October was a busy month for one of OU’s newest progressive groups, Up In Arms. The group wrote, directed, and produced its own politically-charged performance, “Burlesque for the Body Politik.” Despite the time consuming nature of putting on a production of this scale, performers Manda Leigh Martin and Kat Primeau, and technical director Liz Eggert, were able to say a few words about this new and exciting campus group.
The InterActivist: What is Up In Arms all about?
Manda Martin: Up In Arms is a network of activists on campus and throughout the Athens community working together to promote progressive awareness, action, and change through art and media. That’s our official tag line. What does that mean? We want to enable the voice of what has become a very large body of dissatisfied and questioning members of the community, by connecting them to like-minded people and facilitating the production of politically-provocative art, music, dance, film, theater, etc.
IA: What prompted you to form a group like this?
MM: Last year a group of students within the School of Theater got together to try and produce a production of Tony Kushner’s “A Bright Room Called Day,” which is about German artists and intellectuals during the rise of the Third Reich and their varying responses to it. Unfortunately our busy schedules prevailed and we never produced the play, but the conversations that happened around reading that script led a lot of us to want to create more political work. Then when Kat Primeau and I studied abroad in London for spring quarter, we were seeing a lot of political theater, and our conversations continued, until we got back to Athens and decided to really establish something. So we pulled the Bright Room group back together and put the word out among our friends outside of the School of Theater, and Up In Arms was born. The group became official just this quarter, getting University group status at the end of September.
Liz Eggert: Well, I got involved this summer while talking to some girls that are present members. It sounded like a really great chance to do some of the stuff we have all wanted to see done for a long time. Members of the group started playing around with the idea of the burlesque around this time… and from there it turned into a show that a lot of really great people were involved in.
Kat Primeau: I can’t even count the number of times I have found myself in a conversation with complete strangers about what could/should be produced on a campus with as many progressive, talented, motivated students as OU has to offer. With Manda, I finally found someone willing to put in the legwork and get it organized. It feels good to stop philosophizing and start working.
IA: Tell us a little bit about your recent performance, “Burlesque for the Body Politik.”
MM: “Burlesque for the Body Politik” was our first production and fundraiser. We began the night with music from Daniel Schwartz and some of the members of the Princes of Hollywood, Fokushima, and other local musicians. The burlesque show itself was song and dance numbers featuring members of Up In Arms and sketch comedy from Black Sheep Inc., a spin-off group from Lost Flamingo Company. All of the acts were satirical, and addressed a range of national and election issues. We also screened Chris Coogan’s “Why Vote?” video, which was a series of interviews with students around campus; we displayed the artwork of Bill Anderson around the Blue Gator; and representatives from InterAct, People Might, Planned Parenthood of Southeast Ohio, College Dems, and The Wire were all available with voter information and literature on election issues.
LE: Each girl who proposed a song got to pick a theme for that song, and had the chance to express opinions on matters that were important to her, and her group. As a whole, it was a very collaborative process, everyone had a say as to what they wanted the show to look like, sound like and feel like, which was extremely important to all of us involved.
IA: Are there any future shows planned as of yet?
MM: Right now we are developing a production of “My Name is Rachel Corrie,” which will be produced by The InterActivist’s own Kelsey McCoy, and directed by Kat Primeau to go up in March for the anniversary of Rachel’s death. In addition to that, we’re also developing a political poetry group, a t-shirt campaign, and possibly another play for next quarter as well. The wonderful thing is that we have so many people within our network that we have the ability to produce a lot of work.
KP: Theatre may not be able to change the world, but witnessing the passion and eloquence of a woman [Rachel Corrie] who, had she not been killed by a bulldozer in Palestine, would be considered my peer, will undoubtedly remind audience members of their own drive to change the ways of the world.
LE: Most everything is still in the works, but we are working very hard to make these things happen. Keep posted, it will be a trip to see what we come up with next. To me that is the whole fun of the process.
IA: It’s really exciting to see politically-charged performances in the forefront of the Athens art scene. What is your opinion on the importance of the artist’s voice in the realm of politics?
LE: Politically-charged art reaches a crowd that is creative and interested. This is why it is so important to create this kind of art so that that crowd can be involved as well. Art attracts a younger crowd as well, which is also extremely important. Political art is important to me because it seems to broaden the political audience. We should all be aware of our surroundings and our world, and if we can help educate people interested in this medium then we have widened the political audience, and I can say that we have done our jobs.
MM: As an artist and a politically-driven person, I know the obligation I feel to communicate my opinions and understanding of where we are as a county through my art, and I think a lot of the members of the group can empathize with that, which is why we’ve come together to support one another’s voice. I’m of the conviction that art reaches people on a different level than just watching the news or reading a newspaper, especially when people’s distrust of media bias is at an all-time high.
KP: For me, performance is the best medium for expressing my frustrations and concerns for the state of American affairs. I love Fine Arts and have faith in the communicative power of live performance, so a pre-election show seemed only logical.
IA: Do people have to be artists or actors to join Up In Arms?
MM: No, not at all. We depend on a wide-range of people and their abilities to produce our work, and beyond that we value and thrive on a variety of perspectives, opinions, and ideas.
LE: If art or theater is something that you enjoy, but don’t avidly participate in, you have every invitation to feed us your opinions. That to me is what this is all about, getting people to think in creative ways. If this is something you could become interested in then by all means please contact us. •
For more information or to volunteer for one of its productions, contact Up In Arms at upinarmsgroup@hotmail.com or join their facebook group “Up In Arms.”
Showing posts with label Michael Lottes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Michael Lottes. Show all posts
Feb 25, 2008
Feb 23, 2008
Advocates for healthcare reform - Group spotlight
I recently had a chance to sit down with LaPortia McElrath and Kristin Kaffen from Ohio University’s Advocates for Healthcare Reform (AHR). AHR is a relatively new group that began last spring and is seeking to educate the people of Southeastern Ohio on the current problems with the healthcare system in America and to gather signatures for a petition supporting the “Health Care for All Ohioans Act.”
InterActivist: Why exactly is healthcare reform needed?
Laportia McElrath and Kristen Kaffen: The healthcare system in America is run by private insurance companies with little to no regulation. Currently about $11.6 billion per year is wasted on this inefficient private insurance system with a 20-30 percent administrative overhead. It’s an extremely expensive proposition to keep people insured; in fact about 46 percent of personal bankruptcies are related to medical expenses. The prices for insurance have become outrageous; it’s about $400 a month to keep a family of four insured. We’ve actually talked to a physician in The Plains who can’t even afford his own personal healthcare insurance. Here in Ohio, things are especially bad. As of now, 1.3 million Ohioans have no health insurance and millions more live with inadequate coverage.
IA: But I thought America had the best healthcare system in the world, right?
LM & KK: Actually, the World Health Organization ranks the US healthcare system 37th in quality as compared to other countries, according to figures from 1997. Many countries already have a universal healthcare system in place. We’re seriously beginning to lag behind the rest of the world in terms of healthcare; even Botswana has its own universal healthcare system. Every year Americans spend nearly twice as much per person on healthcare as any other country, and we get less for it because most of that money is going to private insurance providers.
IA: OK, so private healthcare insurance is obviously not working very well, but what are our other options?
LM & KK: We’re advocating a universal system of healthcare known as the Single-Payer system. Basically, it entails the creation of a non-profit governmental agency, which is responsible for one fund that would make payments for all medical services. We are working in conjunction with SPAN-Ohio (Single-Payer Action Network) to collect petitions to get the “Health Care for All Ohioans Act” put into action in order to create a Single-Payer system here in Ohio.
IA: What are the key points of the “Health Care for All Ohioans Act?”
LM & KK: If it became a law, it would provide coverage for the full range of inpatient and outpatient hospital care, preventive care, mental health, vision, hearing, prescription drugs, dental, and all other necessary medical services as determined by any state licensed, certified, or registered health care practitioner. It would provide coverage regardless of income or employment status. It would even go so far as to reimburse workers at insurance companies, who might lose their jobs as a result of the changes brought about by the “Health Care for All Ohioans Act.”
IA: So what is Advocates for Healthcare Reform doing to help make universal healthcare a reality?
LM & KK: Right now we’re working to educate the community about the great need for a single-payer system. There are a lot of myths associated with universal healthcare; it’s not the same as socialized medicine. Under a universal system people still have a choice as to which doctor they see and when. You can still receive the same amount of care from your own personal doctor. We’re also collecting petitions to try and get the “Health Care for All Ohioans Act” put directly on the ballot, so Ohio voters can vote on whether or not to make it a law.
IA: Is either gubernatorial candidate this year pushing for any kind of similar reform?
LM & KK: Not exactly. Blackwell is pushing for a “universal insurance plan,” which still leaves room for insurance companies to act as the middle man in healthcare. Strickland is trying to push for more federal grants, but he’s basically advocating Medicare under a different name. That’s why it’s so important that we collect enough signatures for a petition to get the “Health Care for All Ohioans Act” put directly on the ballot in the next election.
IA: How can people living in the Athens area help?
LM & KK: We are always looking for volunteers to help us in our campaigns, to create awareness and educate people about the need for healthcare reforms. We are also canvassing Southeast Ohio to collect signatures for the petition. Advocates for Healthcare Reform is responsible for getting signatures from Hocking, Athens, and Vinton counties. Remember, healthcare shouldn’t be a privilege that we pay for. We all have a basic right to healthcare.
It was a pleasure talking to these two women who are very passionate on the subject. It’s important to remember that the need for healthcare affects everyone. For more information, contact AHR at advhealth@ohio.edu or check out their website at www.ohiou.edu/advhealth. AHR also hosts meetings every Monday night at 8 p.m. in Grover Hall Room W113. •
Mike Lottes is the managing editor of The InterActivist.
InterActivist: Why exactly is healthcare reform needed?
Laportia McElrath and Kristen Kaffen: The healthcare system in America is run by private insurance companies with little to no regulation. Currently about $11.6 billion per year is wasted on this inefficient private insurance system with a 20-30 percent administrative overhead. It’s an extremely expensive proposition to keep people insured; in fact about 46 percent of personal bankruptcies are related to medical expenses. The prices for insurance have become outrageous; it’s about $400 a month to keep a family of four insured. We’ve actually talked to a physician in The Plains who can’t even afford his own personal healthcare insurance. Here in Ohio, things are especially bad. As of now, 1.3 million Ohioans have no health insurance and millions more live with inadequate coverage.
IA: But I thought America had the best healthcare system in the world, right?
LM & KK: Actually, the World Health Organization ranks the US healthcare system 37th in quality as compared to other countries, according to figures from 1997. Many countries already have a universal healthcare system in place. We’re seriously beginning to lag behind the rest of the world in terms of healthcare; even Botswana has its own universal healthcare system. Every year Americans spend nearly twice as much per person on healthcare as any other country, and we get less for it because most of that money is going to private insurance providers.
IA: OK, so private healthcare insurance is obviously not working very well, but what are our other options?
LM & KK: We’re advocating a universal system of healthcare known as the Single-Payer system. Basically, it entails the creation of a non-profit governmental agency, which is responsible for one fund that would make payments for all medical services. We are working in conjunction with SPAN-Ohio (Single-Payer Action Network) to collect petitions to get the “Health Care for All Ohioans Act” put into action in order to create a Single-Payer system here in Ohio.
IA: What are the key points of the “Health Care for All Ohioans Act?”
LM & KK: If it became a law, it would provide coverage for the full range of inpatient and outpatient hospital care, preventive care, mental health, vision, hearing, prescription drugs, dental, and all other necessary medical services as determined by any state licensed, certified, or registered health care practitioner. It would provide coverage regardless of income or employment status. It would even go so far as to reimburse workers at insurance companies, who might lose their jobs as a result of the changes brought about by the “Health Care for All Ohioans Act.”
IA: So what is Advocates for Healthcare Reform doing to help make universal healthcare a reality?
LM & KK: Right now we’re working to educate the community about the great need for a single-payer system. There are a lot of myths associated with universal healthcare; it’s not the same as socialized medicine. Under a universal system people still have a choice as to which doctor they see and when. You can still receive the same amount of care from your own personal doctor. We’re also collecting petitions to try and get the “Health Care for All Ohioans Act” put directly on the ballot, so Ohio voters can vote on whether or not to make it a law.
IA: Is either gubernatorial candidate this year pushing for any kind of similar reform?
LM & KK: Not exactly. Blackwell is pushing for a “universal insurance plan,” which still leaves room for insurance companies to act as the middle man in healthcare. Strickland is trying to push for more federal grants, but he’s basically advocating Medicare under a different name. That’s why it’s so important that we collect enough signatures for a petition to get the “Health Care for All Ohioans Act” put directly on the ballot in the next election.
IA: How can people living in the Athens area help?
LM & KK: We are always looking for volunteers to help us in our campaigns, to create awareness and educate people about the need for healthcare reforms. We are also canvassing Southeast Ohio to collect signatures for the petition. Advocates for Healthcare Reform is responsible for getting signatures from Hocking, Athens, and Vinton counties. Remember, healthcare shouldn’t be a privilege that we pay for. We all have a basic right to healthcare.
It was a pleasure talking to these two women who are very passionate on the subject. It’s important to remember that the need for healthcare affects everyone. For more information, contact AHR at advhealth@ohio.edu or check out their website at www.ohiou.edu/advhealth. AHR also hosts meetings every Monday night at 8 p.m. in Grover Hall Room W113. •
Mike Lottes is the managing editor of The InterActivist.
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