The Line in the Sand - A Reflection on US Gun Culture

 The Writing's on the Wall, and It's Written in Blood

Sex. Religion. Politics. When we were young we were taught the three "no-nos" of polite conversation. With the 2016 election on the horizon it's getting harder and harder to have a coffee house conversation without any of the three wiggling its way out into the air. At the risk of suffering a house divided, I have kept politics mostly to myself for some time, but in the wake of the Orlando shooting I have come to the sobering realization that President Obama is right: "To actively do nothing is a choice as well". For this reason, I have decided to lay my cards on the table with respect to gun laws and the gross negligence of the United States Government in regulating the sale and trade of weapons that make any human being instantly lethal.

Amid the swarm of sympathetic Facebook posts and enraged newscasts, the story that caught my eye was this New York Times article that outlines the inefficiency of federal regulations in determining the eligibility of potential gun owners. At least eight of the shooters from the past sixteen mass shootings passed the background check required to purchase a firearm despite such apparent red flags as mental health problems, FBI investigations, and suspected involvement with terrorist cells. All the same, these people were able to walk into pawn shops and gun stores and pick up a firearm of their choosing like they were ordering a pizza.

The most common argument against regulations has been, to my ears, "strict regulations only detracts from the God-fearing collectors and hunters". Besides the fact you don't need 100 rounds of steel core ammunition to claim a deer, the day of honest collectors is in its twilight years, if not in it's death throes. When I was young, you could walk into my uncle's arsenal and lay your hand on anything from an antebellum shotgun to a modern day assault rifle (full-auto, complete with n00b tube). But there was a quiet dignity in the collection - he could tell you why he had each one, its ballistic properties, and what it was like to shoot it. Target shooting or "plinking" was a past-time in my family, and it wasn't uncommon to go sink a few rounds in the river out of plain boredom. But from an early age we were taught a rifle was a responsibility, a tool for harvesting game or eliminating threats to livestock. We would never dream of walking into an Applebee's fully strapped "because I can".

And therein lies the problem. The difference between the gun culture I was raised in and the one I see today is that "gun people" no longer collect, they stockpile. In the past several years, the culture has shifted from an appreciation of engineering and capacity into a full-blown obsession with firearms simply because they are what they are. Moreover, the Conservative mentality has adopted the firearm as its flagship symbol for American freedom, and any attempt to limit firearm trade is a direct violation of that freedom. But the lifestyle of fear that accompanies their apparent necessity for a full gun case appears to me to be more limiting and detrimental to a free mind than any law that could be passed that limits what goes into that case.

Over a decade I've watched the culture steep itself in an aggressive rhetoric of fear that permeates into peoples' own homes. Too often I've been confronted with the tired doomsday prophecy "If 'they' come I'll be ready because I've got X guns and X cases of ammunition at my disposal". This idea is as foreign to me as the people these modern collectors fear. Not only do they cultivate a mental state of anxiety over some farfetched Alamo situation befalling their houses, but the crusaders carry that state of mind into the world at large. What's worse is the fear of domestic disarmament that they are willing to face in a blaze of powder and lead. My question is this: Even if there was a task force sent to your house to claim your guns, what makes you think you'd survive? And don't you think the right to carry a death machine is a silly thing to die for?

 

I have been very fortunate to have interviewed a young man who does not carry a pistol on his person, but is every bit as gun-ho as the open carry fanatics trying to make our streets and schools a war zone. "Let's say a man jumps out from behind a corner" he posits, "and grabs your daughter. You're a skinny guy - what do you do?" Again we have the same "big stick" situation every advocate for the heretical gun laws has been assaulted with time and again. We get so caught up in the "others of the day" - the family, the daughter, the wife - that we lose sight of the real issue. Honestly, in that situation, it kind of sucks to be me, but I don't live in constant fear of a mugger or shooter because I know that isolated situations like that happen all over the world, all the time, and if I live in that state the "terrorists" have already won. Furthermore, the argument that disarmament only puts honest citizens at a disadvantage is completely bogus considering the decline in homicide and suicide rates among European countries that have done just that, and even disarmed their police force.

Ten years ago I would have been happy to see a father at my local sporting goods store showing his daughter the pieces of the rifle, how to hold it, etc, because I knew it meant that we were breeding another generation that knew all the ins and outs of gun ownership, and what it means to be equipped with a weapon. Today it sickens me to see a hot pink youth rifle knowing that some young girl is sure to be armed this Christmas, and immersed into a culture that's quite frankly every bit a militant powderkeg as ISIS or mass shooters. And to the old man grumbling about the restrictions on firearms: What are you worried about? If your record's clean (and apparently even if it's not) you'll have your rifle in two weeks. Chill out.

Now, I won't get into the "good guy with a gun" fallacy floating around because at this point I think anything else I say will fall on deaf ears. I may have lost some friends and colleagues with this post, but if it means there's another voice in the crowd that won't stand for the deaths of innocents then so be it.


Food for Thought: And if you don't think we live in a culture of violence and badassery, check out this trailer for the first first person feature length action film or first person GTA game and think about the difference first and third person impressions make on our society. It's one thing to control a SIM that does all the dirty work as it puts some distance between player/viewer and the violence, but to become that SIM?. . .

When the Fire Fades: A Reflection of the 2016 USITT Ntl Conference

In traveling to the immersive National Conference this past spring break, I was reminded that what we do as artists isn’t just confined to our universities or playhouses. We live and work in a world of endless possibilities with thousands of creative minds, and getting those minds together in a room to “stir the pot” made for a week of discovery in both professional relationships and technologies.

By far the most fascinating part of the conference was the atmosphere on the expo floor. I was really taken aback at how available vendors, schools, and companies made themselves to the attendees, and I think it’s a strong testament to the familial aspect of our industry. Even in they were unable to hire, the interviewing companies were still very welcoming and encouraged technicians to apply in the time to come, which was incredibly validating to me both as a technician and an artist. Their support was unlike anything I would expect to find in the business or science world, and it made me glad to be part of the theatre community. Better still was that the communal feeling was not just limited to the expo floor.

            At the new products showcase I had the good fortune of meeting the head of a performing arts center in California, as well as some fellow students that took a genuine interest in who I was and the work I planned on doing. Like the exhibitors on the floor, they countered my “tell me about your company” question with “tell me about your work”, which felt every bit as much like an act of friendliness as it did an interview question. The sessions were the same – presenters were open to conversation and more than willing to share their expertise with aspiring artists, perhaps because they remember being in a similar position.

            The sessions didn’t feel at all like a lecture. Instead, it was easier to consider them a 70-minute training session, although there was little hands-on work. Mary McClung’s session on expandable foam and molding opened my eyes to the intricacies and time investment of making “fleshy” masks through the use of chemical foams, which sparked my interest in involved craft mediums beyond your standard paper mache and thermoplastics. When I met her again on the expo floor we spoke for some time about the medium, which eventually led us into exchanging contact information and even her reviewing my portfolio. In all that time our relationship stood in the realm of teacher and pupil while the focus remained on my work and what I plan to do with my career. It was comforting to speak with a professional on this level, rather than as a subordinate, which I feel would stifle and intimidate a young artist.

            My other session with maskmaking professionals introduced me to Wonderflex and Fosshape while acquainting me with tricks and applications I wouldn’t have imagined otherwise. Some of the information was tedious, but leaving the session I was confident that I could work with the new materials easily, even never having handled them before. In contrast, the poster series sessions we attended seemed like they were geared more towards educators, and though I took some time to poke around the ballroom, I would probably get more use from them later in my career.

            In the first day the stage expo was open, I admittedly missed one of my sessions, as I had been so wrapped up in talking with people that I lost track of time. The floor was full of opportunity, and the more I networked, the more I came to realize that the real networking isn’t just talking to people that work in your discipline, but seeking out those who may be in an unrelated field. I never would have thought a vendor from RC4 would have been a props artisan from UMKC, and when I spoke with him, he pointed me to the Stage Managers’ Association to get more connections with special effects and weapons people. It's a big world, but as my colleagues quip, "the theatre is comprised of 40 people". Everyone knows someone, all you have to do is ask.

            While on the expo floor I also made several connections with Shakespearean companies and operas while seeking out craftsmen and vendors of props mediums. Even Disney and Cirque took the time to review my resume. These are the companies that turned my attitude of “what to do next” into “what’s out there” for the remainder of the conference. I met circus people, SFX technicians, and pyrotechnicians all standing shoulder to shoulder with theatre designers and actors. It’s just awesome to see such big names making big offers to small fish like me. I had always planned on working for the summer, but I had no idea the vast scale of opportunities are out there, and I certainly never dreamed that Cirque or Disney would take any interest in me. It was reassuring to interview with them and reinforced my belief in the advice: “apply everywhere”. You never know who’s going to pick you up.

The Keynote Address, though Tupac didn’t get to speak much, was an inspiring presentation that reaffirmed my appreciation for visual art while reminding me that a “lighting designer” doesn’t have to design lights for the theatre any more than a physicist has to confine themselves to a laboratory. We saw this in the distinguished speaker series and in our sessions, where chemists, biologists, engineers, and architects alike have all found their place in the theatre, like some theatre people find their place in fashion or spectacles like extreme sports events or cruise lines. And still, many of the connections I made in those fields were able to direct me back to the theatre. It’s an incredible web of talent, that, with careful navigation and patience, has the potential to take you all the way back around to where you belong.
And belonging is certainly the order of the day. USITT has members in several foreign countries, and it honors them every bit as much as it does our artists here in the United States. Though he had moved to the US some time ago, it was still rather warming to see a student from China awarded for his scenic design – a reminder that we’re all in the arts together. We may be the United States Institue for Theatre Technology, but we recognize artists from all origins and walks of life. That kind of community is what I think makes this organization work from the inside out. I hope to return in the next year to see all the fantastic people I’ve met and the new technologies that helps make our art shine. 

            This conference is one I would absolutely attend again, and every member should consider making their way to the conference hall at least one in their lifetime. It was actually the deciding factor in whether or not I was renewing my membership in the coming fall. Compared to the investment the Institute makes in its members (at home or abroad), it’s but a drop in the bucket to pay for another 12 months of membership.

An Artist WIthout Limits: Tupac Martir Opens USITT Conference

Sparks fly at the opening ceremony of the annual USITT National Conference, held this year in the fabulous Salt Palace in the shadow of the Wasatch Mountains. Salt Lake City welcomes the Conference and its commerce with a candle in the window, if you will - a sign in the window of pubs and restaurants bearing the organization’s insignia. Friendliness abounds among the locals and the attendees alike, and why not with St. Patrick’s day just around the corner?

The Conference's keynote speaker and the bounciest man in the northern hemisphere, Tupac Martir was pressed for time by a lengthy opening ceremony, but his designs and ideas filled the room with an ambiance all their own just the same. With a pep in his step fit for the yellow brick road, the bouncing designer seemed fit to burst with ideas, yet when he spoke to the heart of his latest project, his feet stood still and the room went silent. “The most terrible thing that could happen to a human being”, he relates, “happened to me. I realized I was going to die.” And with only a moment for his audience to absorb the brilliance of his muse, he hopped back into his presentation, capping with an introduction to his latest project: a fifty year manifestation of the human Self.

The aptly dubbed Unique dissects Martir’s thoughts on what it means to be “me” through exploring a series of notes taken from his 5am journal entries that have since been distilled down into their essence, which take shape as a series of sketches against accompanying quotes. In practice, the images he draws resemble a modern version of cave paintings. When cut from sculpture, the lines reach out with a mother’s touch to brush the instinctual core of our desires - and our despair.

In speaking on his journaling process, Martir says that he would write down “everything that came into [his] head, and some of the things [he] found were very nice and very grand and others were quite - frightening, really”.

It takes a great amount of courage to thrust oneself into the sight of their heart's reflection in the search for Truth, but still Martir has undertaken the Sisyphean task of seeking out the heart of the human soul by exploring his own uncharted muck and mire. With each installment over the next fifty years, he and his team will compose a full installment of music, sculpture, and lighting; every piece in harmony with the next until the project’s completion. 

The USITT National Conference runs from Wednesday, March 16 through Saturday, the 19th and will feature displays of new technologies, award ceremonies, speaker series with distinguished artists, and a vast array of sessions available for attendees to learn about their craft from the experts.