GRAFFITI USA VIEW

UNPLUGGED VIEW Slow And Steady

By Aaron Rowan

Life is like a box of chocolates; you never know when you’re gonna meet the Reaper. At least that’s the case if you should happen to visit a certain chocolatier in Asheville, NC which makes a truffle-infused with the dreaded Carolina Reaper chilli, among the very hottest peppers known to man. It’s like a game of Russian roulette in a box with one of those mixed in. But you needn’t travel clear across the country in search of fire and flavor. You’ll find reservoirs of both in the soul of another Carolina - Modesto’s own creative force of nurture Carolina Stevens. I sat down with this multitalented lady to discuss her career as a musical theatre artist, stage manager, director, and most recently, an award-winning filmmaker.

A VOICE OF THE VALLEY

The daughter of two international opera singers, Carolina earned regional recognition in the summer of 2014 when she appeared at the Valley Talent Project after her third year of auditioning and just before leaving for college in southern Oregon. Her contribution to the show was a take on ‘Taylor the Latte Boy,’ a comedic musical theatre piece inspired by some real-life flirtation with a barista. The rendition put her in a dead heat with another young vocalist, Alida McKeon, in the ears of the judges, who ultimately chose to award a double grand prize to the two ladies.

NEPALI HO!

Two summers later, Carolina embarked on a unique adventure to Kathmandu, where she would serve as stage manager on the first western-style opera produced in Nepal: ‘Arjuna’s Dilemma,’ an adaptation of a Hindu epic tale. “Arjuna’s Dilemma was a wild experience - while I, as a 19-year-old only halfway through college, felt very underqualified, I was simultaneously the most qualified person in Nepal for the job!” recalls Carolina. Nepal has burgeoning and energetic theatre scene and music scenes (though not particularly in the western classical style); but far less training is available, particularly for non-actors, which is why Carolina was brought in to stage-manage. She also taught a 2-day stage management workshop for the locals. The opera was staged outdoors in the courtyard of an ancient palace, during the tail end of Nepal’s monsoon season. Several tech rehearsals were rained out, with one having to be finished by candlelight. The lack of infrastructure led to other interesting technical issues; for instance, many of the stage lights were intended for nightclubs and kept getting stuck in the “disco” setting, changing color with the beat of the music. Carolina pulled it all together, and you can enjoy the full 8-part recording of ‘Arjuna’s Dilemma’ on YouTube channel ARC3. It’s sung in Hindi, Sanskrit & English, and mixes jazz with western and Indian classical musical styles - a thing of beauty all around.

A WALK IN THE PARK

The calamitous year that was 2020 started off with great promise when the opera adaptation of a Jane Austen novel came to town under Carolina’s direction. During that January weekend, Regency-era culture swept downtown Modesto with the first JaneCon event, complete with dance sessions, costume workshops, and lectures about that historical era. But the shining centerpiece was the U.S. orchestral premiere of ‘Mansfield Park,’ which played out on the stage of our historic State Theatre. “Mansfield Park allowed me to really explore the directing style I had started to establish: using theatrical tools to heighten intimate stories while staying grounded in realism and character,” Carolina says. The piece also ushered in a new era for Opera Modesto: its Story-Into-Song literacy initiative.

SLOW AND STEADY

This month sees the unveiling of Opera Modesto’s latest project, a cinematic version of contemporary opera ‘The Race.’ The work is an amalgamation of Aesop’s fables, commissioned by OpMo as part of its Story-Into-Song series. Carolina co-directed this feature film, with a cast of nineteen young opera vocalists bringing the tortoise and the hare and several other critter characters to life. It’s already earned prizes in just about every technical category recognized in movie award shows and was an official selection of festivals in Hollywood, New York, Toronto, Barcelona, Rome, Romania, India, Venezuela, and a few other points on the map. The accolades included two best director prizes for Carolina and her co-director Michael Everett. You can enjoy this fun fantasy feature this month, streaming on-demand from April 9-30, with unlimited views for ticket holders. Learn more at www.operamodesto.org. Upcoming endeavors for Carolina include co-directing a Russian-language concert for Opera Modesto, which will be on-demand in May. You can follow her creative journey at www.carolina-stevens.com. See you next month when we give the breakdown on another Modesto musical favorite; and soon and very soon, at the resurrection of our listeningconcert series.

Intimate performances. Infinite playlist. MODESTO UNPLUGGED. www.modestounplugged.com

SONG WRITER VIEW

Tears for Tiers

By Patty Castillo Davis

Spring Fever AND Cabin Fever.

We haven’t had the opportunity to live life as normal and continue a sense of well-being that comes from a healthy social circle -you, like me, might be ready to run screaming. Health experts say that guessing at a reopening timeline is no easier today than it was a year ago. On the list of those activities that people have said that they miss -number one is live music entertainment. Live music with its high-intensity indoor audiences and intricate group logistics cannot be profitable unless all promoters, venue operators and artists feel safe resuming the usual touring cycle. Large outdoor events that are not minding the recommended guidelines and continuing half-speed ahead are not paying artists the minimum wage and are hiring talent of a lesser standard and popularity to keep ahead of the competition. Any local annual events that were cancelled last year whose event and promotion companies enjoyed payment protections and loans from the COVID relief packages while the musicians themselves did not are disingenuous. According to entertainment trade publications, live music events held before Fall 2021 will not be ethical, profitable and most importantly safe. To those businesses that have been mindful, to those people who have faced insurmountable challenges and those of you who have incurred unfathomable losses, take hope as we move newly into the Red Tier that the end is in sight. We will venture forward into our new normal educated by our experiences. Don’t forget those who cared more about their profit margin with disregard to the health and safety of our community. Don’t forget those who kept us afloat by feeding us, wearing a mask, making sure we did not go without and who listened to our concerns about the unknown. We are amongst heroes. On a lighter more altruistic topic, we are set to celebrate half a century of mobilization for action on the part of an environmental movement. It was in 1970 that the first Earth Day was celebrated on April 22. Today, Earth Day is hailed as the largest secular observance in the world. Create transformative action for our planet and start local- recycle, plant a garden space, use public transportation or ride a bike. Visit loveourcities.com to see how you can help. We can all do something small for a collective change. On Thursday, April 22 A Gathering of the Vibes will hold an outdoor community concert at 3318 Wycliffe Drive in Modesto. This Earth Day celebration will begin at 6 pm with an opening set by Kalea Jackson, 2019 Valley Talent Project Sweepstakes Winner. This free event is for all ages. All prevailing rules of the CDC and local health authorities will be adhered to at the time of this event. Lifestyle Influencer, Tasha Wilson will sing a message of hope and the artists from ModestoRocks will be leaving gifts at the space. A Love Offering will be available for donations that will go back into the community. We all want to resume normal activities. We all want to continue our livelihood and traditions and spring into a positive future. Please, search your conscience and put our community first-in a healthy place and get vaccinated, continue to mask up and social distance. We will open soon-sure and steady saves lives, it’s not worth one more life lost.

For more info and inquiries on organizing your own safe and socially distanced neighborhood events/concerts contact- 021giant@charter.net Mucho Cuidad, stay safe.