CORNERSTONE INSTITUTE I5

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.

day 4 - joel bloom memorial block party

7/12/08

day 3 - community engagement strategizing

7/11/08

day 2 - the scavenger hunt

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?