your art. your story.
theatre
seema sueko fashion styling
dre rabel fashion design
stacie may music
demon
Erik DeSando to love a psychopath
vol 1 issue 4 spring 2012
chasing the brand .com
Female Entrepreneurs Leading Economic Recovery Shared workspace helps spur new business growth As the economy recovers, a new trend has emerged: female entrepreneurship is on the rise and collaboration is booming; as evidenced by successful projects such as Art Meets Fashion (www.ArtMeetsFashion.org). This unique initiative project brought together fashion designers and visual artists to co-create work, which was shown in galleries throughout San Diego and at the San Diego International Airport. Felena Hanson, Founder of Hera Hub (Workspace for Women) notes, “Collaboration is the essential in the new economy. Small businesses must work together to leverage markets and messages.”
Hera Hub, a spa-inspired shared workspace for female entrepreneurs, has created new opportunities for well over 100 women-owned companies, who are now members. Hanson states “Shared office spaces are on the rise due to the fact that many business start-ups can’t afford full-time office space. Additionally, many women business owners enjoy the flexibility of working out of their home but still need a part-time space to focus, meet clients, and gain visibility for their business.”
The other good news is the number of women who are starting businesses has increased steadily over the past couple of years. In fact, according to www.gaebler.com, women are launching businesses at twice the rate of men. The good news is San Diego is leading the way in women owned start-ups. According to the Census Bureau, San Diego ranks number five in the list of U.S. cities with the most women-owned businesses – right behind New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Houston. As of 2007, (the most recent Census) of the 291,249 businesses in San Diego County, close to 30 percent are women-owned firms 86,951. Additionally, 81 percent of women-owned businesses don’t have employees, so solopreneurs are a significant segment.
This as-needed, flexible work and meeting space provides a productive work environment for women who primarily work from home. Hera Hub members have access to a professional space to meet with clients and to connect and collaborate with like-minded business owners, thus giving them the support they to be prosperous. Hera Hub offers cost-effective monthly membership options for freelancers, independent consultants, entrepreneurs, nonprofits, and authors. The first of three locations is a 5,000 square foot office in Sorrento Valley. New “Hubs” will be opening soon in Mission Valley and Carlsbad. For more information, visit www.HeraHub.com.
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! r ito
Building a brand is a step-by-step process that takes foresight, planning, patience, and hard work. Erik DeSando shares some of his salient tips for success in Chasing the Brand. Talent and creativity is not enough, you also need to be able to brand yourself and stand out from the crowd. How can you be unique and different? What are the steps that take you from merely talented to outstanding? Networking, marketing, social media, a solid business plan, and getting your work out there are a must - but you also need a quality product. Many creative people would rather concentrate on the design, the painting, or the photograph, than business or marketing strategies. Younger actresses and models can get so caught up in relationships that they don’t allow their careers to take off as they are focused on the wrong things. A good attitude is needed as well as the spirit of helping others. Branding takes hard work, ingenuity, strategy, heart and soul - but it is a must if you want to succeed. photograph by robert rossi
staff paola hornbuckle, head editor editor/writers donnie matsuda kristen fogle sandra van de moere editorial interns mia bolton jessica dearborn megan marrs taylor romine graphic design katie sundberg, head graphic designer sundbergcreative.com
marianne domingo mariannedomingo.com
sarai elguezabal wix.com/elguezabal/saedesign
alizee hazan alizeehazan.com
elizabeth sanchez advertising/sales scott hornbuckle
art of sd living
john d. harmon - john d. harmon 6 sun-kissed - sandra van de moere 10 saturated state - sandra van de moere 12
music
demon: to love a psychopath - chris peter b. 16 the heavy guilt: music to feed the soul - mia bolton 34
urban graffiti
david overstreet’s original hooligan sandra van de moere 20
theatre
melding artistry with activism donnie matsuda 23
fashion design
stacie may, san diego’s fun and flirty fashion line megan marrs 29
art of giving
helping breea renee fight multiple sclerosis artsNfashion 38
arts and entertainment
eric deSando: chasing the brand - paola hornbuckle 40
fashion styling
beyond the color palette - dre rabel 45
contents
Art Of SD Living
www.JohnDHarmon.com www.JohnAndTheTimeTravelingBicycle.com
3345 First Avenue San Diego, CA 92103
Being the first, and only member of my family to ever achieve such a feet, I was determined to use my time in college to the fullest. And so I did! After my freshman year, I traveled to Florence, Italy to study Art and Italian Culture for the summer. It was a trip that would change my life! Prior to traveling to Italy, I rarely left the small region I was from. I had never seen the ocean. I had never been on a plane. All of that changed in the summer of 1992 when I swallowed my fears and grabbed hold of a dream.
I was born into poverty in the mountains of West Virginia in 1971. My Grandparents raised me alongside six of their daughters and one son. A small house filled with 10 people meant that we never had much food or space. The environment to which I was born created a debilitating introversion that plagued me during my youth. To say I was "shy" would be a monumental understatement! Creating Artwork, coupled with my love of nature, gave me a voice when I had no words. In my late teens I found that by challenging myself to reach out when my introversion was closing me in, I could achieve things that seemed unimaginable to me just years before. College, travel, performing – they were all such impossible dreams. But those dreams just wouldn’t fade. At age 20, I was accepted to Berea College, in Berea, KY, a college where low-income students with promise can attend tuition-free. Art had given me a voice, and now it had given me a path to education.
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While walking along the Arno River in Florence, I could practically hear Leonardo DaVinci and Michelangelo speaking to me, encouraging me (oddly, in English!). I could feel the Artistic energy that flowed from past to present and into me. I imagined walking the same path the great Artists had. I had never been so inspired to create. Painting, sculpture, printmaking, music, poetry, photography – all things creative called to me after that visit to Italy. I felt truly alive for the
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Layout by: Marianne Domingo
John D. Harmon
Art Of SD Living
Art Of SD Living
Art Of SD Living
around so many women and so many trees, it was only a matter of time before I combined them both into one. And the Art Nouveau style seemed a perfect way to do just that!
first time in my life. I had broken through that final shell of introversion - that shell that had kept me so safe and so sad for so long. All I could think was, “Thank you Leo, and thank you Mike!” After college, and with a finite amount of time available outside of working in the environmental field, I left my Artistic side on the shelf, in favor of my musical self. For 10 years I focused my energies on three distinctive musical projects and rarely produced visual art outside of the occasional commissioned piece. That imbalance changed when my wife, Amy, and I moved from Kentucky to San Diego in early 2008. Once we settled in on the West Coast, I felt something I hadn’t felt in quite a while: Artistic inspiration. I could have sworn that Leo and Mike were wagging their fingers at me, asking where I’d been for so many years! With my muse back, and the lovely, blue sky above me, I immediately thought back to what inspired me as a child: beauty in form, and beauty in nature. Having grown up
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Through the years, I’ve come to realize one important thing about myself, no matter how many times I’ve ignored it: I was born to create. Born to create Art and born to create music. All those years I spent without a voice…and now I can’t seem to keep quiet!
Art Of SD Living
The Picture Perfect Party
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Sun-Kissed
Looking through all the gorgeous pastels and candy land colored clothes of spring fashion, I knew it had influenced the party and wedding season as it fast approaches. Although the colors are much more subtle, the beautiful vintage feel of table scapes with driftwood, crystal wine glasses, burlap and lace makes any table one to sit and stare at for a while. The vintage blue mason jars add thoughts of clear blue waters and the bouquets of flowers remind you of bathing suits worn out by the sun’s rays. The shutters are reminiscent of a teak boat that has washed ashore and puts you in a state of mind to relax. It is a perfect setting for a back drop of the exchange of vows or time spent with good friends. So for a luncheon or a wedding the coastal vintage party seems to fit right into the spring fashion scene and we love that. Props and floral-Ashley Tatum www.ashleyelizabethae.com Photography –Brian Miller www.bmillerweddings.com
Layout by: Marianne Domingo
By Sandra Van De Moere
Art Of SD Living
saturated� state! Café Capri pant J-Crew www.jcrew.com $79.50
Art Of SD Living
Trophy bag Hayden Harnett www.haydenharnett.com $428.00
Milo Shoe – Pink Color-block Baker Shoes www.bakersshoes.com $90.00
Nightfall Dress www.spool72.com $46.00
Dial in –teal Nixon www.needsupplyl.com $100.00
Ramone Studded Slime Cuff –Maize Hayden Harnett www.haydenharnett.com $90.00
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Art Of SD Living
Sparkle heart Sweatshirt Wildfox It’s a Luv Thing –Encinitas $76.00
Art Of SD Living
Thurlow Dress-Navy multi Trina Turk www.trinaturk.com $228.00
Sleeveless Color-block dress BCBGMaxazria www.shopbop.com $248.00
By Chris Peter B.
to love a psychopath
demon
music
As a musician you have some advantages:
you can be creative, work on your music and convert your troubles and sorrows into songs. This helps you to become more aware of problematic feelings and thus support the healing process. The last time I used that prescription was for the production of the song DEMON. I had the crisis of my life but it was not just about another unhappy love affair..... No song, nor a thousand of them, could have helped me to relieve THAT pain.
I had fallen in love with a psychopath: a narcissist, a person with a psychological disorder called NPD who you normally would just call “a mean guy.” That’s why I wrote the song DEMON. It points out the nature and dynamic of these people, as they are amongst us, millions of them, living their life of destruction - secretly, undetected, “like vampires in the sun.” My first encounter with him was what is known as love at first sight. I felt a magical attraction to this man and in the first second I knew he should become my boyfriend. Only ten minutes after we first met we were so strongly attracted to each other that we kissed intensely and savagely. After four hours of non-stop-kissing we exchanged numbers and made an appointment for the next day. From then on, we saw each other every night. After my work in the studio was done he dropped by and we enjoyed the time together. He was so sweet, charming and open minded. I was in love like never before in my life. I was in a complete honeymoon phase. After only three weeks our intimate peace was shaken by his violent jealousy rages. Of course I tried to calm him down and explained to him that his fears were unfounded because I loved him so much and that he could trust me. I meant that. But from then on the accusations were a daily matter. Endless discussions became a way of life for us, and there were many instances in which he would insult me. As our relationship progressed the abuse worsened and he seemed intent on wanting to convince me that I was a liar who could not be trusted. According to him, he was the only one sacrificing himself for our relationships and I gave him nothing. My life had to be completely transparent for him. He had to know where I was at all times. Little by little he tried to isolate me from all my personal relations. I should be solely and only at his disposal while he could do what-
ever he wanted, ignoring any questions about his activities with snooty arrogance. In my desperate fear of losing him I did every possible and impossible attempt to make the relationship survive, without success! I was always the guilty one who did not love him at all and cheated on him constantly. After a year of absolute control and humiliation I was at the end of my rope. I was so worn down psychologically that I could not take it anymore. After another violent attack, I decided to separate myself from him and break off all contact. I had reached the end of my rope. But then something strange happened: I longed for him and the intensity in this relation and the separation turned into hell!! So I could not be with him or without him....an absolute nightmare. As I turned to friends for advice, I was introduced to the concept of the psychopath. I did not know exactly what it meant so I googled the term and what I read in the results frightened me deeply! All the behavioral patterns of a psychopath matched exactly those of my boyfriend. I learned that because of the psychopath’s deep feeling of inferiority he controls, torments and destroys his partners so as to not feel his own emptiness. I learned that a psychopath does not own a real feeling of self in his core and that only by the humiliation of his partner can he achieve a certain temporary self-esteem. Like a hungry predator he tries to fill up a black hole in his soul as he systematically destroy his victim. He came very close to utterly destroying me if I had not come across the knowledge and information about psychopathic or narcissistic people. From that moment on I could not let go of the topic. I read and studied everything I could find out about it and it became clear to me that we all are actually surrounded by psychopathic structures.
graphic design by katie sundberg
music
In relationships, in families, in our religious, political and economic organizations we have become so used to psychopathic personalities and their corresponding patterns that in the beginning it seems hard to detect them. Like classic victims of abuse we tend to look for justifications to excuse their inhuman behaviors. Instead of waking up from the induced hypnosis that somehow we do not deserve better, we blame ourselves for their complete lack of compassion and responsibility with which they are ruthlessly manipulating individuals, ethnic groups and entire nations. The big blind ego rules our system and it is just the beginning of this global crisis. I survived this horrific experience, and my song DEMON came out as a result of the healing process. I hope to educate others who are suffering from similar experiences, who are caught in the chaos or a nightmare relationship. I encourage them to educate themselves, and if the person they love is a psychopath, to educate themselves. Perhaps the knowledge will save their life.
german musician chris peter b. Is your Honey a Psychopath? Learn more about this mysterious condition. For excellent blogs on psychopathy go to: http://psychopathyawareness.wordpress.com/ http://www.sociopathworld.com/ http://labyrinthpsycho.blogspot.com/
For a link to my song DEMON: http://www.musicxray.com/ xrays/119049
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ArtsNFashion Magazine
celebrates all types of artists and the artistic process. We know that behind every work of art there is a human being working very hard to make it happen. We want to honor the artist by exploring the process and his/her journey. To us, the story of the artist is as relevant as the art itself. We seek to showcase the up-and-coming as well as the established artists. We encourage all genres of art – visual and performing.
ArtsNFashion Magazine
is published quarterly via ISSUU.com. It is also available in hard copy via a print on demand function located on our website: www.artsnfashion.com. The ezine phenomenon is exploding and offers an international audience for a reasonable cost. Thanks to the speed of the internet, the growth of smart phones, and tablet computing, our ezine is available instantly to readers all over the world. The print version of the magazine makes us appealing to clients who prefer hard copies and/or want to promote their art/business in a store front or at events (i.e. concerts, fashion shows, theatre productions, etc.)
ArtsNFashion Magazine is a fusion of the arts.
We combine high culture with pop culture. A passion for arts brings together the young and trendy with the mature and financially established. These two groups don’t often meet, but are very curious about each other. Everyone wants to have their finger on the pulse of the latest trends. Additionally, young artists want to have exposure to patrons and fans of all ages and socioeconomic backgrounds.
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theater
Melding
ctivism
Artistry
With
An Interview with Seema Sueko as she leads her socially conscious and politically engaged Mo`olelo Performing Arts Company into its exciting eighth year of operation By Donnie Matsuda
Seema Sueko
It’s a good thing Seema Sueko rarely does things by the book. Her unique and unconventional approach to building her own theatre company has paid off nicely: the now 7-year old Mo`olelo Performing Arts Company is well respected and nationally recognized for its socially engaging work, its commitment to new theatrical innovations, and its community outreach to diverse and disenfranchised populations. Now, coming off a red banner year in 2011 (garnering The American Theatre Wing’s National Theatre Company Award and Equity’s Ivy Bethune Award), Mo`olelo is ready to launch its most ambitious year yet, offering a full season of three ethnically diverse and socially relevant plays. And still at the helm of it all is the compassionate, broad-minded, and fiscally prudent Sueko, who is proud of her past achievements, but at the same time cautiously optimistic about the future of her ever-growing company. Recently, I sat down with her at The 10th Avenue Theatre where Mo`olelo performs to learn more about what inspires her, what plays capture her interest, and what she thinks is the secret to her success.
theater
Part One:Background
I’m curious…what is your ethnic background and where did you grow up? I’m half Pakistani and half Japanese. I was born in Karachi Pakistan and then raised in Honolulu, Hawaii. My family left Pakistan when I was 10 months old and moved back to Hawaii, which is where my mother is from. More specifically, I’m fourth generation on the Japanese side and second generation on the Pakistani side. Any particular artists or teachers who inspired you while you were growing up? My older sister was the one who started getting involved in theatre as a child and I had the good fortune of being the younger sister and watching her and being inspired by her. I think when I was 12 I started declaring “I want to be an actor when I grow up,” but, honestly, I didn’t believe it was possible to work in theatre at that time. I would say it, but I don’t think I really believed it until much later. When did you start doing theatre? I started acting professionally in Chicago. My undergraduate degree is in politics and government from the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington, but it’s a small liberal arts college so I could do music and theatre in addition to politics. Then, I went to graduate school at the University of Chicago and studied International Relations with a focus on Middle East politics. It was a one year masters program and there was no time for music and theatre. That’s when I realized how much the music and theatre were balancing my life. The University of Chicago is very theory oriented and, as a result, I felt so disconnected from people. Instead of living in the clouds of academia and in the land of international relations theory, I felt there was a greater opportunity to affect change through performance. So, I finished the masters degree and then just started acting in Chicago. So that would have been around 1995 when I started working as a professional actor in Chicago.
And what kind of theatre did you do? Well, I feel like I can spot a Chicago play from a mile away. It’s an aesthetic I love…it is usually ensemble focused and relationship focused with acting that is very raw. My first play was “A Piece of My Heart” at Circle Theatre which is about women who served in the Vietnam War. It was very visceral, very raw, and very real. I worked with so many great actors and directors in Chicago who are so talented but you may never hear about them because they have no reason to leave Chicago. The theatre community there is so amazing and you can really make a living as an actor. It’s a great place. And after Chicago, where did you go? My husband is a sportscaster and he got a job in Spokane, Washington. Previously, he had moved out to Chicago to be with me so it was payback time. We moved to Spokane and spent a year and a half there. That was definitely a challenging year because the closest Equity theatre was a four hour drive away. I would literally get up at 4 in the morning, get ready, get into the car, drive over the mountains for 4 hours, arrive in Seattle, do my two minute audition, and then drive back over the mountains and back to Spokane. I learned a lot about how important theatre is to me, but it was a hard year and a half there. How did you get from Spokane to San Diego? The best thing that happened in Spokane is my husband’s TV station closed. [laughs] So we moved to Seattle and stayed there for another year and that’s when I decided to do the bi-coastal thing. Six months I’d be in Seattle; six months I’d be in New York. While I was in New York, the same day I got booked in my very first theatre gig, my husband got a job in San Diego. We actually called each other up and said “you’re never going to believe this … I got a job!” [laughs] We both said it at the same time. So I did that gig, which was “The Phoenician Women” at Synapse Productions down at the Ohio Theatre in SoHo, and during that time my husband packed everything up from Seattle and move d down to San Diego.
When the show closed, I came to visit San Diego for the holidays and I thought I’d do the same bi-coastal thing (half a year in San Diego and half a year in New York) but a couple things happened that I didn’t expect. One was I actually liked it here. Didn’t expect it. That’s probably because when I was in Chicago, when I was in Spokane, and when I was in Seattle, nobody talked about San Diego. So I was surprised that I liked it. The second thing was we adopted a dog and her name is Sarah. Once she was in our lives, I knew I couldn’t leave her for six months out of every year. So then it became very clear that I was going to stay here and not go back to New York for half a year. I started auditioning around town and realized very quickly that there wasn’t enough work for union actors locally and also there wasn’t enough work for actors of color. Prior to all of this, my best friend from elementary and high school Kim Palma and I had formed the shell of Mo`olelo in Hawaii. We formed a nonprofit organization in Honolulu and called it Mo`olelo [which is the Hawaiian word for “story” or “tale”], but it just sat there as a shell of a nonprofit doing nothing. Then in 2003, I said to her, “what do you think about us moving that company to San Diego and trying to actually make it work?” And she said, “okay.” That’s how the company started. It was really to kind of fill those needs of Equity work for local actors, work for actors of color, significant roles for actors of color, and work that is political, socially conscious, and community focused. Stay tuned for parts two and three of my interview with Seema. Part Two will be posted on Saturday, Feb 4 and Part Three will be posted on Sunday, Feb 5. How would you describe the journey Mo`olelo has taken from then to today? On one hand, our business model has always been “slowly, slowly catch your monkey.” It’s a Colonial British phrase and the idea behind
[laughs] I think the traditional way to launch a theatre company is to announce there’s a new theatre company and then launch a full season – three plays, four plays, you know. At Mo`olelo, we only did one play a year for the first three years and then two plays a year since 2007, and only now are we going to three plays a year. And the idea behind that was very deliberate. One was we wanted to pay Equity wages to everybody, so even if you’re non-union, you still get the Equity wage. That meant we needed time to fundraise. And then we needed time after each production to learn from it. We also needed time to build an audience. And all of that takes a lot of time. So, our business model has been, “don’t do it until you’re capable of doing it.” We’ve never had a deficit, we’ve never been in debt, and our philosophy has always been to do what you can and learn from it. On the other hand, I’ve been really surprised at what we’ve been able to achieve in the past seven years. Last year was a really good year for us. But, there are a lot of people (our Board, our volunteers) who have been working very hard to get us to where we are at. To kind of think about that and be thrilled about the national recognition we’ve received, it feels great. When I started Mo`olelo years ago I never imagined we would have achieved those things…ever. [laughs] How do you find new plays to produce? Where do these plays come from? A variety of places. We have an open submission process and it is all explained on our website. While anybody can submit plays to us, there are some specific criteria that we look for. First, the play must offer us the opportunity to engage communities that don’t traditionally attend the theatre. Second, the play must offer the opportunity for significant roles for actors of color. Third is can the play work with high school audiences. And the fourth is …do we like it. I’m also in contact with a lot of other artistic directors around the country and occasionally we share scripts with one another. Mixed Blood in Minneapolis and Interact in Philadelphia are two theatres
that is…well…slowly, slowly and you’ll catch your monkey!
that have been around for 25 plus years, but their missions are similar
Part Two: Plays,Plays,Plays
to ours in terms of being very socially conscious in the nature of plays that they pick. So we do a lot of that kind of sharing. And, the play we’re doing next, “How I Got That Story,” was brought to my attention by a local actor, John Tessmer. So we get plays from a variety of sources. How many play submissions do you get on average? And do you read them all? That’s a really good question. I would say each month we get maybe 3-5 just on blind submissions. And I’ll read at least the first ten pages as well as the synopsis of all of them. Unfortunately, if it doesn’t fit our first two criteria, then I probably won’t read the rest of the play. ….unless it is really catching, and then I will and I will pass it on to somebody else. If it does fit those first two criteria then I’ll continue on and read the rest of the play and see whether it’s a good match for us or not. And for your fourth criteria….how would you describe your ideal play? That’s hard. It might be easier to say why some plays don’t make it. Because we pay every actor a union wage, we can’t do plays that have very large casts. And because our plays are focused on what I call “outsider” stories, a sense of authenticity in the voice of that story is really important. I like plays that have multiple perspectives in them because we might be reaching out to communities that are directly reflected in the play, but then it is interesting when communities that are in opposition to that community are also reflected in the play. Ultimately, our goal is to bring diversity together and bridge across various divides.
Part Three:Looking Back and Looking Ahead
Which production in Mo`olelo’s seven year history are you most proud of? And what production in your upcoming eighth year are you most excited about? I love all my children equally [laughs]. We did a play in 2006 called “Since Africa” which was about a lost boy of Sudan and his resettlement in the US. It was our third year of production and the play sold out before we even opened. It did very well and then The Old Globe decided to produce it in 2009 and I directed it there. So, that was a play that went from our tiny stage all the way to The Old Globe, and I’m very proud of that.
I think that is one of our significant achievements. I’m also really proud of our production of “Yellow Face.” A lot of things just came together nicely with that production. We were able to bring out David Henry Hwang (the playwright) and he really liked the production and has now become a good friend of the company. As for our eighth year, our next play “How I Got That Story” is what I’m most focused on right now. It’s a two man play and we’ve got two great actors. Brian Bielawski plays a reporter who is sent to a fictional land called Amboland, which is a representation of Vietnam, to cover the war. And while he’s there he meets the character played by Greg Watanabe called “The Historical Event,” which is about 20 different roles (male/female, young/old, American/Ambanese) portrayed by one actor. The play was written in 1979 but the issues are so relevant today, especially to a country that is still fighting a war in Afghanistan, evaluating in hindsight what happened in Iraq, and struggling to reintegrate combat veterans back into civilian life. So right now, at this very moment, I’m most excited about that. In this economy, many theatres are either filing for bankruptcy or barely staying afloat financially. Yet Mo`olelo is thriving, having just come off one of the most successful years in its seven year history. What is the secret to success? Financially, the toughest years for theatres were 2008 and 2009. The American Theatre Magazine, TCG, does these “taking the fiscal pulse” surveys and if I recall correctly, the percentages of companies that were doing better than their projected budgets was higher at the end of fiscal year 2011 then it had been in, say, 2009. So things are actually getting better. Now there certainly are stories of companies that are experiencing hardships and filing for bankruptcy and closing their doors. Personally, and I don’t want this to be taken the wrong way, I don’t necessarily think that is a bad thing. When I was doing theatre in Chicago, we used to say “a theatre company is born and a theatre company dies every day in Chicago…and it’s a beautiful thing.” What it means is that there is constant artistic energy coming into the city and then a lot of those artists find their footing and they get work at larger companies, so the companies no longer have their purpose of showcasing those artists and they dissolve. Organizations shouldn’t exist simply for the organization’s sake. If they aren’t serving a mission and they aren’t serving a community, then why have the organization? And certainly, if Mo`olelo ever gets to the point where we’re irrelevant,
Director Seema Sueko admiring the work of her actors during a rehearsal.
Photo by Nick Abadilla
Semma in blue,with family, board and cast members of Mo’oleo at The San Diego Theatre Critics Circle awards in 2011, where she was awarded The Des McAnuff New Visions Award.
“
I think the traditional way to launch a theatre company is to announce there’s a new theatre company and then launch a full season – three plays, four plays, you know.
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then by all means, we need to dissolve. And don’t mourn. It doesn’t erase what the organization and the company has achieved in the past. That will live on in the memories, the hearts, and the minds of audiences who experienced it. Now back to your question….the secret to success. If there’s one thing I’m really good at it is surrounding myself with people who are far smarter than me. Surrounding myself with really, really good people. At Mo`olelo, we have been blessed with a terrific Board of Trustees, many very talented theatre artists, and community organization partners who know their communities much better than we do. The hard work, dedication, and commitment of all these entities have helped us succeed. Where do you hope to see Mo`olelo in 10-15 years from now? What would that be…like 2022? There are four main things that we currently do: we produce plays, we do consensus organizing (essentially building relationships and building audiences), we run arts education programs, and we innovate the field (basically finding ways to improve the field). You know, Rocco Landesman, Chairman of the NEA, made a statement last year that sent our industry in a tizzy when he said, “We have a supply and demand problem. There are too many theatres out there. Demand isn’t going to increase, so clearly supply needs to decrease.” I think our consensus organizing process actually increases demand for theatre: it has been a very successful way to engage audiences that don’t traditionally attend the theatre and thus increase demand for theatre. So we’re trying to codify it and we want to disseminate that to the field. And this last thing of innovating the field is the thing that a lot of our audiences may not be aware of, but I think it’s the thing that gets us on the national radar because we’re not just about producing plays. We’re about producing plays that are reflective of our community and we’re committed to innovating the field. So all that to say 10-15 years from now, I hope we are still innovating the field. I don’t know what those innovations will be, but that would be the goal: that we’re finding ways to do what it is theatre is best at, but doing it better.
Fashion Design
Stacie May
Stacie May
San Diego’s Fun and Flirty Fashion Line, by Megan Marrs .
O
n a warm Friday afternoon, I stopped by the Industry Showroom in downtown San Diego. I was set to meet Stacie Taylor, the designer behind the ‘Stacie May’ line. A creative and versatile designer, she is making a name for herself in San Diego with her original - but still wearable- pieces. In an industry where its hard to stand out among all of the talent, she is demonstrating a perseverance and originality that is being noticed. Filled with courage and a positive attitude, she is obviously dedicated to her work and maintains an optimistic spirit amidst the uphill battle that can be fashion designing. When we met, she walked me over to her rack of clothing and toured me through her 2012 spring collection. The collection is a lovely compilation of dresses, blouses, skirts, shorts, and pants, each unique, versatile with a youthful appeal.
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MM: When did you know you were interested in fashion design? ST: I was always into art, sewing, crocheting, knitting, etc. from a very early age. I would say from as young as I could hold a crayon. It became more evident that fashion kept my attention the most when I finally learned how to sew on a real sewing machine at about age 8. Previously, I had been hand sewing and knitting things for Barbie and of course enjoying art classes. MM: How did you learn how to sew and create clothing? ST: My mom was an avid seamstress, making costumes for our dance classes and Halloween, every single special occasion we had, as well as things for herself! I was very blessed to have a very patient in-home teacher. Not only did she teach me how to use the sewing machine but how to read patterns and lay them out on the fabric and more than basic construction skills. When I got to college, I did take several more advanced sewing classes but I always credit my mom as my main teacher.
Alex Womack
Fashion Design
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the need to start refurbishing to make the hand-me-downs more of an expression of “me”. MM: How have your family and friends reacted to your dedication to fashion design?
I never really cared about what I wore as a young child. I was sort of a girly tomboy that liked to play with dolls.
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MM: Was there a moment in your childhood or adulthood when you realized you loved clothes?
ST: I never really cared about what I wore as a young child. I was sort of a girly tomboy that liked to play with dolls but wasn’t afraid to get dirty building forts in the woods. For a long time I only cared about what my Barbie was wearing. For a big chunk of my life I had to wear what was handed down to me from my sister and cousin. I did however, get to a point at about age 11 when I felt
ST: I have a very good support system. Some were afraid for me going into such a tough business but these were the same ones that knew me well enough to know that a regular office job would probably kill my spirit. Overall, I’ve had much support and encouragement and a big fan base of friends who actually are regular customers as well. MM: It is obviously difficult to “make it” as a fashion designer. How do you overcome discouragement? ST: I kind of resolved to not allow myself to be “discouraged” no matter what the outcome of any situation along the way. I always find things to get out of a situation even if the outcome was not what I originally had envisioned. Any obstacles that come are meant to be there for me to either learn and grow, or change direction. I constantly remind myself to enjoy the journey and not so much focus on getting to the end. I just know that I love what I’m doing and anytime you love what you do, the rest falls into place eventually if you are open to receiving it. MM: What do you think it takes to succeed as a fashion designer? ST: Confidence is a big part of it. You have to have a tough skin. As with any sort of artistic expression, you are exposing a very sensitive part of yourself to the world. In this business it is best to keep in mind that design is subjective. You cannot make everyone happy and everyone is not going to like what you are doing and will express that out loud. I’ve found that as long as I like what I am doing and stand behind it with confidence the outside criticism doesn’t hold as much weight. Also, I never see designing as a competition. Everyone designs differently and grows at their own pace. What other designers are doing or not doing has nothing to do with my progress. Another key is to remember that it’s not just about the designing. In fact designing is just a very small part of it. There are business, marketing, branding, accounting, production, sourcing, PR, and other aspects to contend with as well and any designer should at least have knowledge in these areas even if they don’t plan to do all of it themselves. MM:
Do you have a favorite fashion designer?
ST: My favorite designer as a designer is John Galliano. His designs continually are not only elegant but exude pure artistic genius. On the list as well are Anna Sui,
TraeLee Costello
Fashion Design
Mark Jacobs, Betsey Johnson, Chris Benz, and of course, the legend, Alexander McQueen. I guess you could say that I’m very drawn to a more artistic creative approach to design than I am to a more commercial and functional one. MM:
What makes your clothing different?
ST: My designs, I feel, are original and unique in the way that they are wearable but still always have a detail that keeps them from being anything too mainstream. I’ve always sort of had a knack for having a unique way of mixing colors and textures as well as cuts from all different eras in my own Stacie May way! MM: What are your favorite materials and colors to work with? ST : Unfortunately, I love working with silk. I say unfortunately because there’s always a love/hate relationship there do to the fact that silk is extremely difficult to work with at times. My “favorites” though as far as types and colors vary so much depending on my inspiration for the current collection. I’ve worked in many different kinds of fabrics with different collections and love to mix match them all in nontraditional ways. It’s difficult to narrow it down to favorites! MM: What type of clothing is your favorite to design? (tops, dresses, pants, etc.) ST: Dresses are usually the favorite among most designers. I have been getting more into separates though because it’s fun to have things in a collection that can be mixed and matched. The Spring collection contains half separate looks and half dresses all of which can be mixed up and worn with other items in the collection. In today’s world it is important to be versatile so that women feel it’s worth the money to invest in a piece that she can wear in different ways. MM: Where do you get your inspiration for your collections? ST: The inspiration comes from a lot of different places. A lot of what inspires me is what is going on in the world at the time of design development. I’m also very influenced by antiques and vintage collectibles, and a lot of music. I grew up with my parents as collectors of such items and an incredible album collection! I am happy to say that I’m very inspired a lot of times by an eclectic exposure to music. I also get out and about. I’m very visual and things you would least suspect will often visually spark an idea.
MM: What advice would you give to aspiring fashion designers? ST: Mostly I like to give the advice of a good education. Even if you are self-taught and have a talent and knack for the designing part, there are so many other skill sets that you need in the fashion world that you can only get with a decent education. I also like to encourage a good amount of business and marketing classes as well as what you need to be a designer. Especially if you are going to be an Independent Designer. Also, if possible, it’s good to get experience working for someone else in the business even if just an internship, before you launch into your own business. This will help to eliminate a lot of extensive and expensive trial and error. MM:
Why is fashion important?
ST: Fashion is important because it is a way for us to be able to express who we are without words. Whether we like to be completely unique and stand out from the crowd or if we like to follow trends and add our own twists, it is always a way for us to outwardly tell the world who we are. I’m continuously encouraging women to take risks with fashion and feel free to be you with what you wear even if it means breaking the “rules” sometimes. MM:
Where can we purchase your line?
ST: www.staciemay.com is the place to go to be able to purchase everything available from Stacie May. We also have pieces at Cecilia Boutique, Industry Showroom, Bad Madge, Pretty Is, and Wonderland, SF.
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Fashion is a way for us to be able to express who we are without words.
Eartha Hubbell
MU
SI C
THE HEAVY
GUILT
Photograph by Mia Bolton
They get up on stage to play their hearts out, and that kind of energy is what brings in the audiences; it is what attracts new fans and keeps older fans coming back for more.They are not trying to fit any mold, they are not trying to be what they think will make them popular. Music that is from the heart can be harder and harder to find amidst everything we are bombarded with today, which is why The Heavy Guilt resonates so strongly with their fans. Soulful, passionate, innovative, energetic, and diverse; The Heavy Guilt’s music will wake you up and bring you to life.
the art of giving
hel
p br eea ren ee
fight
multiple sclerosis
The San Diego arts community comes together in times of need as was clearly demonstrated at the F-MS charity event to help Breea Renee, a young teen in the midst of the fight of her life after being diagnosed with acute onset of Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Brave doesn’t even begin to describe this teen who has already seen it all at such a young age. For years Breea and her mother Michelle Renee of Rock to Stop the Violence (www.rocktostop.org) have given back to the community through rock & roll music, art, and fashion following their home invasion kidnapping and being held hostage for 14 hours as part of a bank robbery scheme. On February 11th, it was the community’s turn to help their family in their biggest moment of need.
The Steph Johnson band (www.stephjohnsonband.com) and Alan Iglesias and Crossfire (Stevie Ray Vaughn Tribute) (www. alaniglesias-and-crossfire.com) ignited the afternoon crowd at the Belly Up Tavern in Solana Beach. It was a very special evening with all involved donating their time, space and energy for a worthy cause. Breea’s doctor, Dr. Jay Rosenberg, was also present and supportive as he spoke about Breea’s condition and the associated costs to her family who is without health insurance and in need of continued treatment. There was a live and silent auction and a passing of the hat for a custom wheel chair.
The Steph Johnson Band playing some smooth tunes and thanking the audience for being such a great community.
Breea Renee Ramskill is a fighter and has the will and strength of any adult with a lifetime of experience. However, she is 18, a senior in high school and needs help. She cannot fight this alone. The Feb 11th event is over, but the fight continues and so does the cost of healthcare. If you would like to help, you can make a contribution to the Breea Renee Ramskill Fund at San Diego County Credit Union. Mail: San Diego County Credit Union (SDCCU) c/o “BREEA RENEE RAMSKILL FUND” 6545 Sequence Drive San Diego, CA 92121
A portion of the large number of items auctioned off while the Steph Johnson Band entertains the Belly Up crowd.
Wire Transfer: San Diego County Credit Union “BREEA RENEE RAMSKILL FUND” ABA Routing Number: 3222-8161-7 In person: https://mb.sdccu.com/webkit/ FindATMBranch.aspx Enter their zip code to find the closest SDCCU Branch Online: http://goo.gl/zFG1U For further SDCCU inquiries, call (877) SDCCU-4U For more information visit www.breeareneefoundation.org
Alan Iglesias and Crossfire rocking Stevie Ray Vaughn and Jimi Hendrix tunes
Arts & Entertainment Were you exposed to the entertainment industry during your childhood? When did your dream begin? My parents were 21 and 22 after meeting at Georgetown University. They met while acting in a play. My parents were very unusual people. By the time my mother was 32 years old she had eight children. She was thin, she was voluptuous, she was not the typical woman, yet she had eight children. My father is an university educator, still is, and big movie buff. He is also a movie reviewer and won the prestigious LA Press Club Award last year. My mother was a state senator from New Hampshire for eight years. She reinvented herself. As we get into Miss USA you are going to see that these fundamental things that happened in my life are based on things in my past that I didn’t even know about. I guess it happens to all of us but this self-examination made me realize ‘Oh my God, this is why my sisters all got married to the first man who touched them,” now don’t get me wrong, I love my sisters they are amazing people but in my opinion they have not lived up to their pedigree. And maybe I haven’t either but at least I’m dreaming still. So really my career today is about empowering women. My staff’s goal is to take a young, non-branded woman and make her realize that in order for her to have the life she dreams of she must create valuation within her own brand. This is something that fundamentally women never do, but this is something that my mother in the sixties, even after having all those kids, she did that. She rebranded herself. In fact she used her kids as part of her brand. She was smart. When she ran for the senate her campaign card was a picture of all her kids lined up in their Sunday best and on the card it said, ‘If I can run a family I can run your state.’
Would you say your mother was your inspiration? I would say both my parents were an inspiration. But my mother, and even though I’m sure she has made tremendous amounts of mistakes, has constantly been an appreciating asset for a woman. This is not a normal thing. You are 25 and hot and you decide to walk into a marriage to a successful man, what are you bringing to the table? Your looks, you are not bringing anything else. Most women that do that are not appreciating the assets by the time they are 35 they have depreciating assets and the man is either cheating or gone. Do you believe that women should not get married until they have fulfilled their potential? I’m saying that 18-28 are the celebrity years of a woman you damn well better build their own. No better time to build it, you have the most energy, no overhead, no children, this is the time you build. Then by the time you are in your early thirties do all the family stuff you want but at least you have a foundation built because it’s likely a man is not going to be there in your 40s. Or you are in a loveless marriage. But most of them are too afraid to leave and take the risks necessary to build their own brand. What is the biggest mistake young women make in show business? If you are 22 years old you need to focus on you, men pull you away from the things you are supposed to be. I don’t understand these women that get all wrapped up in these dudes in their 20s. I would say 95% of the failed actors are because of relationships. At least have the right relationship. Has someone who has done it, who knows it, who has the connections. I mean I’m all for that, get a guy who is going places. Guys don’t become men until their
Onstage at the Miss CA Teen USA 2012 Pageant
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taught me from their early 20s to their 70s that they have never sat still they are always pushing brand. They are always reinventing. Always look for the next challenge. So I have been blessed to come from good pedigree but I know people that came from crap pedigree that created something great and used that to brand their lives - the fact that they were the underdog. But in either case you have a responsibility to what you brought here, to the Great Creator, call it whatever you want, to find your dharma and to create a life that is not only great for you but betters other people’s lives too. That is the fundamental principle of working with these young women in Miss USA. That’s it.
Arts & Entertainment
Does the casting couch still exist? In all my years of working in this business I have never gotten a goofy contract where someone got a role for sleeping around. I mean if I have connections and I’m sleeping with you I might be able to go see the casting director but you have to deliver. You are in the room with 20 other actors, and they do that on purpose to put you under pressure. The great men in the business aren’t sleeping around. I’ve never met a man who is cheating on his wife that does not have a major problem in his business. Every single guy I know who is cheating like crazy his business is going to crap - his finances are going to crap. It all fits into the same dynamic. When you are If someone wanted to become an agent or casting director lying you are weak. I have a policy that I don’t work with what should they do? men who are cheating on their wives at all. Women, well, Apprentice yourself under the great casting directors, they if they have slept with someone in the business and you are always looking for extra help, even if you have to work call that sleeping your way to the top I think that is for free and wait tables at night. To be an agent you have disrespectful to women. I mean I was dating a woman that to get into the mail rooms and that is very difficult. If you I helped with her career but I loved her and I wanted to don’t know anybody it takes more than just a college help her. Smart actresses in this town get a man who has education to get in the mail room. Maybe another two his own thing going on and is supportive, because otheryears beyond college of education or experience. You have wise why does she need a man for? to have energy and network to get the right people to refer you and help you. The good thing about this town is that If you had a motto for your life what would it be? everybody is from someplace else so they are usually very Find your inspiration - “in spirit” - and when you do you kind when you first arrive here and very helpful. will never work a day in your life. And it doesn’t have to I hear bad things about Los Angeles: that everyone is into be one thing. You change your inspiration as you grow. themselves, that you can’t get a good guy, is that true? I hear this all the time from people. Those people that say that don’t have the right attitude. There’s 11 million people, are you kidding me that you can’t find ten that are amazing? Yeah there’s turkeys here but let me tell you something about this city, this is a city of dreamers, you can’t deal with people dreaming and not making it happen you need to go to New York. There they will tell you exactly what you can and can’t do, there is no dreaming there it’s all about what’s real today. New York is great I love it but it’s a very non-spiritual place. California is a spiritual place, and there is a part of you that can create greatness without an education or who you know, or any of that stuff. But there are also a lot of people here that are simply talking and can’t make anything happen. And there are a lot of uneducated people here. You need the Perks of being a writer. right attitude. Better place to grow your brand here. Ultimately the way to do it is the way we talked about. Serving others and getting your ego out of your way. So you are spiritually based? As best as I can, but that is a fight every single day. It’s so funny you know the right way and some days you go the opposite way. It’s like you want to feel the pain that we don’t need to feel. We all know the right way but half the time I’m fighting myself. I have a long way to go. My ego gets in the way. Ego is Edging God Out. When you edge out the power of the universe you become alone and depressed.
Erik John DeSando Official Recruitment Director MISS CALIFORNIA USA/TEEN USA® MISS NEW YORK USA/TEEN USA® MISS NEW HAMPSHIRE USA/Teen USA® erik@chasethecrown.com www.chasethecrown.com www.twitter.com/pageantrecruit Want to compete this year? Click: www.misscausaapply.com
fashion styling
beyond the color palette
“Fashion condemns us to many follies; the greatest is to make ourselves its slave� -Napoleon Bonaparte
the editorial graphic design by katie sundberg
Tangerine, blood orange, fuchsia rose, peridot, amaranth purple, and copper coin. All of these color choices have been forecasted as the new palette of Spring/ Summer 2012, but colors are just colors until you see it in true fashion. This Spring and Summer - bold colors, classic textiles, and modernized styling of vintage is the new and improved black! We’ve taken the traditional ensembles of the 60’s and 70’s and reconstructed the styling to embody the characteristics of the new season. Growing up we all used to play in our Grandmother’s and Mother’s closets – picturing what it would be like to wear a silk dress laced with chiffon detailing. As we got older, phases and trends turned into multiple stages but always seemed to make its way back into our own wardrobe. These days we always hold a certain spot in our closets for a vintage blazer from our Mother or a knee length cocktail dress from our Grandmother. This editorial is a homage, not only for the women who have inspired us to be confident throughout our lives, but also for the ones who taught us that style is an art form and its our job to experience it.
fashion styling
fashion styling
fashion styling
Our team embodies the creative nature of our inspired concept. We come from all walks of life – moving, experiencing, and gaining influences that arouse our passion in this industry. Our photographer, Joshua Green, moved to Orange County, CA at the age of 20 from a small town in Arkansas to pursue his dreams. From there he spent a number of years working in a video post production house editing and directing a television show dedicated to up-and-coming musicians called “Noise Link.” It was there that he really was introduced to photography and soon after quickly began shooting anyone and everyone who would let him. For the last 4 years he has been lucky enough to be able to shoot professionally here in San Diego and throughout the world – making his travels and creative take on life the key to making him stand out from others in his profession. Dre Ra-bel, a wardrobe stylist originally from Los Angeles, CA moved to San Diego at the tender age of 16 years old. Here, she studied and worked her way through multiple jobs to eventually find her niche in the fashion industry. Her creative freedom, spontaneous personality, and motivation has allowed her to be successful in such a cutthroat and intimating industry. Her work book now features celebrities such as Tyrese Gibson, Dougie Cash, and Brandon T. Jackson while her versatility shows through in concept-geared pictorials and high fashion published editorials. In her own words, “San Diego is the new Los Angeles – we might be a small beach city but we hold BIG fashion and we are ready to show it!” Alexis Marie and Nicole DeRosa are passionate in what they do and fortunately what they do is a thing of beauty! Alexis Marie has been turning ordinary faces into works of art for close to five years now. She started off in theatrical makeup and transitioned to editorial artistry. As a
Credits: Lensed by: Joshua A. Green Wardrobe Styling and Creative Direction: Dre Rabel Makeup by: Alexis Marie Hair by: Nicole DeRosa Models: Jessica Spangler of No Ties, San Diego Annie Norris of No Ties, San Diego
Our Team | Full Credits:
self taught makeup artist she learned the technique of enhancing natural beauty with color and precision. She believes that beauty doesn’t have to be layers of product on a person but can also be, and mostly is about, fortifying natural features – Alexis Marie, the true definition of a Makeup Artist. Nicole DeRosa, a graduate of Paul Mitchell The School, knew her huge passion for the art of hair at an early age. Having already immersed herself fully into the success of her graphic design agency, redmint design, Nicole yearned for a second career. Always having admired the art form of styling hair for photoshoots and fashion shows through media and education, she knew that creative hair styling was definitely in her future. When Nicole is not hairstyling for shoots or designing behind the screen of her laptop, you can find her behind the chair at Studio B in Pacific Beach, a salon committed to providing an experience that brings together the essence of professional salon services in a cozy atmosphere.