Mo`olelo’s Executive Artistic Director, Seema Sueko, is in Washington, DC on a working sabbatical at Arena Stage (read about it here). Here’s her latest dispatch from DC.

Edgar Dobie (Executive Director, Arena Stage), Molly Smith (Artistic Director, Arena Stage), Alison Whitelaw, and Gilbert Cooke

Dear Friends,

It was so wonderful to see Alison Whitelaw, Vice President of Mo`olelo’s Board of Trustees, and her husband Gilbert Cooke, at Arena Stage this week. They met the leadership of Arena and toured the building.

Among the projects I’m exploring at Arena is advancing Mo`olelo’s work on developing a green metrics for theatrical production. Back in 2009, Mo`olelo developed the Green Theater Choices Toolkit, which has since been used by theaters and universities on five continents, from Broadway to South Africa, Ashland to Manila, and London to Tasmania. You may read about our greening work here.

Alison is a LEED-Accredited Architect and Senior Principal at Platt/Whitelaw Architects. She also Chairs Mo`olelo’s Greening Committee. She has been spearheading our latest work to develop a method to measure the environmental impact of a production. While at Arena, she and Gil, who is the Dean of the NewSchool of Architecture and Design, met with Octavia Driscoll, Production Coordinator. They reviewed current materials tracking processes and brainstormed around green theater metrics.

We have a long way to go toward greening the theater industry, but conversations such as the one Alison, Gil and Octavia had this week, take us one step closer.

Alison Whitelaw, Octavia Driscoll, and Gilbert Cooke.

Aloha!

Seema

Mo`olelo’s Executive Artistic Director, Seema Sueko, is in Washington, DC on a working sabbatical at Arena Stage (read about it here). Here’s her latest dispatch from DC.

Dear Friends,

Mo`olelo has been fortunate to receive funding from the National Endowment for the Arts since 2010. Their grants have supported our productions of Yellow Face, 26 Miles, Kita y Fernanda, and will support our upcoming production of Extraordinary Chambers. So it’s been wonderful to get to know some of the faces behind the NEA.

Ralph Remington is the Director of Theater/Musical Theater at the NEA.

Seema Sueko and Ralph Remington

I re-connected with Mr. Remington last week when the NEA and NEH (National Endowment for Humanities) hosted a Women’s History Month discussion featuring Tazewell Thompson, writer and director of Mary T. and Lizzy K., which premieres at Arena Stage later this month. Mr. Thompson spoke about the real life women his play is based on: Mary Todd Lincoln and Elizabeth Keckly, who served as Mrs. Lincoln’s personal dressmaker. Keckly was a former slave who bought her own freedom and, prior to working for Mrs. Lincoln, was the seamstress to Washington’s elite. Their unconventional friendship was both complicated and inspiring.

Huge thanks to the NEA for hosting talks like Mr. Thompson’s and for all they do for the arts in our country. Their grant for Extraordinary Chambers will support our Consensus Organizing process, our partnership with groups like Survivors of Torture International, and deepen the impact of the play. I hope you’ll see it. Jessica and Samantha have already begun organizing groups to see the show and booking tickets. Call them at 619-342-7395 for more information.

See you soon!

Seema

Mo`olelo’s Executive Artistic Director, Seema Sueko, is in WashingtonDC on a working sabbatical at Arena Stage (read about it here). Here’s her latest dispatch from DC.

Dear Friends,

Last week, I was so thrilled to get a visit from Garry & Pat Prather! Garry is a past President of Mo`olelo’s Board of Trustees and currently serving on our Advisory Board and on Team Mo`olelo. He and Pat were in town for a work-related conference. They stopped by Arena Stage and I gave them the grand tour of the place. Here they are outside of the the Kogod Cradle, the newest of Arena’s three stages:

Another Mo`olelo face I’ve seen here in DC is Robert Barry Fleming. You may remember him from his heart wrenching performance in GOOD BOYS in 2009 and his outstanding direction of STICK FLY in 2011. He now lives in the greater DC area, and he was my guest at the opening night of Mary Zimmerman’s METAMORPHOSES at Arena. Here he is with Molly Smith and me:

I continue to explore and investigate organizational structures and leadership styles at a diversity of theaters in the DC area. It’s providing much food for thought about Mo`olelo’s upcoming 10th anniversary in 2014, what kind of organization we want to become, how we’ll impact and advance the field, and how we can continue to serve our communities authentically and deeply in our next 10 years.

With aloha,

Seema

Mo`olelo’s Executive Artistic Director, Seema Sueko, is in Washington DC on a working sabbatical at Arena Stage (read about it here). Here’s her latest dispatch from DC.

Dear Mo`olelo Friends,

What an exciting time to be in Washington, DC.  I attended my first Presidential Inauguration, as well as my first Inaugural Ball, and I was overjoyed to see that there was a significant piece of Mo`olelo history at this Ball!

It was The Peace Ball, sponsored by the restaurant Busboys and Poets and held at Arena Stage.

Sweet Honey in the Rock performed; and the speakers included Angela Davis, Ralph Nader, and Cindy Corrie.

Those of you who’ve been with Mo`olelo since our first play, remains, may recognize that name, Cindy Corrie. She is the mother of Rachel Corrie who, in 2003, was crushed by a bulldozer in Gaza as she protested the Israeli demolition of a Palestinian home. Rachel’s death served as the catalyst for me to write remains. Based on the time I had spent at Tel Aviv University in my college years, remains was about a mother and daughter’s journey through the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict and explored “whose truth is true.”

Cindy Corrie and Seema Sueko at The Peace Ball 2013

Cindy Corrie had come from Olympia, Washington to San Diego to speak at and be a part of our inaugural production back in 2004…. and here she was again, from Olympia, this time to DC, to speak at a different inaugural event! It was a warm and surprising reunion to see her.

We reminisced about those wonderful beginnings of Mo`olelo…

And now, here we are, Mo`olelo, nine years later. I look back and am humbled by all the support we’ve received over the years, and proud that, though we are a small company, our reach has been wide across the country, and our impact deep within our communities.

I’m excited about our next production, The Bluest Eye. It’s our first-ever co-production with anyone, and we are so pleased to work with Moxie Theatre. I won’t have the opportunity to see it as I’ll be in DC, so I’m counting on you to see it and tell me all about it!

Tell me about what you learned from the talkbacks with the playwright Lydia Diamond, or Starla Lewis and Sherehe Hollins; or how the NAACP night at the play went; if you’re with one of the schools participating in Three Part Arts, let me how you liked the study guide; and if you become inspired to sponsor a nonprofit charity to attend The Bluest Eye… mahalo. Mahalo, mahalo for your generosity and commitment to arts for all.

Break a leg, Bluest Eye team!

With aloha from chilly DC,

Seema

Find Seema’s previous Dispatch from DC here.

Warner Miller and Seema Sueko

Dear Mo`olelo Friends,

After a fun farewell party hosted by the Mo`olelo Board of Trustees, I packed my bags and headed to Washington, DC to begin the TCG Leadership U[niversity] grant program.

I’ve spent the past week getting settled into my new home away from home in Columbia Heights, exploring DC, and acclimating myself to the weather! I also caught a moving performance of Pullman Porter Blues at Arena Stage, featuring Warner Miller as Cephas. Warner will portray Cholly in the upcoming Mo`olelo and MOXIE co-production of The Bluest Eye – while I’ve come to DC, we’re sending him back to San Diego! Some of you may remember Warner from the 2009 production of Since Africa at The Old Globe. We are so excited to bring him and his remarkable talent back west.

Hau`oli Makahiki Hou is “Happy New Year” in Hawaiian. I wish everyone in the Mo`olelo family a peaceful and joyful 2013. I will be in Washington, DC for most of this year, returning in May to direct Extraordinary Chambers. Jessica Bird and Samantha Howell are running the day-to-day operations at Mo`olelo. They, along with our fabulous Board of Trustees, are ready to assist you in any way during my working sabbatical. I’ll periodically send updates on what I’m learning from Molly Smith and Arena Stage. And if you find yourself in DC, please stop by Arena and say hi!

With aloha,

Seema

2012 has been an exciting time of growth for Mo`olelo thanks to the support of people like you. As we gear up for 2013, we are giddy to share our top 10 highlights of the year.

#10 – Three-Show Season
We grew from producing two shows per year to three, and brought How I Got That Story, Hoodoo Love, and Kita y Fernanda to stage.

# 9 – 59 Community Organizations
Through our unique Consensus Organizing for Theatre process, we partnered with and engaged 59 different community organizations with our 2012 productions. Some of the our most significant 2012 partnerships were with Veterans Village of San Diego, NAACP San Diego Branch, The Chocolate Voice, Cesar Chavez Service Clubs, and The San Diego Dream Team.

#8 – Consensus Organizer of the Year
The Consensus Organizing Center at SDSU honored Mo`olelo’s Executive Artistic Director as the 2012 Consensus Organizer of the Year.

#7 – New Staff
In May, Samantha Howell joined Mo`olelo as Administrative and Production Assistant; and in September, Jessica Bird joined the team as Interim General and Producing Manager.

#6 – 830 High School Students & Teachers Served (81% Title I)
Through our Three Part Arts Education program, we served 830 students and teachers, 675, or 81% of all the students served, qualified as Title I recipients.

#5 – Diverse Audiences
To help us gain a better picture of the demographics of Mo`olelo’s audiences, we insert a survey form into each playbill during our public performances. A total of 1,881 raffle survey forms were turned in during the 2012 Season of Plays, which represents 34.0% of the total audiences. Here’s what we learned about our 2012 audiences:

• 46.8% of our audiences were under the age of 45, and 71.4% under 60
• Our audiences self-identified as 51 different ethnicities and ethnic groups
• 8.9% of our 2012 audience members experienced their first live theater event at Mo`olelo
• 29.1% of the Hoodoo Love audience self-identified as Black, Black American or African American
• 39.1% of the Kita y Fernanda audience self-identified as Latino/a, Hispanic, Mexican, Mexican American, Puerto Rican or Chicano/a

#4 – NAACP San Diego Branch Lorraine V. Hansberry Performing Arts Award
The NAACP San Diego Branch honored Mo`olelo’s Executive Artistic Director at their 39^th Annual Freedom Fund Dinner with the Lorraine V. Hansberry Performing Arts Award.

#3 – NEA, CAC and more!
Mo`olelo received funding support from the National Endowment for the Arts, California Arts Council, City of San Diego Commission for Arts and Culture, The Parker Foundation, The James Irvine Foundation, Qualcomm Foundation, and many more. Check them out here.

#2- TCG Leadership U[niversity]
Mo`olelo’s Executive Artistic Director was one of only six in the nation selected to receive the inaugural Leadership U[niversity] One-on-One grant, funded by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

#1 – Fabulous Board
Mo`olelo has always been fortunate to recruit talented, smart and inspiring Board Members who are deeply committed to the mission and authentically serving our communities. Our 2013 Board is no different. Read about this dynamic group here.

Our story is your story. Consider making a tax-deductible donation in 2012 to help build 2013′s Top 10!

The Mo`olelo Board of Trustees hosted a “farewell for now” party for Mo`olelo’s Executive Artistic Director, Seema Sueko. She’s off to Washington, DC to begin her TCG Leadership U[niversity] grant program at Arena Stage. Here are some of the photos from the evening:

MAHALO to all the individuals and foundations/businesses/government entities that supported Mo`olelo in 2012!

Your contributions brought How I Got That Story, Hoodoo Love and Kita y Fernanda to life; helped us serve 5,695 individuals and 830 high school students; and created 33 seasonal, professional theater jobs.

Our fiscal year ends December 31, and our goal is to raise $7,579 more in contributions from individuals by then to end the year strong and position the organization for a good start in 2013.

Please consider making a tax-deductible donation to Mo`olelo.

There are three ways to donate:

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.

We will mail you a donation receipt for your records. Read more about our year-end fundraising push here.

Kokua is the Hawaiian word for “help,” but it means more than that. It means ”extending loving, sacrificial help to others for their benefit, not for personal gain.” With your kokua, together, we will offer kokua to our communities through theater, consensus organizing, and art.

Mahalo.

Today, the Mo`olelo Board of Trustees held their annual Strategic Planning Retreat! Facilitated by Bennett Peji, this retreat surfaced innovative ideas, passion for the mission, and action steps for the Board and staff. Here are some photos from this inspiring day:

On December 19, 2003, the founders of Mo`olelo opened a bank account with $25 and a vision of telling powerful stories…

New friends supported the vision and year by year created the story of Mo`olelo. We invite you to add your name to Mo`olelo.

Dear Friend,

As we step into the 9th year of Mo`olelo, we’re embarking on an exciting journey of growth, national recognition and anticipation for our 10th anniversary in 2014.

Executive Artistic Director, Seema Sueko, was selected for the prestigious and inaugural Theatre Communications Group Leadership U[niversity] grant, which takes her to Arena Stage in Washington, DC for a 16-month learning intensive. She’ll be exposed to best practices at one of our nation’s premiere institutions, and incubate new ideas and innovations for Mo`olelo’s next 10 years.

In her absence a very capable and committed Interim Manager, Jessica Bird, has been hired to work with Seema to ensure continuity and ongoing success. Here in San Diego, we’re building our infrastructure, growing our staff, expanding our artistic horizons, and reaching more and more students and diverse audiences.

We invite you to add your name to the Mo`olelo story.

Mahalo!

Seema Sueko
Executive Artistic Director

Ilene Hubbs
President, Board of Trustees

Jessica Bird
Interim General and Producing Manager

Giving Levels & Benefits

$25 Every year Mo`olelo offers hundreds of complimentary or discounted tickets to Title I schools and underserved community groups in an effort to make theater accessible for all people. A $25 donation can help us subsidize a ticket for unknown friend.

$50 What can $50 support? Annual filing fees, post office box rental, or office and rehearsal room supplies.

$100 could send an actor to a classroom for a post-show workshop, support our voicemail service, or pay for some lighting supplies. Benefits: At this donation rate and higher, patrons receive free ticket transfer privileges.

$500 Helps us pay an actor’s salary, health and pension for one week under the Actors’ Equity Association Small Professional Theatre Category 5 Contract. Benefits: At this rate and higher, donors receive invitations to the first day of rehearsal ‘meet and greets’ with the cast.

$1,000 Helps us pay modest stipends to our lighting, scenic, sound or costume designers, or supports scenic materials or costume budgets. Benefits: You’ll receive invitations to observe select rehearsals at this giving level and above.

$2,500 Could pay a Director, support the carpenters & painters, or print our production postcards or playbill. Benefits: Enjoy lunch with the Executive Artistic Director and the Board Chair at this giving level and above.

$5,000 This giving level provides substantial operating support and builds infrastructure to continue to grow the company. Benefits: Join this select group of individuals who have provided a one-time cash-infusion into the company. Only a few spots remain for the Founders Circle which will be closed at the end of 2014, our 10th anniversary year. Founders Circle members are recognized for the life of the ompany in all print and web materials. See the timeline to the right for current Founders Circle members.

Monthly Donations

Consider supporting the Company with a monthly contribution. We do our best to run a lean operation. Our monthly operating costs of rent, phones, office expenses, administrative salaries, payroll services and taxes runs approximately $7,000 per month. Monthly donations help with cash flow.

Multi-Year Pledges

Consider making a three-year pledge–donating in  2012, 2013, and 2014 — to support our journey toward our 10th Anniversary in 2014!

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.