A Shining Light in Artists Alley...
From time to time, I have posts form other artists and writers contribute to this blog. Such is the post today, this story from Joanne Tawfilis who is the Founder of the Muramid Mural Museum and Art Center. She has brought new life and excitement to our City of Oceanside as a world wide contributor of the Arts.
“Twelfth Night” – A LIVE MURAL at the Muramid Mural Museum and Art Center
Amazing storms hit our beautiful Southern California coast this past week. Oh, how the howling winds and pounding rains pelted away at the metal roof as it felt like never ending rivers of rains would never cease. There were moments of quiet recession when the rains slowed down or stopped for a few moments, but would suddenly find the dark grey clouds roll right on back, returning again, descending with an even more aggressive piercing downpour upon Pacific Coast Highway.
But there, almost hidden in a shimmering new cultural phenomenon in a place called Artist Alley was the Muramid Mural Museum and Art Center. It was there that a merry cast of actors and production crew members rehearsed incessantly, built amazing set designs, sewed away on beautiful costumes and then for three weekends became the impassioned cast in a production of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. The production, directed and produced by Gailee Walker Wells came to fruition with packed and nearly packed audiences giving way to intense and profound focus on the determination to make Theatre Arts West a reality.
The Muramid Mural Museum is focused on
murals as its title implies. The museum resides in the center of the
Artist Alley Complex in the former “LIVE” space once occupied by
an antique shop, a dry cleaning operation and an art gallery or two.
However, through the dedicated effort of Ms. Walker-Wells, the metal
roof, cold cement floor and open space served as center stage for a
pretty cool presentation of a seldom performed style of theater in
North County.
It can be said that this writer is not
an expert on theater performance or Shakespeare for that matter, but
it has to be shared how the cast was truly courageous, determined,
and dedicated to everything that should have “stopped the show”
but together maintained how “the show must go on!” The
environmental issues and Mother Nature all worked to try to deter the
cast from making this debut performance, a failure. There were the
circumstances of no heating system, that metal roof, the museum
surroundings and lack of a bonafide stage that could reasonably
accommodate a full blown play. Despite the fact that props, lighting
and sound equipment were brought in, other issues like the lack of
dressing rooms, mirrors for makeup preparation, storage for wardrobe
and more could have been the bain of a performers commitment.
Instead, the cast members, from those who performed the briefest of
parts, to the stars of the play, kept that love of acting foremost in
their efforts. There were two (or maybe more) times that the
electricity went out and during tonight’s first half of the final
performance because of the untimeliness of Southern California’s
worst storm in history, the electricity for the whole building went
dark!
And here is where these performers and
the audience rocked my world. Flashlights, cell phone lights
flickered on and off as cast members who were not “on stage” for
the scene at hand literally ran from side to side of the staging area
and in and out of converted “stage doors” and with tender
expertise and of knowing their lines, supported their cast mates by
shining their lights of love and care onto their fellow and sister
actors. Several members of the audience did the same and I was
touched remembering how this is exactly how our museum came into
being.
It is that kind of dedication that I
witnessed how they ran in and out of the pounding cold raindrops,
some of them already sick with colds from late night rehearsals and
lack of heat, to ensure the audience could enjoy a seamless
performance that to the cast was void of normal stage accommodations
and comforts to any deserving performer.
Yes, I stood on the sidelines delighted
that just before the end of the first half, the building electric
service flashed back on and despite the cold that had begun to chill
me to the bone, I found myself affectionately feeling warmed at how
the audience hung in there with great anticipation to see the second
and final half of the performance.
And so, the show went on with the
laughter and applause it so richly deserved and as the imaginary
curtain came down and each of the actors took their individual and
group bows, the small audience and I stood up and applauded with
vigor and admiration. I had looked upon the faces of the actors
throughout the rehearsals and performances as they reveled in their
roles during those nights of acting with great intensity. As the
owner of this “temporary staging”, I was proud of Gailee, proud
of the cast and proud that despite the lack of so many
infrastructures, that the passion behind the art, the dedication and
determination of the “artists” and audience support showed us
once again, how important the arts are in our communities. And
that’s why the Muramid Mural Museum exists. It is a hallowed
space, a place of good karma and welcoming warmth to artists and
those that follow and love the arts. For this, I am grateful to my
beloved husband’s belief and support and know that he would be
proud of tonight’s peek at a classical art form that graced our
community within these walls. I am thankful for our all-volunteer
artists and staff and to our friends and family who helped us make
all of this possible with a live mural of performing arts!
I don’t know if there is a
possibility of nominating the producer/director or actors for some
kind of an official award, but the reward is sweet and real, and what
has always sustained me. The reward is a solid belief that knowing
that the arts; be they visual, performing, spoken word, music,
dance, poetry and other art forms would always be what cheers us
during the darkest of storms (environmental or spiritual), whether
they be in a little out of the way place called Artist Alley, in
Hollywood, USA or any magical theater or stage throughout the world.
Joanne Tawfilis
January 22, 2017
