Third day of the 2nd Asian American Theatre Conference (Jun08)

Marcus Young, Andrea Assaf and D'Lo at the 2nd morning plenary (not pictured is Dan Kwong).

What's the next wave
Alternative forms
Continuing conversation?
Esthetics of cultural movement - third iteration

Basic assumptions
The conventional construct of theatre is essentially a 19th Century Eurocentric model
We are doubting impact of naturalism and realism
AA Theatre - what is relationship to Asian forms
Move from Eurocentric concept....where to?

D'Lo
performance piece
SPoken word - notice the community looks SO different from theatre
young folks

Why -
Dan Kowng - art is a world changer
We want a better world
As artists deliberately choose to look at difficult things
despair, powerlessness in th eye and say, "Oh, no you don't"
You get a glimpse that ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE
Four years - Noboko Miyamoto came up with idea for a mentorship program
Dan, etc.
Created the Collaboraory
7-8 week program to nurture the next generation of artistic leadership
finding artists interested in developing
AND linked to community AND give back AND
share that impulse with others
Took them with mentor artits who've been doing this for decades
Master classes
Intensive
Two week periods to collaborate
Values - interested in HOW people create
alternative versions of listening, power sharing, decision making
group dyanmics, inclusion, etc.
Offered for free

Marcus Young - performance artist
Yoko Ono is not considered an Asian American theatre
It's a mistake
Needs to be considered a part of the canon
Tino Segau - Theatre is a 19th Century thing

Doesn't matter if you continue a tradition
What does matter is the process and the evolution of theatre
Is it art?
Does the audience represent the Twin Cities?

Notes on New aesthetics
Larger conversation on 110 years of cultural encouters
Larger historic of colonial encounter and the shock of encounter
Uzma Rizvi, May Joseph and Dipankar Mukherjee

Taking off - black theatre, Asian American theatre
War on Terror
Can always
Politics of new immigration

What is a new esthetics
Pangea's emerging work very interesting
Grounded in the middle -
very much a product of its environment
midwestern esthetics
urban martial arts
Use of street theatre
Daily use of physical ritual - deep sense of immersion, work together
Techniques of breathing
quiet and stillness // pauses
vocal work
Never leave the rehearsal when you leave the space
Rehearsal practice with tremendous community involvement
non citizens
non English speaking

Pangea blurs drama with movement with dance
comes out of street theatre
Use of space
Create outside the proscenium

Gayle Issa (Philadelphia's Asian American Arts Initiative) and Dan Kwong during lunch.

Reena Dutt
Robert Karimi
storyopolis
kaotic good
Audience development intern - Cornerstone
best money I ever spent - money
Ova - Refugee Nation
Suzette Fortay - Ma-Yi
Marketing director - groups, who to group
Malik - Silk Road
Jamil - Silk Road

Community activist
talks to community
Marketing - audience building
partnerships - partner with other institution to promote plays, season
Lots of enthusiasm to fund partnerships
Goodman
Next Theatre
3/other theatres - ethnic specific theatre
Lower cost of marketing
More likely to get funding
Lot of work with communities
Go to community groups
What can we do for you
How can WE can help you
Use our play as a fundraising/friend raiser
Get stamp of legitimacy from them
Get invited back AND HAVE TO SHOW UP

E post-card
Got around this by using community partners
drum up show
residency work and workshops, with temple, community center, youth center
gave them a taste of what we can do.
Time it events- got face time, exposure

why do theatres suck at audience development
Theatres are churches....
Who do you think will love you?
Knew their community
Knew their audience
Knew what the audience wanted

How far in advance do you prep?
Project as much as we can
(seven months ahead is not too early)
Schedule R&R for artist

Three play season
Rolling season - as soon as a play closes, a new play is announced (two out)
Flexibility
Market a show over and over and over
Very flexible
Pulled away from realistic representation (need actors, etc.)
Starts to brand theatre
Creates a portfolio of artwork to brand theatre

Partner -
What does the partnering institution need, that we can bring to them.
When we do events
Open conversation with audiences
ALWAYS do survey

Always feel at home; A place where I belong, where I can be myself
Silk Road - 90% of donations come from white people - (50% of audience)

Two messages - universally
2nd - ethnic specific
Two different postcards/two different written messages to
Cross pollinate?

Prince
Four principles
1,000 true fans
All you need...1,000 true fans
What are?
People who LOVE your work
obsess over work
1) through the blog
keeps writing
helps continue relationship through the ear
2) Focus on people like me, cultivate youth audience
high school students are the biggest fans
through myspace, blog
3) word of mouth - quality of work has to be stellar
4) before every single show - AD did announcement
thank them for coming - welcome

Questions? Email



	Final Day of the 2nd Asian American Theatre Conference Breakfast session The ever-amazing Pearl Wong, of the 18 Mighty Mountain Warriors and SF's AATC. Mu's Don Eitel and Ben Cameron open the 2nd day of the conference. Marcus Young, Andrea Assaf and D'Lo at the 2nd morning plenary (not pictured is Dan Kwong). Notes from the Remix: Pangea World Theatre co-art 2nd day welcome South Asian Confernence Alternative Andrea (New World) D'Lo Dan Kwong Great Leap is a model Annayi What's the next wave Alternative forms Continuing conversation? Esthetics of cultural movement - third iteration What are we remixing? Identity? Esthetics Where is the hyphen? Hybridity? Basic assumptions The conventional construct of theatre is essentially a 19th Century Eurocentric model We are doubting impact of naturalism and realism AA Theatre - what is relationship to Asian forms Move from Eurocentric concept....where to? D'Lo performance piece SPoken word - notice the community looks SO different from theatre young folks Why - Dan Kowng - art is a world changer We want a better world As artists deliberately choose to look at difficult things despair, powerlessness in th eye and say, "Oh, no you don't" You get a glimpse that ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE Four years - Noboko Miyamoto came up with idea for a mentorship program Dan, etc. Created the Collaboraory 7-8 week program to nurture the next generation of artistic leadership finding artists interested in developing AND linked to community AND give back AND share that impulse with others Took them with mentor artits who've been doing this for decades Master classes Intensive Two week periods to collaborate Values - interested in HOW people create alternative versions of listening, power sharing, decision making group dyanmics, inclusion, etc. Offered for free Marcus Young - performance artist Yoko Ono is not considered an Asian American theatre It's a mistake Needs to be considered a part of the canon Tino Segau - Theatre is a 19th Century thing Doesn't matter if you continue a tradition What does matter is the process and the evolution of theatre Is it art? Does the audience represent the Twin Cities? Audience at the Remix presentation. Notes on New aesthetics Larger conversation on 110 years of cultural encouters Larger historic of colonial encounter and the shock of encounter Uzma Rizvi, May Joseph and Dipankar Mukherjee "Theatre people MUCH better looking than writing conferences" South Asian Taking off - black theatre, Asian American theatre War on Terror Can always Politics of new immigration What is a new esthetics Pangea's emerging work very interesting Grounded in the middle - very much a product of its environment midwestern esthetics urban martial arts Use of street theatre Daily use of physical ritual - deep sense of immersion, work together Techniques of breathing quiet and stillness // pauses vocal work Never leave the rehearsal when you leave the space Rehearsal practice with tremendous community involvement non citizens non English speaking Pangea blurs drama with movement with dance comes out of street theatre Use of space Create outside the proscenium SPoken word Immediacy and speed No plots Collage, spoken word and hip hop Gayle Issa (Philadelphia's Asian American Arts Initiative) and Dan Kwong during lunch. Getting ready for the APACUNT session. Notes on the PR/Marketing session Reena Dutt Robert Karimi storyopolis kaotic good Audience development intern - Cornerstone best money I ever spent - money Ova - Refugee Nation Suzette Fortay - Ma-Yi Marketing director - groups, who to group Malik - Silk Road Jamil - Silk Road Non-traditional modes of marketing Community activist talks to community Marketing - audience building partnerships - partner with other institution to promote plays, season Lots of enthusiasm to fund partnerships Goodman Next Theatre 3/other theatres - ethnic specific theatre Lower cost of marketing More likely to get funding Lot of work with communities Go to community groups What can we do for you How can WE can help you Use our play as a fundraising/friend raiser Get stamp of legitimacy from them Get invited back AND HAVE TO SHOW UP Community outreach Audiences come from groups we work with Talk back, reception Preplanning Meet w/sponsoring group Outreach w/groups E post-card Got around this by using community partners drum up show residency work and workshops, with temple, community center, youth center gave them a taste of what we can do. Time it events- got face time, exposure why do theatres suck at audience development Theatres are churches.... Who do you think will love you? Knew their community Knew their audience Knew what the audience wanted Even to populations you they already know Number one thing that brought them.....it's food! It's funny! Like to laugh? How far in advance do you prep? Project as much as we can (seven months ahead is not too early) Schedule R&R for artist Three play season Rolling season - as soon as a play closes, a new play is announced (two out) Flexibility Market a show over and over and over Very flexible Pulled away from realistic representation (need actors, etc.) Starts to brand theatre Creates a portfolio of artwork to brand theatre Having a blog Even May hire a blogger People want to talk Partner - What does the partnering institution need, that we can bring to them. When we do events Open conversation with audiences ALWAYS do survey Always feel at home; A place where I belong, where I can be myself Silk Road - 90% of donations come from white people - (50% of audience) A lot of it is cultivation the community Two messages - universally 2nd - ethnic specific Two different postcards/two different written messages to Cross pollinate? Partnership What do your organizations have trouble doing? Prince Four principles 1,000 true fans All you need...1,000 true fans What are? People who LOVE your work obsess over work 1) through the blog keeps writing helps continue relationship through the ear 2) Focus on people like me, cultivate youth audience high school students are the biggest fans through myspace, blog 3) word of mouth - quality of work has to be stellar 4) before every single show - AD did announcement thank them for coming - welcome Comprehensive theaterontario.org Sandy Agustin leads closing session. Big news: Festival in Fall 2009 in NYC. East West offers to host combined conference and festival in 2011 (skip 2010) Future beyond that is unclear, but exploring ways to extend it. Home \| News \| Calendar \| Directory \| Plays \| Library/Storefront \| Timeline Copyright 2008, Roger W. Tang Questions? Email

Final Day of the 2nd Asian American Theatre Conference