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| * Cal State L.A. Students Join With Los Angeles-May 7, 1999: Actors from Cal State L.A. and the Los Angeles Poverty Department-a Skid Row theater company-will perform in the Los Angeles première of RACE by French playwright Pascal Rambert. Directed by Rambert, performances will take place Thursday, June 3 to Sunday, June 6, 1999 and are set to begin at sunset (8:01 p.m.) on the rooftop of the parking structure at 333 S. Spring Street, downtown Los Angeles. Admission is free but on a first-come, first-served basis. Pay parking is available one level below the roof. The play: France in the 1990s had seen the rise of fervent anti-immigration sentiment. Studying historical texts, Pascal Rambert concluded that European colonialism on the continents of Africa, Asia and the Americas was the main cause of European immigration. His study also led him to his contention that the colonial attitude, still visible in some parts of European culture, has been, and continues to be, one of the most consistent causes of tension and conflict today. After doing research and conducting interviews in Paris' Arab, African and Asian communities, the piece was written. But Rambert was not satisfied: the text needed to be expanded to include voices from other oppressed communities. After a 1998 visit to Los Angeles, Rambert recognized a link between the themes of RACE and the demographic and political situation in Los Angeles. After a two month residency with the Los Angeles Poverty Department and Cal State L.A.'s Department of Theatre Arts and Dance during the Fall of 1998, Rambert found the text readapted itself quite naturally to fit the particulars of the American experience, especially as it manifests itself in Los Angeles. "I wanted to create a dialog where dialog was not possible, where the size and the cultural diversity of a city made the problem of dialog seem insurmountable," Rambert says. The Los Angeles version of RACE features a cast of 15 actors from the Cal State L.A. Department of Theatre Arts and Dance, and the Los Angeles Poverty Department. The director: The cast: The sponsors: Los Angeles Poverty Department: Founded in 1985 by John Malpede, the Los Angeles Poverty Department was the first performance group in the nation composed mainly of homeless and formerly homeless people. LAPD's mission is to create high-quality challenging performance work that express the realities, hopes and dreams of people who live and work on Skid Row. LAPD's goal is to make powerful art that is a direct communication from its performers to its audiences and that is able to leap tall social barriers at a single bound. Malpede was already a well-known performance artist when he began working on Skid Row. Since its inception, LAPD has performed nationally and internationally. Recently LAPD has collaborated with some of the leading performance groups in the nation, (Goat Island and Contraband) and has performed locally at LACMA, the Geffen Contemporary (MOCA) and the Skirball Cultural Center. Cal State L.A. Department of Theatre Arts and Dance: Located in the University's School of Arts and Letters, the Department offers undergraduate programs leading to the B.A. degree with options in theater or dance, a minor for students in other fields, and a Master of Arts degree. Faculty members are both educators and working professionals in their fields. The Department believes that education in the performing arts can and must serve as basic liberal arts and professional training, grounding students in the theories and expression of the social and cultural past and present. All students earning a B.A. in Theatre Arts and Dance complete their course of study with a capstone experience of community-based performance service. Recent productions include dance performances in collaboration with L.A.'s cutting-edge choreographers; productions of new theater works, and "Finnian's Rainbow," done in conjunction with the L.A. County High School for the Arts. Association Française d'Action Artistique (AFAA) / French Ministry of Foreign Affairs: AFAA is a non-profit organization associated with the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Its objective is to facilitate programs around the world in all artistic fields. In the field of theater, AFAA has created "PRETEXTE," a program which offers financial support to theaters and universities outside France that are interested in supporting the development of contemporary playwrights. A grant through this program has allowed Pascal Rambert to present this production of "RACE." French Cultural Services, Consulate General of France: The French Cultural Services in the United States helps American institutions design projects related to French culture, including symposia, theater productions, concerts, and film festivals. The French Cultural Services in Los Angeles is particularly active thanks to the high interest of local programmers, universities and other cultural organizations. The translation and production of Pascal Rambert's "RACE" is the most recent project associated with the French Cultural Services. City of Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Department: An excellent "showcase" for the city's wealth of cultural resources, the Department produces annual festivals, offers free and low cost art classes, exhibitions, performances and special events at 11 community art centers; its five theater complexes house some of the region's best-equipped mid-sized theaters; and its Cultural Affairs and Heritage commissions approve the design of new and restored buildings, marquees, bridges street lights, and public sculptures that beautify our city. As a vital nexus among 101 different cultural communities, the Department's invaluable social services for L.A. include quality after-school programs for "latchkey" and at-risk youth. It is in a national arts leadership position with its Art Partners model of community empowerment and government decentralization, and groundbreaking Arts and Public Safety Impact Study. For photos, interviews or more information, call the Public Affairs Office at Cal State L.A., (323) 343-3050.
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