tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-80973567356773243322011-08-01T18:32:30.140-07:00DEUS X MACHINA THEATER JOURNALDXM Jack Bentz SJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16357424191986675486noreply@blogger.comBlogger271100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8097356735677324332.post-25487376267025858252009-11-04T14:01:00.000-08:002009-11-04T14:06:05.108-08:00

Okay, so the new year in Pastorela work is upon us. Well, as a matter of fact it has been going on since last year. Meeting with a small group of Yakima folks we are now the Pastorela Yakima! And we are in the middle of casting. Last week end, Oct 31 and Nov 1 we auditioned about twenty people and are well on our way to casting the newly revised script. What to expect this year? A better

DXM Jack Bentz SJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16357424191986675486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8097356735677324332.post-57189913495034148532008-12-16T10:54:00.000-08:002008-12-16T11:00:20.754-08:00

Archangel Gabriel-"Come ye to Yakima and celebrate La Pastorela" As you can see the costumes are on and the lights are up so all that is needed is you all to come and celebrate. It has been an excellent four weeks of rehearsals and we are now getting all thirty six cast members headed in the right direction. Music has been learned and the pan dulce is on order. What more do we need?

DXM Jack Bentz SJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16357424191986675486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8097356735677324332.post-23602659451690046472008-11-22T10:18:00.000-08:002008-11-22T10:22:08.795-08:00

We are now a couple of weeks into the rehearsals for La Pastorela St. Joseph 2008. All is running smooth this year as we are a bit more used to doing the thing. We hope it will be bigger- already the case with an increase in cast to 34 characters and better- better sound better scenic events, better in a word.We have added the very talented Jen Zeyl to the design team as well as Adam Michard in

DXM Jack Bentz SJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16357424191986675486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8097356735677324332.post-32276986784693477672008-10-09T09:41:00.000-07:002008-10-09T09:44:00.337-07:00

Well, the UnRegistered has been taking all of the DXM attention for the past months. And now it is done! What a fantastic success. All the collaborators on and off stage were terrific, we played to standing room only crowds for all three nights and we loved it. There will be more on this blog soon.

DXM Jack Bentz SJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16357424191986675486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8097356735677324332.post-65055389196760545372008-07-11T08:09:00.000-07:002008-07-11T08:56:01.946-07:00

The home of the best tortillas in Yakima.Since the last posting, which was far too long ago, the following items have happened-DXM has celebrated one year in Yakima! It has been a year of happiness, expansion, development and meeting a whole lot of new people. Thank you Yakima for the year together.We have finished the info collection for the Seattle October show entitled The UnRegistered; A

DXM Jack Bentz SJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16357424191986675486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8097356735677324332.post-74026690244866644852008-04-30T15:45:00.000-07:002008-04-30T16:04:30.359-07:00

I was so happy being in Puebla. We stayed at the Royalty, which is right downtown on the main square. Puebla is the most Mexican feeling town I have ever visited in Mexico. That is to say the buildings, the lights, the people all are very alive and the city has such a vibrant feeling about it. Granted we were there on Palm Sunday weekend and so was half of Mexico. And seeing the Mexicans on

DXM Jack Bentz SJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16357424191986675486noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8097356735677324332.post-35065967017476840582008-04-14T15:51:00.000-07:002008-04-14T16:11:27.904-07:00

And so we went south. Six hours in a Mexican bus. Now, here we are right up against some misconceptions. Before I started traveling in Mexico the words "Mexican" and "Bus" meant "sitting on the back of an open truck on a crate of chickens." Wrong! Wrong! Ignorant Gringo! The bus system in Mexico is fantastic! Comfortable seats. Videos. Soft Drinks. A small sandwich! This is why I travel

DXM Jack Bentz SJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16357424191986675486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8097356735677324332.post-50391156276280840002008-04-07T11:16:00.000-07:002008-04-07T11:35:35.689-07:00

Alright everyone, I am guilty of neglect, if not a whole list of other crimes against the readership. But now I am back! Back in the States and back on this blog. Yes, dang it! I'm back and I have this to say--Mexico is so darn wonderful! I was there for just ten days and we saw so much. Mexico City again this time to the Pyramids and loads of downtown living it up. We stayed at the

DXM Jack Bentz SJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16357424191986675486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8097356735677324332.post-43086547334862848012008-02-13T07:55:00.000-08:002008-02-18T14:20:13.771-08:00

Ah January! The month that was. And now February flying by so fast, so fast. I have just been able to keep up with some of the very many tasks, opportunities, challenges, celebrations, aggravations and demands that comprise at day at the office of DXM. We have been putting La Pastorela to bed for the year-- budgets and bills mainly with a promise that much needs to be done for next year on it-

DXM Jack Bentz SJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16357424191986675486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8097356735677324332.post-17246391110633833262008-01-10T16:45:00.000-08:002008-01-11T08:14:26.265-08:00

We produced an amazing show! Amazing from the first activities described in this blog, six months ago, to the last sip of hot chocolate and pan dulce after the performance. It was a fantastic six months, and this was just step one of the three year committment to building a Pastorela in the Yakima Valley. The photos show a variety of moments in the play with some of our spectacular dancers,

DXM Jack Bentz SJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16357424191986675486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8097356735677324332.post-73975901507764504562007-12-13T15:34:00.000-08:002007-12-16T16:01:27.689-08:00

Today is the day after. In Hispanic communities throughout the world everyone wonders how we were up so many hours yesterday celebrating the feast of Our Lady Of Guadalupe. Here in Yakima we began at 4 am with Las Mananitas, the morning songs sung to Our Lady. With trumpets and tubas yet. It lifted me out of my doze and some inches off the pew where I was slumped with the Pastorela's director and

DXM Jack Bentz SJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16357424191986675486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8097356735677324332.post-20577451585663243002007-11-27T14:24:00.000-08:002007-11-28T12:00:04.658-08:00

Both Jorge and Sahira were good for the role of Asmodea, the devil in charge of Anger, Gluttony and Sloth. So after about a minute of medium hard thought, Ashley the director decided on the obvious choice- Two Headed Devil! Call the Costumer, stat!Three lovely young women were without roles in the show but we want them in it. Obvious choice, create three angels with the names Churbina, Serafina,

DXM Jack Bentz SJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16357424191986675486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8097356735677324332.post-19234604044161987472007-11-15T11:24:00.000-08:002007-11-15T11:58:22.123-08:00

Our director has arrived in Yakima! The talented Ashley Sparks flew infrom Atlanta and will be here for the duration. She comes from severalconsecutive projects after graduation from Virginia Tech this springwith a degree in Directing and Public Dialogue. This is her second DXM production having served as the assistant director on The NewHolly Tempest It is wonderful having her here as

DXM Jack Bentz SJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16357424191986675486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8097356735677324332.post-21747556234100239712007-11-02T15:31:00.000-07:002007-11-02T15:44:02.358-07:00

We have a script! Well, a rough draft at least without too many"something brilliant here." That finished up on Tuesday and now theplaywright awaits comments from readers of the thing and we go fromthere.The dead were pretty present in these parts this weekas we celebrated the Day of the Dead with altars in a downtown exhibit.Located inside the abandoned mall, I was as glad to see the inside of

DXM Jack Bentz SJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16357424191986675486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8097356735677324332.post-46636439225659000562007-10-26T09:33:00.000-07:002007-10-26T14:15:19.959-07:00

Finally our schedules worked together and I was part of not one but two wonderful workshops with the women at la casa hogar. As you might recall, la casa is a center for hispanic women here in Yakima. They are a resource center which offers suchthings as an extensive ESL program and driving lessons. Iwas unclear just why and how the their focus on just women was going to work out.But once I

DXM Jack Bentz SJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16357424191986675486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8097356735677324332.post-31085959413934881512007-10-19T13:51:00.000-07:002007-10-19T14:08:32.375-07:00

Last week I was hoping to be arrested, run down in the street, a victim of hantevirus, or just about anything and anyone else than a writer with a playto write. None of the above happened so in the end I had to sit downand begin. And I love it. And it is going well. Iremember now that I like to write. One word after another and then abit later a period. When I write I always get the feeling

DXM Jack Bentz SJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16357424191986675486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8097356735677324332.post-53505933772889144452007-10-10T13:04:00.000-07:002007-10-10T13:39:27.265-07:00

The entire town smells like hops. Hops,hops,hops! This is what happens when 77% of the hops grown in the USA are grown right here in the Yakima Valley. Most of this activity is out in the nearby town of Moxee with many of the hop processing plants in Yakima. So when one walks out of an evening here in Yakima the air is filled with the scent of beer. Reason #876 to move here. Just in case you were

DXM Jack Bentz SJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16357424191986675486noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8097356735677324332.post-56375868240855687462007-09-27T09:13:00.000-07:002007-09-27T10:46:22.855-07:00

The challenging thing about doing bilingual work is not having to learn twolanguages but rather having to learn patience with the process. OurStory Circle with the parish on Sunday was an authentically bilingualevent. In attendance were folks in English only, Spanish only, and afew with both languages. It worked. The reason it worked was because ofthe generosity brought forward by those in the

DXM Jack Bentz SJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16357424191986675486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8097356735677324332.post-65892901591728403452007-09-20T11:09:00.001-07:002007-09-21T13:25:37.222-07:00

We are now entering the coolness of fall in the Yakima Valley. Spoke with a guy the other day who is in sales. Sales of a very particular kind. His is the business that provides the fans and equipment that are turned on to prevent the grape vines from being nipped by the early frost. Very specific.The work on La Pastorela is going forward. Meeting with a group of young Hispanic adults was a joy

DXM Jack Bentz SJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16357424191986675486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8097356735677324332.post-65712100661313200792007-09-13T11:47:00.000-07:002007-09-13T14:31:17.830-07:00

We are now pursuing two goals at the same time. While still gathering information on the Valley, see photos from the very cool orchard and processing plant tour given by my friend Ryan Brewer, we are also doing STORY CIRCLES.For those of you who were wondering how we get from meeting people to the writing a play with them, Story Circles is your answer. This is an informal gathering of somewhat

DXM Jack Bentz SJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16357424191986675486noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8097356735677324332.post-28029815147800817182007-09-10T09:13:00.000-07:002007-09-10T09:59:02.996-07:00

This Sunday was spent at the Parish of St. Joseph/San Jose. There I was at a small table sitting under a large canvas DXM sign in the atrium. In front of me was loads of information in Spanish and English about the pastorela project -- Spanish in orange English in green and bilingual in white. Very prepared. This was at 7 am and there I was until 8:30 pm. Wow, was that a long but really great

DXM Jack Bentz SJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16357424191986675486noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8097356735677324332.post-13236691792636463872007-08-30T11:34:00.000-07:002007-08-31T12:18:54.746-07:00

It was another week of empty days that filled up immediately. Filled with meeting people. My new goal is to meet the five Yakima residents I have somehow overlooked up to now. Good people here with great stories.We have now found three excellent community partners for La Pastorela San Jose. In addition to the Catholic parish community of St. Joseph/San Jose and the preK-8 school St. Joseph/

DXM Jack Bentz SJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16357424191986675486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8097356735677324332.post-41855885380671446092007-08-22T15:36:00.000-07:002007-08-23T08:21:18.445-07:00

And I am back! Yes, after almost a month of working the Pacific coast from San Diego to the San Juan Islands I am now officially back in the Yakima saddle.There is a reason the magnificent Paula Donnelly appears to my left. I spent the most exciting part of the past month visiting Cornerstone Theater's Institute production/rural residency in hot as Hades Southern California. Southern, like "Hey

DXM Jack Bentz SJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16357424191986675486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8097356735677324332.post-950277781438118902007-07-24T11:47:00.000-07:002007-08-21T11:35:20.617-07:00

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

DXM Jack Bentz SJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16357424191986675486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8097356735677324332.post-12375279107091361122007-07-15T16:33:00.001-07:002007-07-16T20:48:35.487-07:00

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

DXM Jack Bentz SJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16357424191986675486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8097356735677324332.post-69634825134982773552007-07-10T08:50:00.000-07:002007-07-10T09:20:32.068-07:00

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

DXM Jack Bentz SJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16357424191986675486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8097356735677324332.post-62292515626583128302007-07-05T08:11:00.000-07:002007-07-09T10:19:37.941-07:00

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

DXM Jack Bentz SJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16357424191986675486noreply@blogger.com3