Creativity and a leg up

1/22

Jed Distler is a long time friend. For a solid year, back in the day, he was in residence at West-Park with Katherine and I turning out amazing liturgical explorations, especially with texts from the so-called gnostic gospels. And when we reopened, he was a major player in our concert for Andre, June of 2011.(Read this, it's important to remember:http://west-parkpress.blogspot.com/2011/06/bridge-to-restoration-its-not-about.html ) He’s part of the new music scene, colleagues with Milica, Carman, Jon Deak and Ralph. He’s ready to do a series here again . And interested in something special for Make Music New York. It’s great to think about working with Jed again.

Just as Jed was entering, a tall lanky guy, from  Texas, he says, comes looking  for help. Was here for his mother in the hospital. Has teeth issues (I can relate.) And starts rolling up his pants to show me his leg. Why, oh why do they do that?  Been to other churches. They tell him to come see us. I sigh. Say none of us keep money. Just can’t. Anything you get is personal. Just need $15 for my ticket , he says. He reaches for his pants leg again. I give him all I’ve got. Now I’ll have to go beg some more…he says. I say, Look at me…that’s all I’ve got…Bless you, man…that is all…

Thank you, God bless you, he says. And God bless you, I say.

 David L and Rachel are in to check out Mc Alpin. She’s got a birthday party scheduled for Saturday night. They come back amazed at how much work has been done up there. Amazes me, too.

Ryan is briefing me on social media. He’s worked out a pretty good strategy. But unfortunately is working full time and no table to do it. His partner Sam, however, just maybe…

The Dzieci are gathering in the sanctuary. The Open Choir heading to the gym. I’m on my way downtown to see Russ’ play at La Mama, Cedars…all I know is that it has a Native American theme. Even though I give myself an hour for a 30 minute trip, two unexpected subway delays leave me 15 minutes late. No late seating. None. So I’m screwed. Make the long trek back from the East Village to the Upper West Side.

There’s a Grotowski confluence of Dzieci and Work Center Open Choir people, all leaving the building and out to the sidewalk at the same time. Mario, as always lingering for conversation inside. Time to wrap up. Close the doors. Go home.

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Easter 44: June has begun

6/2

Chris and Kelly are here from Seattle. Nate’s college classmates and friends. Chris is planning a pop up art exhibit of photography and painting and DJ music. We’ve got to settle on the right room and figure out what needs to be done. They are Hawaiians and out of the Seattle Pacific islander community. Or rather, they’re Pacific Islanders  who are part of the hip art scene of Seattle. Welcome to New York City…

They decide that Mc Alpin Hall will be the best place to show, so I introduce them to Berik who will have to take down his current show for a night to accommodate the pop up.

I’m  on the steps and look up and surprised to see Christopher M who I haven't seen for a long while. I mention that Zeljko is raising money to try and finish our dream film and that he wants to expand his work on Teddy. At the mention of Teddy's name, Chris crosses himself. We go in to see if any mail has come recently for him since he moved out, but I can only find one piece. I’m happy that Chris is looking good and that things have been going well for him. We did good on that one. I tell him that we’ll let him know if anything  else has come when Danielle comes. RL will be sorry to have missed Chris.

David S and I talk about how Steven S can repair the pigeon tower covering when he comes in tomorrow but in the end decides to do it himself so one project taken care of. I remember an appointment I’ve forgotten so hurry off to take care of that. When I get back, Danielle has arrived so we sit down together to map out the week ahead.

Ryan and his friend from Dzieci are in to discuss their plans for an August production of Cymbeline. And Dzieci itself wants to do a quick show of Makbet this weekend.

I step outside again and see Rudolfo. He looks  up, smiles, comments on the weather. No more desire to go back to Havana. 

When I come back late, I run into RL and decide it’s time for a conversation at the Gate. The first full week of June has begun.

Easter 26: Forest.Trees. Weeds.

5/15

Hey, uh, I’m here about the open  mic? Like you have an open mic?

Yes, we do.

And poetry, I mean is poetry, OK? Cool?

Yes it is. We’ve even had tap dancers.

A face lights up. Cool. Cool. Like when?

Fridays, here 7:30. Starts 8, 8:15 or so.

Cool. Yeah. OK. Cool. Thanks.

Nan has made her weekly visit to go over bills, See where we are. And just to visit.

There are only hours left before the Dos Pueblos folks arrive to start getting set up for their event Friday night. We’ve got to get David S on the case. Actually on the ladder. Changing bulbs in the chandeliers. Fixing holes in the floor so no heels get stuck. Do everything we promised Lupe we’d do.

Karen’s piano and voice  creating a soothing feeling in the sanctuary.

And all too soon Lupe and Ann and  the Dos Pueblos crew are here to get set up. The communists we’ve been working with have nothing on Dos Pueblos when it comes to organizing and detail work. Lupe knows exactly what she wants and how to get it done. That’s what it takes to be an executive director. And as for the group, all those years of solidarity work in a hostile environment taught valuable lessons. Here, too, is persistence and resilience.

Pat comes in with his Mind Map program. To help Danielle and I out of our mental morass and define clearly next steps and to do’s. Over the course of the next two hours, forests, trees and weeds begin to distinguish themselves from each other. This is what we need not to feel overwhelmed and paralyzed by the spinning mobile of strategy. It begins by recognizing what has been accomplished already.

RL ducks his head in just to see what’s going on.

Dzieci is in the darkened sanctuary, beginning their weekly rehearsal with chant and song.

I’m leaving to go down to SPSA and see Lynnea’s Frog & Peach production of Shakespeare's rarely performed King John (so recently rehearsed at West-Park).  Then  get together with Pat O for one more review. The week is fast coming to an end.

Easter 23 and 24: middle May days

5/12/14

Jerry, known affectionately by RL as the Mad Uke, in real life a respected contractor, and one of his team, have come to check the place over and come up with  an estimate. RL comes in to meet his old friend, but just a few minutes late.

Marc stops in with some questions about operations. Quickly resolved.

What you’d call a slow day.

Jeremy G and Jenna are outside waiting for the rest of the Workcenter Choir and Seed Group to arrive for the regular Monday night meeting and rehearsal. They’re hanging in there. Something big cooking for later in the month. Looks like Mario will be returning from Italy, he feels something is growing here. Seeds sprouting.

As the day closes, Ric C, my old neighbor, attorney, auctioneer, music manager, therapist, singer-songwriter, friend, is here. We’re off to the Stadium to see the Yankees and Mets, Subway Series, round one. He’s brought peanuts and homemade turkey sandwiches. Way to avoid the exorbitant Stadium prices. It was bright and sunny an hour or so ago. Clouds seem to be gathering.

When I stop through hours later, the Mets have came back to win a wild one, 9-7. And all is quiet at West-Park.

5/13

Ryan and Sam stop I to see me. They’re two of the younger Dzieci company members. Both were in Fools’ Mass and Passion. Bright faced and enthusiastic. The have a vision of a late August semi-immersive production of Cymbeline. We’re going to look at some spaces, see what works. As we pass the Noche studio, Ryan says greets Soli warmly. Turns out Ryan and Sam joined Noche for a filming of their evolving Antigone up in Great Barrington in the Berkshires. Martin wanted Grotowski trained actors. Matt recommended them. So they joined the cast. And killed each other. They love our building. The collaboration that takes place there. The vibe of creativity that is always present. And the ghosts. I show them the word blood in late Victorian font emerging from underneath the paint in the chapel and they both laugh. I’ll be interested to see what they come up with.

Jamie brings by a team from a church oriented construction/management group for another look at the building to see what we need to do. They would offer us a package deal. I just want to get us moving. RL has a way if breaking it all down to the simplest most manageable components and a step at a time process. Let’s just get it started.

Marina stops in on her way home at the end of a long day of rehearsals to say hi. And remind us of what they need to make a proposal. Chickens and eggs here. I love how she’s picking up solid  business sense the same way she’s learned dance.

Jeremy M is back from Switzerland. Seems like some  of his stuff is missing. We talk some music. Church music. And I tell him about the communists. He knows them well. And tells me of their solid work in the prisons and how they’ve helped prisoners turn it around. And how they’ve been right at the center of the work against the stop and frisk policy of the last mayor’s administration that caught so many black and brown citizens in its random clutches. He needs to run. We’ll talk again soon.

And now I’m off to teach in Newark. Election day there. To replace the golden boy mayor, now junior congressman Cory Booker. There’s Ras Baraka, son of playwright, poet and activist Imiri Baraka (ne. Le Roi Jones) vs.newcomer and seeming technocrat Bookerite Shavar Jeffries. Baraka was part of the old school Sharpe James machine and holds the labor vote. Jeffries seems to have Wall Street support even while presenting himself as  a  reformer.A responsible reformer. They’ve been duking it out. Should be interesting.