From Kari Ann Owen, the late wife of Silas Warner:
Silas, with his brilliant mind and wonderful voice, was a very strong believer and
participant in my non profit
theatre company, Theatre Engag?, and would have hoped memorial contributions could
be made to the theatre company, which can be reached at 1164 Solano Avenue, Suite
147, Albany CA 94706. Please send all email correspondence to Dr. Kari Ann Owen,
Ph.D. at that address or penomee @ value.net.
The purpose of our theatre is to produce new plays with social justice themes, and
to support community efforts to alleviate the plight of the most vulnerable in our
community.
For the playwrighting and production history of Theatre Engag? and Kari Ann, plus
more biographical informaton, please see Web Site:
http://pwp.value.net/penomee/penomee.html
My service dog, Boo Boo Bear and I, just returned on June 15, 2004 from the Very
Special Arts Festival in Washington DC, at John F.
Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and many satellite stages in the Washington
area. Boo Boo was the top tourist attraction in DC, second only to the pandas at
the Washington Zoo!
My plays were presented by an actor and me, and were a hit! Thank The Creator that
a large audience finally enjoyed my sense of humor! One play was a monologue about
an atomic bomb seeking a change of job, with a psychiatric recommendation, and the
second play was a duologue where Osama Bin Laden?s horse threatens the fiend with a
very bad fall across the border into Pakistan unless he (Bin Laden) stops killing
people.
I cannot say enough positive things about the joy of meeting wonderful people from
all 50 states and 54 countries, and how kind just about everyone was to my service
dog, Boo Boo Bear, and me, from waiters and restaurant patrons and hotel staff to
the marvelous VSA Foundation staff and volunteers.
What a birthday present (my birthday was during the festival).
Another present was a Native American prayer ceremony I held with two old and dear
friends at a corner in Brooklyn, New York where I had been spat on by three boys
from a bus while a young and very vulnerable teen age victim of multiple forms of
abuse. We prayed for the leaving of the memories and for all abuse victims, and for
the healing of the aggressors. I feel a lightened burden,as when I prayed for the
souls of loved ones at the gravesite of John and Jacqueline Kennedy and Robert
Kennedy and their family.
May the eagle soar with hope of an end to wars within the soul, and above all an
end to abuse of children by children and those who turn children into carriers of
lasting (and sometimes not so lasting) pain.
The Creator is the final author of our peace, our own peace we can seek and win.
=-=-=-
NOTE: Theatre Engag? and Kari Ann are returning to the Bay Area in June 2004. This
press release refers to our Chico, CA presentations in the Winter of 2004.
FOR PRESS RELEASE:
NEW CHICO THEATRE COMPANY ANNOUNCES PRODUCTIONS!
Theatre Engag? is a non profit theatre newly revived in Chico, CA. The purpose of
our theatre is to produce new plays with social justice themes, and to support
community efforts to alleviate the plight of the most vulnerable in our community.
Our first Chico performances will be rehearsed readings at Moxies Cafe and Gallery,
(530) 345-0601, 128 Broadway St, Chico, CA 95928.
"Crisis", a play about the Cuban Missile Crisis, will be performed at eight PM on
November 22, the 40th anniversary of President Kennedy?s assassination, and again
at Moxie's at 8 PM on December 5. "Hunger" and "Angels," two Irish-American themed
plays, will be performed at Moxie?s at eight PM, also on November 22 and December
5. All plays are by Artistic Director Kari Ann Owen.
The director for the Moxie?s performances is multiple award winning actor/director
Evan Nossoff, who serves as producing artistic director of the Sacramento Actors
Workshop (sacactors.com). Cast members include Katherine Esh, lately appearing in
?Robin Hood? at Chico?s Senator Theatre; CSU student Katie Francis, Chico actress
Jennifer Michelle and Sacramento actor Les Lorenzen.
Kari Ann Owen, Artistic Director, has won national awards from the American Theatre
Association and the Moondance International Film and Stage Play Festival. Her work
has been produced in many places, from San Francisco?s George R. Moscone Center to
the Stockyards Theatre in Chicago.
Our second performance raised money for the Chico Community Food Locker, (530)
895-8331, P.O. Box 4746, Chico, CA 95927. We hope to do much more.