August 6th, Sunday 7:00
Liam Mooney
at The Neighborhood Unitarian Universalist Church
Ross Chapel
301 N. Orange Grove, Pasadena
Liam Mooney is a musician who composes for noisy, unwieldy wind and percussion instruments. This often relies upon the use—and misuse—of familiar objects and materials, such as balloons, vacuum cleaners, dry ice, triangles, rubber bands, drums, styrofoam, and pipes and tubes of all sorts.
Mooney grew up in the mountains of Virginia, playing mostly unpitched percussion in marching and concert bands there. He later worked with computer music and electronics for a bit, but his music is mostly all acoustic these days. He now lives and works in Los Angeles.
Liam Mooney
at The Neighborhood Unitarian Universalist Church
Ross Chapel
301 N. Orange Grove, Pasadena
Liam Mooney is a musician who composes for noisy, unwieldy wind and percussion instruments. This often relies upon the use—and misuse—of familiar objects and materials, such as balloons, vacuum cleaners, dry ice, triangles, rubber bands, drums, styrofoam, and pipes and tubes of all sorts.
Mooney grew up in the mountains of Virginia, playing mostly unpitched percussion in marching and concert bands there. He later worked with computer music and electronics for a bit, but his music is mostly all acoustic these days. He now lives and works in Los Angeles.
OGT Sunday Series for July 2, 7:00 is
Accordant Commons
a contemporary vocal chamber music group
at The Neighborhood Unitarian Universalist Church
301 N. Orange Grove, Pasadena
Accordant Commons :
Stephanie Aston, Tany Ling, and Argenta Walther
Accordant Commons is a contemporary vocal chamber music group dedicated to the performance, collaboration, and fostering of new forms of vocal writing and expression. Founded by the multifaceted vocalists Stephanie Aston (http://www.stephanieaston.com/) and Argenta Walther (http://www.argentawalther.com/), Accordant Commons curates thoughtful performances that invite the audience to experience the myriad sound worlds of contemporary vocal chamber music and champions the work of women composers. Accordant Commons has presented concerts throughout Southern California in tandem with LA Phil: Noon To Midnight, MicroFest, People Inside Electronics, San Diego New Music, and completed composition residencies with Cal State Long Beach and the Los Angeles Composers Collective
Accordant Commons
a contemporary vocal chamber music group
at The Neighborhood Unitarian Universalist Church
301 N. Orange Grove, Pasadena
Accordant Commons :
Stephanie Aston, Tany Ling, and Argenta Walther
Accordant Commons is a contemporary vocal chamber music group dedicated to the performance, collaboration, and fostering of new forms of vocal writing and expression. Founded by the multifaceted vocalists Stephanie Aston (http://www.stephanieaston.com/) and Argenta Walther (http://www.argentawalther.com/), Accordant Commons curates thoughtful performances that invite the audience to experience the myriad sound worlds of contemporary vocal chamber music and champions the work of women composers. Accordant Commons has presented concerts throughout Southern California in tandem with LA Phil: Noon To Midnight, MicroFest, People Inside Electronics, San Diego New Music, and completed composition residencies with Cal State Long Beach and the Los Angeles Composers Collective
“Floating Cloud”
Sunday April 30, 7:00 p.m., 2023
at The Neighborhood Unitarian Universalist Church
301 N. Orange Grove, Pasadena
Tickets $15 ($10 tickets seniors, students, and series performers)
"Floating Cloud" -a new work by Alex Cline dedicated with gratitude and reverence
to the memory of Thich GiácThanh and featuring a selection of his poems.
Alex Cline’s Awakening Sound Ensemble:
Vicki Ray - piano
Kozue Matsumoto - koto
Will Salmon - flute
Jeff Gauthier - violin
Maggie Parkins- cello
Alex Cline - percussion
Sunday April 30, 7:00 p.m., 2023
at The Neighborhood Unitarian Universalist Church
301 N. Orange Grove, Pasadena
Tickets $15 ($10 tickets seniors, students, and series performers)
"Floating Cloud" -a new work by Alex Cline dedicated with gratitude and reverence
to the memory of Thich GiácThanh and featuring a selection of his poems.
Alex Cline’s Awakening Sound Ensemble:
Vicki Ray - piano
Kozue Matsumoto - koto
Will Salmon - flute
Jeff Gauthier - violin
Maggie Parkins- cello
Alex Cline - percussion
Poems by Thich Giác Thanh
Enlightenment
Understanding well birth and death
You realize no birth.
Whoever understands true emptiness
Is clear about what I say.
Tears for My Homeland
Oh my beloved homeland,
So many long quiet nights
I lay awake, crying tears of love for you.
Oh my beloved homeland,
What have you done to deserve this?
To let those demons torture you so,
Without remorse, compassion, or brotherly love.They sold you to the Devil King.
Out of love for you
I buy you back with my own flesh and blood,
With my wisdom, my very heart,
And with my whole being.
Even if this body burns into ashes,
I vow to spread them along the road to peace.
Enjoying Tea Alone
Existing in this life,
I know how to enjoy tea alone.
Thirty years, a dream gone by,
Day and night, the little pot of tea is my only friend.
Spring in Prison
Listening to mountains sigh
And white mist falling,
Flowers sway in the evening breeze.
Since the time my step faltered
Loneliness and desolation have set into my life.
Wandering
Traveling past rivers and wharfs
In evening and morning rains,
I have walked through afternoon and morning mist,
Journeyed down rivers covered in drifting fog,
Along roads lined with trees reflecting twilight.
On life’s uncertain journey,
My soul wanders aimlessly as a cloud.
The Colors of a Fallen Flower
One time entering life
Crying crying, laughing laughing,
Suddenly, seeing the colors of a fallen flower.
The traveling steps touched the eternal land.
This mountain, that river,
The soul of the white clouds
Became light and immense.
The One Mind World
From the time Mother Earth first felt pain,
Pebbles cried out dripping blood,
Tears flowed down from compassionate eyes,
I stay awake, stepping gently through the long night
Misty rain falls lightly.
It does not spoil my brown robe.
Instead, it freshens the colors of flowers and leaves.
On the long path, I take another light step.
A Nature Path
Yesterday, walking in nature,
Each flower opened up a paradise.
Today, walking in nature,
Each flower is a flower.
Because flowers are clearly flowers,
I am clearly me.
I do not need to become a flower,
A flower does not need to become me.
Deep Understanding of True Nature
A lightning look
Brings down several great walls.
I bow my head to receive
And remember it life after life.
Storm Rage
He washed his feet in the ocean.
Soft clouds, deep gentle sky,
Stars gather fire from ten directions.
In raging storm, the lotus blooms brilliantly.
Formless Samadhi
Clear water on one side,
Urine on the other,
All will return to sky, clouds, oceans, and rivers.
There is sunlight during daytime
And moonlight at night
Shining my way.
An Orchid Stem
The wonderful transmission
Heart to heart
Is just an orchid branch
And a cup of morning tea.
The unending deep silence.
Light of Winter
Facing white snow
Suddenly
One-self fading away
The whole universe
Turning into a great lamp.
Enlightenment
Understanding well birth and death
You realize no birth.
Whoever understands true emptiness
Is clear about what I say.
Enlightenment
Understanding well birth and death
You realize no birth.
Whoever understands true emptiness
Is clear about what I say.
Tears for My Homeland
Oh my beloved homeland,
So many long quiet nights
I lay awake, crying tears of love for you.
Oh my beloved homeland,
What have you done to deserve this?
To let those demons torture you so,
Without remorse, compassion, or brotherly love.They sold you to the Devil King.
Out of love for you
I buy you back with my own flesh and blood,
With my wisdom, my very heart,
And with my whole being.
Even if this body burns into ashes,
I vow to spread them along the road to peace.
Enjoying Tea Alone
Existing in this life,
I know how to enjoy tea alone.
Thirty years, a dream gone by,
Day and night, the little pot of tea is my only friend.
Spring in Prison
Listening to mountains sigh
And white mist falling,
Flowers sway in the evening breeze.
Since the time my step faltered
Loneliness and desolation have set into my life.
Wandering
Traveling past rivers and wharfs
In evening and morning rains,
I have walked through afternoon and morning mist,
Journeyed down rivers covered in drifting fog,
Along roads lined with trees reflecting twilight.
On life’s uncertain journey,
My soul wanders aimlessly as a cloud.
The Colors of a Fallen Flower
One time entering life
Crying crying, laughing laughing,
Suddenly, seeing the colors of a fallen flower.
The traveling steps touched the eternal land.
This mountain, that river,
The soul of the white clouds
Became light and immense.
The One Mind World
From the time Mother Earth first felt pain,
Pebbles cried out dripping blood,
Tears flowed down from compassionate eyes,
I stay awake, stepping gently through the long night
Misty rain falls lightly.
It does not spoil my brown robe.
Instead, it freshens the colors of flowers and leaves.
On the long path, I take another light step.
A Nature Path
Yesterday, walking in nature,
Each flower opened up a paradise.
Today, walking in nature,
Each flower is a flower.
Because flowers are clearly flowers,
I am clearly me.
I do not need to become a flower,
A flower does not need to become me.
Deep Understanding of True Nature
A lightning look
Brings down several great walls.
I bow my head to receive
And remember it life after life.
Storm Rage
He washed his feet in the ocean.
Soft clouds, deep gentle sky,
Stars gather fire from ten directions.
In raging storm, the lotus blooms brilliantly.
Formless Samadhi
Clear water on one side,
Urine on the other,
All will return to sky, clouds, oceans, and rivers.
There is sunlight during daytime
And moonlight at night
Shining my way.
An Orchid Stem
The wonderful transmission
Heart to heart
Is just an orchid branch
And a cup of morning tea.
The unending deep silence.
Light of Winter
Facing white snow
Suddenly
One-self fading away
The whole universe
Turning into a great lamp.
Enlightenment
Understanding well birth and death
You realize no birth.
Whoever understands true emptiness
Is clear about what I say.
“Floating Cloud” was one of the nicknames given to Thich Giác Thanh (1947-2001), a Vietnamese Zen Buddhist monk, teacher, and poet who, after years of practicing and wandering, escaped Vietnam as a “boat person” in 1981 and ultimately, in North America in 1986, became a disciple of my own teacher, Thich Nhat Hanh (1926-2022). He is reported to have liked this nickname very much—in fact, it was the name given to the hut in which he lived next to Thich Nhat Hanh’s in Plum Village, France, and they are the words which adorn the entrance to his stupa at Deer Park Monastery in Escondido, CA (pictured on this program), where he served as abbot during the monastery’s first year of existence from 2000 to 2001, when he passed away. I never knew or met Giac Thanh, but he has nonetheless become a great influence and inspiration to me, first through his beautiful and insightful poetry and then through many memories and stories about him and his life shared with me by many I’ve met who knew, loved, and deeply respected him. Although for a long time I resisted acknowledging it, I eventually came to recognize and fully accept Giác Thanh as one of my most precious teachers.
For many years I had the aspiration to create a piece of music which would serve as a tribute and appreciation of Giác Thanh, and for many years I balked at my own notion of it and, in a sort of self-generated paralysis, hesitated to attempt it. It wasn’t until a mutual friend of Giác Thanh’s and mine, Van Khanh Ha, a few years ago shared a recording of Giác Thanh reading some of his poems in Vietnamese that the direction I might take to finally manifest this musical aspiration became clearer to me; excerpts from that recording consequently serve as a central presence in the piece. The work finally took shape and was completed when my longtime friend and colleague Will Salmon offered me the opportunity to perform the piece as part of Open Gate’s spring 2023 lineup of concerts. The structure of the piece itself is comprised of seven uninterrupted movements which somewhat loosely follow the trajectory of Giac Thanh’s life and poetic evolution.
A major component of the process that helped me finally get Floating Cloud into some kind of form was my relatively early identification of the musicians I felt would be most appropriate to manifest it. Dubbed the Awakening Sound Ensemble (the dharma name Giác Thanh means Awakening Sound), the phenomenal skill and, happily, willingness of Vicki Ray, Kozue Matsumoto, Will Salmon, Jeff Gauthier, and Maggie Parkins, who are called upon to bring their aptitude and understanding as both improvisors and interpreters of the music, make an undeniably major contribution to the life and dimension of the piece—it is really as much theirs as “mine.” How fortunate I am! I am profoundly grateful to them for their support and encouragement throughout our music-making experience together.
And so I offer you, the listener, Floating Cloud with infinite gratitude to the memory of Thich Giác Thanh and with special thanks to Van, to Will, and to Karen Hilsberg, who gave me the collection of Giác Thanh’s poems, Scattered Memories, when it first appeared seventeen years ago. All the poems included in the piece come from that collection, published by Parallax Press and copyright 2006 by the Unified Buddhist Church.
Bowing deeply in reverence and respect,
Alex Cline - Culver City, CA USA, April 2023
For many years I had the aspiration to create a piece of music which would serve as a tribute and appreciation of Giác Thanh, and for many years I balked at my own notion of it and, in a sort of self-generated paralysis, hesitated to attempt it. It wasn’t until a mutual friend of Giác Thanh’s and mine, Van Khanh Ha, a few years ago shared a recording of Giác Thanh reading some of his poems in Vietnamese that the direction I might take to finally manifest this musical aspiration became clearer to me; excerpts from that recording consequently serve as a central presence in the piece. The work finally took shape and was completed when my longtime friend and colleague Will Salmon offered me the opportunity to perform the piece as part of Open Gate’s spring 2023 lineup of concerts. The structure of the piece itself is comprised of seven uninterrupted movements which somewhat loosely follow the trajectory of Giac Thanh’s life and poetic evolution.
A major component of the process that helped me finally get Floating Cloud into some kind of form was my relatively early identification of the musicians I felt would be most appropriate to manifest it. Dubbed the Awakening Sound Ensemble (the dharma name Giác Thanh means Awakening Sound), the phenomenal skill and, happily, willingness of Vicki Ray, Kozue Matsumoto, Will Salmon, Jeff Gauthier, and Maggie Parkins, who are called upon to bring their aptitude and understanding as both improvisors and interpreters of the music, make an undeniably major contribution to the life and dimension of the piece—it is really as much theirs as “mine.” How fortunate I am! I am profoundly grateful to them for their support and encouragement throughout our music-making experience together.
And so I offer you, the listener, Floating Cloud with infinite gratitude to the memory of Thich Giác Thanh and with special thanks to Van, to Will, and to Karen Hilsberg, who gave me the collection of Giác Thanh’s poems, Scattered Memories, when it first appeared seventeen years ago. All the poems included in the piece come from that collection, published by Parallax Press and copyright 2006 by the Unified Buddhist Church.
Bowing deeply in reverence and respect,
Alex Cline - Culver City, CA USA, April 2023
May 7, 7:00 p.m.
at The Neighborhood Unitarian Universalist Church
301 N. Orange Grove, Pasadena
Tickets $10 ($5 tickets seniors, students, and series performers)
Anne LeBaron (harp) with an OGT Ensemble
and
Roxanne Steinberg (dance) with an OGT Ensemble
OGT Ensemble includes
Alex Cline - percussion
Vinny Golia - winds
Wells Leng - pipe organ,
Jim Mora - lighting tech
Miller Wrenn - bass
Will Salmon - flute, voice
The Sunday Series Improvisers Orchestra is a new open-format large ensemble specializing in the communal music-making mode of conducted improvisation and composed of a wide range of improvisers from the Open Gate Sunday Series and the wider Los Angeles-area experimental music scene. The ensemble's performance on March 5th will be directed by Miller Wrenn in celebration of the Sunday Series' anniversary.
Bradford – Roper & Powell
Bobby Bradford, a native of Cleveland, Mississippi, is one of L.A.'s supreme elders of improvised music, leading his own groups as well as having played with Ornette Coleman, Eric Dolphy, David Murray, Charlie Haden, and John Steven's, to name only a few. William Roper plays tuba, et al, in all types of musical environments, though preferring the opposites of orchestral music and small improvising ensembles.
They are both founding members of CuZn’s, the trio Purple Gums (with Francis Wong) and the quartet The Obihiro Cowboys (with Michael Vlatkovich and Joseph Mitchell).
For the premiere of the Open Gate Improviser’s Concert Series (2023), the CuZn’s will be joined by Garth Powell – Drums and Percussion.
Garth has recorded and or performed with numerous jazz and improvisational artists of note, including: Bruce Ackley, Steve Adams, Marshall Allen, Bonnie Barnett, Tony Bevan, Jaap Blonk, John Butcher, Eugene Chadbourne, Alex Cline, Nels Cline, Marco Eneidi, Douglas Ewart, Fred Frith, Jeff Gauthier,
Giani Gebbia, Vinny Golia, Matthew Goodheart, Greg Goodman, Mats Gustafsson, Henry Kaiser, Peter
Kowald, Steuart Liebig, Raphe Malik, Miya Masaoka, Shoko Mikagi, Eddie Moore, Larry Ochs, Pauline
Oliveros, Jon Raskin, Wadada Leo Smith, Glenn Spearman, Vladimir Tarasov, Bert Turetzky, Peter Van
Bergen, and Michael Vlatkovich.
“Powell plays in a deceptively serene manner, establishing an illusion of tranquility that is often shattered by his
breakaway tactics. He is a mercurial performer who turns the direction of the performance around with his dynamic
execution and just as easily reverts to pensive, pastoral expression. Segments filled with tenderness and
compassion often follow his most robust playing.” Frank Rubolino – One Final Note
Bobby Bradford, a native of Cleveland, Mississippi, is one of L.A.'s supreme elders of improvised music, leading his own groups as well as having played with Ornette Coleman, Eric Dolphy, David Murray, Charlie Haden, and John Steven's, to name only a few. William Roper plays tuba, et al, in all types of musical environments, though preferring the opposites of orchestral music and small improvising ensembles.
They are both founding members of CuZn’s, the trio Purple Gums (with Francis Wong) and the quartet The Obihiro Cowboys (with Michael Vlatkovich and Joseph Mitchell).
For the premiere of the Open Gate Improviser’s Concert Series (2023), the CuZn’s will be joined by Garth Powell – Drums and Percussion.
Garth has recorded and or performed with numerous jazz and improvisational artists of note, including: Bruce Ackley, Steve Adams, Marshall Allen, Bonnie Barnett, Tony Bevan, Jaap Blonk, John Butcher, Eugene Chadbourne, Alex Cline, Nels Cline, Marco Eneidi, Douglas Ewart, Fred Frith, Jeff Gauthier,
Giani Gebbia, Vinny Golia, Matthew Goodheart, Greg Goodman, Mats Gustafsson, Henry Kaiser, Peter
Kowald, Steuart Liebig, Raphe Malik, Miya Masaoka, Shoko Mikagi, Eddie Moore, Larry Ochs, Pauline
Oliveros, Jon Raskin, Wadada Leo Smith, Glenn Spearman, Vladimir Tarasov, Bert Turetzky, Peter Van
Bergen, and Michael Vlatkovich.
“Powell plays in a deceptively serene manner, establishing an illusion of tranquility that is often shattered by his
breakaway tactics. He is a mercurial performer who turns the direction of the performance around with his dynamic
execution and just as easily reverts to pensive, pastoral expression. Segments filled with tenderness and
compassion often follow his most robust playing.” Frank Rubolino – One Final Note
Open Gate Announces the return of:
Open Gate Presents
“The Sunday Evening Music Series”
a monthly new music series
Restarting
Sunday March 5, 2023 at 7:00 p.m.
Bradford – Roper & Powell
Bobby Bradford - Trumpet
William Roper - Tuba and...
Garth Powell - Percussion
and
Sunday Series Improvisers Orchestra
Led by Miller Wrenn
At the
Neighborhood Unitarian Universalist Church
301 N. Orange Grove, Pasadena
$10 ($5 tickets seniors, students, and any one who has performed in series)
Open Gate Presents
“The Sunday Evening Music Series”
a monthly new music series
Restarting
Sunday March 5, 2023 at 7:00 p.m.
Bradford – Roper & Powell
Bobby Bradford - Trumpet
William Roper - Tuba and...
Garth Powell - Percussion
and
Sunday Series Improvisers Orchestra
Led by Miller Wrenn
At the
Neighborhood Unitarian Universalist Church
301 N. Orange Grove, Pasadena
$10 ($5 tickets seniors, students, and any one who has performed in series)
Open Gate Theatre:
Hecuba and other works
February 19th, Sunday 7:00
at the Neighborhood Unitarian Church ,
301 N Orange Grove Blvd, Pasadena
A Dance Opera by Will Salmon
Performed and created by the Open Gate Ensemble
Featuring Nanik Wenten, and I Nyoman Wenten,
With the Gamelan Merdu Kumala led by Hirotaka Inuzuka
There will also an opening musical set by Gamelan Merdu Kumala
The Open Gate Ensemble will include Alex Cline, Mikaela Elson, Jeff Gauthier,
Vinny Golia, Jolee Gordon,Tany Ling, Elliot Menard, Erin Mihalka,
Jim Mora, Maggie Parkins, Jeff Schwartz and Stuart Wheeler
Gamelan Merdu Kumala:
Matthew Clough-Hunter, Shameen Cooper, Geoff Dent, Katrina Dent
Spencer Hauck, Hirotaka Inuzuka, Kayle Khanmohamed, Cordey Lopez
Arev Markarian, Eugene Moon,Steve Saute, Kerri Shak, Julie Simon
Otto Stuparitz, Alex Zhu
Puppet by Mitsu Salmon
Tickets; $15, ($10 students, seniors, and series performers)
Made possible in part by the Pasadena Arts & Culture Commission
and the City of Pasadena Cultural Affairs Division.
The Neighborhood Unitarian Church is a beautiful site, right next to the Gamble House.
It has plenty of free parking and easy access from the 134 freeway.
There is space for social distancing. We also ask the audience to wear masks.
For reservations go to :
https://www.flipcause.com/secure/cause_pdetails/MTc0MDQy
Hecuba and other works
February 19th, Sunday 7:00
at the Neighborhood Unitarian Church ,
301 N Orange Grove Blvd, Pasadena
A Dance Opera by Will Salmon
Performed and created by the Open Gate Ensemble
Featuring Nanik Wenten, and I Nyoman Wenten,
With the Gamelan Merdu Kumala led by Hirotaka Inuzuka
There will also an opening musical set by Gamelan Merdu Kumala
The Open Gate Ensemble will include Alex Cline, Mikaela Elson, Jeff Gauthier,
Vinny Golia, Jolee Gordon,Tany Ling, Elliot Menard, Erin Mihalka,
Jim Mora, Maggie Parkins, Jeff Schwartz and Stuart Wheeler
Gamelan Merdu Kumala:
Matthew Clough-Hunter, Shameen Cooper, Geoff Dent, Katrina Dent
Spencer Hauck, Hirotaka Inuzuka, Kayle Khanmohamed, Cordey Lopez
Arev Markarian, Eugene Moon,Steve Saute, Kerri Shak, Julie Simon
Otto Stuparitz, Alex Zhu
Puppet by Mitsu Salmon
Tickets; $15, ($10 students, seniors, and series performers)
Made possible in part by the Pasadena Arts & Culture Commission
and the City of Pasadena Cultural Affairs Division.
The Neighborhood Unitarian Church is a beautiful site, right next to the Gamble House.
It has plenty of free parking and easy access from the 134 freeway.
There is space for social distancing. We also ask the audience to wear masks.
For reservations go to :
https://www.flipcause.com/secure/cause_pdetails/MTc0MDQy
Open Gate Theatre Celebrates 40 years
Friday November 18, 7:00 p.m. till 10:00
At the Legion Club 131 Marengo Ave 91101
Free though donations are welcome
This celebration will be a bonified party with drinks and snacks. The beautiful Halls of the historic American Legion
will be filled withartifacts of Open Gates many ventures, including giant puppets, masks, loops of video,
programs from past shows, Art work used, etc. There will be music in the Salon and in the grand stone Hallway.
Two new short pieces are “Open Memory” featuring art work by Mitsu Salmon
and Tobar Mayo’s “Tobar’s Hard Won Memories”.
At the end of the evening there will be the premier showing of a new full Video production
“Door of the Confessor” by Ted Lamoureux with Nanik Wenten, Tany Ling and Will Salmon.
Open Gate’s 40 years are well worth celebrating.
Throughout our 40 years Open Gate has worked continually, as a collabortive ensemble creating a remarkable body of work. Have produced over 20 concert length works that we have created and produced over 400 concerts.
In addition to celebrating the past, the event will also celebrate Open Gates ambitious year of 2022-23 concerts.
Our Mission Statement reads:
Open Gate Theatre is dedicated to opening the gates between music, dance, and drama; between cultures;
between the unconscious and the conscious; between emotion, mind, and spirit.
We are both an ensemble and a creative collective,
joining artists from a variety of disciplines on a long term continuing collaboration.
Who’s invited?:
All the people who have performed and created with Open Gate
All the people who Open Gate has presented in concert
All the people who have attended our concerts
All the people who are curious to find out what makes this group keep on creating and want to check us out
(basically anyone)
This production is made possible in part by a grant from
the Pasadena Arts & Culture Commission and the City of Pasadena Cultural Affairs Division.
The Legion is a beautiful old building right between the Pasadena City Hall and Old Town Pasadena. On Friday nights, there is usually free parking on the street nearby, and always paid parking in the nearby Old Town parking facilities.
We have story of peseverence of working wild and steady,
pushing the borders of Avantgarde Jazz, Dance, puppetry, Opera, video etc.
in order to develop a unique theatre that works through archetypes to express the trancendent.
Friday November 18, 7:00 p.m. till 10:00
At the Legion Club 131 Marengo Ave 91101
Free though donations are welcome
This celebration will be a bonified party with drinks and snacks. The beautiful Halls of the historic American Legion
will be filled withartifacts of Open Gates many ventures, including giant puppets, masks, loops of video,
programs from past shows, Art work used, etc. There will be music in the Salon and in the grand stone Hallway.
Two new short pieces are “Open Memory” featuring art work by Mitsu Salmon
and Tobar Mayo’s “Tobar’s Hard Won Memories”.
At the end of the evening there will be the premier showing of a new full Video production
“Door of the Confessor” by Ted Lamoureux with Nanik Wenten, Tany Ling and Will Salmon.
Open Gate’s 40 years are well worth celebrating.
Throughout our 40 years Open Gate has worked continually, as a collabortive ensemble creating a remarkable body of work. Have produced over 20 concert length works that we have created and produced over 400 concerts.
In addition to celebrating the past, the event will also celebrate Open Gates ambitious year of 2022-23 concerts.
Our Mission Statement reads:
Open Gate Theatre is dedicated to opening the gates between music, dance, and drama; between cultures;
between the unconscious and the conscious; between emotion, mind, and spirit.
We are both an ensemble and a creative collective,
joining artists from a variety of disciplines on a long term continuing collaboration.
Who’s invited?:
All the people who have performed and created with Open Gate
All the people who Open Gate has presented in concert
All the people who have attended our concerts
All the people who are curious to find out what makes this group keep on creating and want to check us out
(basically anyone)
This production is made possible in part by a grant from
the Pasadena Arts & Culture Commission and the City of Pasadena Cultural Affairs Division.
The Legion is a beautiful old building right between the Pasadena City Hall and Old Town Pasadena. On Friday nights, there is usually free parking on the street nearby, and always paid parking in the nearby Old Town parking facilities.
We have story of peseverence of working wild and steady,
pushing the borders of Avantgarde Jazz, Dance, puppetry, Opera, video etc.
in order to develop a unique theatre that works through archetypes to express the trancendent.
Voices of Return part 3
June 19, Sunday 7:00
“Philoctetes”
A chamber opera based freely on the Sophocles play,
by Will Salmon and the Open Gate Ensemble.
Also ”Khryse”
By Tany Ling, with the Open Gate Ensemble
Performers: singer/actors Joseph Garate, Charles Lane, Tany Ling, Franz Elson-Phillips, and Will Salmon.
Instrumentalists: Alex Cline, Vinny Golia, Wells Leng,
Jie Ma, Michael Vlatkovitch, and Miller Wrenn
Stage Manager: Jim Mora,
Video: Will Salmon,
Visuals: Seda Saar
at the Neighborhood Unitarian Church ,
301 N Orange Grove Blvd, Pasadena,
Tickets; $15,
with $10 for students, seniors, and Series performers
https://www.flipcause.com/secure/cause_pdetails/MTQ5NTU3
These concerts made possible by an Arts Grant
from the City of Pasadena
The Neighborhood Unitarian Church is a beautiful site, right next to the Gamble House. It has plenty of free parking and easy access from the 2 and 134 freeways. There is space for social distancing. We also ask the audience to wear masks.
June 19, Sunday 7:00
“Philoctetes”
A chamber opera based freely on the Sophocles play,
by Will Salmon and the Open Gate Ensemble.
Also ”Khryse”
By Tany Ling, with the Open Gate Ensemble
Performers: singer/actors Joseph Garate, Charles Lane, Tany Ling, Franz Elson-Phillips, and Will Salmon.
Instrumentalists: Alex Cline, Vinny Golia, Wells Leng,
Jie Ma, Michael Vlatkovitch, and Miller Wrenn
Stage Manager: Jim Mora,
Video: Will Salmon,
Visuals: Seda Saar
at the Neighborhood Unitarian Church ,
301 N Orange Grove Blvd, Pasadena,
Tickets; $15,
with $10 for students, seniors, and Series performers
https://www.flipcause.com/secure/cause_pdetails/MTQ5NTU3
These concerts made possible by an Arts Grant
from the City of Pasadena
The Neighborhood Unitarian Church is a beautiful site, right next to the Gamble House. It has plenty of free parking and easy access from the 2 and 134 freeways. There is space for social distancing. We also ask the audience to wear masks.
Open Gate Theatre returns to live programing with the three part series
“Voices of Return”
at the Neighborhood Unitarian Church , 301 N Orange Grove Blvd, Pasadena
April 3, Sunday 7:00 “Return of the Light“, ”Dragonfly” and The Smudges Open Gate Ensemble performed, featuring the singing of Dwight Trible, the dancing of Roxanne Steinberg, the paintings of Breeze Smith as well as instrumentalist Jeff Gauthier, Maggie Parkins, Will Salmon, Breeze Smith, and Miller Wrenn. Lighting etc. by Jim Mora.
May 1, Sunday 7:00 “Unstuckness Practice” A new chamber opera multi-media work by Sharon Chohi Kim. Performers: Mikaela Elson, Sara Sinclair Gomez, Sharon Chohi Kim, Kathryn Shuman and Wells Leng
These concerts were made possible by an Arts Grant from the City of Pasadena
“Voices of Return”
at the Neighborhood Unitarian Church , 301 N Orange Grove Blvd, Pasadena
April 3, Sunday 7:00 “Return of the Light“, ”Dragonfly” and The Smudges Open Gate Ensemble performed, featuring the singing of Dwight Trible, the dancing of Roxanne Steinberg, the paintings of Breeze Smith as well as instrumentalist Jeff Gauthier, Maggie Parkins, Will Salmon, Breeze Smith, and Miller Wrenn. Lighting etc. by Jim Mora.
May 1, Sunday 7:00 “Unstuckness Practice” A new chamber opera multi-media work by Sharon Chohi Kim. Performers: Mikaela Elson, Sara Sinclair Gomez, Sharon Chohi Kim, Kathryn Shuman and Wells Leng
These concerts were made possible by an Arts Grant from the City of Pasadena
