Question about "cake mix" leads to some thinking...

Ramz:

i am so pleased at how much thought you are offering. others (involved with the play) are doing the same, and i totally welcome that.

Carlos--the dj--just spent about 3 hours going over the video with me, focusing on just the music and sound cues. then he helped me through some thought about the ending, the Mama-Esa relationship, whether or not Mama should ever
ride a bike, and more.

as far as the Cake Mix thing: mama is problematic. she is of the generation that equates "quick and easy" with wealth and power, as many folks raised in the post-war (ww2) years ended up doing. this gets heightened with "late-arriving" people of color who aren't that educated but who, like my own mother, have come to have some bit of material wealth, but aren't "educated" about how that wealth can be depleting, diminishing.

a big concept that hasn't received alot of play in contemporary theater, film, etc.

boiling it down: what do we stand to gain (or lose) if we are so caught up with "keeping up with the joneses" that we don't do a critical eval. of WHO the jones' are and WHY we came to value their values.

Mama is one of those confused upwardly-mobile Latina/Hispanics. she can now afford the conveniences of modern life, circa 1970s, 1980s, even as the more educated "elites" know that those conveniences are detrimental to our health, and more
importantly, our planet's health.

in my recent experience, i'm finding that there are younger generations and subcultural communities of people who are embracing "old world" ancient wisdom, lifestyle choices, and cultural traditions that are more sustainable--and similar to
indigenous ways. Oddly enough, alot of our parents scoff at those ways.

anyway, MAMA is caught up in the convenience food, spray-for-everything, way of life she was duped-- in her
educational process/socialization--into thinking was upper-class appropriate.

she WOULD have the mac/cheese box, the boxed cake mix, the processed-chemicalized life, cuz she thinks a woman of her means is supposed to have such things.

it is ESA who is more real. that is why there is such a schism betwn. her and MAMA.

keep thinking, questioning, suggesting. thank you.


T

----------------- Original Message -----------------
From: Ramz / The Shortest Distance / King BAGEL, via myspace
Date: Aug 10, 2007 5:54 PM


Hey Tammy,

I was thinking, maybe Mama shouldn't be holding instant cake mix - isn't she supposed to eat 'real food'? I don't know what else she'd get in a box from SHOP MART that would be 'real food' but just a thought.

Maybe organic wild rice or something?

ramz

Mel Le Roy is helping us out -- venue search continues

Tammy,

I'm sorry I couldn't make it to the rehearsal today.  A friend of Neil's passed away and we has to attend the funeral this afternoon. 

I'm working on the press release and and receipt form will have them to you soon.  Also, I'm playing phone tag with the Parks Dept. about renting out the pavilion area for the entire day.  I told them it was a spoken word/acoustic music event and that we wouldn't be using the stage.  I also told them attendance would be about 100 people.  The rental fee is due to them along with an application two weeks before the reservation date.   I've had them send the application to my house and will get it to you asap. I'll be sure to let you know the price as soon as I get a live person on the phone.

The old Stage West theater would be great as well but I would make sure that the city has cleared them to use the space for performances. 

Mel

_____

On 8/8/07, Mel Le Roy wrote:

Hi Tammy.  I think this pic should work as letterhead.  You can reach me on  my cell 817-xxx-xxxx. 

I will definitely try to make it by the park Friday afternoon.  I have to work the night shift at my parent's bar so I won't be able to stay too long. 

Mel

______

On 8/8/07, Tammy Gomez < tammygomexican@yahoo.com> wrote:
here it is.

what's the best phone number to reach you by?

THE GIRLS are rehearsing on friday at Trinity Park between 5:30pm and 7:30pm, if you would like to hear/see us.  We'll probably cruise over to a bar afterwards, if you would like to meet us/chat with us.

g'night,
T

___________

hi, Mel:

Sorry about your friend. Yes, funerals and weddings always need to get top priority. Hope Neil is feeling all right.

Sounds like you're having to be ultra-persistent with the City about that pavilion. Hope we can get some positive news soon.

I've been knocking on every possibility for the past 3 days: called Velton (photographer), Christopher (photographer, installation artist), Jesse Hernandez (painter) to ask for suggestions. Getting the word out, big-time, about needing a performance space.

Haven't heard back from Stage West folks, but will follow up on Monday.

Rehearsal today at the park was creative, fun, sweet, and SWEATY. We'll be working again together on Sunday @ 6pm @ the RMT.

Thanks for all you're doing!

peace,

Tammy

Opalina, Dina, Tammy going to see author Julia Alvarez in Dallas (free reading) tomorrow.

To: Opalina

about the rehearsal/gathering you missed:

we watched vid of our Undermain show. have to ask Cesar/Raul if they can make dubs, eventually.

tomorrow, we'll be at the downtown branch of the DPL at or around 2pm. Dina is driving us (me and niece) into Dallas. Maybe we grab a coffee or something too...?

you and Dina (and Dom) will have to schedule some specific focused rehearsals anyway, so it's okay that you must miss next Monday's group rehearsal.

increasing volume and giving you more stylized movements is what i want to focus on for CURANDERA.

tomorrow, you and Dina should pick 2-3 days to meet within the next 2 weeks. when i can also be w/ you.

keep in mind: there's ONE more conversation that CURANDERA AND MAMA have together, which i'm formulating. it happens before ESA's race.

thanks!

p.s. our Austin performance fell through---no money to get us down there, budget was drastically cut by the MACC people. arghhhh. SO, OUR ONE AND ONLY NEXT PERFORMANCE IS THE PREMIERE: september 22nd - saturday, for real and for sure...!

----------------- Original Message -----------------
From: opalina tlazohtzin
Date: Aug 10, 2007 11:06 AM

I got yr mssg last night, and I would love to meet ya guys on Saturday. Sounds like good times.

I have been working, sorry about missing monday. Some moron scheduled me on monday, and this next upcoming monday, but starting after next week im back to my sunday monday off sched. I just happen to be off this saturday so meeting you guys is a go.

I have some questions about our next performance, I'm almost certain that if it is the weekend of the 1rst I won't be able to do it. In Austin right? Well, I have a performance that was planned many months ago on the 1rst Its the moonlady night at the bathouse cultural center at White Rock Lake. Its in the evening that day and i'm featured as part of the mad swirl traveling circus.

Ive been struggling with this, as i had made a prior commitment, but by being in the play i had also made a commitment to the entire cast and you.

I will have to meditate on this. Nevertheless I really love being a part of this project and I promise I will be available when you need me.

Just get back to me soon, but i plan to meet you at the library.

xxoo
Opalina

my missing bici

Dom had it. I wasn't really worried about it 'til yesterday. Really, I just missed it. It's so cute.

Dom, what do you want to do about picking up the cruiser for our Friday Girl rehearsal? You *could* ride it from my house--it's not that bad of a haul at all. Lemme know, so I can be around to unlock it for you.

Andrea got a new bike from Panther Bikes. I haven't seen it yet.

video shoot - Saturday, August 18th - morning to afternoon

This is gonna be a long day, as Cesar doesn't have alot of free time during the daylight hours when most of you might be available.

Shoot locations:

fish mural bridge -- off of Riverside, near Beach St.
Trinity Park bridges and surrounding area -- near the zoo and University Drive
Oleander Street - just a block or so north of Magnolia St.


What we're shooting (scenes):

Young ESA with teen MAMA (fish mural bridge)
Older ESA with EL SABE (Trinity Park bridge)
Older ESA (grove of trees on west side of University)
Young ESA ("vanishing point" footage on bridge)
Older ESA ("vanishing point" footage on bridge)
anybody and everybody - parade scene

Specific times for each shooting location will be announced soon.
More notes to come.

Thanks for everyone's patience!

mama bike speech - will be up for D to copy for only 2 days

MAMA:

[smiles] Oh boy. I remember walking after school, with my brother, and I think I was pretty old. I musta been like sixteen and I had never--nobody had ever taught me how to ride a bike. So I remember asking him, “Can I walk your bike?” So he lent me his bike, and I started walking it, and I dunno where it came from or how it came to be, but as I walked his bike I got this urge to sit on the seat and I didn’t know how to ride a bike but this urge, to sit on the bike and put my hands on the handlebars, it was like really physical--so here I’m trying to sit on it. But I wasn’t afraid, no tenía miedo and I had this feeling like “Yo puedo hacer esto, I can balance with this bike, and I can really ride this bike!!” So, I don’t know how it happened but just like magic I began riding and it was like the most amazing milagro. I was just moving on the sidewalk and not noticing my feet, not noticing what my body was doing, but I was moving with that bike and I wasn’t fighting it. It was just happening!

So, to me, it seemed like an eternity, to be floating with the bike, but of course, it was only [snaps fingers], you know, un segundito, because, after that, I felt my foot touch ground, to balance me when I stopped. But that was the first time in my entire—en toda mi vida, that I realized, “I’m learning how to ride a bike!!” [shrieks, laughs] And so, you know, I just wanted to feel that, again and again and again. All the way home, I kept trying, otra vez, y otra vez, and I will never forget that feeling like, “I’m doing this by myself.” [shudders with delight] And I’m balancing and it’s such a pleasure--and such a milagro to feel like I’m floating. So, I loved, I LOVED that day. [laughs] It was like the most magical moment. [whispers/exhales deeply] Yeah.

I'm working w/ ESA and MAMA today.

ESA - at 2:30pm to 3:30pm.
MAMA - will pop in at 3:30pm to work some ESA/MAMA scenes, then I'll work on some MAMA stuff (in case ESA has to split, that's cool) after that 'til no later than 4pm.

(I gotta do a birthday thing w/ my sister and niece--both Leos--at 5pm.)

ESA: we'll work on "cake mix monologue" and i'll introduce you to the "hate stop" poem.
MAMA: we'll work on "cake mix dialogue" with ESA and your opening scene (don't forget to ask for the BE YOUR OWN PET song) together. also, want to discuss closing scene w/ you both. afterwards, want to show you what i want to cut from your "bicycle monologue", the visual/movement possibilities for the "big poem", and whatever else comes up.