideas and emit others. We are aware of only some of the things we take in and put out. My experience of making music is similar. Some stuff goes in and music comes out. Then, after it’s come out I have to get to know it – I have to learn it. It doesn’t really feel like I made it but more like it passed through me like breath or food or ideas. The other day I was thinking about the ingredients of one of the songs in attraction as if it were a recipe: generous portions of Page Leong’s wonderful prose, the memory of Alejandra Navarro’s lovely voice, a bike ride through Elysian Park, and my tendency toward less common musical modes. I intentionally read through the part of the play for the music before heading out on the bike ride, knowing that being in motion outside is my prime time for inspiration. I chose some ingredients; I am sure there are thousands of others ingredients of which I am not consciously aware. The larger musical landscape of attraction is a community creation with many musicians passing through (some for longer stays) Traction in this moment contributing ingredients to the production and to one another. I am very grateful for this opportunity to create with so many others. I have been inspired by the talent and humanity of all I have encountered here. In a couple of days I leave Traction for the far away and foreign land of Minnesota. My passing through here was brief. I have breathed in fuel for future use, as well as joy and hope for continuing forward. Bits of all the people and places and sights and sounds I have encountered here come with me, ingredients for future music, interactions, ideas and who knows what? “PI: Just passing through. Got my eye on you.” - from Page Leong's at Traction.
Becky Dale
8/4/08
day 26 - day off/ visiting the neighbors
I had a chance to talk with community cast member Jonathan Jerald (who plays Duke, a Cornerstoner) during some down time during rehearsal. Jerald, with longtime friend Jim Fittipaldi, is starting Bedlam, a new monthly magazine which will cover the urban Los Angeles art scene from the West side to Pomona. Bedlam is a reference to a space that Jim Fittipaldi created and ran for almost 22 years, first in a loft on Molino Street and then in a vast two-story industrial space on 6th Street, which hosted drawing workshops, live theater and music, performance art and an art gallery. “It was a focal point for arts in downtown Los Angeles,” said Jerald. Jerald has taken over the space formerly known as Al's Bar, which will be the editorial offices for the new magazine as well as an intimate performance space (for about 60 people) and art gallery. Jerald was the managing editor of Citizen LA (www.citizenla.com) for the past two years and left that position to start Bedlam; the first issue is slated to come out in mid-August. Jerald has a background in journalism and wrote Pure Silver: The Second Best of Everything with David Reid in the 80s. He also has produced many history documentaries for the History Channel, the last being a history of LSD. Although the last time Jerald acted in a play was when he was Colonel Petkoff in George Bernard shaw's Arms and the Man in high school, his parents and his older sister were both involved in the theater (that's how his parents met!) Jerald loves his experience with Cornerstone though he was initially reluctantly sucked in. He was walking his dog and told that the production needed dogs and then persuaded to audition. “It's great that Cornerstone Theater is so well known for developing theater nationally, but is finally coming home. It's fun to see the spectacle put together and get to meet people you normally wouldn't hang out with,” said Jerald. “It's a gift to whatever community it's in.
Ching-In Chen
8/3/08
8/2/08
day 24 - future projects
Interview with community actor Jeanne Sales:
C: What performing experience did you have prior to this play?
J: I sang in high school musicals, playing Bloody Mary in South Pacific.
C: Which part of the AtTraction experience has been the most fun?
J: That’s easy—the wonderful people I am meeting, and the opportunity to take part in all of this. This play is a real blessing for me right now. I would call it the cherry on the pie of my retirement!
At this moment Jeanne had to run off to have her microphone fitted. Thanks for participating, Jeanne.
Cate Wiley
8/1/08
day 23 - tech rehearsal
Rooftop Musings
My feet are planted firmly on the bottom rung of a ladder. My eyelids cowering together from the generous sunlight. Weight evenly distributed. Breathing. Inhaling the breeze and the rare coolness it affords.
I am standing up here, some twenty or thirty feet up in the air. Here, on this rooftop in Los Angeles. How wonderfully unlikely it all is. Here, I can step back and notice the city, removed like a sometimes-visitor of art museums…allowing myself the ability to engage in observation and criticism of that which I know little to nothing about. Marveling at its beauty. Perplexed by its inconsistencies. Curious about its meaning.
I reach down and grasp the metal frame of a light, striving against the heat to feeling my hoist it up to the lighting designer, helping him to craft his portion of this unorthodox theater…built of rooftops and asphalt and poles and yards and yards and yards of cable.
Again, I let myself enjoy the breeze. And the sensory feast surrounding me in this moment. Our street is wild with activity. The click-click-clicking of spray paint cans. People laughing. Yelling directions to each other over rooftops and down the road. An orchestra of sounds that signal a tuning up of sorts…a preparation for something unknown.
I watch as paint-covered people slather color onto the landscape of the buildings—bright pink, yellow-greens, turquoise. A man walks by with his dog and glances nonchalantly at what he assumes is yet another film crew setting up. Someone in the American hotel starts to blast music from their third story window and a woman dances around the corner. An ice cream truck rounds the corner with a music box melody as artists sweat into their work, transforming dumpsters into gallery-worthy pieces of art.
I am glad to be so present, here on the roof. Coiling cable and hanging lights. Watching this parade of excitement and activity, of concentrated work spilling out into color. A summer afternoon just sizzling with creativity. Community drawing together. And Cornerstone at the heart of it all. I close my eyes for a moment and let the breeze pass, again, over my sun-scorched shoulders. And I smile.
Abby Jackson
7/31/08
day 22 - closing of traction ave
Interview with Roger Nduku
Roger Nduku, who is in the ensemble, is also a poet who has been writing since he was a teenager in the Congo. He first wrote in French, but started writing in English when he came to the United States in 1988. I noticed him showing another cast member his chapbook on the way to music rehearsal and found time to talk with him about his poetry and his experience in the play. Nduku hasn't been in a play since high school, but has always been a creative person. He also paints on canvas, and in San Francisco, met drummer Carlos Aldama who taught him drumming in the Mission. He is a resident of the neighborhood and decided to try out for the play after he walked by Cornerstone and saw the announcement for auditions. “I live in the neighborhood and see the reality of the neighborhood,” said Nduku, who voiced some skepticism about whether the play will change how people react to him in this community. “Once the play is done, will people say hi to me on the street as a black man?” Nduku mentioned that he thought that community projects were different in Africa because everybody participated in the community with respect to what others were doing. In contrast, he was bothered by what he viewed as a lack of respect by some people who continue to cross the street even if they see that the street is blocked off because of the play. However, Nduku said that he has appreciated this experience to be part of the group and will try to be in another play after this one. “Human beings are social animals,” he explained. “The main question is who are you, where do you come from and where are you going. If you can't answer, you're not doing anything.”
Ching-In Chen
procrastinator
a poem by Roger Nduku Makpaulu
how much time is it left,
for you to go crazy,
fall in love with your own self,
drop your pants for the heck of it,
mooning the sky, the moon
and all lovers alike?
how much time is it left,
for you to get crazy,
feel the love within your own flesh,
drop your guilt,shaking yourself loose,
in a limitless sky,
allowing the lover to awake?
how much time is left,
for love of flesh to be dropped,
for Christ sake!
opening the skies to all lovers alike?
how much time for Anna,the sterile,
To meet with Magdalena, the prostitute,
And in communal union,
melt into Maria,
Virgin matter again...
how much time do you think you got left?
7/30/08
7/29/08
7/28/08
7/27/08
7/26/08
7/25/08
day 16 - the shadow puppet workshop
ArtShare and the American Hotel
or …. letting strangers in
*Names have been changed for the safety of the participants
I’m sitting in Zach’s window on the 2nd floor of the American Hotel overlooking Traction Ave. We have removed the screen, propped the window open with a metal pipe and a stack of prop books, rearranged his furniture, pulled back his beaded curtain and piled 10 people into his apartment. Zach is sweating and obviously tired and maybe even a little freaked out to have a film crew in his apartment, but he doesn’t complain. Let me reiterate that there are now 10 of us in his apartment and we are all mostly strangers except for our 1 week (and a thousand years) sense of comfort and familiarity. The breeze is necessary, to say the least. I wait in the window. We all wait. Turns out that film shoots require a whole mess of people and a lot of stop and go and check and recheck …. and check again. Wait. Where is the Etch-A-Sketch?
Let me backtrack a little. As you may or may not know, our upcoming production of attraction has several film sequences and on Day 2 of shooting, I was on the crew for the “Myrine and Manny making eggs in a microwave at the American Hotel” scene. We follow Myrine and Manny from the window of Manny’s apartment, out through his wall to wall, floor to ceiling LP and CD collection, other assorted music equipment, stack of hats 4 feet tall, leopard bed, leopard folding chair, room/closet arrangement, out through the hall, through the people who may be hanging out in the American Hotel, up the stairs, into Myrine’s apartment and as she gives us a tour of her room- of her “library and garden” extension on her windowsill, her kitchen, “walk-in-closet”, her bicycle, her badminton racquet and assorted photographs and art pieces, we learn how to scramble eggs in a microwave…This whole process is a funny meeting of worlds. Here we are, albeit relaxed, flexible and ever grateful to be allowed into these intimate spaces and still, foreigners in spaces of comfort – creating a world within a world. Maya’s (the actress playing Myrine) boyfriend is in the hallway constructing her bed so they can loft it and maximize the available space in her tiny room. “This is real life” she tells us. He becomes one of our favorite parts of the film sequence.
We take 5 continuous shots in and out of these rooms and through these halls in the American Hotel and in my 3 hours there of holding a powder puff, the American Hotel meets and surpasses all of my expectations. The smell of piss. Beer. Cats. Heat. We are in a dormitory of sorts for grown-ups. No rules. Graffiti, posters, shared bathrooms, doors are open, music is coming from all directions and is of all incarnations, people are in their doorways or hanging out, beer in hand, slippers on, choosing to interact with us or slink away. It is wild and wonderful and warm. It’s a trip. Dynamic and energetic. I have one of the resident’s keys in my pocket to allow ease of entry for our crew as we run back and forth between the American and Cornerstone gathering all the missing pieces. This is a crucial detail for me. He has known me for one week and he hands me the keys to his home. I promise him I won’t steal his car.
So, that was our evening. A gentle collision of people and place.
My afternoon was similar – not quite the final step of actual filming, but in preparation for it, we went to *ArtShare down the block to retrieve art pieces from the student and professional gallery to use to “dress the space” for our next shoot – turning an outdoor triangle lot into a bohemian nighttime jazzy smoky sort of space. This process was sort of amazing too. The day before, I went in to check things out and the program manager happily let me interrupt his afternoon about 5 times as we brought people in and out to get all of the necessary OK’s and go aheads. We ended up with about 6 student pieces all varying in style from Picasso-esque painting to graffiti to collage and 3 large professional pieces from an artist named Dan Wooster (check him out online). Oversized and colorful faces that jump off the canvas with life and intrigue. The retrieval was smooth, ArtShare volunteers helped us with our trek down the street, and all was completed within minutes really.
Things are moving along. Feels good to know who is in the neighborhood.
*Art Share Los Angeles is a community arts incubator whose mission is to shape lives through art, education and community action. Operating out of a converted warehouse in the Arts District, Art Share offers free art classes with incredibly talented artists.
Aliya Ellenby
7/24/08
7/23/08
day 14 - the dandelion dance workshop
Follow Your Instinct
At times we all get trapped into thinking too much… into overanalyzing the meaning of an artistic piece whether we are creating it or observing it from a distance. I had the beautiful opportunity to step out of that realm of thought, even if it was only for a couple of hours, when the Dandelion Dance Theater came to the Institute to do a workshop on movement and voice. “Now cross the room with your body embracing the fat!” This line resonates within me as I remember all of the bodies crossing the room at their own paces, with their own rhythms. I remember this from when the workshop leaders encouraged us to move across the room in a way that we “celebrated” the fat on our bodies, in whatever way that meant for each individual. This activity was probably the most memorable because we were celebrating an element that is so often shunned in our society. I was amazed by how simple the movements were, and yet how compelling they were to watch. Additionally, we moved across the room embracing muscle, bone, and so on. Before this activity, we had done some trust building activities. For example, many activities had started with palms touching like a pancake and the assigned “leader” leading the “follower” around the room with various movements. Some people expressed feeling more comfortable as the leader, but also mentioned the pressure they had felt making sure the follower was having a good time. Others enjoyed the opposite role more. Another favorite moment of mine was the vocal exercise which made me feel as though I was in a rainforest listening and interacting with many exotic animals. What was actually happening was a cacophony of Institute students voices rockin’ out. We sat in a circle (very ritualistic), closed our eyes, and volunteered our voices in whatever ways we felt compelled to do. It was wacky, it was soothing… it was definitely fun… The last thing we did was create little improv pieces, based on certain guidelines. We worked off the movements of running, walking, stopping and falling. Later we added the distracting, yet compelling “sound chair”. The improv pieces, although sometimes a little off focus, were so fascinating to watch and to take part in. Again, it wasn’t about the specific meaning you were supposed to get from the pieces. It was art as itself, not trying to be something else. And it was so alive, because it was spontaneous and because there was lively physical movement. I very much appreciated this workshop and am grateful that the Dandelion Dance Theater Company collaborated with the Institute, for the first time, this year. I hope that future Institutes will be blessed with this opportunity.
Zohar Fuller
7/22/08
day 13 - taiga on "for all time" community reading
Writing exercise working with KJ Sanchez's method of story circle and interview, focusing on punishment and retribution
[Anna is a young woman. She is a strong presence, playfully serene, but grounded and somewhat earthy. Her eyes are clear and twinkle with mischief. She is very contemplative, and tends to choose her words very carefully. She is a “hand talker.”]
It’s fair to say that most people have seen both sides of punishment. I mean, maybe not me because I’m pretty much a goody-two shoes [shrugs]. My parents really aren’t too strict. There was – in the second grade I was talking in class and the teacher was like [her voice deepens and her expression hardens] “Anna! Go sit in the corner.” So I was kind of like “eek!” [cringes] and went to sit in the corner. [looking up at the ceiling] It was lonely in the corner.
I’m trying to think when I punished someone. [puts a finger on her chin] I’m thinking of all my camp experiences because there must have been a lot… I know I must have… Last years some kids – they had this, like, Lego toy that they really liked and [counts off on her fingers] they were playing with it and running. So I was – I just kind of yelled at them. Nothing really changed at all. I mean, I wasn’t the only one yelling, and it seemed kind of pointless, but that’s the rule at camp – no running in the hall.
7/21/08
7/20/08
day 11 - company meeting
Ruthie Fisher’s character writing exercise (edited for length)
I am Agnes Lysanthia Brown. I am an Aries, which is interesting because Aries are meant to be stubborn and I am not stubborn. I am more of a shape shifter. I am about 65. I say about because my age is confusing. . . I know I am an Aries, but not quite sure what day my momma popped me out. Well, ah, well. I live over in the grocery building, but that’s really a secret now, isn’t it? Don’t want to tip Mr. what’s his name officer off. My home is just really a landing for my behind. My home is my possessions, my trinkets. . . I am not sure why everything is little, but maybe because it is easier to move my things when the po po comes. Actually, that is not even true, because a lot of little becomes something big. . . My legs are pretty t—A--rrific if you ask me. Well, not that anyone is really asking. I used to have it. I had the moves. I know I may not be the prettiest thing on this block . . . but I got solid gold legs. I am telling you . . . I really think I will be shaking this bootie to the grave.
Cate Wiley's interview with Maria:
Maria has kindly extended an invitation to visit her in Sweden, which I would like to take up since seeing Vikingsholm at Lake Tahoe, a beautiful Scandinavian-style summer home built nearly 100 years ago at Emerald Bay. The lines, the warm combination of wood and stone, and the grass growing on the roof made me want to see the real Scandinavia!
Maria told me about some serious differences among Scandinavian countries, for example, that a new law in Denmark makes it very hard for a Dane to marry anyone outside the European Union. If they do so, the couple must reside in Sweden even if they work in Denmark.
We discussed how theater works in Sweden. There, small theater companies apply almost exclusively to the state for funding, and actors are considered unemployed during rehearsals so they can collect benefits.
Stockholm and Gothenburg (Sweden’s second city) have two big companies and each county (like a state, 24 total ) has at least one regional theater. Remember that the city of Los Angeles has nearly twice the population of all of Sweden!
Sweden has 4 theater academies, admitting only 8-12 people per class, with usually over 1000 applicants each year. Most people apply several times (Maria applied 10 times before her acceptance, and she knows on ly one person who got in her first try).
Maria says of her work that she is grateful to be an actor full time at Teatre Västernorrland (which means western northland)
7/19/08
day 10 - trip to santa monica/ the dandelions
also Cate's interview with Leyla about her role as Community Engagement person:
C: How did your perceptions of the job change over the last week?
L: I realized en route to the airport that I didn’t know what I was doing—kind of funny—I had no expectations.
C: Why did you choose Community Engagement?
L: I have experience and I enjoy doing—I’m open to almost anything.
C: What connected to the show wouldn’t you do?
L: Costumes and lighting—I would have no idea.
C: Is there any one community member you’re proudest of?
L: I’m most excited about Sherri’s role, as we saw her perform her poem, ”Fall of the Freaks,” on the street. And now she’s Bottles.
We had our first music rehearsal with the Americans and Becky. The sounds of voices singing “smoke, beer, piss” melodically filled the lofters of the sunny open space loft. I loved the juxtaposition of the harsh details of the environment of the American Hotel with the melodic harmonies produced within the group. I loved the mix of the gritty American hotel and the airy almost church like quality of the music. Becky, as musical director, did a fabulous job trying out different parts and variations of the lines from the play. For example, we sang “layer upon layer upon layer of conversation” from the script and then layered our voices harmonically. Tom, Dick (and Harry, as I renamed Danyol) gave examples of stories from the real American Hotel, like for example that you can’t microwave without unplugging other appliances or else everything gets short circuited. I also got to improvise the video scene with Tom where he will play a guitar soundtrack to Myrine making scrambled eggs in the microwave. It was fun bonding with the a few of the other actors and hearing the real life stories of the people living on Traction Ave. It also was fun to recreate “hanging out on a Friday afternoon...just chilling and eating eggs... Judy Cohenalso Music Rehearsal - "The Americans Sing the Scrambled Eggs Blues"...
7/18/08
7/17/08
day 8 - first rehearsal
Costume Measurements
I’ve had and conducted my fair share of costume measurements in my day but this was one of the most chill. For one I wasn’t taking measurements, so that was nice to just be measured. And I know all my sizes so I was able to answer all questions. I’m always amazed by grown male actors who don’t know their pants size. Is your mother still shopping for you? But yeah, it was pretty routine – shirt size, show size, dress size. Then they measured arms length, head, bust, etc. We soon discovered that Elizabeth, the costume designer, and I have basically the same measurements. Elizabeth told me I was pretty lucky because I would most likely never have to come in for a fitting – “Well if it fits me, it’ll fit Greer.” Although I am sad that I won’t be spending more time with the costume team because they are a fun group. But costume measurements can be an awkward time for some and I thought Elizabeth and her assistants did a great job of making people feel comfortable. There were several private stations and everyone was sort of chatting and socializing around. Then amidst all the activity they just happened to measure you. It was very relaxed. I am excited about my costume!
Greer Beckman
7/16/08
day 7 -Class #5, Community Callbacks and Casting
Class #5 : Creating Community Specific Text
Adapting Federico Garcia Lorca's Blood Wedding Exercise (led by Peter Howard):
Ching-In Chen's adaptation:
(The stagelight disappears behind the curtains at Jacques. A trans-woman who is the host of this Asian dragnight performance enters, completely covered in flimsy, dark green garments. She is barefoot. Her face can barely be seen under the folds of cloth. This character does not appear on the cast list.)
$1 miso door prize. Rubber gloves. Audience member's phone number. Floss My lighter. Diet pills. Dollar bills. Stage prop brownies. I am so tired! Where the hell did they get to!?! The show is almost done. Where's the goddamn light, Jacques! The light?
D'Lo's adaptation:
New Moon Blood
(A Half Woman/Half Man person enters stage as lights go down on a masculine figure preparing hyself for the work day. S/he is menstruating red petals.)
That moment in moonlight is gone.
He lives now in the dark where I once tried to in the light.
Green, I will prevent him from being
Or else, prevent the moon from shining.
Should’ve been a blue moon myself.
Taking the souls of my duality-driven children, and spanking them over my knee.
Crack whips and bind mouths to finally enjoy the silence that has bound us before.
Fuck the moon who dare shine hys life...
Let hym bind in the dark.
Leyla Eraslan's Writing Exercise to Create Original Text (led by Michael Garces)
I’m Susan Parker—I was named after my great grandmother. It’s a heck of a name, isn’t it? I mean, of all the names to preserve and pass down, why Susan? I’m partial to my middle name, Marilyn. My mother’s favorite film was Some Like It Hot. A lady never reveals her age, so I’m 32. I live just over on Park Lane—I know, Parker on Park Lane—serendipitous, ain’t it? It’s a lovely little house. There’s a great space for my garden—you should just see the size of my tomatoes! Oh, most of them rot on the vine—sad, isn’t it? I’m afraid I don’t have much of an appetite most nights, and I don’t know who to give them to. Hmmm. Well, anyway, my cat Tiger and I live at 23 park Lane. It’s a quiet life, I’m a secretary over at the travel agency in town, so most days I just go in, read a magazine or brochure about Peru—Parrru—I can’t roll my R’s—wish I could. I come on home, feed Tiger, work on the garden—poor tomatoes—and then I hit the hay. . . I’ve got a lot to be thankful for. . . I could never think of leaving. Besides, I bet it would be hot in Peru. . . I got this fun little haircut recently—I thought it might, I don’t know, add a little excitement to my life. The mailman said it was nice but I’m not sure most people noticed. . . . Say, would you like some lemonade?
7/15/08
day 6 - story circle
D'Lo's Five Senses Writing Exercise from Peter Howard's Story Circle class, Day 6, I-5
I realize that me being dark, brown, bald, hip hop, boi, gay, silver jewelry n nose rings can be a combined look that intimidates. I understand that my smile can shift people out of their intimidation in a snap.
When I think of I5, I smell mayonnaise, theatre, sweat, coffee, perfumes. I see white women, open hearts, expertise, Andres and love. I hear ernest-ness, laughter, white folk talk, thoughts, yawns. I taste coffee, sadness, sweat, hot sauce, plastic pen. I touch hands, sweet faces, white girls hair, sweaty skin, eyebrows.
Story Circle Questions: I-5 Day 6
We had an informative class on the process of leading story circles with Peter Howard. These are the questions that arose from the class in the process of creating our own story circle about our I-5 experience.
Talk about a moment when you learned something about yourself that you had not been aware of before.
Tell us about a time when you connected with a specific person, place or object.
What is the oldest thing in your home?
Moment of great joy with this community?
Since you have been here, what experience have you had that has put you our of your comfort zone?
Describe a time when you felt supported by this community.
How do you think you will respond to your first disappointment with Cornerstone?
What were your fears coming in?
What was the most exciting canvassing moment you've had?
Tell us a time where you shared a sense of community?
Tell me about something that happened to you during mealtime (or when not working).
Moment when you wish you had a video camera?
How has your perception(s) of LA changed since being here?
What do you envision as a moment of potential or possibility that could happen tomorrow?
7/14/08
day 5- community auditions
Cate Wiley’s audition experience
It has been something like 25 years since I auditioned for a play—graduate exams and job interviews are not quite the same. I was surprised to be introduced (again!) to Michael, but after that I had a good time hamming it up with my newspaper line about “bad guys not having access to information.” I feel as if I was asked to read it about six different times and I recall running up to whisper in the ear of each auditioner. I felt brave and incredibly talented as an actor for those few minutes!
Audition Recruiting
Tuesday night was the second night of auditions. All Sunday and Monday nights we’d been canvassing for auditions – walking around the neighborhood with fistfuls of audition flyers, stopping anyone we found to lure them over to the audition room. It was exhilarating to be out in the street, steeling up the nerve to walk up to complete strangers and lay out our mission. It was our first real contact with the neighborhood, and as outsiders to the community, it was both terrifying and empowering. The number of people I met who were immediately enthusiastic about the project was unexpected to me, and inspiring. But we got a lot of no’s also – polite smiles and shakes of the head, people with “no time” or who “weren’t actors,” and nothing we said could change their minds. By eight o’clock Tuesday night, it was getting dark and I was starting to get tired. I was standing on the sidewalk outside Cornerstone with the rest of the recruiting team, beginning to start the fourth round of trying to get the couple who kept walking past us to audition. We failed, as we had the last three times, but then, a car pulled up. People jumped out, slamming the doors behind them, and I stepped forward to catch them before they sped off to wherever they were headed so quickly.
“Hey, have you heard about the play we’re doing at Cornerstone?” I asked, brandishing a flyer.”
“Yeah, that’s where we’re going!” They answered, hurrying past me.
I stopped, stunned, and watched as they rushed excitedly into Cornerstone. Gradually, more people trickled in. People walking in out of the darkening street, into the waiting room full of community members talking and laughing as they waited to audition. There weren’t a lot of them, but suddenly people were turning the tables on us, as we approached to tiredly invite them in, telling us offhandedly that they already knew. Some of the people who said they had no time but would come back later, the ones we’d given up on, were emerging from the street with excited greetings and smiles. By the end of auditions, we had 74 people. As Michael said later in class, the eagerness we found seemed to reflect a hunger in the community – for the story to be told, and to be the ones telling it. On Thursday, when we packed nearly sixty people into the rehearsal space for our first read-through, that story began to come to life.
Taiga Christie
7/13/08
day 4 - outreach at neighborhood churches
New City Church People: After the service at New City Church I spoke to a few people about what we were doing at Cornerstone. Some of the people were really excited about the fact that the play was about their community, they were long term residents and had seen the area change, they really wanted me to know their stories, what this community means to them. There were also people who have been going to the church since it started and who didn’t have a clue what was round the corner! They were eager to find out more...it took me a while to get out the door!
Rhiannon Lane
graffiti on bloom's store
My faith is in a state of constant flux, a circumstance that I’m sure many people of many faiths can relate to. My home church and I haven’t been on great terms, and church services can be incredibly emotional experiences for me (for better or for worse). So when it was suggested that Cornerstone Institute students attend church services in order to spread the word about auditions for @traction, I was a little hesitant. Eventually I decided that reaching out to the community around Traction Avenue was more important than any religious qualms I might have, so I agreed to attend Sunday morning mass at St. Xavier Catholic Church. And I’m so glad I did! St. Xavier’s is the only Catholic church in the Los Angeles area to offer a service in Japanese, and has a very strong Japanese-American population. Judging from this morning’s attendance, there is also a sizeable Latino population in the congregation. There was a baby, Jonathan, who was baptized yesterday, and another who was to be baptized after the service this morning. It was a lively bunch of people, who seemed to go to mass as naturally as they would eat or breathe. During the passing of the peace, I approached Father Richard. The Institute director, Paula, told us that Father Richard had been involved in the process of creating the scripts through story circles and was very excited about the show. Father Richard didn’t let us down. I spoke to him briefly to tell him that a contingent of I-5 students was present, and he grinned and said “Great! I’ll be making the announcement later and I have fliers in the back of the church.” Just after the passing of the peace was Eucharist. Communion. Kind of a big deal, especially in the Catholic church. Ordinarily when I attend a Catholic church, I go to the priest for a blessing, but don’t take communion because I’m not Catholic. However, when I got to the front of the line, Father Richard smiled and said “The Body of Christ for Cornerstone.” He didn’t ask whether I was Catholic, and I didn’t volunteer the information. I just took the Host and felt… happy. Accepted. Embraced, even. It was a good feeling. After the service, Father Richard made the announcement about our presence and our reason for being there. Then he sent us to the back of the church before everyone else so we could stop people on their way out! No one could leave without getting by us first! So many people were enthusiastic, while others seemed anxious about being involved. But everybody was curious and everybody had questions. Even the people who said they didn’t want to participate were reaching for the fliers. One highlight for me was when an elderly woman with a strong Japanese accent asked whether the show was for people of all ages, and seemed very interested in attending auditions, or perhaps helping with costumes. Being a part of this community was eye-opening, and I’m glad I was able to experience this particular facet of our neighborhood. Next week Cate and her daughter Claire, two of the other I-5 participants, and I will be attending mass there again. The weekend after Marcos, a past Institute participant and a volunteer for this year’s Institute will be coming with me to the 8:30 service in Japanese. I look forward to continuing a relationship with this unique and welcoming community, even if it lasts only for the month.
Molly MacLagan
Cate’s interview with Diane Freaney about New City Church
C: Why did you choose to attend this particular service?
D: I am interested in alternative church spaces and kinds of services. This church only began in April, so it is still very new.
C: How many people were there?
D: Around 50, with a lot of children.
C: How much interest was there in Traction Avenue?
D: They were very open and interested in Cornerstone. Jeanne, a core member of the church, participated in the community reading of the @Traction script. Pastor Kevin invited us to make an announcement at the service, which we did and it was well received. This pastor had another church in the Mission district in a parking lot. Their music consisted of a guitar and the songs were very good. `new `city `church wants to take advantage of the neighborhood and are determined to be as inclusive as possible.
7/12/08
7/11/08
7/10/08
day 1 - who are you?
on the vignes arts building roof
alison carey and peter howard (founding members of cornerstone)
What We Hope to Learn from Our Institute Experience
How should we define "inclusivity" in the context of artistic creation? Is it possible to create inclusive community based theater or does defining a community inherently imply a process of exclusion?
How doe we know when we get there?
How can we keep theatre interesting and relevant for the community after the initial production?
How can we most accurately and effectively represent the communities we work with while doing community-based theater? What ethical considerations come into play when thinking about questions of representation?
In starting a project, how do/can you initially engage a community? Who do you talk to to get the ball rolling?
How do you communicate about community-engaged theater so people get excited about it and engage in it? (*People = community members, residents, community business, supporters, financial and in-kind).
What long-term impact did past community-based theater productions have on communities? What initiatives were started as a direct-result of these productions?
What do you do when social conflict arises outside of rehearsals that disturb the onstage work?
How do you bridge a group where half are old timers who know each other well and the others are new (your forming a theater group)?
Would you ever work with a community whose politics you don't agree with but somehow feel are important / under represented or is that impossible?
How do you identify an interesting play topic and how (as a potential newcomer/outsider_ do you approach people for research interviews without appearing intrusive or condescending?
How do and when do community based theater scripts get conceptualized? What is the process around building the script?
How does one negotiate between process and product? How to find the balance between what may be the groups stage of development and the desired outcome?
How do you reach a compromise between process and product? Is there a way to achieve success in bith? Can it be both an enriching process for the community members and a successful product in artistic/theatrical terms?
In professional community based theater, what is the balance between process and product? Is there an equal balance between process and product, or is one more heavily weighted than the other? How do we assess the project as professional community-based artists and what are measures of success?
How do you reach your targeted audience? How do you keep the audience engaged after the performance?
How do we deal with "appropriation" as "outsiders"/people unfamiliar with the community? All the power dynamics that arise from that?
What are the ethical implications of creating community-based theater in a community that is not originally your own? What constitutes imperialism or condescension?
How do I make myself dispensable for the continuum of the work, once the initial project is over?
How do you write a play (original) based on a community that encompasses all the stories of that community without making the play too confusing, too long, or lacking action? Furthermore, does a community based play follow different rules than a regular play? What are those rules?
Hen you are entering a community that looks different from you, how do you establish trust?
How do you negotiate issues in communities that are rapidly changing? In conflict between old and new residents, how do you deal with issues of ownership or belonging?
7/9/08
previous students of cornerstone institute
institute I1 - 2004 - Lost Hills CA
institute I2 - 2005 - Grayson-Westley CA
institute I3 - 2006 - San Francisco CA
institute I4 - 2007 - Holtville CA
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