The Ithaca Journal from Ithaca, New York • 36

ra' mil. I 2Q A Celebration of Heritage, Community, RSM BUSH WOMEN and the Arts Robbie McCauley: a one-woman powerhouse By BEA MacLEGD Sxra fo The Journal obbie McCauley is a one- woman powerhouse. To be sure, she bills herself "and Robbie McCauley and Company WHATj Multimedia Blood" "My Father And The WHERE: Biack Box Center for Performing Arts, Cornell. WHEN: Wcdne.iiy 4 Thursday. Sfot.

20 at 7 pn TICKETS: $6 General Admission, $5 students seniors. Available at the Box littfliBiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii INFORMATION: 254-ARTS Free and open to the public Ongoing: Exhibit at the Johnson Museum of Art, Cornell: August 18-October 15 Historical and Contemporary Kentucky Carlos Nakai perform on i Sunday, Sept. 17 8:30 p.m., Roadside Theater, Francisco Gonzlez, John O'Neal and R. WVBR's Bound For Glory. The Commons Coffeehouse, Anabel Taylor Halt, Cornell In addition to the events which are open to the public, the artists of An American Festival will visit the following community, campus and regional organizations who will be participating in or hosting workshops, lecturedemonstrations, and mini-performances.

Alternative Community School: Et Teatro de la Esperanza, Robbie McCauley, Junebug Theater Project all school American Festival day with small group workshops, class visits and a performance Boynton Middle School: Robbie McCauley Jessica Hagedom, R. Carlos Nakai lecturedemonstration assemblies workshops with small groups of students visit the social studies, special education, English and music classes DeWitt Middle School: Robbie McCauley and Jessica Hagedorn, R. Carlos Nakai, Urban Bush Women Urban Bushwomen: workshop and lecturedemonstration for the 6th grade Robbie McCauley and Jessica Hagedorn: lecturedemonstration and workshops: storytelling for the 8th grade R. Carlos Nakai: visit classes, Native American unit for the 7th grade Ithaca High School: Roadside Theater, Francisco Gonzlez, Junebug Theater Project, R. Carlos Nakai lecturedemonstration assemblies visit classes studying writing, American and world literature, and mythology Newfield Jr.Sr.

High School: Roadside Theater Francisco Gonzlez lecturedemonstration assembly visit Spanish classes Community School of Music and Arts: El Teatro de la Esperanza, Francisco Gonzlez, Liz Lerman, David Pleasant (Urban Bush Women), A Traveling Jewish Theatre workshopsjam with local musicians workshop with children's choir co-sponsor workshops with children (Special Children's Center) adults (Challenge Industries) Hangar Theatre: Dudley Cocke (Roadside Theater) Teresa Holden (Western and Southern Arts Associates), Nancy Levidow (El Teatro de la Esperanza) discussion with managers of arts organizations about audience development, fundraising and other arts management issues. Trumansburg Conservatory of Fine Art: Roadside Theater storytelling workshop with teens (after school) Rotary Club: Roadside Theater Junebug Theater Project featured speakers at club meeting Senior Citizens' Council: Liz Lerman, Francisco Gonzlez lecturedemonstrations and workshops downtown and for outlying units involve interested seniors in participating in performance at CTA Southside Community Center: Urban Bush Women lecturedemonstrations for young people Unitarian Church: R. Carlos Nakai and Junebug Theater Project, A Traveling Jewish Theatre Sunday Celebration celebrates An American Festival lecturedemonstration "Mothers and Daughters" with A Traveling Jewish Theatre Monday, Sept. 18 noon, Performance in front of the Center for Theatre Arts 7 p.m., "Theater as History," with Roadside Theater and Robbie McCauley- Performance and discussion on theater as historical interpretation participants include local playwrights, historians and performers. DeWitt Historical Society, 116; N.

Cayuga St. Ithaca Tuesday, Sept. 19 noon, Roadside Theater with local storyteller Mary Carey and Mack Benford, banjo, Performance in front of the Center for Theatre Arts 8 p.m., "Two Women: Our Lives, Our Traditions" Robbie McCauley and Naomi Newman (Traveling Jewish Theatre) Founders Room, Anabel Taylor Hall, Cornell Wednesday, Sept. 20 noon, David Pleasant (Urban Bush Women) performs with local artists Chaka Zulu, Maurice Halton, Eddy Performance in front of the Center for Theatre Arts 4-6 p.m., Roundtabie Discussion "American Culture: Melting Pot or Gumbo?" Film Forum, Center for Theatre Arts 4:30 p.m., Cornell Cinema presents "Strangers and Km: A History of the Hillbilly Image" Qan Appalshop film featuring Roadside Theater, Uris Hall, Cornell 7 p.m., Robbie McCauley and Company, Black Box Theatre 8 p.m., El Teatro de la Esperanza, Proscenium Theatre 8:30 p.m., A Traveling Jewish Theatre, Class of '56 Flexible Theatre 9 p.m., Urban Bush Women, lecture demonstration at Robert Purcell Union, Cornell Thursday, Sept. 21 Company." But an anthology of press reviews make clear that the energizing force of an intensely theatrical performance is McCauley herself.

"Indian Blood," which she brings to the American Festival at Cornell, is a hand-done reweaving of her genealogy. If, to quote Carlyle, "History is the essence of innumerable biographies," she has evolved an onstage form of sharing history. The age-old art of story-telling is still the essential heart of communication. McCauley's stories, however, are not just told. They are sung, they are patterned with light and rhythms, accented with pictures which appear, move, dissolve.

In fact, a whole arsenal of sophisticated contemporary technology is called into play. The artist's conviction that "performance IS theater" leads her into the complex world of mixed media. Dangerous and confusing as that can be, the verdicts of audiences in Atlanta, Washington, New York and elsewhere attest to her success. It all seems to work. The "innumerable biographies" of her family, of course, are as seen through her own eyes.

Though born in Virginia, she grew up in Georgia, where her father was assigned at Fort Benning. The fact that in his working life, he spent time in each branch of the military, strongly colors her vision of the rewards and costs of patriotic service, certainly for black people. The same theme is explored, with different shadings, by John O'Neal in his current "Junebug" chapter. The theme even more extensively occupies the canvas of another McCauley script, "My Father and the Wars." The artist's grandfather, responsible for establishing the military tradition in noon, Performance in tront of the center tor I heatrgju Johnson Museum of Art, 6th D.m.; Svmoosium "Whose a theater form of her own. She used story-telling, but transcended it.

Ed Montgomery, musician and composer who is her husband and sometimes co-author, collaborates in most of her produced work. For the photographic expertise evident in "Indian Blood," she credits the help of Jay Johnson. Though only four of "the Company" will be coming to Ithaca, the technical requirements for a performance indicate the exciting range of effects they will accomplish. And offering even more excitement is the stated warning that "each performance is an organized improvization." With videos, projectors, audio tapes and synthesizers available for use, it may be relaxing to note that they'll have a plain accoustic piano. A gentle request is hereby made that it be in tune, please.

But the heart of the show is Robbie McCauley, and the sound of her voice -in a telephone interview is an Her purpose, she says, is to share "out" stories as metaphors for universal hopes and needs which require change beyond the specifics of racism or sexism or militarism. Surely anger empowers her energy, but nothing about the voice is accusatory. The history of her "innumerable biographies" is a past to be laughed over, sometimes mourned, but primarily to be learned from. Floor Cornell 4-6 p.m.; Roundtabie Discussion G5)(coming Cultural Barriers: Recognizing annSNirating Diversity in Rural New; York" discussion featuring a perfpraince excerpt by Roadside Theater; 101 Bradfield fgSornell 4-6 Roundtabie in Performance" Film Forum, Center for ThestolNferts 7 p.m.. Robbie McCaulaCsfid Company, Black.

7:30 p.m., R. Carlos UWai. Class of U56 Dance Jf.t-re 8 p.m., tl leatro aantsperanza, rroscenium iswsi js ci the family, fought beside Teddy Roosevelt at the taking of San Juan Hill. It was his wife, McCauley's grandmother, who brought Indian blood into the family perhaps the uniquely female blood which invests this performer's work. There was sufficient economic security, whatever its source, to manage a college education, and daughter Robbie attended Howard University, in Washington, D.C.

In college she discovered the enchantment of theater, and the addiction took. By her early 20s, she had moved on to New York, where the '60s and 70s climate of avid experimentation nourished her creative adventuring. Under the aegis of such sponsors as LaMama, the Negro Ensemble, and the many proliferating Off-Off Broadway venues, McCauley found support for her efforts to develop 8:30 p.m., A iraviijBD.jewisn ineatre, uass ofe iDiBjir Tl rn 9 p.m., Jessica Morn, lecture demonstratiqat RoaattiirceuSnion, Cornell i Friday, Sept. 22 ilticulturaf ftratepkfoiilding lell a.m., work environma er for GonzafelJil IcSSlSsnWe E-BVSPHiewtKoski, PS', noon, Eranci, 1.5 Theatre Arts rurrcSTA, idtab pwt9fmance-ara' 4-6 o.m.. Ri iadside Theater.

ClasSiflr'56 flexible Theatre. 6:30 p.m haca fly I Phillipine Program Jessica Hagedorn at Greater Ithaca Activities 8 N. Al 7 p.m., 0 Carlos: Nakai, .56 Dance Theatre 7:30 p.m 8 p.m.. erman and the Dart! t. 2V.N, I Satufday, SI ill, OlA oon.

HowffittabiB onsirjrinai 11 MwsfacKjriwa i-ifiiro CUSSIOJ i a. ml jatro Theater lildren's fm Stor A rnc ariItorytMnoJeafJingj a.m., iVtties Ithaca and local aim. Stewart rk JRaca, Mod dc i Esperai During the last three days of the festival (September 25-27 many of the artists will travel to regional sites to perform and Cornel Cel an sr and tl Class of U56 Flexible Theatre Hagedor na'aany; -a. I V- llll Ml ti! Li JL 8 p.m 8:30 p.m., Sundav. Seot.

24 DANCERS OF THE THIRD AGE: from Liz Lerman the Dance Exchange. give workshops September 16 Sodus, New York Francisco Gonzlez Su Conjunto September 25 Akwesasne Indian Nation Roadside Theater and R. Carlos Nakai Rochester and Brockport Liz Lerman and the Dance Exchange and Urban Bush Women Binghamton Junebug Theater Project and A Traveling Jewish Theatre September 26 Akwesasne Indian Nation Roadside Theater and R. Carlos Nakai Rochester and Brockport Liz Lerman and the Dance Exchange and Urban Bush Women Binghamton Junebug Theater Project and A Traveling Jewish Theatre Syracuse Francisco Gonzlez Su Conjunto and El Teatro de la Esperanza September 27 Canton, New York Roadside Theater and R. Carlos Nakai Rochester and Brockport Liz Lerman and the Dance Exchange and Urban Bush Women Syracuse Francisco Gonzlez Su Conjunto Program subject to change I S' IS On the Cornell University Campus, workshops, discussions and special programs have been arranged with the following: Hillel, Center for Jewish Living: Naomi Newman (A Traveling Jewish Theatre) Department of English: Francisco Gonzlez 1 p.m., Jessica Hagedorn and Company, Class of '56 Flexible Theatre 1 :30 p.m., Liz Lerman and the Dance Exchange, Proscenium Theatre 3 p.m., El Teatro de la Esperanza gives lecture demonstration at Robert Purcell Union, Cornell 4 p.m., Francisco Gonzlez Su Conjunto, Class of '56 Dance Theatre p.m.

Guillermo Gomez-Pea, ''The Multicultural Paradigm" LecturePerformance Film Forum, CTA 7:30 p.m., Urban Bush Women, Proscenium Theatre TBA Workshops on composing for the theatre with Michael Keck (Junebug Theater Project) and on storytelling with; Naomi Newman (A Traveling Jewish Theatre) and Robbie McCauley, Noyes Center, Cornell 8 p.m., Roadside Theater, Class of '56 Flexible Theatre Monday, Sept. 25 8 p.m., Francisco Gonzalez and local band, Rising Sign, perform at Robert Purcell Union, Cornell Wednesday, Sept. 27 Department of Theatre Arts faculty, staff and students: Festival artists Hispanic-American Studies Program: El Teatro de la Esperanza, Francisco Gonzlez: Mexican-American Student Association: Francisco Gonzlez Department of Music: Francisco Gonzlez, Michael Keck of Junebug Theater Project: Graduate Students: El Teatro de la Esperanza at "The Henry," Sage Hall Africans Studies: Urban Bush Women American Indian Studies Program: R. Carlos Nakai p.m., Afterschool storytelling tor chiiaren witn jonn iNeai at nooen rurceii union, uumcn Free and Open to the Public Performances, Center for Theatre Arts Admission charged ($6 General S5 studentsseniors) JUNEBUG THEATER PROJECT: John O'Neal as Junebug Jabbo Jones and Michael Keck as Jodie in "Volume III. JESSICA KAGEDCRN i i ARTS LEISURE THURSDAY, September 1 4-21 ,1989 9 8 ARTS LEISURE THURSDAY, September 989.