ULCA students of Peter Sellars, Janna Shadduck & John Malpede

 

Each person in Skid Row is given "stock" in thephysical space. Every single person, sick or well, sane or insane, alcoholic or sober, white / black / brown / mixed / native American or young or old, recent arrival or long-term resident, Christian /Jew / Muslim /Athiest / Agnostic, drug addict or drug free, USA citizen or illegal immigrant.

Each and every person who walks that part of the earth; is dignified with a duty and a responsibility --- for the survival of the space ---of the place ---could include painting over graffiti or sweeping a 10 foot by 10 foot piece of sidewalk----

Or escorting a crippled person around town, or ladling soup, or helping someone fill out paperwork for a service needed--- to setting up / taking down chairs for community meetings.

One and all have a voice at democratic town meetings, attended by Skid Row Residents plus:

            -LA Police Chief

            -LA Mayor

            -LA city Attorney

            -etc.

            -All interested people from LA County and beyond.


  
Susanna Dias Johnson

I know a world that is "globalized" or what not, as it is, is really lacking a lot of awareness.   I know a world that pays actors hella money and teachers hardly any.   I know a world that ignores and oppresses its minorities still, even when it may claim otherwise.   This American world that I know is not the one I want to remember.
Katie Kincaid

Utopia is a feeling.   A feeling of security, acceptance, safety, abundance, trust and universal   love.   Utopia can be felt in a fleeting moment between tow strangers…. found in a good deed or a kind word.   We each have inside of us a sense of things, ourselves and lives being "all right" or "all wrong" and its in our own interest to think of each other because the act itself perpetuates that feeling of gratitude, acceptance, safety which will lead to more acts and more acts.

The more this phenomenon circles the closer we step collectively toward utopia.

Utopia….uuuuuutopia.   You-topia. Me-topia.   We -topia. Us -topia. Remember the drink Fruitopia?   What ever happened to that drink?   I liked the peach papaya flavor.

Maria

Break dancing whenever and wherever I want to- that is my Utopia. There is such a timeless period when you really get into it. When I really focus on the dance, all the stress, anxiety, and sadness fades away…. If I could dedicate my life to breaking I would in a heart beat. But enough of me wants to stay in school and finish. But back to break dancing when ever and wherever. If there was a space available, accessible anytime, that would be the best…not worrying about all the red tape that goes into acquiring a place. A manager- that's Utopia…or   better yet, a personal assistant that could handle my places to practice, my bills, chores…FUCK YEAH! That would allow for way more chill time. Why can't life be this easy? It should! Imagine if a breaker had a personal assistant like famous music artists have. But anyway, I want to break today.

It's my life gotta be the best. Breaking, the dance, the culture is my Utopia.
James Bernard Datu

Taken from the last line of the reading: 'with all the plants and the garden in the backyard you could hardly tell we lived in the city."   For some reason that brought about the image of the backyard of my house in Boston and suddenly the berry bushes from my Dad's house in Rome got in there. Then the family from the movie " The Polish Wedding" took up residence (even though that was Detroit, not Boston).    Utopia.   Oh, I guess in my "utopia movie", they are happy despite being cramped living piled on top of one another.   They relish the closeness and accept the differences and eccentricities because it maintains the peace and well-being of everyone involved.   There are parts of the their community that remind them of home and others that don't, but it all comes together in one big hybrid of a day to day existence; their peace; their refuge.   Suspended in time; together with friends and family in that backyard…. Pressure, worry, limitations, obligations cease to exist.   Eating, talking relaxing… it serves as its own little private utopia for its inhabitants…regardless of what goes on outside of it.
Ivan

In my utopia everyone would have a sense of purpose, of importance to society; an importance to someone.   I think that's one of the biggest problems, when someone doesn't feel valued.   In my utopia a talented artist would be an artist and wouldn't have to do his accounting job.   In my utopia a homeless person on the street wouldn't have to feel worthless when someone called "get a job".   Instead of giving him / her an opportunity to excel.   In my utopia everyone would be busy doing what they love: teaching, learning, building, creating, inventing.   No one would judge because everybody would be contributing and benefiting.

I want a world where it rains but your cloths aren't sticky when you go back inside.   I want a world where candy and ice cream are healthy too.   I want a world where my hair won't get brittle and break off when I'm old.

Utopia is a seemingly unreachable thing because no one is the same, and some things just cannot become realities.   But some things should be.   People should think with their hearts instead of their pockets.   People should look at one another as family because really we all are anyway.   People should worry less about material things like diamonds or at least not cut off peoples' hands to get them.   People should learn appreciation and love.

Maxine S. Wolf
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