Good jobs!! Yi-Hsin

Graduate and undergraduate students from EMU’s Communication, Media and Theatre Arts Department have teamed up with the YYEA: Crosstown Theatre Troupe, a local youth theatre troupe exploring youth voice through theatre, to create a Community Performance about Ypsilanti and for the people of Ypsilanti. Those persons interviewed in creation of the project include residents from across Ypsilanti including Parkridge, Willow Run, West Willow, Ypsi’s South Side, Ypsi’s North Side, Downtown Ypsi, Depot town and EMU, community stakeholders, local business owners, youth who live and/or go to school in Ypsilanti, students commute to EMU’s campus, and many more.

The goal of this project, titled the Community Performance with EMU (CPE), is to use performance as a means of generating community dialogue on issues relevant and pressing to the Ypsilanti community at large. The Community Performance with EMU (CPE) is a city-wide performance project focusing on some of the most pressing issues in Ypsilanti. This theatre piece is based on a series of interviews and story circle sessions with the Ypsilanti community. The findings from these speak outs have become the basis of the production which intends to both empower and inform the citizens on issues most important to them. CPE is directed by local professor, theatre artist, and Ypsilanti Resident Jessica ‘Decky’ Alexander.

• WHERE: Parkridge Community Center (591 Armstrong, Ypsilanti, MI)
• WHEN: Tuesday, April 21 at 5:00 and 7:00 pm
• RUNNING TIME: Approximately one hour including a talk back/dialogue session
• TICKETS: Free!! No reservations are required.
• PARKING: Parking at the Parkridge Community Center is free of charge for this event.

For additional information on CPE contact Jessica ‘Decky’ Alexander at jalexande1@emich.edu, 734-487-6570; Meriah Sage at msage@emich.edu, 734-487-6570 or Yi Hsin Lu at ylu2@emich.edu 734-487-6570.

Map of Location of Parkridge Community Center:

Here is a rough outline, merging as many ideas together as possible. At the second collective we had: Big Fire, Michael, Emily, Kirk, Patrick, Venus (and JoJo) and Spencer.

Shifts & Fluctuations

This is a piece about movement: the ins and outs of a city.  There will always be movement on stage –people moving in and out, staying , arriving, departing… cinematic.

That is the story here …or a story…a city of movement …hence the water metaphor. Read on, comment and critique. We will have a working draft for Tuesday. PLEASE READ the section on notes -below.

Boat/Boy Part I.  –boat follows

Part II. Everyone begins to arrives on stage from different directions –center up

(enact migrations …) VIDEO – perspective-

‘streaming by. All enter.. move differently /different directions yet it’s orchestral and choral- a cacophony of movement and sound.

Mayor –diversity story…piece (group shifts)

Fluctuations & Shifts

white people stay/ — Mrs. Chun piece

Hailey Skating Story— NEEDS to be crafted

Fluctuations & Shifts

Carmen

Fluctuations & Shifts –waiting

Bus Stories …–access /transience… transportation

Roller rink —there is no place..no center.. .no  (watching the EMU students arrive and leave—the loss of the only place where the youth could envision ‘moving’)

Fluctuations & Shifts

Student voice –come here …

International Voices

Big Fire/Trapped

Tortoise and the Hare ?

Fluctuations & Shifts

(BUILDING….)

Peter- Store Owner

Mayor –return…?

Boat Part III.

Closing:

Need: Reverend interview and Peter interview transcribed.

NOTES: Need more non-realism/story based like the Tortoise & Hare piece

Commercials/PSA’s …?

SHOULD THERE BE A COMMENTARY/EDITORIAL COMMENTS Throughout – another convention….IDEAS?  What would make sense in this piece….in this community? A traffic cop?

SHOULD paper boat be in all scenes?

We had a very good showing for today’s first writing collective meeting: Kirk, Emily, Spencer, Michael, Joanna and Patrick. We met a little head way in that we began working to find connections /commonalities among the desired/suggested pieces  and scenes. We addressed issues in form and content including the inclusion of personal narrative performance and performing /narrating self pieces. 

We have a metaphor and it goes back to the geographical truth of Ypsilanti and the Huron River -which is if you put a paper boat in the river it will eventually makes its way to the Atlantic.  There is a way in and out of Ypsilanti. Ypsilanti reaches the world…and the world reaches in….

Given that –pieces which reflect…trapped/transience and migration seem to to work most -they also make up the bulk of the ideas. 

We are working to come up with an outline and structure —still..

NEED from you:

any memorable lines/phrases–something that stuck with you even from our first landscapes.   POST THOSE ASAP. 

MESSAGES: we choose to come here–is a very clear message. Please post what you believe to be the most important messages and/or questions we should address.

Questions for international voices will be posted on Friday.

decky

Purpose: To share the voices of the many voices

THREE CENTRAL THEMES

Trapped/Stuck   and Transience

· Youth voice/youth engagement –nothing to do

· The highest trafficked part of Ypsilanti is EMU

· A train depot with a train that doesn’t stop

· Bus lines, etc. which leave residents without access or opportunity

· Digital Divide

· Lots of one-way streets and no left turns

Foundations & Incarnations

· brick buildings/strong yet empty  ‘dusty book’

· A city divided: 2 downtowns

· Migrations & Rooted Generations

· Pride in self/family vs. pride in city

· Bridges and Walls

· Racial Divide

Perceptions & Reputations (internal & external)

· Gateway to ___________

· Good enuf for who it is for

· Underdog

· A city with less light

· A city in the shadow

· Nobodiness

· Emerging

WHAT I DID HERE IS TAKE THE THEMES AND CONNECT THEM TO THE ‘WHO’ the possible PEOPLE. I think #1 is our strongest theme and we could merge it with …”EMERGING and ROOTS and MIGRATIONS  and also with the idea of a city founded due to a migratory population”  I think there is a story emerging here and it will both reflect issues of pride and issues of displacement’, transience and feeling stuck and trapped, and looking at Ypsi’s birth as a trading post a place where people came to engage. PLEASE PROVIDE FOR TUESDAY –what you think the STORY of this project may be.

The people/the voices

1. Youth voice/youth engagement- nothing to do

Ozone Youth Action Board – Colleen O’Brien

Focus group at Ypsi High/Willow Run or Lincoln

School Board or school board member: Ypsi/Willow Run/Lincoln (gather a representative from each)

Youth on the street-Michigan Avenue

Homeless youth and foster youth coalitions: Robert Kesserling & Peri Stone Palmquist

Mayor Paul Schreiber  mayor@cityofypsilanti.com

1. Most Trafficked part of Ypsilanti is EMU

Washtenaw County Road Commission

Mayor of Ypsilanti / City Council/ City Manager – Ed Kor

EMU Commuter Student Organization

1. Train Depot with Train that doesn’t stop

Depot Town group: www.depottown.org/

State of MI policy coordinator on Transportation: Jeff Donofrio

Resident voices

1. Bus lines and lack of transportation /access

Residents –youth, elder, multiple voices

interview residents in Lincoln and West Willow Neighborhood Associations

Ypsi Transit Center – Pearl and Washington, interview  riders

AATA –chair , David Nacht

NOTE: The future of Ypsilanti bus service by the AATA is in doubt because of budget constraints. The current budget plan involves cutting AATA Route 3 and AATA Route 5 to Ypsilanti by 2007 and all routes by 2009. The organization Keep Ypsi Rollin has proposed a change to the Ypsilanti city charter that would continue service.

ypsiwiki.org/city/Keep_Ypsi_Rollin

5.    Digital Divide

Digital Inclusion: Derrick Jackson/ Izoom

Ypsi Wireless-Steve Pierce

Residents

Business Owners

Foundations  & Incarnations

1.    Brick buildings /empty/ dusty books

/www.ypsilantihistoricalsociety.org/contactinfo.html

Ypsilanti Downtown Development Authority

Brian Vosburg brian@ypsilantidda.org

Peter Rinehart, board chair, owner of Bombadills Coffeehouse

Mayor, of Ypsilanti

Ypsilanti Heritage Foundation  www.yhf.org/

Ypsilanti Historic Commission –meets Feb. 24^th 2009

2.    A City Divided

James Mann, local historian, storyteller james.manjam@gmail.com.

Ypsilanti Heritage Foundation www.yhf.org

3.    Roots and Migrations

Neighborhood Associations: www.ypsicopac.org/sites.html

www.ypsilantihistoricalsociety.org/

Faz Hussain, first musim elected to office in MI

(Ypsilanti City Councl)

Ypsilanti Underground Railroad: www.albion.edu/library/JAT/Ypsilanti.htm

Brown AME Church www.bcamecy.org/ — oldest African American church in Ypsilanti

Applacian familes settled near Willow Run Airpot

Bomber Café  and Wolverine Café

Senior Centers: Ypsilanti City Senior Center (734) 483-5014

1. Racial divide/ bridges and walls

seek the stories of contrasting groups or people  or neighbors who live side by side in any neighborhood.

Parkridge Community Center

Ozone Drop In Center

Riverside Arts Center Board

Perceptions and Reputations

For this section its important to the hear stories of the following people/persons:
Youth who go to school here /live here

Elected officials

Neighborhood Comm. Groups /Associations

Third Shifters

VFW

Ypsilanti Housing Commission

Residents of Gateway Housing Community

Those waiting in line for: a meal, unemployment, shelter, medical care

Check out: Hope, SOS Community Services, Paquetta Palmer at WCounty

Emergers: Mark Maynard –www.markmaynard. com

ShadowArts Festival

(can set up meeting)

Growing Hope Amanda

DDA – Peter Rinehart

Spark East – Eastern Leaders

Shemar Moore

Brown Chapel AME

Community Activists

Tad Wysor

Mark Maynard

Ypsilanti Chamber of Commerce

Stop by: Wolverine Inn, Sidetrack, Bomber Café, Lucas Coney Island Bombadills Coffehouse, Ypsi Library, Haabs, Beezys (brand new)

From our lively discussion Tuesday–the following was decided.

The purpose of the community based performance project is 

share the voices of the many voices of /in Ypsilanti.

Through this sharing we may address issues of pride, division, isolation, honor, displacement,etc. 

This piece will be both a project of affirmation and education and awareness. In  a city divided, I think that such is evident, sharing the voices of many to many will both affirm and enlighten our community audience.

Given the purpose-go back through the prior postings, your own notes and begin to make connections –what are some of the voices of the many voices whose story we should/could tell? 

Start thinking in metaphors/visuals…

Post any additional comments of  the first day collaboration between CTT and the university students—

Group1

Ypsilanti’s Identity

“Good enuf for who it is For”

Power creates Division

Transient

Divided : EMU/U of M /Mich. Ave /23 / North/South Side/ Race /AA & ypsi

Yours not ours: County community could solve a lot of problems!

Nagging Sense of No Bodiness

Group2

South –North Divide

Differences in attitudes of voters + politians

Two downtowns are better than none.

Another Brick/ The Wall/Perform here?

Ypsitucky/ H-Fest/ No center/church/emuplasum /EMU

Comparisons/ Confusion

Empty spaces

Youth activities lacking or not promoted effectively

Group3

Transient

“gateway”? to what?

Wall ßypsi

Underdog: When does that identity become a detriment.

Transient is constant.

Talk is cheap.

Stereotypes bring us down

YPSI (Puzzle): Southside gateway /Town shop /Down Town #2 / Down Town #1/ North side

Disconnected

Group4

Be More Than “GOOD ENOUGH”

Communication: Bridging the gap btwn youth/adult/elderly/ race/faith/social status

COMMONACITIES

Boundaries àCommunicating out of “comfort zone” /Breaking thru Boundaries

Real/Authentic

“Greatest diversity in day cares”

12-19 year olds ROAMING the streets

Disconnect-commuter school/church/community

How does technology/internet play a part in community & getting voices heard? Who has access and who doesn’t?

Is EMU “the” or “a” center?

Group5

The Wall

Always the “ OTHERS” describe Ypsi!

Do they know how great the community is? Do they pride about it?

Do Ypsi people like to tell their stories? How do they tell? How do we capture and perform it?

What is An Identity of Ypsi?

Youth

Just Passing through

Ypsilanti citizens only have the right to tell “their” story!

Ypsi, Where are you “HIDING”?

 “Healing” needed?

Where can we perform? Not one time but regularly –

Church in south…..? The water tower…..? EMU auditorium? Washtenaw county? Health center? (where all low incomes come)

Breaking Wall ßCommunity – based performance (Ritual Art)

Emerging Ypsi :To see Our performance?

Foremost ..thank you for patience and diligence today. There were a lot of us..lots of questions… and less time than I had hoped. 

I know that some feel more lost…frustrated…disappointed…others were empowered…excited..   Yi Hsin will soon post our collage responses and we will use them as we begin our collaboration  with CrossTown Theatre Troupe.  Take a moment to read below. 

The Panel. I sent the following message to the panel: 

We are so grateful for your time and presence today. It was a little unwieldy–much ground to cover for a small city. Your responses were candid, honest, thoughtful, inspiring, frustrating, and illuminating. They will give us great direction as we and CrossTown Theatre Troupe ( a theatre troupe made up of Ypsi youth, directed by MFA student, Jenny Sawtelle and undergraduate Shella Kelsey) become our co-investigators on this project. As we get further along in the project we may come back to you…perhaps to provide us a story, or a sound or be part of the project/production itself (i.e. tree)

Thanks so much as we embark on a project which we hope will reflect the issues, strengths, & challenges of the city. Warmly, Decky and the class.

The Purpose--what is the purpose of this project? Or what are they?  To create theatre which speaks about a specific subject?  To create a theatre piece to generate community dialogue?  For next week–come up based upon what you know now.. the panel, the blogs, the research, the reading–the purpose or purposes of this project. 

CrossTown Theatre Troupe 

This troupe, started in Fall and directed by classmate/MFA student Jenny Sawtelle and undergraduate Shella Kelsey, had their premier performance yesterday. I was remiss and did not share with you the bravery and depth of their first performance  and talk-back yesterday. Both the performance and talkback had a sense of fearlessness and readiness to speak truth to power and to the public. Though certainly a blog posting will not make up for what was not shared today.. I have no doubt that the youth in CTT will make sure that their voice is heard.   We will and/or they will share with you the mission of CTT. We also (prior to their arrival) go over some clarity of roles and the possible challenges of equity in this collaborative relationship.

All-this work is messy at times. This is not an excuse–  it is the  reality. There can always be new or better or different approaches-this is one way, not the way. Clarity of purpose will help guide -as will narrowing down the subjects/issues being explored and addressed.

My purpose in this class is two-fold. As the instructor it is my responsibility to expose you to this kind of process and work through research and practice so that you can adapt it/utilize it/embrace it–in your own work.  At the same time, my purpose is to ensure that we create an authentic community based performance and in this case, it is with CTT/youth.  And to do so–co-create this work- respect of those we engage and co-create is paramount.  Sometimes one purpose  (one of mine) may supercede another. It is never intentional. 

Please respond to this and to the post by Yi Hsin before next Tuesday (and please before 3pm on Tuesday). The youth will be arriving and joining our class an hour or so in.  We will also brief the readings prior to them arriving. 

stay warm. be warm. be. 

decky