About…Productions Young Theaterworks’ CROSSTOWN VOICES 2009
In Spring of 2009, students from Pueblo de Los Angeles Continuation High School in Lincoln Heights and Walt Whitman High School in Mid-City participated in Young Theaterworks’ Crosstown Voices.
Students at each site participated in a 20-session curriculum with a trained YT Teaching Artist and an Asst. Teaching Artist. They engaged in creative writing, theatre activities, and conversations that explored students’ personal identity, family history, the challenges they face in their own neighborhoods, and the dreams they hold for their futures.
In addition, due to a generous award from the California Council for the Humanities California Stories Fund, students also met with humanities expert and documentary filmmaker, Phillip Rodriguez. He shared with them his creative process and love for Los Angeles. Students also saw his film, Los Angeles Now, as an example of artistic work that is invested in community and history.
Students worked individually and collectively to create a Mini-Festival of original theaterworks. They also benefited from visits by 4 professional Actors and a theatrical Sound Designer. In addition, a Human Relations Facilitator helped them build skills to engage in dialogue with other teen writers and audiences.
Each school knew the other was simultaneously participating in the program and that they would be sharing their work with each other at the end. Before meeting, they created posters about themselves and their neighborhoods and posed questions to the other group.
Midway through the program, they met and began forming connections through a day of special programming led by experienced facilitators. Their teaching artists and classroom teachers also participated. Students discussed their experience of living in Los Angeles and their creative process.
Each school presented a staged reading of their work in a professional setting for their family and friends. Pueblo High School presented at Company of Angels, (Downtown) and Whitman High School presented at Greenway Court, (Mid-city). Several student authors volunteered to perform while others were part of the sound design team and crew.
Crosstown Voices Culmination included selections from both theater works performed by the same group of professional and student actors from the previous presentations. This public event, held at the Shakespeare Festival/LA, a venue adjacent to L.A.’s Civic Center, was attended by both student-bodies. Here they gained insight and perspective into the lives of their peers across town while other members of the audience gained insight into the lives, feelings and dreams of youth in Los Angeles.
Crosstown Community Forum immediately followed, giving everyone an opportunity to further discuss issues raised in the work and the authors’ creative process. This was a very moving experience for all participants, adults and youth, and we want to thank all the artists and educators involved, as well as our funders. *See below for a full list of names
On the following pages, we want to share with you some HIGHLIGHTS from CROSSTOWN VOICES 2009 – excerpts from several plays and a number of reflections that were also included in the performance.
NOTE: We encouraged the authors to accurately portray the ways in which people in their lives speak. In some cases, English and Spanish flow within a sentence. In some cases, strong language is used in both English and Spanish. As it accurately reflects the author’s experiences, we have chosen to leave it as it was written. A brief glossary of the Spanish words used is included at the end of the excerpts.
We thank ALL our student participants at Pueblo and Whitman!
Marlene Alfaro, Alex Ayon, Veronica Baires, Paulo Berrocal, Evelynn Castaneda, Kesia De Ita, Luciana De La Fe, Javier Lorenzo, Albert Maqueda, Jessica Morales, Selvin Morales, Yanci Perez, Jenny Ramirez, James Riddle, Louis Reynosa, Antonia Salas, Raul Serrano, Jose Sosa, Jhalon Smith, Christina Torres, Paige Torres, and Amanda Ybarra.
We are very proud of what you accomplished and look forward to working with you again!
CROSSTOWN VOICES 2009
Artistic Staff & Guest Artists
Rose Portillo, Program Director (AP Associate Director)
Phillip Rodriguez, Humanities Expert/Featured Guest Artist
Marco Rodriguez, Pueblo Lead Teaching Artist
Maricela Ochoa, Whitman Lead Teaching Artist
Maya Santos, Assistant Teaching Artist
Rani De Leon, Facilitator/Sound Designer
Professional Actors: Kikey Castillo, Joe Hernandez- Kolski, Michael Manuel, and Monica Sanchez
Production Staff
Alison De La Cruz, Producer (AP Administrative Director)
Marcela Robles, Associate Producer
Theresa Chavez, Photographer (AP Artistic Director)
Maya Santos, Documentarian/Videographer
Student Staff
Actors: Veronica Baires, Kesia De Ita, Luciana De La Fe, Jessica Morales, Yanci Perez, Jenny Ramirez, Jhalon Smith, Jose Sosa, and Christina Torres
House Managers: Selvin Morales, Antonia Salas, and Amanda Ybarra
Sound/Light Assistants: Javier Lorenzo and Jose Sosa
Pueblo de los Angeles High School
Mr. Howard Gillingham, Principal
Ms. Lisa Rodriguez, Classroom Teacher
Ms. Marisol Mendoza, Office Manager
Walt Whitman High School
Ms. Karen Cheval, Principal
Ms. Michelle Richter, Classroom Teacher
Ms. Rachel Rios, Office Manager
Young Theaterworks’ CROSSTOWN VOICES 2009 was made possible, in part, by a grant from the California Council for the Humanities as part of the Council’s statewide California Stories Initiative. The Council is an independent non-profit organization and a state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. For more information on the Council and the California Stories Initiative, visit www.californiastories.org
Other funders included the Hot Topic Foundation, United Latino Fund, the S. Mark Taper Foundation and the Walt Disney Company.