Cornerstone visits Queens in April, pt 3

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From Nephelie, 4-29-18.

Cusi and I met up again to continue our exploration of Queens, past and present.

We started at the Lewis Latimer House Museum, a Historic House museum and the former home of Lewis Latimer, who was a prominent African American, a self-educated inventor, artist, born 1848 and lived in Queens from 1904. His home is one of the few remaining Victorian buildings in Queens, moved from its original location to where it rests now at the edge of a recreational park. It is maintained as a historic museum, runs a summer camp and programs for school groups, and is open to visitors 3 afternoons per week. We were greeted by Joel, the caretaker of the house, who lives there as security guard, groundskeeper and docent. Joel shared his knowledge of Latimer and also of Queens history with us, including details of the long lasting carbon filament that Latimer developed (and that worked much more effectively than the bamboo one that Edison devised) plus biographical info and perspectives on Latimer’s life. He gave Cusi a booklet about the life of Lewis Latimer, and we shared a flyer about our play, which he was excited to know about.

Continuing our Queens world food tour, we chose a Korean Hot Pot restaurant on Northridge Avenue for lunch. It was quite the culinary adventure! We ended up with a boiling cauldron of chicken broth filled with amazing spices and aromatics and a table full of meats/vegetables to cook in it. All seasoned by condiments from a “make your own” condiments bar that was completely overwhelming!  A fabulous dining adventure...

We walked off our lunch with a long walk from Northridge towards Queens College. Our goal was to experience the walk from downtown Flushing to the college campus. We got turned around here and there, but ultimately made our way along Main Street, transitioning from the Korean neighborhood through Chinese neighborhoods surrounding Main Street and past the Mount Hebron Cemetery, crowded with standing stones, that borders the far side of the college campus.

We were intrigued by several markers for the Freedom Mile 

along our path and ended our walk curious to learn more about the stories of African Americans in Queens, as well as of John Bowne, an early Dutch colonist who is credited as the catalyst for the religious tolerance (for Quakers) upon which Queens was established. There is also a John Bowne Historic House, as well as schools, streets, a church and a park named after him.

 Flushing Freedom Mile ….  some of the 21 historic sites located here—many of which are NYC landmarks—and their connection to freedom. Many of the sites are also associated with the Underground Railroad, as well as activists who were dedicated to freedom and education.

By 4:30pm, we’d walked our feet off so we headed home.

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.