VC Spring 2012 One Act Play Fest Opens Th 2/2/12 at Wright Library

Enjoy an evening of affordable live theater during the next two weeks as the Ventura College Student One Act Play Festival opens Thursday February 2, 2012 and features four short one-act plays, “The Wedding Story,” “The Fourth Wall,” “Smokes Scenes,” and “Drugs are Bad.”

In “The Wedding Story,” a brave narrator attempts to tell the “perfect” wedding story while being interrupted repeatedly by the bride and groom revealing the “real” story.

“The Fourth Wall” explores what a play might look like if the actors’ mistakes were actually part of the script.

“Smoke Scenes” brings together two clever actors who decide to conceptualize smoke 50 different ways in 10 minutes.

“Drugs Are Bad” shows how two parents deftly influence their son’s behavior.

All four plays will be presented at each performance. Costumes are designed by students, and Isabelle Perez is stage manager. The Festival showcases the writing, performance, and production skills of numerous Ventura College Theatre students.

A free preview performance will be presented on Thursday evening, February 2, at 8 p.m., followed by performances on February 3-4 at 8 p.m., February 9, 10, 11 at 8 p.m., and a Sunday matinee on February 12 at 3 p.m. All performances will be held in the Wright Library, 57 Day Road, Ventura. Tickets: $7 General Admission, $5 Students/Staff/Seniors. Tickets available at the door onl

For more information, contact Judy Garey, Ventura College Theatre Arts Department, email jgarey@vcccd.edu or telephone (805) 654-6400 (ext. 3236).

My students can get in free to performances and write about it for extra credit or to make-up an absence.

It’s National Coming Out Day: It Gets Better

Recently, six young people committed suicide: they just couldn’t take being bullied any more for being different. They felt alone and hopeless; they gave up the fight.

In response to this, sex columnist Dan Savage started a you-tube channel where people can post videos of encouragement–to show that it does indeed get better, that they will one day find acceptance, love, and community. Read more about it in this article from the LA Times from Sunday October 10, 2010 by Nicole Santa Cruz.

In addition to you-tubes, there is a body of literature which provides narratives of surviving the pressures of the dominant culture. I teach as many of these narratives as possible each semester to help us all understand each other, including an essay by Bernard Cooper.

Most of my students in my classes express to me in various ways how much they enjoy the diversity of readings I assign for class and how they like seeing someone they can identify with in print. However,  some do not “get it”–that by learning about other cultures and ethnicities, and the experiences of others from and outside the dominant culture, we learn about ourselves, we learn about our neighbors, we learn how to empathize, and we see how we are more alike than different. Some students go so far as to insist that the readings are racist against white people, that there aren’t any or enough by “whites.” In fact one student went so far as to say the college itself is racist against white people.

This gave me cause to count the number of texts by people of color and by the dominant culture. I’m embarrassed to admit that even with my best effort to balance the curriculum so that we read works not written by the dominant culture, the texts are still primarily written and produced by whites (my best guess anyway):

Writing texts:
all written by whites

Book:
Botany of Desire by Michael Pollan (white)

Assigned essays from 50 Essays edited by Samuel Cohen–
9 essays by people of color, 13 essays by whites (edited by a white man)

2 chapters from Splinter in the Mind (handouts) by Matt Lawrence (white)

Today, I hope you will join me in standing up for helping it get better for everyone who is outside the mainstream and to support the learning of those people in the dominant culture to help them come to terms with their issues and fears.

Class Activity Invites Students to Share Food & Stories about their culture

Yesterday was our second day of three days of presentations when students share the story of why they have the name they do, bring in a cultural artifact, and share a food with the rest of the class.

What a feast! We had food from around the world–lumpia, chicken mole, hot chicken wings and more which we ate while we watched the film Food Inc.

I’ve done variations of this activity since I began teaching 20 years ago. The current version builds from an assignment I read about online. My students and enjoy really enjoy it: we become closer and we learn about other cultures in a really fun way. It also helps the students work together in groups and have discussions when they know each other’s names and a little about them.

The activity ties in with essays we’ve read by Eric Liu, Brent Staples, Bharati Mukherjee, Maxine Hong Kingston, Mike Rose, Sherman Alexie, Gloria Anzaldua, James Baldwin, Bernard Cooper, Nancy Mairs, and more. On the midterm, I ask a question about what they learned from it.

CULTURAL ARTIFACT ASSIGNMENT
A Self-Awareness Activity * Presentations of artifact and food by arrangement

Education is all a matter of building bridges. –Ralph Ellison

Insight, I believe, refers to the depth of understanding that comes by setting experiences, yours and mine, familiar and exotic, new and old, side by side, learning by letting them speak to one another. –Mary Catherine Bateson.

Real education should consist of drawing the goodness and the best out of our own students.  What better books can there be than the book of humanity? –Cesar Chavez

The more deeply you understand other people, the more you will appreciate them, the more reverent you will feel about them.  To touch the soul of another human being is to walk on holy ground.–StephenCovey

PURPOSE:

*To facilitate personal and cultural self-awareness.

*To help you become better acquainted with classmates.

*To give you tools to look beyond stereotypes.

HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT:

ARTIFACT. Select an artifact that tells a story about your cultural background that you can share with the class. This artifact can be a picture, a coat of arms, or an object (a piece of clothing, jewelry, a tool etc.).  You will probably want to select something that is easy to transport to class.  If possible, choose an item that illustrates something about your cultural background that is not obvious.  We want to learn something about your background that is not readily apparent. If you cannot find a “hidden” part of your background, teach us about what we may not have known about your culture.

NAME. As part of your presentation, prepare to tell us about your name. How does it reflect your cultural heritage?

FOOD. Each person will also bring a family food item to share during class by arrangement.

Turn to your family members to learn more about your background.  If that is not possible, do research so that you have something significant to share with the rest of the class about your cultural heritage. If you do not have an object to bring from home, copy an appropriate picture from a magazine or book, download an image from the Internet, etc.  Remember, the visual component of this exercise is important.

Be prepared to do a 3 minute presentation using written notes to tell the origin of your name, describe your artifact, explain why you selected it, answer any questions, and talk about your food item (when you share it). These notes will be a part of your portfolio. You can write a thought paper on this, but don’t read your TP for your presentation.

When we are finished, we will do an in-class writing activity about what you learned about your background, yourself, and our class from this exercise so you will want to take notes during each presentation. Questions to consider include: *What was the purpose of this activity? *How did this activity help you learn about or increase your awareness of yourself?  Of others? *How does the difference between how you perceive yourself and how others perceive you affect you as a student? *What have you learned about culture? Can you draw connections between this activity and some of the readings?

Train Night At The Artists Union Gallery Tues. 9/14

TRAIN READING

POETS ELLEN and ENID OSBORN

read on the theme of TRAINS!

Tuesday, Sept. 14 at 7:30 p.m.

Artists Union Gallery

330 South California Street, Ventura

Hosted by Roe Estep

Open mic follows…

The Painting Locomotive, by Van Gogh

By ellen

Near the end of his life
Vincent said to Theo
I am the painting locomotive

as he splashed his canvass with unbearable blue
slashed the spectrum of hues
from yellow to ochre’s billowing wheat

daubed those black marauding crows
in a feverish race—his eyes
piercing twin tracks of light

suddenly bullet-stopped
like a coal fired steam-engine’s
great screeching brakes.

—————————-

Excerpt from NIGHT TRAIN

By Enid Osborn

He wanders long and long

the whole long train,

chaste and astonished by their faces, their losses,

and lost in the rhythmic, now arhythmic beat and clack

of the rails, rough and missing

like a faulty heart

The locomotive’s sad herald cry barely reaches him

from another realm, another train

Not this one he prays over,

not this long night,

not this long train he wanders aching through

He is far away from the world,

from the miles of ramshackle track

where fallen spikes lie rusting in the rocks,

reaching for their lost beds,

and the oily, split tyes

yawn in tortured speech

to bear the terrible heat and fire spark

of countless train tons laboring through the night…

Every Tuesday you can find an open mic and every other Tuesday a featured reader or two at the Artists Union Gallery. It’s free–but they often take donations to give to the poet.

To find more poetry, take a ride on the Monday Poetry Train!

Sonnet for September 11, 2001 (via art predator)

There’s been a lot of animosity today it seems–lots of arguing about burning the Koran and whether it is ok or not to build a mosque 2.5 city blocks away from where the World Trade Centers stood. In Michael Moore’s article “If the ‘Mosque’ Isn’t Built, This Is No Longer America,” he argues:

Why? Because I believe in an America that protects those who are the victims of hate and prejudice. I believe in an America that says you have the right to worship whatever God you have, wherever you want to worship. And I believe in an America that says to the world that we are a loving and a generous people.

I wrote the following sonnet for September 11 on Sept 13, 2001; a broadside of it (as illustrated) was published in ArtLife Limited Editions October 1, 2001.

Sonnet for September 11

thursday i listen to radiohead
in a new purple polka dot sundress
& i am trying to feel so modern
i search for more warmth for this sunny day  … Read More

via art predator

Ventura’s Rubicon Theater Does Macbeth This Weekend (via art predator)

There’s lots of Shakespeare going on this summer under the stars and in theaters. This performance is in the old church on Laurel street. Check it out and support the young thespians–you might even know some of them! This weekend only! (PS For my Ventura College students, this definitely counts as a cultural or literary event!)

This summer, a group of teens explored a classic play and the results will hit the boards this weekend. Veteran actor Joseph Fuqua directs this year’s Rubicon Acting Intensive class of 17 young actors in Shakespeare’s play Macbeth and they promise to illuminate this classic tragedy in a modern context. The show runs this weekend  Thursday July 15- Saturday July 17 at 8pm plus Sunday, July 18 at 2:00pm. Pre-sale Tickets are $10 and it’s $15 at the … Read More

via art predator

Eco-Fest Success

Here are a few photos from Thursday’s successful Eco-Fest event at Ventura College organized by students in Gwendolyn Alley’s English 1A and English 2 classes.

Students had tables set up with information on growing your own food, reasons to ride bikes, a bicycle mechanic was on duty, and more.City of Ventura Environmental Services shared information about recycling, composting, worm bins and more. Kendra from VCCool encouraged people to join in climate change activism. Daniel and Jennfier Richman showed off and sold some of their handmade jewelry. Albert Hernandez dj’d the event with some help from his classmates (and his dad!)

Thanks to everyone for making the this wintry event a success!

Make a video about YOUR concerns about climate change

I received this email today from the Alliance for Climate Protection & think making a video would be a great project for us all! As the New Media Director here at the Alliance for Climate Protection, I’ve been thrilled to see The Wall grow so rapidly over the last few weeks. My team and I have been busy reviewing thousands of moving messages, and I just wanted to take a moment to highlight a few of our favorites, and share with you why I’m so excited about this campaign. Enjoy these, then add your own: In the past few years, new online tools have revolutionized the way that people can get involved in the world around them, connect with the things they care about, and even organize others to truly make a difference. Of course, traditional media like TV and newspapers are still an important way we communicate.  But most of us can’t just go on TV or get published in the newspaper when we have something that we want to say.That’s what makes The Wall so unique. The Wall is powered by your support for clean energy and enabled by an online platform that brings together your messages from across the country in a powerful, visual display. We then amplify your messages by putting them in mass media ads targeted for your state or community. These ads are uniquely positioned to have an impact on the elected leaders who are deciding now how soon we’ll take action for clean energy and climate in this country. The Wall represents a resounding sense of urgency shared by diverse voices from across the country. It gives us the chance to organize and connect on clean energy and climate in a whole new way. As our leaders debate issues of Make  and scope related to clean energy policies, The Wall is more important than ever to make our voices heard in the fight for strong energy and climate policies. Add your voice and grow a movement for clean energy that our leaders can’t ignore: http://acp.repoweramerica.org/wallform I look forward to your message and thank you for being a part of this exciting campaign. Tim Fullerton New Media Director I hope you’ll go check it out! If you make and post a video, leave a comment below so we can check it out!

Ventura College One Act Plays November 2009

The Ventura College Theatre Department presents the Fall 2009 One-Act Play Festival beginning November 12. This semester’s one-acts include Seven Menus, a transcendental dining experience shared by multiple couples in ever-changing relationships, written by David Ives and directed by Aaron Manuyag; Variations on the Death of Trotsky, an exploration of how the great Leon Trotsky came to have a mountain climber’s axe smashed into his head, written by David Ives and directed by James Fraker; Night Visits, an endearing parable of love, loss, and ultimate happiness, written by Simon Fill and directed by Alex Manriquez; and Misreadings, a unique tale of the delicate and complex relationship between teacher and student, written by Neena Beber and directed by Wayne Hellstrom.

The One-Acts will be performed at the Ventura College Mainstage and Circus Theatres continue next weekend: Thursday, November 19 at 8pm, Friday, November 20 and Saturday, November 21 at 8pm, and a Sunday Matinee on November 22 at 3pm. Tickets are $7.00 for general admission, and $5.00 for students, staff, and seniors, and are available only at the door shortly before the performance begins. For more information, contact Judy Garey at 654-6400 ext. 3236 or Jay Varela at ext. 3194.

Students enrolled in my classes get in free! Just tell them you’re in my class and your name and they’ll look you up on the roster. I hope you’ll write up a review on your blog–please leave a link here so we can go see!

Harvest ArtWak to feature children’s play at Bell Arts

There’s plenty going on around with the Ventura Harvest Artwalk this weekend downtown.

Bell Arts Factory is always a highlight of any ArtWalk, but today Sunday at 2pm, my son will be performing there in a very unusual and free theatrical presentation, “We Source” about “magical beings in a magical forest who discover what empties the spirit and feeds the soul.”

About 11 children from 5-12 have been developing the story and rehearsing the play two afternoons a week for two months. Numerous adult artists from Bell Arts and the community have also been involved in various aspects of the play written and directed by Tracy Hudak, created by the young artists of the Bell Arts Youth Program, and with live music. The set includes a fabulous tree created by MB Hanrahan, Rosel Weedn, and Michele Foster. Bell Arts is located at 432. N. Ventura Avenue.

My son plays a Wizard and he’s very excited about being part of this performance. He’s worked very hard to understand his character and the character’s motivation. Being part of this play has been an important journey in his life. He’s had lots of fun but he’s taken it very very seriously. I see how much he’s grown in terms of understanding the world, his place in it, and how we are each motivated by various factors. As he has come to understand what motivates the characters in the play, and why and how they respond to conflict and opportunity, he has understand to himself and the world better.

If you can’t make the performance of the play on Sunday at 2pm at Bell Arts, a second performance has been added for Tuesday Oct 27 at 4pm. Hope to see you there!

And if you can’t make either performance, drop by Bell Arts to check out the set. Or join us for the First Friday ArtRide –it will still be up and lit up for our Bikers Ball gracing the stage where band The Sideshow Preachers will be performing!