Raising Truth - published in Journal North
issues that ignite: Raising Truth
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By Emily Van Cleve
For the Journal North
Photo by Eddie Moore @ the Journal
Friday, April 30th
May Day's roots as a workers movement for an eight-hour work day will combine with the artistic and dramatic inclinations of Santa Fe to produce street theater celebrating an array of social justice issues Saturday.
Wise Fool New Mexico's Ignite! Raising Truth in the Streets will use puppets in a theatrical pageant with music, stiltwalking and storytelling that allows participants and viewers to share grief about society's ills and ways to make positive changes.
"First we grieve and then we ask what we do now," said Wise Fool New Mexico's co-artistic director Amy Christian. "We want to honor a few of the people who have made a difference and let everyone know that all of us can make a difference."
At 11 a.m. Saturday, all the puppets and their makers meet at the Department of Labor's parking lot across from De Vargas Park to march down Guadalupe Street to the Railyard Park, where an afternoon of performances will ensue.
Among the more than 40 papier-mÃché and cloth puppets and masks that will make the scene are five that were created by a group of Capital High School students.
Angelo Jaramillo, who runs the school's college-readiness Gear Up program, brought a handful of his students to Wise Fool New Mexico's puppet-making workshops during the month of April. Guided by the story line of Saturday's theatrical pageant, which looks at divisive forces in society and ways to create harmony out of the chaos, the Capital High students put together puppets that address social issues related to May Day festivities that honor the struggles of the working class.
"We've made a demon dragon, which is the dragon of money," said Jaramillo during one puppet-making workshop. "Our dragon represents the evils of capitalism. Today, many parents have to work three jobs just to be able to take care of their families."
Sixteen-year-old Adara Burdwell has a special fondness for two of the puppets that her team made and plans to carry one of them in the parade.
"I like the overweight, overfed child who has eaten fattening fast food," she explained. "I also like our illegal alien puppet. He's green and looks like a space alien. We're putting a sombrero on his head. He represents illegal aliens who come to this country so they can support their families."
Dozens of community kids and adults have been gathering at Wise Fool New Mexico's Agua Fria studio for the past four weeks to build puppets and masks that represent societal problems and their solutions. Masks of the Dalai Lama, broadcast journalist Amy Goodman and civil rights activist Rosa Parks stand for hope and send the message that individuals do make a difference.
Ignite! Raising Truth in the Streets is presented in collaboration with a number of Santa Fe organizations, including Tewa Women United, Earthcare International and Gender Offenders. The spirit of the event is in harmony with the mission of Wise Fool New Mexico: to present programs and events that help build community and promote social justice through performances and hands-on experiences in the arts of circus puppetry and theater.
Every year, Wise Fool offers workshops, after-school classes, summer camps and performance opportunities to hundreds of youths and adults throughout northern New Mexico. This year, the women-operated group celebrates its 10th anniversary in town.
"It almost seems like they have always been in New Mexico by how seamlessly they have become immersed in our community life," said Anna Blyth, the multidisciplinary arts coordinator for New Mexico Arts, which has been funding Wise Fool since fiscal year 2003.
"Wise Fool is a major creative force in northern New Mexico and beyond," she said. "They put a strong emphasis on community engagement, collaboration and access to arts experiences. Their chosen medium of puppetry and circus arts allows them to capture imaginations, engage and invite participation while addressing relevant and challenging social justice themes."
Christian expects to have more puppets in the parade than people who are able to carry them. Anyone interested in carrying a puppet in the parade should show up at the Department of Labor's parking lot at 10:30 a.m. Saturday.
For more information, call Wise Fool at 992-2588.