CJ Ochoco: I actually at all times attempt to maintain a constructive outlook. I am a realist, however I additionally identical to to place out into the universe what we wish again. In my life and in how I run Breaking Wave, and the way we transfer, our objective is at all times to place the nice out and at all times realizing that it will return. We actually attempt to break down the limitations of conventional theatre and concentrate on connecting extra with Indigenous storytelling and practices. We attempt to put folks earlier than productions, and keep true to who we’re and the work we do, and so simply manifest good issues throughout for us personally, professionally, and with our firm.

Yura Sapi: You might be listening to Constructing Our Personal Tables, a podcast produced for HowlRound Theatre Commons, a free and open platform for theatremakers worldwide. I am your host, Yura Sapi, and I am the founder of varied organizations and initiatives, together with a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, a six-hectare farm and meals sovereignty mission, an LGBTQ+ therapeutic and artwork area. And I’ve helped quite a few creatives, leaders, and different founders unleash their excellence into the world by my applications, workshops, and training companies. On this podcast, I am showcasing the excessive vibration options for you as a visionary chief to implement into your personal observe and thrive. Keep tuned this season to listen to from different founders who’ve constructed their very own tables for his or her communities and for the world on this evolutionary time on earth. You might be right here for a cause, and I’m so honored and grateful to help you in your journey, so keep tuned and revel in.

As a theatre practitioner, have you ever ever thought of your self a health care provider? Have you ever ever thought of your self a healer? On this episode, I talked to CJ Ochoco of Breaking Wave Theatre Firm, 501(c)(3) nonprofit primarily based out of Guam. CJ shared her unimaginable story of beginning off as somebody who was finding out to be a health care provider, and really made the shift to check theatre as an alternative and actually observe her true soul’s goal. However nonetheless linked to this manner through which theatre and the humanities can heal with Breaking Wave Theatre Firm, she has co-produced together with her workforce and co-founders, occasions that help the native theatre and artistic neighborhood of Guam, at-risk youth, and the neighborhood at massive. Breaking Wave is all about bringing accessibility for the humanities, and highlighting the various neighborhood on the island of Guam.

On this episode, we actually dive into this understanding of theatre as medication, of easy methods to join with the earth in your arts producing work, and why this work that we’re doing as founders, as creators of those new actions and organizations, are making a ripple impact on generations to come back. So, get enthusiastic about this stunning episode with CJ and Breaking Wave Theatre Firm. Take pleasure in.

Earlier than we get into this episode, go forward and hit subscribe on this podcast. That is one of the simplest ways to remain up to date on new episodes, and it helps construct a thriving planet the place all beings expertise pleasure and concord with one another and Mom Earth. So, go forward and hit subscribe and maintain this good power flowing.

CJ Ochoco, thanks a lot for being right here. Welcome to the podcast.

CJ: Thanks a lot for having me.

Yura: It is such an honor to be right here with you, and I wished to begin us off with this query. What’s your superhero origin story? What was that pivotal second that led you to forge your personal path and construct your personal desk?

CJ: I bear in mind studying the query and I used to be like, “Ooh, I am not going to consider this and reply organically.” So, I began faculty considering that I wished to be a health care provider, I feel as many arts folks do, they begin with one thing utterly totally different. I began as a pre-med main, and this was my first 12 months of school means again when, over a decade in the past. I used to be good at it, I had numerous enjoyable with Bio and Chem, but it surely wasn’t essentially one thing that I actually had a robust ardour for. After which I ended up leaving the college I used to be at and transferring again to Guam, as a result of I used to be going by some psychological well being struggles and points. In 2010, I returned residence to Guam after spending my first 12 months away from Guam, and determined to begin attending the college. And once I first attended there, I used to be like, “Oh yeah, I am nonetheless going to do pre-med,” and the problems endured and I used to be actually struggling.

It wasn’t till I discovered the theatre that I began to really feel extra at residence and at peace. I discovered this help system that was actually nice inside my theatre classmates and colleagues, and I might say that that is type of my pivotal second when it began as, “Okay, effectively perhaps I will minor in theatre,” after which it was like, “No, let’s simply be actual about who I’m,” and I made a decision to main in theatre and that was actually the second that shifted for me once I personally discovered my therapeutic area within the arts. And that is what actually inspired me to then construct my very own desk ultimately with Breaking Wave in order that we might create a therapeutic area for different folks, the identical means it was for many people again with my cohort.

Yura: Wow, that is unimaginable. I am actually resonating with this shift that occurred for you. It was only a second of sure to your soul’s goal, to what you are actually meant to be doing on earth.

CJ: Yeah. And when you’re meant to be a health care provider, good on you, simply wasn’t for me.

I might assist folks not simply as a health care provider or a nurse or no matter we’re fed as…the careers you have to get into if you wish to assist folks, and realizing that yeah, we might assist folks with theatre and the humanities too. 

Yura: Yeah, I hear that. I imply, I additionally actually favored biology, and chemistry, and science, and I feel it is extra that I really actually like earth and vegetation, and now that I’ve gotten into farming as effectively and actually seeing how we’re doing arts on land with the earth in connection. So, that is I feel the place that comes from, and flows into what I am doing now. I feel it is at all times a part of it. However yeah, it sounds such as you had been actually in a position to take that leap of religion of perhaps no matter was inflicting you to really feel such as you needed to go down this different route, however then select what your coronary heart, what your soul was saying, really that is what will assist me be wholesome each emotionally and mentally, after which that displays within the bodily too.

CJ: Completely. Yeah, and I feel on the core of it was that I wished to assist folks, and discovering my piece and getting the assistance I wanted by, in fact professionals, but in addition realizing that the humanities had a lot therapeutic energy, I feel that was my second of, hey, I might assist folks not simply as a health care provider or a nurse or no matter we’re fed as these are the careers you have to get into if you wish to assist folks, and realizing that yeah, we might assist folks with theatre and the humanities too.

Yura: This providing of letting people be mirrored on stage, of seeing your story, of getting a spot to have your catharsis, have your launch, perceive extra about your self. What else attracts you to this concept of artwork as medication, theatre as medication?

CJ: I feel there’s simply a lot energy in having the ability to see your self on stage, so whether or not or not you are the viewers member or an actor or behind the scenes, there’s simply a lot energy with having the ability to join to those tales. It is a part of why with Breaking Wave Theatre Firm, we do numerous totally different work, however we encourage numerous unique works as a result of we’re so enthusiastic about ensuring persons are seen, and ensuring that their tales are heard. There’s such a therapeutic energy because the particular person writing or the particular person producing, wherever you’re in that spectrum of a life cycle of a theatre manufacturing, or a movie or something like that, there’s a lot therapeutic to it. And I feel it additionally empowers folks to share their tales. With Breaking Wave, our signature manufacturing that we have achieved for 3 years now could be this manufacturing referred to as Unstated.

And we work with the neighborhood to take their tales about psychological well being, substance abuse, and suicide prevention, and we assist them create the tales after which put it on stage—whether or not they wish to be an actor or assist backstage, or not even be concerned and simply wish to see their work—we empower them to take that work and convey it on stage, and we assist them try this. We have achieved that for 3 years and it has been such a robust expertise to see how so many individuals are a lot extra keen to speak about their psychological well being once we share these tales in that means. So yeah, I feel that is the place I discover theatre is medication. Getting somewhat emotional. I’m a really emotional particular person. Each time I do a podcast, I by some means cry. So, please excuse me.

Yura: No, I like it. Yeah, we’re stepping into it. We’re exhibiting the actual, we’re giving the power. I’m curious to listen to extra about Breaking Wave Theatre. How did you transition from making that call to check theatre into really saying, “I am really going to begin my very own theatre firm”?

CJ: Yeah. Breaking Wave Theatre Firm, we’re primarily based on Guam, or Guahan is the Indigenous identify of the island. We’re a U.S. territory in the course of the Pacific, nearer to Japan and the Philippines than we’re to the continental U.S. I used to be born and raised there, and like I mentioned, I left for a 12 months after which ended up coming residence, and finding out on the College of Guam. And the factor about Guam, it is actually thirty-five miles lengthy, in order that’s actually, actually small. And there is about 100 fifty-thousand folks on the island, so it is very, very small. We do not even have cities, now we have villages, and it actually is rather like one huge metropolis as a result of it is so small. And so with that in thoughts, theatre and the humanities are somewhat bit restricted. Like for theatre, we had the college theatre after which we had the highschool public theatre program. It’s fairly strong, and really my uncle, who helped encourage me to do theatre, runs it. My Uncle Ernest.

So between these two, once I graduated faculty in 2016, that was just about our choices. You both maintain volunteering for the college, which we had been so joyful to do and nonetheless proceed to do, otherwise you assist out with the highschool productions by the highschool public program that we had. So, my colleagues and I that co-founded Breaking Wave—Chris Santiago, Jerome Ocampo, Joey Datuina and Sierra Sevilla—we had been all taking a look at ourselves round 2018 and being like, “Hey, we love doing this work with the neighborhood, and we additionally know that perhaps sooner or later we would wish to go to the States and get our MFAs or issues like that, however we’re not all prepared to depart proper now.” And different folks could by no means wish to depart Guam, and that is okay. So, what can we do to make a house for individuals who could not have entry to the college, or could not wish to simply do the musicals that the excessive faculties do?

What can we do? And for a very long time we had been like, “Yeah, we’ll exit, get our MFAs work out within the theatre trade, after which we’ll come again and begin the theatre firm.” Then we type of simply sat and we’re like, “Effectively, why are we ready for that? Why not now?” A kind of, “if not now, then when, if not you, then who” type of moments we had. And so, we deep dove into it. We taught ourselves easy methods to begin a nonprofit as a result of the final nonprofit theatre firm on Guam previous to us was twenty years in the past, so there hadn’t been a nonprofit theatre firm on Guam for twenty years. And so, we taught ourselves easy methods to begin a nonprofit, and I used to be getting my grasp’s in arts management on the time so it was like actual life having the ability to do each studying about it after which engaged on it.

In 2018, we obtained a small grant to do a present I had at all times wished to do, which was Tuesdays with Maury, identical to an excellent easy present, and we’re like, “Effectively, we want a theatre firm to placed on the present.” And so, we have made our personal and that is how we started. What we attempt to create is we attempt to create an area to fill within the gaps between what the opposite theatres do. Since we began, a for-profit theatre firm began on Guam as effectively, however they concentrate on musicals and whatnot. Then in fact, the college theatre focuses extra on academic theatre, and so we have actually stuffed within the gaps with unique works, taking pre-made or already made reveals and totally different takes on it. We do numerous work with youth, and really bringing theatre to varsities and the neighborhood. So, that is the place we exist and it has been six years coming this summer season, so it has been nice.

Yura: Wow, congratulations.

CJ: Thanks.

Yura: Yeah, I might love to listen to your reflections on these. In case you had been to present a pep speak to that youthful model of your self, what are the phrases of encouragement that you’d say?

CJ: Yeah, I feel I might let youthful CJ know to maintain doing the factor, even when issues get onerous, and perhaps this can be a pep speak to myself. When issues get onerous, when the funding is not as strong, that it is at all times value pushing by. I take into consideration youthful me dealing with the pandemic, main this model new two-year-old theatre firm and simply being like, “Hold pushing by. It is at all times value it.” And so, I assume that could be a message to me now that irrespective of the challenges we face, the work we do issues, and the work we’re all doing to uplift theatre in communities and BIPOC Indigenous voices, that all of it issues. And so, I feel that is what I might inform myself is simply maintain going and maintain centered on what we’re all about. I really feel like there’s been a pair occasions in our quick historical past that we have veered the trail somewhat bit, when simply at all times centering that we’re actually right here for the neighborhood and for uplifting Guahan artists and tales. So, that is what I might inform myself.

Yura: Yeah, that is so essential to come back again to the why in these tough moments, and likewise in these moments of confusion, feeling like we’re nearly like too within the second however then not within the second as a result of we’re fearful concerning the future.

CJ: Yeah, precisely. I am all about manifesting and actually wanting ahead.

Yura: Yeah. Effectively, inform me extra about the way you manifest—

CJ: I actually at all times attempt to maintain a constructive outlook. I am a realist, however I additionally identical to to place out into the universe what we wish again. I feel in my life and in how I run Breaking Wave, and the way we transfer, our objective is at all times to place the nice out and at all times realizing that it will return. With Breaking Wave, we actually attempt to break down the limitations of conventional theatre and focus much more on connecting extra with Indigenous storytelling and practices. And so, I feel all of these mixed, that is simply what we attempt to do. We attempt to put folks earlier than productions, and attempt to keep true to who we’re and the work we do, and so simply manifest good issues throughout for us personally and professionally, and with our firm.

Yura: Yeah, that basically resonates. Do you could have any examples that you may share with listeners on how the sort of work reveals up in observe?

CJ: Yeah. So, we really wish to name it “the tradition of care,” and it is one thing that got here out from the pandemic once we took the second when all of the reckoning was occurring for everybody in all places, however in theatre constructions as effectively of taking the second. We’re a BIPOC-led firm and we’re principally all BIPOC, however taking the second to be like, “Hey, what are the ways in which we perpetuate white supremacy?” And issues like that, and actually questioning a few of the issues we had been taught or been training from our experiences of why can we put this stress on our folks? We had been in a position to actually look internally and replicate to see, wait, that is made up. This stress on theatre is so made up, as a result of on the finish of the day the humanities are so, so essential, but it surely’s not life or dying, and so that is the tradition of care we do, the place your life and your well being and your wellbeing is a lot extra essential than any manufacturing that we will placed on.

And so, how that began to come back into observe isn’t that we let folks get away with being late or being absent on a regular basis. We nonetheless maintain folks accountable to the issues they decide to, however having much more grace on, “Hey, I simply want a psychological well being day,” and you do not have to clarify it, take your psychological well being. As a result of we do not run on a full-time workers, we principally run on contractors. We have had occasions the place our people are like, “Hey, I simply want every week.” And simply being like, “Hey, I respect that. Come again to me whenever you’re prepared. You might be extra essential than the work, it is okay.” And so, that is the way it has manifested.

And I hope and I feel—we have gotten good suggestions from that, having extra folks keen to work with us as a result of we’re not right here to place any stress. We’re placing on a play, and so we wish to play, and whether or not or not the subject is tremendous critical or not, on the finish of the day we wish folks to have enjoyable and revel in what they’re doing, and by no means make it really feel like a chore.

Yura: Modeling and reflecting again to others to maintain themselves as effectively, as a result of particularly underneath, I’ve found about myself and likewise can see it in others as I’ve gone by so many of those interviews, that we undergo formation by the method of entering into this management on this means and turn out to be a brand new particular person. And what I’ve discovered that has actually been useful for lots of people, together with myself, is to actually put money into my very own capability to carry area, and maintain area for retaining the imaginative and prescient alive and retaining the power, the positivity, the manifesting, the “it really works out” versus “it is not going to work out” or “we’re caught” in a difficulty. And so yeah, I discovered actually doubling down on all the observe, caring, connecting with the moon, the 4 parts, and actually being intentional about numerous issues as effectively when it comes to how we construction our day, having the ability to obtain the remaining we want as effectively. So I am curious, what are your go-to practices round having the ability to maintain area for your self with the intention to maintain area for a bigger group and a complete imaginative and prescient?

CJ: One of many issues I just lately, simply on this new 12 months have actually linked with, is mountain climbing. So it is actually humorous, previous to January 1st I completely refused to go on a hike. I went on a hike once I was sixteen and fell a bunch of occasions, and I used to be like, “I am not made for this.” And I am not usually a really athletic particular person, however I’ve beloved nature, particularly as a result of I left Guam about 4 and a half years in the past, proper earlier than the pandemic hit to do some theatre work out with Oregon Shakes, after which that every one fell aside with the pandemic. And so, I ended up transferring to Nashville, Tennessee, the place I am tuning in at the moment, and have lived right here for the previous 4 years. And so, I feel dwelling in a landlocked state helped me recognize, as a result of I’m going again to Guam usually for Breaking Wave, helped me recognize the land and the ocean extra.

And so, once I went residence for this lengthy time frame this previous winter, I made a decision, I used to be like, “You recognize what? It is a new 12 months, let me simply go on a hike.” As a result of I had a buddy who actually loves mountain climbing and he was like, “Let’s go.” So, he took me on a very easy one and I completely fell in love. In eight weeks we went on eight hikes, one hike each weekend, and that was like going from zero to eight actual quick… And so, now I completely like it and it is everybody who is aware of me is like, “That is wild,” as a result of I am normally very like, “I will keep inside.” I will go to the seaside, however I am not going to train or exit in nature. I do not like being sizzling or sweaty, and I hate bugs.

However now I really love this. I am not frightened of bugs, so I have been climbing rocks , and cutting down caves, and going to cliff sides for the previous few weeks. And so, that is my new type of self-care. After which happening walks and so, even right here in Nashville, studying to like the land right here too and going to be happening some hikes quickly.

Yura: Superb. Sure, that’s what I am speaking about. That’s turning one thing right into a behavior, to a observe to… Wow, speak about transformation. How do you’re feeling it has affected your management and your work at Breaking Wave?

CJ: I really feel prefer it’s been actually good for me as a result of it is time for me to not lead. I undoubtedly don’t have any sense of course, so I at all times take the rear and I do not take the lead on this as a result of I do know that I am not the one who is aware of the most effective within the scenario. And so, I feel it has been good for me mentally personally to have that point to be … That is the one factor I get to do the place I haven’t got to take the lead. As a result of I am certain as many different leaders do in our private lives, we’re most likely those making the plans, we are the ones main the friendship group and whatnot. I feel it has been very nice to have an area the place I can be taught. I can be taught, and I can see my buddies who I’ve labored with for years, as a result of they’re each colleagues and buddies, seeing how they lead and the way they take the reins.

And I feel that is at all times so inspiring to have these alternatives to be taught from others. I actually resonate with what you say about connecting with nature and the moon, as a result of I feel having this time to attach as effectively has helped me open up my coronary heart to totally different prospects, and the way the humanities can join a lot to the land. And so, I am actually to be taught extra about your work, and I really feel like that is the place that is taking me with my new journey on studying easy methods to be a mountain climbing woman, after which additionally main an arts group.

Yura: Yeah. For me I noticed, really in Colombia, so ancestral lands after a shift from life within the U.S. and New York and actually connecting extra with nature, discovering farming. I had really been visioning, manifesting farming for years. Fell into place. And I noticed particularly in the neighborhood of Nuqui, Choco, Pacific Coast neighborhood as effectively, that Black and Indigenous neighborhood, we do not have to consider activism or “change the world” power from just one perspective, that there is just one means that that may look. And for me, I used to be considering very a lot on this protest power and anti-racism, determining what’s it that we do not need mainly. And yeah, discovering out really the chance that comes from connecting with the earth, and realizing that truly all of those issues that we’re dealing with as people on earth at the moment actually comes again to this disconnection that now we have with each ourselves and likewise one another and the earth in that means.

We’re a mirrored image of the world, we’re cells of a physique that’s the whole earth. After we take into consideration being part of one thing larger in that means, despite the fact that we’re particular person cells, there’s an enormous alternative to reconnect. And so, I’ve undoubtedly discovered that by dwelling in nature on this means, actually near the forest, and river, and ocean, and likewise in a neighborhood that could be a village the place you recognize everyone who lives round. Only a totally different means of understanding. And I feel numerous Indigenous communities, I might say all over the world, have that connection nonetheless. And so, I feel that’s half of what’s desirous to be reconnected.

It is a gateway, as a result of there’s one thing, about each having a mural with a message and creating the mural collectively brings this connection, power, this capacity additionally for folks to have the ability to see the mural later for a music piece, for a music, each singing the music and experiencing that connection, feeling the help, a mycelium community when you find yourself singing and connecting. After which to one another, dancing, and theatre, and efficiency, and this storytelling alternative that’s so ancestral.

There’s a lot there round how we use the humanities to reconnect with ourselves, and with one another, and with the earth. So, that’s why I like doing occasions and programming, convenings and gatherings the place we really spend time in nature receiving daylight, moonlight, fireplace. It has been actually such an honor to get to do that now with my very own group, LiberArte, that basically, it is such as you mentioned, I am a frontrunner however leaning into my strengths, it is extra about retaining the imaginative and prescient alive, having visions, seeing a spot and saying, “Oh, this could be actually nice to do one thing right here.” And so, making use of to the grants, eager about who’re the folks that may assist, and mainly placing different folks in cost too, as a result of it is my power to place collectively the workforce.

CJ: I like that. Yeah, I like that.

Yura: So yeah, that is been the journey.

CJ: That is so inspiring. I am already taking a lot with me too, in order that’s superb.

Yura: Yeah, I really feel like we might undoubtedly do some collaborations.

CJ: Yeah, we’re all about that. We’re all about collaborating and reaching out. Guam’s so geographically remoted. And so, any likelihood we will get to attach with different artists, we love that.

Yura: That is unimaginable. Yeah. So, proper now the mission I am engaged on is bringing a music group from Nuqui to the U.S., and we really obtained a grant to do a competition within the Rockaways in Queens, Far Rockaways, the place it will be this ocean competition, Afro-diasporic with communities of the Rockaways, in addition to welcoming this group from the Pacific Coast in Colombia. And I simply see this as a possibility for what we will do sooner or later when it comes to this world collaboration and alternate. As a result of we labored on a competition for Tambacum for this music group in Nuqui this 12 months, in Nuqui, a competition that is been carried out three years earlier than. And so, this capacity to go to a spot and with the neighborhood, after which even have that within the U.S. the place we’re included. And yeah, I feel it’s a option to each have the ability to alternate and supply this sense of reparations as a U.S. group, this capacity to have funding otherwise than different locations. So yeah, rising and retaining this concept of what we might do throughout.

CJ: Yeah, completely. I feel that is actually highly effective and yeah, that is superb.

Yura: Are you able to construct your personal desk? I am thrilled to be increasing the work of our annual Strategic Planning Institute the place we domesticate visionaries who’re creating transformative initiatives, initiatives, and organizations for themselves and their communities all over the world. The Strategic Planning Institute guides you thru totally different modules of workouts, processing, and practices that assist you to faucet into your soul’s distinctive goal within the work that you’re doing, within the group that you’ll launch because the chief and founder. You are welcome to take the journey along with your co-founders and co-create one thing unimaginable. Take it from me as somebody who has birds out into the world, all types of initiatives together with this podcast, I’m so excited and honored to be supporting you in your journey of creating this world a greater place. And it is my goal to be serving to you do that. I am so grateful to have been educated and authorized by the Dharma Teaching Institute as a sole goal and religious life coach.

This, mixed with my coaching and graduate diploma in performing arts administration in addition to undergrad in theatre arts, together with my initiations and certifications in shamanic power therapeutic practices, and an authorized freedom meditation trainer, permits me to carry all of it collectively to actually curate an unimaginable area so that you can remodel and develop outward into the world in the best way you had been born to be. So, that is your time to shine. There isn’t any want to attend any longer. That is your second, the world is asking of you, the earth is asking you. So, go forward and join with us at LiberArte to be notified on the following opening for the Strategic Planning Institute. We’re curating this 12 months’s cohort of visionaries to undergo this course of collectively, and be linked to others who’re like-minded, socially aware, and actually making an influence on the world.

Collectively in our native communities we mix as a community of change makers. And when you’re in search of much more curated help, you may e-book a one-on-one teaching bundle with yours really to information you thru instantly on what you have to begin your personal group to construct your personal desk that’s plentiful, sustainable and full of affection for your self and your neighborhood. And you may at all times be part of our free community of visionaries, a neighborhood on-line discussion board curated by me and my workforce, to offer you assets, hyperlinks to grants, enterprise suggestions, and instruments so that you can actually develop, in addition to entry to my weekly self-care for visionaries studying, and different meditations and talks that I am sharing in a bigger discussion board content material. There’s so some ways so that you can have interaction, I’m so excited to work with you and help you, and thanks for listening. I am unable to wait to satisfy you.

Our ancestors took care of the land for years earlier than there was even Google to inform us easy methods to. If all of us take a while to actually hook up with ourselves and to the generations that got here earlier than us, I feel we might have a greater hope for the generations to come back.

I wish to ask you talking concerning the world and world connections, there’s this providing that if all of us shared our options, we’d solely have options. We wouldn’t have any extra issues. If everybody shared their options, everybody would have options. So, what’s one resolution to the world’s drawback you would like everybody knew about?

CJ: It is a good query… resolution to the world’s issues. I feel it is connecting to what you mentioned, the place it is simply connecting again to the land, and connecting again to our ancestries and the place we got here from. I really feel like that may assist jumpstart numerous points. Our ancestors took care of the land for years earlier than there was even Google to inform us easy methods to. If all of us take a while to actually hook up with ourselves and to the generations that got here earlier than us, I feel we might have a greater hope for the generations to come back.

Yura: Yeah. And when you had been to attach this to the theatre trade, how do you envision this shifting or supporting any challenges that the theatre trade may be dealing with proper now?

CJ: I might like to see theatres actually join extra again into Indigenous practices and roots. That is really one thing we’re actually enthusiastic about and making an attempt to do extra actively with Breaking Wave. We attempt our greatest to not function on a hierarchical construction, and actually connecting again to extra community-based, and that we’re all working collectively and eager about the folks of Guahan and the Pacific. They had been navigators, and considering quite a bit about the way it takes each single particular person to steer the ship, and to steer the canoes and get folks round. And so, I might like to see these practices carried out in theatre in america. And I feel so many individuals are doing it already.

So many nice organizations that we have linked with and so many now we have but to attach with that try this already. And I might like to see that carried out on an even bigger scale in these larger theatres, as a result of I feel that once we return to the guts of what theatre is, it is alleged to be storytelling, and it is alleged to be one thing all of us come collectively to do. There’s much less of the pink tape, and the paperwork and whatnot. I might like to see that.

Yura: Sure. It feels like a extremely nice convention workshop, a complete even long-term course that you may take, that one might tackle this. I even have been engaged on this system referred to as revolutionary organizational constructions, evolutionary organizational constructions, the place we have a look at this connection to nature and the earth, and the techniques that exist already in nature and the earth, photo voltaic system even, our physique techniques, issues that present us how issues work already—ecosystems. And actually taking a look at, okay, really how can we mannequin our understanding of how we run our group primarily based off of those techniques in nature? As a result of they have been round for for much longer than this hierarchical organizational chart of bins has been. In case you’ve ever seen that kind of bins chart the place it is like the administrators at prime, and the managers after which the employees and the interns on the backside, all this understanding may be very limiting as to what you will be, the way you match when you’re only a field beneath or above different bins.

So, I even have been engaged on this, and for LiberArte, we created this construction that could be a tree. So, now we have the roots being the board of administrators, and the trunk being the folks inner, the extra within the middle you’re the extra inner you’re, the extra outwards within the bark, the extra outward dealing with you’re. After which upwards by the branches are consultants, and individuals who work as contractors, serving to out. After which the leaves are audiences and shoppers and individuals who work together with us, after which the fruit are our artists and the parents who’re actually presenting and performing, and being on the market on this means—

CJ: That’s superb.

Yura: Yeah, it is actually liberating and useful too. Typically folks speak about, “Oh, the place within the hierarchy are you? Take a look at your organizational chart,” after which I can have a look at mine and I am like, “I imply, it is not a hierarchy.” I am technically on the backside as a result of I am within the roots. So, it is simply been so useful for me to grasp, and I am actually excited to maintain sharing this.

CJ: I am getting goosebumps, as a result of that is precisely what I feel we have been working in the direction of, so I am actually keen to attach extra about this, for certain.

Yura: Quite a lot of theatre corporations may gain advantage and possibly need the kind of steerage as you may be transitioning, remodeling, realizing that you just really wish to do issues in another way, as a result of it’s a totally different time and the earth is asking for a unique means of working collectively for us to proceed dwelling on the planet. So yeah, I feel if anyone’s listening, desirous to have our help, rent us, be happy to succeed in out.

I’ve yet another query for you. I might love to listen to what has been probably the most rewarding facet of carving your personal path and creating your personal area, actually constructing your personal desk?

CJ: I feel probably the most rewarding facet is to see all of the individuals who have come to the desk, and proceed to. I do not do theatre for myself, I do it for the neighborhood. I am at all times behind the scenes as a result of I actually consider that my goal on this earth is to make the paths for folks probably the most inspiring factor. And the factor that brings me probably the most pleasure is realizing that I’ve been in a position to create that desk, and to carry so many individuals. It is wild eager about the place we have gone. Like I discussed, we’re six years outdated now and now we have children who began with us after they had been sixteen who at the moment are majors on the College of Guam in theatre. And to know that we performed an element in that I feel is probably the most inspiring. And even those who do not main in theatre however go on to do all the good issues, and realizing that they had been in a position to get a basis by the work we do, and that they prefer it a lot that they maintain doing it has been probably the most rewarding a part of this journey.

And I sit up for persevering with to do this, and I am all about entry and accessibility. We do not consider in gatekeeping with Breaking Wave, there is not any cause to not share and open up all of the seats as a result of we have been set free of tables and rooms for therefore lengthy, and so we’ll at all times open the doorways the place we will.

Yura: Sure, so stunning. Oh, I undoubtedly wish to go to.

CJ: Sure, come to Guam. A lot prospects, I am so excited.

Yura: Tell us how we will join extra with Breaking Wave Theatre Firm.

CJ: Breaking Wave Theatre Firm. We’re at @bwtcguam on Instagram and Fb. After which we even have our web site, which can be bwtcguam.com, and we’re at all times joyful to attach. If anybody needs to attach with us straight, [email protected] and we’ll undoubtedly attain out, as a result of we like to collaborate and work with people

Yura: Like, subscribe, observe Breaking Wave Theatre firm. Thanks a lot, CJ. It was such an honor and pleasure to attach.

CJ: Thanks a lot for having me. I am so grateful to have this area and this time. Thanks.

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