Monday, 7/14/97 Art workshops let participants express feelings
THEATER: Performance artists at ‘Highways’ teach women about
writing, ‘body-based story-telling’
By Jammie Salagubang Daily Bruin Contributor When summer takes a
turn for the blah, one option for the avant-garde-prone is hitting
Highways. No, that doesn’t mean standing by a roadside with an
upturned thumb. Highways is a Santa Monica performance space and
gallery which is hosting a series of workshops this summer,
including the "Rad Asian Sisters Workshop" and "Go Solo." Taught by
performance artist Denise Uyehara, the "Rad Asian Sisters Workshop"
is geared toward Asian/Pacific Islander women. But Uyehara stresses
that all women are welcome. "I really wanted to have a place for
women to come together," explains Uyehara, who is also a writer and
part of The Sacred Naked Nature Girls, an ensemble performance
group. Uyehara’s workshop focuses on "body-based story-telling,"
writing and solo work. Uyehara wants to let women know that their
personal stories and experiences are important "so that they have
something that they are, instead of always having to combat that
they’re not," Uyehara says. One workshop exercise asks participants
to draw a line and pack an imaginary suitcase. They decide what to
pack or leave behind before crossing a line which symbolizes a
birthday or other momentous occasion. Other activities include
writing down feelings, thoughts and stories. "I have them write a
legend or myth about yourself or a character who is like you
because it gives women free license to do whatever they want,"
Uyehara says. "To see themselves as heroes, heroines, the angry
ones, the dark ones, the crazy bitches or the one who helps people
or cries in a corner. Those are all legends. Those are all part of
our lives." Besides writing, the women will also try their hands at
acting. In September, they’ll even get the chance to perform their
work at Highways. "I really really want other women performing
their own work, particularly Asian women," Uyehara asserts. "To see
others exchanging energy and listening to each other on stage and
responding to each other’s work is very transformative." However,
the journey to self-discovery and fulfillment might lie along a
different route, especially for males or non-Asians. But they only
need to look as far as "Go Solo" with Laurie Lathem. Workshop
members develop pieces that they later perform. Lathem, who is an
actress, playwright and performance artist, explains, "It’s really
not an acting class. People can come in with pieces that they’ve
written and then I will work with them on those pieces." Lathem’s
workshop concentrates more on solo work, but Lathem indicates that
the class is flexible. "A lot of what dictates the shape of the
class is who’s in it, what kind of work they need to do," Lathem
says. "It really varies." So does her class enrollment. One student
who’s been in her workshop for the past three years is a
74-year-old architect. But his age and career may be misleading.
The student was accepted at the Actors Theatre of Louisville, which
Lathem describes as "the most prestigious solo festival in the
country." Lathem’s other students come from all walks of life. "I
have actors who want to write more and I have writers who want to
try their hand at performing," Lathem says. "I try to take them
individually and work with what they bring." Although her students
will also have a chance to perform their pieces, Lathem stresses
that performance is not the main point of her workshop. "I don’t
want people to think at the end of six weeks they’re going to have
a show. What’s really the goal is to get them excited about working
on something. It’s about learning the process of working well. It’s
about getting yourself jazzed," Lathem says. Like Uyehara, Lathem
focuses on story-telling, but has a slightly different perspective.
"Just the bare facts of having told the truth of what happened to
you is not art in my opinion. You still have to build a story and
take the audience through an experience," Lathem says. However,
Lathem knows that everyone has a story to tell and that story can
have a powerful effect on people. "People discover that they have
things to discuss, things to say, things they are passionate about
writing that they had no idea [about] before they walked into the
room," Lathem reflects. "I really believe in the power of
story-telling. I believe in the power of art to bring about
change." THEATER: The "Go Solo" workshop starts July 19 at
Highways, 1651 18th St. in Santa Monica, and continues every
Saturday for six weeks. For more information about "Go Solo" call
558-6648. The "Rad Asian Sisters Workshop" for summer is full, but
for future workshops, call 285-3698. For general information about
Highways call 453-1755.