Shanghaied! Staged Reading
Donation protected
I’m Rachel Tusler. My new, full-length musical, Shanghaied! will receive its world-premiere staged reading this fall at Portland, Oregon’s Siren Theater on September 27 & 28, 2017.
The idea for Shanghaied! occurred to me in an instant. I knew the title and the setting—Portland in the 1890s. I knew it would be bawdy, provocative, and dark—not family-friendly fare. And, I knew it would be a musical.
I dove into research about Portland during the time period, particularly focusing on the intersections of gender, race, class, and power. I read about historical figures like Joseph “Bunko” Kelly and Larry Sullivan, who made their way into the story. I read about the corrupt political system, the disreputable North End neighborhood, and the experiences of women, people of color, and itinerant workers in Portland. I was interested to learn that brothels and saloons were typically less segregated than other establishments at the time, and that the sex work industry provided some women—especially the madams—access to power.
In the late 1800's, the system of indentured servitude that supplied labor for many ships at the time was not generally illegal (the courts had determined that the 13th Amendment didn't apply to sailors). However, there was an exception: the men who supplied sailors for ships tried not to shanghai Native Americans. This wasn't an issue of human rights, but one of government control—kidnapping a Native American would attract the Federal Government's attention. I hadn't read much about Natives in Portland—by the 1890s, many Oregon Indians were on reservations. This fact led me to imagine...what if—as was not uncommon—a Native American escaped from a boarding school? What if he was shanghaied? What if he had a sister who was living in Portland, isolated from Native culture, and determined to discover what happened to her brother?
That is the premise on which the musical is based.
I am generally drawn toward stories that disrupt predominant narratives, and as a Lakota and Osage woman, I was especially intrigued by the opportunity to put a Native American woman at the center of the story. In Western culture (and in the culture of movie Westerns), Native women have often been sexualized, objectified, and rendered voiceless, and I am interested in exploring and subverting those practices. Throughout the writing and casting process, I have been intentional about putting people of color, female-identified people, and other underrepresented groups at the center of the story.
As I developed the book, the language of Shanghaied! evolved as irreverent and, at times, brutal. I want to surprise audiences, make them laugh, challenge them, and subvert their expectations. And, I want to put on a damn good show. When Rory Stitt and I began to collaborate on the songs, an entirely new language developed. Rory created music that is complex, inventive, beautiful, and alternatively raucous and achingly lovely.
The next step in our process is to invite performers to breathe life into the words and music and to invite audiences to be part of the process, so that we can continue the process of bringing Shanghaied! to life.
To do that, we need your help. To make it to the reading, we need to raise $6,500. It is important to me to value the work of all of our contributors by paying them what they are worth. It is important to me to have the reading at a venue in the heart of Portland’s Old Town—the stomping grounds of many of the historical figures I researched. These funds will cover artist and collaborator fees, designer stipends, venue rentals, piano rentals, and promotional efforts to make the reading a strong foothold for a full production in the next three years.
So this is your opportunity to support theater that:
- Is dark and decidedly-adult
- Looks squarely at brutal aspects of Portland’s history
- Puts Native Americans and other people of color at the center of the story
Any bit you can donate helps immensely!
Yours in gratitude,
Rachel Tusler
READING DETAILS:
Siren Theatre at 315 NW Davis St.
7:00 pm on September 27 & 28.
Director: John Oules
Music Direction: Rory Stitt
Casting Consulting: Darcy White
We are currently assembling our cast and production team to dive into the work this summer. As we solidify our personnel, we will post updates! Thank you for your support!
Buy tickets at http://www.merctickets.com/events/45696328/shanghaied-staged-reading
.
RSVP for Shanghaied! on Facebook.
The idea for Shanghaied! occurred to me in an instant. I knew the title and the setting—Portland in the 1890s. I knew it would be bawdy, provocative, and dark—not family-friendly fare. And, I knew it would be a musical.
I dove into research about Portland during the time period, particularly focusing on the intersections of gender, race, class, and power. I read about historical figures like Joseph “Bunko” Kelly and Larry Sullivan, who made their way into the story. I read about the corrupt political system, the disreputable North End neighborhood, and the experiences of women, people of color, and itinerant workers in Portland. I was interested to learn that brothels and saloons were typically less segregated than other establishments at the time, and that the sex work industry provided some women—especially the madams—access to power.
In the late 1800's, the system of indentured servitude that supplied labor for many ships at the time was not generally illegal (the courts had determined that the 13th Amendment didn't apply to sailors). However, there was an exception: the men who supplied sailors for ships tried not to shanghai Native Americans. This wasn't an issue of human rights, but one of government control—kidnapping a Native American would attract the Federal Government's attention. I hadn't read much about Natives in Portland—by the 1890s, many Oregon Indians were on reservations. This fact led me to imagine...what if—as was not uncommon—a Native American escaped from a boarding school? What if he was shanghaied? What if he had a sister who was living in Portland, isolated from Native culture, and determined to discover what happened to her brother?
That is the premise on which the musical is based.
I am generally drawn toward stories that disrupt predominant narratives, and as a Lakota and Osage woman, I was especially intrigued by the opportunity to put a Native American woman at the center of the story. In Western culture (and in the culture of movie Westerns), Native women have often been sexualized, objectified, and rendered voiceless, and I am interested in exploring and subverting those practices. Throughout the writing and casting process, I have been intentional about putting people of color, female-identified people, and other underrepresented groups at the center of the story.
As I developed the book, the language of Shanghaied! evolved as irreverent and, at times, brutal. I want to surprise audiences, make them laugh, challenge them, and subvert their expectations. And, I want to put on a damn good show. When Rory Stitt and I began to collaborate on the songs, an entirely new language developed. Rory created music that is complex, inventive, beautiful, and alternatively raucous and achingly lovely.
The next step in our process is to invite performers to breathe life into the words and music and to invite audiences to be part of the process, so that we can continue the process of bringing Shanghaied! to life.
To do that, we need your help. To make it to the reading, we need to raise $6,500. It is important to me to value the work of all of our contributors by paying them what they are worth. It is important to me to have the reading at a venue in the heart of Portland’s Old Town—the stomping grounds of many of the historical figures I researched. These funds will cover artist and collaborator fees, designer stipends, venue rentals, piano rentals, and promotional efforts to make the reading a strong foothold for a full production in the next three years.
So this is your opportunity to support theater that:
- Is dark and decidedly-adult
- Looks squarely at brutal aspects of Portland’s history
- Puts Native Americans and other people of color at the center of the story
Any bit you can donate helps immensely!
Yours in gratitude,
Rachel Tusler
READING DETAILS:
Siren Theatre at 315 NW Davis St.
7:00 pm on September 27 & 28.
Director: John Oules
Music Direction: Rory Stitt
Casting Consulting: Darcy White
We are currently assembling our cast and production team to dive into the work this summer. As we solidify our personnel, we will post updates! Thank you for your support!
Buy tickets at http://www.merctickets.com/events/45696328/shanghaied-staged-reading
.
RSVP for Shanghaied! on Facebook.
Organizer
Rachel Tusler
Organizer
Portland, OR
