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Re: RAT Iowa Conference
Dear Erik,
I'd like to add three more from Minneapolis to the list of people coming to
the conference.
We'll rent a hotel room.
2 of us are vegetarian.
We met briefly here in Minneapolis at the PlayLabs--my wife, Tamara, & I saw
your "Heavenly Shades" reading--she was the really pregnant one, I was the
sort of bald one (she gave birth to our daughter 2 days later). I don't
know for sure if Tamara can be there, but I hope so. We've spent a good
deal of time in Chiapas (& Tobasco & Yucatan & Mexico City) researching
contemporary Mayan theater--she wrote her dissertation on this in 96-97 &
now teaches at the U here; we're in touch with several different indigenous
theater groups, and (most pertinent to this conference) 2 groups based in
San Cristobal. These 2 groups (Sna Jzi'Bajom & La FOMMA) were started with
foundation money as a means of preserving cultural identity, & the
"low-intensity" civil war there has increased international attention, as
well as intensified the political nature of their work. The other theater
groups Not based in Chiapas are also very political, & relate to the
principles of Zapatismo, & the renaissance of Mayan culture. Anyway, that's
what Tamara's work is focused on; she's on the academic side. I have a
(tiny) theater in the basement of our (tiny) house, called Theater In My
Basement, & (virtually) joined the Rats a few months ago. I'll definitely
be coming with my collaborator, whose name is Barbe Marshall. I write
surreal plays, & sometimes direct (she's the hot hot director); I have a
one-person show based on our time in Mexico, mostly dealing with how white
North American tourists behave in Chiapas (the thrill of being in a
dangerous place while really hiding safely behind whiteness, a place of
privelege, etc.)--this is my most explicitly political play, the other works
are more like waking dreams with political undertones. Anyway, that's who
we are, & we look forward to being in Iowa City in February.
I'd love to see some of the theater people from Chiapas there, but it's next
to impossible with getting visas in order, etc. (we tried last year with 9
months notice & that wasn't enough time for the Mexican government to give
"clearance").
I've never been to a RAT conference before, & don't have many comments on
the format, how the days should go, etc. Is it like an academic conference
with sessions taking place simultaneously in separate locations (or
separately in simultaneous locations)? I'm very much looking forward to
this.
Hope your production in Austin went well this past November, & I wish you
all the best in your work,
With warm regards,
Chris Danowski
3317 - 40th Ave. S.
Minneapolis, MN 55406
(612) 721-8779
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