We've wrapped up NU Stands Right HERE, and what a ride it's been. The APP would like to thank everyone for coming out, especially all of the campus workers and the Daily Northwestern editorial board. Check out photos HERE!
Send us your thoughts on the show - and look out for an email with petitions and Morty-letter-links if you gave us your email!
Look out for more stuff from us in the future - info meeting after break! How do forum theatre to organize with campus workers, invisible theatre all over this campus, and mural-making sound?
Pretty cool to us...
Peace & love,
The APP
Monday, December 6, 2010
Friday, December 3, 2010
The day has come!!
Hey, world - WE OPEN TOMORROW!! SO EXCITING.
We've been moving the tables in Norris, standing on chairs, and learning how to effectively use sock puppets to portray intelligent, serious (albeit hilarious) points. Here's one now!
And check out our promised spoof on the NU Cuisine what we assume was a well-intentioned, horribly misguided "get to know the workers" campaign:
...And there's 4 more - check out our Facebook page! Hope you've seen them around campus. You should also walk past the Dittmar Galleria (behind Sbarro) to see a collage of a bunch of the stuff we've thought about and created for this show.
And at that, my friends, we will leave you - and hope to see you at NU STANDS RIGHT HERE - Friday and Saturday in the Wildcat Room B, Norris, fo free! Don't bring a lot of stuff with you... just openness and questions, which we will bring, too!
Love,
The APP
We've been moving the tables in Norris, standing on chairs, and learning how to effectively use sock puppets to portray intelligent, serious (albeit hilarious) points. Here's one now!
"Hello! I love the APP! NU Stands Right HERE!!"
And check out our promised spoof on the NU Cuisine what we assume was a well-intentioned, horribly misguided "get to know the workers" campaign:
And at that, my friends, we will leave you - and hope to see you at NU STANDS RIGHT HERE - Friday and Saturday in the Wildcat Room B, Norris, fo free! Don't bring a lot of stuff with you... just openness and questions, which we will bring, too!
Love,
The APP
Sunday, November 21, 2010
DATES DATES DATES
Stumbled through the show today in good old Kresge - the APP is getting real. Tell and bring your friends to...
NU Stands Right HERE
by the APP team
Friday, Dec 3 @ 8 & 10PM
Saturday, Dec 4 @ 8 & 10PM
Norris. Wildcat Room B. FREE.
Now we know everything there is to know!
This advertising infuriates us. 
We feel that it is reductive and demeaning to workers on this campus, allegedly aiding us students in "getting to know" our staff, while really presenting us with caricatures of real people. We applaud the Living Wage Campaign for taking steps to help facilitate the forming of MEANINGFUL relationships between workers and students, and are vaguely disgusted by the people behind this advertising (Sodexo? The administration? - at least for approving it).
Keep your eyes peeled for our own versions of this advertising: we're expecting it to spark some controversy. But controversy means dialogue. And thought.
Do you have thoughts?
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Thank yous and welcomes!
Whew! We are working ridiculously hard in the APP rehearsal room on our upcoming show, NU Stands Right HERE (in our badass new trackets). We have a real live script and so much in store!
We WOULD like to take a moment to extend heartfelt a thank you to the NU campus workers who came out to eat pizza and play theatre games with us on Friday. We are so glad to have been able to meet and hang out with you, all of us getting to know each other a little bit better. It is absolutely in the plans of the APP to continue and expand this work and connection through common (new!) expression. You made our night!
The APP would also like to thank Cleve Jones for giving a rousing lecture last night on the importance of one person's participation in the fight for justice. We appreciate you telling your stories, calling out the Daily editorial board's seeming lack of humanity, and urging us to know that what we all do with our lives does, indeed, matter. You rock the APP's collective socks. Thanks also to the LWC and all of the other wonderful sponsoring groups!
Finally, WELCOME to our newest performing ensemble member, Ben Gojer! We appreciate you jumping in right after Pigeonholed, and already love your craziness and enthusiasm.
Back to work!
Love you all,
The APP Teamsauce
We WOULD like to take a moment to extend heartfelt a thank you to the NU campus workers who came out to eat pizza and play theatre games with us on Friday. We are so glad to have been able to meet and hang out with you, all of us getting to know each other a little bit better. It is absolutely in the plans of the APP to continue and expand this work and connection through common (new!) expression. You made our night!
The APP would also like to thank Cleve Jones for giving a rousing lecture last night on the importance of one person's participation in the fight for justice. We appreciate you telling your stories, calling out the Daily editorial board's seeming lack of humanity, and urging us to know that what we all do with our lives does, indeed, matter. You rock the APP's collective socks. Thanks also to the LWC and all of the other wonderful sponsoring groups!
Finally, WELCOME to our newest performing ensemble member, Ben Gojer! We appreciate you jumping in right after Pigeonholed, and already love your craziness and enthusiasm.
Back to work!
Love you all,
The APP Teamsauce
Thursday, November 11, 2010
MORE SNEAK PEAKS!
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Our Response to the Daily
Dear Daily,
As student members of the living wage campaign, we do not appreciate your sass. As individuals on this campus, each member of your staff is entitled to his or her own opinion and ownership of said opinions. As a unit, however, you represent not only your individual passions, but those of the entire Northwestern community, which includes, yes, Living Wage Campaign activists. By denouncing this sizable and passionate sector of your student readership, you, as a paper, have alienated and offended the audience for whom you exist to serve. In publishing a public stance against the students who choose to fight for a living wage--not criticizing their methods, nor their politics, but their cause itself--you have hereby surrendered your claim to the right to represent this campus and the individuals therein.
Love,
Claire, ex-Medilldo
and The APP Team
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Daily waging war...
Today, we spent a good chunk of time in rehearsal talking about the fact that The Daily Northwestern has taken a stand specifically against the LWC (despite touting their position as a voice to all Northwestern's campus). This was a HUGE shift for the in the LWC campaign, and we definitely can't ignore it in the APP.
Find out what we're talking about here:
Editorial against the LWC in the Daily today: http://www.dailynorthwestern.com/editorial-living-
And Adam and Kellyn's (two LWC co-chairs) response in NBN:http://www.northbynorthwestern.com/2010/11/97136/l
And this is NOT the end of the conversation - the numbers which the Daily used have been specifically refuted by LWC exec members in other places, as well. But what we have now is a campus divide... which seems to be "intellectual" - economics only - vs "emotional" - personal stories.
We ask, how can it not be both?
Perhaps more importantly, how can anyone ignore the so-called "emotional" side - though we hate the "basket-case/irrational" connotation of that word that dismisses the truths that side expresses (we came up with "personal" and "empathetic," among others). As someone commented on the NBN article, if you knew a worker - any worker - personally, really, would you be able to look that person in the eye and say, "I really don't want you to get a raise"?
Faced with a choice to now solidify the focus of this performance piece we, the APP, are making, and knowing that we will - and WANT to - be a part of this tension-laden discourse, we decided that we are indeed passionate about telling workers' and students' individual stories and experiences - alongside facts and questions.
Call it "emotional" if you must - but come and listen, and judge the importance of the stories - and the fact that our campus workers are PEOPLE we should respect and get to know, people with families, needs, lives - for yourself.
Decide for yourself what's worth it: what to take, what to leave, and what to internalize and do something - anything - about.
Stay tuned.
Love,
the APP
Find out what we're talking about here:
Editorial against the LWC in the Daily today: http://www.dailynorthwestern.com/editorial-living-
And Adam and Kellyn's (two LWC co-chairs) response in NBN:http://www.northbynorthwestern.com/2010/11/97136/l
And this is NOT the end of the conversation - the numbers which the Daily used have been specifically refuted by LWC exec members in other places, as well. But what we have now is a campus divide... which seems to be "intellectual" - economics only - vs "emotional" - personal stories.
We ask, how can it not be both?
Perhaps more importantly, how can anyone ignore the so-called "emotional" side - though we hate the "basket-case/irrational" connotation of that word that dismisses the truths that side expresses (we came up with "personal" and "empathetic," among others). As someone commented on the NBN article, if you knew a worker - any worker - personally, really, would you be able to look that person in the eye and say, "I really don't want you to get a raise"?
Faced with a choice to now solidify the focus of this performance piece we, the APP, are making, and knowing that we will - and WANT to - be a part of this tension-laden discourse, we decided that we are indeed passionate about telling workers' and students' individual stories and experiences - alongside facts and questions.
Call it "emotional" if you must - but come and listen, and judge the importance of the stories - and the fact that our campus workers are PEOPLE we should respect and get to know, people with families, needs, lives - for yourself.
Decide for yourself what's worth it: what to take, what to leave, and what to internalize and do something - anything - about.
Stay tuned.
Love,
the APP
Monday, November 8, 2010
ZOMG SNEAK PEEKS!
Soooo, we've been writing things. Lots of pieces, lots of topics, lots of ideas and energy bouncing around our rehearsal room. We want to share some of it with you!
She also told me she brings all of her leftover Halloween candy her husband has to give out back to the students. I think about her, carrying it on the train for those two hours to give to students who could probably buy four times as many Kit-Kats with a couple dollars of their parents' munch money. I wonder if anyone even notices.
*Switching to italics.*
Right now, our show is divided into lots of parts, and one of those parts is entitled "workers/worker experience as perceived by students." Here's a piece, prompted by an informal-turned-significant interaction with a worker on campus, that would go into that section (towards the beginning of our show).
HALLOWEEN
Last night I was talking to Jay in Plex about what she was going to do with her Halloween. She said she has two boys--10 and 12-- that she was going to take out. We were having this conversation at 11PM at night, and I couldn’t help but wonder the last time she tucked in her children, the last time she kissed them goodnight. She also said that she was going to have to find things to do with them in the area on Friday, because that’s the only day she has off. I wonder how old these little boys will be before they realize that they aren’t going out on the right day, the same day as all their friends. I wonder if they even hear when she returns home. Or even if her husband wakes when she climbs into bed after her 2-hour commute.She also told me she brings all of her leftover Halloween candy her husband has to give out back to the students. I think about her, carrying it on the train for those two hours to give to students who could probably buy four times as many Kit-Kats with a couple dollars of their parents' munch money. I wonder if anyone even notices.
- Cathy, APP member
Also, during our research, we happened to type Norbucks into urbandictionary.com (another thing we love) and we got this definition...
"The Starbucks located inside Norris University Center at Northwestern University. Fundamentally different from the Starbucks in Evanston, IL."
"The Starbucks located inside Norris University Center at Northwestern University. Fundamentally different from the Starbucks in Evanston, IL."
And this was created.
FUNDAMENTALLY DIFFERENT
Fundamentally. Different.
Fundamentals.
Funding. Mental.
Different. Different. Deferred.
Funding deferred
Funding under funded
Workers with overfunded coffee
Funding a tall double shot double whip carmel drizzle hazelnut chai
With a double-shift-back-stiff-energy-fizzling-out
Just-another-day-at-the-counter
Green apron with a black cap
Shot of barista sass
Complimentary.
Because he likes your smile
On the day he didn’t get his paycheck.
Smile back
Thank you
Next --
- Claire, APP member
We hope that satiated you for now... Keep checking back!
Love,
Alyssa, APP dir.
The Show Takes Shape
Hi everyone!
Sorry about the delay between blog posts, we are making a promise to be better about this blog in the future.
The past couple of days we have spent forming the show as an ensemble. We collected all the pieces we had written (Things we love: Google docs) and drew out common themes and easy transitions we could make. Then we sat around and put the show together. Nothing more scientific than that, and of course it could change at the drop of hat. But with the quarter nearing its blessed end, we figure it was time to get down to business (and defeat low wages!).
Here are some of the titles of pieces for our show:
Sorry about the delay between blog posts, we are making a promise to be better about this blog in the future.
The past couple of days we have spent forming the show as an ensemble. We collected all the pieces we had written (Things we love: Google docs) and drew out common themes and easy transitions we could make. Then we sat around and put the show together. Nothing more scientific than that, and of course it could change at the drop of hat. But with the quarter nearing its blessed end, we figure it was time to get down to business (and defeat low wages!).
Here are some of the titles of pieces for our show:
- Labels movement piece
- Dear Morty
- Blog posts + scream
- Cathy on a soapbox
Interested? Come see us reading week - and keep checking back here, because we're gonna start posting some of our favorite pieces!
- Dylan, APP member
- Dylan, APP member
Monday, November 1, 2010
Opening up a FORUM
Hello, everyone!
Ever heard of Augusto Boal, or forum theatre? (Things we love: Wikipedia.) At Sunday's rehearsal, we started to actively play a little more with this form, trying to work out situations of conflict between workers and students or in cafeterias at Northwestern. During the rehearsal, in an attempt to explore the whole truth of the people we are talking about - that is, particularly NU students and campus workers - we brainstormed stereotypes and shortcomings of both groups. Then, we used forum theatre to help us dig through complicated interactions where fault gets sticky.
One of our cast members told a story about feeling uncomfortable when a young campus worker wrote his phone number on a receipt, and then called her out for not calling him, in front of lots of other students. What was she supposed to say? What position was the worker in? Is this a potential argument AGAINST worker-student interaction (or is that what the administration would say)?
And so we played the scene out, just the way it happened, and scrutinized the actions of worker, student and passerby. We also asked for "thoughts out loud" from the characters - what might they have been thinking in that moment, helping us to understand their actions? And then we started, in forum theatre style, to replace characters, especially the student, and trying different actions to get her out of or to dissolve the situation.
This led to conversations of politeness, feeling indebted, "being on the same side," sexual harassment, talking back, questions of NU cafeterias as safety bubbles, labels of harmlessness, and thinking of people as people - is that possible in a worker-student relationship? Why? Why not?
Tell us your thoughts!
Oh, and come to our PARTY.
Love,
Alyssa, APP dir.
Ever heard of Augusto Boal, or forum theatre? (Things we love: Wikipedia.) At Sunday's rehearsal, we started to actively play a little more with this form, trying to work out situations of conflict between workers and students or in cafeterias at Northwestern. During the rehearsal, in an attempt to explore the whole truth of the people we are talking about - that is, particularly NU students and campus workers - we brainstormed stereotypes and shortcomings of both groups. Then, we used forum theatre to help us dig through complicated interactions where fault gets sticky.
One of our cast members told a story about feeling uncomfortable when a young campus worker wrote his phone number on a receipt, and then called her out for not calling him, in front of lots of other students. What was she supposed to say? What position was the worker in? Is this a potential argument AGAINST worker-student interaction (or is that what the administration would say)?
And so we played the scene out, just the way it happened, and scrutinized the actions of worker, student and passerby. We also asked for "thoughts out loud" from the characters - what might they have been thinking in that moment, helping us to understand their actions? And then we started, in forum theatre style, to replace characters, especially the student, and trying different actions to get her out of or to dissolve the situation.
This led to conversations of politeness, feeling indebted, "being on the same side," sexual harassment, talking back, questions of NU cafeterias as safety bubbles, labels of harmlessness, and thinking of people as people - is that possible in a worker-student relationship? Why? Why not?
Tell us your thoughts!
Oh, and come to our PARTY.
Love,
Alyssa, APP dir.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Productivity and REAL updates!!
Bon sois, everyone! (It's not bon nuit til the fat lady sleeps...I think that allusion may have worked?)
I'm going to try to start updating this thing a little more frequently (Daily? Crossed fingers?) so you can ACTUALLY follow us in the making of our show, the LWC APP!! First thing you should know: we love abbreves. We make this obvious. ;)
Wonderfully productive rehearsal tonight. Things we learned: The APP Team LOVES to talk. Things we knew: The APP Team LOVES to talk. We have notebooks now, though (yay!), including small ones (even bigger yay from Dylan!), so it's all good because we gon' keep it and write it down, y'all!
Things to look forward to: more exploration re: the NU administration and their quest for prestige and respect (from whom... US News and World Report?), play with the structure of NU student tour guides, and Jovie and Leah performing a lyrical dance number. Done.
We also hearkened back to a rehearsal last week when we talked about the differences in response between NU Stands for Haiti/Pakistan and the NU Living Wage Campaign. Is distance safe? Cathy suggested this:
NU STANDS RIGHT THE FUCK HERE.
We're rolling with that one. Have a great night, world!
Love,
Alyssa, APP Director
"Going to Northwestern is like having a beautiful girlfriend that treats you like crap."
We found this on urbandictionary.com when we looked up "Northwestern" (why did we do that again?) - a real former NU student quoted in The Princeton Review. Eek! Thoughts?
If it's like that for some students, what about for the workers...?
- Alyssa, APP Director
We have QUESTIONS!!
Things we want to know, and are going to research:
- How has the pay progressed?
- Math - actual #s (Univ, students, per year, etc.)
- Workers' relationship to unions
- How many hours supposed to/do work a week
- Family size
- Transportation expense/method?
- Food expenses
- Previous/additional current jobs
- Where they live
- Pay diffs between head chefs, other workers, etc.
- Wage at this Starbucks vs. Other Starbucks
*** Community benefits, results
- Languages and what jobs as a result
- Math - actual #s (Univ, students, per year, etc.)
- Workers' relationship to unions
- How many hours supposed to/do work a week
- Family size
- Transportation expense/method?
- Food expenses
- Previous/additional current jobs
- Where they live
- Pay diffs between head chefs, other workers, etc.
- Wage at this Starbucks vs. Other Starbucks
*** Community benefits, results
- Languages and what jobs as a result
Can you help us with any of them, or do you have any stories? Comment or email us at lwc.activist.perf@gmail.com!!
Monday, October 25, 2010
Over the last week (our first week of rehearsal!), the APP team has been exploring our own perceptions of and stories about campus workers, examining our own interactions with workers, (not to mention the physical structures that facilitate that - or don't), and exploring questions we have about the Living Wage Campaign itself.
Check out all the questions and ideas we threw up on the board at the end of the week:
THEMES in improv scenes and created images:
Barriers
Divide
Everyday life
Frustration on both sides
What's taken for granted?
Money issues
More than meets the eye - things we would never know
Behind the face-to-face
Assumptions
Cool with status quo
"Serves them right"?
"Don't need to be making..."
Image of confrontation
Divide
Everyday life
Frustration on both sides
What's taken for granted?
Money issues
More than meets the eye - things we would never know
Behind the face-to-face
Assumptions
Cool with status quo
"Serves them right"?
"Don't need to be making..."
Image of confrontation
QUESTIONS we want to ask:
What's behind the barrier?
Why is there a barrier?
Should there be a barrier?
What's going too far? Us, campaign, etc.
What are you going to lose vs. What are they going to gain?
What's behind the barrier?
Why is there a barrier?
Should there be a barrier?
What's going too far? Us, campaign, etc.
What are you going to lose vs. What are they going to gain?
Is there a responsibility here?
Does SHE care about ME?
LET'S EXPLORE...
Math on stage???
NU Pakistan & NU Haiti -- What is the difference???
"One time tragic event vs. a continual systematic problem"
We can solve this!
Gift! Okay, we're done now
"People were dying"
Workers in uniforms vs. own clothes????
People on the El with an NU Cuisine shirt
Students: why pay more vs. fuck it
What's that $10 worth to you? Can we quantify it?
"You can't get shit for one dollar"
LWC fighting the freshman 15! =)
Are there things about this job that they enjoy? Would they switch jobs if they had the chance?
Kids vs. Workers why do you go/work here?
Norris giving jobs to people fresh out of jail
Guy at Sbarro and college parties
Student workers in Norris vs. other workers
Visibility!!
NU students work on upper levels of Norris
Discomfort when entering "worker areas/times"
Elevators
NU Pakistan & NU Haiti -- What is the difference???
"One time tragic event vs. a continual systematic problem"
We can solve this!
Gift! Okay, we're done now
"People were dying"
Workers in uniforms vs. own clothes????
People on the El with an NU Cuisine shirt
Students: why pay more vs. fuck it
What's that $10 worth to you? Can we quantify it?
"You can't get shit for one dollar"
LWC fighting the freshman 15! =)
Are there things about this job that they enjoy? Would they switch jobs if they had the chance?
Kids vs. Workers why do you go/work here?
Norris giving jobs to people fresh out of jail
Guy at Sbarro and college parties
Student workers in Norris vs. other workers
Visibility!!
NU students work on upper levels of Norris
Discomfort when entering "worker areas/times"
Elevators
Do you have comments or questions for us? Have YOUR say!
Love,
The APP Team
Friday, October 15, 2010
We have a CAST!!
Congratulations to the wonderful creation cast of
The Living Wage Campaign
Activist Performance Project!!
Kate Villa!
Jovie Maize!
Dylan Pickus!
Johanna Middleton!
Leah Martin!
Steven Monacelli!
Andre Sguerra!
Claire Kennedy!
Cathy Muskett!
Thank you so much to everyone who auditioned. You all were wonderful and inspiring, and we hope that, if you weren't cast, you'll still work with us in other capacities. Email lwc.activist.perf@gmail.com with interest or questions!
Fight back!
Ridiculous love,
Alyssa, Director & Kayleigh, SM
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
What we are... Now get involved!!
CALLING ALL ACTIVISTS
and
ARTISTS OF ALL DISCIPLINES
(Writers, Actors, Dancers, Poets, Singers, and anyone who likes to CREATE):
Care about NU's Living Wage Campaign? Wish you could get closer to our workers and their stories? Want to make NU a better, more discursive, more creative community? Interested in art for social change??
ACTIVIST PERFORMANCE PROJECT!!
What the heck is that, you ask?
>>The NU Living Wage Campaign ACTIVIST PERFORMANCE PROJECT (APP) is an attempt to provide a unique forum to examine the dynamics between NU workers, students, the administration, labor unions, etc. that the Living Wage Campaign is trying to bring to light.<<
1. There will be a TEAM.
Anyone who is interested in the potential for ART and DISCUSSION to turn into EFFECTIVE ACTION can help us out! You can be on our marketing, fundraising, business, or outreach teams - email lwc.activist.perf@gmail.com with Qs or to apply!
2. There will be a CAST of creators and performers.
Using the LWC's training and campaign principles, 6-8 ACTIVIST ARTISTS OF ALL KINDS will interact with campus workers, hear, tell and imagine stories, and CREATE A PERFORMANCE intended to engage the greater NU community in the LWC conversation, and to make these people and issues human.
Auditions/interviews for CAST will take place: Saturday, OCT 9 from 4-6pm and Sunday, OCT 10 from 12-2pm in the Evans Room in Norris. Sign up for a slot here! http://doodle.com/
Email director Alyssa at avramos@u.northwestern.edu with Qs!
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