La Pastorela San Jose

The best part of this beginning phase of DXM in Yakima has been being a tourist. It so happens that this is one of my hidden skills. For instance, a desire to stop and look at stuff to take pictures as I come into the Yakima valley with Mt. Adams in the distance. "Yakima. Not a bad place to live!"

But alas, this first few weeks of intensive tourism is coming to a close. I now have a fist full of business cards, some great contacts, a lot of at least superficial information and we are now ready to go forward into a PROJECT. This means we have found a community or a collection of sub communities to work with. And they are---

1. The Roman Catholics families of St. Joseph's /San Jose in downtown Yakima. A huge parish of 1300 Hispanic and Anglo families.

2. Marquette School. A private school of 300 kids pre K-8 of mostly Anglo kids.


And the Piece of Art--- A pastorela (Mexican Christmas Play). This is a traditional form of ritual theater very common in Mexico. I was able to see five different versions when in Mexico City last Christmas. The plot if very simple- the angels appear to some shepherds and tell them to find the Christ child. They set out. They are intercepted by a pack of devils. After much drama and singing they arrive cribside. All throw candy as they exit.

We are going to be able to do it inside the huge new church of San Jose and are delighted.

We have the opportunity to reach hundreds of folks by presenting this the week before Christmas complete with loads of folks on stage, music, pinatas and the whole nine yards.

Now for the raising of the money and the artists. In late August we will begin the interviews, listening sessions, and story circles which will lay the ground work for the script. We hope this is a widely held process and one that will put down deep roots in the community.

Tomorrow I go away for a month. To Denver, San Diego, Seattle, Portland, Central Oregon, and the San Juan Islands so will not be posting until mid August. I hope this coincides with your own vacations.

Hot Music

Wow, it just does not cool off here in the Valley of the Hops! But this has not stopped the Yakima Folklife Festival from happening again for the 25th time. And even though this photo at left was taken while standing right in the middle of downtown Yakima there is a good life going on here and Folklife was rich evidence of that.

With tons of music, lots of people crowding into several downtown venues and sweating it out in Franklin Park, this three day festival turns out to be a blast. Listened to bluegrass, folk singers, serious wymin singing Corey Hart covers, young men blowing fantastic brass, and a super charged Celtic remix update electric foursome called Occam's Razor. Good Times!

Also fit in some more town exploring as I look for where a play might happen in the Valley. Went back to Naches up the river from Yakima itself. So beautiful. Picked blueberries with my sister-- it is now clear that bears are not paid enough for the work they do. And marveled at the orchards against the barren hills.


And then went down valley to check out wineries and got a tasting of not just the vino but a very diverse selection of worlds that exist next to each other. Were in Prosser where the wine craze began and then down the road to Mabton where the wine money does not seem to have yet seeped.

All this travel up and down the hot roads of the wine country is just part of the work underway here as I set up the DXM office, get the systems up and in place for stuff down the road. I think I am getting close to the selection of a community to work with. Am in conversation with the parish community of St. Joseph's Catholic Church. Lots of Hispanic families, and big church, and a supportive pastoral team- i.e. the people we will be collaborating with if a show goes forward. Am thinking of a Christmas pastorela in late December with lots of kids, grandmothers, young adults and mariachi music.

Looking for Yakima

Yakima is changing even as I begin trying to understand what it's all about. After welcoming folks for decades the Palm Springs sign seen here in an earlier photograph, is no more. Am I too late to see the real Yakima? Perhaps.

But I am getting to see a lot of it. That is how my time is now spent-- getting into a very hot car and driving around looking at stuff and wondering where might we do a piece of theater and with whom? While I have a whole list of ideas I am remaining open. At least sort of. For what use is a analysis of a community if you already have ideas set in stone?

Of course I am thinking immigration-- how could I not be? I read the letters to the editor of the local paper which are full of shrillness from both the "run 'em out-- they are illegal felons" to "Yeah well, we were not very welcome either when we came over during the potato famine." These are those who write letters to the editor of small town newspaper; not exactly a representative body.

When I ask well heeled Anglos if they have Hispanic friends they say they do not. And not because they are enemies but because they lack a way to become friends. It is as though there are two worlds running on parallel tracks. This was, of course, music to my ears because a theater project could be just the thing for both groups to work on together. Connections and relationships could be built through this. Which, is after all, the point of the work.

I also have been meeting with many members of the artistic/education/civic structure community which has been informative. Some of the art is very much from outside- as in Best of Broadway tours (see you at the upcoming tour date for The Producers!) and some of it is of the valiant struggling underfunded arts programs for youth variety. I have been compiling a long list of people I should meet from the people I have already met. It takes a while for me to explain what DXM actually does in a community. This difficulty is because the work does not fit into any handy categories which is why we are doing it in the first place. Not exactly bringing coals to Newcastle. More like snowballs to Fiji.

Mostly what I spend my time doing is just living here in Yakima. Getting to know how people spend their days, what the town sounds like, what are the ways the communities gather, where is this same community resistant? All those questions which are best pursued in looking for bakeries, going to daily Mass, and reading a book under a shady tree in the park.

DXM goes to the Toppenish Rodeo

Welcome everyone, to the new dxm Yakima Valley journal!

DXM spent its first two years in Seattle working as an ensemble producing 12X12 with residents of 12th Avenue and The Tempest at NewHolly in South Seattle. Now for the next step- DXM will be spending the next few years seeing how theater might be part of the necessary conversation between the various communities making up the population here Central Washington's Yakima Valley.

Cowboys, Indians, Hispanics, Cherries, Hops, and Wine!

This first phase of the project is getting to know as much as possible about the region. So this means constant field tripping! You cannot follow the game without knowing at least a little bit about the players. It took the month of June to get moved in and so was able to look around some during that time. So far have been to museums, tractor pulls, the Yakima Pride Festival, Treaty Day celebrations with the Yakama Tribe as well as jazz concerts, listened to local bluegrass and went to the Toppenish Rodeo and Pow Wow (see above).

So far, Yakima and the surrounding area, seems really diverse in ways that are sometimes hidden but worth searching out. The people are very nice and, to me, awfully familiar having grown up on a ranch and recently been in Mexico. Both worlds are very much alive here.