When I think of ‘creativity,’ the idea of making lists doesn’t exactly spring to mind. Nevertheless, I recently came across two lists worth sharing. First, from the fabulous Felicia Day’s blog, 10 Simple Ways To Speed Up Your Writing (a guest post from another blogger). A few of the specifics I like are Eliminating Distractions (something I’m horrible at), using a Brain Dump to get out as many ideas as possible, and giving your self a Deadline (something I’m slowwwwwly getting better at). Most of the ideas seem applicable to lots of creative fields, not just writing, so check it out!
Then from the also-fabulous-in-very-different-ways Neo Futurists (where I recently auditioned for a chance to be in their ensemble) 25 Rules for Creating Good Theatre from the Neo’s founder Greg Allen. I love the Neo aesthetic of honest, open-handed theatre, and Greg’s list fits well within that mindset. I also want to really reflect on this list as I’m working on No Gender Left Behind, particularly points like
Rule #4: Know why you are creating this show. The piece you create must be the expression of something about which you feel very deeply. Setting out to make “good theater” is not enough. Take a strong stand – personal, political, social, artistic, – and challenge yourself to express it. Include your performers in this aim.
or
Rule #11: Create true theater. A show should never fail to answer the question “Why is this theater?” Theater is live performers in front of a live audience. Never forget this. If your show can be put on television or turned into a movie without losing something, you have failed.
But I wanted to expand on one particular rule of Greg’s:
Continue reading 'Lists and Rules about Creativity'»
[A table is set with shabbat candles. REBECCA lights them while saying the following prayer. It (loosely) translates to 'Blessed are You, Lord, our God, King of the universe, Who creates _____." Lighting should be enough to see REBECCA, even when the candles are blown out, but low enough that lighting the candles provides some light to her face]
REBECCA: Barukh ata Adonai Eloheinu melekh ha?olam, bo’re p’ri I only remember the prayers which go like this. [REBECCA blows out the candles]
I’m a bad Jew. I don’t keep kosher, I don’t celebrate holidays, I don’t particularly believe in God. But I could be a good Jew and not keep kosher. Not celebrate holidays. Not particularly believe in God.
[REBECCA relights the candles] Barukh ata Adonai Eloheinu melekh ha?olam, bo’re p’ri it bugs me that I can’t get in touch with observent friends on the sabbath because they can’t answer their cellphones. [REBECCA blows out the candles]
I’m a bad Jew because I don’t support Israel.
[REBECCA relights the candles] Barukh ata Adonai Eloheinu melekh ha?olam, bo’re p’ri feeling bad about the Holocaust didn’t give the Western World the right to further divide up the Middle East simply because they didn’t want to deal with Jewish refugees. [REBECCA blows out the candles]
And I understand the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is incredibly complex. The Jewish historical and religious roots in Israel go back thousands of years. Continue reading 'In Which I Offend The Jews (Who Are A Monolithic People And Can’t Have Individual Opinions)'»
Something I’m working on to use as a backdrop for a movement piece in No Gender Left Behind:
Sex Ed video 4-24-11 from Rebecca Kling on Vimeo.
An open question: What does the idea of being ‘left behind’ mean to you?
Ladies and gentlemen, distinguished guests, members of the press.
America is in a state of crisis. Its citizens unsafe. Its children rejected, all too often to the point of violence or death. Across our great country, people who don’t quite fit into our understanding of what it means to be a ‘man’ or a ‘woman’ are in danger. They live in our communities, attend our schools, are our mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers, sons and daughters. And they are at risk.
As they well should be.
It is with great pride that pleasure that I am able to join you here today to announce the passage of House Resolution 217, better known as No Gender Left Behind, a comprehensive plan for gender reform.
The President has asked members of congress to engage in active, bipartisan debate on how we can use the Federal Government in its role as Gender Police to bring minority or non-conforming gender roles and expressions in line with their more advantaged peers.
The result, the No Gender Left Behind Act of 2011, embodies key principals of the President’s gender reform plan: stronger accountability for non-conforming individuals, expanded education on proper gender roles, expanded support for parents to enforce proper gender roles, and an emphasis on gender conforming education which has been proven to work. Continue reading 'No Gender Left Behind'»
I’m working on No Gender Left Behind right now, reading through the script I have so far and thinking about where to take it next. And I’ve hit something of a roadblock. Or, at the very least, some speedbumps. I’ve been thinking about the dangers of appropriation.
Specifically, I’m at a part in the show where I’d like to get into issues of discrimination. Of violence against trans folks. Of harassment. Rape. Murder. Of things that I – bless the gods – have only experienced peripherally, if at all.
How do I move from telling my story, to telling our story?
Continue reading 'Appropriation'»
With great inspiration from Tranarchy.
Good afternoon, class!
Pardon me, but I wished you a good afternoon. It is considered polite to return the greeting. Lets try that again, with you returning th greeting: Good afternoon, class!
Very good. As you may have heard, all students are now required to undergo comprehensive gender education, as a compliment to the more traditional sex education curriculum. All of your parents have signed your permission slips, and this class is school board sanctioned, so lets get started.
What are the first things a doctor does upon the birth of a baby? They record the height, the weight, and…
Yes! The sex of the baby! “It’s a boy,” or “It’s a girl!” But what happens if it’s not so obvious? If the doctor looks between the legs of a baby and says, “It’s a…..hmm…” This condition is called ‘intersex.’ One out of every two thousand children is born with ‘ambiguous genitalia.’ (As if a body could be ambiguous! Language, maybe, but never a body. Bodies are what they are! It’s as silly as saying “That table is ambiguous.”)
But a baby’s gender is decided, nonetheless, on appearance alone – decided without running chromosomal analysis, genetic testing, brain scans, or even asking the poor little things.
Still undergoing revisions, but I was too excited to keep this quiet:
I would love to hear any thoughts or suggestions, as I’m still working with the designer.
I don’t like asking for money. Really I don’t, despite my seeming predilection for doing so. But my current fundraising effort, a Kickstarter project to help get me to DC to push for transgender equality, is very important to me. This’ll be my last blog reminder before the fundraising bell rings on Friday afternoon, and the response has already been overwhelming. I’ve already beaten my original fundraising effort, and am now trying to raise additional money for my upcoming show, No Gender Left Behind. If you have already donated – or you’re unable to do so – I’m sorry for once again subjecting you to this. For the rest of you, I absolutely won’t hold it against you if you don’t donate. This post is not an attempt to guilt you into donating, and I’ll love you just as much if (for whatever reason) you don’t end up donating by Friday. This post isn’t an attempt to guilt you.
This post is an attempt to enlist you.
Guilting people is no fun, and part of the reason I dislike fundraising is it feels like part and parcel of the process. But what if, instead of guilt, I talked about solidarity? About how I know for a fact that, at some point in their life, every single person reading this has done something outside their assigned gender roles. Trans equality – and raising awareness of trans issues – isn’t just about me. It’s about protection against workplace discrimination for women with short hair, and men with long. (Legal in 37 states!) Protection against bullying for boys playing with dolls and girls with trucks. (Legal in 42 states!)
Unless you’re the picture-perfect gendered individual (and, lets be honest, if you’re reading this blog you’re probably not…) you need and deserve this legislation, too! So do your friends and family and children and loved ones. So I’m asking you, one last time,
help me get to DC and back, and stage No Gender Left Behind. Current donations are being matched, and even $1 is helpful.
Much love,
-Rebecca
Something like this...
Yesterday was rather epic, and rather exhausting. I was at Noyes (the arts center where I work) beginning at 10AM, and didn’t leave until 11:30PM. From ten thirty to noon I co-taught a class of seventh and eighth graders, which actually went pretty well. It’s a great group, and I enjoy working with them and my co-teacher. Except, while demonstrating physicality, I over-demonstrated and really banged my knee. It hurt for the rest of the day, and sort of set the tone…
I had a brief break from noon to one thirty, where I got lunch and relaxed for a bit. It was lovely, and short-lived.
At one thirty I went into technical rehearsals for my high school class (focusing lights, checking sounds, etc). I really like this group of kids, it was just seven hours of tech, and of managing antsy high schoolers. And, midway through, one of the members of my cast had to leave for a “personal emergency.” I don’t like doubting my students, but she’d already spoken with me, two other teachers, and the theatre office about leaving early to go to a dance. Not even a dance, photos for the dance. So when her dad showed up for a really poorly defined “emergency,” I”m sorry. I didn’t believe him. (She was near tears, and I actually believe she didn’t know what was going on, which is even more fucked up.)
She’s back today, so it wasn’t a huge deal, but it really pisses me off. I assume my students and their parents are honest with me, and I really dislike doubting that honesty.
Continue reading 'Such a long day'»
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