The Downey Arts Coalition is sponsoring a new monthly movie club to bring highly regarded independent and foreign films to Downey audiences. In partnership with the Epic Lounge, the evening will feature snacks, drinks, trivia, prizes and more.
The debut film takes place Sunday, January 20th, with a screening of The Secret in Their Eyes, winner of the 2010 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. As a bonus, this first event will be free.
The Epic Lounge is at 8239 2nd Street, Downey, CA 90241 (at New St). Event starts at 2:00PM.
Gil Hagen-Hill was educated in southern California during the “placid” 1950’s and “turbulent” 1960’s. He received a B.A. in Theater Arts from C.S.U.L.A in 1973. Shortly thereafter he became a member of Scorpio Rising Theater founded by Alistair Hunter. From there to “The Burbage Theater” ensemble housed at the Century City Playhouse . . .some cable TV, a marriage, a beautiful daughter, a divorce, another marriage, a trip to Scandinavia, Ireland… He recently sold custom built motorcycles, is now looking for a new incarnation.
Gil began writing poetry in high school and in college. In 1994 he began finding poetry more important in his life – by 2000 his work had appeared in a number of poetry journals on the east coast and mid -west.
He has been published in Verses, Schuylkill Valley Art Journal and Rochester, New York’s “Hazmat Literary Review.” On the west coast he was proudly associated with Lummox Journal in its monthly format as well working with the Chief Lummox “Rain Dog” Armstrong on several projects including “Through a Glass Darkly” and “Last Call.” He has participated in writer’s work shops at Angels Gate Art Center.
His poetry is hard to classify – sometimes confessional sometimes surreal – but always evocative.
New Location: Stay Gallery 11140 Downey Ave (& Firestone), Downey, CA 90241.
On December 20, 2012, the third Thursday Poetry group will meet at Mari’s Wine Bar at 7:30 PM to celebrate the launching and book-signing party for poet and editor Raindog’s newest, Lummox Journal.
Lorine Parks will read her tribute to Downey artist Charlotte Troesch, whose large mosaic mural to the arts was demolished when the office building of Downey High School was bulldozed in September. Other Downey poets included in the Lummox Journal who will read their work are Francis Kearns and Jeff Parks.
Many prominent Southern California poets are expected to come to Downey to read and join in the festivities. Live music, raffles for the Journal and Lummox items, and refreshments will liven the event, which is sponsored by the Downey Arts Coalition. All are welcome.
Mari’s Wine Bar, 8222 Firestone Blvd., Downey, CA 90241
One of the Downey Arts Coalition’s goals is to work toward building a theatre scene where contemporary and classic plays can thrive in smaller venues with intimate settings. While we do have a strong showing in the musical theatre department at the 700 seat Downey Theatre, we don’t have an appropriate venue for repertory theatre, to say nothing of a place that local playwrights and directors can put together challenging shows or new works.
Putting on staged readings of plays has been a way to start, since it doesn’t require the standard theatre infrastructure of lights and sound and a large enough stage. They can be done anywhere you can fill a room with chairs. With our Urban Acts series, we chose several local businesses, and this past Saturday we had our first theatre collaboration with the new Stay Gallery.
“Penney’s From Heaven” and “Price Tags” are two new short plays in Daniel Houston Davila’s cycle of plays about the Carmelas barrio in neighboring Norwalk, CA. DAC previously presented two others “La Vida Lucky” and “El Bobo Bruto.” These plays have special significance, not only because they are written by a local playwright, but because of the local history they tap in to.
The gallery was filled, and the response quite uplifting. Several audience members spoke about how they related with the situations and characters portrayed, one woman with tears from the memories.
Alistair Hunter, a veteran of the LA theatre scene, is to be credited with casting fantastic actors and bringing the excellent writing to life in a unique way. Valentin Flores and his team at Stay gallery put in a lot of time and details to ensure a fully formed evening out. Local musicians The Black Pages took the stage at intermission and afterward to cap off the experience.
The following day, on Sunday, the Downey Arts Coalition helped put together an afternoon of comedy and improv at the another downtown venue that is able to host performances, The Epic Lounge.
In collaboration with Urban Theatre Movement, three comedy groups took the stage, including Ivy League Improv and Cherry Spitz, all with the purpose of drumming up new toy donations to benefit disadvantaged families this holiday season. Thanks to Daniel Zornes, Paul Tully, Forrest Hartl and James Stebick, as well as David Devis for his generous support with his venue.
Comedy is its own beast, however, a theatre art form in its own right, with a long and storied history. We hope to keep it growing. Also gratifying is the stack of gifts that we handed off to the Downey Exchange Club Family Resource Center, which has some end-of-the-year needs to address with the families they serve.
December’s Art on the Vine features the artworks of Colin Clarke, Polaris Castillo, and Brian Temporary at Mari’s Wine Bar on Saturday, December 1st. from 7:00 PM to midnight. Along with the art, come out to enjoy music, food, wine, and raffles of works to take home.
Downey Arts Coalition and the Stay Gallery presents a world premiere staged reading of two new plays by Daniel Houston Davila, our local playwright and expert on the Carmelas barrio that was located in Norwalk, CA through the 60’s. The DAC presented two other plays from the series “Borderland: The Carmelas Cycle of Barrio Plays.” back in May, with “La Vida Lucky (1971)” and “El Bobo Bruto.” Alistair Hunter, founding DAC artist, directs the readings.
“PENNEY’S FROM HEAVEN” (1961)
a one-act play by DANIEL HOUSTON DAVILA
directed by ALISTAIR HUNTER
MIXER ~ THEATRE ~ DRINKS ~ COOKIES ~ Q&A
Live Music Performance by THE BLACK PAGES
FREE ADMISSION
Also presenting an early work-in-progress reading of
PRICE TAGS (1966)
Part of “Borderland: The Carmelas Cycle of Barrio Plays,” set in historical Norwalk, CA, the rural outskirts of Los Angeles.
Cast: Leila Almas, Daniel Houston Davila, Claudia Duran, Linda Lopez, Mario Martinez, Marina Palmier, Jaime Zevallos.
Graphic Designer: William Rademaker
Penney’s From Heaven (1961) follows Nadia Valdez and her desperate hours waiting for her husband to come home whom she believes is gambling away their last hope for Christmas presents for the kids.
Price Tags (1966) finds Sammy Gallardo, a struggling freshman at Cerritos college caught in a dilemma: protect his hemophiliac friend Remi from recklessly damaging his fragile body on a roller coaster at the Pike, or allow him to enjoy his life even if there are consequences.
DAC presented Davila’s other plays in the cycle, La Vida Lucky, and El Bobo Bruto to a packed house at Granata’s this past May.
DAC works to bring plays by local writers here to audiences in Downey to experience a slice of their own community and celebrate our shared experiences.
Downey Arts Coalition and Urban Theatre Movement is sponsoring a benefit comedy & improv show at the Epic Lounge, brought to you by Ivy League Improv, with special guests Cherry Spitz Comedy and more: “Laughing Around the Christmas Tree.”
Sunday afternoon, December 9th, 3PM. This is an all-ages show, so bring the family. The cover charge is a new, unwrapped Toy ($10 minimum) to donate to the Downey Exchange Club Family Resource Center, which has worked here for 20 years to support families in need and prevent child abuse.
Epic Lounge is hosting the event, located at 8239 2nd Street, next to LA Buns and the Bumblebee “Slices” mural.
