Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (June 3, 2015)
Page 4 Confronting stigmas of homelessness and addiction June 3, 2015 Theatre for Real Life Participants in Living Stages ‘ Theatre for Real Life’ artist res- idency at Bud Clark Commons will present “Hurry Up and Wait” a performance of two original in- teractive forum plays reflecting the challenges low-income com- munity members face in accessing healthcare services, and dealing with the stigmas of former home- lessness and addiction. The event will be held Thursday, June 4 at 4 p.m. in the Bud Clark Commons Day Center Multipur- pose Room, 655 N.W. Irving, and is open to the public free of charge. The performance will feature theatre created and performed by formerly homeless community photo by J oseph G lode members, and offer the chance for Theatre for Real Life offers low-income participants the chance to step from the streets onto the audience members to actively en- stage, and offers audiences the chance to take action – on the stage and in real life – to counteract gage with the issues presented in injustice wherever it happens. Participating on stage are DeWanna Harris, Transition Projects out- the play by stepping onto the stage reach specialist, and Michael Brunner and Kepha Israel, both mentors for Transition Projects. to suggest ideas and possible ac- tions. Since September, over 60 low-income participants engaged in Living Stages’ Theatre for Real Life program, with the majority of participants in transitional housing or formerly homeless. The two plays created, “Take a Number” and “Inequities in Healthcare: the Haves, Have-Nots, and the Story of Brittany Pumper- nickle” were created during the workshop process and reflect the cumulative experiences and stories of a wide number of program par- ticipants. Living Stages is a Port- land-based 501c3 arts organiza- tion committed to the practice of interactive theatre as a process for community engagement, action and transformation. This public presentation culminates Living Stages’ year-long artist residency at Bud Clark Commons, funded by the City of Portland, Percent for Art, in partnership with Home For- ward and Transitions Projects, and administered by the Regional Arts and Culture Council. Living Stages was selected out of 9 community-based arts orga- nizations in a competitive process for this artist residency, with the goal of engaging the communi- ty at Bud Clark Commons in the art of theatre creation and perfor- mance. “Ours is an unfinished theatre” says Living Stages Creative Direc- tor, Tamara Lynne. “As long as so- cial injustice exists, we present our questions and our struggles— and then rely on our audiences to come up with ideas to transform the out- come of our play. Our hope is that the theatre inspires action not only on the stage— but also in real life.” For more information, contact Living Stages at teatrocambio.org or email tamara@livingstages.org. Baccalaureate for Hope and Pride The Portland Black Baccalau- reate is back. In a commitment to honor local graduating seniors and held in the African tradition of inviting the entire village and community to the celebration, members of the Portland African American Leadership Forum’s Af- rican American Leadership Acad- emy, are bringing back the annual ceremony. The Black Baccalaureate ex- emplifies the importance of rec- ognizing people of the rich, di- verse cultures that make up the African Diasporas for attaining a high school diploma. This recog- nition also offers an opportunity, for some, to graduate in preferred surroundings. The Black Baccalaureate takes place Sunday, June 14 at 4 p.m. at Portland Bible College, 9150 N.E. Fremont St. The graduation recep- tion begins at 3 p.m. and both the ceremony and the reception are open to the public free of charge. All graduates must arrive by 2 p.m. To register or learn more, email BlackBaccOregon@gmail. com or visit BlackStudentSuc- cess.org. Obama Makes it Right C ontinued from P age 2 pened to too many soldiers like him, who went uncelebrated because our nation judged them by the color of their skin and not the content of their character. But we can do our best to make it right.” Obama described how Johnson and a fellow soldier came under attack by at least a dozen German soldiers while on night sentry duty on May 15, 1918. Both were in- jured, but Johnson single-handed- ly beat back the invading party and rescued his unconscious brother in arms, armed with just his Bolo knife after his rifle jammed. Obama said it similarly took too long for America to properly hon- or Shemin, who served at a time when the contributions in heroism of Jewish Americans in uniform were too often overlooked.