This past June 16 – 18, Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national association for nonprofit theater companies across the United States, held its annual conference and celebrated its 50th anniversary in Los Angeles. Mo`olelo is a member of TCG, and our Artistic Director Seema Sueko participated in the conference alongside 1,100 other theater practitioners from across the country.

Speakers included Mona Eltahawy, Todd London, David Houle, and Julie Taymor. Breakout sessions focused on everything from “Delving Beneath Surface Diversity,” to “A Director’s Life: Creative Development and Renewal,” to exploring new marketing and outreach strategies, and many, many more.

The biggest take-away Sueko had from all the discussions is: Mo`olelo is on the right track. We have developed a unique method of engaging new audiences and communities through our consensus organizing strategies… we’re leading the pack with our greening work… diversity is a core competency of Mo`olelo… our audiences are growing…. and we’re adaptable, resilient, and highly collaborative — three traits Futurist David Houle noted are critical to any business in The Shift Age.

Check out the TCG Blog for more on the conference.

On June 1, the Voice of San Diego hosted an arts and culture pecha-kucha night where six local artists presented on topics in their respective fields. The pecha-kucha format is rapid-fire: 20 slides displayed for 20 seconds each.

Mo`olelo’s Executive Artistic Director, Seema Sueko, was asked to present “a field guide to the local theater ecosystem”. You can view and comment on the presentation here.

Hello Mo`olelo friends and family!

If you’re frequent followers of this blog, you know that Mo`olelo was recently on the lookout for a Coordinator to help Executive Artistic Director Seema Sueko as she poised the company to produce three shows a year beginning in 2012. Well, look no further because Mo`olelo’s staff of one just became a staff of 1.5!

My name is Carlenne Lacosta and I am excited to announce that I am half- way through my first week as Mo`olelo’s new coordinator. I was most recently Director of New Play Development and Production for Native Voices at the Autry where I held both administrative and literary duties most notably coordinating their annual Playwrights Retreat and Festival of New Plays at San Diego State University, La Jolla Playhouse, and the Autry National Center. I’ve participated in Arena Stage’s Defining Diversity Task Force and have been involved in numerous panels regarding diversity in the arts. This past February, I served as the Assistant Director for The Old Globe’s production of Rafta, Rafta… and will be the Insider for La Jolla Playhouse’s fall production of Milk Like Sugar. I received my BAs in Theatre Arts and Psychology from SDSU and also hold an MA in Theatre with a specialization in Dramaturgy from the same institution.

To say I’m excited about this new venture would be an understatement. I can’t wait to delve into Mo`olelo’s inner sanctum and can’t wait to meet all of you in person. Please feel free to email me at carlenne@moolelo.net  should you have any questions about anything – I’m here for you.

Also, special thanks to our amazing intern, Emily Nuthall, for escorting me all the way up to 10th Avenue Theatre’s rooftop to take my blog picture (and for making sure I didn’t get lost on the way back down to the offices).

Thank you all so much and I’m sure you’ll be hearing from me again soon!

An internship is a spectacular way to learn what it takes to work in the real world. You have the opportunity to learn things like how to make a professional phone call, or construct an email that is going to be seen by your colleagues, or simply how to present yourself in a professional manner. These are the types of things that are exceptionally important for everyone to know, but they are also the things that can’t be taught in school. That’s why my high school, High Tech High, requires that all students complete an internship. I have been lucky enough to land an internship with Seema at Mo`olelo.

In the recent weeks you may have seen me at the reading of Sila, where I had the opportunity to read stage directions and help run the pre-show reception. I also got to attend a City Council meeting where I had a chance to speak in front of the council about how Shakespeare and the arts have helped shape me in the critical years of my youth. And of course, I’ve also been seen roaming around the Tenth Avenue Theatre where the Mo`olelo office is located, doing everything from working on the company’s database, helping with auditions, and hunting down vacuums. I’ve seen the entire spectrum of things it takes to run a successful theatre company. I’ve been able to dabble in the creative parts, learn about the administrative aspects, and involve myself in the activism and outreach needed to help keep the entire arts community on its feet.

One of the most important things my internship has done for me, is helped me to realize how much I adore the performing arts. This confidence in my passion has helped me to plan out my future, and I am happy to announce that I will be attending Centre College in the fall, where I am set to major in the dramatic arts.

Sadly, my internship will be coming to an end in the upcoming weeks. But I will always remember the amazing people I’ve had the pleasure of working with here at Mo`olelo, and will never forget the important lessons I’ve learned as an intern.

-Emily

Thanks to everyone who joined us for the reading of SILA on May 24! We had a full house, an exciting reading, and a wonderful post-show talk. Mahalo to The James Irvine Foundation for supporting the commissioning and development of this play; and thank you to Diane Wade, Sue Guzik, Patricia Hazlett, Daniece Moden, Gerald Montoya, Garry Prather, Elaine Hiel, Janet Black-Yznaga, Emily Nuthall, Patricia McCoy, Lynne Jennings, Karen Begin, Felicia Shaw, The San Diego Foundation, Abel Silvas, Brian Bielawski, John Tessmer, Jacob Bruce, Linda Castro, Taylor Wycoff, and the talented playwright, Chantal Bilodeau.

Some photos from the evening: