Cornerstone visits Queens in April, part 2

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From Nephelie 4-28-18.

Slower day today. 

A high point was my visit to the Hindu Temple on Holly Street. The canteen in the basement has been recommended, so I tried it for lunch. Several temples in the surrounding blocks. The temple was very busy (I thought it was just a Saturday, but realized later in the day that today was the festival of holi which may explain why it was so busy.) My Lyft driver was familiar with the place. “I’m not Hindu he said, but I go there with my friends to eat sometimes. For South Indian food. I am from Punjab.” The canteen was everything you’d expect of a canteen in the basement of a temple. 


Folding tables, plastic trays and foam plates. And amazing food. It was lively and filled with families many of whom looked like they’d just come from the temple. I ate my delicious masala dosa sitting next to a large, colorful figure of Ganesh, adorned with flowers, garlands and multi- colored lights.

Took a long walk from Main street, through the park, Queens Botanical Garden and Flushing Meadows-Corona  Park, to reach the Queens Museum. When Paula and I visited this area in late March it was cold out, and nearly empty. Today the weather was warm and the cherry blossoms were blooming. 

It seemed like most of Queens was out on the streets and filling the park spaces. The botanical garden was beautiful and bustling, with a children’s gardening program, variety of gardens and programs, wedding garden and people out enjoying a perfect spring day. Passed an AMAZING community garden. 

Met up with the daughter of a friend; she is heading to SUNY Purchase to major in costume design in September and will work with me as an intern when we are in residence. There was a well attended holi program filling most of the Queens Museum so we got to see lots of traditional Indian dance. Talked about expectations and goals for her internship, and looked at the current show in their main galleries, a wide ranging installation by Mel Chin called “All Over the Place” - provocative (and beautifully crafted) work. Worth a visit!

I returned to Electchester to visit with Chelsea G. before Working Theater's show. I met Kendra (past 2DI participant &  about to graduate NYU with a degree in artistic practice and civic engagement) and Tamilla, the Artistic Director for the Five Boroughs/One City project. Also met Tricia, Working Theatre’s Community Engagement Coordinator. We’ve been in touch through email so it was good to meet in person. Tricia may be a useful resource for us, as she’s been heading up the community engagement at Pomonok for their project. Chelsea's task will be to facilitate post-show talk backs for the NYC tour of this play, so there was some conversation about how best to frame and lead that, that I was folded into. Interesting to be part of that conversation from another company's point of view. I found myself thinking about assumptions we all make. 

Finally, attended reading of The Apocalypse Plays, part of of the New American Voices Reading series at Queens Theatre. I have reached out to the artistic director and hope to connect with her soon. It was good to get inside the building and get a sense of the spaces there.

NMA

Cornerstone visits Queens in April, part 1.

** Recently, Cornerstone's Ensemble has started a practice of writing daily journal sharings of project activities to share with the rest of the group when working away from home. We are often scattered far and wide and it's a good way for us all be connected to the company's work. It started when Michael, Peter and Paula went to the Netherlands and Michael sent detailed journals. So instead of sharing Visit Reports, we're sharing slightly edited versions of Daily Journals, mostly (all?) from Nephelie, who in addition to being costume designer for this project, is leading the advance community engagement process. **

From Nephelie, 4-27-18.

This was a full day. I departed DC at 7am to get to Queens in time to meet Cusi at 9:30am. 

Since this was Cusi’s first visit to the campus, we took a little walk to get the scope of the campus in our feet, stopping in to the theater building and the library, and appreciating the spectacular view of Manhattan island from the QC Quad. 

 Cusi on QC quad with Manhattan way in background

The theater department was quiet today but the flyer for our story circle is posted outside the office. 

trees in bloom outside theater building

There are some large in-process mural panels on the quad including “Defend DACA”.  

Cusi among murals on the quad

Questions: What kind of participation or support do we think we want from the School of Music? We need to be specific here so that they can be helpful. Like the dance faculty and students, they have expresses general enthusiasm and interest in the project, but will need a more specific ask in order to move us forward in confirming level and type of support.

Cusi has started her research, reading a lot and looking for source material and perhaps a theme for the play that resonates for the community and excites her imagination.  Current first sketch of a thought, may be (subject to change) - an adaptation of The Odyssey, exploring the theme/question of home, inspired by the assemblages of Joseph Cornell (who lived and worked most of his life here in Flushing).

Our meeting with Yael, Associate Director of the Center for Ethnic, Racial and Religious Understanding, was lovely.  We learned about CERRU’s programming (30 events annually spread throughout the academic year) and Yael’s most recent event “Social Identities Fashion Show” and talked in more detail about Monday’s story circle. Yael set up a Facebook invite as well as reaching out to students in their programs. We added “Healthy Snacks” to the invite to attract more participants and will be sure to include that for future story circles.  We will also add more specific suggestion of, perhaps, what part of folks’ Queens Story, we want to hear about.  We have 2 story circles co-hosted by CERRU scheduled: Monday April 30^th, 12:15 - 1:30pm and Wednesday May 9^th at the same time.

We got to learn about Yael’s background and interests and her love for the college community and its students.

Yael also gave us her recommendations for delicious local dining: Loukoumi Taverna (Greek), the dim sum place at Horace Harding and Maine (menu exclusively in Chinese so if you have food allergies beware), the restaurant at the Ganesh Temple, the One-ness Fountain Heart Buddhist Restaurant, the Korean Barbeque on Northern Boulevard near Maine, Rincon Criollo (Cuban), Pio Pio (Peruvian chicken).

We needed lunch after this so we walked to the OnenessFountain Jewel Restaurant - Food for Body and Soul, a vegetarian and vegan friendly place that is lovingly decorated as a peaceful oasis, all pale celestial blue with gold leaf, lotus flowers and crystals, dedicated to conscious living, healthy eating and strives to create a global cuisine naturally. The restaurant is independently owned and operated by students of Sri Chinmoy. We had a delicious meal then Cusi headed off.

My meeting with Sophia McGee was dynamic and productive. It was great to finally meet.  Under the leadership of Sophia and Yael, CERRU will be wonderful partners for our project. They are both very excited about the institute and about Cornerstone’s work.

We confirmed plans for Monday and clarified some scheduling including best days/times for July story circles when Sophia can participate.

We brainstormed about: who else we should talk to, and Sophia came up with some great possibilities that I can follow up with. I now have a longer list of potential contacts, participants and interviewees. It feels like it’d be great to be able to set up an opportunity for Cusi to conduct an interview with someone from Urban Studies whose particular focus is in community study of Flushing, and Pomonok House. Will keep working on it.

For Monday’s session Sophia will follow up with some specific students, who’ve already been invited, including those who were part of two of their recent programming cohorts. 1. Political Leaps of Faith (8 students + 4 facilitators from across the political spectrum, a challenging series of workshops designed to build dialogue across difference) and 2. Heather Raffo cohort (working with EpicTheatre, QC hosted a 3 year residency with Heather Raffo specifically designed to reach Arab American women).  

I headed back to the Student Union for wi-fi (that did not work) and found them setting up for an event. Turns out the event was the reveal of a new video produced by QC GLASA (Gender, Love and Sexuality Alliance) a student club that has recently installed a photo mural in the student union that chronicles the progress of their work in recent years. The club’s faculty advisor (John Carlson) and one of the club leaders (Jordan Mendoza) were enthusiastic about our institute and also about sharing info about their accomplishments: GLASA marched in the most recent Queens PRIDE parade, and will host a CUNY wide PRIDE FEST on the Queens College campus this summer- June 14, noon - 5pm. They were setting up to host local council members and donors and to celebrate their progress. Their new video will now play on a loop in the space, next to the photo-mural. 

I asked Jordan about our Institute Participant and QC student, Kayla, who has expressed interest in building participation in story circles this summer. Turns out that 1. She is part of GLASA and a friend of Jordan’s. 2. She is represented in the photomural. 3. Jordan, who is a neuroscience major has recently discovered his love for technical theater plans to be around this summer working in the scene shop. Yay!

I took a walk around the neighborhood.  

grand central expressway runs through Queens

I had some fast food Chinese dinner in a very busy place in the Electchester center and had a lovely conversation with a recently widowed elderly woman who always eats there because the food’s so fresh. The noodles I got were fine. The dumplings were terrible. 

Found the Afghani market, filled to rafters with rice, dried fruits, nuts all manner of condiments  and imported items, and a spectacular window display of equipment for drinking tea. This is the place to get electric samovars.

Saw a performance of Working Theater’s play - Alternating Currents, part of their multi-year project: Five Burroughs/One City initiative. This particular play was created through engagement with the residents of Electchester and Pomonok and members of Local 3 IBEW and performed in the grand hall that is part of the Union Building (think ballroom with celestial themed mid century chandeliers and a large stage at one end). Also got to meet Mark Plesent, the producing artistic director of the company, and had a chance to talk with him. He’s hoping he can take a 2DI with us someday!

The talk back was interesting, time for audience to process and share their feelings about the play. Got to have a long conversation afterwards with Susan, a resident of Electchester who is not part of the union. She had a lot to say! The stories, and frictions between these two communities here run deep. Complicated feelings about how “those people they let in” have changed how things are, about all those immigrants who keep to themselves and don’t want to integrate with others.

Alternating Currents dealt with many of these issues, specifically about issues of racism in the Electchester community, as well as expectations of what it means to be part of a community, assimilation, fitting in, shared values, neighborliness, family.

For this visit, I am staying at a hotel near LaGuardia, with a view of the airport construction and the Delta building. I can see planes taking off from my room.

First Pomonok contact and Another Community-based Play

From March 15 -

Just a quick note— Nephelie and I are in Queens for a couple days, learning about Queens College and the immediate area. 

We went to Community House: Pomonock (PA-muh-NOK), a community center that serves the Pomonock Public Housing complex. Community House has a bunch of similar centers in other Queens neighborhoods. But Pomonck is right across the street from QC and was a place that Meghan had mentioned as a possible connection point with the off-campus community. 

We walked in just to have a look around and the guy who manages the place just started talking with us right away. We had a good, short conversation. He mentioned that he’d just gotten an email from a theater company about a similar project— it was from the Community Engagement Coordinator at Working Theater.

Working Theater has had a 5 Boroughs/One City project for awhile— we’ve had 3 or 4 people who’ve worked on it come to our 2DIs. And they have a Queens play in performance next month:

http://theworkingtheater.org/alternatingcurrents/

As I was researching Pomonok a bit I had been intrigued to learn about another, adjacent planned community started by the local electricians union. Working Theater’s project is focused on this part of the community, Electchester.

Anyway, it’s interesting. Thinking about whether or not to reach out to Working Theater about our project, or more likely when. Nepehlie will try to see the play. 

The best thing though was talking with Pat at Community House Pomonok. He was cautious, interested, intrigued and welcoming. I was really glad that i finally finished a decent  1-sheet to share with people in the community because he started taking it in right away. Before we left he was telling Nephelie about how this kind of thing has the potential to strengthen communities. 

I hope we can get him on board. 

Excited to see more of Queens tomorrow and have lunch with playwright Cusi at Dumpling Galaxy!

love,

Paula d

[ scramble back through past received emails... ]

Wed, Jan 31, 2018, Chelsea - Institute alum from 2009, friend  & artist/teaching artist -- wrote:

... I've been hearing about the institute this summer in Queens and just wanted to check in to say that I'm so excited that is happening, and I'd love to work with you all and/or support the process in any way I can. Will you please let me know if you think of any way I could be of service to the institute? There are many ways I could help out as a long-time resident of NYC with a strong network of arts, education and community-based organizations. I'm actually working on a community-engaged theater project in Queens this spring, so I've been getting more well acquainted with the borough in preparation for that! ... I look forward to having you all out here, and to NYC experiencing the magic of a Cornerstone project!

On Wed, Feb 14, 2018, Chelsea wrote:

...the community we're working in (Electchester/Pomonok Houses) is in Flushing right by Queens College, so I'm getting to know the history of that area now. This is my first time doing community-engaged work in Queens b/c my NYC-based work has been in Brooklyn/Manhattan/Bronx, so I'm excited to get to know Queens a little better!

You can read about the project here.

From what I understand, the divide between Electchester and Pomonok is primarily about race and class dynamics- Electchester was founded by an electrician's union that is still dominated by white-identified folks whereas Pomonok functions as public housing for primarily people of color. Pomonok was not always predominantly POC, as you will see in the film Pomonok Dreams but it is now.

Queens is an amazing borough, and Flushing in particular has such a richness of culture and story. 

Nephelie saw a performance of Alternating Currents in April. Here is an article about it.

Some thoughts from Nephelie, after seeing the performance and a talkback:

The talk back was interesting, time for audience to process and share their feelings about the play. Got to have a long conversation afterwards with a resident of Electchester who is not part of the union. She had a lot to say! The stories, and frictions between these two communities here run deep. Complicated feelings about how “those people they let in” have changed how things are, about all those immigrants who keep to themselves and don’t want to integrate with others.

Alternating Currents dealt with many of these issues, specifically about issues of racism in the Electchester community, as well as expectations of what it means to be part of a community, assimilation, fitting in, shared values, neighborliness, family. 

Here is an hour-long discussion /conversation about Working Theater's city-wide project. If you're interested.

2018 Institute Class introduces themselves

Amanda Chandler. I am a resident of Harrisonburg, Virginia and graduated from Eastern Mennonite University in 2014 with a B.A. in Theater and History.  I have been a member of Inside Out Playback Theatre since 2014, using Playback and Theatre of the Oppressed techniques with groups such as migrant farm workers, refugee and immigrant students in English language learning classes, and students returning from study abroad semesters. I am an active member of the Blue Ridge Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and am currently serving on a committee to revitalize Gemeinschaft Home for recently incarcerated men re-entering society.  In my spare time, I enjoy cycling around the Shenandoah Valley, reading, writing and any and all live music.  

Paul DeFilippo is currently a Queens College student double-majoring in English and Drama/Theatre, and the Treasurer of the Queens College Theatre Guild. He has written about theatre and hip hop music/culture for the Queens College student blog, QC Voices. As a theatre actor, Paul has appeared in theatre productions such as: Twelfth Night, The Last Days of Judas Iscariot, An Octoroon and, most recently, The Tempest. Last month, he directed his first full-length production of Anton Chekhov's Three Sisters.

Stephen Earnhart.  Hi folks!  I’ve been working in the New York film & theater worlds as a director/writer/performer for over 20 years. As a theater maker, I focus on visual storytelling to create cinematic stage productions. My last full-scale production was a multimedia adaptation of Haruki Murakami's best-selling novel “The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle.”  In the film world, I was previously Director of Production for Miramax Films and did three seasons at SNL. Documentaries I directed include “Mule Skinner Blues” and “Source of Pride: The Making of Pride & Glory.” I produced video content for David Byrne, Barnes & Noble, IBM, American Express, Kenneth Cole, and Radio City, and internet content for artists such as Santana, KD Lang, The Who, Seal, Sammy Hagar, Sheryl Crowe, and The Wallflowers.  I just finished my first year at Naropa University’s MFA program for theater performance. I’m also a Kundalini yoga teacher. I’m searching for new ways to use my skills at the intersection of art, wellness, healing and social impact, and I’m super excited to be a part of the summer intensive!

Eliot Feenstra. I am a theatre-maker as well as an organizer, facilitator, scholar, and farmer. I'm currently finishing up an MA in Performance Studies at York University in Toronto. My work as a theatre-maker focuses on theatre, ritual, and rural communities--arts in collaboration with rural community economic development and particularly rural queer/trans and marginalized communities and how people forge a sense of place/belonging/stewardship. I grew up in Pittsburgh, PA; my dad is the child of Dutch immigrants to British Columbia and my mom's from the South; and have been living and making theatre in rural southern Oregon in collaboration with the Oregon Humanities, Ford Foundation, Oregon Community Foundation, and Rural Organizing Project for the past several years. 

Starleisha Michelle Gingrich is a theatre professional who lives and works in Lancaster, PA and yes there are more than just Amish there! She works in a box office, teaches beginner acting to 8-14 year olds, and does publicity for a local theatre non-profit. She is excited to be joining the Cornerstone family for what will be an enriching and exciting experience in Queens this summer!

Hi, I'm Jack Jackson! I'm a senior theatre major at Reed College in Portland Oregon. I've dabbled in every aspect of theatre making, but have the most experience as a deviser and dramaturg. When I'm not studying, I spend my time reading or playing D&D. 

Claire Kostova is currently majoring in Drama and Theatre at Queens College. Her areas of concentration are Acting, and Lighting Design and has experience with various theatre-related positions. She looks forward to meeting and working with everyone at Cornerstone Theatre!

Sarah Meister. Hello all! I am a director and theatermaker originally from the suburbs of New York City, and I'm thrilled to be participating in this year's Cornerstone Institute. After graduating from Carleton College in 2016, I spent two years working for a college access nonprofit and making community-based theater in Minneapolis/St. Paul, where my interest in the relationship between social justice and the arts grew significantly. This fall, I will begin the Master's program in Applied Theater at the CUNY School for Professional Studies. 

Haawka (Greetings)!  My name is Kenny Ramos and I am Diegueño Iipay/Kumeyaay from the Barona Band of Mission Indians; I grew up on the Barona Indian Reservation in San Diego County before attending UCLA where I graduated with a BA in American Indian Studies.  I've been involved with Cornerstone Theater Company since 2014 and was in the cast of their production of Urban Rez, which literally changed my life and continually inspires me and the work I do as a theater artist within my community!  I studied at the Center for Theater of the Oppressed in Rio de Janiero and am in the Artist Ensemble of Native Voices at the Autry, the country's leading professional Native American theater company, as well as a company member of Dancing Earth Creations, a professional dance company specializing in Indigenous Contemporary dance!  As an actor, I have worked on Native-written theater work at Cornerstone Theater Company, Oregon Shakespeare Festival (Ashland), The Rose Theater (Omaha, NE) and the John F. Kennedy Center (Washington, DC).  I love Cornerstone and I can't wait to meet everyone and I am looking forward to growing through this experience together!

Hi, my name is Kayla Rivera and I am 20 years old. I'm a proud member of the LGBT+ community, and I love to express myself through theater and improv. I'm very excited to bring this community piece to life both as a collaborator, and as a born and raised Queens native. 

Taylor St. John. I am a current M.F.A. Directing Candidate at The University of Memphis. Prior to returning to grad school, I was based in Kansas City, MO where I taught theatre and worked as a freelance actor and director developing new plays. My work explores the questions: How can we create experiences and events that could only happen through the medium of theatre? How can art be a vehicle for creating community and seeking justice for voices not always given a seat at the table? I love working with young people, devising original work, and entering worlds not available to me in my every day life. Currently, I live in Memphis, TN with my fiancé Mary, dog Opie, and cat Olive. 

Anissa Weinraub is a public school educator, theater-maker and organizer, living and working in Philadelphia. Currently, her best work can be viewed during any school day at the Academy at Palumbo HS, where she is lucky enough to teach students about speculative fiction, visionary theater, and how to claim their fullest selves in order to push back against structural oppression.  She loves facilitating ensemble-based devising processes, telling stories to live audiences, and convening groups of people to strategize toward collective change.  She is very excited to learn and grow alongside everyone this summer. 

Hi, I'm Ariella Wolfe, Northern California born-and-raised (but currently based in Los Angeles). I have loved performing in musicals and playing music since I was a little kid, but my experiences directing, stage managing and working in community and Applied Theatre spaces have really helped shape who I am. I graduated from the University of Oregon (Theatre major, Psychology & Spanish minors) in 2015 after also studying abroad in Buenos Aires and then spent a year in the fellowship program at A.C.T. in San Francisco. I am passionate about social justice, and you can usually find me eating yummy food, reading (plays), singing, or spending time in nature. 

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