VARIATIONS on Putting It Together Part Three

And the final post from Executive Director Adam Adolfo summing up The Art of making Art

Bit by bit, putting it together.
Piece by piece, working out the vision night and day.
All it takes is time and perseverance
And a little luck along the way.
Putting in a personal appearance
Gathering supporters and adherents...

When we say night and day, we quite literally mean night and day. We frequently find ourselves eating, breathing, sleeping, Artes de la Rosa. Spending long hours at ‘the shop’ building the sets, shopping for props on what should be a lazy Sunday afternoon, sewing into the dark of night to make sure each bangle, dangle, and jewel is on ‘just right’. The designers, technicians, and volunteers who work tirelessly on Artes de la Rosa productions are the unsung heroes of each season. The hundreds of hours needed to produce a single production is mind-blowing and can easily become overwhelming. We persevere because we know the product will be more then the sum of our parts.

Noting every song but in addition,
Harmonizing each negotiation,
Balancing the part that's all musicians
With the part that's strictly presentation,
Balancing the money with the mission
Till you have the perfect orchestration,
Even if you do have the suspicion
That it's taking all your concentration.

Harmony. Harmony isn’t just a vocal conceit. It’s a spiritual one as well. You attempt to create a sense of belonging, family, and unity amongst designers, technicians, musicians, singers, choreographers, directors, orchestrators, librettists, and boards. Its not easy and you don’t always succeed in this endeavor. Spats occur. Feelings get hurt, and then, You get over it and get back to work. Why? Because we live for the art. Oscar Wilde said, THE STAGE IS NOT MERELY THE MEETING PLACE OF ALL THE ARTS, BUT IS ALSO A RETURN OF ART TO LIFE. With that thought, it would stand to reason, that in the theatre is where we are our most alive. Question: How many of us have sat in a dark theatre and fallen in love with the art? So we endeavour for harmony and work together to make art…bit by bit, putting it together.

The art of making art...
Is putting it together
Bib by bit, beat by beat, part by part
Sheet by sheet, chart by chart,
Song by song, Bit by bit,
Reel by reel, Pout by pout,
Stack by stack, Snit by snit
Meal by meal, Shout by shout
Deal by deal, Spat by spat
Shpiel by shpiel, Doubt by doubt
And that...
Is the state of the art!

Any questions?

Variations on PUTTING IT TOGETHER or What Does an Executive Director Do?

In this first of three blog posts, Executive Director Adam Adolfo talks about the Art of Making Art...

I’m often asked, what is it you do exactly? To be honest, there is no exact about it. As Executive Director for Artes de la Rosa I look out for both the fiscal and artistic future of the company. That’s a very broad and sweeping generalization, but it is also the most concise I can offer. I direct you to a song, Putting It Together, music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. It gives you the idea of what I do on any given day…

Art isn’t easy…
Even when you’re hot
Advancing Art is easy
Financing it is not!

A vision's just a vision if it's only in your head!
If no one gets to see it, it's as good as dead!
It has to come to life!

Artes de la Rosa is all about that… art coming to life. More specifically Latino art! Artes de la Rosa gives us a chance to experience worlds and cultures that lie deep in our imagination. It also gives a deeper glimpse into our own world. The arts are a uniquely human experience…and that humanity through artistry is what defines us. It is the artist who finds the soul of humanity and allows others to experience their own self discovery…their own humanity. That is not a right of our culture…it is a privilege. A privilege you get to be a part of when you take your seat at the Rose Marine Theater. ONLY at Artes de la Rosa can you be transported from the heated nights of Havana with a cat clawing on the tin roof, to the dark dangerous world of a Latin American prison where dictators rule. Only at Artes de la Rosa can you experience a piece of Argentina, Mexico, Brazil, Puerto Rico, and Venezuela without needing a passport.

Bit by bit, Putting it together
Piece by piece, only way to make a work of art
Every moment makes a contribution,
Every little detail plays a part.
Having just a vision's no solution,..
Everything depends on execution
Putting it together, that's what counts!

Vision. Vision is almost the easy part… almost. Before you can achieve vision you must construct the frame work upon which vision will hang. You construct a season, you construct a design team, you construct a production staff, and if you’re lucky you’re working with the best; you start with this team and you set off to ‘create a vision’. I have been extremely lucky! From our directors Yvonne Duque and Tammy Gomez to our administrative staff Maria Solano and Mark Alcala – and everyone in between – we have been fortunate enough to work with the best. But that’s just the start…all of it is just vision… getting the vision on stage is a whole other set of issues!

Ounce by ounce, putting it together
Small amounts, adding up to make a work of art.
First of all you need a good foundation,
Otherwise it's risky from the start.
Takes a little cocktail conversation,
But without the proper preparation,
Having just a vision's no solution,
Everything depends on execution...

The art of making art
Is putting it together, bit by bit.

Execution. Execution sounds wrong – and scary in the right context. This is both the fun and hard part of arts administration. The ‘cocktail conversation’ as a stepping stone for ‘funds for your foundation’. It is imperative for you to be out in the public making connections not only with artists and art administrators but more importantly art enthusiast, philanthropists, and benefactors. The sheer macrocosm of the number of people I meet at a single event is astounding and trying to keep names, positions, and relationships straight in the mind – let alone trying to cultivate them into fruitful long lasting partnerships – is an almost unnavigateable strait. But these individuals, INCLUDING YOU, are the most vital part of Artes de la Rosa. Did you know individual donor contributions make up a crucial part of Artes de la Rosa revenue? Ticket prices do not begin to cover the costs of venue, artists, designers and musicians. Individual donations are the foundation of what allows us to keep prices on our tickets so low. Low ticket prices are the key to our accessibility. That is an unwavering commitment that we are not willing to negotiate. Keep the prices low so that we can see new faces and create new fans while celebrating our old ones!

Link by link, making the connections
Drink by drink, taking every comment as it comes.
Learning how to play the politician
Like you play piano, bass and drums.
Otherwise you'll find your composition
Isn't gonna get much exhibition.


Part Two of Adam's post to come next week! Also be on the look out for a Casting Announcement for our Cuban inspired production of CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF.