by Iris Graville
Special to the Weekly
Many in our community are often left reeling when faced with information about climate change, under-funded schools, inadequate mental health services, mass shootings, homelessness, hunger, war, and personal tragedy. We wonder, “What should I do, where, when, and how?” These questions have grown even more urgent since the attacks in Paris on November 13. While there are no easy answers, many find comfort and support when gathered with others; that awareness has prompted Lopez Community Theater and KLOI Radio to produce a stage performance focused on peace on Saturday December 5, 7:30PM at Lopez Center for Community and the Arts.
“A Peace Performance” will be produced and directed by Carol Steckler, well-known as the Lopez Community Theater producer and director for twenty years. “The process for putting this show together was of an emergent nature involving many people and many ideas,” Steckler says. The program will include a Lopez Children’s Choir directed by Kristin Fernald; two staged vignettes featuring Janet Baltzer and Paul Lewis; a Playback Theater performance by James Lucal; activist artists and performers Nikyta Palmisani and Kenny Ferrugiaro; the Lopez youth band MPACT, directed by Jesse Hammond; and more.
“Our purpose for this evening is to come together as a Lopez community to illuminate the world we live in with compassion,” says Steckler. “We offer no advice or judgment, and we want everyone to feel included.” Steckler staged a similar peace event in 2001, acting on her belief that speaking about hopes and deeply held values makes a difference. Periodically, people have asked her if she was ever going to organize a peace event again. A couple of months ago, she began working on this performance, collaborating with performers and directors to select material and create scripts that wrestle with fear, hope, and understanding.
Although some of the program’s content might not be suitable for young children, Steckler explains that the goal is “to get the message of peace across” to the audience. There is no admission fee, but donations will be accepted at the door to defray the costs of the production and to continue KlOI’s capacity to bring local radio programming and events to the community. “People are affected by music and ideas,” Steckler says. She and her crew hope to create a memorable evening for the audience. For more information, contact Steckler at 468-2138.
