Peace Out!
Saturday October 16, 2004
7:00 PM – 12:00 AM
Center of Creative Arts (COCA)
524 Trinity Avenue in St. Louis, MO

“Peace Out” Performance - The Power Of Poetry
by Nancy Larson
Vital Voice

Joan Lipkin, co-producer of "Peace Out" and Artistic Director of That Uppity Theatre Company, Stephanie Williams of Word in Motion, and Deborah Stoddard, poet and co-producer of "Peace Out"

ST. LOUIS–With the smell of politics wafting in the air, citizens of St. Louis are taking charge and voicing their opinions. Kerry and Bush have finally given Americans something to talk about with their newly revealed, distinctly opposing politics concerning the war. As Michael Moore’s "Fahrenheit 911" strategically arrives in video stores everywhere just weeks before the election, the Center of Creative Arts (COCA) will also be pulling a few tricks out of its sleeve. This year, COCA has gone coo-coo for politics, and its new performance, "Peace Out!" proves it. Like Moore’s popular and controversial documentary, this performance will be intentionally held one week after the political debates and approximately two weeks before the election.

Joan Lipkin, Artistic Director of That Uppity Theatre Company and Deborah Stoddard, a local poet, collaborated on the creation of the show which is primarily based on the contents of the Poets Against the War Web site, www.poetsagainstthewar.org. This Web site was founded by poet Sam Hamill in response to President Bush’s proposed plans for a "shock and awe" attack on Iraq. Emotionally-charged poems with strong political flavor from this website will be read by actors from several local theaters.

"Peace Out" is not merely a performance — it is an interactive performance that could be better described as an entire event featuring a number of hands-on activities and modes of expression. In the downstairs dance studio, a politically-themed poetry showcase will feature both prominent and emerging St. Louis poets. The performance will be broken down into 20 minute segments interspersed with acoustic musical interludes. The poetry showcase will be followed by an open mic session which will also be restricted to political themes only. In addition, attendees are invited to write haikus and display them for others to read. Other activities include making origami camels (instead of the traditional cranes), visiting the Peace Boutique and tables staffed by various peace and social justice organizations, or taking a quiet moment at the reflection corner. Food and beverages will be available at a reasonable cost.

So take off your coat and stay awhile. Forget about political double-talk and learn about the war from a more artistic perspective.