Regeneration: a Reading Series for Power

8/13

Ted and Mim drop by. it’s been  a long time. And it’s time to catch them up. The stress of this year, the pressure of just survival, has made any discussion of moving forward difficult to say the least. Without stability on the church side, it’s impossible to find the right role for the Center. But with stability in sight (hope, again...), we can look towards beginning that discussion again.  We talk about the ten years of struggle. They brought hope with them when they arrived three years ago. It’s been hard on them,too. But they hear a new confidence in my voice. And I allow myself to hear it. 

While we’re talking, Gregory comes in. Danielle goes out to talk with him. Something about his smile always feels like a hustle. 

Marc brings in a friend of his looking for a place to do a lecture. Something about space travel. I turn him over to Danielle.

Bella has a hard day of work ahead. Vacuuming and cleaning the sanctuary. Getting ready for tonight’s performance. Doing the bathrooms. Going to the post office and doing other errands for Danielle. Today is her last day of work. Her brother Max leaves  for college tomorrow. His last day too. She leaves next week. It’s been good having them around. 

And a long day for Glen. One of his crew up inside the Tiffany window replacing bulbs. Up between the ceiling and the roof replacing overheads from the cat walks over the glass ceiling. Jobs that would give me vertigo. Replacing electricity switches in the breaker box. Needs to go to Aquarius for parts.

He comes back from Aquarius upset. Let me tell you, he says, they hate fags. Kept laughing. Saying maricon. Finally I said, listen, maricon is a mean word. And some of us speak more Spanish than you think.

He and Marc work together on the box and then he’s got to run out to deal with the programs.

RL has a full crew today but the college guys are heading back to school. He needs a new crew. And listening to Stephen talk about the term sheet we’re working on adds some new wrinkles. 

A Japanese real estate guy arrives an hour early for his appointment with Jamie. We urge him to wait, not go exploring around on his own. Soon his own Asian clients will be going through the whole building. 

Jamie leaves Toto for awhile. The has to take him to the vet’s. Glen’s Tony is here today too. Again I marvel at the way dogs look at their master. Looks pretty reassuring. Stephen waiting for her to come back. 

A Spanish speaking woman in a Florida shirt comes in talking about what the water is doing to her apartment. Can’t use the oven. Necesito comida, she says, and I try and direct her to SPSA and the West Side Campaign. Pero no, she says, No puedo cocinar. Necesito comprar un sandwich, una cena. So I go into my mostly empty pocket, offer her a five. She looks at me with disdain. Pero no. No es suficinete. No es suficiente para mi a comer. 

Por favor, I think. And she goes.

Time to race to a Presbytery meeting. 

When I get back, the house is lighter and brighter than it’s been in awhile. 

                                         Black Prairie plays music from the Storm in the Barn

Glen has put together a good evening. Begins with a violin and guitar playing America, America...while a group of dancers evoke the Statue of Liberty. And then move into Glen’s play Sweet Providence, about Betsy Ross and the flag, then as that scene ends, the dancers pull out and shake long rolls of cloth evoking a dust storm. It’s an intro to Eric Coble’s the Storm in the Barn, based on Matt Phelan’s graphic novel. Some small part of Portland based Black Prairie’s score for the play is heard. Send then we segue into Dana Leslie’s Liberty about the story of Lady Liberty with classic Broadway pop and a new setting for Emma Lazarus’ Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to be free...(.http://www.libertystatepark.com/emma.htm ) And then I speak and finally the night closes with one more song by the plucky Broadway kids again.They are very well trained and know their chops. I make sure that Glen and Marie are thanked...

Glen’s evening was well thought out programmatically and stylistically with good dramatic transitions. And kids with talent always connect The effort to  help pay the con-ed bill much appreciated. Thus the full title:

Regeneration: A reading series for power. 

Every bit helps.

The Broadway Youth Ensemble