{"id":249207,"date":"2015-09-25T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2015-09-25T07:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sdnews.com\/a-new-chapter-for-moolelo-2\/"},"modified":"2015-09-25T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2015-09-25T07:00:00","slug":"a-new-chapter-for-moolelo-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/a-new-chapter-for-moolelo-2\/","title":{"rendered":"A new chapter for Mo\u2019olelo"},"content":{"rendered":"

Bankers Hill woman takes charge of theater company<\/strong><\/p>\n

por David Dixon<\/p>\n

El Mo\u2019olelo Performing Arts Company<\/a> is known for producing shows that emphasize different cultures and relevant issues, and the new executive artistic director, Lydia Fort, is eager to uphold that tradition.<\/p>\n

The 2015-16 season is the first one programmed by Fort, a new resident of Bankers Hill.<\/p>\n

\u201cCell,\u201d the opening play directed by Fort, focuses on the timely subject of illegal immigration.<\/p>\n

\"Lydia-Fort\"<\/a>
Lydia Fort is the new executive artistic director. (Courtesy of Mo\u2019olelo Performing Arts Company)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Featuring an all African-American cast, \u201cCell\u201d stars Craig Noel award-winning actress Sylvia M\u2019Lafi Thompson, as Rene, a corrections officer. Thanks to her efforts, Rene\u2019s sister Cerise (Monique Gaffney) and niece Gwen (Andrea Agosto) work at a detention center for illegal immigrants. Although they are not supposed to become emotionally attached to the undocumented detainees, Gwen begins to sympathize with those waiting to be deported.<\/p>\n

Fort acknowledges that working on a world premiere can be a liberating experience.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s amazing how you can be hand-in-hand in creating something, and it doesn\u2019t happen very often,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

The script was written by New York City playwright Cassandra Medley, and Fort has been working with her during rehearsals to make the tale as powerful as possible. \u201cI feel it is incredibly exciting to help shape something while it\u2019s being made,\u201d Fort said.<\/p>\n

Fort believes Medley\u2019s script is important for several reasons.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt challenges what we think of others,\u201d she said. \u201cWe have had a lot of discussions about Black Lives Matter recently, and this is an opportunity to ask what are the results? The interesting thing about the text is that it looks at how we can dehumanize each other, even as people of color.\u201d<\/p>\n

Casting Thompson in the lead was an easy decision for the director to make.<\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone knows and loves Thompson,\u201d she said. \u201cBeing a newcomer [to Mo\u2019olelo], I talked to people and described the character of Rene. Hands down, everyone said Thompson\u201d should play her. Instead of auditioning for Fort, Thompson got the part after the two of them had a discussion over lunch.<\/p>\n

Once \u201cCell\u201d closes, Mo\u2019olelo has two other shows lined up for the new season. The National New Play Network world premiere of \u201cin a word\u201d is a collaboration between UC San Diego alumni Lauren Yee, the playwright, and Larissa Lury, the director. The story examines how a couple come to terms with their son\u2019s kidnapping during the two-year anniversary of the tragic incident. \u201cIt\u2019s haunting, beautiful, powerful and funny,\u201d Fort said.<\/p>\n

For their final selection, Ion Theatre Executive Artistic Director Claudio Raygoza has been tapped to direct the West Coast premiere of \u201cPinkolandia,\u201d written by bilingual artist Andrea Thome. The adventure deals with two Chilean-American sisters in the 1980s who go on imaginary journeys together. \u201cThe play has a beautiful fantastical nature about it, that reminds me of what theater can do,\u201d Fort said.<\/p>\n

With \u201cCell\u201d and future narratives, Fort wants to tell stories that leave a profound impact on audiences. \u201cI feel like when [I see theater], I have come to a sacred space and have borne witness to something with other people,\u201d she said. \u201cThat to me is what makes theater so incredible.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fort hopes that people do not view the dramas that she stages as mindless entertainment: \u201cMy objective is can I create something that challenges people to talk afterwards? Can I create something that inspires people to go home and get on the Internet to research [the topic of a play]?\u201d<\/p>\n

Amy Elizabeth Oliveira, marketing coordinator for the theater, agrees with Fort about the company\u2019s mission.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of MPAC\u2019s values,\u201d she said, \u201cis to explore and examine life in all of its complexity and diversity to seek new experience and overcome prejudice.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Screen<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014Fan\u00e1tico del cine y el teatro desde muy joven, David Dixon ha escrito rese\u00f1as y reportajes para varias publicaciones impresas y en l\u00ednea. Puedes localizarlo en <\/em>daviddixon0202@gmail.com<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

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