WORD for WORDcast

The Appropriation of Cultures by Percival Everett

Tue, 3 Aug 2021 18:00:00 +0000

Percival Everett has said: “Since telling the South Carolina State Legislature in 1989 that I couldn’t continue my address because of the presence of such a conspicuous sign of exclusion [the confederate flag], I have not really considered South Carolina.” This is a wickedly subversive story, about symbols and their meaning. "The Appropriation of Cultures" was written in 1996, and published in Everett's 2004 story collection, Damned If I Do, by Graywolf Press.

To maximize your experience, we recommend listening with headphones or good stereo speakers.

If you've enjoyed this podcast, please consider a donation at zspace.org/pod. We are committed to paying the creative staff a profession rate for their work.

Credits:

Directed by Rami Margron

Cast:
Cassidy Brown*
Artis Fountaine
Safiya Fredericks*
Gwen Loeb*
David Everett Moore*

Composer: Marcus Shelby
Sound Design: Elton Bradman
Dramaturg, Line Producer: Lindsay Jenkins
Production Assistant: Kelley Ho

*Member, AEA

Performed by permission of the author.

This episode also features a conversation between director Rami Margron, composer Marcus Shelby, and dramaturg Lindsay Jenkins following the story.

Season Two of the Word for Wordcast begins this week!

aburmester@zspace.org (word for word) — Mon, 19 Jul 2021 20:15:10 +0000

It’s our incredible pleasure to announce the upcoming second season of the WORD for WORDcast!

Join us on Thursday, July 22 as we release Season Two’s first episode, “The Appropriation of Cultures” by Percival Everett. It will be available on our website at zspace.org/pod, as well as on Apple Podcast, Spotify, and most other major podcasting services.

This wickedly subversive story is directed by Rami Margron with a talented cast consisting of Cassidy Brown, Artis Fountaine, Safiya Frederick, Gwen Loeb, and David Everett Moore. Renowned jazz artist Marcus Shelby composes original music and the grammy-nominated Elton Bradman provides sound design. A crew of Lindsay Jenkins (Line Producer), and Kelley Ho (Production Assistant), were instrumental in bringing this work to completion.

As of now, Season Two's schedule also includes:

"A Pair of Eyeglasses" by Anna Maria Ortese - directed by Rotimi Agbabiaka - releasing in two parts on August 26 and September 2

"Home" by George Saunders - directed by Sheila Balter - releasing on October 7

"Raymond's Run" and "Blues Ain't No Mockin Bird" by Toni Cade Bambara - directed by Edris Cooper-Anifowoshe - releasing on November 4

We hope that you’ll join us as we continue to bring your favorite short stories from the stage to the airwaves (and smart phones, and home computers…)

Citizen by Greg Sarris, Pt. 2

aburmester@zspace.org (Word for Word) — Fri, 22 Jan 2021 01:00:00 +0000

“Citizen” by author Greg Sarris, tells the story of Salvador, born in the U.S., raised in Mexico; son of an American Indian mother and a Mexican father. He has returned to California to find his mother, or rather, her grave. Working in the fields and ranches around Santa Rosa, he meets his mother's family, encountering both kindness and opportunism, as well as glimmers of hope. An American citizen, who speaks no English, Salvador procures his proof of citizenship and begins to discover his true identity, and what it means to belong.

To maximize your experience, we recommend listening with headphones or good stereo speakers.

If you've enjoyed this podcast, please consider a donation at zspace.org/pod. We are committed to paying the creative staff a profession rate for their work.

Credits:

Directed by Gendell Hing-Hernández

Cast:
Carlos Aguirre* - Marco, Eduardo, Ensemble
Carolyn Dunn - Eldine
Marie-Claire Erdynast - Lily, Candy, Ensemble
Rodrigo García - Salvador
Edie Flores - Salvador's Father, Al, Ioncencio, Ensemble
Regina Morones - Catarina, Ofelia, Ensemble
Ryan Tasker* - Mike, Ensemble

David R. Molina: Sound Design, Original Music, Editor and Mix Engineer
Impuritan: Additional Original Music ("Light is Mortal Too")
Carlos Aguirre: Heart Beat Box
Ras K'Dee: Additional Original Music (“Buscando”)
Imani Champion*: Line Producer
Desirée Alcocer: Production Assistant
Colm McNally: Production Manager
Joe Moore: Sound Engineer
Andrew Burmester: Marketing and Distribution

*Member, AEA

Included in this podcast after the story is a conversation with Author Greg Sarris, Director Gendell Hing-Hernández and Word for Word Co-Artistic Director JoAnne Winter

Citizen by Greg Sarris, Pt. 1

aburmester@zspace.org (Z Space) — Fri, 15 Jan 2021 01:00:00 +0000

To maximize your experience, we recommend listening with headphones or good stereo speakers.

If you've enjoyed this podcast, please consider a donation at zspace.org/pod. We are committed to paying the creative staff a profession rate for their work.

Credits:

Directed by Gendell Hing-Hernández

*Member, AEA

Included in this podcast is after the story are two tracks featuring cast member Carlos Aguirre:

Tourai - Emcee Infinite and Nezbeat (collaborator and producer)
The Fall - Emcee Infinite, produced by Keith Pinto

The 14 Mission by Anita Cabrera

aburmester@zspace.org (Z Space) — Tue, 29 Dec 2020 01:00:00 +0000

"The 14 Mission" is a gritty Christmas story about loneliness and friendship by San Francisco writer Anita Cabrera. On Christmas Day, a man takes a crosstown bus to visit his best friend. The man remembers his own life as a drunken outcast, so troubled he was once thrown off the bus he is now riding. As the bus ride proceeds and he traverses the neighborhoods of San Francisco, he considers what he owes his friend.

WORD for WORDcast is Word for Word Theater Company's podcast. We specialize in bringing works of literature to the stage, using every word of a text in a dynamic, evocative style that preserves the original beauty of the prose or poetry. This is an ongoing series, upcoming stories are “Citizen” by Greg Sarris (1/14 and 1/21), and “Books and Roses” by Helen Oyeyemi (2/14, 2/21, and 2/28).

To maximize your experience, we recommend listening with headphones or good stereo speakers.

If you've enjoyed this podcast, please consider a donation at zspace.org/pod. We are committed to paying the creative staff a profession rate for their work.

Also included in this podcast is an interview with author Anita Cabrera and director Stephanie Hunt by Vanessa Flores, Word for Word Core Company Member.

Credits:

Directed by Stephanie Hunt

Cast:
Robert Ernst* ** - Ron / Gypsy
Rosie Hallett* - Sherri / Ensemble
Dorian Lockett* ** - Bus Driver / Ensemble
Alexander Pannullo* - Skinhead Ed / Ensemble
Amy Prosser* ** - Mother / Ensemble
Jomar Tagatac* - Melvin
Michael Torres* ** - Pelican Pete

Sound Design: Drew Yerys
Line Producer: Krys Swan
Production Manager: Colm McNally
Sound Engineer: Joe Moore
Marketing and Distribution: Andrew Burmester

*Member, AEA
**Member, SAG/AFTRA

The Machine Stops by E.M. Forster, Pt. 3 - "The Homeless"

aburmester@zspace.org (Word for Word, E.M. Forster) — Fri, 2 Oct 2020 00:00:00 +0000

"The Homeless" is the third and final part of E.M. Forster's "The Machine Stops." As it opens, we find Kuno threatened with Homelessness for his transgressions against The Machine. Written in 1909, this story is a dystopian look at the future, where everyone lives underground, is controlled by "The Machine," and communicates with each other over vast distances through glowing blue plates.

WORD for WORDcast is Word for Word Theater Company's new podcast. We specialize in bringing works of literature to the stage, using every word of a text in a dynamic, evocative style that preserves the original beauty of the prose or poetry. This will be an ongoing series, with upcoming stories planned by Langston Hughes, James Baldwin, Alice Munro, Tobias Wolff, Helen Oyeyemi, and George Saunders (rights pending). Stay tuned for an announcement about our next story.

To maximize your experience, we recommend listening with headphones or good stereo speakers.

If you've enjoyed this podcast, please consider a donation at zspace.org/pod. We are committed to paying the creative staff a profession rate for their work.

Credits:

Directed by Gendell Hing-Hernández

Cast:
Carla Gallardo - The Attendant/Ensemble
Susan Harloe* - Vashti
David Everett Moore* - Kuno
Brian Rivera* ** - The Speaker/Ensemble
Ryan Tasker* - The Machine/Ensemble

Sound Design and Original Music by David R. Molina

Sound Engineer - Joe Moore
Production Manager - Colm McNally
Stage Manager - Tyler Miller
Dramaturgy - Delia MacDougall
Marketing and Distribution - Andrew Burmester
Podcast volunteer - Carly Dreame Brethe

*AEA **SAG/AFTRA

The Machine Stops by E.M. Forster, Pt. 2 - "The Mending Apparatus"

aburmester@zspace.org (Word for Word, E.M. Forster) — Fri, 25 Sep 2020 00:00:01 +0000

In "The Mending Apparatus," part 2 of E.M. Forster's "The Machine Stops" we find Vashti shocked by her son Kuno as they grapple with their conflicting views of The Machine. Written in 1909, this story is a dystopian look at the future, where everyone lives underground, is controlled by "The Machine," and communicates with each other over vast distances through glowing blue plates.

To maximize your experience, we recommend listening with headphones or good stereo speakers. Be sure to subscribe or tune in for part three, "The Homeless," released on 10/1/20.

If you've enjoyed this podcast, please consider a donation at zspace.org/pod. We are committed to paying the creative staff a profession rate for their work.

Credits:

Directed by Gendell Hing-Hernández

Cast
Carla Gallardo - The Attendant/Ensemble
Susan Harloe* - Vashti
David Everett Moore* - Kuno
Brian Rivera* ** - The Speaker/Ensemble
Ryan Tasker* - The Machine/Ensemble

Sound Design and Original Music by David R. Molina

*AEA **SAG/AFTRA

The Machine Stops by E.M. Forster, Pt. 1 - "The Air-Ship"

aburmester@zspace.org (Word for Word, E.M. Forster) — Fri, 18 Sep 2020 00:00:10 +0000

We are thrilled to premier the WORD for WORDcast, a podcast from the Word for Word theater company. We specialize in bringing works of literature to the stage, using every word of a text in a dynamic, evocative style that preserves the original beauty of the prose or poetry. This podcast will be an ongoing series, with upcoming stories planned by Langston Hughes, James Baldwin, Alice Munro, Tobias Wolff, Helen Oyeyemi, and George Saunders (rights pending).

Our featured story is "The Machine Stops" by E.M. Forster. Written in 1909, this is a dystopian look at the future, where everyone lives underground, is controlled by "The Machine," and communicates with each other over vast distances through glowing blue plates.

To maximize your experience, we recommend listening with headphones or good stereo speakers. Be sure to subscribe or tune in for parts two and three, "The Mending Apparatus" (released 9/24) and "The Homeless" (released 10/1).

If you've enjoyed this podcast, please consider a donation at zspace.org/pod. We are committed to paying the creative staff a profession rate for their work.

Credits:

Directed by Gendell Hing-Hernández

Cast
Carla Gallardo - The Attendant/Ensemble
Susan Harloe* - Vashti
David Everett Moore* - Kuno
Brian Rivera* ** - The Speaker/Ensemble
Ryan Tasker* - The Machine/Ensemble

Sound Design and Original Music by David R. Molina

*AEA **SAG/AFTRA

Announcing the WORD for WORDcast!

aburmester@zspace.org (Z Space) — Mon, 14 Sep 2020 17:19:11 +0000

Announcing the WORD for WORDcast! We are gearing up for our September 17 release. The debut episodes will feature “The Machine Stops” by E.M. Forester.

Written in 1909, this is a dystopian look at the future, where everyone lives underground, is controlled by “The Machine,” and communicates with each other over vast distances through glowing blue plates.

Released in 3 parts:
September 17: "The Air-Ship"
September 24: "The Mending Apparatus"
October 1: "The Homeless"

Directed by Gendell Hing-Hernández

Carla Gallardo - The Attendant/Ensemble
Susan Harloe* - Vashti
David Everett Moore* - Kuno
Brian Rivera* ** - The Speaker/Ensemble
Ryan Tasker* - The Machine/Ensemble

Sound Design and Original Music by David R. Molina
Sound Engineer - Joe Moore
Production Manager - Colm McNally
Stage Manager - Tyler Miller
Dramaturgy - Delia MacDougall
Director of Marketing and Distribution - Andrew Burmester
Podcast volunteer - Carly Dreame Brethe

*AEA **SAG/AFTRA

If you liked what you heard please consider making a donation at zspace.org/pod to help us support the artists and technicians who make this work possible.