The reason for my visit to the Ruskin Group Theater was because of two ladies. The first was Suzann Lumminis who I had interviewed last month, and the second was Tanya Hong who has been introduced to Cultura magazine a few times.
The Ruskin Group Theater is located next to Santa Monica Airport. It was built as a drama school and it has been an acting school since 1986. Famous actors and directors such as Anthony Hopkins Ed Asner, and Dylan McDermott are currently teaching acting at Ruskin School along with other faculty members. I was invited to the literary recital meeting held at the small theater which is an annex to the school building. The scheduled 115th Library Girl meeting was the recitation of poems which has continued for more than 10 years. Today's theme was “Kiss Me You Criminal" which has been set up from Suzzan Luminnis' Noir Poems. Tanya Hong along with other guests also performed. The host was Susan Hayden. All of the ticket sales have been donated to this small theater.
I arrived about 30 minutes before the showtime. The small theater lobby was already crowded with the audience, who enjoyed wine, cheese, and biscuits. They seemed to have long been fans of this show. Soon the door opened, and Suzzan and Tanya welcomed me warmly. I would like to briefly recount the recital.
Before everyone was settled in their seats, Susan Hayden stood on stage and called up Suzzan and they started an informal conversation. The talk continued with various topics including poems, general issues, weather, private concerns, and even jokes. Some of the audience even joined in the conversation. It was a jovial mood that people laughed naturally. Then, the rectal began.
The first guest was Mason Summit, a young singer in his late 20s. He wanted to express his interest in the progressive social movement and to talk about his opinions on Noir Poems of Suzzan Lumminis. He soon played his own songs with a guitar. Even small scratches of the guitar strings resonated in the theater.
The next performer was actress Dale Raoul. She has appeared in films such as 'The Mexican', 'Seven Pounds' and numerous other movies. She recited the works of Suzzan Lumminis. She seemed to convey the breath and feelings of the lines. The recitation was like a dialogue, and the audience's reaction was mixed with small laughs and applause. As the recital continued, it was reminiscent of watching a talk show.
The next reciter was Rick Bursky who is a professor of literary writing at UCLA. He recited his own poems. He conveyed a sweet atmosphere to the audience with comfort and kindness. The following performer was Darell Lawson, who appeared in several films such as 'The Manchurian Candidate’. He stood on stage and recited a dialogue from noir movies with dancing and singing. It was a unique performance warmly applauded by the audience.
The next poet was Tanya Hong. She was the only Korean writer invited to this event. She recited four of her own poems. She informed the audience that one of her poems 'Yangongju' would be recited only in Korean. She asked them to appreciate the feeling and the sound of the Korean language.
When she recited her poetry in Korean, the audience listened to her recital as if they really understood the Korean language. The poet's attempt to convey meaning through the wave of sound felt innovative and meaningful. Her thoughts and emotions could be felt in her other works that she also recited, such as 'I want to see' and 'Bogo sipo'.
The next performer was Annette Zilinskas the guitarist of the 1980's famous rock and roll group 'The Bangles'. She began with a little nervousness but finished her reading very comfortably.
Next was Tony Abatemarco, an actor, director, and writer. He has worked on many films such as 'I Am Sam' and 'Clockstoppers'. The way he recited his work overwhelmed the audience as if watching a monodrama.
Next was an essayist, Erika Schickel. She boldly talked of stories revealing her love affair with another writer while married. The audience was struck by her vivid and clear voice. Her emotions were strong and the audience remained concentrated throughout her talk.
Finally, Suzzan Lumminis came out again. Showing her strength, she captivated the audience with her recital. She knew exactly what she wanted to say and how to describe it. It was like watching a movie that engaged the audience with her excellent performance.
Many of the audience had been coming to the Library Girl for the last ten years. They kept a strong relationship throughout that time. I realized that they had a real love for Susan Hayden and the Library Girl meetings.
After I watched the Library Girl recital, I was impressed by the sincerity and artistry of the performers. And I would like to express that I truly admired the reaction of the audience.
The subject of this meeting, Noir Poetry, was not an easy topic to approach. I think that the power of envisioning and writing the work, and the power of reciting and showing to the public led this recital. I also believe that the power of the audience that enjoyed the performances played an important role.
The audience's sincere curiosity about the artists and their work is what keeps these meetings continuing into the future. Their interest and perception were evident even when a language such as Korean was not understood. Lastly, I want to introduce the work of poet Tanya Hong who participated in the recital.
Mustard Flowers Falling
1
a yellow cab stops in the dark
dark clouds cover half the moon
water is boiling in the rusty kettle
she smells like peppermint
the cat's eyes like a neon sign
outside the rainy window
you are reading a line in a poem
slowly
slowly
petals of dried flowers
drop on your knees
a woman leaves
after brushing her teeth
with your old toothbrush
2
with your old toothbrush
after brushing her teeth
a woman leaves.
drop on your knees
petals of dried flowers
slowly
slowly
you are reading a line in a poem
outside the rainy window
the cat's eyes like a neon sign
she smells like peppermint
water is boiling in the rusty kettle
dark clouds cover half the moon
a yellow cab stops in the dark
