Eth-Noh-Tec

Back from our summer tour of the North-West, Eth-Noh-Tec brings our own form of kinetic story theater to the Yerba Buena Gardens Festival on August 28 and 29 at 11am and 12:15pm each day. Enjoy this free family show in the oasis of the South of Market, the Children’s Garden at Yerba Buena Gardens, Howard Street between Third and Fourth Streets. Stories include “The Kingdom of Fools,” a political, satirical folktale from India, “Monkey in the Tree,” a comic commentary on greed from Tibet, and several other stories from their our repertoire.

Dear Friends,

It’s Springtime 2010! The Earth is waking up and creativity is abundant everywhere we look! New fragrances, vibrant colors, and green, green, green! Those and Eth-Noh-News, Spring 2010.

Speaking of abundant creativity, Nancy was recently commissioned by RaceBridges.net/Just Stories to write the story of her mother and the first three generations that preceded her. “Bittersweet” took seven months of research, readings, rewriting, and more rewriting until it met the Just Stories’ concert and commissioned requirement of 35-40 minutes. This was so hard, especially since it started as a 75-minute piece. The process was like painfully cutting off one finger at a time! Talk about ‘bittersweet’!

Premiered in Chicago this spring, “Bittersweet” was a success. The presentation revealed some real and necessary history of Chinese Americans since 1850, and their tribulations and contributions. Audience members were inspired to talk with their moms, get to know them as the amazing women they are despite mother-child strains and the past.

Robert is renewing his own stories of his grandparents and parents and, as a matter of fact, we have pledged to write 12 new stories this spring through summer.

With our gigs down 70%, due to the economy, we will have time!

We are also keeping the arts alive through:

• Salons: We’re producing our fifth year of monthly salons in our space, nine salons each year. We offer artists a small payment along with a free venue and the opportunity to perform in front of an intimate, live audience. With five performing artists or groups each salon, we all get to witness the continuing creativity that abounds in our Bay Area. The artists and audience also dialogue at the end of each program. The essence of ‘what is community’ thrives each month!
• Green Project: The planning pilot of our “Green Grows the Story” project is done! Five wonderful teachers and one librarian helped us realize the project with their extensive experience and keen passion for the environment and for their students. Funded by the S.F. Arts Commission, we performed for their schools and dialogued with their kids. Yes, kids want to help! They only need the structure and opportunity. Our next goal: grants to go into the schools and deliver the full project that includes climate change projects for home and community, and telling their stories. Yeah for young activists for the environment! See our newsletter for a fun contest!
• Marketing: We’re improving our marketing to capture some of what little money there is for hiring artists. We’re Blogging! We’re on Twitter! We’re on Facebook! We’re sending out postcards and email blasts! We’re reaching out in many directions to connect with event producers and audiences.



• Branding: We’ve been videoing audience members after our performances to document our audience’s understanding of storytelling, the impact our performances make, and what experience they take away. It’s been great! If you have ideas for a tagline, enter our contests!
• China Journey: We’ll be leading our fourth trip to China to share our cultures, and especially our stories. It’s an experience that will fill your heart! Join us September 10-26, 2010!

You can read more about our projects and view photos in our Spring 2010 Eth-Noh-News and take part in our contests for prizes! Read the latest news now.

Please help us get through the economic difficulties with a generous contribution. Thanks to an NEA Recovery Act grant, a percentage of our costs have been covered, but this support ends June 30. With your help, we’ll fulfill our important projects and continue our good work. Let us hear from you!

Peace and Blessings always,

Nancy & Robert

Enjoy an evening of performing, literary, media and visual arts. Each month Eth-Noh-Tec hosts a plethora of local Bay Area talent. Eth-Noh-Tec, a kinetic story theater company will perform a selection from their repertoire of Asian mythology along with:

Cio Casteneda (spoken word artist) aka the Hiphop priest is a positive Emcee coming up out of San Francisco trying to make the world a better place in the name of the Universe. We met Cio on that stage at last years Art Expo in Golden Gate park, a festival of local talent of all art forms. Cio brand of spoken word and rapport with the audience is upbeat and positive as are his messages. His craft moves beyond the stage as he often features local guest artists to promote the local Hip Hop scene in the SF Bay Area through the radio program that he runs on the East Bay.

Na Leo Nahenahe (Hawaiian acapella choir): “Sweet Voices” was founded in 1999 by artistic director John Lehrack. Our current director is Leolani Grace Renaud. The purpose of the group is to promote and preserve Hawaiian language, culture and song through choral music. The chorus performs around the Bay Area, including at the annual Aloha Festival at the Presidio, the Makana o Hawai’o Festival in Hayward, the Metropolitan Community Church in the Castro and other places. The chorus has also performed with Hawaiian artists such as Patrick Landeza, Kawika Alfiche, Steven Espaniola, Pili Moreno, and Pulama. Current plans for the group include a tour and performances in Hawai’i and a professional CD recording.

Folawole Oyinlola (dancer) is a performance artist, choreographer, director and movement coach. Born in Chicago to Nigerian parents, lived there for a month then lived and performed in many countries before residing in San Francisco. Trained extensively with San Francisco ballet and with international artist of contemporary dance, theater, singing and improvisation. Folawole’s work is fully improvised and guided by audience interaction.

Rose Khor (Asian American filmmaker): The documentary “In Your Hawaiian Way,” directed by Rose Khor, embarks on a journey of discovery of the Mormon religion and its influence on Hawaiian culture. We are guided through a Polynesian living museum filled with cultural artifacts and “native” performers, a ukulele class learning pop Hawaiian melodies, and a tour through the Mormon Temple led by missionaries from Australia and China. This film looks deeply into lives of Hawaiians as they negotiate complex cultural, indigenous, and religious histories.

Lian Guow (writer) was born in Jakarta, Indonesia, then a Dutch colony known as the Netherlands’ East Indies. Her short stories and poems have appeared in Quietus Magazine, Writing for our Lives, Voices and Visions, The Highland’s Low Down and Reflections. Her Predicament, an earlier version of the first chapter of her novel, Only A Girl, was included in the 2006 anthology of the SF Writers Conference, Building Bridges from Writers to Readers. In her writing, Lian explores themes of human relationships, connection with animals, and fable-like fantasy. She is particularly interested in the lives and struggles of women.

The Salon is a unique arts experience!

What makes the salon so special is the not only the variety of artists and art forms presented, but also the post-performance dialogue where artist and audience engage in conversation about the creative process, upcoming performances, and other artistic projects in the community. To top off the evening, each Salon culminates in a social gathering garnished by lovely array of refreshments and all of this for the amazing unheard of admission sliding scale price of $5-$15 dollars (you choose the price that you can afford). Very recession friendly!

Location:
Eth-Noh-Tec Studio
977 South Van Ness Ave
between 20th and 21st Street
close to 24th Street BART Station
San Francisco

Admission:
$5-$15 sliding scale