creative consulting for the art of life by Jason Jenn

creative consulting for the art of life by Jason Jenn

Saturday, June 20, 2015

RECOGNITION = LIFE on JUNE 27 @ 4pm

“I’ve learned in my adult life that the will to silence the truth is always and everywhere as strong as the truth itself. So it is a necessary fight we will always be in: those of us who struggle to understand our common truths, and those who try to erase them.” - Paul Monette



The words of Paul Monette are hitting me hard right in the heart right now with both an emotionally powerful urgency and resounding universality, as relevant as today as when he wrote them over 20 years ago. On June 27 at 4:30pm I will present  “Recognition = Life”, a 45-minute tribute to Paul and the creative spirit of West Hollywood residents who are no longer with us as part of The City of West Hollywood’s One City One Pride LGTBQ Arts Festival “WeHo@30”.  It’s part of a day of theatre and the show “West Hollywood This Is Your Life”.  It all begins at Fiesta Hall in Plummer Park at 4pm (3:30pm door) and includes a variety of extraordinary performances until 9pm, co-hosted by Ian MacKinnon and Odious Ari produced by APT3F & Planet Queer. Check out the facebook invite at:
https://www.facebook.com/events/870889636291351/

I will be combining spoken word along with a cast (Atasiea, Harpal Sodhi, and Qlint Steinhauser) using dance movement, live music (musician Ahmond on guitar) and video art to honor his powerful voice in both his essays and poetry. There’s a particularly enthralling mix of strength and sensitivity in his writing, from his bold essays on gay rights and AIDS activism to the heartfelt emotion of the loss of his lover Roger Horwitz. They speak clearly and compellingly to us in contemporary times and engage on both page and stage. 

"Recognition = Life"
Fiesta Hall in Plummer Park
7377 Santa Monica Blvd 
(Free parking for full day in both north and south parking lots - north lot off Fountain Blvd, south lot off Santa Monica - Fiesta Hall is in the middle and west side of park just off North Vista St.)

"West Hollywood This Is Your Life" begins at 4pm, doors 3:30pm
suggested $5 donation covers full day of performances
SCHEDULE
4:00 pm - Hank Henderson’s HomoCentric brings together diverse voices in LGBTQ writing.
4:30pm "Recognition = Life" created by Jason Jenn with Atasiea, Harpal Sodhi, Qlint Steinhauser and Ahmond on guitar. With special guest performance by Yozmit
5:30 pm - Ian MacKinnon’s Get More Gay Performance Workshop's “Flirty Thirty: The WeHo Queer History Project” explores West Hollywood LGBT history in a series of performance pieces by: David Parke Epstein, Edwin Alexis Gomez, AJ Goodrich, Andrea Lambert, Ricky Luna, Ian MacKinnon, Martin Matamoros, Corey Saucier, Jean Spinosa, & Travis Wood
6:50 pm - APT 3F and PLANET QUEER host a variety show with artists celebrating Pride and WeHo's b-day! Performances by: Bitsy la Bourbon, Heather Damage, Queerella deVille, Keith Hunter, Leon Mancilla, Leopold Nunan, & Raymond Kym Suttle
7:45 pm - REACH LA presents "Face Over 30: The Road To Ovahness," an original theatrical production about a young man's journey to redemption, through the lens of queer ballroom culture.

'This event is presented as part of the City of West Hollywood's One City One Pride LGBTQ Arts Festival, which this year celebrates the 30th Anniversary of Cityhood with the theme 'WeHo@30, Life@30'. Events take place from Harvey Milk Day, May 22nd, to the end of June, with a special full day of theatre in Plummer Park on June 27. For more info and to see a full roster of events please visit :www.weho.org/pride. 




Monday, June 8, 2015

THE BUZZ OF ONE CITY ONE PRIDE

The cast of Stuart Timmons' City of West Hollywood LGBTQ History Mobile Tour on June 6
Feeling such an immense wave of heartfelt gratitude for the City of West Hollywood's One City One Pride LGBTQ Arts Festival. Not quite a third of the way through the 40 days and I have been so moved by the variety of events with the primary theme of “WeHo@30” (it was incorporated as a city on Nov 29, 1984 with the first elected majority gay city council and lesbian mayor) and additional theme of exploring how the AIDS crisis forever impacted our history and has yet to receive the attention and respect it deserves in the art world with “Art AIDS America”. 

Helping to work with gay historian Stuart Timmons and a truly amazing cast and crew on bringing his historic tour of West Hollywood to fruition yesterday has moved me in ways beyond my ability to fully describe in a singular post, but I had to at least share some of this:

The intricate tapestry of life is taking on a fascinating glow, putting me into an even deeper reverent awe.  These moments have been coming more and more and I feel blessed to have shared experiences with many wonderful people over my 17 years in the Los Angeles area , whom I love, respect, and admire. Then there are those I never met but who move me so from their bold actions in the past and by getting to read about and/or share their stories, or have multimedia experiences about, which educate me as to their life and impact. So much to share…lots of thanks and credits to give, but for now…these are the words I share. Now on to dive into more of the festival events…


Performance artist & friend Yozmit delivers a stunning walk through the West Hollywood Library at the exhibition opening of "Art AIDS America"


A few quick snapshots from Stuart Timmons' Tour...more to come





Thanks to Cake & Art for providing beautiful and delicious cakes for the reception.