www.cornerstonetheater.org

Cornerstone Institute’s third Summer Residency took place July 9 through August 6, 2006 in San Francisco, California.

Sixteen students, ages 18 –51, joined us from Michigan, Arizona, Florida, New York, the Los Angeles area and northern California. We collaborated with Seniors and Their Caregivers in the SF area to produce LETHE, a new play by SF playwright Octavio Solis. LETHE had a cast of 39 - 31 of them representing the community- plus 6 musicians.

Local community partners for LETHE include St. Anne’s Home for the Elderly/Little Sisters of the Poor, Institute on Aging’s Ruth Ann Rosenburg Adult Day Health Center, Hospice by the Bay, Family Caregiver Alliance, Institute on Aging/On Lok Geary Center, Rhoda Goldman Plaza. These organizations connected us with seniors and caregivers by hosting story circles and auditions, offering advise, hosting other show related events, advertising performances and in many cases auditioning and being cast in the show. The Fromm Institute at USF also advertised the project and brought us a number of cast and audience members. The cast included individuals from all of the above community organizations.

This Institute (aka “I-3”) was hosted by the University of San Francisco and their Performing Arts and Social Justice program (the only undergraduate program of it’s kind in the US). Students and staff lived on campus in dormitories and student apartments. We used the kitchen & living room of the apartments for company meals. We studied and rehearsed in the School of Education building at USF. Approximately 800 people came to our three performances in the historic Presentation Theater.

Students held jobs as Assistant Director, Assistant Stage Managers, Actors, Musicians, Master Electrician, Associates in Producing, Music, Movement, Script Superision, Scenic, Production Management and Community Engagement elements. Most students took on responsibilities as Senior Partners- paying special attention to the needs of the individual senior cast members.

Feedback from I-3 students has shown unanimous excitement and inspiration from their experiences with the classroom curriculum. Peter DiMuro, Artistic Director for Liz Lerman Dance Exchange, was the Guest Artist Faculty during week two. His classes were often held outdoors, exploring movement and spatial relationships in campus gardens & lawns. These workshops culminated in an event at St Anne’s Home for the Elderly. Institute staff and students and St. Anne’s residents met together to share stories and create a dance together with DiMuro’s guidance. Students also performed a dance piece together before we shared in party of homemade pie, music and dancing.

Paula Donnelly
Institute Director
Cornerstone Theater Company