Playwright Jesse Bliss wants audiences to take a ride. And in a vintage convertible no less. Her play The Joy Ride, about four friends who “faced with challenges at a time of deep grief, dare to claim joy,” is set largely inside a classic vehicle. The Roots and Wings Project (RAW), the theatre company Bliss founded in 2001, is presenting the world premiere of the site-specific production now through Oct. 12 at the Graff Angeles Gallery in L.A.’s Arts District. (For more information, see below.)
Following are excerpts from my interview with Bliss on the challenges of executive producing her show outside and her theatre company ”providing a stage and space for voices of the unnamed, unknown and misunderstood.”
What led you to write this play?
My inspiration in writing The Joy Ride was to explore a collective catharsis for four close friends going through serious challenges related to our times. From Kenzi, a man who was in prison for three decades trying to create a new life, to Rafael, a dancer struggling with Long COVID, to Yasmine, a childless dreamer and English teacher who just escaped a detrimental relationship, to Lina, a single mother fighting to build a good life who longs to have free time.
I wrote Roots and Wings, which became the catalyst for our company, about a woman coming to terms with her past to honor her present. This play too, deals with the notion of Sankofa (a Twi word from Ghana) that says we must go back and reclaim our past, without shame of the dark parts, so we can move forward and understand why and how we came to be who we are today.
How did it become a “site-specific” piece?
I first got the idea for the show during the pandemic. It was really hard, and everybody was in quarantine. There was no vaccine, and our theatre company had just done this giant site-specific show, the immersive theatrical tour of DTLA, Luminous Streets in 2019 led by Tobias Tubbs.
That tour took audiences on a guided excursion with multiple plays, by an ensemble that included Real Women Have Curves writer Josefina López, at various venues. They all centered on women’s survival and the pursuit of justice.
I got the idea, like a bolt of lightning, to deliver a show out of a vintage convertible because it was safe for artists and audiences. Everybody could be unmasked and outside. I knew our company was steeled for it. We had dealt with the hazards of working outside in downtown L.A, like being chased by a drug addict.
The Joy Ride is also inspired by theatre legacy. The project hails from echoes of Commedia dell´Arte and more recently Teatro Campesino’s short plays on flatbed trucks for the farm workers and in union halls birthed in 1965. It also evokes the Federal Theatre Project’s Living Newspaper, circa 1935, where actors would interpret current events to a popular audience.
Where did you get the car?
When I first wrote the play I didn’t consider where I’d get the convertible. We got a grant from artEquity to film a workshop production in 2020, and I rented a convertible.
For this run, the car is being provided by my friend Francisco “Franky” Carrillo, Jr. He was convicted for a murder he didn’t commit and served 20-plus years in prison. He was exonerated and awarded a massive restitution.
How does the show work?
The audience is seated in front of the gallery space and the long driveway leading to it. At the top of the show, we meet the women who’ve agreed to a meeting spot, and then the car pulls up. Once it parks, the convertible becomes the theater.
There is a fourth wall. Playgoers are observers watching a slice of life. The characters agree to meet up and they ride out. All of a sudden there’s a giant unraveling of what every person is going through and collectively they determine to free themselves. And actually, there’s a lot of humor.
How did you develop these characters?
They’re all relatable to audiences in their journeys to overcome obstacles. The male characters are based on men I know–a man incarcerated since he was an adolescent and another urgently trying to reclaim his artistry. The two women characters are direct aspects of me, with other women sprinkled in, coping with their pain.
Examination, experience and observation help me choose what issues to tackle. What’s happening in society in the moment drives me. I look through my lens and write about what I feel is pressing against people’s hearts right now in the zeitgeist. And I look at what I’m going through.
Domestic violence is an epidemic and can happen to anyone. Not just women in the hood but also CEOs. In the play Yasmine hasn’t told her friends. When they ask, ‘why not?’ she says, ‘my silence is keeping me safe.’
I’m a single mother so I can relate to Lina, ‘trying to build a good life.’ She’s aways putting her child first and doesn’t have free time or a relationship. She doesn’t feel like she’s a good mom and can’t respect herself. She’s trying her best, but it’s never enough.
What makes The Roots and Wings Project special?
We are a women-run company with my partner, Gabriela Lopez de Dennis, as our associate producer, specializing in site-specific theatre and developing new work by BIPOC women. We not only produce plays that portray what women go through fighting to survive, but also those working to create a life of beauty, celebrate victories and thrive. And people will see that in this play.
I’ve been going into prisons since I was 16. I see the arts as a force for healing. Most of the women are there because they were protecting themselves from domestic violence or a pimp.
Initially I wasn’t interested in all the bureaucracy of running a nonprofit theatre company. Then the company grew exponentially, and we became a 501 (c)(3). But we’ve been able to keep the “raw” aspect and continue going to women’s prisons and keep what we’re about. Going strong for 20 years, the work is intersectional, uniting artists and audiences inside and outside of prison, across race, class, background and artistic discipline.
Can you comment on the casting?
We work with a lot of artists, and this is a new cast we’ve never worked with before. (The ensemble cast features Darian Dauchan, Reginald P. Louis, Marlene Luna Castañeda and Ashlee Olivia.)
It’s an adventure when you embark on one of these journeys. And this is such a talented cast. My approach as director is not to be a dictator. I like asking ‘what do you think of this’ and creating the characters based on connecting the cast to each other. The most important thing is building relationships and trust.
How did you find the location?
The Graff Angeles Gallery, established in 1984, is run by the graffiti crew, Can’t Be Stopped, which was the subject of a 2016 documentary of the same name. The founders appreciate our style of theatre and the message of the show.
Plus, it’s in the heart of the Arts District and the hub of the 2028 Olympics.
You also have an original score.
I became a fan and Teao Sense who founded the international music/artist collective Audiopharmacy in 2002. We had met in Oakland where the multicultural creative team is based. We talked about the show, and I sent him the script. He liked it and said, ‘let me score it.’ So, we collaborated, and his music and cues fit perfectly into the world of the play. The music is stunning and drives the play. It’s another character.
What are the future plans for the Roots and Wings Project?
In 2025 we are planning a one-woman show by Roger Q. Mason we haven’t announced yet. We also want to bring back Luminous Streets. It was ahead of its time, and we have new pieces for it.
Performances are at 8 p.m., Friday and Saturday and 5 p.m., Sunday through Saturday, Oct. 12, outdoors at the Graff Angeles Gallery, 1100 Fifth Street (at Seaton Street) in Downtown LA. There will be a Q&A following the Saturday, Oct. 12 performance. Food and beverages will be available for purchase. Street parking is available. Tickets may be purchased at https://thejoyridetour.eventbrite.com
For more information e-mail therootsandwingsproject@gmail.com
Learn more at https://therootsandwingsproject.com
Steve Simmons is an accomplished writer and editor who writes about a wide array of topics including entertainment. His successful experience at The Beverly Hills Courier and other publications set the stage for his blog. Contact Steve at steve.simmons0211@gmail.com or 626-788-6734.
