IN THE MISSION AFTER REHEARSAL
These are stories told informally in rehearsal that I wanted the audience to hear and compare. Maybe Meghan’s originated in an email to me. Written and performed by Omar and Meghan while others danced on the flying, spinning cage, or held the rope to support it. Dawon, still invisible in the box/cell.
Omar
Hey Meghan, what did you do after rehearsal last Thursday?
Meghan
So, I’m in my home in the Mission filled with young 20 to 30 somethings, drinking beer, having dinner, generally having a good time. †I remember that Jorge is performing at Million Fishes (KH – an artist live/work collective on Bryant & 23d), so I walk around the corner and check out the gallery opening. †I saw some hipsters, was not so moved, cracked some smiles, enjoyed a bit of art, and headed back home after about 15 minutes. †What I noticed most was the group of men who are always on 23rd on the north side of the block between York and Bryant, hanging out and drinking. †Just a few steps from Million Fishes, not any of them, as far as I can tell, are in the gallery, hanging out, drinking wine and beer with the artsy folks. †So what is a community art space serving if it's only a portion of the community? †Not a new question, I know, but I’m not going to stop asking it. †It makes me sad, it makes me hate art galleries in the Mission, it makes me feel like I have no right to be indignant about it-- I am part of it-- and it makes me wonder. Cities always have different cultures rubbing up against one another in close proximity, and I’m not trying to qualify this scenario as bad or good, but I notice.
So Omar what did you do last Thursday after you got out of rehearsal?
Omar
Well I was walking with Keith down on Mission just chopping it up, when I remembered I had to meet up with my girl, and my boy and his girl, 'cause we were going to go to the movies. So I parted ways with Keith and I started walking down 26th and Mission. As I walking down the Mission I seen a patrol car with two cops really mugging me. So I went to the corner store, walked inside said was up to cousin and everyone else I knew in there. I made my way to the back of the store to get something to drink when I noticed the 2 cops walk inside the store. He came up to me and said, "Are you a gang member? Where are you from? What's your name? What do they call you?" So I told him my real name and that I was on probation and the other cop who I had seen walk down the aisle behind me started searching me. Then they asked me to come outside, and when I walked outside there were at least 5 other cops and at least 2 more cop cars. They told me to sit down, and they asked me what I was doing around here. I told them I had just got out of rehearsal. And one of the cops asked, “Rehearsal, for what?” I told them for a performance at The Yerba Buena. And they asked me what it was about, I told them, "It's a performance about the criminal justice system." I don’t see any of them here.