Rachel Corrie Play @ Out ch'YondA

Mikaela reposts:

MY NAME IS RACHEL CORRIE
Sat. & Sun. FEBRUARY 16-17, 2008, 2 p.m. only
Out ch'YondA in Barelas
929 Fourth St. SW
Tickets $20
Reservations and info: www.RachelABQ.com or call 505-350-1276.

Denver-based political theatre collective, Countdown to Zero, in partnership
with Justice First!, announces the premier New Mexico production of My Name Is
Rachel Corrie, the highly controversial play, in a limited run at the Out
ch'YondA Art Space.

The play was created from the personal journal entries, emails, and writings of the young activist Rachel
Corrie after her death in 2003 while trying to stop an Israeli bulldozer in a
Palestinian residential area in Gaza. An idealistic, curious, and passionate
young woman is presented as she explores her personal world as well as that of
the complex world of Middle Eastern politics.

After a critically-acclaimed run in Denver, Countdown to Zero's production will
run for two performances only, Saturday, February 16, 2:00PM, and Sunday,
February 17, at 2:00 PM.

This play was chosen as an artistic vehicle for community conversation. After both performances, post-show discussions will be
offered in order to address the issues raised in the play and to encourage fair
and honest conversation and reflection.

• Out ch’YondA Live Arts exists in the margins for folks who need and want to do art “by any means necessary.” It is a nurturing and creative environment for those who dwell on the edges of our society.

• Countdown to Zero is a political theatre collective dedicated to theatrical based political dialogue. It aims to expand community exchange locally and nationally in a time of charged political extremes.

• Justice First! advocates diplomacy based on international and humanitarian law as the best hope for peace.

Oh boy! It's January again... must be time for Tricklock's Revolutions Theatre Festival!

Mikaela explaims:
Why, you are right!

And the first thing you must not miss is this burlesque show...

About The Wau Wau Sisters:

Wearing high-heels and clutching cocktails, the Wau Wau Sisters, NYC’s bravest and bawdiest burlesque duo and the act the New York Times calls “irreverent, sacrilegious, foul-mouthed and uninhibited” straddle the hilarious gap between performance art and burlesque. Their hour-long show starts at a break-neck pace and gets wilder from there! With technical snafus and unscripted one-liners, the show holds the audience rapt with a sly mix of jaw dropping physical prowess and guileless mayhem. While suspended in a boozy state of awe and delight, the Wau Wau Sisters and the audience careen through a show full of surprises and teetering on the brink of a delicious disaster! Dirty songs and double entendres mix with irreverent circus routines and guilty pop culture pleasures as old-time variety gets a new twist with brilliant executions of “bad ideas”, like their signature audience participation costume changes!

Challenging the state of reverence and preciousness of the Cirque du Soleil aesthetic, the Wau Wau Sisters carve out a new niche for circus events –right in front of you, so close you can see the tear in their fishnets, the sinew of their muscles and the sweat on their skin! Don’t miss them as they fly through a Guns ‘n’ Roses trapeze routine with all the adrenaline and abandon of a rock concert, deconstruct the humor and paradigms of country and heavy metal music, while playing matching guitars and barely sitting on one another’s shoulders! They do it all in a festive, freewheeling hour that keeps the audience guessing every second, who’s in control and for how long?

For the full schedule and descriptions of other can't miss shows, corralled and shipped here to good ole 'Burque for your theatre pleasure, visit Tricklock's Revolutions Page. This year's got shows in both ABQ & Santa Fe, and also schedules fun karaoke Wed nights and the always-interesting Reptilian Lounge every Saturday through Feb. 2.

See you at the theatre!

Slam Semi-Finals

Mikaela espouses:
If you're only going to come to one Slam event to end the season, don't come tonight. Save yourself for the high-stakes final showdown on Saturday, April 7, 7:30 pm at the National Hispanic Cultural Center's Journal Theatre. We've got 600+ seats, and we want them FILLED.

If, on the other hand, you're looking for a real, live reality show drama, attend the semi-finals leading excruciatingly to the elimination of all but the final contestants to build this year's ABQ Slam Team that will compete in Austin to re-claim the National Championship title that slipped through our fingers last year.

It's gonna be a great show. Tonight at Winning Coffee you can see everyone's favorite straight-man, Don McIver, among others. This man is one of the Q's best community organizers. He's so good you probably never heard of him, but if you go to a slam poetry event, chances are his fingerprints are all over it!

If you miss tonight, you have two more semi-finals to see.

MAS Poetry 6:30 PM Call Time Winning’s Coffee Company 112 Harvard SE March 21st, 2007	Blue Dragon II 7:30 PM Call Time Blue Dragon Coffeehouse 1517 Girard NE March 23rd, 2007	Poetry & Beer 7:30 PM Call Time The District Bar & Grill 115 4th St. NW April 5th, 2007
Jessica Lopez	John Paskiewicz	Tony Santiago
Don McIver	Jasmine Cuffee	Zach Kluckman
Ben Boreman	Liza Wolff	Brooke Von Blomberg
Luke Mitchell	Manuel Gonzales	Joe Romero
Sina Aurelia-Sao	Jamen	Stephen
Sean	Angel Ramirez	Jerry Mondragon
Sal Treppiedi	Lenell Storey	James Altimirano

Then the only thing left to see (for this season, anyway) is the Grand SLAM:

And for those who love poetry and want to share, bring your favorite poem & sign up to read it at the open mic. Add a little poetry to your poetry! We all could use the education.

Vote to Commemorate Navajo Code Talkers on Arizona's Official Quarter

Mikaela says:
I love that I got this e-mail from a former student of mine who I have no doubt will continue to do amazing things to support her community.

Your vote is needed. Stand proud and vote for QUARTER 5, "Navajo Code Talkers." There's a deadline, so HURRY! The state of Arizona's quarter will come out in the year 2008. Vote here.

It'll be about time Native Americans get recognized for something GOOD!

The Governor has the ultimate decision, but she's indicated she'll abide by the people's choice.

(Here's a hint -- the votes are among the following quarters:

• three a-political, stereotypical landscapes,
  
• one celebration of white guy explorers, or
  
• the one commemorating Native American war heroes whose language proved to be an unbreakable code that helped us win World War II (in just 4 years, by the way, something Bush can't accomplish in Iraq).

P.S. The Code Talkers are winning by a vast majority. Add your vote!

Those Pesky Royals

marjorie says...

Sometimes I stumble across a news article that throws me into commentary overload, not to mention one chuckle after another. Such was this article about the British royals visit to Philadelphia. Prince Charles was in Philadelphia for a visit before going to NYC to accept an environmental award.

"My ancestor fought with Washington in the revolutionary war," said Sarah Mitchell, 56, who came by the International House in West Philadelphia Saturday afternoon before the royals were supposed to make a visit. "So we fought against the British. I'm probably not going to stay."

Thanks, Sarah Mitchell, for making me laugh. Those sorry Brits! Well, the fact is, if we refused to be in the same room with people from every country we've either out right fought with or just militarily intervened in, we wouldn't have too many friends...would we?

"The prince has been under attack by environmentalists in Britain for flying over here to receive the award - and reserving the entire first-class section of a plane for his entourage - given that he has pledged to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide caused by his travels.

"British environmental activist Joss Garman told London newspaper The Independent: 'If the prince was serious about dealing with carbon emissions, he wouldn't be flying all that way to receive an award for environmentalism in the first place. It is a form of eco-insanity to expend so much energy for such meagre reasons.'"

This one made me laugh at the same time I couldn't help but acknowledge how completely right on this fellow is. Individual actions don't make real change, only collective actions do. So this guy comes across as rather petty. But at the same time, he's completely right. It's absurd that there's a class of people that just hop on these metal contraptions and fly around the globe to congratulate one another.

"We came to see the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall and kind of got stuck," said Donna Mitchell, 33, of Florence, Ala., who was in Philly for the weekend with her husband. "We might as well [stay]. We've got a cousin that grew up in Britain, so we'll send the pictures to her."

That's the spirit Donna! It all works out in the end!

"Inside at the Liberty Bell, fifth-graders from the Loesche School, in Northeast Philadelphia, worked on projects for Charles and Camilla to observe.

"Their teacher, Susan Anmuth, said the class had been learning about the monarchy.

"We've been working for two weeks," she said.

"They still have trouble understanding he's prince just because his mother's the queen."

Well, Susan, just give the Bush analogy.

"Over at the Constitution Center, Philly's elite gathered, garbed in fur wraps and big hats, for a lunchtime reception."

See, class? We have them too.

"The royal couple's Saturday fashion choices were conservative, but elegant. Camilla spent the day in a brown tweed fur-trimmed coat over a periwinkle cashmere dress, and changed into a long brown velvet dress at night.

"Charles wore a navy double breasted coat and blue double-breasted suit with a red, blue and gold tie for day, and wore a white tie and tails with an assortment of military medals at night."

And of course I had to wait until the very end practically to get to the real information.

"I would imagine it had to be a difficult day for him," said radio personality Jerry Blavat, who met Charles at the Academy."

I imagine it was! It's not everyday you have to eat two hundred year old crow. But something tells me it was all very collegial crow.

You Go, NY Times!!!

Mikaela says:
Such a great feeling to read about bravery at the beginning of this season of peace.

Read here for the most compassionate, reasonable, and open response to bigotry and fear-mongering I've ever seen. The newly-elected muslim House Representative confronts the ignorance of Virginia Representative with a wall of acceptance. It's fantastic. I've never felt more patriotic.

(From a spiritual side, I've never seen a Christian with more to learn about Christian values than Rep. Goode [all of a sudden, this is a Hawthorne morality tale]. Christians who don't listen to Jesus really exasperate me. It's about loving your neighbor, people.)

Mr. Ellison: Well, what I’d tell [Representative Virgil Goode] is that, you know, there might be a few things about Muslims that he might want to know. He might want to know that Muslims, there are about five million in the country, that they’re here to support and strengthen America, that they are nurses, doctors, husbands, wives, kids who just want to live and prosper in the American way, and that there’s really nothing to fear, and that all of us are steadfastly opposed to the same people he’s opposed to, which is the terrorists.

And so there’s nothing for him to be afraid of, and that what we should do is to tell our constituents that we should reach to each other, not be against each other, and we should find ways for common ground.

I would urge Congressman Goode to have his congregation reach out to a synagogue or a mosque and start some interfaith dialogue so that we can increase understanding among each other, as Americans of different faiths. That’s what I’d tell him.

Mr. Blitzer: Do you think he’s a bigot?

White Culture

Mikaela says:
I'm totally down with the latest exploration of white as a culture, not an invisible standard by which all other colors are deemed lesser.

Marjorie has often decried the lack of discussion around white culture, which could be a powerful organizing tool if taken to the suburbs and taken out of the hands of supremacists.

Cheers to Out ch'YondA for once again leading the way in celebrating all diversity and enriching our cultural discussions here in the Q.

Out ch'YondA Live ArtZ Studio Presents in December

"Stuck in Neutral": White History Weeks Out ch'YondA

Explore the unexplored territory of White identity through art, intellectualism and radical thought without trashing White folks--not even hillbillies.

White artists from the community include:

• Bryan Konefsky
• Bill Nevins
• Ourania Tserotas
• Mark LeClaire
• Peter Chase
• and more.

Together, we can bridge the historical, social and psychological gaps around Whiteness and bring this identity out of the neutral zone in current times. Events include a gallery opening, poetry, film, performance art, music, panel discussion, anti-racism workshop, food and more.

• Opening Event: Friday, December 1 @ 6.00; $5
• Poetry: Saturday, December 2 @ 8.00; $5
• Brunch & Panel: Sunday, December 3 from 11.00 am-3 pm; $10
• Gallery Opening: Friday, December 8 @ 6.00 pm
• Films: Saturday, December 9 @ 7.00 pm; $5
• Anti Racism Workshop: Thursday, December 14 @ 7.00 pm; $10
• Music: Friday, December 15 @ 8.00 pm; $10
• Closing Event: Saturday, December 16 @ 4.00 pm; $10

For more specific information, please contact us at 385-5634

Out ch'YondA Live ArtZ Studio

929 4th St. SW

9 blocks S of Central

5 blocks N of Cesar Chavez

385-5634

Dia de los Muertos Marigold Parade

marjorie says...

It was another beautiful day today, just perfect for the Dia de los Muertos Marigold Parade in the South Valley. I love this parade. It is so homegrown, so do-it-yourself. And SWOP's float always epitomizes that. Kudos to Victoria for leading the way on making participation a tradition every year. This year I had a really good time with Moc taking pictures. Afterwards we came over here to Flying Star to see what we came up with...and here they are. More of our pictures are on SWOPblogger.

"To speak the name of the dead is to make them live again"

Aztec dancers lead the way

Front of SWOP truck
SWOP in the parade

Side of SWOP float


Sandra and her grandsons, Ruben and Herman

Cars...

and more Cars

demanding justice for the murdered women of Juarez

Silviana and her friend

Face painting

Paraders:

Yamming in East Texas

marjorie says...

As Mikaela pointed out, last week I once again found myself back in East Texas for the annual Yamboree. The Yamboree is a county fair that's been held continuously since 1935 in Upshur County. The county seat is a town of roughly 5,000 people and both sides of my family are from there. I've heard in the past that over 100,000 people show up at the Yamboree at some point or another over the course of its four days. As I've told y'all before, for me its kind of a reunion...I can go home on that weekend and see all kinds of relatives without planning a thing, and I often meet relatives that I never knew before.

I don't know why really, but Maggie and Mikaela have for years tried to get me to dress up as the Yam Queen for Halloween. And actually, that's not a bad idea...these small town "Queens" are kind of appropriate for Halloween.

The Yam Queen...what can we do other than shrug our shoulders and sigh? You see, this girl is always the richest girl in town. The way it works is this...every year a group of girls "run" for Yam Queen, but what they are really doing is seeing who can "sell" the most tickets. Or, in other words, who ever hands over the most cash gets to be the Queen. And the rest get to be Duchesses. They all get to adorn a float in the "Queen's Parade" on Saturday mornings. But the Queen gets to go first of course. So, in essence, the town parades its richest girls on floats every year in the big parade as if they are somehow truly special. What kind of message does this send to all of the other girls in Upshur County...those who never in a million years can even consider being Yam Queen because they aren't from the wealthier families?

This aspect of the Yamboree almost invariably comes up among the family, every year. And at that moment there's a lot of raised eyebrows and shrugging, with the final pronouncement that this is the way the Yam fest gets paid for...what is a town to do?

It's small town charming on the surface, but when you really think about it...well it shows just how grossly classist our society really is. Is that harsh? Perhaps. I figure it sounds harsh to those who never question the rich/poor world we live in, those who just figure that's the way it always has been and always will be. Its probably easier to just go with the small-town charm angle--why ruin an otherwise nice event? That's the implication of the looks many give when you bring it up. And of course it isn't fair to single out the Yamboree...this is a common thing. But that's really it right there...it is common so it should be questioned. And the folks in Upshur County should change how they raise funds for the Yamboree, and how they select the Yam Queen.

I often wonder when I see the Yam Queen ride by on her float if there is actually another girl just a little bit wealthier who just couldn't bring herself to do it...who sees it for what it is. Or is it the case that a year has never gone by that the senior girl with the greatest access to resources wasn't the Queen? In my fantasies, the girl's parents buy her the Queenship with the notion of showing off their offspring so magnificently, and then she insists that the poorest girl in town ride the float in her place. Silly musings I know.

Anyhow...as you can see, one thing I enjoy about going home the third week in October are the always fascinating moments of contemplating class in America afforded by the Yamboree and its Queen. But I would be remiss if I left the impression that East Texas is all about one type of people. In fact its full of a wide variety. For instance, as you can see from this picture of an old truck and its owner...there are even Anti-War, Anti-Factory Farming, NON HIPPIE Liberals there. Yes! That's Right! His front bumper had an Expose Exxon bumper sticker on it. Of course, its a rare thing to see so I did have to take a picture ...nonetheless, something tells me there's an activist progressive underground back home. I just know it...!

Another thing I always enjoy is seeing how things continue to change in East Texas. For one thing, the ethnic mix is changing...rapidly. This has become increasingly evident to me over the past few years. And as you can see, there is an actual Tortilleria on the square now...long gone are the days of the domino halls. It's a new day in East Texas! And the $1.50 you can pay for a big steaming bag of corn tortillas just a few blocks from the house is certainly one very cool outcome for my family. The fellow behind the counter told me it was his very first Yamboree...

As ever, I enjoyed roaming around the square at night taking in the carnival lights and watching the children in my family on the rides. Things were a little slower this year because my dad just had major surgery and is a little slowed down. But we still seemed to never stop going.

Happy What Day?

marjorie says...

What kind of Happy should I give m-pyre readers today?

Happy Columbus Day? no…somehow I don’t think that will work.
Happy Genocide Day?
Happy Slavery Day?

Sorry to rain on the parade, but the holiday itself is so ridiculous that it has to be said. This holiday epitomizes the type of celebration we see in history, where conquering nations celebrate their subjugation of other people. If anyone hadn’t noticed…in the modern era we don’t do those things anymore…it’s pretty well established on the international stage that people have the right to govern themselves. So why do we celebrate a man who symbolizes the beginning of a massive rape, enslavement, pillage and destroy campaign against the native people of the Americas? That’s what it was of course. It was not the discovery of a “new world” without any people already living in it.

Ok, I overstated myself…we *do* do those things today…we just do them differently. So in some ways our celebration of Columbus is just being honest…

(Speaking of the “New World”…did any of you see that movie that just came out? They should have just called it “Pocohontas”…that’s what it was about. It was sheer Hollywood drivel too…completely romanticized mythology about Pocohontas and her two English lovers, who were of course…Very Good Men. bleck!)

Now that we’ve covered that, let’s think for a sec about the current world we live in…the outcome of that very first European arrival...

Here we have a news article chronicling the increase of homelessness among seniors in this country. Between 1990 and 2003, the homeless population above the age of 50 increased from 11% to 30%. That’s a huge leap. This article describes the health problems that seniors on the street experience…for instance, it's ridiculous to expect a person with diabetes to be able to follow a proper diet when living on the street.

Upon describing the increase, this gem of an observation is made: “That has implications for governments, which may find housing the chronically homeless is cheaper than treating the health problems exacerbated by aging on the streets.”

It never fails I’ve found…when discussing social problems, the author invariably resorts to a cost-benefit analysis early on as a way to persuade the reader that we must increase public expenditures for poor people. Of course it’s true. But I always come away thinking that the Moral Issue should have top billing…

The article does go on and quote medical professionals from a moral standpoint. For one, an internist, Margot Kushel, at a San Francisco hospital says this: “"It's heartbreaking, not to mention immoral, to discharge a debilitated 60-year-old with heart failure to the street, knowing they would be exposed to all the elements. We can perfect our medical treatments as much as we can, but it's not addressing the problem."

No Margot, it isn’t addressing the problem. But in the capitalist world we live in don’t expect the problem to be solved until the public at large realizes that it costs less to provide a roof over the heads of everyone.

And what does that say about us? Well, I think it means we're well trained. I don’t think this capitalist mentality is part and parcel of “human nature”…I think its learned, from constant rote repetition…so much so that we don’t even think about it...