Throughout the process of creating this work, I have had the opportunity to share personal experiences, insights, and perspectives of my interpretations on what it means to be “consumed.” And, as I learned about the widely diverse backgrounds of each cast member, I realized that everyone’s idea of the American dream is quite different. Yet, despite the variety, we all hold the same belief that media and advertising molds and skews that view.
So, once we began to delve into character developments and movement innovation, this concept of looking at an individual in connection to media influence really connected with me. I took into consideration the contrast between the average individual’s every day routine in combination with idly “consuming” media—via constantly checking social media platforms, advertisements in public places, etc.—versus being mentally present, putting away all forms of immediate and readily accessible information, and forming individual thoughts derived from newfound freedom of sensory and cognitive overload. I found that, in any given day in the life of Ansley, I tend to get unconsciously stuck in this “routine.” Whether it’s looking at Facebook on my commute to work, reading seasonal slogans on retail store windows, or heading down the Pinterest rabbit hole in the small amounts of spare time I do have, I fall into a mindless cycle of consumption—it’s inevitable. However, since coming to this realization, I have made a more constant and conscious effort to do the opposite of that. As cliché as it may seem, meditation has helped tremendously, as well as indulging in self-care, having meaningful and tech-free conversations with friends and family, and simply setting aside time to go for a walk. I will admit that, since reevaluating my connections to these outside sources of influence, I have found value in exposure to media and advertising to some degree. However, I have also learned that how we consume these stimuli directly impacts our way of life. It helped me to question how I was influenced by them, as well as to what degree certain adverts made an impact on my daily activities. All that being said, I ask this—what consumes you? Are you consciously and objectively consuming all that is around you? Come see the show and see how I, and the rest of the Consumed cast, process and react to these influences.
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A quick behind the scenes look at Artistic Director Sara Maslanka and cast building their characters within the world of Consumed!!!
There have been many actions of hate in this country over the last year. More than ever, many minorities and citizens without privilege have been personally attacked due to their cultural or religious background. So I wanted to take this moment to talk about what it means to be American and “American” culture. I define American culture as a continuing patriarchal society with deep foundations that constantly need to be challenged. We are founded on worthy principles which are being twisted and pitted against what we say we stand for. The paper is different from the talk.
America is a country of immigrants. The true Americans had their land stripped from them and were forced to live in reservations. Being a country which started from immigrants, it is my thinking that we should be accepting and inclusive of those who come to our country for various reasons. The original “Americans” are Europeans who wanted freedom from the monarchy but we are placed in a potentially similar period now. These resistances are splitting the country in half but there is no new land to flee to and steal to become a new “free” country so the citizens of this “America” are going to have to figure out their problems on this soil. What is American culture? What is it that we bring that is unique to the world? It is not wrong and it should be encouraged to explore these various walks of life and learn how these various societies grew under their brand of leadership. These phobias against those that are different should be questioned because at least they are unique and when I think of American culture I think sterile and clean. We should welcome diversity to help color our lives and become a greater unified force that could change the world through tolerance and acceptance. I wanted to take this weeks blog and talk a little about myself, which is only fair since you have been reading my words for the past month. My name is Mitchell Wilson and I am the Marketing Intern for Chicago Danztheatre Ensemble (CDE). How did I get to writing about social justice and promoting the amazing work that CDE does? Well, I go to DePaul University where I am studying Theatre Management (yes that is a career path) and Marketing. My major requires these internships to graduate and I could not be more blessed than to work with these amazing artists in interpreting societies major issues and bringing them to light.
Art is used majorly in social movements, which is apparent during the Black movement and LGBTQ+ movement. Art has a way to communicate complex messages in a simple malleable form. In art we decide how the problem relates to us rather than receiving one side of the story. This is the reason art is still relevant but that does not mean that it is forever changing. More immersion in art is an advancement that must be utilized, especially in social justice art as there needs to be a call to action. In order to acquaint you with the work that we do, I will be starting a bi weekly vlog to show the work that CDE does. These vlogs will show you the reason to be proud of having this type of organization at your finger tips. These vlogs will contain looks inside rehearsals, tours, and interviews with the individuals that are making this happen. Together we can change the world, and I will do my best to show you that we mean business!!! It is that time of year again. The time where we try to make time to see those that we hold dear. With the fast paced American life, some of us only have this time to see family. This brings up an interesting question about our roots and why some of us drift so far apart that the only interaction we have with those that we used to see everyday is through social media. It is so easy to become detached from your roots because that is what is expected of you in independent America. But we also need to remember that everyone has an extremely limited amount of time on this Earth. So how do we balance the family that we take for granted with the expectations of society.
We are becoming very busy and this leads to time flying by. It is hard to believe that the next generation in my family are already in grade school learning societal norms. They go to school and come home then race to the tablets and televisions to get their afternoon fix. The holidays were a time where we watch "Santa Clause is Coming to Town" and help bake cookies while exploring what we were grateful for before the year came to a close. Now I notice all the youngsters on their electronics while Santa Clause is on and the texts are flying during cookie time. In a world of growing technology, how do we break the new status quo and reconnect with our loved ones. Time is already limited enough and the ever changing world is shortening it even more. Life always has a way of keeping us from our family. It is either because of work, an activity we have been planning, or distance between our old life and new. During this holiday time I challenge you to set aside 24 hours of being disconnected from the man made barriers and spend time with family members that you may not have seen in awhile. Cook together, play interactive holiday board or card games, build that snowman so that we can reestablish the bonds and stop the growing abyss. The Internet & MeGrowing up as a Millennial, my evolution into adulthood paralleled the evolution of social media. As an 11 year old, I had my brother’s old “hand-me-down” computer in my bedroom and most exciting, it was a Gateway. This meant that all the cool computer games, like “Sims,” were available for hours of play. My mom’s Macintosh only had educational games. Unfortunately, the computer games weren’t enough once I discovered where all the cool kids were. The cool kids were on the Internet. I went over to a friend’s house one day after school and discovered how much I was missing out on. There was AOL Instant Messaging (AIM), Xanga, Limewire and more. The Internet seemed like a place of possibility for discoveries; a place of mystery and salvation from my awkwardness. My super cool Gateway did not have Internet as I wasn’t allowed to explore this new world. Another problem was, my mom grounded me every single time she caught me on the Internet. Still, mom couldn’t touch me while at a friend’s. Some of the screen names I created for myself are quite embarrassing. Of course I wanted to create something mature, cool, unique… like puppydoglover38, twinkletoes8960 and I can’t forget hottiehot38 and lilbebephat38. All saying I’m a little girl, trying to be a cool, big girl. There was Xanga, an online journal, which we call a blog today. I spilled the beans about crushes, happenings at school, fights with my parents, talked about my day or whatever else consuming my thoughts in Middle School. Then came MySpace and then eventually Facebook. One cooler than the next and I trying to personify my online coolness with each page design and posting. Gradually, I began to realize I was trying to create and portray a life that I wanted people to see. That life wasn’t authentic. I saw postings from friends and felt envious. There lives seemed fun and carefree. My middle and high school years were not like others my age. I went to dance class six days out of the week. My friends and I hung out in my basement with a frozen pizza, two liter of pop and a rented movie. We sometimes even made videos off my mom’s digital camera, too. There were no high school parties. I was, what us Millennials would say, a square. A square I am and that’s ok. I’m grateful for my squareness because my squareness allowed me to question why. Why do I work so hard to create this online version of Sara that meets the criteria of others? Despite feeling slightly envious, I realized I had bigger fish to fry and better parties to attend. I realized I was not my online life I worked diligently to create. My life is my physical form. Because honestly, who really cares what restaurant I’m eating at, that I’m drinking coffee or how cute I look. Posting is a choice. Being online is choice. The beauty of our relationship with the Internet is a choice, like any other relationship. We can share our worlds and we can keep them private. I personally, love keeping my life private. I love being able to share when I choose and live presently. I also love being able to share my thoughts or experiences when I find them relevant or worth sharing. There’s a power to the Internet and the social media worlds we have accounts with. It’s the way our organization is able to connect and engage with our audiences. The Internet has something for everyone if you go looking for it. While I appreciate the positives of social media use and appreciate how it’s evolved as a tool in social justice, I want to be present in my world and create change here. If you want to get to know me, let’s have a face-to-face conversation. Let’s go out and do stuff! No Man is an Island
Collaboration is key to making effective change. The proverb “no man is an island” rings true in these turbulent times as it falls onto us to initiate that change. Joined together, we create a persuasive voice that is hard to ignore with the power to influence nations. Most believe that these voices can begin in the Arts community. But as was said, “no man is an island”.
The end of the year giving is an important sustainable facet of our Arts community. The audience of these organizations may not understand the price that we pay to bring quality productions to them at a bargain price. Donations are an extremely massive portion of the funds that allow us to operate and tell our stories. Without them, we are unable to fill the void that is needed in the city of Chicago. At this time, it is vitally important to explore the reality of how much we rely on donations and how they keep us contributed to the community. According to the 2015 Charity Navigator, about $373.25 billion is made available to all non-profit organizations total. Arts organizations only see 5% of that number or $18.66 billion spread amongst ALL arts organizations. Here’s a breakdown of how contributed income supports a standard arts organization: Corporations - 5% Bequests – 9% Foundations – 16% Individual Donations – 71% That is why there would be no Chicago Danztheatre Ensemble without the continued support of our current donors and the gracious gifts of from our new donors. 81% of our budget goes towards funding our programming. Our audience should know the major impact that they have on the accessibility of our stories and what it takes to keep them alive. In order to grow and ask the bigger questions, we need to take action in spreading our tales to those who have yet to see them. In Chicago, we are the only multidisciplinary arts organization that engages in social justice material that gives the community tools to challenge the status quo. We are living in an important moment where we stand on the precipice of change. We can join hands and take a leap of faith together into a bright future or we may stay standing, watching the events unfold before us without challenging what comes next. This is the reason why we need to grow and join our voices to make sure we are heard. CDE has many communication outlets for you to come and engage in conversation about the society we live in. There you can see what we are doing to take a stand and maybe after some time getting to know us, you may join hands with us and leap into a brighter tomorrow.
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Mitchell WilsonMitchell is a Junior at Depaul University working towards degrees in Theatre Management and Marketing. In his free time, he's an Actor, House Manager and Gamer. Mitchell joined CDE this past Fall as a Marketing Intern. He's excited to learn new facet of marketing techniques for the socio-political works that CDE creates. A CALL TO ACTION
What is it about the spelling-binding words of a leader? Words strong enough to compel individuals towards action and elicit a patriotic response. These words of leaders (the good, bad, and ugly) signify specific moments in history; turning points of democracy or power surges of the hungry. The Inaugural Address of John F. Kennedy inspired a generation of citizens to unite and find solidarity in one another and their government to act. At his Inaugural Address, he states, “Ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of Man.”
We wanted to respond to the election of Donald Trump as President. Like many others, there’s no words; just raw emotion. How do we respond to his words of “Make America Great Again” when they threaten the rights of communities? A man who depicts a “great” America as one divided by walls, fear and violence. Despite our political ties, we the public must come together in solidarity to fight for freedom. A thought process that may help to ease the qualms may go something like this: I fear violence I fear people’s perspectives I fear the future Unity means supporting each other Unity means acceptance Unity means believing in the greater good I am grateful for the family and friends that I have I am grateful for every breath I take I am grateful for opportunities that before I could not fathom Making the transition from fear to gratitude should put in perspective what we are trying to change the world for. This is time to listen to the call and act. To believe in our power to move the nation. What will you end up fighting for? Today is Giving Tuesday. It’s a day that asks us to reflect on the joy of giving. With many worthy organizations and causes, consider taking a moment to give back to your local, grass-roots, multidisciplinary arts organization. The financial reality for an arts organization to exist is a state of not knowing. With funding in a perpetual up-in-the-air state we never what may change or get cut. Especially in our schools, our residencies may get the short end of the funding stick and come to an end. What keeps us pushing onward is our commitment towards this mission: performance with a purpose. The mission to use art to create change in the world. To create opportunities and platforms to share and discuss stories from our community. We aim to build solidarity in our communities, despite our differences, for the greater good of community. We empower our students, audiences and ensemble members to use art as our secret weapon. We don’t know what tomorrow holds, but we do know that we cannot give up the fight for this mission. Take a moment today to reflect on the causes you care about and consider Chicago Danztheatre Ensemble. Consider one of the 5,000 kids your donation goes towards. A donation that allow them self-expression and creativity. Consider the social-justice oriented performances that creates platforms for conversations to be had. Conversations that have included post-traumatic stress disorder, suicide, sexual assault and gun violence. If there’s any cause to fight for this holiday season, fight for art. As Oscar Wilde, “Art never expresses anything but itself.” Let’s use art to unite for a better tomorrow. That’s what we’re fighting. Happy Holidays, Friends! Any thoughts, comments, ideas, quotes, articles or __________? Share them here. We want to hear from you! Listen to WomenEveryday as I look over the script, I am further invested in telling this real story from such a pivotal time in culture and society in the US and across the world. This play reveals so many social constructs that my generation and beyond may never understand, specifically when it relates to a woman's voice in War. I think within the rehearsal process, I faced the struggle of accepting the neutral stance that most women, like Steele, had to have maintain to graduate and function through the Armed Services during the Vietnam War. As a character, Steele is a wonderful person to play and discover with. I think her story is very vital to the plot of the play as she maps the perspective of women in "leadership" within the Armed Services during that time. She held many positions, but the societal, gender, and racial constraints would never allow those positions to really matter. Without giving too much away, Steele's ultimate goal, had she succeeded in getting people to listen and act, could've changed the way we know the history of the Vietnam War. I think it's essential to note how each woman's voice, if listened to or accepted then, could've changed the course of our history and how we as a society look at intersectionality. All the characters depict how the same issues parallel to the ones faced by women in many industries outside of the Armed Services. Since this play, I have greater interest in speaking more to the women who have served in the Vietnam War with those serving today. There is continuity in the horror and glory of War from a woman's perspective, which I don't find to be discussed a lot. For this reason alone is why people should see Piece of My Heart. It's the voIce of women who are just as affected, important, and committed to the cause presented to them. This should be acknowledged and respected. A Piece of My Heart runs Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays May 6-15. Tickets can be purchased by clicking here. Tickets $15| Advance, $20| Door, $10| Student & FREE to All Veterans Jyreika Guest (Steele) is thoroughly excited about joining the cast of Piece of My Heart. She boldly made Chicago home performing her one-woman show 'Arn't I Still: Lessons of Her for the Solo Chicago Festival three years ago. She's an active performer in the Chicago area and house ensemble member of Chicago Slam Works where she starred in three of their debut season of original shows, Redlined, Have a Great Summer, and more recently, Incendium. She's featured for several festivals in the Chicagoland area including Ravenswood Art Walk and was a RAW Artist in Spoken Word in Cincinnati, OH. She’s obtained her Master’s in Public History and a BFA in Musical Theatre. Other theater credits include: Strong Women (Woman Two), Rhinoceros (Boss of Cafe/ Fireman), 2009 YES Festival World Premiere of Shock and Awe (Captain Martinez), Once on This Island (Peasant/Storyteller),Children of Eden (Storyteller), Freedom Speaks (Rosetta), and for colored girls (Lady in Blue). |
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