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Collaborating for the Kids: STJ and R4, November 2016

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We would like to announce an exciting collaboration between two sibling groups: Stage Time and Juice @ the Red Room, and Red Room Radio Redux (R4)! Ruth Giordano, the director of R4, has been involved in all aspects of theater practically since she began walking. As she frankly states: she has more than 50 years of experience to share.

In the next two upcoming Stage Time and Juice events you will be able to enjoy the fruits of that collaboration, beginning with a presentation of “Jack and the Beanstalk” during our anniversary show beginning at 2:30 on Saturday, November 19. Ruth will teach several teens how to use their voice and how to hand-create sound effects to retell this fairy tale classic in a fresh and appealing manner.

January 21 brings us Aesop’s Fables, based on a script Ruth penned in 2008 for a children’s theater company in Massachusetts. She will be adapting to fit the Juice troupe. This workshop is geared towards the younger children (ages 7-13). Part of the preparations for taking the stage will include prop and accessory crafting: parents will probably be called upon to assist!

Make sure to visit our Stage Time and Juice Facebook page to receive the most current information about all our workshops and events.
https://www.facebook.com/redroomjuice/

If you, like Ruth, have a gift or passion to share, remember that the Red Room’s door is always open! A small exchange of knowledge can change a child’s (or grownup’s) life forever!

By Carol Yao and Ruth Giordano

Stage Time and Juice: Saffron and Playing for Change!

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Stage Time and Juice passed its 3-year mark over the summer. Anticipating that our audience would thin out as people headed off on their separate vacations, we decided to put together a special treat for those who remained in the city. Thus, our Stage Time and Juice XVII: Saffron Summer was born!

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Taipei City Playgroup mom, Jaya, immediately volunteered her husband’s restaurant’s services in providing some authentic Indian treats. Red Room mother, Roma, offered to lead us in drawing some chalk rangoli on the passageway. Priya Lalwani Purswaney, the newest addition to the Stage Time and Juice creative team, managed to snag the Dubey siblings, Awantika and Akash. The well-seasoned Dubeys introduced the art of kathak dancing accompanied by tabla percussion to our family audience. It was engaging, intimate, and of course had the most special element of Stage Time and Juice, being that everyone gets a front row seat!

STJ photo by Kenneth-Hu

STJ photo by Kenneth-Hu

As always, the Juice open-mic performers came out in full force, demonstrating techniques that they had developed in front of us over the years. Jaya turned to me at the end of the show, quite astonished. It was the first time she had come to Juice, and she felt that perhaps by attending regularly, this might just be the proper environment to coax something out of her stage-shy son as well?

September was our Playing For Change Fundraising month. We have held this event three times already, but this year we decided we would attempt to better our donation from last year of US$100. US$100, from Playing For Change’s perspective, is not a trifling amount: it can pay for 2 months of music classes for 4 children in Nepal. But our team decided that we would try to shoot for the NT10,000 mark this time, or about US $320.

In previous years, we had depended on the children and sometimes adults to come out and perform. We decided that we would emphasize this gesture in a fun way by placing a guitar case in front of the stage, and allowing the audience to show their support both for the performers and the cause by tossing change into the guitar case. All proceeds went towards The Playing For Change Foundation.

Volunteer Sue DeSimone happily invited some professional musicians to attend the show in order to introduce the Juicers to different kinds of music, namely rock, blues, rockabilly, and jazz. In the spirit of the Playing For Change organization, the event raised money for music education, but also provided some musical education content of its own!

Finally, we asked our community sponsors to donate their own products and services to our raffle. There was quite a dizzying and unusual array of prizes, but it impressively showcased the surprising range of projects that our larger community is involved in!

Many things did not go as expected in both events. In July, the TAF decided to fumigate the compound that day. As agreed upon, they sprayed around our area only in the morning and moved on to other places in the enormous complex, but that did not stop the guards at the gate from informing our guests that they would probably die if they attended our event! In September, the band riled up the audience so much that they were unable to return to their usual quiet attentiveness for the children’s fundraising segment. This was particularly painful to us as organizers, because the nurturing aspect of our open-mic segment is what is particularly special and precious about our program.
On a more positive, and unexpected note, we raised US$580 (NT18,186) to donate to the Playing For Change Foundation! According to their website, this amount can support A Playing For Change Foundation teacher in Africa for almost half a year. For some children, this teacher is the only formal schooling they receive.

Katrina, one of the original founders of Juice who was visiting with her family from New Zealand, remarked to me that she was impressed by how far the “regular” open-mic performers have progressed. She was happy to see some of the children she had taught since they were very small expressing themselves up on the stage in ways she had not imagined.

Running Juice has its successes and failures every time. It will always be unpredictable, given the open format of the show. But if you were to plot our results over time against the confidence and creativity of the performers, much as one does when tracking financial investments, you see that the curve is definitely heading upwards. It’s good to remind ourselves that we have done something positive and important here, and it’s a little more than just having fun.

To join and follow the progress of Stage Time and Juice, check out our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/redroomjuice/

Carol Yao
Coordinator, Stage Time and Juice

Reflections, Stage Time & Juice, May 21 2016

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Check out videos and photos from May 21 on our Facebook page.
The title of our May 21 Stage Time and Juice: Mum’s the Word! is a play on the themes of Mother’s Day and spring. What could be more spring-like than to celebrate life from the perspective of insects? The Juicers were treated to bouncing grasshoppers, whiny bees, supercilious water striders, tragic mayflies, and self-important cicadas, as interpreted through the poems of Paul Fleischman. The poems, read by two readers at once, sometimes in synchrony, sometimes not, demonstrated how poetry can sometimes be performed as a form of music.

Sue DeSimone, on the other hand, seemed to be bugged by something else, leading the Juicers in a plea for ice cream. Her guitar accompanist, Jimmy, seems to have been infected with her melancholy, because he broke into a bit of blues himself after her song was done.

Devry presented a soliloquy from Henry the V while waving around a sword…um…bamboo stick. Two young sisters performed a violin and cello duet from the Japanese animated film “Kiki’s Delivery Service.” One young man sang a song named “Seven”, deploring his lost youth at the ripe old age of nine, and then finished with a keyboard rendition of “Chopsticks” with his mother. His brother did a couple of magic tricks. A pair of siblings read from their favorite story books, one talking about what mommies do and the other describing the sentimental value of a scarf. Finally, two little monkeys demonstrated what it means to be on a roll.

And that’s what you missed at Stage Time and Juice!

Carol Yao

Stage Time and Juice XVI: Marching to the Beat of a Different Drummer

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“If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away.”
— Henry David Thoreau

And different drummers we heard indeed. Many different drummers. And people of all shapes and sizes with shakers and tambourines and wooden frogs and other things that I don’t even know the name of, moving to the rhythm of the same beat. Afterward, Sue said, “(It) made me realize that I really miss doing music with kids, since I feel about 5 most of the time!”

There were poets being celebrated as well. Kai introduced us to a melancholy American poet, Robinson Jeffers, who, in 1925, mourned the demise of America. I recited a poem written by Shel Silverstein that complained about being inseparably joined together. Nicole read a poem by Kenn Nesbitt elaborating the shortcomings of her smartphone. Perhaps the Juicers will now have the impression that poetry is only for complaining.

Maggie asked us some riddles, most of which we were able to guess. Later, Michael accompanied her on the conga drums as she sang “Dream Keeper.”

The fiery redheaded 5-year-old puppet, Mimi, told us about her boyfriend who is so overwhelmed with emotion for her that he is unable to actually be with her. She also talked a little with Jennifer Joy about what a bummer it is to be so cute that everyone wants to touch her.

The envoy, Peter, from the British Ministry of Silly Walks, explained that one could have a fine career developing silly walks. The audience was then encouraged to try their best. Five exceptionally silly individuals were awarded presents from the two lollipop girls, Charlotte and Bea, who happen to make all-natural, home made lip balms, surprise soaps, and epsom bath salts. (For those of you who were not silly enough to get some, you can always order your own from Mila Earth Body Care.

A young newcomer sang “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” Charlotte ended the show on a serious note by asking us some tough questions about what we would rather be.

And that’s what you missed at Stage Time and Juice!

Reflections – Stage Time & Juice, February 2016

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Stage Time and Juice is not exactly an event you can “plan” in the strict sense of the word. There are too many unknowns. One does not know who the audience will be in terms of age group, nor what sort of performers will show up to perform. To coordinate a show that can hold the attention of children who are quite small as well as teenagers is indeed a challenge.

In many cases, things do not go as planned. In fact, we might even say that in most cases, things do not go as planned.

Nicole and I opened the show by returning to our tradition of performing a comic dialogue. We usually try to play with the theme, which this month was about the leap year, but if we can, we also work in an explanation of why the chicken crossed the road. We never get tired of explaining that one. Julian went up next, making a repeat performance of  the parody “Dramatic Song.”  Vicky, a Stage Time and Wine favorite, popped in by chance, and was coaxed into singing “Blackbird” while playing her guitar.

Musician Ying-Ho then took the stage with a pile of strange implements: seeds, a tin lid, a plastic bag, a paper tube, a pine cone. With these instruments, he created a sound massage for several volunteers. These sounds induced the volunteers to experience extreme sleepiness in a very short while. One volunteer wondered whether his wallet might perhaps have been missing afterward?

During the break, Karen and Patrick of KP Kitchen presented their delicious muffins, brownies, and frosted cakes. Surprisingly, even though they specialize in preparing muffin mixes, neither of them were familiar with The Muffin Man song.

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After the break, Jennifer Joy led the kids in a dancing session on the big red carpet. We then did our First Attempt at Staging a Drama during Juice. In honor of the Year of the Monkey, we chose to interpret Esphyr Slobodkina’s classic story “Caps For Sale.” We were lucky to have a surplus of talent this time around: Whitney narrated while Sue played the peddler. The most difficult job of Sue’s was to walk around with 10 caps placed on her head. Monkeys were solicited from the audience. As you can guess, we had no shortage of those!

Whitney then taught the kids some light saber fighting techniques. As often happens, the protegee will end up destroying the master. Her final impalement on the terrazzo floor of the Red Room was regrettable, but inevitable.

And that’s what you missed at Stage Time and Juice!

by Carol Yao

Stage Time & Juice, January 2016

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Dear Stage Time and Juicers,

Due to the winter vacation and local school examinations falling around our regularly scheduled January Stage Time and Juice event, we have decided that we will move it toFebruary 20, 2016. (Third Saturday of the month, as always, held in the afternoon before Stage Time and Wine.)

In 2016 we are hoping to have an even more enthusiastic participation. We at the Red Room believe in supporting the informal arts community: by providing those who create with a means to share in a “culture of listening”, the Red Room strives to attain a richer, warmer, more compassionate society.

Stage Time and Juice is an effort to instill the same values in the future generation. Although it might just seem like a chance to get some kids behind a microphone, there is indeed, method to our madness!
Have we not been getting this message across? If we aren’t doing it right, come out and show us how to do it better!

And if you haven’t been to Juice yet…what are you waiting for?

Carol Yao
STJ Coordinator
cyao@tig.com.tw

The Juicers : October 2015

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Red Room will be rolling into its sixth year this coming November. Stage Time and Juice is only two years young, but we have been invited to head off the day-long festivities by holding our Stage Time and Juice anniversary event at 11am. As always, Juicers will be invited to stay past their bedtime and enjoy the other events throughout the day!

20136589349_cc09f7be91_zStage Time and Juice is a partnership of The Red Room and the Taipei City Playgroup, a loosely-knit community of English-speaking families in the Taipei City area. Although the playgroup centers on parenting issues, we also encourage the parents to come out and share their gifts and interests with the community. Often it takes a little bit of prying to find out what interesting former lives the parents had before diaper bags and plastic objects in primary colors took over their existence. Some parents actually find that the birth of a child takes their career paths on an interesting and new trajectory. Take the case of Kenn Loewen (aka Dr. Sparks) who often finds people on the MRT are staring at him because he forgot that he has frizzed up his hair on the way to a science club gig. Ken did a thrilling demo of his hair-raising tactics in our May Stage Time & Juice which we themed “Up!” and built around him. During the upcoming anniversary celebration, we’ll be bringing another dad to you, Yen-Chieh Wu (aka Jet Wu), who will be teaching us how we can all become superheroes with the help of some skillful stop-motion techniques!

We will also have a few more tricks up our sleeves during the celebration. And as usual, we will feature our open-mike show where the kids get to express whatever their hearts desire. So be there or be…sorry that you missed the fun!

The Juicers, September 2015

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Our September Red Room had the challenge of hosting two different activities: our third musical open-mike fundraiser to benefit The Playing For Change Foundation, and warming up a brand new space in the Taipei Air Force base for the evening Stage Time and Wine. Our objective was to fill the space with music, rhythm, color, and life.

The Red Roomers had done a beautiful job of putting the enormous room together on such short notice. We now have a new cash bar area, which is primarily for the evening events, but Stage Time and Juice continued its tradition of encouraging participants to bring food and beverages for our community table. I am pleased to say we had a very generous spread this time, with even newcomers pitching in.

We were happy to welcome back many Juice performers that we had not seen in a long time: a pair of siblings played the saxophone and performed a challenging vocal solo from a musical. We also had two other pairs of siblings return to the stage, who delight us with their performances quite frequently. This time there were some handbells and an advanced version of a popular hand game: scissors-paper-rock-Spock-lizard that they wanted to introduce to everyone. There was also a violin performance and a song.

Our new performance area is about twice the size of the old Red Room on Da An Road. We had no problem filling it with a circle game of “Who Stole the Cookie in the Cookie Jar?” led by Catherine Daigle. Julian banged on the traditional drum as he tried to trap the Juicers in a percussion version of Musical Statues.

After stage time was completed, the Juicers had some quiet time folding origami cranes and other flying objects which were then floated to the 5 meter high ceiling of the space on big red helium balloons.

Photos courtesy of Carol Yao and Feebe Ng

Here is our impression of the event from some of our Stage Time and Juicers:

“I was surprised that the Red Room was so big, and I never knew that they SELL drinks. When I saw people doing their show, I felt nervous, and I didn’t think my show was good enough. I am looking forward to the next Red Room to perform a better show.” –Michael.

image5At Stage Time and Juice, our motive is to produce collective happiness that we hope can touch the lives of the participants when they leave the room. And sometimes we try to reach just a bit further. In this case, we donated half of our ticket sales to the Playing For Change Foundation: US $100. The Executive Director sent us a personal email to thank us for the amount:

Dear Carol,

When we join together, so much more is possible! Thank you for participating in a global celebration of music and love. Your recent gift of $100.00 in support of the 5th annual Playing For Change Day will bring music into the lives of children who will learn, grow, and discover their potential.
Earlier this year, the students and teachers of the Khlong Toey Music Program in Thailand joined together for a meaningful benefit event. They organized a concert to raise funds for their fellow PFCF students in our Nepal programs in order to help them recover from the recent earthquake. Now, these students know that they can make positive change in this world through teamwork. We are so proud of the loving commitment they’ve expressed through music and during this event.
The Khlong Toey program actually grew out of a PFC Day celebration. Two women working in the Khlong Toey slum met while planning the event and started a program to bring music into the lives of these vulnerable people. The Ripple Effect of that partnership and cooperation is moving out in all directions, through the recent benefit concert to the children in Nepal and around the world. And last year, PFC Day celebrations in Curitiba, Brazil involved more than 80 performances and laid the foundation for the new Cajuru Music School, which is opening this summer.
Thank you for being a part of this year’s beautiful unfolding, with over 300 events in 52 countries! The Ripple Effect of music and love is moving out from so many communities and into the hearts of so many children. We are deeply grateful for your support!
One Love from all of us,

Elizabeth Hunter
Executive Director

Stage Time & Juice, July 2015

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Stage Time and Juice is a loosely-curated family event, where families get together to encourage one another to express themselves. Over the past two years, in order to get my daughter over the willies of taking the stage, she and I have evolved into a comic duo. How do we get our material? From library books or websites in the Internet. For the “When Life Gives You Lemons Make Lemonade!” summer event, I collected a series of citrusy puns and wove them into a nonsensical dialogue for us to present. We even took it to the next level by preparing some illustrations.

image01Having the bi-monthly deadline of Stage Time and Juice gives us a nice little goal to top our selves each time. We feed off of each other in a positive way, and believe it or not, there is a lot you can learn from working on something with your child! It’s a great parent-child activity, and I hope that the special bond created by collaborating together on these fun performances will be something she remembers fondly when she grows up and moves along in her life.

Here is the dialogue that we presented. There were many “peels” of laughter in the room that afternoon.

Nicole: One day, a lemon was walking all by himself across the road.

Carol: Why was he alone?

Nicole: Because the banana split!

Carol: Those bananas can be so unreliable!

Nicole: But when the lemon got halfway across the road, he stopped.

Carol: How come?

Nicole: He ran out of juice!

Carol: He should have thought of that before he tried to cross.

Nicole: Sure, but he was having trouble trying to concentrate.

Carol: How come?

Nicole: Because before crossing, he ran into a lime.

Carol: Oh I know what you mean! Lemons and limes like to fight. So what did the lemon say to the lime when he ran into him?

Nicole: The lemon said: “Sour you doing?”

Carol: And what did the lime say back?

Nicole: The lime gave him a bitter reply.

Carol: Well, trying to talk sense to a lime is often fruitless!

Nicole: It sure is! And the lemon felt so upset that he decided to cross the road to avoid the lime! And that’s when he ran out of juice!

Carol: Poor lemon. I hope he still made it across the road okay.

Nicole: He did. He only got scraped a little by a passing bicycle.

Carol: He wasn’t hurt too badly then?

Nicole: Oh he’s fine. The ambulance came by and gave him some lemon-aid!