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Commentary: As winter approaches, Occupy can use theater to maintain protest
Benjamin Kabialis, The Berkeley Beacon [Emerson College newspaper] 11/10/11
During the Great Depression, a burgeoning population of workers' theater groups stamped on posters and playbills a common and empowering phrase: "Theater is a weapon." Theater welcomed the exuberance of material forged from the passions of deeply personal battles for workers' rights, and workers cultivated theater as a tool to raise class-consciousness. As American theater looks for the spark of revolution and Occupy Wall Street receives criticism for lack of direction, participants in both camps must take hold of this powerful partnership. Why does American theater dissolve while Occupy Wall Street bolsters its ranks? The latter is held together by a shared and deeply personal connection to the cause, while the former has become an institution completely out of touch with reality. Rather than an exploration of humanity, theater has become an exploration of theater. In colleges and universities actors study the craft of acting and playwrights study the writing of plays. The art form has become a sort of members-only party with no guiding principles outside those of economics. In several ways, Broadway's grandiose theaters, movie star performers, and steep ticket prices mirror the 1% of America's Wall Street. The Worker's Laboratory Theater, the Group Theater, and the Labor Stage were only a few of hundreds of troupes during the 1930s that proved theater could thrive without the resources or splendor of Broadway. Throughout the 1930s workers' movement, theater proved strongest when used as a tool for holding protest groups together. With winter approaching and harsh media criticism growing, Occupy Wall Street can use theater as a way of building community and maintaining a sense of passion in their own ranks.
As winter approaches, Occupy can use theater to maintain protest
I have been invited to speak on a panel this Friday that will be exploring diversity in the independent theatre world. It's part of the Planet Connections Theatre Festivity (in which COTE is currently producing "Decadent Acts"). The festival has been a wonderful experience for us so far. If you haven't had the chance to, you should check out some of the exciting work being done. Of course, you should check out Decadent Acts too. We've made quite a lot of changes since our April production and are in great shape. Looking forward to an exciting run.
For more information on the panel, check out Martin's blog. I have copied and pasted the information from there, below. http://nytheatre.wordpress.com/2010/06/09/talking-about-diversity-in-indie-theater/
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On Friday, June 18 at 2:00pm, at the Robert Moss Theatre, I will be hosting a panel on diversity in Indie theater. The panel is part of the Planet Connections Theatre Festivity, of which nytheatre.com is a media sponsor.
I’ve put together a really interesting lineup to join me on the panel:
- LEAH BONVISUTTO is the director of Felipe Ossa’s Cake at Planet Connections
- ROI “BUBI” ESCUDERO is the creator/director/designer of 11 Seconds of Ecstasy at Planet Connections
- ASHLEY MARINACCIO is the author/director of Decadent Acts at Planet Connections
- MONTSERRAT MENDEZ is a playwright, director, actor, and a reviewer for nytheatre.com
We’ll be talking about the breadth and depth of diversity in the indie theater community–which is certainly exemplified by the panel, which includes three women who direct and two who write plays; one of our panelists is from Argentina and another from Puerto Rico. Diversity will be defined very broadly in this discussion–not just in terms of gender or ethnicity, but also in terms of subject matter, theme, genre, and form. Why is indie theater the platform for so much more exploration in these areas than elsewhere in the NYC theatre world?
We’re also going to be talking about why diversity is important–not just for the various groups/ideas that are represented, but more significantly for the audience. Why should theatregoers of every stripe stretch themselves and move out of their comfort zones to experience diverse kinds of theatre?
I expect a fascinating and lively discussion, and I hope you will join us! It’s free. Post your thoughts here and I will bring them to the panel!
Labels: activism, COTE, decadent acts, planet connections theatre festivity
GirlPower at The United Nations!
Big things are happening for GirlPower. Here are some pictures of the girls addressing the United Nations during the "Children's Rights Convention" this past week. These girls are fierce! I'm going to get the Youtube video up ASAP. More pictures here: http://www.photoblog.com/ashleymarinaccio/2009/12/09/girlpower-at-the-united-nations.html
Labels: activism, feminism, GirlPower
I've been lame on blog posts this past month. Thankfully, it's because I've been busy. COTE just closed "Questionable Content" last week and I have another instillment of GirlPower (with a brand new cast) coming up October 8th and 9th. More updates are to come.
In honor of GirlPower I'm posting the 50/50 in 2020 Action list. The objective of 50/50 in 2020 is to achieve parity for professional women theater artists by 2020. Even today, women playwrights, directors, and designers receive fewer than 20% of the professional production opportunities nationwide.
50/50 in 2020 Action List
1. Write a letter to the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) requesting that gender parity in the arts be a national funding priority. Direct letters to Mr. Rocco Landesman, Chairman, National Endowment for the Arts, 1100 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20506-0001.
2. Recruit fans to the 50/50 in 2020 page on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/pages/5050-in-
2020/150326422323?ref=ts). Take personal responsibility for attracting at least 5 new members. This will help us to communicate with and energize an effective base of support on very short notice. Numbers matter!
3. Write to your local theaters and request gender parity now! Tell them that you will only buy tickets to productions or subscriptions to seasons involving equal representation of female and male playwrights, directors, designers, actors, and administrators. Address your letters to the staff leadership (check their website, but usually the Artistic Director and Executive/Managing Director) and copy all members of the theater’s Board of Directors. If possible, gather a diplomatic team in your town or neighborhood and request permission to meet in person with the Board of your local theater, and then talk to them about the moral and legal requisite for
gender parity, and tell them that you’ll take your concerns about their failure to provide equal opportunity for women to the local media, the theater’s funders, and local politicians if you do not see action in the short term.
4. Hold a “50/50 in 2020 night” in your neighborhood or theater. Create an event worth attending, and ask everyone to do engage in the activist options presented here. When you organize an event, let us know, so that we can help you spread the word.
5. Use social media to advance the cause. Urge your friends to blog about the topic. Comment on relevant postings in Facebook. Retweet pertinent entries on Twitter. Post your status on Linked In as being concerned about the lack of gender parity among professional women theater artists. Take an active interest in spreading the word in whatever viral/virtual medium with which you associate, and ask your friends to do the same. Again, numbers matter! The more widespread the conversation about the cause becomes, the more profound the impact will be among employers, funders, and media.
6. Encourage your friends, family, and any fellow union or guild members to buy tickets and subscriptions to theaters that support the work of professional women theater artists. If possible, track the positive response and send it to us and to your local media. Eventually, we plan to produce an annual Report Card rating the theaters who are best or worst about producing and hiring women.
7. If you work at an educational institution, then organize a petition addressed to publishers demanding that more plays by women throughout history be published. Tell them how you include a particular play or anthology of plays in your classroom. Make sure that the work of women is taught in all undergraduate and graduate theater programs.
8. If you are established in the theater, then begin mentoring an emerging or mid-career artist/administrator! Be generous about extending your connections and influence to help the next generation of women in the professional theater.
9. Plan now for SWAN Day! Visit http://www.womenarts.org/swan/ for details.
10. Use your economic power to support women. Regardless of your income, you matter! Again and always, support women artists. See their shows. Exploit social networking to promote women’s work. Demonstrate thatprofessional theater women artists are a worthy investment. We live in a capitalistic society. The higher the demand, the greater the supply will become. Let’s show the industry that women are the single greatest hope for economic prosperity in the American Theater and beyond.
From: http://www.princeton.edu/arts/arts_at_princeton/theater/event/wit/pdf/Top-Ten-Things-To-Do-for-5050-in-2020.pdf
Several colleagues from grad school and the Arts Politics program at NYU founded a new and groundbreaking magazine called "The Arts Politic", dedicated to solving problems at the intersection of arts and politics. Check it out at:
http://theartspolitic.com/ . You can read it online and order the hard copy "Economy Issue" (#1) at: http://theartspolitic.com/magazine/issue-1/ .
This is great...
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The words of God do not justify cruelty to women
Discrimination and abuse wrongly backed by doctrine are damaging society, argues the former US president
"Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status ..." (Article 2, Universal Declaration of Human Rights)
"There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus." (Galatians 3:28)
I have been a practising Christian all my life and a deacon and Bible teacher for many years. My faith is a source of strength and comfort to me, as religious beliefs are to hundreds of millions of people around the world.
So my decision to sever my ties with the Southern Baptist Convention, after six decades, was painful and difficult. It was, however, an unavoidable decision when th e convention's leaders, quoting a few carefully selected Bible verses and claiming that Eve was created second to Adam and was responsible for original sin, ordained that women must be "subservient" to their husbands and prohibited from serving as deacons, pastors or chaplains in the military service. This was in conflict with my belief - confirmed in the holy scriptures - that we are all equal in the eyes of God.
This view that women are somehow inferior to men is not restricted to one religion or belief. It is widespread. Women are prevented from playing a full and equal role in many faiths.
Nor, tragically, does its influence stop at the walls of the church, mosque, synagogue or temple. This discrimination, unjustifiably attributed to a Higher Authority, has provided a reason or excuse for the deprivation of women's equal rights across the world for centuries. The male interpretations of religious texts and the way they interact with, and reinforce, traditional practices justify some of the most pervasive, persistent, flagrant and damaging examples of human rights abuses.
At their most repugnant, the belief that women must be subjugated to the wishes of men excuses slavery, violence, forced prostitution, genital mutilation and national laws that omit rape as a crime. But it also costs many millions of girls and women control over their own bodies and lives, and continues to deny them fair access to education, health, employment and influence within their own communities.
The impact of these religious beliefs touches every aspect of our lives. They help explain why in many countries boys are educated before girls; why girls are told when and whom they must marry; and why many face enormous and unacceptable risks in pregnancy and childbirth because their basic health needs are not met.
In some Islamic nations, women are restricted in their movements, punished for permitting the exposure of an arm or ankle, deprived of education, prohibited from driving a car or competing with men for a job. If a woman is raped, she is often most severely punished as the guilty party in the crime.
The same discriminatory thinking lies behind the continuing gender gap in pay and why there are still so few women in office in Britain and the United States. The root of this prejudice lies deep in our histories, but its impact is felt every day. It is not women and girls alone who suffer. It damages all of us. The evidence shows that investing in women and girls delivers major benefits for everyone in society. An educated woman has healthier children. She is more likely to send them to school. She earns more and invests what she earns in her family.
It is simply self-defeating for any community to discriminate against half its population. We need to challenge these self-serving and out-dated attitudes and practices - as we are seeing in Iran where women are at the forefront of the battle for democracy and freedom.
I understand, however, why many political leaders can be reluctant about stepping into this minefield. Religion, and tradition, are powerful and sensitive area to challenge.
But my fellow Elders and I, who come from many faiths and backgrounds, no longer need to worry about winning votes or avoiding controversy - and we are deeply committed to challenging injustice wherever we see it.
The Elders have decided to draw particular attention to the responsibility of religious and traditional leaders in ensuring equality and human rights. We have recently published a statement that declares: "The justification of discrimination against women and girls on grounds of religion or tradition, as if it were prescribed by a Higher Authority, is unacceptable."
We are calling on all leaders to challenge and change the harmful teachings and practices, no matter how ingrained, which justify discrimination against women. We ask, in particular, that leaders of all religions have the courage to acknowledge and emphasise the positive messages of dignity and equality that all the world's major faiths share.
Although not having training in religion or theology, I understand that the carefully selected verses found in the holy scriptures to justify the superiority of men owe more to time and place - and the determination of male leaders to hold onto their influence - than eternal truths. Similar Biblical excerpts could be found to support the approval of slavery and the timid acquiescence to oppressive rulers.
At the same time, I am also familiar with vivid descriptions in the same scriptures in which women are revered as pre-eminent leaders. During the years of the early Christian church women served as deacons, priests, bishops, apostles, teachers and prophets. It wasn't until the fourth century that dominant Christian leaders, all men, twisted and distorted holy scriptures to perpetuate their ascendant positions within the religious hierarchy.
I know, too, that Billy Graham, one of the most widely respected and revered Christians during my lifetime, did not understand why women were prevented from being priests and preachers. He said: "Women preach all over the world. It doesn't bother me from my study of the scriptures."
The truth is that male religious leaders have had - and still have - an option to interpret holy teachings either to exalt or subjugate women. They have, for their own selfish ends, overwhelmingly chosen the latter.
Their continuing choice provides the foundation or justification for much of the pervasive persecution and abuse of women throughout the world. This is in clear violation not just of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights but also the teachings of Jesus Christ, the Apostle Paul, Moses and the prophets, Muhammad, and founders of other great religions - all of whom have called for proper and equitable treatment of all the children of God. It is time we had the courage to challenge these views.
• Jimmy Carter was US president from 1977-81. The Elders are an independent group of eminent global leaders, brought together by Nelson Mandela, who offer their influence and experience to support peace building, help address major causes of human suffering and promote the shared interests of humanity.
- guardian.co.uk © Guardian News and Media Limited 2009
I am directing a new production of "My Name is Rachel Corrie", produced by Co-Op Theatre East, opening the first week of April at the Kraine Theater. The play will also be done at Pace University's Left Forum and at Bluestockings bookstore. This play is close to my heart for many reasons. Here is some more information below:
This is information from Joseph Shahadi's Blog (http://vsthepomegranate.blogspot.com/)
A new production of My Name is Rachel Corrie by theater company Co-Op Theatre East (www.cooptheatreeast.org) premieres at New York's Kraine Theater April 5th. COTE was founded last spring by three graduates of the Performance Studies at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. Co-Artistic Directors Ashley Marinaccio and Robert A.K. Gonyo and Literary Director Casey Cleverly write, "Co-Op Theatre East produces socially minded performance that deals with the questions of today, the situations we find ourselves immersed in as New Yorkers, Americans, and world citizens at this moment. Edited by Alan Rickman and Katharine Viner from the writings of Rachel Corrie, a young peace activist whose life was cut tragically short, this play is a testament to the potential for one dedicated person to make a profound impact on the world."
COTE's production of My Name is Rachel Corrie is presented in collaboration with actress Theresa C. Johnson and Pace University, with support from Pace University's Office of Multicultural Affairs, Sociology/Anthropology Department, Theatre and Performing Arts Department, Project Pericles, and Pforzheimer Honors College.
April 5th at 2 p.m.
April 5th, 6th & 7th at 8 p.m.
The Kraine Theater
85 E. 4th Street, (betwen 2nd and 3rd Aves)
Manhattan
Please see below and click on the link:
During their consideration of the Economic Recovery bill, the Senate approved an amendment offered by Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) that prohibits funding for "...museums, theaters and arts centers..." This amendment, approved by a vote of 73-24, if included in the final version of this legislation would prevent the economic recovery funding from supporting these areas of the non-profit arts community. We have crafted a customized message for you to send to your Senator based on their vote on the Coburn Amendment. If your Senator vote for this funding prohibition, you can send them a message expressing your disappointment. If your Senator voted against the amendment, you can thank them for their support of the arts. The correct letter, customized to each of your Senators will appear when you enter your zip code.
Show Your Approval/Disapproval About Senate Anti-Arts Amendment. It's easy,
just copy and paste this link:
http://capwiz.com/artsusa/issues/alert/?alertid=12612041
***** We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used
when we created them. -- Albert Einstein
***** We must never forget that art is not a form of propaganda; it is a form of truth. -- John F. Kennedy, October 26, 1963
***** All religions, arts and sciences are branches of the same tree. All these aspirations are directed toward ennobling man's life, lifting it from the sphere of mere physical existence and leading the individual towards freedom. -- Albert Einstein