Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (March 3, 2015)
THE DAILY ASTORIAN • TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 2015 NORTH COAST 3A Fantastical story of muralist Diego Enterprise zone takes step forward Rivera’s childhood presented Astoria would Teatro Milagro, Tolovana Arts Colony present bilingual play partner with Port, county and Warrenton By ERICK BENGEL EO Media Group CANNON BEACH — The childhood story of Mexican muralist Diego Rivera gets the fairy-tale treatment in “El Niño Diego,” a 40-minute bilingual play that Portland’s Teatro Mi- lagro (Miracle Theater) will perform at the Coaster Theatre Playhouse at 7 p.m. Saturday. “Diego Rivera is one of the most revered Mexican painters in the last couple of centuries,” said Lisa Kerr, program coordi- nator of the Tolovana Arts Col- ony. People who aren’t familiar with Rivera may be familiar with his paintings, she said, “be- cause they’ve been made into posters 100 times over.” “El Niño Diego” (The Boy Diego) imagines what would have happened if Diego (played by Brian Burger) — who, in real life, was a child prodigy sent to live with a curandera (medicine woman) because of his poor health — had met the Aztec god- dess Coatlicue in his youth. The goddess gives the boy a magical paintbrush, which Diego thinks will make him a legendary artist. When a dastardly art school director (played by Ajai Terrazas Tripathi) and his dimwitted min- ion (played by Ana Silva) try to exploit Diego’s “magical” talents, Diego’s nurse, Antonia, helps Di- ego realize that he doesn’t need magic to make great art. “In our story, he discovers he doesn’t need outside magic,” said Alida Wilson-Gunn, the associate artistic director of the Milagro’s touring program and director of the Coaster produc- tion. “He has the strength inside to create, and that it’s not the magical paintbrush at all. It’s his own ability that will propel him forward in his career.” Political themes Beneath the slapstick and family-friendly fantasy lies a serious political subtext, play- wright Dañel Malán said. The evil school director, Jose Manguino (who, in reality, wasn’t evil), is trying to squeeze money from the school’s arts program for his private enrichment. The character represents the forces in favor of defunding the arts in pub- lic schools, Malán said. “It’s a kids’ show, so it doesn’t get too heavy with polit- ical commentary,” Tripathi said. “I’m really afraid that if we adopt an enterprise zone with the Port of Astoria as a partner we will be forced to keep making more concessions on our zon- ing,” Herzig said. Jim Knight, who took over as the Port’s executive director late By DERRICK last year, sought to reassure the DePLEDGE City Council that the Port is in- The Daily Astorian terested in collaborating on eco- nomic development. The Astoria City Council Knight called it a “new day in gave a tentative nod Monday Astoria. So the days of conten- night toward a new Clatsop en- tiousness between the Port and terprise zone that would attract the city, under my watch, I’m business investment through going to do everything that I can that those days come to an end.” property tax breaks. The Clatsop enterprise zone New or expanded businesses would be eligible for property would cover 4.5 miles in total, WD[H[HPSWLRQVIRUWKUHHWR¿YH 1.5 miles in Astoria. The city years. The businesses, in return, parcels would include the down- would be expected to meet mini- town corridor, the Port and prop- mum employment levels and job erty off Youngs Bay now used by Astoria Ford. creation goals. Targeted businesses for an The Clatsop enterprise zone would not alter local zoning reg- enterprise zone typically include manufacturers, processors, ship- ulations. Astoria would partner with pers, call centers and headquar- Clatsop County, Warrenton and ter-type facilities. The City Coun- the Port of Astoria. The City Coun- cil and the other jurisdictions will cil’s endorsement is key to the likely agree to also allow hotels, collaboration, since the Port could motels and destination resorts. The enterprise zone, if ap- not take full advantage of the en- terprise zone unless the city, which proved by the state, would be controls zoning on a large segment managed by Kevin Leahy, the ex- ecutive director of Clatsop Eco- of Port property, is a sponsor. The City Council is expected nomic Development Resources. Some critics have noted that to formally approve the enter- prise zone in a resolution later enterprise zones, both in Oregon this month. The Port, the Clat- and across the nation, have had sop County Board of Commis- mixed results and have occasion- sioners, and the Warrenton City ally been derided as examples of Commission are also expected to corporate welfare. Analysts have RIWHQKDGGLI¿FXOW\LQPHDVXULQJ back the enterprise zone. The application is due at the the economic return of the tax in- Oregon Business Development centives. Leahy said the enterprise Department in April. City Councilor Drew Herzig zone could be a tool to help the said he is dubious about the city region become more competitive partnering with the Port because and create more family wage of contentious disagreements jobs. “We’re all committed to over land use in the past. The Port, for example, had threatened growing our economy here. But to sue the city over development we’re committed to growing our restrictions in the city’s River- economy with the right type of industries,” he said. front Vision Plan. Courtesy of Silvia Malan-Gonzalez “El Niño Diego” stars, from left, Ana Silva as the dimwitted Escupir, Ajai Terrazas-Tripathi as the dastardly director Jose Manguino, Brian Burger as young Diego Rivera (seen here endowed with a magical paintbrush) and Elizabeth Romero as Diego’s nurse, Antonia. IF YOU GO: What: “El Niño Di- ego” (The boy Diego), performed by the Teatro Milagro (Miracle Theater) When: 7 p.m. Saturday Where: Coaster The- atre Cost: $20 per family (which could be any number of individuals), $5 per individual, or whatever a person can afford. Attendees pay at the door; tickets will not be available ahead of time. Story: The childhood story of Mexican muralist Diego Rivera, done in fairytale style; suitable for children He added, however, that — in addition to incorporating Ri- vera’s interest in pre-Columbian indigenous culture, mythology and folklore — the play express- es Rivera’s philosophy of social equality, that “art should be for all people, as opposed to the bad guy who thinks that art is some- thing to commodify.” “It’s very sweet story. It has villains and heroes and goddess- es and magic,” Wilson-Gunn said. “It’s a play written for youth to encourage them to par- ticipate in the arts, to make (the arts) more accessible, especial- ly for those who may not have much exposure to the arts.” Reaching out Teatro Milagro is coming to Cannon Beach courtesy of the Tolovana Arts Colony, which late last year received two grants — $3,300 from the Meyer Me- morial Trust and $1,500 from the Clatsop County Cultural Coalition — to pay for the per- formance. Kerr, who secured the grants, wants to hold more events that involve the town’s Hispanic community and integrate His- panic art and culture. Money left over from the Meyer Memorial Trust grant will help fund multi- cultural cooking classes in April, May and June, she said. “We thought Teatro Mila- gro was the perfect way to do it because it’s a bilingual the- ater, and that might bring out more of the Hispanic popula- tion,” she said, adding that, if “El Niño Diego” proves pop- ular in Cannon Beach, the arts colony may arrange for a more adult-themed production in the future. as the kids do,” said Malán, who co-founded the Milagro Theatre Group with her hus- band, Jose Eduardo Gonzalez, in 1985. After the show, the four actors will have a Q-and-A “talk-back” with the audience. Earlier that day, the arts colony is hosting a free acting and mu- ral drawing workshop for kids featuring the Milagro cast from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. at Tolovana Hall, 3779 S. Hemlock St. “Kids so seldom have a voice in the arts,” Wilson-Gunn said. This is why it’s important, she said, to ask children after an artistic experience, “what they felt about it. What did they see? What did they remember? What did it mean to them?” Malán said she hopes her play conveys the value of art to the children in attendance. “Peo- ple don’t really understand how important the arts are.” W A NTED Alder and Maple Saw Logs & Standing Timber N orth w es t H a rdw oods • Lon gview , W A Contact: Steve Axtell • 360-430-0885 or John Anderson • 360-269-2500 Value of art “El Niño Diego” is written in a way that’s called “code-switch- ing,” where the dialogue alter- nates between English and Span- ish. “The idea is that, if you were monolingual in either language, you would be able to follow the plot,” Wilson-Gunn said. “We’ve done several public performances, and the adults seem to enjoy the play as much Warrenton School Board reprimands one of its own for policy violation By EDWARD STRATTON The Daily Astorian The Warrenton-Hammond School District Board of Di- rectors voted 5-0-1 to publicly censure Vice Chairwoman Kel- ly Simonsen at a Monday meet- ing. Board members Debbie Morrow, Darlene Warren, Joe Talamantez, Brian Bruney and Adam Neahring approved the censure — Simonsen abstained, FLWLQJDSRWHQWLDOFRQÀLFWRILQ- terest, and board member Isaac Anderson was absent. The board, said Morrow in a prepared statement, deter- mined that Simonsen failed to refer a complaint about a staff member to the appropriate ad- ministrator — Superintendent Mark Jeffery — and instead initiated direct contact with the employee regarding a per- current term ends June 30, 2017. “The board of directors has determined that it must distance itself and the school district from the conduct and action of Kelly Simonsen, so as to protect the board of directors and the dis- WULFW IURP OHJDO DQG ¿QDQFLDO liability,” said Morrow. “In con- sideration thereof, the board of directors of the Warrenton-Ham- mond School District does here- Kelly Simonsen by condemn the conduct of ac- tions of Kelly Simonsen.” sonnel matter, in violation of In an equally tallied vote, board policy. WKHERDUGDSSURYHGWKH¿QGLQJV &HQVXUHLVDQRI¿FLDOFRQ- of an investigative report into demnation of a board mem- the complaint against Simon- EHURURWKHUSXEOLFRI¿FLDOE\ sen. The details behind her cen- their peers. It does not remove VXUH RU ZKR ¿OHG D FRPSODLQW Simonsen from the school against her were not made pub- board or impede her ability to lic. Staff in the audience includ- serve. She joined the school ed Jeffery and Athletic Director board July 1, 2007, and her Ian O’Brien. zZDXQDIFXRUJ