BACK TO SCHOOL
Equinox, waning moon
fog descends over Point Dume
to Paradise Cove
Santa Ana winds blow
crisp brown leaves down from sequoias
onto canyon trail
Students on Janss Steps
pass chipper black birds who sing
“Kotter, welcome back”
Emme Devonish
November 2008
Dramasense was created in December 2008.
On entre dans l’immeuble
sans regarder la glace
l’image de la femme grise
Son cœur gelé
comme la mémoire du bébé
Francis, mort-né
On descend les escaliers
sans penser à un mari
qui a fiché le camp
Ses cris alarmés
comme un garçon effrayé
des ombres de la nuit
On s’installe au bureau
sans manger pendant des heures
parce que le chagrin dévore
Voyage quotidien
comme un squelette désintégré
le désespoir consomme
On se lève de sa chaise
sans parler à personne
dans la salle de fantômes
Leur insouciance étouffante
comme des larmes effondrées
d’âpres hystérectomies
On monte dans l’ascenseur
sans apporter le sac
des histoires atroces
Les pages du passé
comme la tombe de Francis
enterré à Charonne
On sort du bâtiment
sans regretter les jours
car les étoiles brillent
et leur splendeur invite
comme Niel Armstrong incite
à se rendre sur la Lune
Emme Devonish
Octobre 2011
Emme a gagné le Prix de Troisième Place dans le Concours de Poésie 2011 (Le Département de Français, School of Languages and Cultures, The University of Sydney) pour la rédaction de Voyage Quotidien.
Now through March 14, 2010, at the Geffen Playhouse, audiences can delight in Joanna Murray-Smith’s The Female of the Species. Annette Bening stars as Margot Mason, a writer suffering from a terrible case of writer’s block.
As Margot struggles to find inspiration she becomes a captive in her home albeit surrounded with a talented cast of characters. Mireille Enos delivers an excellent performance as Tess, the neglected daughter who abandoned intellectual pursuits for a humdrum existence as a housewife. The debate rages on about whether motherhood is the most challenging career a woman could choose or whether the “real” world is woefully deprived of brilliant female minds that are wasting away with stories of Pokémon.
The roles of the other actors are humorous but without substance. Thus, their formidable talents are not necessarily brought to the forefront. The supporting cast includes David Arquette as Tess’s husband, Julian Sands as Margot’s publisher, Merritt Wever as a deranged college dropout, and Josh Stamberg as a cabdriver. All of the characters have a purpose that drives the plot along, except for the cabdriver who seems to be added to highlight a Neanderthal view that a man’s unique contribution to a relationship resides in his sexual prowess.
If you let go of critical analysis and the potential implications of the conflicted feminist theories of Margot Mason, anyone can enjoy approximately ninety minutes of comedy.
Onda de Calor
Humidade e calor não eram nossos convidados
Naquela tarde de Domingo.
Surpresa eles disseram e sorriram.
Balançamos nossas cabeças,
Nenhuma bebida para saciar a sede que eles deixaram,
Nem ventilador para refrescar a sala
Ou as marcas de suor que estampam as camisas de linho e
as saias coral de Primavera.
Nosso Labrador não ignorou nosso infortúnio.
Lambeu nossos dedos enquanto nossas juntas e músculos imploravam
Por glucosamina.
Aos 86, os 96 graus fizeram nosso reumatismo despertar.
As dores da idade que odiamos,
Tivemos que elevar nossos membros letárgicos
E engolir nossas cápsulas e tirar sonecas o dia todo.
Então a Mãe Natureza soprou um beijo
O vento acariciou nossas coxas, nossos rostos
E nos acordou.
Refrescados e recuperados, nos sentimos vivos.
Acariciamos o cachorro, colocamos Ella para tocar
E dançamos a noite toda.
Original “Heatwave” written in English on May 27, 2009, and translated into Portuguese on August 8, 2009: Emme Devonish, Frank Jenkins, and Daniela Von Hanzlik.
On April 19, 2009, Conor McPherson’s play, The Seafarer, performed at the Geffen Playhouse. McPherson, an Irish playwright, won critical acclaim for The Weir in the late 1990s and will likely receive recognition for The Seafarer.
The entire play takes place on Christmas Eve. Although the day of this particular performance it was 96 degrees Fahrenheit in Los Angeles.
Act I of the play held the audience’s attention mainly due to the stellar actors: Andrew Connolly, Tom Irwin, John Mahoney, Paul V. O’Connor, and Matt Roth.
The caustic remarks of Richard (Paul Mahoney), a blind drunk, met with the sulky demeanor of his younger brother, Sharky (Andrew Connolly), seemed displaced.
Ivan (Paul V. O’Connor), a fellow drunk and a friend of Richard’s, add further confusion to the scene with his recurring complaint that he can’t find his glasses.
At the end of Act I, Mr. Lockhart (Tom Irwin) and Nicky (Matt Roth) arrive just in time to change the dynamics of the play and leave a cliffhanger before intermission.
During intermission many audience members rushed to the bar. This may have been a psychological response, like Pavlov’s dogs, to the constant drinking on the stage. It may also have been the easiest way to reduce the stress-induced tension of the indecipherable first Act.
All bets are off in Act II. The main thrust of the play is revealed during a poker game. The message here may have been that there are always losers and winners in poker as in life. For the characters in The Seafarer, an alcoholic life is better than no life.
The Seafarer anchors itself on Act II and an outstanding cast of actors. If your curiosity is peaked, skip Act I, arrive at the bar during intermission, and then enjoy Act II.
The Seafarer runs at the Geffen through May, 24, 2009.
On April 1, 2009, David Roussève’s theatrical dance company, Reality, performed Saudade at UCLA’s Freud Playhouse. In Portuguese saudade is defined as yearning, nostalgia, or to be greatly missed. Saudade is the third and final work in the Bittersweet series where Roussève explores the point where agony and joy collide.
For one hour and forty minutes without intermission, Roussève drew the audience into a psychological drama. Not everyone in the audience had the emotional or mental stamina to endure the performance filled with shackles, foul language, and lesbian sex.
Those audience members who stayed for the duration, walked with Roussève from the beginning of “desperately trying to understand the meaning of life,” through phases of life, until the end where the realization comes that life may never be understood.
One of the mesmerizing aspects of the performance was the way Roussève quietly walked diagonally across the stage from beginning to end. Each step was slowly recorded while the dancers moved around him. At certain junctures Roussève stopped the walk to deliver a monologue.
Each monologue told a story. In each story Roussève assumed the voices of the characters: a former slave girl named Sally, an old man’s lonely life with an alley cat, a mother who loses her husband to rescue her children during Hurricane Katrina.
There was also the haunting interwoven tale of Roussève’s own life, his struggle to live in his “own spot on the earth.” Even in these bittersweet moments, love survived as the overarching theme.
The soft sounds of Fado played in the background as the strong, sensual dancers moved around the stage. There was a certain rawness highlighted when the dancers shifted into spoken word. Each scene pushed an extreme and acceptance of what “is” life was barely tolerable. It is no wonder the group is named Reality.
This is not a performance for children, those with weak hearts, or those who would rather keep their heads in the sand. For the brave few who walk through life alert, go see Saudade at the Freud Playhouse.
The scene opened with a dancing dog as the limericks came gushing out of the mouths of the actors. The five member cast of Hoipolloi performed My Uncle Arly from March 27-29, 2009, at the Freud Playhouse as part of the UCLA Live Spring season.
My Uncle Arly is a story about Mr. Lear’s journey from England to Italy. Edward Lear, poet, illustrator, and author, was born in 1812. He was the 20th of 21 children. From age 15 he supported himself with sales of his paintings and illustrations. At 19 he sold his first book. He spent the later part of his life in San Remo, Italy.
My Uncle Arly is filled with wonderful rhyme and delightful characters such as the “pobble who has no toes” and the “dong with the luminous nose.” The cast quickly changed into the characters as well as took on French and Italian accents.
Even though the play ran about an hour and ten minutes, on Saturday night the theatre was only a third full. Perhaps the 7:30pm curtain time was too late for families. It was a pity that more children were not in the audience to treat their imaginations to live entertainment rather than the force-fed mumbo jumbo of electronic media. Those children who were present laughed at Hoipolloi’s slapstick performance, clever rhymes, and overall delightful multicultural performance.
For those parents who would like to support the arts and children’s creativity, please visit http://www.webplay.org and www.hoipolloi.org.uk.
February 20-21, 2009, members of Diavolo, a Los Angeles dance company, leaped and flew across The Broad Stage. Diavolo is known for its creative use of gymnastics, martial arts, and acrobatics in modern dance. Elaborate geometric designs are also an integral part of Diavolo’s performance. These large scale art forms challenge the notions of time, space, and movement.
Trajectoire, one of Diavolo’s signature pieces, was the final set performed after intermission. It should have been the first. A 3,000 pound rocking galleon was central to the performance. Dancers in angelic white costumes soared over, across, and underneath the bow like doves in flight. Audience members held their breaths in awe of the precision, grace, and flow of Jacques Heim’s choreography.
The preceding three sets (Foreign Bodies, Knockturne, and Tête en l’Air) were just appetizers. Trajectoire was the main course and dessert rolled into one complete meal.
Diavolo also had a unique approach to public relations. After the first set, Jacques Heim greeted the audience while the dancers changed attire and the set was re-arranged. He informed the audience about the history of the company, upcoming tours, and the opportunity to purchase Diavolo jewelry. He graciously thanked Diavolo’s sponsors and the audience for their support.
At the end of the final performance, the affable Heim re-emerged to interact with the audience. The entire dance company, including the set and lighting designers, sat on the edge of the stage to introduce themselves and answer questions. Afterwards, the dance company mingled with the remaining audience members at a champagne reception in the foyer.
It is not only Diavolo’s dance style that makes the company special; it is also their commitment to education. Diavolo has an impressive roster of educational programs for students (level K-12) and college and professional workshops, which are taught in Los Angeles as well as in selected cities worldwide.
For more information about this innovative dance company, go to http://www.diavolo.org/fs_main.html.
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