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April 30, 2020
Dear Friends and Neighbors,
What is this now? Week 7?
Update on our status:
You'll be happy to know that our landlord is accepting less than a full month's payment for the next three months (May, June, July), and we won't need to start paying back the balance of what is owed until January 2021. Thank you, landlords. This gives us a bit of breathing room.
We are still waiting to hear about the Paycheck Protection Program loan. Our application has been processed by the bank; now it's in the hands of the Small Business Administration. The SBA is inundated with applications, so, fingers crossed, let's hope ours makes it through the process before they run out of money again.
We received a $3,000 Economic Impact Disaster Loan. This needs to be paid back, but there is a six-month grace period. This came at just the right time because my business insurance came due and it's almost twice what it was last year. And for some reason that I don't know, my OLCC license is also twice what it was last year. It's crazy that it's gone up so much, but I want to be able to break out a cold one when we all get back together.
And, last but surely not least, YOU and YOU and YOU and YOU and YOU!!! You've bought so many gift cards, and you've watch the movies through the Clinton's various virtual cinema partners, and some days I cry with joy from all of your many kindnesses.
Today, while I was updating the theater's Facebook page, I took a moment to look through the gallery of photos that are posted by our guests. We have so much fun at the Clinton!!! Sometimes I take for granted that we do something different every day. One week we might have the Amazing Bubble Man in the morning and the Portland Storytellers' Guild in the evening. We might have three or four different nonprofit fundraisers in a week. Our weekend might be taken up with live theatre. We are an amazing community of artists and activists, and a whole bunch of folks living by the Golden Rule and making our world a better place.
So, in the coming weeks, I will highlight one or two of our many partners. This way when we do open up again, you'll have a good idea of all the wonderful events you want to attend.
This week--Monkey With A Hat On and the 10 Minute Play Festival!
I met Ollie, the artistic director and genius behind MWAHO, early in my life at the Clinton. If you've ever been to one of the Playfests, you know that Ollie is quite an enthusiastic fellow. To be truthful, at the time I thought he was a bit unhinged. I had never been around anyone with so much passion for their art. Ollie was electric and sparks were flying with every word and gesture. At first I was a bit taken aback. We hadn't had any theater productions at that time, other than the Cabaret for Rocky Horror, so I wasn't at all sure how it was going to work. But I bought the theater with the idea of saying "yes," and we do have a stage, so why not?
Needless to say, the PlayFest was a huge hit, and I'm so grateful that the Clinton and the Monkeys have been partners all these many years. You see, as Ollie explained it to me that day, theater is the oldest art form, and MWAHO is dedicated to providing contemporary, relevant, inexpensive theater (tickets are only $5) for the good people of Portland. They believe that theater is for all of us, and it should be relevant to our lives.
And Ollie's right. When you are sitting in the dark, waiting for the lights to come up on the stage, you feel it deep in your guts that you and 200 other vulnerable souls are there to share a series of moments--share the same experience--which will in turn provide a psychic medium where thoughts, emotions, and human histories can be exchanged in real time. (I find this same transformation at a baseball game--just ask me about Game 6 of the 1996 World Series!!!)
The Portland 10MPF happens three times a year. Each Playfest has a unique theme and features eight original, new 10-minute plays that are written, directed and performed by Portland artists. The Monkeys have an open-door policy, and anyone can submit a play for consideration (they even hold workshops to help with the process), and anyone can audition for parts. Want to help behind the scenes? There are lots and lots of ways to be involved.
So far we've had the Mythology Playfest, the Adventure Playfest, the Blue Playfest, the Time Playfest, and on and on and on. A live band performs between each play, so Monkey fun never stops! Every play is ten minutes or less and all are performed each performance night. These are your stories, Portland!
Sadly, we had just one night of the Shadow Playfest before we needed to cancel for everyone's safety--the audience and the performers. But as soon as we are up and running, there will be a new Playfest on the horizon!
I've shared the following poem in an earlier newsletter, but now as we live our isolated lives, it bears repeating and remembering.
Gate A-4
Naomi Shihab Nye - 1952-
 Wandering around the Albuquerque Airport Terminal, after learning
my flight had been delayed four hours, I heard an announcement:
"If anyone in the vicinity of Gate A-4 understands any Arabic, please
come to the gate immediately."
Well—one pauses these days. Gate A-4 was my own gate. I went there.
An older woman in full traditional Palestinian embroidered dress, just
like my grandma wore, was crumpled to the floor, wailing. "Help,"
said the flight agent. "Talk to her. What is her problem? We
told her the flight was going to be late and she did this."
I stooped to put my arm around the woman and spoke haltingly.
"Shu-dow-a, Shu-bid-uck Habibti? Stani schway, Min fadlick, Shu-bit-
se-wee?" The minute she heard any words she knew, however poorly
used, she stopped crying. She thought the flight had been cancelled
entirely. She needed to be in El Paso for major medical treatment the
next day. I said, "No, we're fine, you'll get there, just later, who is
picking you up? Let's call him."
We called her son, I spoke with him in English. I told him I would
stay with his mother till we got on the plane and ride next to
her. She talked to him. Then we called her other sons just
for the fun of it. Then we called my dad and he and she spoke for a while
in Arabic and found out of course they had ten shared friends. Then I
thought just for the heck of it why not call some Palestinian poets I know
and let them chat with her? This all took up two hours.
She was laughing a lot by then. Telling of her life, patting my knee,
answering questions. She had pulled a sack of homemade mamool
cookies—little powdered sugar crumbly mounds stuffed with dates and
nuts—from her bag—and was offering them to all the women at the gate.
To my amazement, not a single woman declined one. It was like a
sacrament. The traveler from Argentina, the mom from California, the
lovely woman from Laredo—we were all covered with the same powdered
sugar. And smiling. There is no better cookie.
And then the airline broke out free apple juice from huge coolers and two
little girls from our flight ran around serving it and they
were covered with powdered sugar, too. And I noticed my new best friend—
by now we were holding hands—had a potted plant poking out of her bag,
some medicinal thing, with green furry leaves. Such an old country tradi-
tion. Always carry a plant. Always stay rooted to somewhere.
And I looked around that gate of late and weary ones and I thought, This
is the world I want to live in. The shared world. Not a single person in that
gate—once the crying of confusion stopped—seemed apprehensive about
any other person. They took the cookies. I wanted to hug all those other women, too.
This can still happen anywhere. Not everything is lost.
VIRTUAL SCREENINGS THAT BENEFIT CST
Instead of going into great detail on our virtual screenings in this newsletter, especially since films will come and go in terms of availability, I'll keep the homepage of the Clinton Street Theater website up-to-date, so it's one stop shopping for all the film screenings that benefit us with a portion of the proceeds from your ticket. Look at that page for a quick description of each film and the links to rent/purchase. If you click on any one of the film titles, you will go to a page with a more in-depth description and a link to the trailer.
New and Available May 1st (You can preorder now)
CRESCENDO -- 2019, Germany
When world-famous conductor Eduard Sporck accepts the job to create an Israeli-Palestinian youth orchestra, he is quickly drawn into a tempest of sheer unsolvable problems.
BUY A TICKET. WATCH AT HOME. SUPPORT THE CLINTON.
Available from May 8 to May 17 (on sale May 1st). Link coming SOON!!!
New York Children's International Film Festival
Grab some popcorn and get ready for a fun, artful film experience for kids and adults alike. With these hour-long screenings of the best of the New York International Children's Film Festival's short films, you can bring some artful, inspired storytelling and hilarity to your home screen. Two short film programs are available, Kid Flicks One recommended for ages 3+, and Kid Flicks Two for ages 8+. Have a great film experience with your kids, with plenty of ideas and themes to talk about long after the screening is done (and you'll have 48 hours to rewatch as much as you'd like!).
Kid Flicks Part One (ages 3 and up)
Kid Flicks Part Two (ages 8 and up)
Links coming soon for two feature films directed by women!! Check the home page of the website.
BULL
In a near-abandoned subdivision west of Houston, a wayward teen runs headlong into her equally willful and unforgiving neighbor, an aging bullfighter who's seen his best days in the arena; it's a collision that will change them both.
TO THE STARS
Under small town scrutiny, a withdrawn farmer's daughter forges an intimate friendship with a worldly but reckless new girl in 1960s Oklahoma.
New Music Documentary--UP FROM THE STREETS
A film looking at the culture of New Orleans thru the lens of music. Hosted by Oscar nominee and 6-time Grammy Winner Terence Blanchard, the film tells the story of how music and culture intersected to create a distinct form of expression.
Available now for pre-order. Will begin screening on May 14th at 9pm.
BUY A TICKET. WATCH AT HOME. SUPPORT THE CLINTON.
OTHER MOVIE-VIEWING RESOURCES
WOMEN MAKE MOVIES VIRTUAL FILM FESTIVAL 2020
In March, WMM launched a Virtual Film Festival to commemorate International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month. However, in response to the demands and circumstances of COVID-19, they have expanded the content of the festival and extended it to run through May 31, 2020. Sign up to watch films by women at no cost! (You'll be joining more than 5000 attendees in 89 countries -- and growing!)
Facets, a nonprofit that connects people to independent ideas through transformative film experiences, has put together a special list of films to watch and discuss with your kids (as young as eight). You have a link to where you can watch a film or TV series (2 are free, one can be viewed through Amazon Prime), and then a set of questions for discussion and learning.
Also from Facets: Watch five international, award-winning films, hand selected by Chicago International Children's Film Festival Director, Ann Vikstrom. These films not only screened at a past festival, but they made such an impact on our expert jurors they were awarded a top prize! Now you can watch them at home for FREE!!! Ms.Vikstrom provides her "take" on each film, and includes relevant themes that you can discuss with your child. Something for everyone--ages 2 and up.
Earlier this week, YouTube, in partnership with Robert De Niro’s multiplatform storytelling company Tribeca Enterprises, announced We Are One: A Global Film Festival, an alternative for movie fans featuring programming from 20 top film festivals including Sundance, Toronto, Cannes and Venice, among others. The 10-day digital event will run from May 29 through June 7 and will offer free festival programming (including films, shorts, documentaries, music, comedy and conversations) on YouTube. Proceeds will benefit the World Health Organization COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund as well as local relief partners in each region. Interested? Go to YouTube and subscribe to the WE ARE ONE festival channel.
IN OTHER NEWS
Anne Marie, proprietress of the Lucky Horseshoe Lounge, might be starting Growler service for local craft beer and cider. Watch for updates on the website or Facebook page.
Killer Queen, put on by our own, Violet Hex, is going virtual. More details coming, so stay tuned.
If you would like to purchase a gift card to use once we are allowed to open, I've got them available through Square. The theater will receive these funds now, and if only 100 people purchase a $10 gift card, I'll have enough to make my loan payments for this month. (Thanks in advance if you want to support us in this way!!!)
Some writers have new books coming out in the midst of the pandemic; and, as it happens, one was authored by dear friend of the Clinton, Judith Arcana. Hello. This is Jane. is a story collection rooted in Judith's memories of Chicago’s pre-Roe abortion underground — fiction that's based on a true story. The release date is May 3rd, the anniversary of Judith's 1972 arrest as one of the "Abortion 7." Download a free preview, or pre-order the book NOW.
Do you like to garden? Virtual Gardening Classes with The Gardening Goddess are available Saturdays at 10am via Zoom! All classes are $20. To register please email: jolieann.donohue@gmail.com
- May 2nd Warm Season Vegetable Crops
- May 9th Crop Rotation for Garden Health
- May 16th Edible Flower Gardening
- May 23rd Gardens for Bees, Butterflies & Beneficials
- May 30th Troubleshooting the Organic Vegetable Garden
Jolie Donohue, The Gardening Goddess, shares her 25 years of gardening experience. She has taught gardening for over 10 years at Portland Nursery, Portland Community College and Mt Hood Community College. www.jolieanndonohue.com
In this unprecedented time, as more and more of us are turning to poetry, the Academy of American Poets launched Shelter in Poems, an initiative that invites poets and poetry lovers to share poems on social media that give them comfort or courage. Shelter in Poems: A Virtual Reading extends this idea with a special offering of poems read by poets laureate, actors, musicians, artists, and more. Join the event on Thursday, April 30, 4:30 p.m. PDT--registration through EventBrite.
If you Instagram--from Venture Portland: Now more than ever, it is crucial to support the small businesses that strengthen the livability and character of the neighborhoods we call home. Show us how you’re safely supporting independent neighborhood businesses with takeout, delivery, donation and other socially distant solutions with #supportsmallpdx! For the next five weeks we’ll pick our favorite weekly posts and send the winners $25 gift cards for their featured business. Enter to win gift cards by following @ventureportland. Use the hashtag #supportsmallpdx every time you post a purchase from a small business. Post often for multiple chances to win! Plus bonus points for cool facemasks! Winners will be announced: 5/4, 5/11, 5/18
Yes, I am still plugging my book. A few folks have told me that they are taking some time to read it while they are self-isolating. If you want to join them, you can order a copy from Powell's Online Book Store, Amazon or Barnes & Noble.
"Monkeys are superior to men in this: when a monkey looks into a mirror, he sees a monkey."— Malcolm De Chazal
Don't be a stranger. Write until we can meet again.
Kind regards,
Lani Jo
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