Staff Writer

pLAywriting in the city

When I walked into the backyard of a house in East LA it was a classic fish out of water scenario. Everybody there seemed to have a great passion for Latino theatre, a passion (by the simple nature of my ethnicity) my heart does not possess. As a white male born in the mid-eighties, racial prejudice is not something that has heavily impacted my life. However, the more food shared and the more conversations that developed, the more I felt connected with their spirit.

The reason people were gathered at a house in East Los Angeles was to hear from feminist, Latina playwright Tanya Saracho. Born in Sinaloa, Mexico, Saracho moved to Texas in 1989. But it was in Chicago where she really made her mark. Fresh out of college, the young actress soon became frustrated with the limited potential of acting roles she was able to play. It seemed that her “type” was confined to play Latina stereotypes, such as the Mexican housemaid. Armed with her outgoing, infectious personality combined with her desire to play more substantial characters, Ms. Saracho co-founded Teatro Luna, a Chicago-based, Latina theatre ensemble. And it was with this company of women that she started writing.

Respected Chicano playwright and recipient of the 1997 MacArthur Genius Grant, Luis Alfaro conducted an informal (yet informative) interview with Saracho. What was compelling was how unpretentious and friendly the entire event was. The concept of interviewing somebody naturally puts that person on a pedestal. Yet the guest of honor was so down-to-Earth, it was much more conversational and relaxed than any ‘Q & A’ I had ever attended. Both humble and confident, Alfaro and Saracho sitting on a sofa and talking candidly about their beliefs and experiences was a rare pleasure.

Responsible for putting on this wonderful event was Individual Artist Collective. IAC is a new arts group dedicated to ensuring that any conversation about theatre is not a practice excluding certain groups. In other words, they stand for diversity in discussion of theatre. The collective was formed for similar reasons that Tanya Saracho started writing; there was an immediate need for it. Living in the City of Angels, there is not a day that goes by I am not somehow influenced by Latino culture. But when I turn on the TV or go to the movies or see a play, their presence is lacking, to say the least. When considering race, it’s strange that these mediums are often the first to mention an issue, but the last to build a significant foundation for progress.

El Nogalar (in English, “The Pecan Orchard”), Tanya Saracho’s loose adaptation of Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard, premieres on the West Coast January 28th at The Fountain Theatre. “When I was in school, I felt that Chekhov was the most Latino playwright I came across” said Saracho before talking about her hesitations in moving to Los Angeles. She described herself as “too much of a Chicago girl.” While she’s not completely committed to transplanting herself to the West Coast, it’s nice to have her here for now. On behalf of Southern California, I would like to welcome Tanya Saracho and wish her all the fortunes she deserves. Salud!

El Nogalar opens on Saturday, January 28th, with performances on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays @ 8 pm and Sundays @ 2 pm through March 11.

The Fountain Theatre is located at 5060 Fountain Avenue in Los Angeles. For reservations and information, call 323 663-1525 or go to www.FountainTheatre.com.

Guest Writer

pLAywriting in the city

Voluptuous…

Sexy…

Vulnerable…

Honest…

Heart wrenching…

Inspiring…

La puritita verdad!

Miriam Peniche’s solo performance of Faking It is an in-depth view of two and a half years of her life. Faking It is written and performed by Peniche and directed by Gabriela Lopez de Dennis. The show takes you on a voyage of change and transformation. You experience the caterpillar turning into a butterfly who achieves her freedom, but not without the scars of pain and loss.  And yet, we are still left with the gifts of hope and wisdom.

As a writer who is working on her own solo show, I was excited to experience Peniche’s performance. I had seen a workshop production of her show in 2010 and was captivated by the humanity and courage she brought on stage. This time around I was driving to Boyle Heights to see perform at CASA 0101’s new space, a 99-seat theater that has recently been renovated. The production ran from January 13th – 22, 2012 and I was getting to see the last show. I couldn’t keep the grin off my face. I was looking forward to what I knew would be a dynamic performance.

As I sat in the audience just before the show, I took note of everything on stage from the purple curtains to the couch that was on a platform upstage center. The stage was set up as a boudoir that promised you delights beyond your wildest expectations. It felt lush and naughty. I felt like eating a box of bom boms.

Faking It written and performed by Miriam Peniche and directed by Gabriela Lopez de Dennis

Peniche’s stage presence is unforgettable, confident and strong the minute she walks in the room. I am hooked the second I hear the beginning strains of Coleman and Fields ‘Big Spender’. How many young women didn’t dream of being Chita Rivera, singing this song on stage while dancing to Bob Fosse’s choreography? I know I did.  Miriam dances in with joy; there is nothing better for an audience member than recognizing that the performer loves what they are doing. Her moves are languid and infused with a saucy touch.

Audiences may be familiar with Miriam’s portrayal of the many funny characters she has embodied in the past, but Faking It brings forth a character of a woman who is eloquent, tender and funny. A feminist who simultaneously is not afraid to say she wants SEX and in the next shares with you her inner most insecurities and her battle with depression. Favorite scenes include the ones where Peniche shared with the audience how she covers her different insecurities with make-up, hairstyles and Spanx!

Peniche is to be commended for the vulnerability she exposed while telling us about the pain and disillusionment she suffered at the breakdown of her marriage as well as the self-sacrifice and love she has for her parents.  These are all universal themes. I could hear women in the audience grunt, “Hmmm…hmmm’s” and “Hell yeahs” under their breaths when she talked about her marriage, her job, her ‘booty call’ and many other connections they made with Peniche’s story telling.

A natural born storyteller, Peniche has the knack to ensnare you and keep you at her mercy for just over an hour and not a minute is in vain. Make sure you stay tuned for Miriam Peniche’s next performance. She is already considering taking Faking It on tour!

Staff Writer

pLAywriting in the city

There are plenty of challenges that come with producing a comedy show, and time and time again promoters fail to rise to the occasion. However, watching Jared’s Jokers Comedy Show restores my faith in the process.

There are three basic elements in comedy: the performer, the material and the audience. If any of those elements are not there, then the laughs are not there. Something comedians always talk about is “the room.” Comedy clubs know the formula: a small room, dimly lit and packed with people. Demetri Martin once said, “Rooms that are good for comedy are rooms that are bad in a fire.” When you see a show at the Second City main stage in Chicago you are likely to be squished against a complete stranger. That is what works.

Jack Robichaud performing at The Joint

Jared’s Jokers currently reside at the Joint in Los Angeles. The first time I walked into The Joint was an enchanting experience. Primarily a reggae club, there is plenty of paraphernalia floating around the strange, high-ceiling room. The Joint is not a comedy club. It is incredible watching Jared Bonner (creator and producer of Jared’s Jokers Comedy Show) pull off an enjoyable stand up show in this charmingly challenging environment. Towering somewhere above ten feet, the stage is the highest I’ve ever seen stand up performed on. It is an uphill battle producing a show in this venue, but Bonner pulls it off with class. In fact, all the potentially problematic conditions merely attest to the strength of the show itself.

Bonner is able to book some of the best comedians working today, as well as hungry up and coming comics. The talent combined with cheap ticket prices and drink specials make this show easily accessible to all of the public. I saw Jimmy Dore apply his subversive brand of sarcastic satire. The next night, at an established comedy club, it would cost (at least) twice as much plus the two-drink minimum to see the same performance. Bonner says he can put the show up at any venue, and it is definitely well worth following.

Jared’s Jokers Comedy Show is at 8pm at The Joint, 8771 W. Pico Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90035. Keep updated on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/groups/303195939695657/

Editor

pLAywriting in the city

Watching just one of The Vault Ensemble’s shows makes you a fan. On January 12th, 2012 the group celebrated its two-year anniversary of performances by resurrecting some of their most popular characters.

The Vault Ensemble was created by Aaron Garcia and Fidel Gomez. In an interview with pLAywriting in the city’s Tony Bartolone, Gomez explained why The Vault Ensemble was started,  “We created the group based on what we perceived to be a need for local artists within our peer group to have an opportunity to work. Not in the industry sense of getting paid, but rather an opportunity to work on our craft as artists and give ourselves an opportunity to say what we want about the world.” Gomez and Garcia put together a workshop and challenged the actors who attended for nine weeks. The ones who survived it are the actors that make up The Vault Ensemble today. And because they are in Downtown L.A. at the Los Angeles Theater Center, the group uses the creative and gastronomically rich vibe of the Los Angeles Art Walk to bring in diverse audiences.

Last Thursday, The Vault celebrated two years worth of work with an audience comprised primarily of die-hard faithful. Before, during and after the performance fans enjoyed the almost-required staple of any theater production – free Charles Shaw Merlot. This hearty wine went well with a show that was rich with the happenings of a city like Los Angeles.

The Vault Ensemble is Fidel Gomez, Aaron Garcia, Brenda Banda, Stephen Buchanan, Sam Golzari, Esperanza Ibarra, Ted Lange IV, Vicki Syal and Jasmine Orpilla

The actors portrayed a smorgasbord of zany L.A. characters that included: the lady that sells you the sinfully delicious bacon wrapped hot dogs when you stumble out of a club at two o’clock in the morning; the frustrated and traffic trapped commuters on L.A’s many freeways.  Not to mention, the hostesses of seedy Mexican bars; cyclists run over by careless drivers, and bad rappers that travel with their own DJ. To these recurring characters the ensemble added Occupiers who camped out at L.A. City Hall because it “saves money on rent.”

The ensemble writes their own work and then offers it to their audience with gusto. They seem to ask, “You think you know LA? Well let’s see if you recognize these people.” And the audience does because whether you’re a transplant or a native to the City of Angels, these characters can’t be dismissed. The guffaws and laughter coming from the audience are hearty and sincere and it’s not just the cheap wine talking. It’s an appreciation for a job well done and fully fleshed out characters, despite the time limit of the show. As the lights came up last Thursday, several audience members exclaimed they wanted to see more and were surprised that forty minutes of performance had come and gone so quickly.

Actor Brenda Banda works the stage with with not just expertise, but the sassiness that her bright red lipstick calls for. Stephen Buchanan is spry and versatile. Jasmine Orpilla is the ensemble’s composer and infuses the performances with edgy ambience. And Vicki Syal brings the right amount of moxie to each of the characters she portrays. Her performances are akin to the type of characters made famous by actress Anjelica Huston, full of disdain but lovable nonetheless. The rest of the ensemble includes Sam Golzari, Esperanza Ibarra, Ted Lange IV, Aaron Garcia and Fidel Gomez. These five are the foundation on which the zaniness can take place.

The Vault Ensemble is an important part of L.A theatre and should be supported. It is in this type of theater that artists can truly create work that is both risqué and poignant. Stay tuned for more of their work by visiting their website at www.thevaultdtla.com.

Staff Writer

pLAywriting in the city

“The Vault is a rebellious, genre-bending theatrical and musical performance-art ensemble. Continually inspired by local LA and global real-life happenings, this multi-cultural and interdisciplinary ensemble creates an unpredictably fast-paced experience where no issue is taboo, except for our mothers.”

This Thursday we will celebrate the two-year anniversary of The Vault at 9pm. at The Los Angeles Theatre Center. I talked with co-founder of The Vault, Fidel Gomez.

Why don’t we start off with you telling us a little history of The Vault? Well the History of our group goes back two years. We created the group based on what we perceived to be a “Need” for local artists within our peer group to have an opportunity to “work”. Not in the industry sense of getting paid, but rather an opportunity to work on our craft as artists and give ourselves an opportunity to say what we want about the world.

Many of our early work was based on things we pulled from the News, Internet and local anecdotes as well as personal ones. We wanted to look at the world around us and reflect on what it says about us as a culture. Almost every one of our pieces has a real world experience or happening that sparks its inception. In Thursdays show we tackle issues like: The housing crisis, unemployment, tamale ladies, bad rappers, “the narco crisis” in Mexico, The 405 Freeway closing, hostess clubs, and nudism. All of which started as ideas from media and newspaper stories.

The Vault is Brenda Banda, Stephen Buchanan, Aaron Garcia, Fidel Gomez, Sam Golzari, Ted Lange IV, Jasmine Orpilla, and Vicki Syal.

The original idea of the structure came from Jose Luis Valenzuela, who is the artistic director of the Los Angeles Theatre Center. He told us that in the 80′s they used to do a cabaret there on Friday nights called The Newspaper Cabaret in which they used headlines from local papers to create a weekly show. We decided to perform on Thursdays instead of Fridays so that we could utilize “Art Walk” as a way to promote the shows. (And Thursday in LA is like the new Friday anyway.)

What do you think your show brings to Los Angeles? What I think the show brings to LA, specifically, is an opportunity to see work that is created solely for the purpose of provoking thought as well as making you laugh your ass off. If I had to sum up the essence of The Vault it’s: “Highbrow/Lowbrow” We deal with big ideas, and we make fun of ourselves while we do it. There is always an element of us being accomplices in these absurdities and tragedies of society. It’s not like “Oh look how ridiculous EVERYBODY ELSE IS.” It’s more like “Look how ridiculous we ALL are.”

What do you think about Los Angeles theatre, in general? LA Theater in general to me is hard to speak about. There are the general ideas that it’s all a big showcase to get into TV and movies. I personally find myself not seeing enough. And sadly I think many people don’t see enough of the other artists in their community. Mainly because this area is so expanse that getting over to see all the shows this city has to offer is near impossible. But I feel that there might be some hidden gems out there. I feel that people are willing to sacrifice a bit of production value for more thought provoking and edgy material.

What do you see in the future for the show? The future of the group to me is wide open. I think ultimately we would like an opportunity to reach a broader audience. Whether that be by touring or even exploring other forms of media. But what I hope is that somehow we are able to maintain our aesthetic and desire to talk about gritty shit. To me, The Vault is about challenging others and ourselves. To look at the world and speak truthfully about what we see. And at the same time, clown on ourselves for being so arrogant to assume that we could.

See the show Thursday, January 12 at 9pm at LATC. Los Angeles Theatre Center is located at 514 S Spring St. Los Angeles, CA 90013. For information, call (213)-489-0994 or visit their website at www.thevaultdtla.com

pLAywriting in the city 

My 2011 has a soundtrack and it starts off with “The Go Getter” by The Black Keys.  2011 was the year I became a bona fide go-getter. I wasn’t going to let L.A. keep me on my knees. I needed to keep moving. So I ran a marathon in the pouring rain. If I could do that I could do anything.

2011 is also the year that pLAywriting in the city took a different turn. It started out as a personal blog about my success and struggles as a playwright in L.A. But I quickly realized that I wasn’t that interesting. The solution? Invite my friends to contribute stories. The first person I asked was the fantastic Alejandra Cisneros and she wrote a story called “On Being A Stage Manager”.  Her contribution is the most popular article at the blog with 567 reads! American Theatre Magazine also featured the piece on their Facebook page.

I then had the good fortune to attend the TCG National Conference in Los Angeles as part of the Young Leaders of Color. I was suddenly faced with the reality that being a theater artist was a career choice that was feasible. Why? Because theater is a $1.9 billion dollar industry and my work most definitely has a place in those numbers.

My attendance at Theatre Communication Group’s conference opened many doors. I was asked to share the story about my first play for their 50^th Anniversary video campaign called I AM THEATRE. This opportunity helped to renew my commitment to a career as a writer. Later in the year I was invited to travel to New York and attend TCG’s Fall Forum on Governance. I met many amazing playwrights, board members, artistic and managing directors from theater companies across the United States.

The biggest lesson I learned is that there needs to be more representation of people of color at events where the future of theatre is being discussed. The group Individual Artist Collective was created as a result of this observation. Our goal is to raise $10,000 to send five artists of color to TCG’s 2012 conference in Boston. Our website will be up in a few days so you can follow our progress. Our next event is to host a Welcome to Los Angeles brunch for playwright Tanya Saracho. Her play El Nogalar will open on January 28^th at The Fountain Theatre.

2011 had its lows but the highs were amazing. I can still feel their ripple effects. Therefore, it was kind of appropriate that a pipe in the bathroom sink of my apartment burst during the Christmas break. I came back from visiting family to water everywhere. It was a hassle a first until I realized how perfect it was for the year to end this way. The water has washed away all traces of the lows. I now stand on new wood floors and look forward to a brand new year.

The following people deserve a mention for being awesome and inspiring my artistic soul in 2011:  Tony Bartolone, Alejandra Cisneros, Anthony Aguilar, Juan Ramirez, Angela Imperial, Luis Alfaro, Marcos Najera, Desi Molinari, Kimberly Simpson, Jose Cruz Gonzalez, Jesus A. Reyes, Camille Barrat, Maria Ayon, Raquel Sanchez, Caroline Kuntz, Laurie Woolery, Diane Rodriguez, Anthem Salgado, Shana Kogan, Madeline Sampson, Melissa Gordon, Hilda Sandoval, Alida Gunn, Lizett Alvarez, Ena Valladares, Monica Chavez, Bobby Plasencia, Ramona Gonzales, Carmelita Maldonado, Diana Romo, Claudia Duran, Sheila Korsi, Tara Lewis, Babbs and Maria Lopez,  Julissa Lopez, Liana Arauz, Dove Pressnall, Edgar Miramontes, Oscar Basulto, Blanca Melchor, Lynn Haro, Kristoffer Diaz, Dafina McMillan, Emilya Capachero, Julie Taymor, Federico Patino, Jesus Gonzalez, Rajiv Joseph, Octavio Solis, Natalie Mann, Prof. Argelia Andrade, Prof. Rod Moore, Prof. Rick Murray, Karen Anzoategui, Stephanie Berlaga, Tim Burton, Francisco Goldman, Hector Tobar, Junot Diaz, Henry David Hwang, Voltaire and Sor Juana.

Thank you to everyone who reads pLAywriting in the city. We have a lot planned for the blog. Our hope is that it can become a site where theatre that is neglected by the mainstream media can have a home.

pLAywriting in the city

2011 was a year overflowing with live theatre. From one-woman musicals to gritty dramas to stand up comedy to experimental, mind-bending psychedelia, one thing is certain; I watched a lot of plays.  After much calculation, the official estimate is thirty-six plays and about one billion comedy shows. That is almost a play for every ten days of the year (and way too many comedy shows). So now it’s time to take a look back, and ask, “What was the year really about?”

What was the most affecting thing I saw in 2011? Well, I can’t write a retrospective without talking about the occupation. There are many different kinds of theatre, but nothing was as entertaining, dramatic, and overall moving as The Occupy Movement. Critics of the protest constantly asked, “Why?” Why were people camped in front of City Hall in LA and in locations across the country? Why did they have such a sense of entitlement? Why were they so unsatisfied with what they have? Why? Why? Why? The answer: so that everybody can ask those questions. So everybody can ask “Why?” And so we can get closer to the truth. Art, at its most basic components and at its most elaborate productions, is simply a form of expression. That’s all the Occupy Movement was, pure expression. There were moments when being there was genuinely terrifying. However, those peaceful rebels took on that fear to avoid an even more horrifying future. Theatre should stimulate conversation, and nothing generated more dialogue than all those occupants downtown.

Then there was the Hollywood Fringe Festival. It was an absolute wonder to watch all the actors, writers and artists of all kinds galvanized and condensed on Santa Monica Blvd. It was a concentrated cornucopia of energy and passion. It was an allover celebration of life and the art that reflected it. Singing, laughing, screaming, fighting, falling, striving, dying, crying… There was no emotion nor color nor relatable anecdote left unspoken. Whether it was the absurd tale of Telly Savalas in Who Loves You, Baby? or the well-accented, agoraphobic, rock-and-roll story of two lovers in Sam Shepard’s Cowboy Mouth or maybe even the one-woman, dominatrix dungeon, Hi, How Can I Help You?, the fringe had it all (even if you didn’t know it existed).

The rest of the year was a grab-bag of intriguing experiences and hilarious encounters. In January, Sister Maripat Donovan was sharp as tack spreading her hilarious version of the word in ‘Til Death Do Us Part: Late Night Catechism 3 at the La Mirada Theater for the Performing Arts. Also at the La Mirada, theatre returned to twisted fun in a rock-solid production of Little Shop of Horrors in April. On the first of May I saw the last show of Five by Tenn at Theatre 68. Tennessee Williams always delivers with lyrical plays about loss and love and living with former, yet longing for the latter. After recovering from the whirlwind of Fringe Fest in June, I sat in the dark and absorbed a slow climax through thick language in Steven Dietz’s clever work of Fiction at the Underground Theatre in July. I digested Poison Apple at Space 916 in August, and wondered What’s Wrong With Angry? at Celebration Theatre in September. And Holy Fuck. Free Comedy. at the Downtown Independent in October. I started November with bang as Bang Comedy Theatre presented Let’s Bang: A Variety Show and closed out the month with the beautifully bizarre, Crumble at Sacred Fools. And finally, I wrapped up the year with an assault on my sense of morality in the poignant prison drama, Short Eyes at LATC presented by Urban Theatre Movement. It was one hell of year.

Reflecting on all the shows of 2011, I can’t help but think of how many times I’ve heard somebody say something disparaging and cynical about theatre in LA. There are appealing, wonder-filled, impressive theatrical experiences all over LA. There is theatre full of energy and beauty. There are unique voices demanding to be heard. 2011 was a spectacular year for theatre in the City of Angels. Here’s to 2012.

Check out all my reviews from this past year at:  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tony-bartolone and http://www.latheatrereview.com/?s=tony+bartolone and right here at pLAywrighting in the city.

by Tony Bartolone, Staff Writer

pLAywriting in the city

It’s 3:52 a.m. I am sitting on the corner of 1^st and Main staring at the CBS News van. The single light shooting from across the street makes it seem like a sunny afternoon, but the cold air and the fog slowly gathering tell a different story. Police helicopters and random political dialogues have become noise akin to a TV in the background while a man sleeps on his Lazy Boy. On Friday Mayor Villaraigosa ordered all the protesters currently camped out on the lawn to occupy elsewhere by one minute past midnight, which was nearly four hours ago. At this point, not a single protestor has left the occupation, and not a single arrest has been made.

The stand off has been quiet all night moving into morning. The police lined up blocking the streets, clubs in hand, helmets on head. Earlier the mood was tight, tense, and fear coalesced in the air. The anticipation was piling up, stacked in teetering towers waiting for the slightest breeze to send everybody’s desire for a better world tumbling down on us like flurry of billy clubs to the head. Now the medics are wandering around, aimlessly in boredom. Some people are singing “Give Peace a Chance” in the street. As soon as I walk over to them, screaming is heard, “They’re coming, they’re coming! The police are coming!”

The general public reaction to the protest is one of misunderstanding and confusion. Why are there so many camped out in front of City Hall? The reason is simple to relate to yet difficult to explain. Basically, these people feel as if they have lost their voice, and they’re screaming to make sure they still have one. This mass of humanity is underrepresented and tired of the corruption and lies happening in their country. Specifically, they are fighting bloated corporations that have too much power in government. These are some of the best-educated minds in Los Angeles. This large group is one of patriotic expression, one of subtle desperation, one of subdued anger. This assembly, above all, is one of peace.

Photo by Ernesto Arce

The LAPD has been extraneously cautious in their approach. People came expecting a riot, and thus far not so much as an unkind word has been spoken. There was electricity erupting from the streets. At times it felt like New Years Eve in Time Square, a celebration of a new day. The countdown to midnight happened, but the ball has yet to drop, Evel Knievel has yet to jump his motorcycle over fifty flaming cars, and old acquaintance have yet to be forgot.

It would be a safe bet to wager that every nine in ten people have some kind of photographic devise out and ready to shoot a scene of police brutality. I was nearly convinced that the Internet was making people stupid. The oversaturation of modern media was destroying our youth and our language. However, the power of the worldwide web as a potent tool for civil disobedience has now been demonstrated. If not for iPhones and youtube, the world would have never known of the innocent, peaceful protesters who were beaten or pepper sprayed for practicing their first amendment right as Americans.

As the movement moves on, there has been support shown from a variety of different channels. The most impressive means of support is that of Anonymous. Original appearing online in 2003 as “4chan”, and known also known as the 4chan Mafia, Anonymous is a group of computer hackers who dispense vigilante justice using what has come to be called hacktivism. The social defenders creatively use the weapons at their disposal to tip the scales toward the side of the people. In the recent past, they have targeted Sarah Palin, Scientology and the Egyptian Government. A now infamous viral video of UC Davis’ Lieutenant John Pike pepper spraying peaceful protestors was released on youtube. Shortly after, Anonymous released Lt. Pike’s home phone number, cell phone number and e-mail and encouraged people to contact him personally to express their anger.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxmCGxCgos8&feature=share

It is this kind of contemporary counter-attack that has Mayor Villaraigosa and his LAPD afraid to advance. Further more, the protestors invited everybody in the LA area to come flood the streets as a strategic move that actually worked. People ran through the camp screaming, “Wake up, wake up! This is it! They’re coming, the police are coming.” A girl I knew, but had not yet seen, ran up to me in a panic. “If you’re not ready to get arrested, you better leave now.” She panted. “And if you have anything you don’t want taken away, like a sim card, I suggest you duct tape to your body.” And with that, she ran off. Ready to be arrested? How does one prepare for arrest? Well, apparently by duct taping your sim card to your skin.

I walked up the steps to the main entrance of city hall trying to get a good view of the action in the streets. A man was yelling, “If it weren’t for those people on the street, it would be us getting moved!” Four officers in full riot gear were standing right behind me. The horror was mounting, but nobody was moving. Then the voice of the LAPD boomed from a PA system. “You must move out of the intersections and on to the sidewalk. This includes the media. It is not our intention to remove people from the park at this time. If you do not move, we will be forced to make arrests and use other means of force to get you to clear the intersections. Other means of force meaning weapons. You have five minutes to move.” They added on a two-minute warning, and the crowd moved onto the sidewalk. There was definitely fear among the protest, no question about that. But that fear was conquered by solidarity.

Walking away from City Hall, standing on a corner, there was a cop with his helmet in his hand waiting to cross Temple Street. The opportunity could not be missed. “Can I ask you a question?” His attention turned toward me as he nodded slightly. “How do you feel about the protest?” He looked at me like a man looks at a bear trap. “I don’t discuss politics.” He politely stated. It was tempting to push the issue, but there was really nothing else to say. There was conflict in his eyes and animosity on his breath. And that’s when it really hit; we’re all just people doing the best we can. As the liquid orange pushed the night out of the sky, the light turned. I wished him a good day, he wished me the same, and we walked our separate ways.

Tony Bartolone is a community college drop out. He honed his craft at Cerritos College where he did nearly twenty plays, won several theatre and writing awards and made some best friends with whom he started two theatre companies.  You can not see him in the season finale of It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia because his scene was cut. And his TV pilot has been thrown in the trash by some of todays most influential television producers. “At the end of the day, nobody is any better than a punk rock love song.” Tony also writes for The Huffington Post and The LA Theatre Review.

pLAywriting in the city

As I walked through downtown Los Angeles, I looked up at all the monstrous structures of steel and stone feeling somewhat small. I looked around to see the homeless at the heels of all those giants of finance. That is what America has become, a sea of poor drowning while the rich pirates hijack our country. I walked past all the bank buildings, and felt the cold sting of the night, knowing that people would be sleeping in that same cold. However, it was not just the homeless that would sleep without houses. There were all those camped out by city hall. Protesting what has become the accepted method, angered at the thought of government by the few. And then there were us. The artists marching in support of all those that had been living on the lawn for forty-four days.

I arrived to a less than overwhelming number of people ready to walk in protest on November 14th. Where were all those actresses I’ve met at parties, all those supposed producers, all the painters and musicians? I started feeling even smaller. I was asked if I would hold a painting while we marched. “Sure.” I said. And I lifted one side of a painting of a cartoon pig, rabid with power and a word bubble that read, “Greed kills!” Those with guitars (plus one with a banjo and another with a ukulele) started playing old protest songs, and we started walking. We tailed a cop car weaving in and out of parked cars, and all were instructed to stay on the sidewalk as to not upset the police.

I started to wonder if what we were doing was of any consequence at all. I started doubting the entire occupation. With my arms tiring from hoisting that animated hog above my head, I felt like this was all a waste of time. Then as we neared city hall, the coldness of the night was replaced with something else. There was an undefined electricity in the air. A wave of energy was radiating from the tents pitched on every square inch of the city hall lawn. Something shot through me so profound and exciting I can only describe it as freedom. And I felt every human being there united as one entity, in solidarity.

Photo by Ted Fisher

Performances were kicked off with a beatnik poem. A large drum came out of a colorful case and there sat an old man who I had recognized as an unrecognizable icon. That man was John Densmore, who played drums for The Doors. Instantly every night of high school came flooding back to me. So many late nights spent with Jim Morrison screaming in my head. And before me was the very man who supplied the percussion for all those adolescent evenings. As soon as his bare hand beat down on that beatnik drum… Ba-boom! All my doubts were dashed and gently blown away in the breeze.

 

It was in the 1960’s that the world came together. When the counter culture rose up in peaceful protest to expand the minds of the general public. And bands like The Doors supplied the soundtrack to the movement. Musicians and writers stood up and lead the charge. I had never seen anything like this revolt in my lifetime, outside of documentaries. I had seen my generation stand idly by and watch our country be ceased by billionaires. But not anymore. It was truly inspiring to see all the artists there, as they were all artists. Art is defined by expression. And protest is nothing more than pure, passionate expression. Whether it was the young woman who sat with typewriter next to a sign that read, “Free poems!” or the man with a balloon hat (who called himself “The Juan Percent”) dancing and shouting or those quiet in their tents with signs posted outside.

This was a huge platform for artistic expression. It was a freak show unlike any other. The disenfranchised demanding a voice, which is what art is. Everything from the absurd to the prurient to the angry, it was performance at it’s core. On the Westside of City Hall, on a hill there were individual signs with individual messages on them, organized to make a massive star-spangled banner. All these unique voices coming together to make an impact on our world, to make a change, to make America.

I observed a yoga class at the foot of the steps of the main entrance of the public structure. Then a workshop for general assembly. This is protest in our modern age. I attended the G.A. as a subtle observer. And it was innately theatrical. From the hand signals to the public speakers. This entire protest was theatre.

Photo by David Freid

At one point the meeting was interrupted by a man demanding to speak. He was told to wait his turn. Arguments broke out around the meeting. Money. They were arguing about money. Apparently some money (somewhere around between two and five grand) had been lost or stolen, and people were extremely angry and abrasive about it. What you need to understand is when a protest becomes this large it becomes a business. There’s money donated and allocated. And protestors, while well intentioned, are not always the best business people. They are thrown into it underprepared and overwhelmed. And organization is always a challenge with so many unpredictable variables.

The tension built as crowds began forming around screaming matches. Questions being shouted. Demands asserted. More and more attention was pulled from the G.A. and given to the surrounding face offs. A potential catastrophe was building. Suddenly, rogue groups were shouting, “Let him speak!” The assembly was turning wildly aggressive. While the emcee struggled fruitlessly to diffuse the situation, somebody unplugged the speakers rendering his microphone mute. And finally, they let the man speak.

T.C. Alexander took the stage and riled the lot. He made accusations of racism (which seemed completely unsubstantiated). He said “Brian” was the one to blame for the missing money. The crowd was littered with shrieks of “Let Brian speak!” Brian this and Brian that, everybody murmuring and arguing. Until eventually a man with long hair and long jacket walked to the microphone. Silence rushed over the crowd and the man spoke, “I am Brian.” He explained how he had the money in his backpack while they had a meeting to figure out what to do with the cash. And by the end of that meeting his backpack had vanished. “If you haven’t had your stuff stolen, then you’re not part of the community.” Brian plainly stated.

There was not yet a police report filed, which was a suspicious element of the story. Brian assured everyone he would file one first thing in the morning. But the mob was not pacified, and the tension intensified. A vicious riot was almost certainly about to erupt. And all the non-violent protest would be in vain. The police and the local government would have the grounds to shut it all down.  Then somehow, something remarkable happened. The anger and the aggression just gradually calmed down. The more belligerent members of the audience disbursed, and the tension dissipated like the smog breaking in the morning LA city streets. Non-violence prevailed, my faith in protest was restored, and it was one hell of a show.

 

Tony Bartolone is a community college drop out. He honed his craft at Cerritos College where he did nearly twenty plays, won several theatre and writing awards and made some best friends with whom he started two theatre companies.  You can not see him in the season finale of It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia because his scene was cut. And his TV pilot has been thrown in the trash by some of todays most influential television producers. “At the end of the day, nobody is any better than a punk rock love song.” Tony also writes for The Huffington Post and The LA Theatre Review.

pLAywriting in the city

Aren’t you from Argentina, che? What does it mean to be from the land of Maradona? Si bueno, Maradona is one icon people think about when I tell them I’m Argentine.  I grew up watching Diego Maradona, a hero that has been exalted and also destroyed.  He wasn’t educated but he turned out to be special.

When you are living in Los Angeles and tell people you are from Argentina, you get all kids of reactions.  It means whatever you make it to mean since those around you have their own expectations of who you are.  Sometimes its romantic.  “Wow, you are from Argentina, you must know how to tango.”  No, but I can pretend.  I can sing you a tango and the dance steps can be imagined.  How romantic to be able to grab you by the hand and lead you into la la land.  The reaction I most combat is that I must be arrogant. I say, “Don’t project your issues onto me!

I think being Argentine in Los Angeles is about representing other stories of Latin America that we don’t normally hear.  It’s an opportunity to learn about another culture without it demeaning your own.  Being able to embrace a sister without checking out the color of her skin and her facial structure on the way to having a heart to heart.  In the end we are all the same, we all have dictatorships/regimes labeled as “democracy” at times and a growing poverty level no matter what nationality you claim.

What college/university did you attend? I went to Rio Hondo College and then graduated from Loyola Marymount University.   I attended religious schools for a large part of my life.

Why did you choose to be an actress? It chose me, jaja! At first, I was writing and then I realized I liked acting.  I wrote my first one-woman show for a theatre 101 class for my final and I knew I had to do it again.  Being an actor is more than what it sounds.  It is being a transformative being that can have an audience relate to important matters of the heart.

Ser: L.A. vs. B.A by Karen Anzoategui

When did you start to write for the stage? I wrote for myself unless someone paid me to write their final for class.  It was just a thing I did.  I wrote short scenarios or monologues. The only time I finished a complete, larger work was with Ser: L.A. vs. B.A. my solo show.

I first met you when we worked together as HIV/AIDS activists here in Los Angeles, do you think artists have a responsibility to be activists as well? I think being an artist allows you to feel more than others that are not artists.  Sometimes, feeling all the things in the world, make you have a larger heart and as an artist, there is no other option than to do something about that which you sense and see and have the power to change.

I got into HIV to survive since I needed to pay my student loans and start making money and then I discovered that one of my missions in life is to heal.  That healing encompasses life and the stage, drama and comedy.  If I can help you in your path, you are healing me in mine. Life is art.  And it’s about what you make of it.  The HIV population taught me (and continues to teach me) that you must cherish what you have and make something great out of each moment, because you never know when it is your time to go.  Living in anguish and anger causes illness so why not love and be loved and not waste your time on death.  The option is in your hand, your feet, your mind and your impulse.

What has been your involvement in the Occupy LA movement? The occupy movement is a continuation of many movements throughout space and time.  Different governments and eras.  The 99% is always stating the same message as the 1% stands silent or on vacation at the Cayman Islands, hiding.  So, it is my job to wake up LA and tell them we are one of many movements. We need to stand up and take charge or we will be dead.  We will not have medical insurance, basic human rights, and we will have cancers while figuring how and why we have them to begin with. We are exploited.  We allowed that exploitation and no we are done with it.  We are done with being lab rats.  I write about it and I try to encourage others to take control of their rights.  I facebook. I tweet.  I feel like we have so much more community now with the Occupy movement.  I feel so much closer to my neighbors.

Were you able to attend the ARTIST RESPONSE TO OCCUPY LA march on Monday, Nov. 14^th? What was your impression of it? No, I was in rehearsal!  I did attend some parts of the movement and I have to say that every time I go to a protest whether it is for unions, immigration reform or for the Dream Act, I get inspired. I allow the rhythm of the movement to inspire me.  I wear my Argentine jersey as a symbol of solidarity and I feel safe. It’s an inspiration for me to write.  I feel the love and it moves me.  I perform my solo Ser: L.A. vs. B.A. in hopes that people will see we are all the same 99% no matter what country you call home.

Do you think there has been enough of a response from artists about the country’s discontent with our government? I think there has been. We are still moving.  The movement itself sparks creativity in its expression.  I think rich artists as well as others are waiting to see what unfolds before they do anything.  Michael Moore has been a leader in this movement since before its inception.

Some artists are not able to set up a tent at City Hall and join the occupy movement, what are other ways in which we can “occupy” and participate in the demonstrations? Keep being informed and donate for supplies.  I think if you keep being informed, you are prepared for those that are not in favor of the movement when they attack and question your support for the Occupy Movement.  Being able to preserve and keep the movement going by keeping informed and reading about what’s going on. I think it’s a great time to generate more community. Just because you are not on the grounds, doesn’t mean you don’t give to the energy that fuels this movement.  Have a get-together, call your senator and express your opinion when you think something should be dealt with in regards to this occupy movement such as the police brutality and excess, unnecessary pepper spray.

Can you recommend any plays about protest or dissent that would inspire others to action?  Yes, I like the work of Eugene Ionesco and Bertol Brecht.  Federico Garcia Lorca-absolutamente. Griselda Gamboa-si! Anton Checkov is also very inspiring: a character’s inability to change or see the change can be inspiring. Augusto Boal and the Theatre of the Oppressed is extremely important to know. And of course, the works of Manuel Puig, Virgilio Piñera, and Ana Simo.

Karen Anzoateghi received her B.A. in theatre from Loyola Marymount University.  You most recently saw Karen in Ser: L.A. vs. B.A. a Queer transnational tale at Macha Theatre.  Ser: L.A. vs. B.A  has been seen at the Hollywood Fringe Festival directed by Che’Rae Adams and dramaturgy by reg e gaines, REDCAT, Casa 0101, Nate Holden Center with Teada and L.A.C.E. directed by Dino Dinco.  Karen performs throughout Los Angeles including the One Minute Play Festival directed by Ann Giselle Spiegler, ProClitvities at Highways Theatre , Henry V & The Changeling with Independent Shakespeare Co, Sissy by CoA. Karen is a stand-up comedian on SiTv’s Latino 101. Karen is also involved in humanitarian efforts within the HIV field through the Serra Project./Aid for Aids/Alliance for Housing and Healing.