Riveting Theater, Powerful and Moving
By Susan Page

Theater
In Their Own Words
Tues, Sept 11
5pm & 7pm
Teatro Santa Ana
Biblioteca Pública
Insurgentes 25
50 pesos

In Their Own Words is a documentary-style dramatic presentation that strives, through emotionally charged staged readings, to shine a light on the catastrophic events of the past six years.

A joint effort by Iguana Productions and the San Miguel Authors’ Sala, the drama is a compilation of first-hand experiences of survivors, victims and heroes of 9/11 and the Iraq War. It was compiled from books, interviews, magazine articles and Internet sources by Kirsten Dehner and Alan Jordan, edited by Kirsten Dehner, and is being directed by Alan Jordan.

I asked Alan and Kirsten what inspired them to create this unusual theatrical event.

Alan Jordan: I saw a review of a book called Operation Homecoming. Professional writers went to Iraq to coach soldiers in writing down their thoughts and experiences on paper—(M)in the form of poetry, essays, journal entries, or fiction. I am always on the lookout for ideas for monologues, and I love to find first-person accounts, especially pieces that were not meant to be acted. The idea was not so much a political choice for me, but more of a theatrical challenge. It was perfect for a collaboration with the Authors’ Sala, because the pieces all began as writing exercises for the soldiers.

Kirsten Dehner: As we got into the project, I realized we needed additional voices to create a wider picture, so we added material from the Internet, magazines, and other books.

AJ: This is not a memorial. If people are moved to tears, that’s fine. If they get angry, that’s fine. It’s not a relaxing hour in the theater. It should be shocking and powerful. These are all words by real people, not playwrights. I’m thinking of it as a “live documentary.”

Susan Page: You mentioned this has been a challenging project for you. How so?

AJ: Creating a new piece of theater is always a challenge, both scary and exciting. I’ve been a professional actor and director all my life. It’s what I know. I want to explore the cutting edge. The whole idea of a live documentary is innovative, experimental. These words were never written to be read out loud, but all of a sudden, they become a provocative evening in the theater! The project has been very stimulating for me, and I trust it will be for the audience, as well. This is a world premiere!

SP: How did you select the readers?

AJ: That’s been a wonderful part of the challenge. The readers we’ve chosen are a combination of people with some acting experience and people with none at all, because I want the whole piece to keep a documentary feel. The process is very exciting. We have different ages, different voices, different styles—(M)so it becomes almost musical.

SP: If you are not making a political statement, why are you performing the piece on September 11?

AJ: Yes, I’ve had people say to me, “Why dredge up 9/11 again? Why don’t we just get over it?” Those questions make me more political than I was. You don’t just “get over” this tragedy. You don’t just “get over” the Holocaust.

KD: We hear about 9/11 and its consequences every day on the news, but without the more humane, more intimate face. Artistic expression about real events taps into a different aspect of our being, it elevates, deepens and inspires. 

SP: Kirsten, what was it like for you to read all this material and select certain pieces?

KD: It was not easy for me. I had my own first-hand experience with 9/11, and I had put it away for several years. These readings awakened old feelings, and that part was hard. But I’m glad I did it. I had a tendency to get swallowed up in my own experience, and working so closely with other people’s emotions helped me to put my own in context. Because I was editing and working with language, I had to incorporate a kind of distance, and getting that distance has been helpful. My encounter with 9/11 doesn’t own me the way it once did.

SP: How many readers are you using, and who are they?

AJ: Fourteen people will be on the stage—(M)Billie Bremer, Lou Christine, Marshall Dackert, Thomas Frazee, William Henderson, Steve Hoffman, Merle Howard, Jill Gottlieb, Michael Gottlieb, Paola Juarez, Maria Eugenia Llano, Susan Page and Philip Sheridan. And Libby Clemens will add musical punctuation on the viola.

SP: This is Iguana Production’s first event of this season, right? What else do you have cooking?

AJ: The week before Christmas, we will present Sex, Lies and Quilting, an original British farce, written by Geoff Hargreaves and Marilyn Boulivant. More details are on our website at www.theatersanmiguel.com. 

Acting workshop at Teatro Santa Ana

Workshop
The Pleasure of Acting
Tues & Thurs, Sept 18–(N)Oct 25, 11am–(N)2pm
Teatro Santa Ana
Biblioteca Pública
Insurgentes 25

“The Pleasure of Acting” is an improvisation workshop open to everyone who wants to have the experience of acting, while feeling safe from fear and frustration.

Workshop director Ana María Muñoz taught in professional acting schools for 21 years in Chile and Mexico. She learned the Actors’ Studio Method in Santiago from Luis Wigdorsky, who had studied with Lee Strasberg. In 1994, Muñoz was invited to teach at the National Center of Arts’ Acting School (ENAT) in Mexico City and has lived in Mexico since then. She is the author of Bases Orgánicas para la Educación de la Voz. After teaching for 11 years at the National Center of Arts, Muñoz now lives in San Miguel and wants to share her passion and experience with people living here.

Everyone will play scenes on stage, solving fictional conflicts through improvisation. Physical exercises will open the body to acting and help ground emotions in scene conflicts. 

Classes are presented in both English and Spanish. For more information, contact munoz_anamaria@yahoo.ca . You may register at Teatro Santa Ana.