Please answer these questions to the best of your knowledge



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Because the UE process is interview based, we have developed an interview packet that includes a series of assignments that we would like for you to complete prior to the workshop. The UE Interview packet is typically provided to individuals interested in participating in an Undesirable Elements production. These questionnaires are customized based on the specific community or theme of the production.

  This assignment will provide invaluable resources for the workshop process. Please feel free to experiment and interpret the interview process in your way. The more you familiarize yourself with this information, the more we will be able to develop and explore during our time together.

Please fill out the forms for yourself, as if you were applying to be in an Undesirable Elements in your community. This will help you to familiarize yourself with the UE approach. These completed forms will be shared in the workshop and may be used as source material in the work we develop. (Please keep this in mind as you fill them out, and do not share any details that you do not wish to share with your co-participants

SAMPLE ONLY - PARTICIPANT REQUIREMENTS

(this page is given to potential UE participants as part of their application packets)

PEASE NOTE: This project does not require that participants have previous performance, dance, or singing experience, but they must be willing to share their personal experiences on stage and in public No memorization is involved in the performance. The script will be read on stage except for a song and poem in one’s own language.

Not all people interviewed will be selected to participate in the final project. For those who are selected, not every experience shared in the interview process will be included in the final production.

Participants in Undesirable Elements must:

• Be comfortable speaking and reading in English, as well as their first language, if English is not their first language.

• Be willing to talk openly about their lives, family, culture and customs, and share their thoughts in a public forum.

• Be willing to talk openly about cultural differences and identity issues, and make critical observations about the culture in which they currently live.

• Be willing to recite poetry and/or sing in their native or adopted language. (Do not panic about this requirement! You do not have to be a trained singer!).

• Be willing to allow others to express contrary opinions or political views.

• Must be willing to talk about what is desirable or undesirable in their culture of origin and what they have found to be desirable or undesirable in their new cultural setting.

• Be available for an initial interview lasting approximately 2 hours.

• Selected participants must be available for 1-2 additional interviews lasting approximately 2 hours each, plus some hours of research, possibly about their family or the history and culture of their place of origin.

• Be available for 3-4 weeks of evening and weekend rehearsals (about 3 hours per evening, 4-5 rehearsals per week) in the period leading up to production

• Be available for all technical rehearsals and performances

SAMPLE ONLY – CONTACT INFO

(this page is given to potential UE participants as part of their application packets)

NAME:

ADDRESS

EVENING TELEPHONE:

E-MAIL:

WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO REACH YOU?

PLEASE LIST YOUR REGULAR SCHEDULED COMMITMENTS

(WORK / SCHOOL/ FAMILY), AND ANY SPECIFIC DATES YOU KNOW YOU WILL BE UNAVAILABLE DURING THE REHEARSAL AND PERFORMANCE PERIOD

MONDAYS

TUESDAYS

WEDNESDAYS

THURSDAYS

FRIDAYS

SATURDAYS

SUNDAYS

OTHER COMMITMENTS:

Participant Information – BACKGROUND QUESTIONNAIRE

Please answer these questions to the best of your knowledge. Do not worry if you do not know an answer, skip that question if necessary. Please use as much space as necessary.

What is your full name? Do you have a separate traditional/cultural name?

What is your current profession?

Where and when were you born (Date, year, city, country)?

What time of day were you born and what season/time of year was it in your country/culture (rainy season, winter, harvest time)?

How much did you weigh at birth?

Did anyone ever tell you any special stories of the day you were born (you were born during a blizzard, in a taxi, on your mother’s birthday, you came out green, etc)

Does your name have any special meaning, and were you named for anyone?

How many brothers and sisters do you have? What is your place in the birth order?

What is your earliest memory?

What language did you speak growing up? What language(s) do you speak at home now?

What are/were your parents names? What is/was their profession?

.

Do you know your grandparents’ names and professions? If so, please write below. Also note if you knew your grandparents while growing up.

How did your parents meet? Are there any stories about how they met or courtship?

How did your grandparents meet? Are there any stories about their courtship or wedding?

Please share any unique or unusual stories about your family’s history

If not born in the US, what year did you arrive in the US and how old were you?

If not born in the US, what was the first “American” meal that you ate?

What are some traditional foods from your culture? Do you eat these now?

What are some holiday, festival, or ceremonial traditions from your culture? Describe in as much detail as possible (wedding ceremony, naming ceremony, harvest festival, etc). Do you currently observe/celebrate them?

.

If not born in [city of current residence] how long have you lived here, and what brought you here?

How is your cultural identity reflected in your daily life (foods, traditions, activities, etc)

Was there a person in your life who had a profound influence on shaping the person you are today? If so, please give an example of how he/she influenced you.

.

Have you struggled with issues of cultural identity? How do you currently identify yourself?

Do you have memories of feeling like an outsider/other in your culture of origin and/or current community?

Have you experienced direct or indirect racism or discrimination?

Have you witnessed racism or discrimination within your community towards others?

What are some assumptions that people make about people from your culture?

What are some of the major issues that you see as currently pressing within your community?

What do you like about living in [city of current residence]

What do you dislike about living in [city of current residence]

If not currently living in your culture/country of birth, what do you miss?

Where is “home” for you?

Are there any other details about yourself that you wish to share?

Participant Information – Chronology

NAME: Mike Levin

Please fill out the below form with major events that have happened in your lifetime. These should include the date of your birth, births and deaths of close family members, and moves between cities or countries. Also include relevant historical events that impacted you, such as war or natural disaster. Use the back of this page or additional pages as necessary

Example:

YEAR EVENT

1980 I am born in Somalia

1984 My grandmother passes away

1988 Civil War breaks out in Somalia

1990 I flee with my family to a refugee camp in Kenya

1993 We are sponsored by a charity agency to come to the United States

1994 I start school in the US

1996 My family moves from Virginia to Minnesota

ETC

YEAR EVENT

Participant Information Form- CULTURAL NAMES

Please list six male and six female names that are common names in your culture or family history (eg: John or Mary). Please also note if the name has any special meaning (eg: Rosa means Rose, Hakim means wise, Aiko means beloved), or if it is the name of an important religious, cultural or, political figure.

Also, if you grew up in an environment where nicknames were common, please provide examples of names and their nicknames.

Male

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

Female

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

Participant Information Form –

POEM / WHAT DO YOU THINK OF

POEM

Please provide a poem, written in your native language or the language you feel most comfortable speaking, that is meaningful to you and in some way reflects your culture/heritage or is representative of your country, background, or personal identity. This poem can be one you have written yourself or by any author who writes in your language.

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF?

In the space below, please write what you think of when you think of your country/place of birth or community.

These impressions can be anything that comes to mind: smells, sights, people, traditions. Examples:

I think of my grandmother cooking gallo pinto and the smell of onion and cilantro. . .

I think of how the light looks at 11:30pm during the White Nights. . .

I think of the chanting of the call to prayers. . .

I think of the wildflowers that grew in the empty field behind my house. . .

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