ISC: Art Break

In this month's Community Action Update, ISC's Artistic Associate for Social Justice, Carene Mekertichyan, invites you to join ISC staff this Giving Tuesday in celebrating and supporting organizations that we feel are doing important work to uplift our communities and staying active in the fight for social justice and equity. Let us know who you are supporting this Giving Tuesday on our Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram!

Ready for a Spooky episode just in time for Halloween?

In today's episode of Off the Shelf, ISC Ensemble Member, Aisha Kabia, reads to you the dark story of W.W. Jacobs's "The Monkey's Paw."

Aisha Kabia Is an actress working and living in Los Angeles, CA.

In Nine Seasons with Independent Shakespeare Company:  Thaisa in ‘PERICLES’, Titania in ‘A MIDSUMMER NIGHTS DREAM’ Queen Elizabeth in ‘RICHARD III’, Princess in 'LOVES LABOURS LOST', Mistress Ford in 'MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR', Helena in 'MIDSUMMER NIGHTS DREAM', Lady Macduff in 'MACBETH', Lady Capulet in 'ROMEO AND JULIET', Celia/Phebe in 'AS YOU LIKE IT', Adriana in 'COMEDY OF ERRORS'

Regional Theater: 3 Seasons at OREGON SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL

Television: The GOOD PLACE, The RESIDENT, S.W.A.T, GIRL MEETS WORLD, HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER, NCIS:LA, TRANSFORMERS 5, etc. & over 35 National Commercials

Education: Second City Conservatory Graduate. BFA from UC SANTA BARBARA

Enjoy this week's spine-chilling Art Break. *WARNING: This episode contains themes of colonization.*

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In this month's Community Action Update, ISC's Artistic Associate for Social Justice, Carene Mekertichyan, invites you to protect Mauna Kea, The Creative Workforce Development Act, donate to the family and scholarship fund of Halyna Hutchins, stop Line 3, and other ways YOU can stay active in the fight for social justice and equity.

In this month's Community Action Update, ISC's Artistic Associate for Social Justice, Carene Mekertichyan, invites you to support arts workers by advocating for SB-628, The Creative Workforce Development Act, stay informed and donate to aid current refugee crises, volunteer with SELAH and Waterdrop LA to support our unhoused neighbors, and other ways YOU can stay active in the fight for social justice and equity.

Join us for our special August Community Action Update! ISC's Artistic Associate for Social Justice, Carene Mekertichyan, highlights SELAH, a local organization serving the unhoused in Silver Lake, Echo Park, Los Feliz, Atwater Village, and Hollywood. This year during the Griffith park Free Shakespeare Festival, ISC is partnering with SELAH to collect hygiene kits for the unhoused during our entire run of The Tempest!

In July's Community Action Update, ISC's Artistic Associate for Social Justice, Carene Mekertichyan, invites you to support our unhoused neighbors with Water Drop LA, take part in La Defensa’s “Rate My Judge” program, join Justice LA’s efforts for criminal justice reform, and other ways YOU can stay active in the fight for social justice and equity.

Learn more about Water Drop LA by visiting their Instagram page: @waterdropla

Happy Pride Month! In June's Community Action Update, ISC's Artistic Associate for Social Justice, Carene Mekertichyan, invites you to donate to your favorite LGBTQIA2S+ organizations including the Los Angeles LGBT Center and the Trans Defense Fund, take action to Save the San Marcos Foothills, urge your assembly member to support the VISION Act, and other ways YOU can stay active in the fight for social justice and equity.

It's a double feature in this week's Off the Shelf with ISC!

In today's episode of Off the Shelf, ISC Ensemble Member, Sam Breen, reads to you the humorous tales of Mark Twain's "The Wary Prayer," and "A Dog's Tale."

Sam Breen is a Swiss/American actor, writer and educator and ISC company member. He has performed at The La Jolla Playhouse, The American Repertory Theater, PACT Zolverein (Germany), The Edinburgh Fringe Festival. His Los Angeles credits include: Macbeth at Antaeus, The Three Musketeers at Theatricum Botanicum, Flesh Eating Tiger at Highways. His Independent Shakespeare Company credits include: Mark Antony in Julius Caesar, Oberon in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Good Angel in Faustus, and the title role in the upcoming production of Macbeth.

When asked why he chose these stories to read for Off the Shelf, Sam responded, “I’ve always loved Mark Twain's writing, but recording these narration pieces gave me the opportunity to discover his beautiful short stories for the first time. His writing is layered yet wonderfully accessible, idiosyncratic but with broad implications. The War Prayer is a snarky commentary about the fanfare. A Dog’s Tale is a touching story told from the point of view of a St-Bernard/Collie mix.”

Enjoy this week's whimsical, waggish Art Break.

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For May's Community Action Update, ISC's Artistic Associate for Social Justice, Carene Mekertichyan, invites you to aid in the movement to #StopAAPPI Hate by taking Bystander Intervention Training with Hollaback!, donate to Save the San Marcos Foothills, learn more about nationwide community based alternatives to police, and other actions YOU can take this month to stay active in the fight for social justice and equity.

Take an Art Break and learn more about ways you can mobilize for advocacy in the arts! Activist, actor and ISC Ensemble member Sabra Williams is in conversation with ISC’s Artistic Associate for Social Justice, Carene Mekertichyan about her social justice work with organizations like the Actor’s Gang and Creative Acts, creating a National Truth Commission, the importance of the arts, and the many layers of dismantling systemic white supremacy.

Sabra is a person of action as evidenced by her work in the prison systems using the arts to transform lives. Her current work also includes contributing to the Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation effort spearheaded by The Kellogg Foundation, Congresswoman Barbara Lee and Senator Cory Booker to set up a national Truth Commission.

It's time to grab another book Off the Shelf with ISC!

In today's episode of Off the Shelf, ISC Ensemble Member, William Elsman, reads to you the spine-chilling tale of Edgar Allan Poe's "The Black Cat." Known for his stories full of mystery and macabre, Edgar Allan Poe take audiences for a disturbing ride in "The Black Cat" as the unnamed narrator's strong affection for his pet black cat turns deadly.

In this April Community Action Update, ISC's Artistic Associate for Social Justice, Carene Mekertichyan, speaks to what actions YOU can take this month to stay active in the fight for social justice and equity.

List of Resources

This episode was recorded and edited before the horrific attacks against the Asian-American community in Atlanta. We stand in solidarity with the AAPI community and condemn the targeted violence that continues to escalate. We must dismantle systemic white supremacy in all of our communities.

While we stay safer at home, Zoom readings and live streamed Shakespeare plays have served the need for some form (any form!) of theater. But there is nothing like folks gathering for the shared experience of Shakespeare performed live and in-person.

This Art Break, we're taking a closer look at experiencing Shakespeare live in the theater vs watching filmed adaptations of Shakespeare. We have many special guests joining us for the episode, including Alex Lowe, a friend of ISC Managing Director, David Melville and a comic actor who played part in the Kenneth Branagh's Much Ado About Nothing (1993); Reynaldo Macias and Jean Gaskill, educators at St. Matthews Parish School and collaborators on countless ISC projects; and the 354 Squad, a react group on YouTube consisting of ISC Family, Bukola Ogunmola, Kendell Byrd, Cary Reynolds, and Tiana Quant.

More from Alex Lowe:

Upcoming Live Performances: https://www.clintonbaptiste.com/live/

Barry from Watford: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2w8l_DJmXA

More from 354 Squad:

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCn0Mbi55jUCCAQG6PPsvsEw

Twitter: https://twitter.com/the354squad?lang=en

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the354squad/

Resources to Advocate Against Asian-American Hate Crimes:

Stop AAPI Hate: https://stopaapihate.org/

Donate to Red Canary Song: https://www.redcanarysong.net/

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In this March Community Action Update, ISC's Artistic Associate for Social Justice, Carene Mekertichyan, speaks to what actions YOU can take this month to stay active in the fight for social justice and equity.

List of Resources

Grab your favorite book Off the Shelf and take an Art Break with us!

We're kicking off the premiere of our newest segment, Off the Shelf, with ISC Co-Founder and Managing Director, David Melville reading a classic, light-hearted short story, "Jeeves and the Unbidden Guest" from My Man Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse. One of many Wodehouse short stories, "Jeeves and the Unbidden Guest" features the young Bertie Wooster, his valet, Jeeves, and Motty, the son of an aristocratic friend, who Jeeves and Bertie must get out of trouble.

David grew up in the UK where attended the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art and began his career as an actor. In 1995 he met Melissa Chalsma when they were both cast in a Broadway production of HAMLET. They married 10 months later and co-founded Independent Shakespeare Co. shortly after that. David has directed and appeared in many ISC productions. Recent roles include Bottom, Titus Andronicus, Julius Caesar and Feste. David has composed music for many ISC shows and co-wrote the original musicals RED BARN and ANITA BERBER IS DEAD!  TV and Film includes LAWRENCE OF AMERICA, STARGATE ORIGINS, IRONCLAD, PERFECTION, THE UNDERSTUDY and ISC’s recent ROMEO & JULIET.

When asked why he selected this short story to read, David responded, "P.G. Wodehouse is often referred to as the funniest writer in the English language. Dipping into his work always cheers me up and, as we all probably need a bit of cheering up right now, I thought it might be appropriate to read one of his short stories for this series. JEEVES AND THE UNBIDDEN GUEST is one of the earliest Jeeves and Wooster capers, first published in the Saturday Evening Post in December 1916 and later in the collection MY MAN JEEVES. Surprisingly, when we are introduced to Bertie, he is not in his native England but enjoying a lengthy stay in New York. I chose this particular story as it didn’t have any characters with tricky American accents. I hope you enjoy listening, it was certainly a joy to record."

Enjoy David's lively voicing of P.G. Wodehouse's cheery, slapstick humor for this week's Art Break.

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Sit back, relax, and take an Art Break with us.

Hosted by ISC’s Marketing Assistant and Podcast Producer, Carolina Xique, and our Artistic Associate for Social Justice, Carene Rose Mekertichyan, this casual Art Break interview features ISC Favorites and BFFs, Xavi Moreno and Richard Azurdia, who you have seen in countless LA Shakespeare Festivals, including Much Ado About Nothing, Titus Andronicus, Measure for Measure, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. We caught up with Xavi and Richard to discuss connecting during the pandemic, memorable summer festival moments, their work at Company of Angels, representation in LA theatre, and even share a VERY special announcement!

**Warning: there is some very minor cursing in this episode.

In this premiere of our monthly Community Action Update, ISC's Artistic Associate for Social Justice, Carene Mekertichyan, speaks to what actions YOU can take this month to stay active in the fight for social justice and equity. A list of resources are available below.

What do The Kennedys, planet Earth, 2012, and Shakespeare all have in common? They all have conspiracy theories attached to them. Whether you believe the Earth is flat, or that the world was actually going to end back in 2012, it's a great wonder why conspiracy theories happen in the first place.  Who's prone to conspiracies? Why do we look to other means to make sense of the world around us?

One of the conspiracies we hear all the time at Independent Shakespeare Co. is the question, "Do you actually believe William Shakespeare wrote all of those plays? Or do you think it was someone else?" So let's talk about it.

Art Break producer and host, Carolina Xique, sits down virtually with ISC Managing Director, David Melville, and special guest, Amanda Hootman, who you may recognize from ISC's Anita Berber is Dead! and A Christmas Carol.

Amanda trained at Guildford School of Acting in the U.K.. Previous theatre credits include Charles Dickens Presents: A Christmas Carol, Anita Berber is Dead!, Secret Garden, Harmony Boys Christmas: Live From Waikiki, Sex and the Musical, Carousel, Nilbog: The Unofficial Musical Parody of Troll 2, Not Phantom: The Musical, Spring Awakening, A Christmas Carol, The Light In The Piazza, Nothing Is The End of the World (Except The End of the World), Perchance to Dream. Other credits include: F.L.O.P.’s Buffy Kills Edward: the web series, F.L.O.P.’s Sex and the City parody videos, Pose Down, One Evening, Seabourn Cruise Line, and Lily Beacon's Post Apocalyptic Awesome Fun Time Podcast. Amanda can be found performing in improv spaces across LA with The Sound and the Furry or creating video essays on YouTube under the name “little hoot”.

In Part 3 out of 3 of this series on Institutional Racism in the Theatre, host and producer Carolina Xique continues the discussion of anti-Blackness in Theatre Education. How is the diaspora of Black experiences neglected in theatrical education? What can White educators do today to dismantle White Supremacy within themselves?

Continuing this discussion are highly-esteemed Black artists, educators, and theorists, Dr. Jaye Austin Williams (Assistant Professor of Africana Studies, Bucknell University), Chris Anthony (Assistant Professor of Performance, DePaul University), and Dominic Taylor (Acting Chair, UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television). Take a look at their bios and extensive artistry in the Theatre at www.iscla.org/podcast.

For more information about how you can help combat anti-blackness in the Los Angeles community, please visit www.iscla.org/justice

In Part 2 out of 3 of this series on Institutional Racism in the Theatre, host and producer Carolina Xique discusses anti-Blackness in Theatre Education. How can traditional Westernized theatre training be harmful to Black artists? What's the difference between "Black" Theatre & "African-American" Theatre? How do the stories we tell affect the way we see Black people?

Joining this discussion are highly-esteemed Black artists, educators, and theorists, Dr. Jaye Austin Williams (Assistant Professor of Africana Studies, Bucknell University), Chris Anthony (Assistant Professor of Performance, DePaul University), and Dominic Taylor (Acting Chair, UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television). Take a look at their bios and extensive artistry in the Theatre at www.iscla.org/podcast.

You don't want to miss this important conversation.

Be on the look out for an special announcement from ISC on Tuesday, 5/14!

For more information about how you can help combat anti-blackness in the Los Angeles community, please visit www.iscla.org/justice

It goes without saying that 2020 is not anyone's best year. However, it is the year that millions of Americans--even more specifically, theatre artists-- have had to take a hard look at the ways covert racism and anti-blackness are perpetuated throughout American culture. In the wake of protests against the murder of Black lives at the hands of police, Black artists are calling out major theatre arts institutions for claiming "wokeness" despite the lack of diversity in their hiring process, failing to address macro- & micro-aggression in their companies, and hesitating to hold their colleagues and collaborators accountable.

It's 2020. Change has been long overdue.

This time on Art Break, Carolina Xique speaks to ISC Ensemble Members, Carene Mekertichyan (who has also taken up the mantle as ISC's newly appointed Artistic Associate for Social Justice) and Sabra Williams about their careers as Black Female Artists, their social activism, and their experiences with racism in the theatre. This incredibly important conversation is one you don't want to miss.

The core value of Independent Shakespeare Co. is that theater belongs to everyone. That it is accessible and welcoming to all audiences, nurturing and fulfilling to all artists, and a place where a community can come together. We recognize that it is impossible to fulfill this mission in a society that is not safe, just, and secure for our community members who are Black, Indigenous, and People of Color. 

Therefore, we are committed to devoting resources to dismantling systems that perpetuate anti-Blackness, racism, and white supremacy, particularly within our city, our industry, and our organization.

For more information about how you can help combat anti-blackness in the Los Angeles community, please visit www.iscla.org/justice