18 minute read
Arts
Chandler artist conveys immigrant experience
BY SRIANTHI PERERA
Contributor
When Shachi Kale first came to Arizona in 2001, she felt like the fairytale character Rapunzel trapped in an ivory tower.
The artist didn’t know a soul in Chandler, except her husband, who went to work. The career she had left behind in Mumbai, India, as an advertising and design executive seemed to fade.
Kale started doing what she did best – creating art. She also followed a few classes and met a few movers and shakers in the local arts and education arena.
“I had to create a new life for myself altogether from scratch,” she recalled.
This new life included producing a series of paintings where she drew modernized imagery from fairy tales and depicted herself as its characters. They are now on display in a show entitled “Between Two Worlds: Storytelling and Artwork by Shachi Kale” running through September at The Gallery at Chandler Center for the Arts, curated by Vision Gallery.
Kale is also preparing for another show in November, sharing a gallery space at Mesa Community College with abstract fine arts painter, Swapna Das.
In “Between Two Worlds,” Rapunzel lets out her long hair from a tall adobe building amid colorful desert plants, Alice in Wonderland falls down a city-landscaped rabbit hole, a post-marriage Cinderella looks downcast with a vacuum cleaner, Gretel snacks on supermarket junk food, unknowingly preparing to be fed to the witch, and so on.
The experience is similar to most new immigrants, although many may not express it as cleverly as Kale did.
Chandler exhibits curator, Jillian Nakornthap said the work was selected because “it was incredibly relatable to many transplants that call Chandler home.”
“Whether you’re from Minneapolis or Mumbai, the culture and climate here is like nothing else, so having an exhibition that discussed the ups and downs of the transition was a no-brainer,” she said.
“Further, many people on the spousal visa, could relate and it may even help for them to know that what they are experiencing is not isolated. They can find others that can help them through this journey, much like Shachi did,” she added.
Now with two sons and a thriving career as a freelance graphic designer, artist and book illustrator, Kale has found contentment anew. The last painting in the show shows her outfitted to soar with the wings of a Phoenix: “the only way out of a fairytale is to step out of the tower, make it through the woods, face the dragon, get reduced to cinders and then build herself up all the way again, like a Phoenix,” she wrote. In 2019, Kale exhibited these works in Scottsdale.
“It is very therapeutic and it’s my passion; the story had been percolating in me for so many years but I think it was only in hindsight that I was able to express it,” she said. “It took me 18 years to see the story from a distance.”
In her show, several of the works are portraits of individuals who helped her in her journey.
“My favorite part of the exhibit is the tribute to the people who made it pos-
Left: Chandler artist Shachi Kale loves experimenting and building on her unique style. Right: Chandler artist Shachi Kale created a series of paintings where she drew modernized imagery from fairy tales and symbolized herself as its characters.
(Courtesy of Shachi Kale)
See KALE on page 44
East Valley Children’s Theatre marks 25 years
BY SRIANTHI PERERA
Contributor
A 25-year-long love letter to creating, performing, growing and making friends that have become family.
That’s how C. Lynn Johnson describes East Valley Children’s Theater.
Her talents run the gamut from theater hair stylist to playwright, all of which have won her awards.
As a teen, she starred in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” the theater’s first production.
“EVCT has been family to me for 25 years,” she said. “It’s a safe space where I can play and create freely. It’s the place that I can say that outside of my family’s influence, shaped me into the person I am today.
“From being one of the performers to myself then being one of those adults shaping the performers who came after me, it’s been an honor to be part of EVCT’s impact on our community,” she added.
For nearly 25 years, the Mesa-based children’s theater has shepherded nearly 14,000 youth ages 5 to 18 who have donned costumes, assumed roles, walked, danced, sung and spoken their practiced words on stage. The nonprofit has produced 86 shows and has grown from a single production and workshop in the first year to a full-service theater offering numerous additional programs, classes, camps and performance troupes among them. It’s also known for its playwriting contest, presenting original works for children annually.
EVCT was an all-volunteer organization until two years ago, when it hired an office manager and a bookkeeper. Its current annual budget is about $250,000 and its main donors have included The Boeing Co. of Mesa and Arizona Commission on the Arts. “I just enjoy working with the theater; I enjoy the kids,” said Karen Rolston, the producing artistic director who played a vital role in the theater’s development.
Rolston, a teacher from Mesa Public Schools, Chandler-Gilbert Community College and Arizona State University, took on the theater in her retirement. Now that the 25th season is about to begin, she plans to retire in earnest.
Also departing is Kathie McMahon, who served in many roles within the organization, the last as past president, head of the advisory board and marketing director.
McMahon, who leads the 25th year anniversary celebration committee, observed, “From performing in a junior high auditorium to becoming a Founding Resident Company of the Mesa Arts Center; from rehearsal in a pre-school building to offering classes, troupes, camps, and performances in a foursuite studio; from an unknown theatre to a highly regarded, award-winning nonprofit organization; it’s been a miraculous 20-plus years.”
A professional musician, McMahon composed original music for seven of EVCT’s productions. She received six ariZoni nominations and four garnered awards.
Parents enroll children in the theater for many reasons, but interest is perhaps key.
Five years ago, Tre Moore of Mesa was enrolled in a musical theater summer camp. That was the beginning of a new passion for the now 17-year-old.
“Theatre appeals to me because the possibilities are endless. Nothing is impossible in theatre. With the right amount of imagination, you can go just about anywhere,” said the self-confessed “completely unapologetic Broadway and musical theatre nerd.”
Parent volunteer Marco Velasquez Sr. of Gilbert said that he enrolled his son, Marco Velasquez Jr. four years ago because he expressed a sincere interest in it. His daughter followed suit.
Now 13, Marco is a seasoned thespian. He began at 9 with a performance with EVCT’s Performance Troupes and moved to stage productions for eight shows and participated in three virtual productions.
His 6-year-old sister Victoria, also a participant, performed in a cabaret show and a production of Tales with Baba Yaga & A Bowl of Soup.
Their father says it has been one of the best decisions he’s made for his children and his family.
“EVCT provides a place where our children can perform, grow in confidence and respect of theatre and their fellow performers, and experience true joy. It’s just such an incredible experience we’ve been fortunate to have,” he said. “EVCT is so unique in that they’ve created a community and home whereby our children are challenged, can grow in confidence, and can experience such fun and beautiful experiences that we, as a family can also enjoy,” said Velasquez, who considers himself an unofficial am-
Preparing for their roles in “The Clumsy Princess” are, from left, Ava Wright of Chandler as Tilly, Marco Velasquez of Gilbert as Prince Stephan and Patricia Dawson of Mesa as Felicity. (Penrod Photography)
KALE from page 42
sible—you know, my fairy godmothers,” she said. “I finally got an opportunity to say thank you in this way to the people who really made big changes in my life.”
Kale’s style harkens to Indian and Persian miniature folk and tribal art; flat and lacking in perspective but enhanced by bold color and details and most often expressing a story.
“I gravitate towards expressing myself somewhat in that storyboard kind of format with patterns, details and borders,” she said.
One of her current favorite subjects is animals from the Southwest desert. Her whimsical, stylized works show birds, tortoises, butterflies, rattlesnakes, javelinas and other creatures in their natural environment.
Before she learned about them, her first concept of the desert, however, was that it’s “super dull.”
“Back in India, we have different foliage and animal life, so it’s been interesting to explore locally what we see here and play with it and enjoy the color palettes,” she said.
“Over the last few years, I found that I’m really beginning to appreciate the Southwest desert landscape a whole lot more,” she added. “When you live here and start loving the place, you notice how rich and vibrant it is and there’s such a variety of shapes and colors and patterns, it really draws me in.”
The Gallery at CCA is curated by Vision Gallery as part of the Cultural Development Division of the City of Chandler. Along with Vision Gallery, it is the only space of its kind in the Chandler area to feature a variety of media from local and regional artists, inspiring the community to discover art in a myriad of forms. Both galleries are non-profit art galleries managed by the Chandler Cultural Foundation.
While buoyed by the opportunity to promote her work in Chandler, Kale is looking forward to her new show in Mesa later in the year which will be themed on self-conversations.
“All these constant ruminations and conversations and moods that have gone on, especially in the last few years in lockdown, and the isolation” calls for explorational art, she said. The mixed media work will tend to be more abstract than this body of work.
Between Two Worlds: Storytelling and Artwork by Shachi Kale is on show through Sept. 25 at The Gallery at CCA, 250 N. Arizona Ave. Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday, admission is free. Details: chandlercenter.org/gallery-cca and shachikale.com.
THEATER from page 42 bassador for the organization.
The theater has drawn some kids out of their shell.
“EVCT has shown me how to show up confidently in a space, be myself, and not worry about looking funny,” Tre said. “I have always been extroverted and outgoing, but EVCT has definitely kept that spark alive.
Some non-theatre related skills last much longer than the applause. Tre lists learning the importance of teamwork, time management, adaptability and sociability as part of his theater education.
East Valley Children’s Theater was created when there was nothing similar in the area.
Its precursor is the Chandler Children’s Theatre, begun by Robert and Patricia Goyer in 1994. They have since both passed.
The organization dissolved after a few years, but the community-minded group, which also included Angie Majed, Christi Moffat, Hazel Morgan and Steve Furedy, decided to build it.
In 1997, they reorganized it with a grant from The Boeing Co. “There wasn’t anything like this at that time. Now there are lots of children’s theaters. In the late 1990s and the early 2000s, there wasn’t anything. It was important for them for something to be here,” Rolston recalled.
In 2005, shows were moved to the prestigious stage at Mesa Arts Center.
Rolston organized a playwriting contest around the same time due to a dearth of plays written for children with a focus on stories and fairy tales.
“It has been so successful,” she said. The last competition received about 60 entries from around the world.
Johnson is perhaps a poster child of how children’s theater can shape someone’s life.
She has written about 10 of the plays that EVCT has performed over the years and has won original script AriZoni’s four times. “One of my favorite parts of writing for children is the out-of-the-box way they interpret my work,” Johnson said. “Kids are so creative and unencumbered by expectations and preconceived notions. They’re spongey-clay, soaking everything up and ready to be molded.”
Everybody is equal on stage.
“Everybody welcomes them and they can be themselves and not worry about being judged about who they were or where they come from,” Rolston said. “Theater is like that.”
Even during the pandemic’s peak, EVCT managed to produce plays virtually, making good use of technology.
“In a field where theatres open and close all the time, and especially during the last year-and-half when theaters went dark across the world, this feels like an almost miraculous milestone,” Johnson said.
Anniversary year
East Valley Children’s Theatre is celebrating its 25th anniversary season from Sept. 23 to June 26 at Mesa Arts Center, 1 E. Main St. • Sept. 23-Oct. 3: The Clumsy
Princess • Dec. 2-12: The Best Christmas
Pageant Ever, the musical • Feb. 10-20: The Prince and the
Pauper, the musical • June 16-26: Marion and the Merry
Men, A New Legend of Robin
Hood. Season tickets cost $50 per person. Details: 480-756-3828 or evct.org
Trio offers Chandler great escapes
BY CECILIA CHAN
Managing Editor
Five themed rooms filled with brain-teasing puzzles and clues await game players at San Tan Village near Williams Field Road and Loop 202.
Orlando-based Escapology with 56 locations around the world opened its first Arizona franchise in Gilbert at the open-air mall next to Victoria’s Secret. A grand opening is scheduled for Sept. 10.
“We didn’t want a party scene,” said Anna Stovall. “We were looking for a family-oriented location – good people, responsible. Gilbert checked all those boxes.” Anna co-owns the Gilbert franchise with her younger brother Cody Stovall and his wife, Leah. The trio in 2019 opened their first Escapology franchise in Farmington, New Mexico, where they live.
They have plans in 18 months to open a second Arizona location, possibly in the Desert Ridge neighborhood of North Phoenix.
Before embarking on their new business venture, Anna worked in real estate, Cody was a pastor and Leah, a teacher.
Anna brings her financial background to the table while Code oversees the construction and Leah handles the payroll and staffing.
It was Leah’s idea to try their hand with the real-life adventure games where people must solve their way out of a locked room in an hour. “When we are traveling, she likes playing escape rooms,” Anna said. “Leah is probably the most enthusiastic. She’s always looking for the next game.”
Leah said she’s gone through 25 escape rooms so far.
“I love puzzles,” she said. “I love to be challenged and I like the idea it takes one hour away from your story and put it into someone else’s.”
What piqued Cody’s interest in the escape rooms is seeing the different perspective emerging from each player in a group. “It’s a completely different experience,” he said in comparison with his prior career as a preacher. “It’s nice.”
The Stovalls researched all the franchise offerings for escape rooms and Escapology was the best fit for them as it was “more professional and polished,” Anna said.
“There’s a certain level of quality and standard,” she explained.
The company boasts a pioneering technology, innovative systems and a low investment and high returns.
“One of the biggest stand-apart features of Escapology is that we don’t force peel to play with strangers,” Anna added. “You only play with the people you come with.”
In each game room, private groups of up to eight people can play. The games are ADA accessible.
The Gilbert location features five games ranging in difficulty with 10 being the hardest: Antidote, 6.5; Scooby-Doo and the Spooky Castle Adventure, 7.5; Lost City, 7.5; 7 Deadly Sins, 8.5 and Mansion Murder, 9. The games are geared for high-school age and older.
The target audience is people in their 40s, Anna said, adding their clientele also will include companies that use the rooms for corporate-team building. A volleyball coach completely changed who was selected as captains after having the team work their way out of a room, Anna recalled. The original team captains quit and sat on the floor while two other girls rallied the team together to try and solve the puzzles, she said. “An enthusiast can come in and play all the games within a year,” she noted. “The general public will do a couple (games) a year.”
She anticipated the games changing out over time. A children friendly game, Saving Santa, will be offered from the end of October/beginning of November through January, Anna said. Although the business will open with five game rooms, a sixth is planned for a game that Anna declined to discuss.
Two weeks before opening the doors, it was all hands on deck for the Stovalls, who were trying to finish up the rooms in the 3,800-square-foot space.
They had the help of Jamie Birch, a contractor for Escapology who builds the Lost City rooms for all the corporate stores – he can put together the room for Lost City in a week’s time. Anna said they were able to find some of the props such as an organ on Facebook Marketplace. Another stand-out feature: the game rooms comprise three separate smaller rooms. For example, in the 7 Deadly Sins room, the first room features a tool shed, the second room the inside of a church and the third a tomb.
“You don’t just stay in one room,” Anna said. “People like to feel they’re progressing.” The management staff is on board for the Gilbert site and hiring was still ongoing recently for gamemasters. They’re the ones who from a control room help players with clues and support throughout the game.
“Escapology isn’t just about escaping a themed room, it’s also about escaping reality for a little while, too,” Anna said.
Escapology’s Gilbert franchise is owned by, from left, Anna Stovall, Leah Stovall and Cody
Stovall. (Pablo Robles/Staff Photographer)
– Anna Stovall
IF YOU GO
What: Escapology is holding a grandopening celebration When: 5 p.m., Friday, Sept. 10 Where: San Tan Village, 2218 E. Williams Field Road, Suite 109, Gilbert Details: The first 100 players who line up beginning at 5 p.m. will have the chance to sign up and reserve a date and time for their free experience or they can choose to receive a free voucher. The venue will be open on Mondays through Thursdays from 3 to 8 p.m., Fridays from 3 p.m. to midnight, Saturdays from 11 a.m. to midnight. and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Information: Escapology.com/en/ Phoenix-(santan), 480-944-5434.
Games featured at Escapology
• Scooby-Doo and the Spookey Castle
Adventure: The town of Crystal Cove and the surrounding areas are being terrorized by monsters and ghosts.
The local Baroness Maria Richman has gone missing and it is suspected that the ghost sightings have something to do with it.
• Mansion Murder: You are Robert
Montgomerie, the only remaining direct heir to the Kildermorie Estate and the Montgomerie Family fortune.
You’re attending a family gathering, hosted by your grandfather, Hugh
‘Monty’ Montgomerie, the 9th Earl of Kildermorie to celebrate the dawn of the new millennium. As the guests raise a toast, a scream fi lls the air…
Your grandfather is found dead in the library – and it looks like murder!
• Antidote: Dr. Walter Brandt is a high-ranking chemical weapons specialist for the United States government, part of a secret department that is only recognized by a series of mysterious numbers and letters. He has been developing powerful viruses capable of eradicating enemy forces with swift pace and deadly accuracy.
He has gone rogue and has become a threat to the U.S. and potentially the entire human race. You are a team of scientists investigating Dr. Brandt’s abandoned laboratory. You’ve been tasked with fi nding the only known antidote to virus TS-51 before it gets passed into enemy hands.
• 7 Deadly Sins: In the late 19th century, during an ill-fated Halloween service, the deranged minister of Crickley
Church decided to kill his entire congregation after their confessions had convinced his twisted mind that they had, among themselves, committed the 7 Deadly Sins. As the congregation choked on their last breaths, the minister incited a curse on the children playing in the rooms beneath the church, and then buried himself alive in the church’s hidden crypt, determined to haunt the church forevermore. Your great grandfather was one of those innocent children. You began to think back on the mysterious deaths of family members and close friends ever since that fateful night.
• Lost City: Archibald Tucker was one of the greatest explorers of the 1930s. His tales of adventure were known the world over and his prized journal documented every adventure. While exploring an abandoned temple in The Lost City, he uncovered a treasure so rare, no man alive had seen it! A sudden gust of wind slams the temple door shut - sealing Tucker and his journal inside! Both were never seen again.
Each room in Escapology is decorated in a way that refl ects the room’s theme.
(Special to SanTan Sun News)
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