"Start a huge, foolish project, like Noah. It makes absolutely no difference what people think of you." -Rumi
You are currently browsing the Marisol category.
“Cannot you see… it is we that are dying, and that down here the only thing that really lives is the Machine? We created the Machine, to do our will, but…. It has robbed us of the sense of space and of the sense of touch, it has blurred every human relation and narrowed down love to a carnal act, it has paralysed our bodies and our wills, and now it compels us to worship it…. We only exist as the blood corpuscles that course through its arteries, and if it could work without us, it would let us die.”
- E.M. Forster, “The Machine Stops
Let me begin by saying my first loves were written words (Sorry, Ong!). I lived among books as a child, adored creating stories and playing with humor and rhyme. I told my fourth grade teacher that I wanted to be a poet. She replied, “Poets don’t make any money.”
Around that same age, one of the things that politicized that love (aside from my family) was science fiction. My young thoughts were always fascinated by images of the future, and I spent a lot of time reading and imaging what the future would look like. I remember a Disney book projecting into the year 2000, where every family would have a robot in their home, we all had flying cars, and our wardrobe was primarily silver. As a little girl my vision of times to come looked like spaceship races and inter-galactical communication. As I grew older, my vision of the future matured into imagining futures without rape, war, or hunger, a future of inter/trans-cultural communication.
From childhood until now, I’ve come a long way from being any sort of scientist or engineer – the journey that brought me to ITP was a road paved with art and politics. Because of that context, reading stories like E.M. Forster’s “The Machine Stops” was not only a delight (after struggling with PComp), but is also an awesome reminder, in a world that struggles with critical thinking and connecting seemingly disparate disciplines, that the future of technology, art, and society are inextricably intertwined.
“The Machine Stops” was first published in The Oxford and Cambridge Review in November 1909. Forster has incredible foresight in predicting the rise of certain technologies – television and videoconferencing, the incredible interconnectivity of the internet, the shifting values of space and time due to the rapid pace of information and communication. (wikipedia.org)
Forster even describes this disintegration of space and time:
“You know that we have lost the sense of space. We say ’space is annihilated’, but we have annihilated not space, but the sense thereof. We have lost a part of ourselves. I determined to recover it, and I began by walking up and down the platform of the railway outside my room. Up and down, until I was tired, and so did recapture the meaning of ‘Near’ and ‘Far’. ‘Near’ is a place to which I can get quickly on my feet, not a place to which the train or the air-ship will take me quickly. ‘Far’ is a place to which I cannot get quickly on my feet; the vomitory is ‘far’, though I could be there in thirty-eight seconds by summoning the train. Man is the measure. That was my first lesson. Man’s feet are the measure for distance, his hands are the measure for ownership, his body is the measure for all that is lovable and desirable and strong” (Forster, 11).
Forster writes about a time in the future where humanity has been disabled by their dependence and loyalty to technology. Society lives underground because the Earth is no longer habitable, and those who break the rules of The Machine, get banished to the surface to be “homeless” and die. In this world, there is no physical contact, there are no emotions, just “ideas,” and even then the ideas are removed, “beyond facts, beyond impressions, a generation absolutely colourless, a generation seraphically free from taint of personality, [who see past events] not as it happened, nor as they would like it to have happened, but as it would have happened, had it taken place in the days of the Machine” – a generation without context and without hindsight. Forster tells the story of the collapse of this “civilization,” strangled by its own weight.
In the end, we learn that there are the people, the “homeless” who live outside of The Machine, and that they will inherit the future, and learn from this tragic past:
“‘I have seen them, spoken to them, loved them. They are hiding in the mist and the ferns until our civilization stops. Today they are the Homeless–tomorrow –’
‘Oh, tomorrow–some fool will start the Machine again, tomorrow.’
“‘Never,’ said Kuno, “Never. Humanity has learnt its lesson.’” (Forster, 16).
I have a weakness for apocalyptic narratives. In one of my favorite plays, José Rivera’s Marisol, the homeless (disenfranchised, marginalized, poor) inherit the future again, by rebelling against a senile god that is dying and wants to take humanity down with him.
“(Lights upstage reveal a single homeless person angrily throwing rocks at the sky….)
MARISOL: …Then, as if with one body, one mind, the innocent of the earth take to the streets with anything they can find – rocks, sticks, screams – and aim their displeasure at the senile sky…. Billions of poor, of homeless, of peaceful, of silent, of angry, fighting… as no species has ever fought before.
… It’s the first day of the new history.
Oh God. What light. What possibilities. What hope.” (Rivera, 68).
Blind worship and the loss of agency for humanity are central themes when we think about the directions that technology could go. In these stories the answer for those instant-gratification, materialistic addictions comes from the poor, the “homeless.” Those marginalized who have gone without and must make their way through the world separate from material things and removed from the privileges and the disabilities that come with “civilization” and modernity.
I think about Maya Lin, and how she asked us to imagine a future where humanity and the environment can coexist. She had said that it is always easier, and certainly more alarmist and romantic to be fatalistic about the future. That it is infinitely more difficult to imagine actual solutions and positive change.
I believe that is true, and societal change does not always have to come through fear. I am moved and inspired by thinking that a positive future can be imagined and created. Opposite from Forster’s tragic view of humanity with its demise due to unrelenting technological advances, I believe that with the right balance, and with responsible hindsight and foresight, technology is a tool that can be used not to separate people, but to connect people, not to destroy our spaces, but to understand our spaces better. I certainly hope to do that with my work as a poet/artist and my evolving understanding of technology.
Damn.
Yeah, so its been a year since I finished my Fulbright in Manila, and two years since I started this blog. What a journey. This blog began as “Striving for Praxis” – because that intersection between theory and practice was what I was looking for when I left to go study theatre in the Philippines in August 2007.
Sidenote: I’m a Fulbright Alumni Ambassador, so if you’re interested in help with your application, or want to know more about my experience go here: a YouTube video interview by IIE about my experience (I can’t *stand* this video), and my essay on Fulbright application tips.
Since then, its been a wild ride – I directed a show (check out photos on my portfolio), traveled through some of Southeast Asia, moved to New York City, been hustlin’ by babysitting, working random laborious gigs, and assistant directing shows in NYC. All the while, I’ve been living and loving life (including the down, dark, periods – and there were some, trust me), meeting amazing people, and working, sharing, and collaborating with them.
Two years ago, I was looking for the link between theory and practice. I had just left the love of my life, Smith College, with a BA in Government and Women’s Studies, and I wanted to be a theatre director. Armed with post-colonial theory, feminist knowledge, American race and cultural studies, and one full-length play under my belt, I was ready to find a way to bridge academia and art. If that wasn’t challenging enough, I was going to do it in the Philippines. On a Fulbright. While “finding myself” as a Fil Am and rediscovering my history, heritage, and culture! Go me! I was going to crack open the world!
Then the world cracked me open.
Like a fucking egg.
Not one of those awesome salty purple eggs that are tough and resilient.
I was a thin-shelled, pesticide-ridden, sad, non-organic cage-fed chicken egg.
Needless to say, the world gave me a well-deserved bitch slap and it hurt like hell.
Then I moved to New York City, (because one smack down wasn’t enough), and found myself surviving. Then, soon after, thriving.
I found myself changed, calmer, humbler, growing.
I realized that so many decisions I had made in the past were driven by what was “right,” and the insanely high expectations of myself were motivated by fear – fear of failure and hurt. I began to realize that failing, and surviving, was my best success. Now, I find myself gaining a truer, more honest and genuine confidence.
Which brings me to where I am now, and why “Striving for Praxis” has been renamed “The Center for Sustainable Foolishness.”
Two years later, I am beginning to learn to bridge the gap between theory and practice, ideas and art. I am starting my first year at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, in the Interactive Telecommunications Program (ITP). ITP is an interdisciplinary program, a playground for artists and technologists to come together, learn from each other, and create things with our (and each others) brains and hands. I’ve only been here two days, and it is a magical fucking place. I have very little background in technology and new media, but I am so privileged, excited, and eager to learn to make things that I cannot even yet imagine, with creative people whose interests and disciplines are diverse and wide.
My first day of school, my morning class involved learning to wire a microcontroller to an LED and make it light up. Then, my second class of the day lectured to us, “poetry drives you, not hardware.”
I am so happy to be in an environment where I have so much learning to do, that I have no conception of what I can make and what I am capable of. It is freeing.
I am inspired by this quote:
“Start a huge, foolish project,
like Noah.
It makes absolutely no difference
what people think of you.”
-Rumi
I’ve renamed this blog because I’m ready to be a damned fool.
I want to make mistakes and look ridiculous. I want to make bad decisions, freak out, cry, move forward, and learn and grow.
This will be where I will be posting my work, projects and ideas from ITP.
Thank you for witnessing my transformation from a true and sad dolt, to a joyful playful fool. Enjoy!
Damn.
Yeah, so its been a year since I finished my Fulbright in Manila, and two years since I started this blog. What a journey. This blog began as “Striving for Praxis” – because that intersection between theory and practice was what I was looking for when I left to go study theatre in the Philippines in August 2007.
Sidenote: I’m a Fulbright Alumni Ambassador, so if you’re interested in help with your application, or want to know more about my experience go here: a YouTube video interview by IIE about my experience (I can’t *stand* this video), and my essay on Fulbright application tips.
Since then, its been a wild ride – I directed a show (check out photos on my portfolio), traveled through some of Southeast Asia, moved to New York City, been hustlin’ by babysitting, working random laborious gigs, and assistant directing shows in NYC. All the while, I’ve been living and loving life (including the down, dark, periods – and there were some, trust me), meeting amazing people, and working, sharing, and collaborating with them.
Two years ago, I was looking for the link between theory and practice. I had just left the love of my life, Smith College, with a BA in Government and Women’s Studies, and I wanted to be a theatre director. Armed with post-colonial theory, feminist knowledge, American race and cultural studies, and one full-length play under my belt, I was ready to find a way to bridge academia and art. If that wasn’t challenging enough, I was going to do it in the Philippines. On a Fulbright. While “finding myself” as a Fil Am and rediscovering my history, heritage, and culture! Go me! I was going to crack open the world!
Then the world cracked me open.
Like a fucking egg.
Not one of those awesome salty purple eggs that are tough and resilient.
I was a thin-shelled, pesticide-ridden, sad, non-organic cage-fed chicken egg.
Needless to say, the world gave me a well-deserved bitch slap and it hurt like hell.
Then I moved to New York City, (because one smack down wasn’t enough), and found myself surviving. Then, soon after, thriving.
I found myself changed, calmer, humbler, growing.
I realized that so many decisions I had made in the past were driven by what was “right,” and the insanely high expectations of myself were motivated by fear – fear of failure and hurt. I began to realize that failing, and surviving, was my best success. Now, I find myself gaining a truer, more honest and genuine confidence.
Which brings me to where I am now, and why “Striving for Praxis” has been renamed “The Center for Sustainable Foolishness.”
Two years later, I am beginning to learn to bridge the gap between theory and practice, ideas and art. I am starting my first year at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, in the Interactive Telecommunications Program (ITP). ITP is an interdisciplinary program, a playground for artists and technologists to come together, learn from each other, and create things with our (and each others) brains and hands. I’ve only been here two days, and it is a magical fucking place. I have very little background in technology and new media, but I am so privileged, excited, and eager to learn to make things that I cannot even yet imagine, with creative people whose interests and disciplines are diverse and wide.
My first day of school, my morning class involved learning to wire a microcontroller to an LED and make it light up. Then, my second class of the day lectured to us, “poetry drives you, not hardware.”
I am so happy to be in an environment where I have so much learning to do, that I have no conception of what I can make and what I am capable of. It is freeing.
I am inspired by this quote:
“Start a huge, foolish project,
like Noah.
It makes absolutely no difference
what people think of you.”
-Rumi
I’ve renamed this blog because I’m ready to be a damned fool.
I want to make mistakes and look ridiculous. I want to make bad decisions, freak out, cry, move forward, and learn and grow.
This will be where I will be posting my work, projects and ideas from ITP.
Thank you for witnessing my transformation from a true and sad dolt, to a joyful playful fool. Enjoy!
In celebration of the 60th Anniversary of the Fulbright Program in the Philippines, the University of the Philippines – Diliman, Department of Speech Communication and Theatre Arts and the Philippine – American Educational Foundation (PAEF) present Rody Vera’s Filipino Adaptation of José Rivera’s Marisol.
Marisol is a surreal tale of an apocalyptic Philippines, a Manila on the verge of collapsing from the pressures of poverty and violence. The play revolves around the character of Marisol, whose guardian angel leaves her to survive in a world that is dangerous and falling apart, without the protection of her faith. The themes in Marisol ring true to a present-day that is local as well as global.
To commemorate six decades of international exchange and mutual understanding between the United States and the Philippines, Krystal Banzon, 2007-08 American Fulbright Student Scholar directs this original adaptation of Rivera’s Puerto Rican/American play, in collaboration with an entirely Filipino cast, design, and production team. The cast is made up of eight talented artists, Marjorie Lorico, Mailes Kanapi, Nicco Manalo, Sigrid Bernardo, Virgie Sorita-Flores, Tao Aves, Miela Sayo, and Chic San Agustin. Set design and poster design by Lex Marcos, technical direction and lighting design by El Abquina, sound design by Roxanne Pagdanganan, costume design by Sigrid Bernardo, and the stage manager is Hazel Gutierrez.
Marisol runs from May 14-17, 2008, 7pm at the Teatro Hermogenes Ylagan, Faculty Center, UP Diliman, Quezon City. Admission is free. Seating is on first come, first served basis. Please arrive early to ensure seating.
A show not to be missed.
In celebration of the 60th Anniversary of the Fulbright Program in the Philippines, the University of the Philippines – Diliman, Department of Speech Communication and Theatre Arts and the Philippine – American Educational Foundation (PAEF) present Rody Vera’s Filipino Adaptation of José Rivera’s Marisol.
Marisol is a surreal tale of an apocalyptic Philippines, a Manila on the verge of collapsing from the pressures of poverty and violence. The play revolves around the character of Marisol, whose guardian angel leaves her to survive in a world that is dangerous and falling apart, without the protection of her faith. The themes in Marisol ring true to a present-day that is local as well as global.
To commemorate six decades of international exchange and mutual understanding between the United States and the Philippines, Krystal Banzon, 2007-08 American Fulbright Student Scholar directs this original adaptation of Rivera’s Puerto Rican/American play, in collaboration with an entirely Filipino cast, design, and production team. The cast is made up of eight talented artists, Marjorie Lorico, Mailes Kanapi, Nicco Manalo, Sigrid Bernardo, Virgie Sorita-Flores, Tao Aves, Miela Sayo, and Chic San Agustin. Set design and poster design by Lex Marcos, technical direction and lighting design by El Abquina, sound design by Roxanne Pagdanganan, costume design by Sigrid Bernardo, and the stage manager is Hazel Gutierrez.
Marisol runs from May 14-17, 2008, 7pm at the Teatro Hermogenes Ylagan, Faculty Center, UP Diliman, Quezon City. Admission is free. Seating is on first come, first served basis. Please arrive early to ensure seating.
A show not to be missed.
Our production of Marisol has the honor of being one of the events to celebrate the 60th Anniversary year of the Fulbright Program in the Philippines! To commemorate sixty years of international exchange and mutual understanding between the United States and the Philippines, Marisol will have a gala performance the evening of May 16, for Fulbright alumni and other special guests. We hope to have guests from the U.S. Embassy at the performance, as well as any incoming U.S. scholars that have arrived. We look forward to getting together to celebrate this honored and prestigious tradition.
Established in 1946, the Fulbright Program aims to increase mutual understanding between the peoples of the United States and other countries, through the exchange of persons, knowledge, and skills. (http://www.iie.org)
“May sakit ang sanlibutan, Marisol…. – Anghel
In celebration of the 60th Anniversary of the Fulbright Program in the Philippines, the UP – Diliman, Department of Speech Communication and Theatre Arts and the Philippine – American Educational Foundation (PAEF)
present
MARISOL
By José Rivera
Filipino Adaptation by Rody Vera
Directed by Krystal Banzon
2007-2008 American Fulbright Student Scholar
May 14-17, 2008 at 7:00pm
Teatro Hermogenes Ylagan, Faculty Center, UP Diliman.
Our production of Marisol has the honor of being one of the events to celebrate the 60th Anniversary year of the Fulbright Program in the Philippines! To commemorate sixty years of international exchange and mutual understanding between the United States and the Philippines, Marisol will have a gala performance the evening of May 16, for Fulbright alumni and other special guests. We hope to have guests from the U.S. Embassy at the performance, as well as any incoming U.S. scholars that have arrived. We look forward to getting together to celebrate this honored and prestigious tradition.
Established in 1946, the Fulbright Program aims to increase mutual understanding between the peoples of the United States and other countries, through the exchange of persons, knowledge, and skills. (http://www.iie.org)
“May sakit ang sanlibutan, Marisol…. – Anghel
In celebration of the 60th Anniversary of the Fulbright Program in the Philippines, the UP – Diliman, Department of Speech Communication and Theatre Arts and the Philippine – American Educational Foundation (PAEF)
present
MARISOL
By José Rivera
Filipino Adaptation by Rody Vera
Directed by Krystal Banzon
2007-2008 American Fulbright Student Scholar
May 14-17, 2008 at 7:00pm
Teatro Hermogenes Ylagan, Faculty Center, UP Diliman.
