Palette by Megan Pai

issue no. 01 december 2016

palette fresh

our

mission

palette is an online zine aimed at showcasing the

diversity of

creation.

Dedicated to artists of all crafts, we hope to provide a foundation for the

recognition, reflection,

reformation of the art world. 03

table of

contents

02-03

06-07

the team

08-11

editorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; notes

12-13

14-25

our mission

harmony take three

eat

san francisco

geotagged

the art of sweeney an exercise in color

read up vogue

thrift trader

26-29

30-37

38-39

40-47

48-55

56-59 60-63 64-65

the

team

Megan Pai co-editor-in-chief + creative director

Shayla Parthasarathy co-editor-in-chief + copy editor

Katie Sheng co-editor-in-chief + art director

Madi Chang staff writer

Zena Gallouzi staff writer

Samantha Ho staff writer

Emma Ritto staff writer

editorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

notes

While there is an irreplaceable sweetness that comes with starting fresh, I often find it difficult to place confidence in the risk which the process entails. I allow my self-imposed standard of merit to suppress my impulse for creating; I worry that my efforts will be wasted on tainted visions, my constantly fluctuating drive for achievement will hinder progress, or my love—hate relationship with the temptation of perfection will stall success. To be honest, I recognize that this doubtful thinking only serves to eliminate any and all opportunities for artistic creation. But until recently, I hadn’t gathered enough courage to silence my anxieties. I hadn’t swapped my Shirley Temple for a glass of Bordeaux—metaphorically speaking, of course. Fortunately, on February 20, 2016, I began to truly assess the possibility of starting my own independent arts and culture magazine. Considering my then-status as a sophomore in high school with few resources and a relative lack of experience in producing a publication, I don’t know how I broke my habit of ignoring such fleeting curiosities. However, I am writing this note on Thanksgiving day, 2016—nine months after meeting my Co-Editors-in-Chief for the first time. The zine is nearly complete, and I am so grateful for those who shared my vision, as well the hunger to execute it. Palette’s first issue is dedicated to artists with an appetite for innovation; I hope that this publication is evidence of the beauty that can emerge from something fresh. Once you have bitten down on the elusive yet existing ambition within, an empowering sense of initiative floods in following.

Success is merely the cherry on top. Megan Pai Co-Editor-in-Chief & Creative Director

I’d like to say I’ve loved art for my entire life, but that’s not the entire truth. It once took a backseat to something else: softball. As much as I loved to paint, I’ve never felt so alive as I did stepping on the field. In the heat of competition, on the cusp of victory, I formed a bond with my teammates that went beyond anything I’ve experienced since. Still, competitive sports are incredibly time-consuming, and I just couldn’t keep up with softball while still developing my artistic skill. Deciding to quit softball in favor of art was one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever made. From then on, art was almost tainted for me; I couldn’t work without remembering what I’d lost to pursue it. But recently, something’s changed. Megan, Shayla, and I started brainstorming this magazine in May 2016. I had never done anything of the kind before. Designing a magazine was foreign and refreshing territory. Nonetheless, it was familiar in that it covered the artistic world. This issue’s theme is “fresh.” The launching of Palette gave me the fresh perspective on the arts that I so badly needed. More than two full years after I made the decision to end my athletic career, I’m finally seeing beyond it. I no longer think of art as what I gave up my sport for; now, art is only art. It’s grace and soul and beauty, all on its own; it doesn’t need to be defined by my own experience. To me, it is of the utmost importance that the Palette expresses the unadulterated eloquence of all forms of artistic expression, a gift which evaded me for so long. As you read this issue, I challenge you: forget yourself, forget your troubles, and immerse yourself in the soul that all artists lay bare.

We are what we make.

Katie Sheng Co-Editor-in-Chief & Art Director

As an art history enthusiast, I tend to spend a lot of my time revisiting the past. But from being born in Chicago, to moving to San Diego, to signing up for my first art class, to taking up an instrument, to getting green clip-on hair extensions in 4th grade (they didn’t last very long), to developing this magazine, and to applying to colleges, I’ve had my fair share of “fresh” experiences. To me, the theme of this issue—fresh—serves as a reminder that we should never be afraid to try something new. Our experiences are what mold us. They determine what we do and don’t like, and how we react to certain situations. For example, I now know that green looks terrible in my hair, but that I do in fact have somewhat of an artistic hand. The articles in this issue aim to persuade you to break out of your comfort zone by experimenting with a new fashion trend, or ordering food that you’ve never heard about before. Of course, breaking out of one’s bubble of security is never an easy task, for often times the fear of disappointment will crush the desire to expand one’s horizons. But I promise that by trying something “fresh”, whether the outcome is good or bad,

You’ll learn something about yourself.

Shayla Parthasarathy Co-Editor-in-Chief & Copy Editor

harmony

+ an artist’s playlist: 1. Love is Love (feat. Pink Oculus) - iET, Pink Oculus 2. Marceline - Willow 3. Hummed Low - Odessa 4. Visits - COLLEAGUES 5. Can’t Run Forever - Hembree 6. American Money - BORNS 7. Man on the Moon - Zella Day 8. New Skin - Beach Weather 9. Therapy - Alibis 10. Loveless - Said the Whale 11. Love Is Easy - The Mowgli’s 12. Swooner - The Zolas 13. Cardiac Arrest - Bad Suns 14. Isombard - Declan McKenna 15. Cry for Me - HUNNY 16. Talk Too Much - COIN 17. Mixtape 2003 - The Academic

take

THREE words by Zena Gallouzi illustrations by Katie Sheng photographs courtesy of Flatspace Studios

oung, aspiring artists are some of the most creative, persistent, and inspiring creators. When one is constantly surrounded by young talent, nothing compares to the passion, energy, and excitement that comes from what they love to do. Three new and aspiring filmmakers have exemplified that it is never too early to accomplish oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dreams. Nathan Cooper (16), Shayne Cole (18), and Mark Barahura (15) recently released their newest short film, Take 3. It premiered at the University of California, San Diego Price Center Theatre in April 2016, and left their audience in awe. This young creative team, known as Flatspace Studios, has spent since the summer of 2015 devoting themselves to Take 3. From writing the script, to raising money, casting, filming, hiring a production manager and makeup art-

ist, editing, and finding a screening venue, this team has experienced a truly inspiring journey. They plan on continuing to spend their time making professional style short films and premiering them in the San Diego area. Take 3 is a comedic short film by Flatspace Studios starring CJ Rabine, Olivia Dangelo, and Imhani King. The story follows three friends who decide to enter a short film contest, but can never seem to agree on an idea. Instead of working together, they decide to go their separate ways and enter the contest individually. In the end, they may just realize that they are actually better together. After attending the Take 3 premiere, I had the chance to sit down with the team as they looked back and discussed the process of making the film, as well as what we can look forward to seeing from them in the future.

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action (THE START) For Nathan, it started when his parents bought him his own video camera at the age of seven years old. Growing up, he used it to film mini movies with his neighbors. As the years went by, his love for telling stories through the camera only seemed to grow. “It was always just an on and off thing,” explains Cooper. “...I feel like I just keep coming back to it, which makes it different compared to everything else I’ve done.” Shayne was introduced to the movie making world in her junior year of high school when her class set out to make a documentary about reducing gun violence in the United States. “I started out just as an outreach person, trying to contact people...but then I got a camera in my hands and it was so much fun… From then on, I became the official cinematographer for my segment and I just wanted to do more of it.” The documentary is titled Beyond the Crossfire and has since won an award for Best Documentary at the San Diego Latino Film Festival. Mark never had a desire to start filmmaking, but he would always make random short skits with his friends growing up. Specifically, he has a lot of experience with audio and liked the idea of being a sound engineer. “It’s not my calling or my passion,” Barahura explains, “but I still find it a lot of fun.”

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(COMING TOGETHER) These three filmmaking friends came together in 2015 with the realization that together, they could create something bigger than themselves, or even each other, combined. Thus their own production company, Flatspace Studios, was born. Now an official team, they decided that they wanted to make a “real movie”—not just another mediocre film that they were used to putting together with a few friends in a day. When put to the challenge, each of their individual talents would shine through if brought together. “The really cool thing about us at Flatspace is that we learn off of each other. There are things that each of us are better at, but we learn from each other and at some point we can all be excellent at each of the fields we are excellent in now,” Cole recalls. “Hopefully we can bring other people into it too and still continue to have many opportunities to grow.” I then asked the group to recount the exact moment that they knew they wanted to become a team. “Making this movie and becoming Flatspace Studios wasn’t just a decision we made, but it was bound to happen,” Cole replies. It was as if the three friends always knew that this was ahead of them.

(WRITING & MONEY) The team spent the next year writing a script, holding auditions, spending weeks filming, and, editing for six months. Everyone involved in the process learned how much work and planning really had to go into every step if the film was going to be of the quality they wanted. Since this industry is something that most of them want to pursue professionally, the team wanted to push themselves to the limit and see what they could do if they used their full potential. Initially, no one had a specific job. It was a solid three months of collaborating, creating, and tweaking. “It wasn’t until we started filming did we each have our own dedicated jobs,” Cooper explains. “Otherwise, we were always working together.” Everyone would meet as often as possible to discuss the script and story. The script was rewritten from scratch at least three times. When coming up with the idea for the film, they each thought out their own ideas and decided to see if they could combine them. In the end, Nathan thought it would be interesting to make a movie about kids trying to make a movie. The original idea for Take 3 was much different than the final product. Even all of the character names were different. The plot originally revolved around three kids who each tried to make their own movie by filming random shots that made no sense. So, when they were finished, their individual movies were terrible. Ultimately, the kids would decide to put their movies together and all the storylines would add up to create one amazing movie that they would use to enter the film festival. The problem with this idea? The team could not figure out a way to put three different storylines together without it being obvious to the audience. They agonized over different ways to do so, none of which worked. Thus, they had to scrap the idea almost last minute. “Things just change because you either can’t think of an idea or it’s just not going to work,” says Cooper. “There are so many different reasons, and that’s just a part of the process.” At that point, it was all about organizing their budget, planning auditions, and finding filming locations. To raise money, the team turned to Kickstarter. They ended up receiving about $800, which wasn’t enough to fund the whole film, so a lot of the extra money needed for equipment came from their own pockets. “It takes a lot of money, but it really takes a lot of your own money,” Cole explains. “If you’re not passionate about this, then don’t do it because you won’t want to invest your own time, money, and effort into it. Honestly, I paid a lot, more than I was expecting, but that’s what happens...” It appears that passion needs to come from the heart and the bank account, but the outcome is almost always more than worth it.

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(CASTING & LOCATIONS) The characters and story of Take 3 are loosely based on the team itself, so when it came time to cast the roles, Nathan, Shayne, and Mark were looking for people who reflected themselves. At first, they were set on finding actors who were their age. However, they ended up casting actors who were much younger—for a number of reasons, but mainly because of the variety of auditionees that they received. “We realized that the older actors we had were better as the supporting characters and it made more sense to have younger actors play the leads so they could balance each other out,” says Cooper. “If we were to cast the movie all over again, we would still cast it the same way.” When it came to finding different locations for the film, the team didn’t have to spend any money. They went around finding public spaces that allowed them to film for as long as they needed. Shayne even spent a whole day driving around to every coffee shop she could find until one finally came through. “The key is learning how to ask, and having good connections,” she says. “You can really go so far with both of those things.”

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(FILMING) Next up was the team’s favorite part of the process: filming! As the sound engineer, Mark would hold the microphone and make sure all the sound in each shot was recording properly. Shayne was the cinematographer, so she was in charge of the camera and filming everything, or “making everything look pretty” as she jokingly put it (even though that is definitely true). Lastly, Nathan was the director. He told everyone what to do, specifically with the actors on their staging and getting into character. “For every step of the entire film, there was always something to worry about. Then, when that was finished, something else would immediately pop up after,” Cooper recalls. “It was a constant struggle of are we going to get the script done? Are we going to finish the ending? Are we going to have a good cast? Are we going to be able to schedule everything? Are we ready to film? Do we have all our locations? Are we going to have music done? Will we have a theatre that we can afford for the premiere?” “Every step of the process was a struggle,” Cole added. “...but in the moments when you are frustrated, you finally get a chance to film and that is just so rewarding and fun. Being on set doesn’t feel like work, it feels like this is what you were born to do.” It was especially rewarding for the team when they got the chance to see their own script and vision come to life, in spite of all of the frustration that they endured. Cole explained that there were moments where she would come home and say, “‘I hate this movie. I hate what we did. I’m so not proud of this.’ I didn’t even want to invite people I knew to come see it because I was worried they would be ashamed. By the time I got over that, I still always had a doubt in my mind, but then the premiere happened and it felt like I was watching a new movie. I couldn’t stop smiling the whole night. It was amazing.” Speaking of the premiere, by the time all the filming and editing was over, it was time to plan the team’s big debut.

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(THE PREMIERE) When looking for a venue, the team originally looked at large, formal theatres, but the cost was too much than their budget could handle. In the end, the Price Center theatre at UCSD offered them a really great price and was more than perfect for the entire event. The team was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief when the night finally came, where there was nothing left to worry about except celebration. When reflecting on the special night, the team recalled that one of the best parts of the premiere was being able to watch the audience’s reaction to everything, especially the jokes. The team experienced immense feelings of pride every time a storm of laughter would flood through the room when a joke that they had spent time writing and perfecting received a reaction. Everything had paid off. “After the premiere,” Cooper says, “I had a moment where I thought ‘It’s finally done... but now we have to do it all over again for our next film.”’ None of them ever realized how big this film was actually going to be when they dived into the project. The entire process just ended up being a lot more intimidating than they had anticipated: the zombie makeup, the different locations, etc. “There was never a big click that we were making a gigantic movie,” Barahura explains. “It really wasn’t until the premiere when I finally realized how much work we actually put into all this and how big it actually was, but it never occurred to me throughout the process.” When asked what the hardest part of the whole process was and what they were most proud of, they each responded with “All of it.” There wasn’t a thing that wasn’t as scary or as hard as the next. No one thought that they would actually get through the movie and make it as big as it would be.

(REFLECTION) The most significant outcome the team got out of the whole experience was everything that they had learned and how much they had grown. “The cool thing about filming is you know what you don’t know about filmmaking when you mess up,” Cole says. “Looking back on it, we wouldn’t have changed anything about the process we went through because allowing ourselves to go through everything that we did go through, and learn everything was so much better than if we knew it from the start,” Cooper added. “We created a great product and if we had known everything before the start we wouldn’t have learned and gotten anything out of the process. There was a set plan for us and if we had gone back and changed anything we wouldn’t have gotten help from the people we did and we probably wouldn’t have grown either. There were a lot of things we had to learn the hard way and we did. It was trial and error.” The team wanted a challenge, they got it, and they won. What’s next for the team now? The plan for Flatspace Studios will be to release movies biannually. Their upcoming movie will be titled Espionage with auditions and filming planned in the summer of 2016. Espionage will be about young adults, Richard and Turner, who both hate their day jobs. They are soon given the opportunity to compete as a group to win jobs as government secret agents. With deadlines set, the team is ready to dive into the process once again.

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thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a wrap

For more information about Flatspace Studios, their upcoming films, or how to become part of their next cast or crew, you can find them at facebook.com/FlatspaceStudios and follow them on Instagram @flatspacestudios.

ECLECTIC

ADVENTURE TASTE

eat [ yakitori ]

words & photographs by Madi Chang

hen most people decide to go out to a restaurant, it’s likely that they will choose a place they know and order something that they have tried before. Why? Trying new types of food can be extremely overwhelming. In a new place, most aren’t sure what they’re going to get, and they aren’t sure if they will like it. However, the more one steps outside of a comfort zone, the easier it becomes to experience new things. Take yakitori, for instance. Yakitori, or “grill bird” in Japanese, is a common, simple dish in Japan and parts of America. It became popular in the 1700s with farmers in Kyoto, Japan who would walk to the Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine to pray for a successful harvest in the upcoming year. While they were traveling, it was easy for them to cook the small birds that ruined their rice crops. Yakitori skewers became popular and convenient to eat during the journey. Nowadays, yakitori has become more popular among office workers who stop at food stands for a light dinner snack before heading back to work or home. These stands aren’t too fancy. In fact, they are often just a couple chairs in front of a counter. Nevertheless, the billows of smoke caused by grilling with charcoal make them easy to spot. There are several different Yakitori restaurants in San Diego. One of the most popular is Yakitori Yakyudori. Visiting a place with an unfamiliar menu can be difficult. Here is a guide to some of the most popular yakitori dishes.

BEEF

CHICKEN CHICKEN

TONGUE TONGUE Beef tongue is something I, personally, have tried in a couple of different restaurants. It’s slightly tougher to chew and has a fattier taste than the chicken thigh. There is typically a dipping sauce that tastes like a more bitter soy sauce to dip your meat in that I highly recommend.

If you’re a little scared or nervous, a great first thing to order is good ol’ chicken thigh skewers. They are simple and tender, familiar to most people, and have a slightly salty, smoky taste from the charcoal grill.

HEART

This is the dish that surprised me the most. It has the texture of a mushroom: slightly chewy and stringy. However, it tastes like a combination of beef and chicken. There’s no excess fat since the heart is a muscle, and it’s actually very healthy!

tip of the day There will always be a can or cup of some sort on the tables for you to place your used skewers out of the way! Don’t worry if you didn’t see anything that you wanted to try, because there are many other dishes, as well: chicken breast, meatballs, chicken gizzard, beef, pork, bacon wrapped asparagus, mushrooms, peppers, or even quail eggs. Most yakitori restaurants are on the less expensive side, ranging anywhere from three to seven dollars for two skewers. They are very laid back, making them great for meeting up with friends, trying new dishes, and having a drink.

SAKE

CHAZUKE Sake Chazuke is rice soaking in green tea with salmon and seaweed sprinkled on top. It’s a little bit salty from the seaweed, but not in an overwhelming way. The dish has a simple taste to it, so there aren’t too many flavors jumping out at you. It is a common breakfast item found in Japan and parts of China.

CHICKEN

BABY

LIVER SQUID If you have tried foie gras, this isn’t too far off. Chicken liver has a distinct metallic taste from the blood that used to be in it. It melts in your mouth and turns into a kind of paste.

If you would like to step outside your comfort zone, this is the right dish for you. The baby squid has almost a metallic taste and seems to have a mineral texture. This is mainly due to the fact that, unlike calamari, the squid still has most of its organs and ink inside of it. This is a salty dish, but in a repressed, lingering way.

portfolio

San

Francis a collection of memories from 2015 photographs by Megan Pai

sco 31

portfolio

geotagged words by Samantha Ho photograph by Megan Pai

“It’s

a pr 38

editorial

’ve lived by the ocean my whole life, but I’ve only ever appreciated it at night. During the day, the beach is just too full: the cloying smell of sunscreen, the clusters of sweating bodies, the glaring sun pummelling rays of cancerous heat into your skin. It produces the claustrophobia that comes with any crowd and magnifies that feeling through the collective body heat of hundreds of half-clothed tourists. The daytime ocean—at least to me and any other sun-deprived hypochondriac—appears to be a terrifying cesspool of unidentified human excretion. In the middle of the night, however, the ocean transforms itself. Stripped of human activity, the ocean reveals itself in its grandest, most stoic form. The beach is deserted and dead silent, the air is chilly, and the waves crash deafeningly against the shore. I get this scary, shrinking feeling that is inextricably tied to that place, time, and setting. The ocean makes the harsh truth of our present situation—that we are one person in a tiny little corner of a tiny planet in one galaxy out of billions—unavoidable. It produces the same feeling that we get when we look at the stars, forcing ourselves to confront the reality of our insignificance in the grand backdrop of the universe, imagining the unlimited possibility of what exists beyond. The theme of the inaugural issue of this

magazine is fresh, which can suggest some kind of paradise: a sun-kissed, warm, tropical place. But what it means to me, literally and especially in the context of art, is unused, untouched, and uncorrupted: a negative state defined by absence. I remember learning about Daoism in World History. My teacher told the class that the goal of the Daoist is to become, essentially, nothing; it’s a principle encapsulated by the Chinese word pu, meaning “unmarked wood.” That is a large part of the ocean’s power: it turns you into nothing. It makes you feel so small that you realize you might as well not ever have existed because it certainly doesn’t make a difference to the ocean, to whom you are probably just a blip on the radar--a random, transient spasm of life. For a new artist, I believe that feeling is invaluable, because nothing signifies the possibility to become anything. There’s this cliché that highly accomplished musicians can’t compose music because every time they play a single note, they automatically think of a piece of music that has already been written. Their experience becomes a restriction: a burden instead of an asset. This, to me, is what makes new, up-andcoming, unknown, or inexperienced artists exciting. They have the chance to define themselves in any manner they choose, before their own mind gets in the way. It’s a fleeting state, and a precious one.

s a fleeting state, and

recious one.” 39

the

ART of

SWEENEY words by Samantha Ho photograph courtesy of Playbill

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an Diego Junior Theatre, the oldest continuously operating children’s theatre in the United States, has fostered young talent both onstage and behind the scenes since 1948. Their latest production—and the last show of their 68th season—was Sweeney Todd, which ran from July 29th to August 14th. The dark, twisted tale of a Victorian-era barber who returns to London to seek revenge on the judge who banished him 15 years earlier, Sweeney Todd may seem an odd choice for a children’s theatre. But Rayme Sciaroni, the artistic director of Junior Theatre and the main force behind JT’s overarching creative decisions, has his reasons.

an interview with Rayme Sciaroni

SH: RS:

SH:

RS:

To start off, how did you get involved in Junior Theatre? I came from New York City… I taught performing arts for children in public schools in New York City. So when I came here, I started checking out the different areas of children’s theatre and theatre in general. I started musical directing all over town, and that’s what I first started doing here—playing pianos in cabarets. And then I met with Desha, who used to [direct] when she was here. She asked if I would musical direct something, and after that I was just hooked on directing here.

What do you think makes Junior Theatre unique? I think it’s a lot of things. We’re one of the few theatres that really does children’s theatre for kids, by kids, and every show is run completely by kids. They do the lights and the sound and the crew and all that, so there are no adults who are running the actual shows themselves. I think that’s a great learning experience that few other theatres really do.

You mentioned that before you were the artistic director for Junior Theatre, you used to be just a director. How has the transition been? It’s been challenging… When you’re just a director here, you’re coming to just do that one thing and leave, and you don’t have to deal with all the other components. But as artistic director, I have to hire the directors, pick the shows, [get] musicians together, and [hire] orchestras—all the behind-the-scenes stuff when you’re producing a show. I have to make sure that the quality of the directors I hire— of their work on our stage—is up to what it’s supposed to be. When you’re a director, you just get to come in and direct and that’s it. So, that’s a big difference.

SH:

What is the hiring process like? What do you look for?

RS:

I look for really good, experienced reputation. I’m not afraid to try new people on things. It’s intuitive if I really feel like somebody’s going to be a good fit.

SH:

Did you always want to be involved in theatre, even when you were young?

RS:

I think I always did. I never wanted to be anything else. I tried accounting in high school [laughs], but I never had another fallback thing. It was always musical theatre.

SH:

You mentioned that you always used to teach, and work for kids, even before you came to Junior Theatre. What drew you to that?

RS:

Oh, gosh. I think I came upon it accidentally when I first was a camp director in northern California for a kids’ music camp and I started playing piano for the kids… The director had gone out of the room, and I thought, “Let’s put some movement in the song.” So I got up and I showed them some movement, and that just elevated it. I like directing and writing songs and musical directing—and putting that all together. So that’s how it kind of started, back when I was doing music camps myself.

SH:

Did you work in theatre professionally before?

RS:

Oh, yes.

SH:

RS:

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Do you notice any significant differences between working with the young artists who do the lighting and act in JT productions, and working with professionals? Well, I mean there is a difference because most adults know their game right off, and for kids, they have to be taught those skills. So it’s a bit of a slower process. [Chuckles] Certainly more patience is required for that. But if you love it as much as I do and you love your passion and you’re teaching that to others, it doesn’t matter what the grade is—especially when you see it working for them and they grab on to something you taught. You’re training [young artists] to be professionals. What a great place to start.

SH:

When you were a young artist, just starting out with your career, what was that experience like for you?

RS:

It was a struggle. I struggled. I moved to New York City, I was playing piano for ballet classes just to make ends meet, and then I got a piano job at a restaurant during the days. I was also in workshops for writing music theatre shows. I didn’t have a piano, so I had to write by ear. I’d be on the subway writing things down and I would hear them for the first time when I would present them. It was a good experience for me, but it was a struggle. I would not have traded it for anything in the world.

SH:

Do you think your experience as a young artist, yourself, has influenced your approach to working with young artists today?

RS:

Very much so. I’ve learned [that] I can make life easier for someone else. All I can give them is the tools and let them do with them what they will. It’s hard though, because you want to protect them and, you know, [say] “Here are the mistakes I’ve made, don’t make them!” but that’s how you learn.

SH:

Broadly speaking, when you became artistic director in 2014, what was your philosophy going in? What did you want to accomplish as artistic director?

RS:

Here at Junior Theatre, I knew I didn’t want to come in and reinvent the wheel because I think this place runs really beautifully. I’ve always liked the model that it is, and it’s been here a long time—it was here long before I was here, and it’s going to be here long after I’m here. So I just wanted to continue, I just wanted to bring my own personal excellence that I know that I can bring to an organization, and that’s really my goal. When I can’t do that anymore, it’s no longer time for me to be here.

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SH:

When you want a variety of shows, what’s the quality that you look for— the quality that’s going to attract an audience, and that kids will enjoy?

RS:

First, it’s intuitive. I like it, I’m excited about it, so are other people excited about it [too]? Is this something that resonates? And also, we’re taking chances too. I have to find shows that little kids can do, like The Wizard of Oz in our next season, that’s going to attract a lot of little kids who want to be in that, and then our older kids’ show like Sweeney Todd that’s happening now, and next year—that’s our senior show slot—we’ll do Pippin next year for the older kids. They want something more edgy and all that. We’re taking a little bit of a risk with Sweeney Todd because it’s the full Broadway version, it’s not the junior version. We’re leaving all of the language intact and all that, and we’re saying it’s for audiences of thirteen and up so people can make their own decisions on that. So it is what excites me. I try what excites me first, and if it doesn’t excite anyone else, I’m the first to say, “Oh, that’s not going to work.” Or if I say, “I know it’s going to work, we’re still going to do it anyways,” then I’ll push for it.

SH:

Regarding the dark nature of a show such as Sweeney Todd, are there any concerns about how kids are going to handle the material?

RS:

Well, surprisingly enough, I am always amazed as to how much the kids know about the material already. They were actually bugging me, [saying] “Rayme, we should do Sweeney Todd!” and I went, “No, urgh, I don’t want to do that. It’s too scary.You kids can’t handle that,”. The director we have, Marjorie Traeger, is really, really good about digging into the material—what it all means, why it’s there, what’s the reason for us telling the story… It’s always handled from a mature point of view. There’s a reason for us doing it. And, also, a large component of my choices in doing [shows] is in educational value as well. That’s very important.

SH: RS:

SH:

What would you say is the most important part of your job? I think it’s working with the kids. I’m so passionate about theatre. Getting to really show that, teach that, and be with the kids and watch them develop is something that I love, and clearly they love, or else they wouldn’t be here. When I taught in New York City, in the school system, you have a classroom of kids. Some kids don’t want to be doing that, but they have to, because it’s a class. These kids all really, really want to be here and whether they continue with theatre or not, the skills that they’re given are going to help them no matter what they choose to do.

In terms of teaching young people (how to run a production, how to act in a production, how to examine the material), how would you say that your approach, and others’ approaches in SDJT, is helping them accomplish that?

RS:

I think a lot of it has to do with how to focus on something like this. The end result is the show itself. I think a lot of kids will come to see a show for the first time and say, “I want to do that!” And then they realize it takes a lot of work. It’s learning the material, it’s learning what it means, and then having to—if it’s a musical—learn to sing and dance. Some [kids] decide that this isn’t for them; others love it. So my approach and the approach for all of our staff is to really get them to focus and give them all of those materials so that they can make a well-informed choice about whether they want to continue doing theatre or not. And always joyful--it’s got to be fun! If it’s not fun, I’m not doing it.

SH:

What is your favorite thing about working at Junior Theatre?

RS:

My favorite thing about working at Junior Theatre [is] probably the constant contact with all the kids. I always learn so much from them. I learned about Pokemon, and how they crawl all over me! [laughs] I’m having a lot of them say “Rayme, hold still, you have Pokemon all over you!” So they keep me laughing, they keep me joyful, and like I said, I’ve got to keep it joyful.

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SH:

Going off of that, what do you think is the biggest challenge in working at Junior Theatre and fostering these kids?

RS:

Junior theatre in San Diego is very different now than when I was first starting. There weren’t a lot of junior theatre companies; now there are a lot of them. I’m finding that kids who have been here for a long time are going to other groups as they get older. And that’s fine; I want them to have experience anywhere else. But it’s thinning out. So our older kids— they’re also busy with their SATs. A group of my kids [say] “I’m not going to be here for my junior year because I need to prepare for my senior year!” so they’re not as able to be as involved. The challenge is to keep those kids and keep them coming back. I want to keep giving them material that they want to come back and do. “Now I want to really work with you, and you’re off doing SATs! You’re getting so good, I want to work with you when you’re getting so good, because this is what we’ve been working for.” So I think that’s my biggest challenge—I don’t want my kids to go. I want to work with them and help them refine their already top talent.

SH:

Now lastly, what would you say to your younger self, or any young artist out there? What would your advice be to them?

RS:

You know, it’s cliche to say follow your passion, but I would say that. The other side to that is, there are a lot of kids who are afraid of their talent, or [that] it’s a tough world out there. It’s a funny thing. You can almost tell kids, “Don’t do it, it’s too hard,” and sometimes I want to say [it] because I want a kid to say “I don’t care what you say, I want to do it anyways!” Those are the kids who are really driven. It takes an amount of drive. A lot of kids want to be the star but they don’t want to do the work to get there. It just takes an amount of work. I think I would just say whatever you choose to do, do it joyfully. Do it as joyfully as you can, and if there’s something that’s not working within you, then go do something else. Keep yourself joyful at all costs. How’s that? [laughs] Was that a good answer?

portfolio

AN EXCERCISE in

COLOR

artwork by Katie Sheng

portfolio

read

words by Emma Ritto images courtesy of Tate

urrealism is a relatively new style of art that was introduced to the world in the mid 1900’s. This creative art style was made to express widely unrealistic or “dreamy” states of mind. The many pieces that are frequently made to fit into this category of art are noted as imaginative or futuristic. Surrealism is intended to dip into the artist’s subconscious, in an attempt at expressing a hidden imagination, and has been increasingly prominent in the art community as more and more Surrealist paintings are gracing the walls of museums around the world. André Breton, a French poet, launched a movement in 1924 which was then reformed and made anew in 1936. During this time, British surrealism began to make its way to

several other countries and a vast number of pieces across the world were thus influenced by the growing style, establishing Surrealism as one of the most significant movements in art history Some of the most notable artists involved in this movement include Salvador Dalí, Max Ernst, René Magritte, and Joan Miro. There are currently two types of Surrealism, one of which is oneiric, a dream-like art featuring fantasy imagery. The second type is known as automatism, in which the artist suppresses the conscious mind, eliminating the possibility of external factors interfering with the creative process. Often, Surrealist artists utilize the techniques of frottage or collage to create these unusual, yet enticing works. To frottage is the process of the technique or process of

taking a rubbing from an uneven surface to form the basis of a work of art. Oneiric is usually expressed in “magical” types of imagery, where the mind can bring the dreams to life. Some major artists who mainly used oneiric surrealism were Alberto Giacometti, Max Ernst, and Salvador Dalí. These three artists were the main sources of the oneiric surrealism theme of art. Since there is no limit to what surrealism can bring about, its rules are very loose. So, one oneiric surrealism piece can never be the same as another. Some well known pieces are: Metamorphosis of Narcissus, painted in 1937 by Salvador Dalí; Walking Woman, a sculpture which took over a year to complete (1932-1933) by Alberto Giacometti; and Celebes by Max Ernst.

Metamorphosis

of Narcissus

Metamorphosis of Narcissus is an artistic interpretation of the Greek myth of Narcissus. This myth is about a young boy who is obsessed with himself and his beauty. He was cursed, causing him to fall in love with his own reflection in the lake. However, he dies from the frustration of not being able to love his tangible self or embrace his reflection in the pool. More simply, he goes mad be-

cause he is incapable of loving the reflection of himself just as many others love another person. The flower on the white figureâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s head represents the flower that a god transforms Narcissus into, while the egg on which it blossoms represents immortal beauty. The figure in the background depicts the initial image of Narcissusâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;the young boy who did, in fact, love himself.

by Salvador Dali

Walking

Woman

The sculpture by Alberto Giacometti titled Walking Woman, displays a female figure, with no head or arms, taking a step. In Giacometti’s time, Sigmund Freud was a famous neurologist who chose to express sexual thoughts and ideas through writing. This piece, although not widely known to be, is in fact based off of those writings. Sigmund Freud made an effort to expose the importance of accepting one’s personal desires and emotions. He focused on the human emotions representing sexuality, desire, and violence; those became three main bases for Surrealism. The woman’s breasts and long legs appear to be the focal points of Giacometti’s sculpture. It seems that Giacometti was hoping to have the woman look as though she was floating in the sky, emphasizing the “dreamy” quality that is often associated with the imaginative minds of Surrealist artists. The texture of the sculpture is pleasing to look at, and the smooth material gives the audience a strong sense of relaxation. Alberto Giacometti used the workings of Sigmund Freud to influence his work, being able to create a sculpture invoking one of the three bases Freud wrote about.

by Alberto Giacometti

The Elephant

Celebes

The oil painting above is known as one of the first masterpieces of Surrealism. Max Ernst was a German soldier of World War I who returned from the fight, traumatized. Ernstâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s trauma influenced his artwork, as he saw the world as irrational and became extremely critical of western culture. The Elephant Celebes, also known as Celebes, was painted in the year 1921 and includes aspects of Surrealism and Collage. A Collage is a piece of art where many different pieces are assembled to create a new whole. This technique is used frequently in Surrealism works, but Max Ernst was one of the first artists to use it as such. Celebes was created to portray the hallucinatory effect that Ernst related with the Collage technique. This meant adding many irrational things and piecing them together, creating an imaginative and unique work. This piece focuses itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s attention on the giant metal elephant in the center, with a large protruding trunk hanging from it with a bulls head on the end. He suggested that this piece was a â&#x20AC;&#x153;ritual and totemic sculpture of African origin"[5]. Ernst meant this because of the totem-pole-like structure to the right of the elephant, and the bulls horns attached to the end of the trunk.

by Max Ernst

vogue words by Zena Gallouzi photographs by Angela Melugin

Over the past year, fashion and style have changed dramatically. New patterns and designs have emerged, adding variety to the wardrobes of millions across the globe. From stripes, to plaid, to shapes, patterns have started appearing everywhere. Outfits that highlight this refreshing trend are showcased in the following pages for each of the four seasons. They can be used as inspiration to help unlock ways on matching patterned pieces, which can be applied to everyoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own unique style.

summer Perfect for a walk out on the beach or just a typical hot summer day, this outfit is ideal when hoping to stay cool and stylish during the warm weather. The patterned and sleeveless romper paired with the sandals is a very “typical beach girl” look that shows off a little skin and has been very popular recently. This can also be a great swimsuit coverup that works well with any colored swimsuit strap.

Talk about c fit is great for pecially easy t out thought. O trend still rem shirt to add a but it is otherw skirt paired wit ditional black b

winter This outfit could not be any cozier. It’s an accomplished winter look for being cute and warm. A plaid sweater is a very popular go-to pattern that matches almost anything. Plus, adding the heart patterned scarf makes the look a little more girly. If the weather happens to call for an extra layer, a black coat will go with just about anything!

fall

cute and easy! This outany fall day, and is esto throw together withOnce again, the pattern mains with the striped little bit of excitement, wise a classic tucked in th black tights and traboots.

spring This outfit takes both patterns and color to another level. However, not many people are as eager to take a risk with both. Using colors that contrast each other nicely, this outfit dives into that risk in a very simple manner. This look is comfortable and perfect for any mild day out. It also incorporates trends such as the boho and indie look with the loose patterned pants and the signature Birkenstocks sandals.

THRIFT

trader

words & photographs by Madi Chang

veryone knows the basics of helping the environment, but what if I told you that you coul a healthier earth and shop for cute clothes, movies, and music at the same time? Thrift small but growing store designed to encourage the reuse of clothing and music. Reconnect with older bands through their collection of vinyls, each one a new surprise wa heard. Freshen up your look with unique styles and brand name items. Take the time to browse the to alternative rock music, and don’t worry about having to pay full price for these clothes. One of perks of Thrift Trader is that everything in the store is $5.99. Another bonus? All the clothes sold a kind, so there’s no chance of accidently matching someone. Alongside being a cute clothing st Traders’ goal is to transform the way people shop to incorporate more eco-friendly and affordable

extra

ld promote Trader is a

aiting to be e racks, jam f the many are one of tore, Thrift e clothes.

cover illustration by Megan Pai