Hi Friends,
As has been repeatedly the case throughout the life-cycle of our creative work, we had a plan, and we’ve been adjusting it as circumstances changed. In the big picture, we were planning to attend film festivals in 2020 and share our work with the global creative community, and a global pandemic ended that. So we adjusted our plans.
More recently, as a part of that adjustment, we have a series of videos we have been sharing with you for several weeks; stories from our friends remembering our projects and stories of our process and the lessons that we’ve learned. These were first delayed by a COVID scare in our home, and then by the extraordinary events of the last several weeks.
On May 25th, 2020, George Floyd was killed by police in a moment of brutality that sparked an ongoing protest across the United States and around the globe. These protests demand the support of people of conscience, and we like many others in entertainment chose to suspend our promotional campaigns in order to create as much space as possible for the important messages and live videos from the scene of these events to take the center stage. What we witnessed in terms of institutional violence was unconscionable, and systemic change is, for the sake of humanity, desperately needed.
Members of our organization and alumni have been attending events, sharing their stories, offering financial support, and in some cases waiting for a time when there was something we might do or say to be of assistance.
Perhaps that time has come, at least for me.
On Capitol Hill, in Seattle Washington an area of several square blocks between 11th Ave and Nagel, between Denny Way and East Pine Street, centered at the Cal Anderson Park has been abandoned by the Seattle Police, who until recently were violently assaulting the peaceful protestors.
These protesters have sectioned off this area of Seattle and named it the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone. (CHAZ)
Here, they have peacefully gathered in the park, where they speak, share their resources, and in light of their new-found platform, have shared a list of demands. These demands are ambitious, they are in some cases radical, but above all, they represent a clear call for meaningful systemic change.
THE DEMANDS OF THE COLLECTIVE BLACK VOICES AT FREE CAPITOL HILL TO THE GOVERNMENT OF SEATTLE, WASHINGTON
In the days since the Police abandoned the area there was a certain amount of silence from the major media regarding this extraordinary development. That silence was broken when the President started calling for violence against the protestors. Now a skewed narrative is being presented to people around the world. But when you know people on the ground, and hear what they are saying, that is not the story you hear. Thanks to social media, their voices are also being broadcast around the globe, and I urge people to listen.
Speaking for ourselves: we are theater people. We are the different ones. We come from a variety of backgrounds, cultures, genders, orientations, etc. We know and love this neighborhood, and the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone literally includes the Richard Hugo House, where we staged 4 of our 7 Rites of Eleusis. This is a neighborhood where many of us have lived, attended church, and celebrated milestones in our lives, myself included. This is a place of memories, where outsiders found their place, where friendships and love were cemented. We held our informal “auditions” at the Karaoke bar across the park from the theater. There is a sense of homecoming to Cal Anderson Park.
During quarantine, when we’re also spending a lot of time at home, miles from the protests, passing the time as we can, being creative or enjoying the art of others often in the form of streaming movies and television, it seems no accident that streaming platforms have been promoting films and documentaries that highlight the stories of minorities, police officers, and revolutions. One that stood out to us this week was the 2012 adaptation of the musical Les Miserables, based on the novel by Victor Hugo.
This presentation is moving in particular, not only because it’s one of Melissa’s favorites, but because it’s a story about european people in revolution. An interesting choice to promote while we’re acting in protest of the systemic oppression of people of color.
Les Miserables culminates in the uprising in 1832 Paris, known as The June Rebellion . Of course, anyone who has seen Les Miserables knows that the June Rebellion ultimately resulted in the deaths of nearly everyone involved. It was 16 years later that the French Revolution of 1848 resulted in the end of the monarchy, and the beginnings of a more equitable world for many.
So what can we learn from this story that romanticizes a failed rebellion against institutional oppression? For starters, we can learn to remember where we’ve been. Next, perhaps, we can learn to see beyond what we have accomplished for ourselves in the time’s that we have fought. Certainly, we can celebrate these rebels. We sing their songs. We cheer for them, in all their doomed glory. When they fall short, we mourn for them.
And we should not forget them. The poor and the oppressed, who suffered and fought to change their world. Ultimately their cause succeeded. For some of us. For white Europeans.
It was not until the end of the United States Civil War, in 1865, seventeen years after the French Revolution, that the generations of slaves living in the United States were emancipated. And in the aftermath, they and their descendants have continually been abused, brutalized, demeaned, and ultimately forsaken by our institutions that promised equal protection, and lied.
So I ask the question: How can we hypocritically fail to support and celebrate those who fight to secure for themselves some measure of the same freedoms that we have gained? Do we fail to hear “The Song of Angry Men” is ringing out for our neighbors, our fellow citizens, our friends and family?
Change is a constant in life, and it is ours to determine what change will come.
And so I break the silence we’ve been observing to implore you, please do not forget these people. They need our help and support.
The people of the CHAZ have asked for much, and I applaud them. If we are to make lasting change we must be uncompromising. When your enemy puts children into cages and promises to release half the children if you stand down, they are demanding that you become complicit in their crimes in order to serve the “greater good”. You may find yourself bargaining with them, in search of some spark of humanity in those oppressors, and sell your soul in the process.
Please support Black Lives Matter. Their struggle is our struggle.
First and foremost, educate yourself and participate if you can. Tomorrow is another opportunity to stand with people and support change!
STATEWIDE SILENT MARCH AND GENERAL STRIKE ON FRIDAY, JUNE 12TH
Black Lives Matter Seattle-King County is calling for a statewide day of action in support of all Black lives in Washington State on Friday, June 12th. The day of action will include a general strike and a silent march to honor lives lost and send a powerful message that Washingtonians no longer tolerate the racism that is built into so many of our institutions. For those who can’t march in Seattle, we encourage local groups to organize a march in their communities.
Additionally, If you are local to Seattle, donations of food and supplies are being accepted on-site at CHAZ (Sadly, I could not find a verified link for financial donations, but if I can find a resource I will update this with a link)
You can also use these resources to find any number of organizations that would benefit from your support!
https://www.communityjusticeexchange.org/nbfn-directory
https://nymag.com/strategist/article/where-to-donate-for-black-lives-matter.html
https://www.aclu.org/how-you-can-help
We have this moment to decide if this will be a turning point, or just another sad story, without meaningful change. Will the future write this as a tragedy for those involved? Will they be remembered as fallen comrades, or worse, will they be forgotten? Or will we support those people who seek to change the world, and help them to succeed.
For many of us, we are the face of the world they wish to change. It is up to us to get on-board.
“Without deviation from the norm, progress is not possible.”—Frank Zappa
