9/15/2011 Women Reviewed

[audio http://archives.kpfa.org/data/20110915-Thu1900.mp3]

On this week’s installment of APEX Express:

SKY TRAIN: Tibetan Women on the Edge of History by Canyon Sam

Local PEN award winning author Canyon Sam has travelled from the United States to Tibet and everywhere in between to document, and bear witness, to the largely unknown history of Tibetan women.  In the text, SKY TRAIN: Tibetan Women on the Edge of History, Sam thoroughly weaves histories of nations, spirituality, and cultures–revising and creating a body of work that bring together “herstories.”

In this segment, contributor R.J. Lozada attempts to navigate the many narratives and literary terrain with Canyon Sam.

JANAKI: Daughter of the Dirt

This September 16 -18, come join Lalitha as she walks the line between myth and reality with the help of her personal superhero, Janaki.

But who is Janaki?  She is the heroine of an ancient Hindu epic, the Ramayana.  She is the most perfect woman who’s ever lived.  She is untouchable.  Or so we thought. Her story, it turns out, is more than a story.  It is the battle song of people from the north colonizing the south, of priests chanting a code of servitude, of men demanding women walk through fire.  But it is also the story of resistance.  Can Lalitha learn the striking truth about her ancestors in time to save herself?

APEX producer Preeti Mangala Shekar compiles excerpts from an hour-long special focus on the production of Janaki that aired recently on Full Circle.

“Janaki – Daughter of the Dirt” | World Premiere | 16 – 18 September from Siren Theatre Project on Vimeo.

Join host, R.J. Lozada  (the only man) on this very special woman show.

Community Calendar

• Canyon Sam will be giving a slideshow and reading of Sky Train, on Thursday October 6 at the Sports Basement Speaker Series, at the Sports Basement, on 15th and Bryant Street, San Francisco – from 6:30 to 7:30 pm.

• SF to Adopt Stiffer Penalties to Combat Wage Theft
  We want to give a shoutout to caregiver Victoria Aquino of the Filipino Community Center, and restaurant workers Ah-Lan and Mrs. Lee with the Chinese Progressive Association, and all of the workers who are part of the Progressive Workers Alliance.  These workers have been organizing across racial and language lines to end the practice of wage theft in the City.  Tomorrow morning, San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee will sign into law the Wage Theft Prevention Ordinance.  The measure adopts stiffer penalties against employers who violate basic labor laws and faster processing times for workers who file claims against bosses who violate their rights.

• Reportback from Philippines Exposure Trip
  On Monday, September 19 join some of the APEX crew at the Filipino Community Center’s monthly “Talakayan” where folks will commemorate people’s struggles against martial law in the Philippines and celebrate international solidarity with local community groups that participated in an exposure trip the Philippines this summer.  Participants will report on their experiences.  That’s this Monday from 6-8pm at the Filipino Community Center 4681 Mission St. in San Francisco.

• Come to the opening reception for Manilatown Heritage Foundation’s KOMIKS exhibition on Saturday, September 17, 4-6 PM on 868 Kearny Street in San Francisco. Join Manilatown for an evening of artwork, refreshments, and people. KOMIKS honors Filipino & Filipino American Comic Book Artists. Featuring the work of Alfredo Alcala, Alex Niño, Ed Badajos, Vidda Chan, Dino Ignacio, and Whilce Portacio.

• 10 MILLION GIRLS have been eliminated from India’s population in the last 20 years and over 7,000 continue to be killed daily. Female infanticide has led to an increase in trafficking, sexual abuse, and violence against women in India and abroad. Samson Koletkar, the world’s only Indian Jewish comedian and recent father of a baby girl, has assembled a stellar all-female lineup of comics in a unique comedy fundraiser. The Stand Up for The Tender Gender comedy show will be held on Monday, September 19th, 7pm-9pm at Punch Line Comedy Club, 444 Battery St (between Washington and Clay), San Francisco, CA 94111. The club has a 2 drink minimum and the show is recommended for audiences aged 18 and above. Get tickets here.

• Somei Yoshino Taiko Ensemble presents Time Cocoon.  From September 16-18 in San Francicso’s ODC Theater on 351 Shotwell Street, the Somei Yoshino Taiko Ensemble pushes the boundaries in the taiko drumming world with this new full length work. Focus your eyes into the magnifying glass through time and space, as you enter the peculiar world of insects, dissecting the complex and sometimes bizarre microcosm of distinct cycles of birth, death and transformation. Get tickets here.

• Tearing down borders and tearing off clothes, JapJAP‘s body is her only roadmap as she embarks on a journey through identity, culture, and history. Winner of the “Audience Choice Award” (FRIGID, 2011) and Montreal’s Gazette #1 pick for the 2011 Fringe Festival, JapJAP is a “weird, thoughtful, smart and insanely creative piece.” (Montreal, The Charlebois Post). Come join award winning playwright/performer Una Aya Osato (“Best Female Solo Show” for Recess, SF Fringe 2009), for the Bay Area premiere of this politically, visually, and emotionally provocative full-bodied one-woman show: JapJAP. The show happens at the Exit Theater on 156 Eddy Street, for two more shows on the 17th and 18th, get tickets here.