Collaboration

Consensus Organizing for Theater Workshop: Building a Diverse and Robust Audience
Instructor: Seema Sueko
Date:  Monday, May 20, 6:30 – 8:30 PM
Venue: Mo`olelo @ The 10th Avenue Theatre, 3rd floor Gallery, 930 10th Ave, San Diego CA, 92101
Course Fee: $25
Registration: To register, please call 858-761-1719 or email samantha@moolelo.net.
*Payment in full is required to hold your spot. You may mail a check payable to “Mo`olelo” to P.O. Box 710564; San Diego, CA 92171-0564, or pay with a credit card over the phone.

Description:
Mo`olelo’s last three productions achieved 108%, 101% and 90% audience capacity respectively. In total, 43% of the audience was under the age of 45; 20% self-identified as African American, 19% self-identified as Latino/a, and over 50 different ethnic groups were served. We achieved these results through a high-touch, authentic community engagement process we’ve codified called Consensus Organizing (CO) for Theater. We would like to share these community organizing strategies so that all arts practitioners have the tools to engage and learn from diverse and robust audiences. In this workshop you will learn about Mo`olelo’s Consensus Organizing for Theater process, have time to brainstorm and test the CO process on your own projects, and leave with outreach tools to apply to your own work. While the positive impacts of the CO process cross traditional departments of arts organizations — Development/Fundraising, Education, Marketing, and Dramaturgy/Artistic Content — social justice is at the core of this process. This workshop is perfect for artists who want to be “artists plus,” executive and artistic leadership of arts organizations, arts administrators who work in dramaturgy, development, marketing, and education, board members, and representatives from non-arts organizations who are interested in incorporating an arts component in their work.

About the Instructor:
Seema Sueko is the Co-Founder and Executive Artistic Director of Mo`olelo. She developed Mo`olelo’s Consensus Organizing for Theater methodologies, Green Theater Choices Toolkit, and led the Company through its selection for awards and recognition from the American Theatre Wing (creators of the Tony Awards), Theatre Communications Group, NEA, NAACP San Diego Branch, and she received the 2012 Consensus Organizer of the Year Award. Seema holds an MA in International Relations from the University of Chicago and is a member of Actors’ Equity Association. She is one of six arts leaders in the country to receive TCG’s inaugural Leadership U[niversity] grant, funded by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

Directing credits include: Since Africa at The Old Globe and Mo`olelo (Patté Award Outstanding Ensemble); How I Got That Story, 26 Miles, Yellow Face, Good Boys, Permanent Collection, The Adoption Project: Triad and co-directed Kita y Fernanda with Robert Castro at Mo`olelo. Acting credits include: The Intelligent Design of Jenny Chow [Yale Rep and The Old Globe] (Patté Award and Craig Noel Award for acting); Rashomon [North Coast Rep]; A Christmas Carol [San Diego Rep]; and A Chorus Line [Seattle's 5^th Avenue Theatre] among others. She is a three-time recipient of the Chicago’s Jeff Award for her performances. Playwriting credits include: remains (McDonald Playwriting Award) and commissions from Mixed Blood Theatre in Minneapolis and Centerstage in Baltimore.

Posted April 2, 2013 

Job Title: Artistic Assistant

The Organization

Mo`olelo Performing Arts Company is a community-focused, socially-conscious, Equity theater company, recognized by the American Theatre Wing, the creators of the Tony Awards®, as one of the most promising emerging theater companies in the nation through their National Theatre Company grant. Mo`olelo produces three plays and arts education programs annually that prioritize communities traditionally underserved in American theater. Mo`olelo’s commitment to diversity was honored with the Actors’ Equity Association’s 2011 Ivy Bethune Award and 2012 NAACP San Diego Branch Award; its leadership in greening the theater industry has been recognized by Broadway Green Alliance; and its artistic leadership has been recognized by Theatre Communications Group, California State Assembly, and others. Mo`olelo means story in Hawaiian. To learn more, visit www.moolelo.net

The Position

This is an hourly position that reports to the Executive Artistic Director and requires evening and weekend availability for productions and classes. This person will work closely with the Executive Artistic Director to operationalize the artistic work of the Company, from Consensus Organizing, to Education to Production. This is a good opportunity to work alongside the leader of this highly-respected nonprofit theater company and gain exposure and experience in the scope of work required to run a theater company. The scope of the Artistic Assistant’s job responsibilities and duties may include but are not limited to:

Consensus Organizing/Audience Development/Marketing:

• Will be trained to engage in Mo`olelo’s Consensus Organizing process to develop, cultivate and maintain relationships with anchor partners, community leaders, and partner organizations for each production, resulting in group and single ticket sales and diverse audiences, including first-time theater goers
• Attend community, grassroots meetings
• Draft press releases, E-News, Blog posts and other community outreach materials
• Promoting productions through postcard distribution

Education Programs and Dramaturgy:

• Supporting the Executive Artistic Director with dramaturgical research, drafting teacher study guides and lesson plans, and drafting articles for playbills
• Operating Three Part Arts, including bookings, invoicing, and staffing pre-show preparation and post-show workshops at schools
• Coordinating and facilitating post-show discussions at public performances
• Assist Administrative Coordinator with scheduling, promoting, registration, set up and tear down for classes and workshops

Productions:

• Being present at each performance to staff the Front of House or Box Office
• Supporting the Executive Artistic Director by posting, coordinating and staffing auditions
• Drafting rehearsal and production calendars
• Prepping and staffing first day of rehearsal with Stage Manager
• Processing ticket sales
• Participating in load-ins and strikes
• Coordinating production photos and videography
• Assembling press kits and coordinating media interviews
• Sharing costume laundry duties with other staff and volunteers

Administrative:

• Answer phones and check messages
• Mail merges, stuffing letters and invitations
• Online calendar postings
• Filing

Qualifications and Skills

The successful candidate will:

• Have strong inter-personal skills, enjoy meeting people, communicate respect and curiosity
• Experience working with diverse communities
• Experience working in an office
• Be very organized, detail-oriented, results-oriented, highly self-motivated with a demonstrated ability to handle multiple tasks simultaneously
• Have the ability to work on time and to an extremely high standard
• Strong critical thinking skills required
• Possess excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Be experienced in, or have the ability to quickly learn, database management, MS Word, Excel, and website content management systems
• Ability to work a flexible schedule, evenings and weekends
• Must work well and thrive in high pressure situations
• Be able to work cooperatively with the public, management and production participants
• Experience working for a nonprofit organization or doing community organizing work is a plus

Compensation

$10/hour, 40 hours/week minimum; plus monthly parking pass or trolley pass.

As required by law, the Company contributes to workers compensation, unemployment insurance, social security and Medicare for the employee. The Company currently does not provide medical, life, disability insurance nor a retirement plan. Meal periods and rest breaks will be provided as required by California Law.

How to Apply

Please submit a cover letter, resume, and list of three references to Seema Sueko, Executive Artistic Director, at seema@moolelo.net.

In alignment with Mo`olelo’s greening initiative, electronic submissions are preferred. However, if you are unable to email your application, please mail the required documents to:

Mo`olelo Performing Arts Company
Attn: Artistic Assistant Search
PO Box 710564
San Diego, CA 92171-0564

Company website: www.moolelo.net

Mahalo to Dea and Osborn Hurston! 

Sponsors of The Bluest Eye 

“Great question! And let me share with you how…”

-Jessica Bird, Interim Manager at Mo`olelo

Our two show subscription package for

 Extraordinary Chambers and The Amish Project is now available.

For only $30,  join us for both shows with our

preview performance subscription package.

Want to join us for press opening and a post-show party?

Purchase a press-opening subscription package for only $60.

For $44, join us for both shows with our

regular performance subscription package .

Don’t get caught without a ticket for either of these productions as most of Mo`olelo’s productions sell out in advance.

Please consider making a tax-deductible donation to Mo`olelo. There are three ways to make a donation:

1) ONLINE –You may make a donation online by clicking here.

2) BY MAIL – Mail a check payable to “Mo`olelo” to Mo`olelo Performing Arts Company PO Box 710564 San Diego, CA 92171-0564

3) BY PHONE – Call us at 619-342-7395. Leave a voicemail message and staff will call you back asap.

MAHALO!

Click here for information on our Quasi Endowment, Planned Giving, and Investment Policy.

Mo`olelo is a 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation, tax identification number 99-0345193. Your donation is tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law. We will mail you a donation receipt for your tax records. All donations will be recognized on our website and playbill. Please inform us if you wish to remain anonymous. Click here for a complete listing of 2012 Individual Donors.

We just completed the run of The Bluest Eye on March 3, 2013, ran the reports, and Mo`olelo’s first ever co-production with MOXIE Theatre was very successful!

Here are some of the project outcomes:

• 3,090 of audiences served, 108% audience capacity (80% is considered “good” in our industry)
• Five union-level actor and stage manager jobs and 12 seasonal professional arts jobs created
• Coverage in 18 print articles or radio interviews
• Successful partnerships with the NAACP San Diego Chapter, Mesa College professors Starla Lewis, Sherehe Hollins and T. Ford, League of Women Voters, Black American Political Association of California San Diego and Coalition of Neighborhood Councils
• 34% self-identified as Caucasian or White
• 25% of our audiences self-identified as African American, Black, African, Black American, or Afro-American (The African American population in San Diego County is 5.1%)
• 10% self-identified as Hispanic, Latina/o, Mexican or Mexican American
• 5% self-identified as multi-ethnic
• 4% self-identified as Asian, Filipino, Chinese, Japanese American, Loatian, Indonesian, Vietnamese/Vietnamese American, or Pacific Islander
• Our audience members listed a total of 24 different ethnicity or ethnic groups for how they self-identified
• 73% of African American, Black, Afro-American etc. who filled out the survey said they would return to Mo`olelo in the future.
• 41% heard about the show from Word of Mouth, 19% from our eNewsletter
• Almost half (42%) of the first time Mo`olelo and/or MOXIE attendees came as a result of a friend or family member telling them about the show.
• 42% of our audiences who completed the survey were under the age of 45.
• For 60% of those who completed the survey, it was their first time at Mo`olelo or MOXIE.
• For 8%, it was their first live theater experience
• 30% were aware of Mo`olelo’s Greening Initiative
• A third of our patrons (30%) carpooled to the theater

MAHALO to everyone for making this such a successful show!

Mo`olelo is thrilled to offer a Playwriting Class with Stephen Metcalfe!

Course Title: Writing for Stage and Screen
Instructor: Stephen Metcalfe
Dates:  Every other Tuesday, April 2 – June 11, 2013 from 6:30 – 9:00 PM

April 2, 2013
April 16, 2013
April 30, 2013
May 14, 2013
May 28, 2013
June 11, 2013

Venue: Mo`olelo @ The 10^th Avenue Theatre, 930 10^th Ave, San Diego CA, 92101
Course Fee: $300 ($275 for members of AASD, AEA, AFTRA, SAG or TCG)
Registration: A 20% nonrefundable deposit is required to hold your spot in the class. The balance is due April 2. To register, please call 858-761-1719 or email samantha@moolelo.net.
Class Size: 7 – 10 Students

Description:
Over the course of 12 weeks, this class will help students “start from scratch” by exploring the basic elements of writing for the stage and screen. Each week individuals will create brand new original work to be read, discussed and provided feedback. The class will concentrate on story and scene structure, character building, dialogue, dramatic tension, themes and theatricality.

About the Instructor:
Stephen Metcalfe’s career has touched on all forms of dramatic writing; screen, television and stage.

His first produced screenplay was JACKNIFE. Based on his Off-Broadway play, Strange Snow, it starred Robert DeNiro, Ed Harris and Cathy Bates and was directed by British stage and screen veteran, David Jones.

The adaptation of French director, Jean-Claude Tachella’s, Cousin-Cousine soon followed. Produced by Paramount, COUSINS was directed by Joel Schumacher and starred Ted Danson, Isabella Rossellini, William Peterson, Sean Young and Lloyd Bridges.

In the early 90’s Mr. Metcalfe took the darkly realistic, 3000 and turned it into the Pygmalion–like fairy tale, PRETTY WOMAN. The film, of course, starred Julia Robert and Richard Gere and was directed by Garry Marshall.

Numerous rewrites followed. Among them were ARACHNOPHOBIA directed by Frank Marshall; IT COULD HAPPEN TO YOU, starring Nicholas Cage and Bridget Fonda and directed by Andrew Bergman; THE AIR UP THERE starring Kevin Bacon and directed by Paul Michael Glazer; MR. HOLLAND’S OPUS, starring Richard Dreyfuss and directed by Steven Herrick; THE MARRYING MAN starring Alec Baldwin and Kim Basinger; DANGEROUS MINDS starring Michelle Pfeifer and ROOMMATES starring Peter Falk and directed by Peter Yates. Mr. Metcalfe has also worked with Sean Connery and Kevin Costner respectively, on the as yet un-produced screenplays, THE GHOST AND MRS. MUIR and AMERICAN SPORTSMAN

Mr. Metcalfe has adopted both stage plays and novels. His play, EMILY was done for Scott Rudin and Paramount Pictures; TIME FLIES, by Paul Link, was adopted for producer Laura Ziskin; A.R. Gurney’s THE OLD BOY was written for Touchstone Pictures and Peter Mayle’s comic novel, ANYTHING CONSIDERED, was done for producer, Stanley Jaffe and Sony Pictures.

In 2002 Mr. Metcalfe wrote and directed the independent film BEAUTIFUL JOE starring Sharon Stone and Billy Connelly.

Mr. Metcalfe’s stage plays include LOVES & HOURS, VIKINGS, STRANGE SNOW, SORROWS AND SONS, PILGRIMS, HALF A LIFETIME, EMILY, WHITE LINEN, DIVIRTIMENTI, THE INCREDIBLY FAMOUS WILLY RIVERS and WHITE MAN DANCING. His plays continue to be produced in New York and at theaters through the United States as well as in Europe and Japan. His television credits are available upon request.