Each time the
groupshows a
section of the work
in progress, followed
by a discussion with
the audience and
then a movie clip of a
relevant work.
The popcorn is free -
bring your own beer!
Theatre
Awassa Children's Project:  
an art colony orphanage in Southern Ethiopia:

John LeFan is on the Board of Directors for the Awassa Children's Project, part of a coalition of four international organizations dedicated to the
support of the Awassa Children's Center, an orphanage and community center in Awassa, Ethiopia.   He talks about the project:

The Center is situated between Mt. Tabor and the shores of Lake Awassa. The Center has two critical missions: (i) operate an orphanage primarily
for children orphaned by the AIDS epidemic and (ii) manage a community center. The community center organizes and provides a community health
clinic, career educational programs and supports a traveling theatrical company that brings, among other things, an HIV/AIDS awareness message
into communities in southern Ethiopia and to United Nations refugee camps.

The Debub Nigat Circus is a theater company started by street children in Awassa Ethiopia. They tour Ethiopia performing The AIDS Education
show and The Girls Mutilation Show. The project also supports The Sherkole Refugee Theater, a theater company of refugees on the Sudanese
border performing The Land Mine Education Show.

Bay Area Theater alumnae, David Schein, began working with Awassa Orphanage kids who lost their families to war, famine and AIDS and created
The AIDS Education Circus. Some of the teens who perform in the show lost their entire families to AIDS.  Others, maybe age ten or eleven at the
time, came in from the brush carrying rifles, barely remembering the time before their conscription.  Now they have a home, with an artist's project,
farming and the touring theater company. They also wrote and tour a show that exposes the horrors of female ritual mutilation. They have begun a
reforestation project in a land now empty of trees. And more kids come in every day.

"HOW DID I GET INVOLVED?"
When a street person asks for a handout, I may give them money and I may not. But when someone is dancing, singing, doing a show with a hat full
of coins in front of them, I'm their man. Awassa is a theater adventure that happens to help an area of the world ravaged by war, famine and disease.
My friend David Schein and I have been making theater since the early seventies. When one of us calls, the other is usually there.  David called me.

"Want to work on some theater?"

"Sure."

"It's in Ethiopia."

"Fine."  

That's the story.  David had directed the kids in their first show, "The AIDS Education Circus" and has spearheaded the efforts in America. His work
has been nothing short of heroic.

PLAN OF ACTION
Awassa Children's Project has support groups of theater and medical professionals in Freiburg Germany and Chicago.  It is my goal to see the
theater and dance communities of San Francisco develop a third support system.  A hundred support groups would not be enough for Ethiopia.  

WHAT YOU CAN DO
1. Look at the website http://awassachildrensproject.org

2. If you live in the Bay Area and want to help, email me at john.lefan@sbcglobal.net

3. Send money.  There have been several incidents of "charities" sending a fraction of what they receive to Africa.  Every penny you send to Awassa
Children's Project goes to the kids in the orphanage.  All theater and medical professionals pay for their own trips to Awassa. ALL PROCEEDS go
directly to the orphanage in Awassa. It costs $5 a week to feed one of the young actors touring with the AIDS Education Circus and give them the
opportunity to affect their world directly.

4. See the film. In February, 2004, my son Krishna LeFan produced and directed a documentary shot on location in Ethiopia. The film crew followed
the touring company with their new which deals with female genital mutilation. In March, 2005, Krishna returned to Ethiopia on behalf of the United
Nations to incorporate educational programs designed to assist Sudanese refugees in setting up their own theater troupes to promote HIV/AIDS
and land mine awareness.

There is currently a ten minute trailer.  A full documentary is coming.  The money has to be raised completely outside what goes to the orphanage.  
One success story of the project; Kris worked with one of the teens as an assistant who is now enrolled in  film school in Addis Ababa. In the film,
one of the teens says; "I have clothes now and food every day.. I am a complete person." He's also a damn fine actor.
Benefit Performances
for the Awassa Children's Project
watch this space for dates and times
Popcorn Players Series 2007
And coming soon...
2006 "Tempest" lab group members Charles Gushue
and John LeFan,  photo by Christine Federici
2007 "Mission Creek" lab group members Alison Sacha Ross
as Cassandra and Mitzie Abe as Clytemnestra,
photo by Anna DalPino
We invite you to witness our exploration.

This is a free event, open to the public, to develop
and promote the work of the lab group.  

Cassandra at Mission Creek takes place in a real space time warp at Mariposa Studio.  It begins one thousand
years ago, (where the studio stands today), on the banks of Mission Creek.  Crafted from the classic Greek tragedies of
Euripedes and Aeschylus, the story of the prophetess Cassandra is told through dance and polyrhythmic choral chant.  
The play travels through time to the end of Western Civilization.  The setting stays constant.  Also a constant thread:  the
sorrow of war for the victor and loser alike.

The piece is designed in a high contrast style.  It takes its music from the “Banana” album by Andy Warhol and the
Velvet Underground.  The terrific ensemble cast:  Mitzi Abe, Jody Christian, Maxine Craig, Martin A. David, Terese
Hoibye, Catherine Newman, Alison Sacha Ross, Megan Schirle, Leon Setti, Susan Sullivan, and Bob Taxin.
Cassandra at Mission Creek
a physical theatre piece

Euripides
Aeschylus
the Velvet Underground
Cassandra the Prophetess
The Mission District
a thousand years ago
A murder spree ballet
in polyrhythm

Directed by John LeFan
Choreography by
John LeFan
Art Direction
by Anna Dal Pino
Runs Oct 13
through Nov 10
Previews Oct 11 & 12
All Shows at 8pm
Tickets:  
$15-30 sliding scale
2007 Events
Scroll Down or Click For More Information

Greek Popcorn
"Mission Creek Project Lab Group"
Saturday February 17, 7pm
Saturday, April 21, 7pm
Saturday, August 25, 7pm
Join the Mariposa Theatre Lab Group for an informal
evening of open rehearsal.  

We are working with a story line based on the Cassandra
character, Aeschylus's' "The Trojan Women, and the
Euripides tragedy, “Agamemnon”.  We are also using some
elements of the choral chanting structures of Classic Greek
tragedy. Our story begins at the site of the Mariposa Studio,
one thousand years ago.
The show will open to coincide
with the ArtSpan’s San Francisco
Open Studios.  Mariposa Studio
will be participating in this event,
along with many other artists in
the Project Artaud complex.

The “Mission Creek Project” is a
fiscally sponsored project of
Dancers’ Group and is funded in
part by the Zellerbach Family
Fund and generous contributions
from other organizations and
individuals.
Pictured: Bob Taxin, Susan Sullivan and
Jody Christian
Photo by Christine Federici