A few days into ENCUENTRO 2014 at the Los Angeles Theater Center, I fractured a bone in my left foot. I could have been miserable, but all it wrought was even more beautiful people and experiences into my life.
As soon as Geoffrey Rivas, a member of the über talented Latino Theater Company ensemble, saw me limping, he made his way to the properties room and suddenly appeared with a cane. It was brought to me with such genuine concern for my well-being, that in Geoffrey’s hands it became a Wizard’s staff, a magic wand, a healing stick. I promised to send it back once I got home, but honestly, I’m having a difficult time parting with it. All of you who were there get the sub-textual analogy.
For fifteen days I lived in a microcosmic world where everyone loves the arts and honors the artists. Collaboration trumped competition, multiple generations learned from each other. The young honored the elders in that old-school way that feels like the kind of respect that can save the world. High school students jumped to their feet in wild standing ovations for the early morning shows performed especially to welcome them. One young man came to me in full Day of the Dead make-up after seeing Dancing in My Cockroach Killers, and worked up the courage to recite one of his poems, that was beautifully crafted with a great hook about the true meaning of success. He wanted to connect writer to writer. Those are the moments I live for! Gracious manners abounded everywhere, people looking out for each other, championing each other’s work. None of the artifice, petty jealousies and diva behavior of which theater artists are often accused, invaded the space. If it did swirl in any small way, it was eventually, gently erased. Glossy Fake will not endure in the Matte presence of Real.
Did I mention that Don Francisco’s lattes were available all day long and free of charge and served by the nicest people full of grace and hospitality. Now that’s how to do business!
The word impressive is not strong enough to speak of most of the young people present, only the translation will suffice: ¡IMPRESIONANTE! To see the dedication to their craft, art and their colleagues, the self-respect with which they carried themselves, and their lack of arrogance or entitlement, was life-giving. The message was clear, even in their body language when they networked: “I’m here to learn; to teach; to make contacts; to become more of who I am; I am here to create art that will make a difference in the world and in the lives of the audiences. And of course, to have a deliciously good time!” It is a tribute to them and the choices they are making as well as to the elders who have been role models along the way. True desire and passion for the arts have no minimum or maximum age. Great artists are in continuous development; I prefer desarrollo (some words are simply juicier in Spanish) at all different stages of their careers.
I disdain the term “emerging artist" for many reasons, including the paternalism with which it is too often used (like when you’ve been an artist for decades but the person who labels you didn’t do their homework) but even worse, emerging implies an end point. There is no end to our learning and growth, in life, in art and in craft. Aren’t we always emerging into the next phase of our lives? We are always emerging from life’s illusions into the deeper realities, like the Velveteen Rabbit. (If you haven’t read it, I recommend it, along with The Little Prince and Psalm 150 in the Old Testament that praises the arts as worthy enough to be applied to the praising of God.) I’m not religious, just biblically literate - Christian scriptures more than the others, as I am in love with the Revolutionary Yeshua, political prisoner of the Roman State and champion of the outcasts. Hater of hypocrisy, despiser of greed, opponent of tyranny, enemy of evil intentions (talk about a super-hero) and a performer in his own right; you don’t move the masses like he did without stage presence and formidable charisma.
Okay, yes. I am the tangent queen. Once a New Yorker, always a New Yorker-we can have five conversations at once and keep them all going in perfect balance while eating a pastrami on rye the size of your head. Ultimately it all works, because we share our pickles if anyone finds it missing from the wax paper wrap.
The folks at the ENCUENTRO 2014 shared their pickles and their time and looked out for each other. Chantal Rodriguez, José Luis Valenzuela, Daniel Jáquez, Nicky "Niko" Laboy, Elise Santora, Albert Villalta, Loren the security guard, Alex Meda, Maritxell Carrero, Debra Gallegos, Yolanda Ortega, Eric Aviles (with his daily ferocious hugs) and the ever-present Anthony Rodriguez, were among the many people, who along with my personal daily angelic apparition , Geoffrey Rivas, checked in with me every day. “How’s your foot” “Do you have your tickets?” “I will escort you to your seat” "How do to take your coffee?" “Have you eaten?” “Let me know if there’s anything I can do” “There’s someone I want you to meet” were among the daily litanies of love and concern.
Following the panel where I presented beside Pulitzer Prize winning author and journalist, Sonia Nazario; Tony García, Executive Artistic Director of Su Teatro (Denver); Rosalba Rolón, Artistic Director of Pregones/PRTT Theaters; I was granted space and given support by Adriana Gaviria and Ricky Pak to sell my books. I had only mentioned it at the panel and BAM! I sold twenty-five copies. The best part of selling my books was the encounters I had with every single person, and the sacred moment of intimacy we shared as they allowed me to look into their eyes to discover what I might write as dedications.
One of the people on line was Dr. Glenn A. López, who provides medical care for the homeless and other uninsured people in Los Angeles. When he returned two days later he saw me limping and asked, “May I touch your foot?” I didn’t know he was a doctor at the time, (blush/crush) but found out soon enough. The next thing I know, he is driving my husband Jim and I to Urgent Care in Marina del Rey and stayed with us until he was satisfied I had received the best care. Jim and I took him out to lunch - Glenn picked a wonderful place in Venice, and we all got to see the ocean and hills. Afterwards, Glenn drove us to see the Korean Friendship Bell in San Pedro, where we watched the sun settle into the horizon. A day I might not have experienced without that fracture. Glenn attended the rest of the ENCUENTRO days and it become clear would remain friends.
Everyone I know in Los Angeles and the outskirts, who were available, came out to support not only me, but the ENCUENTRO. For all of them, it was their first time at the Los Angeles Theater Center, and after their grand experience, they assured me they were hooked. I asked them to spread the word and I have no doubt they will. We can build new audiences a handful of people at a time. Sometimes I miss the opportunities that are right under my nose - my husband doesn’t miss a thing. He made a list of everyone we knew in the area. This is one example of why I strive to surround myself with people who are smarter, more talented and more astute than I am - it makes me work harder and the stretching that comes with reaching keeps me young.
As I hobbled around the city I took buses and trains and made it out to Long Beach, The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), the Museum of Latin American Art (MOLAA) and the Tom Bergins Irish Pub where I had a chance to sit in Cary Grant’s favorite seat and had the best corned beef I could ever imagine-half Irish Jim agreed. The waitstaff and manager are great conversationalists as well as theater lovers and practioners.
In need of a wheelchair to navigate museums, I had to take the elevator at LACMA, something I would never do. The wait and ride were slow and I ended up meeting an activist poet from Chile who lives in L.A. now, and a children’s activist from Colombia. The two of them have been friends for thirty-five years. The woman from Chile is half Gitana like myself. We have already begun a collaboration and she will be hiring me to edit a collection of her poetry. Some sample poems arrived yesterday. I am intending to do a performance for a fundraiser her friend is doing for a new child-friendly initiative involving the arts, sometime next year. We are all clearly follow-through people and it will all happen. We will keep on creating win-win partnerships to benefit the greatest number of people possible. When the children’s project unfolds and I have consent, I will blog about it. When the book is out, I will promote it!
On a day when I was tired and the fracture was acting up, I stayed in the LATC lobby on an unbearably beautiful day. I probably would have gone swimming if I could, but once again, I received a blessing from this fractured foot. I ended up facilitating an impromptu one on one mini-writing workshop. A monologue draft was completed. I gave a follow-up assignment. You know who you are-I am waiting for the next draft and looking forward to it.
Right after that I had the opportunity to spend time with the gifted and luminous Marissa Herrera (www.MarissaHerrera.com) and the young woman she mentored who is now her friend, and equally gifted, Maribel Barcena López, learning about their collaborations and individual work. What an inspiration! What stories. Two women with whom I also want to collaborate, NOW!
At ENCUENTRO 2014 I saw theater productions at all stages of development. I couldn’t get enough and saw nearly every show possible in the days I was there, with the exception of one - and I do expect to have another chance. I was moved, inspired, excited, and went through a gamut of emotions - to feel, to think, to want to do more and better work - that is how I always want to feel at the theater. I saw old friends and made new ones, and my own life has deepened. Thank you to all who made it possible!
If you didn’t already, I encourage all of you to join the National Association of Latino Arts and Cultures (NALAC) - they support us, we must stand up and support them. It is affordable and you get so much more than you pay for! Also make sure you look into their Leadership Training; a life-changing opportunity.
Let’s all stay connected and consider what tangible ways we can reach out to each other and make things happen. May no one ever feel alone. May we support each other with more than words, but by our continued actions on each other’s behalf. Sharing talents, resources, skills, venue. Anything is possible. No more gatekeepers: we produce it, we present it, we prosper and then we help others produce, present and prosper. Its more than just about art; ultimately its about justice. As was said during a reflection, painting a flower is political. If an artist actually has the time and access to paint that flower, that is political; a single, beautiful triumph of justice that will have a ripple effect on those who see the flower, meet the artist, are inspired to create. We can do anything with one such triumph at a time.
All of you who were at the ENCUENTRO 2014 know it was a love fest. An alternate universe, where it was proclaimed WE ARE AMERICAN THEATER. I say we are more than that, we are becoming an unstoppable force, a collective and global voice, ready to redefine, expand and explode what it truly means to be AMERICAN, that there is more than one AMERICA and that they were ours from the beginning.
(Geoffrey Rivas, I will eventually return your cane; just a little while longer, okay?)
___________
To learn more about ENCUENTRO 2014 visit:
http://howlround.com/search/node/Encuentro%202014
To join NALAC visit:
www.nalac.org
As soon as Geoffrey Rivas, a member of the über talented Latino Theater Company ensemble, saw me limping, he made his way to the properties room and suddenly appeared with a cane. It was brought to me with such genuine concern for my well-being, that in Geoffrey’s hands it became a Wizard’s staff, a magic wand, a healing stick. I promised to send it back once I got home, but honestly, I’m having a difficult time parting with it. All of you who were there get the sub-textual analogy.
For fifteen days I lived in a microcosmic world where everyone loves the arts and honors the artists. Collaboration trumped competition, multiple generations learned from each other. The young honored the elders in that old-school way that feels like the kind of respect that can save the world. High school students jumped to their feet in wild standing ovations for the early morning shows performed especially to welcome them. One young man came to me in full Day of the Dead make-up after seeing Dancing in My Cockroach Killers, and worked up the courage to recite one of his poems, that was beautifully crafted with a great hook about the true meaning of success. He wanted to connect writer to writer. Those are the moments I live for! Gracious manners abounded everywhere, people looking out for each other, championing each other’s work. None of the artifice, petty jealousies and diva behavior of which theater artists are often accused, invaded the space. If it did swirl in any small way, it was eventually, gently erased. Glossy Fake will not endure in the Matte presence of Real.
Did I mention that Don Francisco’s lattes were available all day long and free of charge and served by the nicest people full of grace and hospitality. Now that’s how to do business!
The word impressive is not strong enough to speak of most of the young people present, only the translation will suffice: ¡IMPRESIONANTE! To see the dedication to their craft, art and their colleagues, the self-respect with which they carried themselves, and their lack of arrogance or entitlement, was life-giving. The message was clear, even in their body language when they networked: “I’m here to learn; to teach; to make contacts; to become more of who I am; I am here to create art that will make a difference in the world and in the lives of the audiences. And of course, to have a deliciously good time!” It is a tribute to them and the choices they are making as well as to the elders who have been role models along the way. True desire and passion for the arts have no minimum or maximum age. Great artists are in continuous development; I prefer desarrollo (some words are simply juicier in Spanish) at all different stages of their careers.
I disdain the term “emerging artist" for many reasons, including the paternalism with which it is too often used (like when you’ve been an artist for decades but the person who labels you didn’t do their homework) but even worse, emerging implies an end point. There is no end to our learning and growth, in life, in art and in craft. Aren’t we always emerging into the next phase of our lives? We are always emerging from life’s illusions into the deeper realities, like the Velveteen Rabbit. (If you haven’t read it, I recommend it, along with The Little Prince and Psalm 150 in the Old Testament that praises the arts as worthy enough to be applied to the praising of God.) I’m not religious, just biblically literate - Christian scriptures more than the others, as I am in love with the Revolutionary Yeshua, political prisoner of the Roman State and champion of the outcasts. Hater of hypocrisy, despiser of greed, opponent of tyranny, enemy of evil intentions (talk about a super-hero) and a performer in his own right; you don’t move the masses like he did without stage presence and formidable charisma.
Okay, yes. I am the tangent queen. Once a New Yorker, always a New Yorker-we can have five conversations at once and keep them all going in perfect balance while eating a pastrami on rye the size of your head. Ultimately it all works, because we share our pickles if anyone finds it missing from the wax paper wrap.
The folks at the ENCUENTRO 2014 shared their pickles and their time and looked out for each other. Chantal Rodriguez, José Luis Valenzuela, Daniel Jáquez, Nicky "Niko" Laboy, Elise Santora, Albert Villalta, Loren the security guard, Alex Meda, Maritxell Carrero, Debra Gallegos, Yolanda Ortega, Eric Aviles (with his daily ferocious hugs) and the ever-present Anthony Rodriguez, were among the many people, who along with my personal daily angelic apparition , Geoffrey Rivas, checked in with me every day. “How’s your foot” “Do you have your tickets?” “I will escort you to your seat” "How do to take your coffee?" “Have you eaten?” “Let me know if there’s anything I can do” “There’s someone I want you to meet” were among the daily litanies of love and concern.
Following the panel where I presented beside Pulitzer Prize winning author and journalist, Sonia Nazario; Tony García, Executive Artistic Director of Su Teatro (Denver); Rosalba Rolón, Artistic Director of Pregones/PRTT Theaters; I was granted space and given support by Adriana Gaviria and Ricky Pak to sell my books. I had only mentioned it at the panel and BAM! I sold twenty-five copies. The best part of selling my books was the encounters I had with every single person, and the sacred moment of intimacy we shared as they allowed me to look into their eyes to discover what I might write as dedications.
One of the people on line was Dr. Glenn A. López, who provides medical care for the homeless and other uninsured people in Los Angeles. When he returned two days later he saw me limping and asked, “May I touch your foot?” I didn’t know he was a doctor at the time, (blush/crush) but found out soon enough. The next thing I know, he is driving my husband Jim and I to Urgent Care in Marina del Rey and stayed with us until he was satisfied I had received the best care. Jim and I took him out to lunch - Glenn picked a wonderful place in Venice, and we all got to see the ocean and hills. Afterwards, Glenn drove us to see the Korean Friendship Bell in San Pedro, where we watched the sun settle into the horizon. A day I might not have experienced without that fracture. Glenn attended the rest of the ENCUENTRO days and it become clear would remain friends.
Everyone I know in Los Angeles and the outskirts, who were available, came out to support not only me, but the ENCUENTRO. For all of them, it was their first time at the Los Angeles Theater Center, and after their grand experience, they assured me they were hooked. I asked them to spread the word and I have no doubt they will. We can build new audiences a handful of people at a time. Sometimes I miss the opportunities that are right under my nose - my husband doesn’t miss a thing. He made a list of everyone we knew in the area. This is one example of why I strive to surround myself with people who are smarter, more talented and more astute than I am - it makes me work harder and the stretching that comes with reaching keeps me young.
As I hobbled around the city I took buses and trains and made it out to Long Beach, The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), the Museum of Latin American Art (MOLAA) and the Tom Bergins Irish Pub where I had a chance to sit in Cary Grant’s favorite seat and had the best corned beef I could ever imagine-half Irish Jim agreed. The waitstaff and manager are great conversationalists as well as theater lovers and practioners.
In need of a wheelchair to navigate museums, I had to take the elevator at LACMA, something I would never do. The wait and ride were slow and I ended up meeting an activist poet from Chile who lives in L.A. now, and a children’s activist from Colombia. The two of them have been friends for thirty-five years. The woman from Chile is half Gitana like myself. We have already begun a collaboration and she will be hiring me to edit a collection of her poetry. Some sample poems arrived yesterday. I am intending to do a performance for a fundraiser her friend is doing for a new child-friendly initiative involving the arts, sometime next year. We are all clearly follow-through people and it will all happen. We will keep on creating win-win partnerships to benefit the greatest number of people possible. When the children’s project unfolds and I have consent, I will blog about it. When the book is out, I will promote it!
On a day when I was tired and the fracture was acting up, I stayed in the LATC lobby on an unbearably beautiful day. I probably would have gone swimming if I could, but once again, I received a blessing from this fractured foot. I ended up facilitating an impromptu one on one mini-writing workshop. A monologue draft was completed. I gave a follow-up assignment. You know who you are-I am waiting for the next draft and looking forward to it.
Right after that I had the opportunity to spend time with the gifted and luminous Marissa Herrera (www.MarissaHerrera.com) and the young woman she mentored who is now her friend, and equally gifted, Maribel Barcena López, learning about their collaborations and individual work. What an inspiration! What stories. Two women with whom I also want to collaborate, NOW!
At ENCUENTRO 2014 I saw theater productions at all stages of development. I couldn’t get enough and saw nearly every show possible in the days I was there, with the exception of one - and I do expect to have another chance. I was moved, inspired, excited, and went through a gamut of emotions - to feel, to think, to want to do more and better work - that is how I always want to feel at the theater. I saw old friends and made new ones, and my own life has deepened. Thank you to all who made it possible!
If you didn’t already, I encourage all of you to join the National Association of Latino Arts and Cultures (NALAC) - they support us, we must stand up and support them. It is affordable and you get so much more than you pay for! Also make sure you look into their Leadership Training; a life-changing opportunity.
Let’s all stay connected and consider what tangible ways we can reach out to each other and make things happen. May no one ever feel alone. May we support each other with more than words, but by our continued actions on each other’s behalf. Sharing talents, resources, skills, venue. Anything is possible. No more gatekeepers: we produce it, we present it, we prosper and then we help others produce, present and prosper. Its more than just about art; ultimately its about justice. As was said during a reflection, painting a flower is political. If an artist actually has the time and access to paint that flower, that is political; a single, beautiful triumph of justice that will have a ripple effect on those who see the flower, meet the artist, are inspired to create. We can do anything with one such triumph at a time.
All of you who were at the ENCUENTRO 2014 know it was a love fest. An alternate universe, where it was proclaimed WE ARE AMERICAN THEATER. I say we are more than that, we are becoming an unstoppable force, a collective and global voice, ready to redefine, expand and explode what it truly means to be AMERICAN, that there is more than one AMERICA and that they were ours from the beginning.
(Geoffrey Rivas, I will eventually return your cane; just a little while longer, okay?)
___________
To learn more about ENCUENTRO 2014 visit:
http://howlround.com/search/node/Encuentro%202014
To join NALAC visit:
www.nalac.org
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