<div dir="ltr">Dear UCR MFA community!<br><br>Here's more info on the Cornerstone Institute play I've been involved with -- hope to see you at one of the performances!<br><br>xoxo,<br>Ching-In<br><div class="gmail_quote">
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<td rowspan="1" colspan="1"><img name="ACCOUNT.IMAGE.38" alt="Artwork by Qathryn Brehm" src="http://origin.ih.constantcontact.com/fs030/1101987805187/img/38.jpg?a=1102183491100" border="0" height="410" width="604"><br>
<div style="text-align: center;"><font style="color: rgb(51, 102, 102);" size="2"><span style="font-family: Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Artwork by Qathryn Brehm</span></font><br> </div></td>
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<div><font style="color: rgb(0, 51, 102); font-weight: bold;" size="7"><span style="font-style: italic;">at</span>traction</font><br>Written by:<b> Page Leong<br></b>Directed by:<b> Michael John Garcés<br>
<br>Explore what draws people to place, to one another, and what pulls them apart, at the intersection of an urban global village experiment- at Traction Avenue. Dive in to our neighborhood's kaleidoscopic spirit, its magic, history and mystery.<br>
<br>Cornerstone Theater Company</b></div>
<div>DATE: <span style="font-weight: bold;">August 7, 8 & 9</span><br></div>
<div>TIME: <span style="font-weight: bold;">8:30 PM</span><br></div>
<div>LOCATION: <span style="font-weight: bold;">708 Traction Ave, Downtown LA</span><br>TICKETS: Pay-What-You-Can with a <span style="font-weight: bold;">Suggested Donation of $20</span><br></div>
<div>TO RESERVE: <span style="font-weight: bold;">Call 213-613-1700 x 814</span><br>or to purchase $20 tickets go to<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br><a style="text-decoration: underline;" href="http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001fxLDhmpZqJdl34n8vfakS0PONrjJyKkVuSRG5PZOcT_4HaVHt0OZGSfy8Oc7zyfQ6G9qaLXbQXf6HYTAC0phYWvrCUg--kaMBkWUg0mP-VV456XKwrAq0Z8fYhXNBcC2vUq95-RItKdEyGMNSUPKOQ==" target="_blank"><img alt="Brown Paper Tickets" src="https://www.brownpapertickets.com/g/fl/BPT_small_white.gif" border="0"></a><br>
</span><br><br><span style="font-weight: bold;">Plan your evening in the Arts District!</span><br><span style="font-weight: bold;">Check out <a href="http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001fxLDhmpZqJe26ibVR4vaL7hZF1FqYJYF-Ypc6j0e3zsNNqY6wxbU_EsN5kZNzolryhzV-KqWrPGXv3wN_hTe8Ip6_RvZyCd6B0QZsRjOPhcYH_IW7rWdyke8UXM_pxIDaB_T48xf37ihmlJH5x8RRb16cuDVIcmseaSMNCB2UXXhYXAZD78JI1I2ogz5lRsT7koQhLtnsS4BJz-jQR1FhW5ydVlfD2PSj3Crwbya7QU=" target="_blank">our website</a></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> for dining options<br>
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<td style="color: rgb(62, 96, 111); font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;" rowspan="1" colspan="1" align="center"><font style="color: rgb(62, 96, 111); font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;" color="#3e606f" face="Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif" size="2"><a href="http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001fxLDhmpZqJeATzBcuCNcbh1s2vb4lun5CQ6hHZz-ZONhbHRgdOE_ZkOM8z_WIoSbcxY1DaVVcPqt9TC1VytcSgkYMieI3bJZrsJTR8Kvhcz0Lz-ntlNL6IUqsMyqxAjagPWx_tHvnqUY5Jbze8AyZyItNue1_4Kun87qpuHZeaMTs9WDnbjEu2kc4JxKW_UiIQPYqpTWm-fknItD5ZSd4JgaZOZJVz0MCCZin3mteBY=" target="_blank"><img name="ACCOUNT.IMAGE.36" alt="work!" src="http://origin.ih.constantcontact.com/fs030/1101987805187/img/36.gif?a=1102183491100" align="left" border="0" height="368" width="162"></a><font style="color: rgb(0, 51, 102);" size="5"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: Georgia,Times New Roman,Times,Serif;"><span style="font-style: italic;">attraction</span> is part of Cornerstone's Institute Summer Residency</span></font><br>
<br><div style="text-align: left; color: rgb(0, 51, 102);"><font style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" size="3"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 102);">Cornerstone Theater Company</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 51, 102);"> moved to 708 Traction Avenue in the downtown Arts District in 1999. And although we've been creating community-specific theater in Los Angeles and nationwide since 1986, we have never worked specifically with our own neighbors. Until now. As part of our Institute Summer Residency, Cornerstone happily presents </span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 102);"><span style="font-style: italic;">at</span>traction</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 51, 102);">, a play with and for our neighbors about life on Traction Avenue.</span><br>
<br><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 102);">Community partners</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 51, 102);"> include Art Share Los Angeles, Groundwork Cafe, the Japanese Catholic Center, and the Los Angeles Downtown Arts District (</span><a style="color: rgb(0, 51, 102);" href="http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001fxLDhmpZqJeL_TgaZ9Ticqji0FhOsEqeF3qm4JSsmMu7kKJJ5USuGY6wzWTfjYXk0R-56rZlXf678J0ne1I_r2sqyPAhv-IHqZWIbfIQku4=" target="_blank">www.LADAD.com</a><span style="color: rgb(0, 51, 102);">). Residents of the American Hotel and loft-dwellers have shared their stories, as have gallery owners, police officers, a housing developer and many artists. Many of them are appearing onstage in the play.</span><br>
<br><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 102);"><span style="font-style: italic;">at</span>traction</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 51, 102);"> is part of </span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 102);"><a href="http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001fxLDhmpZqJdQi_WqemFbeYZmW_L9eQnsOw17L3Xo15UyqcuQ8j2YMNCeIY5NsQkqmBBmvg7iy4g4heoXNsUTwTg1uX2VeLncBqArMtFDNA2AInr8Pzwu-s4wLQJS_nKzDCBJtEhSMpIa9nIbgdfmlj8b36T0lhgoHrTJoPKiyzpqvXhKgZxL2_9gDddhOKDPlffCDcsADZq33Ffi4stahPnA2-IfaTsHTqwgjEh-hPw=" target="_blank">Cornerstone's Institute Summer Residency</a></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 51, 102);"> which brings artists, educators and activists together from all across the country (and a few international folks as well) to learn and experience Cornerstone's process of community collaborative theater-making. Institute students and some of our staff are living together in lofts just blocks from Cornerstone, sharing meals together and working long days in preparation for the three performances. <br>
</span></font></div><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 102);"><br><font style="color: rgb(0, 51, 102);" size="5">~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</font><br></span>
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<br></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 51, 102);"><font size="3">The I-5 blog documents this Institute process: <a href="http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001fxLDhmpZqJf4p8CIi04s5GgLDlxgip9TrYa_cgTwdQJK8SDNtQ5tMzc67QzHSyfQey8pX0Sd8yiXtKkCjqM6CHyhfa1IzsQsUOH-Oqx8OyZK69MXr75J-dJUkEcaQ31VBVIc4_yletU=" target="_blank">www.CornerstoneInstitute5.blogspot.com</a><br>
<br></font></span></font><div style="text-align: left; color: rgb(0, 51, 102);"><span><span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Excerpts from the blog:</span><br></span></span></span></div><p style="color: rgb(0, 51, 102);">
<span>"As you may or may not know, our upcoming production of <b><i>at</i>traction</b>
has several film sequences and on Day 2 of shooting, I was on the crew
for the "Myrine and Manny making eggs in a microwave at the American
Hotel" scene. We follow Myrine and Manny from the window of Manny's
apartment, out through his wall to wall, floor to ceiling LP and CD
collection, other assorted music equipment, stack of hats 4 feet tall,
leopard bed, leopard folding chair, room/closet arrangement, out
through the hall, through the people who may be hanging out in the
American Hotel, up the stairs, into Myrine's apartment and as she gives
us a tour of her room- of her "library and garden" extension on her
windowsill, her kitchen, "walk-in-closet", her bicycle, her badminton
racquet and assorted photographs and art pieces, we learn how to
scramble eggs in a microwave... This whole process is a funny meeting of
worlds. Here we are, albeit relaxed, flexible and ever grateful to be
allowed into these intimate spaces and still, foreigners in spaces of
comfort - creating a world within a world. Maya's (the actress playing
Myrine) boyfriend is in the hallway constructing her bed so they can
loft it and maximize the available space in her tiny room. "This is
real life" she tells us. He becomes one of our favorite parts of the
film sequence."</span></p><p style="color: rgb(0, 51, 102);"><br><span><br></span><b><span><span>D'Lo's Five Senses Writing Exercise from Peter Howard's Story Circle class, Day 6, I-5</span></span></b></p>
<p style="color: rgb(0, 51, 102); font-style: italic;"><b><span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span>I
realize that me being dark, brown, bald, hip hop, boi, gay, silver
jewelry n nose rings can be a combined look that intimidates. I
understand that my smile can shift people out of their intimidation in
a snap.</span></span></span></b></p><p style="color: rgb(0, 51, 102); font-style: italic;"><span><span>
When I think of I5, I smell mayonnaise, theatre, sweat, coffee,
perfumes. I see white women, open hearts, expertise, Andres and love. I
hear ernest-ness, laughter, white folk talk, thoughts, yawns. I taste
coffee, sadness, sweat, hot sauce, plastic pen. I touch hands, sweet
faces, white girls hair, sweaty skin, eyebrows. </span> </span></p><font style="color: rgb(62, 96, 111); font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;" color="#3e606f" face="Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif" size="2"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 102);"><font style="color: rgb(0, 51, 102);" size="5">~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</font></span></font>
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<div><b>Cornerstone Theater Company</b></div>
<div>708 Traction Ave.</div>
<div>Los Angeles, California 90013</div>
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