APPLY BY FEBRUARY 22: Artist Workshop with Teatro Línea de Sombra, March 11-18

Posted February 12th, 2018/ 12 de febrero 2018:

Boom Arts/Teatro Línea de Sombra: 

Workshop: Description & Call for Participants/
Taller: Presentación y Convocatoria
 

NOTE: Scroll to end for application information
NOTA: Véase abajo par instrucciones para la solicitación

From March 10-18, 2018, Boom Arts will welcome the celebrated Mexican theatre troupe Teatro Línea de Sombra to Portland for a week of workshops and performances. Portland audiences may remember Amarillo, TLS’ internationally acclaimed visual theatre piece on the theme of immigration, which Boom Arts presented via film screenings in the Portland area in 2013 and 2016 and which was presented live in as part of the national Theatre Communications Group conference at the Armory in June 2017. Boom Arts invites artists, community leaders, and audiences to get to know more of TLS’ varied oeuvre and unique style of socially engaged theatre-making through this week-long residency.

El 10 al 18 de marzo de 2018, Boom Arts recibirá al celebrado grupo teatral Mexicano Teatro Línea de Sombra para una semana de talleres y funciones en Portland. El público Portlandense se acordará de esta compañía por su obra teatral Amarillo, sobre el tema de la inmigración, que fue presentado en Oregon por Boom Arts en su versión filmada en 2013 y 2016 y en vivo coon el congreso nacional de teatro TCG en junio del 2017 en el teatro Armory.  Boom Arts convoca a artistas, líderes comunitarios, y el público en general para conocer mas profundamente las obras y el estilo único de este grupo muy especial a traves de una semana de talleres y funciones.

March 16, 17, and 18, Boom Arts will present the US premiere—and the first performances of the work with English translation—of TLS’ 2014 creation Building Small Territories (Pequeños territorios en reconstrucción) at The Headwaters Theatre, 55 N Farragut Street in Portland. Building Small Territories is a performative lecture about an actual village in Colombia that was built and is exclusively inhabited by women and their families displaced by violence. As the TLS artists share the stories of the women they met when they visited that village, they build a small scale model of the village using cinder blocks, colorful roofs, and photos of the residents. This “show and tell” culminates in the audience’s opportunity to explore the village onstage and talk with the performers. In the intimate context of the Headwaters Theatre, Portlanders will get a very special opportunity to connect with the humanity of resilient Latin American women who have created space—and safety—for themselves in a hostile environment.

El 16, 17, y 18 de marzo, Boom Arts presentará por primera vez en los EEUU (y la primera vez con traducción al inglés) la creación TLS de 2014 Pequeños territorios en reconstrucción en el teatro Headwaters, 55 N Farragut Street, Portland. Pequeños territorios en reconstrucción es una lectura performática sobre un pueblo verdadero en Colombia que fue construido y está habitado exclusivamente por mujeres y sus familias desplazadas por la violencia.  los artistas TLS comparten las historias de las mujeres que conocieron cuando visitaron ese pueblo, construyen una maqueta del pueblo usando bloques de cemento, techos colorados, y fotos de los habitantes. Esta “muestra” se culmina con la oportunidad para el público de subir al escenario, explorar el pueblo, y hablar con los intérpretes. En el contexto íntimo del Headwaters Theatre, el público de Portland tendrá una oportunidad muy especial para conectarse con la humanidad y la resiliencia de unas mujeres latinoamericanas quienes han creado espacio y seguridad par si mismas el un ambiente hostil.

Meanwhile, March 11-18, the three visiting artists of TLS—co-Artistic Directors Jorge Vargas and Alicia Laguna and actress Zuadd Atala—will lead a workshop for Portland-based artists on the creation of original work from community research, with the theme “Women’s Resilience.” Artists are welcomed from any discipline, including theatre, dance, visual art, social practice art, and music. This workshop will be bilingual English/Spanish and bilingual applicants are strongly encouraged. This is a process-focused residency and no product is required; the final public presentation will consist of any excerpts that feel ready to be shared as a work-in-progress as well as discursive reflections on the findings of the week together. 5 artists will be selected by application and 5 auditors will be accepted on a first-come-first-served basis. Artists must commit to participating in all workshop sessions including the public showing and will be paid an honorarium of $150 to cover travel and incidental expenses. Auditors will be responsible for their own expenses, must attend at least half of the sessions, and must attend the public showing.

El 11-18 de marzo, lost tres artistas de TLS- directores artísticos Jorge Vargas y Alicia Laguna y la actriz Zuadd Atala—dirigirán un taller para artistas locales sobre la creación basada en la investigación en la comunidad, con el tema “la resiliencia de la mujer.” Se invita a artistas de cualquier disciplina: danza, teatro, artes plásticas, “práctica social”, música, etc. Esta residencia está enfocada en el proceso de investigación y no se require llegar a un producto final. La presentación pública al fin consistirá en la muestra de cualquier seccion que se considere listas para compartir como “work in progress” mas una reflección hablada sobre el proceso. 5 artistas serán seleccionados por un proceso de aplicación, y 5 observadores “first come first served”. Los artistas deben comprometerse a asistir a todas las sesiones del taller incluyendo la presentación final y los seleccionados recibirán un honorario de $150 para pagar viáticos y tal. Los observadores serán responsables para sus propios gastos, deben asistir a por lo menos la mitad de las sesiones, y deben asistir a la presentación final.

The workshop will be structured as follows (subject to change):

·        I. Field Research

o   Sunday, March 11:

§  Orientation at Sunnyside Community House: 10am-12pm

§  Lunch break 12-1pm

§  1-7pm Field Research

·        II. Guided & Responsive Creation:

o   Tuesday, March 13:

§  Workshop Meeting at Headwaters: 6-9pm

o   Thursday, March 15:

§  Workshop Meeting at Headwaters, 6-9pm

o   Saturday, March 17:

§  Workshop Meeting at Headwaters with community partners invited, 10am-2pm (includes lunch)

·        III. Public Presentation/Sharing

o   Saturday, March 17 at 2pm

El taller se estructurará de manera siguiente (es posible que cambiarán estos horarios):

·        Investigación en el campo

o   Domingo, 11 marzo:

§  Bienvenido en el Sunnyside Community House: 10am-12pm

§  Almuerzo 12-1pm

§  1-7pm Investigación en el campo

·        II. Investigación sobre la creación:

o   Martes 13 de marzo:

§  Encuentro/taller en el Headwaters: 6-9pm

o   Jueves 15 de marzo:

§  Encuentro/taller en el Headwaters, 6-9pm

o   Sábado 17 de marzo:

§  Encuentro/taller en el  Headwaters con organizaciones comunitarias invitadas, 10am-2pm (incluye el almuerzo)

·        III. Presentación pública/Muestra

o   Sábado 17 de marzo a las 2pm

About the Artists

Teatro Línea de Sombra is best known in the Pacific NW for their 2009 creation Amarillo, which toured to Seattle in 2012; was presented on film in screenings in small communities in Oregon and Washington in 2013 and 2016; and was featured in Portland in 2017 as a presentation of the Global Pre-Conference of the TCG (Theatre Communications Group) annual conference.

Teatro Línea de Sombra se conoce major en la region Pacific Northwest por su creación Amarillo de 2009, la cual se present en Seattle en 2012; en varias comunidades en Oregon y Washington en su versión filmada en 2013 y 2016; y en Portland en 2017 como presentación del Global Pre-Conference del TCG (Theatre Communications Group) en su congreso nacional.

“In the Mexican theatrical milieu, still immersed in the hegemony of naturalism, the trends of innovation usually fade after the first spark. The notable and exemplary exception is the solid and expansive project of Teatro Línea de Sombra. Their artistic, pedagogical, and programmatical offerings have helped rectify formative gaps and have placed Mexican theatre into dialogue with advanced theatres in other latitudes. In the anteroom of their mature chapter, we look forward to the best fruits of an endeavor that has understood how to renew itself with every step.” Noé Morales Muñoz, Playwright & Critic

En un medio teatral como el mexicano, inmerso todavía en la hegemonía del naturalismo, las tentativas de renovación no suelen trascender la condición de fuegos fatuos. Por lo anterior, la trayectoria dilatada y sólida del proyecto de Teatro Línea de Sombra constituye una excepción notable y ejemplar. Su oferta artística, pedagógica y programática ha contribuido a subsanar huecos formativos y ha puesto a dialogar al teatro mexicano con el teatro de avanzada de otras latitudes. En la antesala de su etapa de madurez, no queda sino esperar los mejores frutos de una empresa que ha sabido renovarse en cada paso.-- Noé Morales Muñoz / Dramaturgo y crítico

TLS is a cultural project created in Monterrey, Mexico in 1993 and based in Mexico City since 1994. It involves theatre makers, teachers, researchers, and actors. It collaborates with musicians, scenic designers, visual artists, and artists of related disciplines. Currently, its base in Coyoacán serves as a center for investigation in the areas of creation, research, and pedagogy. Its artists are deeply involved in contemporary theatrical knowhow and in the mechanisms of encounter and exchange with diverse experiences in performance-making in Mexico and internationally. It is a project interested in the search for alternative paths located on the borderlands between the performing and visual arts, music, video, and the possible relationships between what we can call theatre and the various performance-based disciplines. It has also oriented its research towards stage processes and creation beginning with new dramaturgies and spectacle-based writing to trans-disciplinary processes and the incorporation of new relationships with other areas of knowledge.

Teatro Línea de Sombra es un proyecto cultural creado en Monterrey en el año de 1993 y tiene su residencia en la ciudad de México desde 1994. Es un proyecto teatral sin fines lucrativos constituido como asociación civil desde 1999 y lo conforman creadores escénicos, pedagogos, investigadores y actores. Cuenta con la colaboración de músicos, escenógrafos, artistas visuales y de otras disciplinas afines. Actualmente, cuenta con una sede en la zona de Coyoacán como centro de investigación en la creación, la investigación y la pedagogía. Sus están encaminadas a la exploración en el quehacer contemporáneo del teatro y en los mecanismos de acercamiento e intercambio con otras y diversas experiencias de la creación escénica en el ámbito nacional e internacional. Es un proyecto interesado en la búsqueda de caminos alternativos situados en las zonas fronterizas de lo escénico con las artes plásticas, la música, el video y en las posibles relaciones entre aquello que podamos denominar como teatral y las distintas disciplinas de la escena. Por otra parte, ha orientado su búsqueda a la investigación de los procesos de la escena y de la creación a partir de nuevas dramaturgias y/o escrituras espectaculares, a procesos transdisciplinarios y a la incorporación de nuevas relaciones con otros campos del conocimiento.

Application to Participate:

Please cut and paste the following questions into the body of an email, add your answers, and send to ruth@boomarts.org with the subject line “TLS WORKSHOP APPLICATION”. Applications will be reviewed and applicants invited as they are received. PLEASE NOTE THAT APPLICATIONS MUST BE RECEIVED BY FEBRUARY 22nd TO BE CONSIDERED.

QUESTION 1: Please describe your artistic practice in 1 paragraph (can be a 1-paragraph bio).

QUESTION 2: Please describe your experience with and/or interest in linking real-world research with artistic creation. What meaning does this intersection have for you?

QUESTION 3: Please describe your interest in and/or connection with Mexican and/or Latin American art and/or performing arts and/or theatre. (None necessary, we’re just curious).

QUESTION 4: Please confirm that you can attend the scheduled events listed above, and add any additional notes.

Thank you!

Copie estas preguntas en un mail, añade sus respuestas, y envíe el mail a ruth@boomarts.org con el título “TLS WORKSHOP APPLICATION”. Revisaremos cada solicitación en el momento de recibirlo.

PREGUNTA 1: Por favor, describe su práctica artística en 1 párrafo (puede ser su biografía).

PREGUNTA 2:  Por favor, describe sus experiencias con y/o interes en conectar la investigación en la comunidad con la creación artística. Que significancia tiene esa intersección para Ud.?

PREGUNTA 3: Por favor, describe su interes en y/o conexión con el arte/artes escénicas/teatro de México y/o Latinoamérica (no es necesario, nada mas nos interesa).

PREGUNTA 4: Confirme por favor que Ud. puede asistir a los eventos programados detallados arriba, y añade cualquier comentario adicional.

Muchas gracias!

Memoirs of a Reverend Billy Comrade by Georgina Young-Ellis

Georgina Young-Ellis is a longtime friend and supporter of Reverend Billy & the Stop Shopping Choir and now lives and writes in Portland. Boom Arts asked her to tell us a little about her experiences with the Reverend and the Choir.

Memoirs of a Reverend Billy Comrade

By Georgina Young-Ellis

I met Reverend Billy and his wife, Savitri, officially, in the summer of 2004, when the Republican National Convention was about to cast is gloom over New York City. Bush was president and we were at war with Iraq. We had been protesting the war, marching for peace, but now we were building up for a huge protest of the RNC. At the time, I was attending St. Mark’s Church-in-the-Bowery, a radical, social-justice and arts-oriented space in the East Village of NYC, that historically had hosted artists like Allen Ginsburg, Sam Shephard, Patti Smith, Isadora Duncan, and more. I’d seen Rev. Billy and his Church of Stop Shopping Gospel Choir perform a few times at St. Marks, they having formed a relationship with the El Salvadoran priest-in-charge there, Julio Torres.

Billy, Savi, Julio, and another activist priest from St. Mark’s, Father Frank Morales, and I met one afternoon to discuss the possibility of housing the protesters that would be coming from all over the country for the convention. We all agreed that St. Mark’s and its large, open gathering spaces would be perfect for housing the activists, and that the duration would be about four days. Well, it evolved into something bigger and greater than we could have imagined.

A day or so before the convention, a few of the protesters arrived at St. Marks, and were welcomed. The day of, I marched with my own family, along with Billy and his contingent, from Union Square to Madison Square Garden. As we marched, the crowd grew and grew. We never got quite as far as MSG because of the vast throng, so we just stayed in place with our signs and chanted slogans. There were more protestors than anyone had imagined, and, somehow, word got out about St. Mark’s’ offer of refuge. We had originally decided to call the event, “Four Days of Sanctuary,” but that soon changed to eight days, then ten, then twelve. There were so many protestors they were camped out in the yards of the church, in the actual sanctuary, the parish hall, everywhere. Billy, Savi, and Frank Morales stayed more involved, helping to feed and provide for the people, than I did, because I had my own family to tend to at the time.

That was the start of many actions I participated in with Rev. Billy and choir, usually with my husband and young son in tow. We did one in the train station of the World Trade Center, as the site was beginning to undergo new construction, wherein a group of us meandered about, pretending to talk on cell phones, while really muttering the 1^st amendment under our breath. Then, on cue, we began coordinating our muttering until we were all reciting it together, loudly, over and over, kind of like a flash mob before such things became popular.

Another time a beautiful, historic home near my house in Queens was being torn down to be replaced by apartment buildings. Many, nearly two-hundred-year-old trees were ripped out of the ground as a result. We’d tried protesting this demolition, but to no avail. So, resigned, I asked Rev. Billy and group if they would come out to Queens to perform a “Funeral for the Trees,” at the site, in order to make the neighborhood aware of what really happened there. They did, Billy preaching about the tragedy of it all, and our blindness to the earth and what it was trying to tell us. The choir gathered at my house afterwards for a meal, some twenty of us or so crammed into my tiny home.

There are so many more stories of actions, and protests—Billy’s Green Party campaign for Mayor in 2008—Occupy Wall Street—some things I was a part of and some not. I taught Billy and Savi Spanish for a while, until just after their daughter, Lena, was born; basically, my family and I would just jump in to help or participate whenever we could, seeing so many of their performances I’ve lost track.

Now, we live in Portland, many miles from NYC and the Rev’s HQ, but they come to town once or twice a year, and we always see them when they do. We stay in touch via email, phone, and social media, and I continue to watch them making change and impacting the world with their radical, pro-earth and anti-consumerist message. As Billy might say, Change-alujah, Portland-alujah, and Earth-alujah!

Boom Arts Welcomes Associate Managing Director Janet Oh

Boom Arts Welcomes Associate Managing Director Janet Oh

We are thrilled to announce that Janet Oh is joining Boom Arts as our first Associate Managing Director. Ms. Oh will join founding Curator and Producer Ruth Wikler-Luker as the organization’s second full-time staff member. Starting in mid-May, Ms. Oh will help Boom Arts launch our sixth season bringing timely, cutting-edge theatre and performance from around the world to diverse audiences in venues around the Portland area; expand Boom Arts’ visibility and community impact; and develop our infrastructure. This new position was made possible in part through a capacity-building grant from the Oregon Community Foundation as well as significant gifts from individual donors. “We are thrilled to welcome Janet to Boom Arts,” says Board Chair Cheryl Grossman. “We're confident that her wide-ranging expertise will help our organization to grow and flourish.” Curator and Producer Ruth Wikler-Luker is also looking forward to Janet’s arrival: “I’m proud to have founded and led Boom Arts for the past five years—but I can’t wait to see what we’re able to achieve with two times the womanpower.” Janet Oh comes to Portland from New York City, where she has been serving as Institutional Giving Manager at New York Live Arts, a premier presenter and champion of contemporary performance and the artistic home of the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company. Previously, Ms. Oh served as Proposal Writer at Phillips Auctioneers; Manager for Lectures and Performance Programs at the Art Institute of Chicago; and a freelance writer for publications including Art in America, ArtSlant, and Interview. She also assisted in the organization of the exhibition Alexander Calder: The Paris Years, 1926-33 at the Whitney Museum of American Art. Ms. Oh is a graduate of the MA in Modern Art program at Columbia University and received a BA in Art History with a piano concentration from Northwestern University. She is thrilled to be on board with Boom Arts and looks forward to what next season has in store. Please help us welcome Janet to Portland and into the Boom Arts family! Stay tuned for upcoming opportunities to meet  her in person and to learn about our '17-18 season!

Boom Arts Presents Spiritrials

Story of an Urban Intervention

In April & May 2016, Boom Arts presented

TeatroSOLO (LONETheater) Portland, a creation of Argentine interdisciplinary artist Matías Umpierrez, consisted of five solo plays performed for one audience member at a time in five sites around the city of Portland, Oregon.

Watch the gorgeous video trailer, created by Mr. Umpierrez & his collaborators,

& view Mario Gallucci's stunning photographs, shot on location in Portland:

WITNESS (Testigo)
was performed on the Portland Streetcar by guest actress April Sweeney

SON (Hijo) 
was performed at Portland Tennis & Education in the St. Johns Racquet Center by actor Paul Susi

WISH (Deseo)* 
was performed at the offices of Watershed Communications in the Pearl District by actress Alex Leigh Ramirez

PORTRAIT (Retrato)
was performed at the Portland Art Museum by actress Nancy Ellis (not pictured; see below), &

MYTH (Mito) 
was performed at the Multnomah County Library's Central Library by actress Paige McKinney (not pictured; see below)

*World premiere pieces written just for Portland by Mr. Umpierrez

Nancy Ellis (L) and Paige McKinney (R) joined the cast of TeatroSOLO (LONETheater) Portland after the above photos had been taken:

 

And Steven Smith Teamaker provided in-kind supported the project by sponsoring the tea served in all performances of WISH (Deseo). Thank you!

Audiences shared their reflections on TeatroSOLO (LONETheater) in survey responses:

"The level of intimacy and inclusion created by the actor felt like it was created just for me."

"It's a completely different way to experience theater."

"It was such a quick jolt out of ordinary life."

"I absolutely loved it! it was such an emotional experience, so intimate and wonderful!" 

"Magic!"

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c3:initiative, an artist residency center in St. Johns neighborhood, was our primary producing partner for this project. In its gallery, c3:initiative hosted a first-ever photo exhibition on TeatroSOLO (LONETheater) and its seven global iterations, from its beginnings in the tiny Pyrenees town of Graus, Spain to the mega-urb of São Paolo, Brazil. The exhibition included photos from each city as well as Mr. Umpierrez' series of video trailers and subtitled footage of audience reactions from around the world. 

To offer context and bring community together around this unique project, Boom Arts and c3:initiative welcomed guests to free public programs inside the exhibition, which was on view from April 16-May 14, 2016. An artist talk with Mr. Umpierrez himself opened the exhibition: 

(L to R: Shir Ly Grisanti, Director, c3:initiative; artist Matías Umpierrez; and Ruth Wikler-Luker, Curator & Producer, Boom Arts)

A conversation between theatre artist and scholar April Sweeney, who joined us for the project from New York, and social practice artist Patricia Vazquez of Portland was a vital opportunity for audience members to reflect on their experiences:

And an Open House/Closing Reception, designed by Patricia Vazquez Gomez and held in conjunction with the St. Johns Bizarre (a neighborhood-wide fair) offered audiences a chance to connect with more of our TeatroSOLO artists and community partners:

As well as to participate in an interactive reflection exercise on the value of intimacy in today's world, created by Ms. Vazquez:

And to enjoy live music by Colectivo Son Jarocho de Portland:

And, later on the outdoor St. Johns Bizarre stage, Bajo Salario:

Thank you to everyone who participated-- artists, partners, audience members-- for being part of this unique project!

Boom Arts thanks project partners c:3initiative, Portland Art Museum, Portland Tennis & Education, and Watershed Communications, and in-kind sponsor Steven Smith Teamaker. 

This project was made possible with support from c3:initiative; Boom Arts Season Sponsor Ronni Lacroute, the Boom Arts Board, members of the Boom Arts Founding Circle, and many other supporters; and by grants from the Jubitz Family Foundation, the James F. and Marion L. Miller Foundation, Oregon Community Foundation’s Small Arts and Culture Program, Spirit Mountain Community Fund, Oregon Humanities (OH), a statewide nonprofit organization and an independent affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, which funds OH's grant program.

Reflections on Free Outgoing

Essay by Marlon Jiménez Oviedo, Student at Lewis & Clark College/Boom Arts Intern

The artistic success and high audience engagement of Free Outgoing by Anupama Chandrasekhar validated Boom Arts' mission of bringing international theatre that speaks to and attracts diverse Portland audiences. Brilliantly directed by LA-based theatre artist Snehal Desai, the piece challenges clear distinctions between universal vs. local, and private vs. public. The play places the action in the living room of a three-person household in Chennai, India, but the themes of accessibility to digital information, adolescent sexuality and parenthood are issues most societies grapple with.

In this small orange living room, designed by Stephanie Kerley Schwartz, we witness how societal norms and personal morals collide as Malini tries to ‘salvage’ the lives she and her children have so diligently fought for. The non-forgiving society is represented by the school principal, the neighbors, the media and the crowds of people that invade Malini’s colony. Their presence and condemnation were palpable in the Studio Theatre of Lincoln Hall, due in great part to the stellar cast who made it impossible for the audience not to feel the extenuating pressure that Malini and Sharan experience throughout the play.

The main role (Malini) was played by Anna Khaja, whose performance can only be characterized as a feat. During the performance, Ms. Khaja carries all the weight of her children and of being a widow in a society that does not economize on ways to shame her daughters’ sexual act, while thousands of people continue to download the evidence in the form of a video. In one of the most striking moments, we see the shadow of Malini behind orange fabric as she pounds on the door of her daughter’s room, begging her to come out if she wants to do one thing right in her whole life. The audience, however, does not ever see her daughter (Deepa).

On the day I saw the performance, post-show guest speaker Priya Kapoor, Associate Professor of International Studies at Portland State University, discussed Deepa’s absence onstage as a clear symbol of how the victims of situations like the one depicted in the play are often the ones without a voice. Deepa does not get a chance to speak for herself, which is direct commentary on how girls’ and women’s bodies and sexuality continue to be seen and talked about through misogynist ideals. Boom Arts’ post-show discussions have become a hallmark of our productions, and they amplify our impact by offering audiences the chance to process and meaningfully discuss crucial issues in our society.

As we welcomed audience members on the third and fourth nights, we had a person come to ask if we still had tickets available, because a friend had told them that Free Outgoing was a must see. Fortunately, Boom Arts continues to present theatre that Portlanders should be excited to watch!

Reflections on Noise in the Waters

Essay by Marlon Jiménez Oviedo, Student at Lewis & Clark College/Boom Arts Intern

The performance of Noise in The Waters achieved the magical thing of bridging geographical distance and fostering an empathic understanding of people in different continents. Directed by Cristi Miles, the one-man performance brought to life the images, confusion, risk and urgency experienced by African and Middle Eastern refugees as they attempt to cross the Mediterranean Sea under extremely precarious and life-threatening conditions.

The music by Ryan Anthony Francis placed us amidst overpowering and constant waves of sound, absorbing the audience into the world of the show. Similarly, the large scale video projections, by Stephen Miller, occupied the two lateral walls of the auditorium. These sea like video projections put us in an almost trapping atmosphere that rang true to the urgency and the tragedy of the text.

Actor Bobby Bermea skillfully played an Italian admiral, and also embodied many other characters as he told stories about the calamities these people went through during their fleeting to Europe. Bobby generously gave us an emotionally charged and personal look into the refugee crisis. It is refreshingly illuminating to go beyond the usual statistical reports of human lives in extremely difficult circumstances. The text, by Marco Martinelli/Teatro delle Albe (Ravenna, Italy) and translated by Thomas Haskell Simpson, does take us through a list of numbers (each number being a person, a refugee).  Yet, it breaks away from the numerical accounts when the audience gets to hear about how some of those individuals made it across the Mediterranean Sea. Many numbers, nevertheless, stay as impersonal characters or untold accounts that the records fail to tell us anything about. Throughout the piece, these numbers become an incessant reminder of all the lives that get lost in the sea waters.

Following its mission of producing work centered on the artist/audience encounter, Boom Arts organized a pre show lecture and a post show discussion. The pre show lecture, by Jamie Surface, doctoral candidate in the Public Affairs and Policy Program at Portland State University, provided the attendees with historical information regarding the roots and state of affairs of the current refugee crisis. This was then complemented by the personal accounts of two Mercy Corps workers who have worked in Greece in the last year, helping the refugees who make it to Europe. Mercy Corps has stations in different islands and at the coasts where they provide things such as meals, wifi and general information about how to get to different countries, where people are heading to in search of asylum. 

As we listened to these humanitarian workers, the Boom Arts program brought us even a step closer to this pressing humanitarian crisis. Many, including this author, could not hold in the tears in response. As an audience member commented, and I paraphrase, the program was the perfect combination of right and left brain activity. People reported learning new things and also having to contemplate on their role in the refugee crisis.