Page 58 - Sonoma County Gazette July 2020
P. 58

  The Imaginists win grants and re-think theatre...again
If you haven’t ever seen one of The Imaginists’ free theatre-in- the-park shows, poor you, but you’ll have to wait now— for
phase whatever when outdoor performance gets allowed again, presumably with appropriate social distancing and masks.
“Spin Off,” live performance in 2019. Photo by Tibidabo.
For now, the Imaginists have surrendered to that space of not-knowing. It’s familiar territory for us. That’s not to say we’ve got our eyes closed to some of the more devastating outcomes of this pandemic, but that the uncertainty itself is not the problem, rather it’s our glimmer of hope. If we stay present enough to observe it, we are in an incredible position to embrace, explore, and possibly help shape this rare transition-time of global upheaval.”
So, what are The Imaginists cooking up for
this summer?
 Their summer programs of free,
bilingual traveling theatre with
political themes under the umbrella
title El Show El Arte es El Medicina
(Art is Medicine Show) that have
been playing parks in Santa Rosa
for over ten years are temporarily
on hold— but the company most
definitely continues its innovative
and relevant work in this “post-theater” world.
“Art is Medicine Show.” Photo by Tibidabo.
 Recently awarded not one but two
For one, working on a “hybrid” version of their Art is Medicine show in which favorite recurring characters are in Zoom meetings that will eventually tie in with an outside live performance. The Zoom episodes will air in weekly segments in July; sign up for notifications on the website. Think over-the-top political satire, hilarity, and rampant camp.
grants from the California Arts Council, The Imaginists defies the pandemic pursuing projects made possible by these grants.
Local Impact funding supports a new collaborative piece with musician Jose Soto slated to be multilingual, intergenerational and community based, focusing on immigration.
In addition to the new grant projects, an online conversation called Post-Theater continues to emerge (via the website), discussing the future of live performance, opening up new possibilities, inviting collaboration.
The Youth Arts Action grant will help fund theater residencies in local public schools and support mentorship of a select group of young artists in creating short films (when that becomes possible).
Another chapter of the “Art is Medicine Show.” Photo by Gabe Maxson.
Founding member and artistic director Amy Pinto
Works in progress also include a film project titled mobilus in mobili, to be sited throughout Sonoma County, and two residency
says, “We are thrilled to receive these grants. They come at a
Pinto and co-founder Brent Lindsay charge their company with a philosophy of continually re-thinking theater— “who participates, where it happens, and.. what is it?” Their mission explores the intersection of art and community, aiming to deliver live performance in innovative modes that eschew convention, inviting participation and dialogue. All performances are free or pay-what-you-can and site-based to encourage attendance by those who might not normally encounter traditional theater.
programs for local artists featuring talks and presentations.
In other words, no grass grows under the feet of this bold company as
it strides confidently into the uncertain future— as Lindsay says, “There is so much in motion right now. Structures are showing old vulnerabilities, new portals are breaking open, and we are all being challenged to listen, question, and collaborate to rethink and rebuild new ways. This extraordinary time invites us to shake from our slumber, wrestle old assumptions, and freely and fearlessly experiment in the beautiful unknown. This is where The Imaginists live.”
particularly challenging time for the performing arts field.”
The pandemic forces them, along with all other theater companies, to alter plans. From the website: “Right now we need to confront this unprecedented time head on. We don’t want to make “theater as usual”. At this moment we have an opportunity to re-think again, and that takes time; to process, to slow down and listen. The number one thing this epidemic has delivered is an enormous amount of uncertainty, which renders most planning useless.
Check out the website, and stay tuned!
http://www.theimaginists.org - (707) 528-7554
The Imaginists, 461 Sebastopol Ave., Santa Rosa, CA 95401 COMMENTS are WELCOME: Jeanie K. Smith, jksmith614@gmail.com
 READ Jeanie K. Smith’s Live Theater REVIEWS all month @ www.SonomaCountyGazette.com
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