THE GREEN PIECE

THE GREEN PIECE MISSION STATEMENT

An annual original performance piece created under the guidance of a professional director using performing artists of diverse medium and background. The piece will focus on a specific environmental issue or trend and be performed at the Electric Lodge as well as off-site at various locations throughout Los Angeles and beyond. We will create a new piece every year in the spirit of building a repertoire that can serve as a cultural performance and environmental history.

PURPOSE AND PROCESS

The Green Piece was born of a question: How can we, as an organization devoted to the arts and the environment, combine these efforts to create a unique way of communicating who we are and what we stand for? This notion of filtering an issue through the process of artists in order to gain at least a fresh perspective and at best a deeper understanding of the core of the issue was one exciting answer we came up with.

Some years we may bring in activists and environmentalists to give input or even participate in the performance. We will keep the parameters wide. We also hope to transpose the pieces to site-specific settings such as the beach, or an oil field, or a wind farm, or an urban development site or, if the piece dictates such, may be performed entirely at a specific site, not even to be done in the theater.

GET INVOLVED

GREEN PIECE 2008

Green Piece 2: Los Angeles River Expedition 2008
The first ever group expedition of the 52 mile, LA River, from the headwaters to the outlet in Long Beach Harbor, in kayaks and canoes, proved our river is in fact a "Traditionally Navigable Waterway". This will have far reaching consequences on the enforcement of the United States Clean Water Act, as applied to urban waterways. See an LA Weekly article and photos

Artists were asked: As our LA River was the life blood for local civilization for thousands of years, what is the meaning, the essence of this river to our present society? Are we on the brink of civilization collapse, like others, as described in Jarod Diamond's book "Collapse", or are we at the door of a massive transformation to sustainability? What is reveled as we explore the human altered water pathway?

Three groups participated in this investigation: Swing Brazil, LA Mudpeople and Impromtoh Butoh.

GET INVOLVED - ARTIST INTEREST FORM

If you are interested in being involved with this process, either as a director, performing artist or a citizen who is passionate about our environment please send us an e-mail containing the information requested below.

1. Name, address, e-mail and phone.
2. Are you an Artist? Director or Environmentalist?
   (Include resume and any audio / visual media you wish)
3. Please answer these two questions: (Answer as briefly or as detailed as you like, length of response is not an issue.)
   
   What is Nature?
   What is Environment?

We will contact you upon receipt of information and let you know the process of becoming involved.

If you have any questions please don't hesitate to e-mail the Green Piece curator (livearts@electriclodge.org).

HISTORY & ARCHIVE

The First Year's event, entitled "Green Piece 1: Emergence" was performed on August 10 & 11, 2007

We gave six different artists random pictures of our environment (Los Angeles) and asked them to respond to the image with a five-minute piece in their discipline. We gave no further parameters except to say that they could use the image however they want in the piece, not at all, projected the entire time, or somewhere between. At the end we had a collective improv piece with all the artists based on an image none of them had seen before. Ultimately, the audience was treated to a wholly unique perspective on the city they call home.

The piece was directed by, Justin Yoffe & Joel Shapiro.

The artists involved were, Oguri & Roxanne Steinberg (Dance), Suchi Branfman & Lukasa Branfman (movement), Justin Yoffe (Film), Joel Shapiro (Kelmanworks), Joseph Culp, Howard Dratch, Doug Knott & the Eggman (Acting) & Steve Burr (Percussion).