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Podcast #184

IF THE WORDS NIGGA AND CRACKA ARE TERMS YOU FEEL ARE IN NEED DEEP EXAMINATION IN OUR COUNTRY THEN YOU WILL UNDOUBTEDLY ENJOY THIS PODCAST WITH THE CAST AND CREW OF SECOND WIND WHO ARE PRESENTING FLAG DAY BY LEE BLESSING

And don’t worry, those words aren’t said in the interview, but a deep discussion about race, with complete honesty happens, with 2 identified blacks, 1 bi-racial and 1 white person.

FLAG DAY is a play in 2 parts. The first play in the series is called [ Good Clean Fun ]. It examines race relations as viewed thru the eyes of 2 office employees of firm. One is white and one is black. And they get their rocks of by going on prejudicial rants, monitored by egg timers they set. Most of the interview you will be listening to revolves around this play. The other component or play making up FLAG DAY is called [ Down & Dirty ]. And it examines race issues after a white pedestrian is hit by a car, gets stuck in a windshield and is left to die as the occupants discuss his fate.

Second wind productions, a company in existence for 22 years has decided to tackle this production, in part because of the Presidential elections of 2008. One of the producers in particular felt it necessary to make this play happen because of the opportunity to promote dialogue across the cultural divide, so that America can heal itself of this centuries old riff. I think that is a little optimistic, for the racial divide has been a staple of the American lively hood. Do I ever think it will go away? NOPE. It is impossible for me to look at a white man and not notice he is white. It will be impossible for me to not succumb to stereotypes when we are conditioned by media (television and media).

At the same token it would be foolish of me not to acknowledge that race relations in America are far superior today than in the 50’s, for example. We have gotten better as a nation and the fact that Obama has been nominated by a political party as the 1st black presidential nominee speaks volumes to the progress America has made towards cultural equity.

SPEAKING OF OBAMA, HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE HEARD HEATED RACIAL DISCUSSION BECAUSE OF OUR CURRENT POLITICAL CLIMATE?

The cast and crew of Flag Day have some surprising revelations

In this interview the cast and crew were not afraid to open up about some sensitive issues. It also helps that at the beginning of this interview I let them know that this was going to be an honest, hard hitting look at racism. And they all agreed to take part.

Little did they know what I had in store (muwahhhhh!)

I was appreciative of the cast and crew when I threw questions at them like “You’re black. Have you heard a white person say they would not vote for Obama because he was black?”

This is the type of question that most interviewees are afraid to answer. I fully expected to have some problems getting people to answer this question, but to my surprise I got some very honest responses.

And it is always interesting to hear what white people think of racism in the current political climate. And maybe that’s because I am black. Or maybe it’s because it is hard for me to believe when a white people claims to not be racist. Or maybe it’s hard for me to believe that people in general can’t be racist. What ever it is, their perspective is profoundly interesting. Sometimes they have some profound insights. As a matter of fact, Susanna, the director of the show, is white. She has taken issue with America and its need to label the candidates as “the first black president” or “the first female in office”. She thinks the campaign should just be about 4 people running for office.

I think that is a bit naïve. Ok, I think that is A LOT naïve, but that is a testament to our different cultural backgrounds. And ohh yeah, Susanna and I went at it in this interview. It was good fun, but sometimes I felt she was trying to skirt some issues.

HOW DO YOU DEFINE RACISM? AND WHAT RACIST TENDENCIES DO YOU SEE IN YOURSELF?

Don’t worry, I’m not asking you this, but this is what I asked the cast and crew of Flag Day. YUP, I sure did.

There is no way one can conduct an interview about race and not ask blunt and direct questions. What is racism? Who can be racist? What are the components of racism? What racist tendencies do you exhibit?

Believe me, when these questions started coming out of my mouth, people started wiggling in their seats. I found it interesting to hear the perspective of the bi-racial actor in the cast. He is black and white. Can you guys where his answers tended to go? I’ll give you a hint: He would sometimes try to skirt, but when pressed would engage in my request.

Susanna, the white director, liked to give politically correct answers. But can I blame her? Here I am a big black guy, asking questions about racism to a white woman. I know that it can be intimidating for white folk to talk about racism in the presence of black people.

And then there is Mischa. You are going to love her. A black woman with blunt, terse answers. I sometimes had to force her to expound on her answers, but that was ok. That was a lot easier to do as opposed to getting people to stop spitting out the politically correct answers.

THE BIGGEST REASON YOU SHOULD LISTEN TO THIS SHOW IS TO HEAR HOW ARTISTS IN OUR COMMUNITY ARE DEFINING HOW RACSIM AFFECTS THEM AND HOW THEY DEAL WITH PERSONAL REALIZATIONS OF RACISM THAT EXISTS IN THEIR MINDS.

For example, when asked about her personal racist views, the director Susanna answers by saying things like: I do theatre because I grew up in diverse in environment, traveled, and have a sincere interest in people as a group. Other cultures and perspectives interest me. I would love to say that she was not racist because of these experiences, but that would be an ignorant statement. Part of life and experiencing is to unearth and discover some subconscious prejudices you have…

For example, when asked about his personal racist tendencies, bi-racial actor, Ian, talks about his stereotypical thoughts about black kids in the black community, and kind of outs the black community on the intra-cultural racism that exists.

So if you are interesting in a direct look at racism, from a white playwrights point of view, then GO SEE FLAG DAY presented by Second Wind.

If you enjoy the show as much as I enjoyed the interview, you will get your moneys worth.

SHOW NOTES
Second Wind Productions: The Website

Playing Sept 5th, - Sept 21st
Flag Day: Buy Tickets

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Podcast #183

IF YOU LIKE DRAMATIC SATIRICAL COMEDIES DRENCHED IN ISSUES SURROUNDING POLITICAL ETHICS, THEN YOU ARE BOUND TO LOVE GORE VIDALS “THE BEST MAN” PRESENTED BY AURORA THEATRE.

Its being performed August 22, - Sept 28

I personally did not grow up hearing about Gore Vidal. As a matter of fact, when I was contacted to do this interview, I secretly wondered if he was somehow related to the Vidal Sassoon empire. Boy was I wrong (an embarrassingly so).

You see, as it turns out, he was much more interesting that some hair dresser. Not that hair dressers can be interesting, but Gore turned out to be a political dynamo who was able to hold peoples attention.

Gore was a prolific writer, so of course he did not have time to do hair. He had a panache for providing commentary on socio-political issues, on sexual issues, historical issues and literary themes.

I am not going to lie, I have read nothing by this man, but here is what I do know (thatnk you wikipedia).

And he was an accomplished essayist, novelist, and playwright. He was political in nature. I happened to be born 9 years after he ran for Congress in 1960 (the same year this play, THE BEST MAN, was produced on Broadway). Believe me, the last thing my black family was worried about was some guy ranting about politics. Just not something my family was interested in.

Nor did they care about Gore being born, essentially, into “royalty”. Ok royalty may be a bit strong, but he was born into high political connections. This is something that black folk had no notion of, especially back then. Today we have Condelezza Rice (does she have children?), Colin Powell (does he have children?) and Barack Obama (who wasn’t born into high political connections, but boy, will his daughters have connections).

So what type of connections did Gore have? I learned that his father worked in the Roosevelt administration. His grandfather was a Senator. He is / was a 5th cousin to ex president Jimmy Carter and is a distant cousin to Al Gore (I don’t know how a last name got to be his first name, but I guess that can happen in the political stratosphere were a mere mortal, such as myself does not have the key to enter).

SO WHY IN THE HELL DID I AGREE TO DO THIS INTERVIEW IF I KNEW NOTHING ABOUT THIS MAN? AND WHAT IS THIS PLAY REALLY ABOUT?

Because there were some interesting parallels about this production that mirrors what is happening in the presidential elections of 2008.

There was a monumental happening in 1960. It was an election year. And it was the first year the presidential debates were held on television. Now I know that those of us born after the 60’s will never have a strong appreciation for what that historic event meant to the generations before us. But what we can appreciate today is that corresponding parallel of how Barack Obama has leveraged the internet better than any presidential candidate in history. Not that the internet has been around that long, but many of us have been part of the internet revolution and have experienced first hand how it has changed our lives forever.

So in 1960 we had presidential debates on the television, which was revolutionary, and in 2008 the revolution lies in using web strategies to propel a black man to be the first ever man of color to receive a presidential nomination by a political party.

I actually found it interesting that a play, about 50 years old, could still be relevant today and could possibly offer us a glimpse into what our current presidential process is about.

“Gore Vidal’s The Best Man features two front runners for a political party nomination that will almost certainly make one the next President of the United States. Each candidate is in possession of some serious mud to sling and each has to decide just how dirty to play the game. Written with the deep insight of a true political insider (Vidal ran for Congress in 1960, the same year he penned the play) and the wit of a grand man of letters.”

You should know that one of the characters is based on Adlai Stevenson / John Kennedy and the other character is based on Richard Nixon. Now again, I must apologize, I am not knowledgeable in my political figures. But everyone knows the legacy of the Kennedy clan, and everyone knows the infamous Nixon administration, tarred by the Watergate incident. I can’t even begin to tell you about Adlai. Never heard of him until this interview.

AND THEN THERE IS THE MUD SLINGING AND ALL THE POLITICAL INNUENDOS THAT HAPPEN IN A POLITICAL ELECTION

Yes, every single one of us desires to hear an earful of ‘dirt’ about other people every once and a while.

Now Tom Ross, the director of THE BEST MAN, playing at the Aurora theatre is quick to point out that this play is a political play but not about political issues. That’s what keeps it timely. One of the things that happens in politics is the mud slinging, the dirt digging and the gossip mongers out to hurt their opponent. In this play issues of moral righteousness come up and how one keeps a sense of humanity in an electoral process that many times has candidates resorting to dirty tactics with win over their American audience. I asked Tom if he and the actors tackled that dilemma and if so, what solutions did they come up with.

Tom stated that although they did discuss the issues of mud slinging and maintaining a moral compass, it was not up to him and the actors to decide if there was actually a way to maintain ones sense of moral fortitude during political tenure. Tom believes it is for the audience to make that decision.

Although I did not state this in the interview, HERE IS MY POINT OF CONTENTION. If I, as an actor, am playing a character that has to make decisions based on my sense of what is right / wrong and what is moral, I must find a way to make that happen. If that is the true intent of my character, I cannot help but find ways to justify my actions so that I can keep a sense of positive contributions to society and to my constituency. BUT obviously Tom Ross does not feel like. Or maybe he just doesn’t want to tell the audience what they figured out. Maybe what he really meant was “yes we explored that and each character found their way, BUT I’M NOT GOING TO TELL YOU WHAT THAT IS! Haha. You have to come see the show!”

Maybe that is what he really meant, but he just couldn’t say that. Then again, maybe he meant exactly what he said.

One of the more interesting components of this production comes from a story from Tom Ross about his remembrance of the 1968 elections that were televised. You see, Tom was very young during the 1960 televised presidential debates, but come 1968, Tom was ready to watch what candidates had to say. And Tom remembered seeing Gore Vidal (who he described as the Liberal) at the presidential convention facing off with William H. Buckley (who Tom described as the conservative).

Apparently, on live television, while in a heated argument, Vidal called Buckley a crypto-nazi and Buckley quickly retorted by calling Gore a little queer and that he was going to beat Gore up.

THAT IS MUD SLINGING AT ITS BEST.

So if this type of material is of interest to you, then I think I have found the perfect production for you to go see. It is THE BEST MAN playing at the Aurora Theatre in Berkeley August 22, - Sept 28. It was directed by the Artistic Director of the theatre, Mr. Tom Ross.

GO SEE IT. And vote for Barack! (when the time comes)

SHOW NOTES
Aurora Theatre: The Website

Playing August 22, - Sept 28
The Best Man: Buy Tickets

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Podcast #182

Along The Paths Of Larks And Swallows performed by Mia Paschal, plays at the SF Fringe Festival 2008.

Winner of the Best Female Solo Award at the SF Fringe in 2004 and 2006, Mia returns with a darkly comic valentine.

“..beautifully written and performed…Cheerfully delivering crisp aphorisms, delving into the nitty-gritty of relationships gone bad, Paschal’s forceful stage presence can be hypnotic. She hones in on little bits of life that all of us experience but never bother to articulate.”

SHOW NOTES
The Fringe Festival

PLAYING

Phoenix Theatre
THURSDAY 4 8:30 PM
FRIDAY 5 10:00 PM
SATURDAY 6 7:00 PM
THURSDAY 11 7:00 PM
FRIDAY 12 10:00 PM
SATURDAY 13 8:30 PM

Along The Paths of Larks and Swallows: Buy Tickets

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Podcast #181

The Punchline performed by comic Alicia Dattner, plays at the SF Fringe Festival 2008.

This one-woman-show takes an irreverent look at what stops people from pursuing their dreams. Dives inside the wild playground of the mind and ask the big questions: What’s life all about? Why am I here? Where are you hiding the chocolate?

Take a journey with Alicia into the quirky world of standup comedians, hungry-funny monsters who live in the belly, Jewish grandmothers, and wacky gurus who all think they know the answers. This poignant and bittersweet comedy speaks to the heart of what matters.

SHOW NOTES
The Fringe Festival

PLAYING

EXIT Stage Left
SATURDAY 6 10:00 PM
SUNDAY 7 4:00 PM
TUESDAY 9 7:00 PM
SATURDAY 13 2:30 PM

The Punchline: Buy Tickets

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Podcast #180

Exit Sign: A Rock Opera performed by Supersonic Theatre, plays at the SF Fringe Festival 2008.

Hot off the heels of its sold-out June premiere, this rock-n-roll musical adventure follows a father and daughter as they travel through experiences of time, mortality, death and love. “Inspired by the fallout from her father’s death, Baum’s light take on a heavy topic is no joke - and neither are the expert harmonies.” (Bay Guardian). “The poignant story, juxtaposed against catchy ditties like “I Want It” and “Sex and Ice Cream,” will make you alternate between head-bobbing and the sniffles.” (SF Weekly) Merging humor, irony, and kick-ass ensemble vocals, Exit Sign celebrates both the greatness and absurdity of our humanity.

SHOW NOTES
The Fringe Festival

PLAYING

SATURDAY 6 8:30 PM
THURSDAY 11 7:00 PM
SATURDAY 13 10:00 PM
SUNDAY 14 8:30 PM

Exit Sign: A Rock Opera: Buy Tickets

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