Stuff I'm doing this summer: a poetry series, computer dance, and lots of weddings!
Experiments in Revision: Poetry
You know how it feels to write or make a first draft of something, then rework it until it shines like the top of Chrysler Building? You know how you kind of want to burn that first draft, so that no one will ever know the embarrassing wreckage of over-obvious, trite, and self indulgent ideas you have put down to the page only to be edited out? Well imagine that that first draft gets published online for everyone to read. That's the foundation of The Splinter Generation's Experiments in Revision series. Seeing as no one else was self-effacing and brave enough to undergo this grueling process they chose me! Over the months of June and July they are publishing a series of poems I have written, which culminate in one final (hopefully) awesome poem, which demonstrates that I did learn something after all. Apart from my own scattered first poem attempt I explore my Tanka, List Poem, and hybrid poem styles. You can read the latest poem here. Keep your eyes on Splinter Generation, who will be posting the follow up poem and my process post over the summer. When I'm not writing poems I also write articles for Shamonica Magazine on music, tech, and design.
She Was a Computer: Play
She Was a Computer is a super funny tech-rich theater/dance piece from the masterful mind of Cara Rose DeFabio. I can't tell you what I'll be doing exactly, except to say that I think I am having a conversation WITH a computer on stage. Here is a bit on the piece: Drawing text from obsolete operational manuals, cyborg feminist theory and artificial intelligence programs, She Was A Computer looks for historical perspective on our current online identity issues. Record players, rotary telephones, and even the audience’s cell phones will be used for this interactive investigation of how technology affects our social selves. @ Counterpulse Theater in SF: JUL 20-22, FRI-SUN at 8PM, JUL 22 matinee at 2PM
 Lots of Weddings!
The funny thing about my thirtys is it seems like EVERYONE is getting married now and whats more, it seems like they all want to get married this year. Maybe its the whole Mayan Calendar thing or the Global Warming crisis, but whatever it is, it seems like people are eager to tie the knot before we say farewell to 2012. What does that mean for me? I get to drink free wine and make a lot of wedding mix tapes and DJ the receptions. Well the DJing thing is really just this weekend, so far, but there is some serious celebrating that is going to have to happen between now and December. Since not all my friends are invited to every wedding, I am DJing in the everyday world for the rest of you. Check out me and DJ Lady Bacon at Bacon/Styxx at St Mary's Pub every third Saturday of the month.
Nailzz
I'm also getting weirdly way into nail art. Inspired by this tutorial from Taylor Watson of Party Nails I took to painting my nails like a bat out of you know. Anyway, below are a few designs I have painted recently.
That pretty much sums up the fun stuff about my summer. So drop me a line, email, or Facebook if you want to connect!
Performance and Writing Resume
Education
2007 MA, MFA Experimental Performance, New College of California
2003 Certificate in Theater, University of California at Santa Cruz
2002 BA Theater, University of California at Santa Cruz
Performance an Directing Experience
She Was a Computer
July 20-22nd 2012 Counterpulse Theater San Francisco, CA
- Performed and collaborated in CaraRose DeFabio's original piece about women in the digital age.
The Gods of San Francisco
May 2011 Shotwell Studios San Francisco, CA
- Wrote and performed in this one-act musical about an estranged mother and daughter, the men they love, and the Gods they create in the aftermath of the 1906 earthquake.
Moving Through Syzygryd www.kolabs.org
August 2010 Syzygryd Black Rock City, NV
- Co-directed and conceived this site-specific movement piece with original music and text.
The Pride and Prejudice Project
April 2nd 4th 2009 The Garage San Francisco, CA
- Wrote and performed in this experimental adaptation of Austen™s Pride and Prejudice. Directed by Zack.
The Endless Frontier
Sept 2008, Jan 2009 The Exit Theater, The Garage San Francisco, CA
- Produced, wrote, directed, and performed an evening length experimental musical show with theater company Ko Labs during an artist residency at 975 Howard for the 2008 San Francisco Fringe Festival and the 2009 Women on the Way Festival. The San Francisco Fringe Festival awarded a Sold Out Award the show.
Worlds Apart: Local Response 51802 by ESP Project
March 29 31 2007 Yerba Buena Forum Theater San Francisco, CA
- Performed as dancer in Erika Chong Shuch™s performance piece about issues of incarceration.
Mourning Papers
November 16th 2007 Union Square San Francisco, CA
- Promoted and co-directed this 30 minute, 50 performer anti-war performance piece.
The Memory of Water
July 2007 New College Theater San Francisco, CA
- Conceived, Directed, and Performed evening length performance piece investigating Hurricane Katrina and Burningman festival through the element of water. The piece utilized text, movement, original music, and puppetry.
Sutro Stories
July 2006 New College Theater San Francisco, CA
- Wrote, Directed, and Performed 45 min multimedia performance piece tracing combining found video, images, and stories from the 1906 Earthquake with the lives and Gods of a fictional family.
Butoh Performances with Rick Walker
April 11th 2003 Santa Cruz Digital Arts Festival Santa Cruz, CA
Feb 29 2004 Rio Theater Santa Cruz, CA
- Co-choreographed and performed in this 15 minute semi improvisational Butoh piece investigated notions of eroticism and gender identity in conjunction with live-looper musician.
Random with a Purpose Salome in Retrograde
Dec - Feb 2003 UCSC Theater Department Santa Cruz, CA
- Choreographed and performed in this five-minute dance which rethinks Oscar Wilde™s Salome.
Bodies in Crisis
August 2002 Ragesties Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Scotland.
Director: Shakina Nayfack
- Worked in an ensemble to create performance company, adapt Ragesties, and performed it in the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in Scotland.
Low Level PanicDirector
March- May 2001 CAT Productions Custard Factory in Birmingham, England.
- Created production company, Cat Productions, and produced and directed play.
Cinderella
Sept - Dec 1999 Shakespeare Santa Cruz Director: Paul Whitworth
- Acted a Regan, an Evil stepsister, in this Pantomime production of Cinderella.
Cosmic Star
2005 The Blue Lagoon, Café Pergolesi, and DIY venues Bay Area
- Co-Created experimental pop band with Gabriel Gilder, which performed at various venues.
Teaching Experience
Lead Drama Teacher
June 2009 2010 Glitter and Razz Productions Performing Arts
- Worked with children ages 4 10 in one week sessions to write and perform original short plays and dance pieces. Also taught the fundamentals of theater and movement.
Theater and Dance Teacher
June - August 2000, 2003 Camp WinnarainbowCircus and Performing Arts
- Choreographed original dance works and helped children to choreograph their own pieces using techniques of modern and improvisational dance, and wrote and directed 3 short plays for children within 2 week periods with 9 to 25 children ages 7- 16.
Theater and Dance Teaching Assistant
2002 - 2003 Department of Theater Arts UC Santa Cruz
- Assisted various Professors over four quarters and held weekly sections with 30 students on the class topics.
- Graded quizzes and papers, maintained attendance records, and oversaw performances.
Classroom Theater and Music Teacher
1999 - 2002Arts Bridge Program Watsonville Elementary Schools
Taught choral music and theater teacher for bilingual and underprivileged children. Wrote and adapted multicultural short plays for 4th and 5th grade classrooms, with two different host classrooms per year.
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Technical Experience
Art. House. Rock. DJ
2007 present The Argus Lounge, San Francisco
- Produce an evening of music and prepare music sets and play music with a four-channel mixer.
The Glass MenagerieLighting and Video Operator
Sept - October 2004 San Jose Stage Company San Jose
- Worked on a production of The Glass Menagerie alongside the Lighting Designer to help program and perform lighting and video cues for the performance.
Crash CourseDJ
2004 2005 The Blue Lagoon, Santa Cruz
- Prepare music sets and play music with a four-channel mixer using both records and Cds.
Poor Players Lighting Designer
May 2002 The Actors Theater, Santa Cruz Director: Shakina Nayfack
- Designed lighting for the show and worked as the board operator in an intimate, local community theater.
Bodies in Crisis Lighting Designer
August 2002 Ragesties Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Scotland.
Director: Shakina Nayfack
- Adapted the lighting design for our show from UCSC to a smaller theater in Edinburgh.
Training
2000-2001 - Music Theory, Piano lessons, Vocal lessons and choir - UCSC
2001-2002 - Lighting Design, Alexander Technique, Cicely Barry Vocal Technique - University of Birmingham, England.
2002 - Modern Dance - UCSC
2002 - Butoh Workshop - Ken Mai, Edinburgh
2003 Indonesian Theater, Improvisational Dance, Acting Studio II - UCSC.
2003 - Butoh Workshop (Intensive 3 day) with - Diego Piñon, San Francisco
2004 - Butoh Workshop (Intensive 3 day) with - Diego Piñon, San Diego
2004 - Butoh Class Series ( 6 weeks) - Hiroko Tamano, Oakland
2005 - 2007 Choreography, Contact Improvisation, Tap, Voice and Music Composition, Acting and Directing, Writing for Performance -Experimental Performance Institute at New College CA.
2006 2007 - Internship - Erika Shuch Performance Project.
2008 Auditions and Callbacks Studio ACT with Greg Hubbard
Honors and Awards
2000 - Student Employee Recognition Award Program - $700.00 award for web design work.
2000 - Priscilla Newton Scholarship - Merit based scholarship for promising female actress.
1999-2002 - Arts Bridge Scholarship - Theater teacher for underprivileged children
- Wrote and adapted short plays for 4th and 5th grade classrooms, with two different host classrooms per year.
2004 - Metro Newspaper Goldie Award Voted #1 Club DJ in Santa Cruz.
Ko Labs: A Theater Collective Dedicated to New Work
Ko Labs, founded by Niki Selken, is a Ko-laboratory catalyst for new theater works. Ko Labs an inclusive theater troupe whose core members work with a variety of exceptional local artists to foster the development of original performances. We work as theatrical archeologists, investigating, researching, and hopefully, reconstructing America’s broken body: political body, physical landscape, and social form. We work as an ensemble to excavate incidents from history and recreate landscapes for an audience out of small remnants: a grain of sand, a beaker of water, a newspaper article. Ko Labs believes It is the job of interdisciplinary theater, theater of the artifact, theater of the dreams to recreate, through any means possible a new history, a shared history for the local community and hopefully for America, as divided and disconnected as it has become. For more info about Ko Labs, check out the website here. I have some older pictures of work on my old website.