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Attachment theory describes several behavioural systems, the function of which is to regulate human attachment, fear, exploration, care-giving, peer-affiliation and sex. Attachment is defined as any form of behaviour that results in a person attaining and retaining proximity to a differentiated other. The primary caregiver is the source of the infants stress regulation and, therefore, sense of safety and security. Attachment theory emphasises the role of the parent as mediator, reflector and moderator of the childs mind and the childs reliance on the parent to respond to their affective states in ways that are contingent to their internal experience, a process often referred to as secure base/safe haven functioning. Within the close parent-child relationship neural networks dedicated to feelings of safety and danger, attachment and the core sense of self are sculpted and shaped. These networks are conceptualised as internal working models of attachment.
Characteristic patterns of interaction operating within the familys caregiving-attachment system give rise to secure, insecure and disorganized patterns of attachment. These discrete patterns have been categorized using the Strange Situation research procedure, which observes the young childs behaviour when separated and reunited with his or her primary caregiver. Attachment patterns are represented in the childs internal working models of self-other relationships. Secure attachment is promoted by the interactive regulation of affect, which facilitates the recognition, labelling and evaluation of emotional and intentional states in the self and in others, a capacity known as reflective function or mentalization. The recognition of affects as having dynamic, transactional properties is the key to understanding behaviour in oneself and in another. The child comes to recognize his or her mental states as meaningful self-states via a process of parental affect mirroring and marking. Secure children are able to use sophisticated cognitive strategies to integrate and resolve their fear of separation and loss.
When the parent is unavailable, inconsistent or unpredictable, the infant develops one of two organized insecure patterns of attachment: avoidant or ambivalent-resistant. These defensive strategies involve either the deactivation or hyper-activation of the attachment system. Deactivation is characterized by avoidance of the caregiver and by emotional detachment. In effect, the avoidant child immobilizes the attachment system by excluding thoughts and feelings that normally activate the system. Hyper-activation is manifested by an enmeshed ambivalent preoccupation with the caregiver and with negative emotions, particularly anger. However, in common with the avoidant child, the ambivalent child appears to cognitively disconnect feelings from the situation that elicited the distress. Disorganised-disoriented attachment is discussed below.
Attachment research, then, demonstrates that discrete patterns of secure, insecure, and disorganized attachment have as their precursor a specific pattern of caregiver-infant interaction and their own behavioural sequelae. Repeated patterns of interpersonal experience are encoded in implicit-procedural memory and conceptualized as self-other working models of attachment. These mental models consist of generalized beliefs and expectations about relationships between the self and key attachment figures, not the least of which concerns ones worthiness to receive love and care from others.
In sum, the care-giving environment generally, and the infant-caregiver attachment relationship particularly, initiate the child along one of an array of potential developmental pathways. Disturbance of attachment is the outcome of a series of deviations that take the child increasingly further from adaptive functioning. Child abuse and cumulative developmental trauma violate the childs sense of trust, identity and agency and have pernicious and seminal influences on the developing personality. In essence, internal working models of early attachment relationships provide the templates for psychopathology in later life, which may include violent, destructive and self-destructive forms of behaviour. In attachment theory, the main purpose of defence is the regulation of emotions. The primary mechanisms for achieving this are distance regulation and the defensive exclusion of thoughts and feelings associated with attachment trauma.
Early trauma in the form of abuse, loss, neglect and severe parent-child misattunement compromises brain-mediated functions such as attachment, empathy and affect regulation. From an attachment theory perspective, patterns of attachment are encoded and stored as generalized relational patterns in the systems of implicit memory. These are conceptualized as cognitive-affective internal working models which are seen as mediating how we think and feel about ourselves, others and the relationships we develop. Although open to change and modification in the light of new attachment experiences, whether positive or negative, these non-conscious procedural models, scripts or schemas within which early stress and trauma are retained, tend to persevere and guide, appraise and predict attachment-related thoughts, feelings and behaviours throughout the life cycle via the implicit memory system. Psychopathology is seen as deriving from an accumulation of maladaptive interactional patterns that result in character traits and personality types and disorders.
Disorganised attachment may occur when the childs parent is both the source of fear and the only protective figure to whom to turn to resolve stress and anxiety. In such instances, neither proximity seeking nor proximity avoiding is a solution to the activation of the childs attachment and fear behavioural systems. If the trauma remains unresolved and is carried into adulthood, it leaves the individual vulnerable to affect dysregulation in interpersonal conflict situations that induce fear, hate, shame and rage. In such cases, alcohol and illicit drugs are often resorted to as a maladaptive means of suppressing dreaded psychobiological states and restoring a semblance of affective equilibrium.
Findings show that disorganised attachment developed in infancy shifts to controlling behaviour in the older child and adult, reflecting an internalized mental model of the self as unlovable, unworthy of care and support, and fearful of rejection, betrayal and abandonment. Disorganised attachment is associated with a predisposition to relational violence, to dissociative states and conduct disorders in children and adolescents, and to personality disorders in adults. This state of mind constitutes a primary risk factor for the development of borderline, anti-social and sociopathic personality disorders. The rate of such disorders in forensic settings is particularly high. Clinically, dissociated traumatic experience is unsymbolized by thought and language, being encapsulated within the personality as a separate, non-reflective reality which is cut off from authentic human relatedness. The information contained in implicit memory may be retrieved by state-dependent moods and situations. Dissociated archaic internal working models are then activated, influencing and distorting expectations of current events and relationships outside of conscious awareness, particularly in situations involving intense interpersonal stress. In such situations, the self is felt to be endangered, thereby increasing the risk of an angry and potentially violent reaction.
The Doll Project is a series of conceptual digital photographs that uses fashion dolls to embody the negative messages the media gives to young girls. Though it would not be fair to blame it all on Barbie, there have been many instances in which she has come dangerously close. I chose to use Barbie dolls because they are miniature mannequins, emblems of the fashion world writ small, a representation of our culture's impossible standards of beauty scaled to one sixth actual size. The little pink scale and How To Lose Weight book are both real Barbie accessories from the 1960s. They are recurring motifs in the pictures in the series, symbolizing the ongoing dissatisfaction many girls and women feel about their weight and body image. The dolls' names, Ana and Mia, are taken from internet neologisms coined by anorexic and bulimic girls who have formed online communities with the unfortunate purpose of encouraging each other in their disordered eating. With each passing era, Ana and Mia are younger and younger, and the physical ideal to which they aspire becomes more unattainable. They internalize the unrealistic expectations of a society that digitally manipulates images of women in fashion and beauty advertisements and value their own bodies only as objects for others to look at and desire.
Read more about the project here:
tiffanygholar.blogspot.com/2008/08/doll-project.html
Purchase prints here:
Weathervane Playhouse in Akron, Ohio, presents Lorraine Hansberry's "A Raisin in the Sun" -- live on stage from Jan. 29 to Feb. 15.
ABOUT THE SHOW
Set during the early 1950s, "A Raisin in the Sun" tells the timeless story of one family’s grasp for a piece of the American Dream — and the explosive backlash that erupts when they seek to become the first black family to move into an all-white neighborhood.
The play revolves around the divergent dreams and conflicts within three generations of the Youngers, a black family living in a cramped apartment in Chicago’s racially segregated Southside neighborhood. The family’s struggle for dignity and their quest for a better life shape the powerful drama in this ground-breaking masterpiece of the American theater
Younger family matriarch Lena (whom everyone calls “Mama”) is the strong, moral heart of her clan, but she clashes frequently with her extended family. The family’s “man of the house” is her son Walter Lee, who works as a chauffeur but remains frustrated by his dead-end position in both life and the workplace. Walter’s wife is Ruth, who masks her discontent by directing all her energies toward her husband and their young son, Travis. Walter’s sister, Beneatha, is a young dreamer who dabbles in various hobbies and activities but embraces a strong desire to become a doctor.
When the insurance money from her deceased husband’s insurance policy comes through, Mama dreams of moving to a new home and a better neighborhood. But Walter Lee, who describes himself as a volcano full of internalized regrets and pipe dreams, has other plans: he wants to buy a liquor store and be “his own man.” Meanwhile, Beneatha wants to spend the money on her medical schooling. The tensions within the family and the blatant prejudice they receive from outside their home combine to shape the rich dramatic texture in this seminal American play.
THE CAST
TAMICKA SCRUGGS
Ruth Younger
BRIAN KENNETH ARMOUR
Walter Lee Younger
JOHNTAE LIPSCOMB
Travis Younger
TAYLOR ADAMS
Beneatha Younger
KEEYA CHAPMAN-LANGFORD
Lena Younger
MICHAEL SWAIN
Joseph Asagai
BRIAN STEELE
George Murchison
CHACE COULTER
Karl Lindner
KYM WILLIAMS
Bobo
THE CREATIVE TEAM
JIMMIE WOODY
Director
TABA ALEEM
Stage Manager
SCOTT CRIM
Lighting Designer
AUDREY FLIEGEL
Sound Designer
JOE HUNTER
Properties Designer
JASEN J. SMITH
Costume Designer
TODD DIERINGER
Scenic Co-Designer
KATHY KOHL
Scenic Co-Designer and Assistant Technical Director
The photos in this Flickr set were shot for Weathervane Playhouse by Scott Diese at the show's final dress rehearsal on Jan. 28, 2015.
Weathervane Playhouse in Akron, Ohio, presents Lorraine Hansberry's "A Raisin in the Sun" -- live on stage from Jan. 29 to Feb. 15.
ABOUT THE SHOW
Set during the early 1950s, "A Raisin in the Sun" tells the timeless story of one family’s grasp for a piece of the American Dream — and the explosive backlash that erupts when they seek to become the first black family to move into an all-white neighborhood.
The play revolves around the divergent dreams and conflicts within three generations of the Youngers, a black family living in a cramped apartment in Chicago’s racially segregated Southside neighborhood. The family’s struggle for dignity and their quest for a better life shape the powerful drama in this ground-breaking masterpiece of the American theater
Younger family matriarch Lena (whom everyone calls “Mama”) is the strong, moral heart of her clan, but she clashes frequently with her extended family. The family’s “man of the house” is her son Walter Lee, who works as a chauffeur but remains frustrated by his dead-end position in both life and the workplace. Walter’s wife is Ruth, who masks her discontent by directing all her energies toward her husband and their young son, Travis. Walter’s sister, Beneatha, is a young dreamer who dabbles in various hobbies and activities but embraces a strong desire to become a doctor.
When the insurance money from her deceased husband’s insurance policy comes through, Mama dreams of moving to a new home and a better neighborhood. But Walter Lee, who describes himself as a volcano full of internalized regrets and pipe dreams, has other plans: he wants to buy a liquor store and be “his own man.” Meanwhile, Beneatha wants to spend the money on her medical schooling. The tensions within the family and the blatant prejudice they receive from outside their home combine to shape the rich dramatic texture in this seminal American play.
THE CAST
TAMICKA SCRUGGS
Ruth Younger
BRIAN KENNETH ARMOUR
Walter Lee Younger
JOHNTAE LIPSCOMB
Travis Younger
TAYLOR ADAMS
Beneatha Younger
KEEYA CHAPMAN-LANGFORD
Lena Younger
MICHAEL SWAIN
Joseph Asagai
BRIAN STEELE
George Murchison
CHACE COULTER
Karl Lindner
KYM WILLIAMS
Bobo
THE CREATIVE TEAM
JIMMIE WOODY
Director
TABA ALEEM
Stage Manager
SCOTT CRIM
Lighting Designer
AUDREY FLIEGEL
Sound Designer
JOE HUNTER
Properties Designer
JASEN J. SMITH
Costume Designer
TODD DIERINGER
Scenic Co-Designer
KATHY KOHL
Scenic Co-Designer and Assistant Technical Director
The photos in this Flickr set were shot for Weathervane Playhouse by Scott Diese at the show's final dress rehearsal on Jan. 28, 2015.
Shostakvich School of Music Art & Dance
297 Avenue X
Brooklyn, NY 11223
(718) 376-8056
Kaplun21@aol.com
Since it's inception in 1981, the Shostakovich School of Music, Art and Dance, at 297 Avenue X, Brooklyn, NY 11223, has grown from a dream envisioned by a small group of Russian immigrants, to a vibrant multifaceted music and art institution with three centers in the metropolitan New York area. The Shostakovich Music, Art and Sport School is a non-profit, non-sectarian institution dedicated to high quality instruction in art, music, theater and sport for individuals ages three to adult. The School serves over 500 students in a diversified multi-arts program. The Shostakovich School of Music, Art and Sport is licensed by the New York State Department of Education. The school does not discriminate on the basis of age, sex, race, religion, national origin, or marital status in its admission, employment, financial aid, placement or recruitment practices and policies. The Shostakovich School of Music, Art and Sport is an equal opportunity-affirmative action institution.
The Shostakovich School of Music, Art and Sport is named after one of the most important Russian composers of our time. The School is both named in tribute to him and in the hope that our students will emulate his artistic talent. Students enrolled at the Shostakovich School are encouraged to achieve their maximum potential and to experience the satisfaction that comes from the study and mastery of the arts. The curriculum has been designed to motivate students to participate fully in the educational process and to relate their studies to life, to society, and their own personal development. This philosophy of education gives inspiration to our students throughout their lives, whether they become professional artists or active amateurs. Course materials and instructional methods have been devised to make the disciplines come alive in the students minds, so they can comprehend and internalize the mode of inquiry characteristic to each of the artistic endeavors. Students are encouraged to undertake independent study or tutorials in accordance with their personal interests. Students from all backgrounds are welcome.
Working Hours: Mon -Fri 7:30am - 8pm, Sat - Sun 10am - 5pm
Payments Accepted: Cash, Check
Opened Since: 1981
Twitter: twitter.com/shostakvich
Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Shostakvich-School-of-Music-Art-Da...
Blogger: shostakvichschool.blogspot.com/
Google plus: plus.google.com/u/0/102303762795057560778/about
The Doll Project is a series of conceptual digital photographs that uses fashion dolls to embody the negative messages the media gives to young girls. Though it would not be fair to blame it all on Barbie, there have been many instances in which she has come dangerously close. I chose to use Barbie dolls because they are miniature mannequins, emblems of the fashion world writ small, a representation of our culture's impossible standards of beauty scaled to one sixth actual size. The little pink scale and How To Lose Weight book are both real Barbie accessories from the 1960s. They are recurring motifs in the pictures in the series, symbolizing the ongoing dissatisfaction many girls and women feel about their weight and body image. The dolls' names, Ana and Mia, are taken from internet neologisms coined by anorexic and bulimic girls who have formed online communities with the unfortunate purpose of encouraging each other in their disordered eating. With each passing era, Ana and Mia are younger and younger, and the physical ideal to which they aspire becomes more unattainable. They internalize the unrealistic expectations of a society that digitally manipulates images of women in fashion and beauty advertisements and value their own bodies only as objects for others to look at and desire.
Read more about the project here:
tiffanygholar.blogspot.com/2008/08/doll-project.html
Purchase prints here:
Shostakvich School of Music Art & Dance
297 Avenue X
Brooklyn, NY 11223
(718) 376-8056
Kaplun21@aol.com
Since it's inception in 1981, the Shostakovich School of Music, Art and Dance, at 297 Avenue X, Brooklyn, NY 11223, has grown from a dream envisioned by a small group of Russian immigrants, to a vibrant multifaceted music and art institution with three centers in the metropolitan New York area. The Shostakovich Music, Art and Sport School is a non-profit, non-sectarian institution dedicated to high quality instruction in art, music, theater and sport for individuals ages three to adult. The School serves over 500 students in a diversified multi-arts program. The Shostakovich School of Music, Art and Sport is licensed by the New York State Department of Education. The school does not discriminate on the basis of age, sex, race, religion, national origin, or marital status in its admission, employment, financial aid, placement or recruitment practices and policies. The Shostakovich School of Music, Art and Sport is an equal opportunity-affirmative action institution.
The Shostakovich School of Music, Art and Sport is named after one of the most important Russian composers of our time. The School is both named in tribute to him and in the hope that our students will emulate his artistic talent. Students enrolled at the Shostakovich School are encouraged to achieve their maximum potential and to experience the satisfaction that comes from the study and mastery of the arts. The curriculum has been designed to motivate students to participate fully in the educational process and to relate their studies to life, to society, and their own personal development. This philosophy of education gives inspiration to our students throughout their lives, whether they become professional artists or active amateurs. Course materials and instructional methods have been devised to make the disciplines come alive in the students minds, so they can comprehend and internalize the mode of inquiry characteristic to each of the artistic endeavors. Students are encouraged to undertake independent study or tutorials in accordance with their personal interests. Students from all backgrounds are welcome.
Working Hours: Mon -Fri 7:30am - 8pm, Sat - Sun 10am - 5pm
Payments Accepted: Cash, Check
Opened Since: 1981
Twitter: twitter.com/shostakvich
Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Shostakvich-School-of-Music-Art-Da...
Blogger: shostakvichschool.blogspot.com/
Google plus: plus.google.com/u/0/102303762795057560778/about
"From webcam hottie to reality TV superstar!"
Read about this picture on my blog:
tiffanygholar.blogspot.com/2012/04/saga-continues.html
The Doll Project is a series of conceptual digital photographs that uses fashion dolls to embody the negative messages the media gives to young girls. Though it would not be fair to blame it all on Barbie, there have been many instances in which she has come dangerously close. I chose to use Barbie dolls because they are miniature mannequins, emblems of the fashion world writ small, a representation of our culture's impossible standards of beauty scaled to one sixth actual size. The little pink scale and How To Lose Weight book are both real Barbie accessories from the 1960s. They are recurring motifs in the pictures in the series, symbolizing the ongoing dissatisfaction many girls and women feel about their weight and body image. The dolls' names, Ana and Mia, are taken from internet neologisms coined by anorexic and bulimic girls who have formed online communities with the unfortunate purpose of encouraging each other in their disordered eating. With each passing era, Ana and Mia are younger and younger, and the physical ideal to which they aspire becomes more unattainable. They internalize the unrealistic expectations of a society that digitally manipulates images of women in fashion and beauty advertisements and value their own bodies only as objects for others to look at and desire.
Read more about the project here:
tiffanygholar.blogspot.com/2008/08/doll-project.html
Purchase prints here:
Attachment theory describes several behavioural systems, the function of which is to regulate human attachment, fear, exploration, care-giving, peer-affiliation and sex. Attachment is defined as any form of behaviour that results in a person attaining and retaining proximity to a differentiated other. The primary caregiver is the source of the infants stress regulation and, therefore, sense of safety and security. Attachment theory emphasises the role of the parent as mediator, reflector and moderator of the childs mind and the childs reliance on the parent to respond to their affective states in ways that are contingent to their internal experience, a process often referred to as secure base/safe haven functioning. Within the close parent-child relationship neural networks dedicated to feelings of safety and danger, attachment and the core sense of self are sculpted and shaped. These networks are conceptualised as internal working models of attachment.
Characteristic patterns of interaction operating within the familys caregiving-attachment system give rise to secure, insecure and disorganized patterns of attachment. These discrete patterns have been categorized using the Strange Situation research procedure, which observes the young childs behaviour when separated and reunited with his or her primary caregiver. Attachment patterns are represented in the childs internal working models of self-other relationships. Secure attachment is promoted by the interactive regulation of affect, which facilitates the recognition, labelling and evaluation of emotional and intentional states in the self and in others, a capacity known as reflective function or mentalization. The recognition of affects as having dynamic, transactional properties is the key to understanding behaviour in oneself and in another. The child comes to recognize his or her mental states as meaningful self-states via a process of parental affect mirroring and marking. Secure children are able to use sophisticated cognitive strategies to integrate and resolve their fear of separation and loss.
When the parent is unavailable, inconsistent or unpredictable, the infant develops one of two organized insecure patterns of attachment: avoidant or ambivalent-resistant. These defensive strategies involve either the deactivation or hyper-activation of the attachment system. Deactivation is characterized by avoidance of the caregiver and by emotional detachment. In effect, the avoidant child immobilizes the attachment system by excluding thoughts and feelings that normally activate the system. Hyper-activation is manifested by an enmeshed ambivalent preoccupation with the caregiver and with negative emotions, particularly anger. However, in common with the avoidant child, the ambivalent child appears to cognitively disconnect feelings from the situation that elicited the distress. Disorganised-disoriented attachment is discussed below.
Attachment research, then, demonstrates that discrete patterns of secure, insecure, and disorganized attachment have as their precursor a specific pattern of caregiver-infant interaction and their own behavioural sequelae. Repeated patterns of interpersonal experience are encoded in implicit-procedural memory and conceptualized as self-other working models of attachment. These mental models consist of generalized beliefs and expectations about relationships between the self and key attachment figures, not the least of which concerns ones worthiness to receive love and care from others.
In sum, the care-giving environment generally, and the infant-caregiver attachment relationship particularly, initiate the child along one of an array of potential developmental pathways. Disturbance of attachment is the outcome of a series of deviations that take the child increasingly further from adaptive functioning. Child abuse and cumulative developmental trauma violate the childs sense of trust, identity and agency and have pernicious and seminal influences on the developing personality. In essence, internal working models of early attachment relationships provide the templates for psychopathology in later life, which may include violent, destructive and self-destructive forms of behaviour. In attachment theory, the main purpose of defence is the regulation of emotions. The primary mechanisms for achieving this are distance regulation and the defensive exclusion of thoughts and feelings associated with attachment trauma.
Early trauma in the form of abuse, loss, neglect and severe parent-child misattunement compromises brain-mediated functions such as attachment, empathy and affect regulation. From an attachment theory perspective, patterns of attachment are encoded and stored as generalized relational patterns in the systems of implicit memory. These are conceptualized as cognitive-affective internal working models which are seen as mediating how we think and feel about ourselves, others and the relationships we develop. Although open to change and modification in the light of new attachment experiences, whether positive or negative, these non-conscious procedural models, scripts or schemas within which early stress and trauma are retained, tend to persevere and guide, appraise and predict attachment-related thoughts, feelings and behaviours throughout the life cycle via the implicit memory system. Psychopathology is seen as deriving from an accumulation of maladaptive interactional patterns that result in character traits and personality types and disorders.
Disorganised attachment may occur when the childs parent is both the source of fear and the only protective figure to whom to turn to resolve stress and anxiety. In such instances, neither proximity seeking nor proximity avoiding is a solution to the activation of the childs attachment and fear behavioural systems. If the trauma remains unresolved and is carried into adulthood, it leaves the individual vulnerable to affect dysregulation in interpersonal conflict situations that induce fear, hate, shame and rage. In such cases, alcohol and illicit drugs are often resorted to as a maladaptive means of suppressing dreaded psychobiological states and restoring a semblance of affective equilibrium.
Findings show that disorganised attachment developed in infancy shifts to controlling behaviour in the older child and adult, reflecting an internalized mental model of the self as unlovable, unworthy of care and support, and fearful of rejection, betrayal and abandonment. Disorganised attachment is associated with a predisposition to relational violence, to dissociative states and conduct disorders in children and adolescents, and to personality disorders in adults. This state of mind constitutes a primary risk factor for the development of borderline, anti-social and sociopathic personality disorders. The rate of such disorders in forensic settings is particularly high. Clinically, dissociated traumatic experience is unsymbolized by thought and language, being encapsulated within the personality as a separate, non-reflective reality which is cut off from authentic human relatedness. The information contained in implicit memory may be retrieved by state-dependent moods and situations. Dissociated archaic internal working models are then activated, influencing and distorting expectations of current events and relationships outside of conscious awareness, particularly in situations involving intense interpersonal stress. In such situations, the self is felt to be endangered, thereby increasing the risk of an angry and potentially violent reaction.
The Doll Project is a series of conceptual digital photographs that uses fashion dolls to embody the negative messages the media gives to young girls. Though it would not be fair to blame it all on Barbie, there have been many instances in which she has come dangerously close. I chose to use Barbie dolls because they are miniature mannequins, emblems of the fashion world writ small, a representation of our culture's impossible standards of beauty scaled to one sixth actual size. The little pink scale and How To Lose Weight book are both real Barbie accessories from the 1960s. They are recurring motifs in the pictures in the series, symbolizing the ongoing dissatisfaction many girls and women feel about their weight and body image. The dolls' names, Ana and Mia, are taken from internet neologisms coined by anorexic and bulimic girls who have formed online communities with the unfortunate purpose of encouraging each other in their disordered eating. With each passing era, Ana and Mia are younger and younger, and the physical ideal to which they aspire becomes more unattainable. They internalize the unrealistic expectations of a society that digitally manipulates images of women in fashion and beauty advertisements and value their own bodies only as objects for others to look at and desire.
Read more about the project here:
tiffanygholar.blogspot.com/2008/08/doll-project.html
Purchase prints here:
Weathervane Playhouse in Akron, Ohio, presents Lorraine Hansberry's "A Raisin in the Sun" -- live on stage from Jan. 29 to Feb. 15.
ABOUT THE SHOW
Set during the early 1950s, "A Raisin in the Sun" tells the timeless story of one family’s grasp for a piece of the American Dream — and the explosive backlash that erupts when they seek to become the first black family to move into an all-white neighborhood.
The play revolves around the divergent dreams and conflicts within three generations of the Youngers, a black family living in a cramped apartment in Chicago’s racially segregated Southside neighborhood. The family’s struggle for dignity and their quest for a better life shape the powerful drama in this ground-breaking masterpiece of the American theater
Younger family matriarch Lena (whom everyone calls “Mama”) is the strong, moral heart of her clan, but she clashes frequently with her extended family. The family’s “man of the house” is her son Walter Lee, who works as a chauffeur but remains frustrated by his dead-end position in both life and the workplace. Walter’s wife is Ruth, who masks her discontent by directing all her energies toward her husband and their young son, Travis. Walter’s sister, Beneatha, is a young dreamer who dabbles in various hobbies and activities but embraces a strong desire to become a doctor.
When the insurance money from her deceased husband’s insurance policy comes through, Mama dreams of moving to a new home and a better neighborhood. But Walter Lee, who describes himself as a volcano full of internalized regrets and pipe dreams, has other plans: he wants to buy a liquor store and be “his own man.” Meanwhile, Beneatha wants to spend the money on her medical schooling. The tensions within the family and the blatant prejudice they receive from outside their home combine to shape the rich dramatic texture in this seminal American play.
THE CAST
TAMICKA SCRUGGS
Ruth Younger
BRIAN KENNETH ARMOUR
Walter Lee Younger
JOHNTAE LIPSCOMB
Travis Younger
TAYLOR ADAMS
Beneatha Younger
KEEYA CHAPMAN-LANGFORD
Lena Younger
MICHAEL SWAIN
Joseph Asagai
BRIAN STEELE
George Murchison
CHACE COULTER
Karl Lindner
KYM WILLIAMS
Bobo
THE CREATIVE TEAM
JIMMIE WOODY
Director
TABA ALEEM
Stage Manager
SCOTT CRIM
Lighting Designer
AUDREY FLIEGEL
Sound Designer
JOE HUNTER
Properties Designer
JASEN J. SMITH
Costume Designer
TODD DIERINGER
Scenic Co-Designer
KATHY KOHL
Scenic Co-Designer and Assistant Technical Director
The photos in this Flickr set were shot for Weathervane Playhouse by Scott Diese at the show's final dress rehearsal on Jan. 28, 2015.
Attachment theory describes several behavioural systems, the function of which is to regulate human attachment, fear, exploration, care-giving, peer-affiliation and sex. Attachment is defined as any form of behaviour that results in a person attaining and retaining proximity to a differentiated other. The primary caregiver is the source of the infants stress regulation and, therefore, sense of safety and security. Attachment theory emphasises the role of the parent as mediator, reflector and moderator of the childs mind and the childs reliance on the parent to respond to their affective states in ways that are contingent to their internal experience, a process often referred to as secure base/safe haven functioning. Within the close parent-child relationship neural networks dedicated to feelings of safety and danger, attachment and the core sense of self are sculpted and shaped. These networks are conceptualised as internal working models of attachment.
Characteristic patterns of interaction operating within the familys caregiving-attachment system give rise to secure, insecure and disorganized patterns of attachment. These discrete patterns have been categorized using the Strange Situation research procedure, which observes the young childs behaviour when separated and reunited with his or her primary caregiver. Attachment patterns are represented in the childs internal working models of self-other relationships. Secure attachment is promoted by the interactive regulation of affect, which facilitates the recognition, labelling and evaluation of emotional and intentional states in the self and in others, a capacity known as reflective function or mentalization. The recognition of affects as having dynamic, transactional properties is the key to understanding behaviour in oneself and in another. The child comes to recognize his or her mental states as meaningful self-states via a process of parental affect mirroring and marking. Secure children are able to use sophisticated cognitive strategies to integrate and resolve their fear of separation and loss.
When the parent is unavailable, inconsistent or unpredictable, the infant develops one of two organized insecure patterns of attachment: avoidant or ambivalent-resistant. These defensive strategies involve either the deactivation or hyper-activation of the attachment system. Deactivation is characterized by avoidance of the caregiver and by emotional detachment. In effect, the avoidant child immobilizes the attachment system by excluding thoughts and feelings that normally activate the system. Hyper-activation is manifested by an enmeshed ambivalent preoccupation with the caregiver and with negative emotions, particularly anger. However, in common with the avoidant child, the ambivalent child appears to cognitively disconnect feelings from the situation that elicited the distress. Disorganised-disoriented attachment is discussed below.
Attachment research, then, demonstrates that discrete patterns of secure, insecure, and disorganized attachment have as their precursor a specific pattern of caregiver-infant interaction and their own behavioural sequelae. Repeated patterns of interpersonal experience are encoded in implicit-procedural memory and conceptualized as self-other working models of attachment. These mental models consist of generalized beliefs and expectations about relationships between the self and key attachment figures, not the least of which concerns ones worthiness to receive love and care from others.
In sum, the care-giving environment generally, and the infant-caregiver attachment relationship particularly, initiate the child along one of an array of potential developmental pathways. Disturbance of attachment is the outcome of a series of deviations that take the child increasingly further from adaptive functioning. Child abuse and cumulative developmental trauma violate the childs sense of trust, identity and agency and have pernicious and seminal influences on the developing personality. In essence, internal working models of early attachment relationships provide the templates for psychopathology in later life, which may include violent, destructive and self-destructive forms of behaviour. In attachment theory, the main purpose of defence is the regulation of emotions. The primary mechanisms for achieving this are distance regulation and the defensive exclusion of thoughts and feelings associated with attachment trauma.
Early trauma in the form of abuse, loss, neglect and severe parent-child misattunement compromises brain-mediated functions such as attachment, empathy and affect regulation. From an attachment theory perspective, patterns of attachment are encoded and stored as generalized relational patterns in the systems of implicit memory. These are conceptualized as cognitive-affective internal working models which are seen as mediating how we think and feel about ourselves, others and the relationships we develop. Although open to change and modification in the light of new attachment experiences, whether positive or negative, these non-conscious procedural models, scripts or schemas within which early stress and trauma are retained, tend to persevere and guide, appraise and predict attachment-related thoughts, feelings and behaviours throughout the life cycle via the implicit memory system. Psychopathology is seen as deriving from an accumulation of maladaptive interactional patterns that result in character traits and personality types and disorders.
Disorganised attachment may occur when the childs parent is both the source of fear and the only protective figure to whom to turn to resolve stress and anxiety. In such instances, neither proximity seeking nor proximity avoiding is a solution to the activation of the childs attachment and fear behavioural systems. If the trauma remains unresolved and is carried into adulthood, it leaves the individual vulnerable to affect dysregulation in interpersonal conflict situations that induce fear, hate, shame and rage. In such cases, alcohol and illicit drugs are often resorted to as a maladaptive means of suppressing dreaded psychobiological states and restoring a semblance of affective equilibrium.
Findings show that disorganised attachment developed in infancy shifts to controlling behaviour in the older child and adult, reflecting an internalized mental model of the self as unlovable, unworthy of care and support, and fearful of rejection, betrayal and abandonment. Disorganised attachment is associated with a predisposition to relational violence, to dissociative states and conduct disorders in children and adolescents, and to personality disorders in adults. This state of mind constitutes a primary risk factor for the development of borderline, anti-social and sociopathic personality disorders. The rate of such disorders in forensic settings is particularly high. Clinically, dissociated traumatic experience is unsymbolized by thought and language, being encapsulated within the personality as a separate, non-reflective reality which is cut off from authentic human relatedness. The information contained in implicit memory may be retrieved by state-dependent moods and situations. Dissociated archaic internal working models are then activated, influencing and distorting expectations of current events and relationships outside of conscious awareness, particularly in situations involving intense interpersonal stress. In such situations, the self is felt to be endangered, thereby increasing the risk of an angry and potentially violent reaction.
The Doll Project is a series of conceptual digital photographs that uses fashion dolls to embody the negative messages the media gives to young girls. Though it would not be fair to blame it all on Barbie, there have been many instances in which she has come dangerously close. I chose to use Barbie dolls because they are miniature mannequins, emblems of the fashion world writ small, a representation of our culture's impossible standards of beauty scaled to one sixth actual size. The little pink scale and How To Lose Weight book are both real Barbie accessories from the 1960s. They are recurring motifs in the pictures in the series, symbolizing the ongoing dissatisfaction many girls and women feel about their weight and body image. The dolls' names, Ana and Mia, are taken from internet neologisms coined by anorexic and bulimic girls who have formed online communities with the unfortunate purpose of encouraging each other in their disordered eating. With each passing era, Ana and Mia are younger and younger, and the physical ideal to which they aspire becomes more unattainable. They internalize the unrealistic expectations of a society that digitally manipulates images of women in fashion and beauty advertisements and value their own bodies only as objects for others to look at and desire.
Read more about the project here:
tiffanygholar.blogspot.com/2008/08/doll-project.html
Purchase prints here:
Attachment theory describes several behavioural systems, the function of which is to regulate human attachment, fear, exploration, care-giving, peer-affiliation and sex. Attachment is defined as any form of behaviour that results in a person attaining and retaining proximity to a differentiated other. The primary caregiver is the source of the infants stress regulation and, therefore, sense of safety and security. Attachment theory emphasises the role of the parent as mediator, reflector and moderator of the childs mind and the childs reliance on the parent to respond to their affective states in ways that are contingent to their internal experience, a process often referred to as secure base/safe haven functioning. Within the close parent-child relationship neural networks dedicated to feelings of safety and danger, attachment and the core sense of self are sculpted and shaped. These networks are conceptualised as internal working models of attachment.
Characteristic patterns of interaction operating within the familys caregiving-attachment system give rise to secure, insecure and disorganized patterns of attachment. These discrete patterns have been categorized using the Strange Situation research procedure, which observes the young childs behaviour when separated and reunited with his or her primary caregiver. Attachment patterns are represented in the childs internal working models of self-other relationships. Secure attachment is promoted by the interactive regulation of affect, which facilitates the recognition, labelling and evaluation of emotional and intentional states in the self and in others, a capacity known as reflective function or mentalization. The recognition of affects as having dynamic, transactional properties is the key to understanding behaviour in oneself and in another. The child comes to recognize his or her mental states as meaningful self-states via a process of parental affect mirroring and marking. Secure children are able to use sophisticated cognitive strategies to integrate and resolve their fear of separation and loss.
When the parent is unavailable, inconsistent or unpredictable, the infant develops one of two organized insecure patterns of attachment: avoidant or ambivalent-resistant. These defensive strategies involve either the deactivation or hyper-activation of the attachment system. Deactivation is characterized by avoidance of the caregiver and by emotional detachment. In effect, the avoidant child immobilizes the attachment system by excluding thoughts and feelings that normally activate the system. Hyper-activation is manifested by an enmeshed ambivalent preoccupation with the caregiver and with negative emotions, particularly anger. However, in common with the avoidant child, the ambivalent child appears to cognitively disconnect feelings from the situation that elicited the distress. Disorganised-disoriented attachment is discussed below.
Attachment research, then, demonstrates that discrete patterns of secure, insecure, and disorganized attachment have as their precursor a specific pattern of caregiver-infant interaction and their own behavioural sequelae. Repeated patterns of interpersonal experience are encoded in implicit-procedural memory and conceptualized as self-other working models of attachment. These mental models consist of generalized beliefs and expectations about relationships between the self and key attachment figures, not the least of which concerns ones worthiness to receive love and care from others.
In sum, the care-giving environment generally, and the infant-caregiver attachment relationship particularly, initiate the child along one of an array of potential developmental pathways. Disturbance of attachment is the outcome of a series of deviations that take the child increasingly further from adaptive functioning. Child abuse and cumulative developmental trauma violate the childs sense of trust, identity and agency and have pernicious and seminal influences on the developing personality. In essence, internal working models of early attachment relationships provide the templates for psychopathology in later life, which may include violent, destructive and self-destructive forms of behaviour. In attachment theory, the main purpose of defence is the regulation of emotions. The primary mechanisms for achieving this are distance regulation and the defensive exclusion of thoughts and feelings associated with attachment trauma.
Early trauma in the form of abuse, loss, neglect and severe parent-child misattunement compromises brain-mediated functions such as attachment, empathy and affect regulation. From an attachment theory perspective, patterns of attachment are encoded and stored as generalized relational patterns in the systems of implicit memory. These are conceptualized as cognitive-affective internal working models which are seen as mediating how we think and feel about ourselves, others and the relationships we develop. Although open to change and modification in the light of new attachment experiences, whether positive or negative, these non-conscious procedural models, scripts or schemas within which early stress and trauma are retained, tend to persevere and guide, appraise and predict attachment-related thoughts, feelings and behaviours throughout the life cycle via the implicit memory system. Psychopathology is seen as deriving from an accumulation of maladaptive interactional patterns that result in character traits and personality types and disorders.
Disorganised attachment may occur when the childs parent is both the source of fear and the only protective figure to whom to turn to resolve stress and anxiety. In such instances, neither proximity seeking nor proximity avoiding is a solution to the activation of the childs attachment and fear behavioural systems. If the trauma remains unresolved and is carried into adulthood, it leaves the individual vulnerable to affect dysregulation in interpersonal conflict situations that induce fear, hate, shame and rage. In such cases, alcohol and illicit drugs are often resorted to as a maladaptive means of suppressing dreaded psychobiological states and restoring a semblance of affective equilibrium.
Findings show that disorganised attachment developed in infancy shifts to controlling behaviour in the older child and adult, reflecting an internalized mental model of the self as unlovable, unworthy of care and support, and fearful of rejection, betrayal and abandonment. Disorganised attachment is associated with a predisposition to relational violence, to dissociative states and conduct disorders in children and adolescents, and to personality disorders in adults. This state of mind constitutes a primary risk factor for the development of borderline, anti-social and sociopathic personality disorders. The rate of such disorders in forensic settings is particularly high. Clinically, dissociated traumatic experience is unsymbolized by thought and language, being encapsulated within the personality as a separate, non-reflective reality which is cut off from authentic human relatedness. The information contained in implicit memory may be retrieved by state-dependent moods and situations. Dissociated archaic internal working models are then activated, influencing and distorting expectations of current events and relationships outside of conscious awareness, particularly in situations involving intense interpersonal stress. In such situations, the self is felt to be endangered, thereby increasing the risk of an angry and potentially violent reaction.
The Doll Project is a series of conceptual digital photographs that uses fashion dolls to embody the negative messages the media gives to young girls. Though it would not be fair to blame it all on Barbie, there have been many instances in which she has come dangerously close. I chose to use Barbie dolls because they are miniature mannequins, emblems of the fashion world writ small, a representation of our culture's impossible standards of beauty scaled to one sixth actual size. The little pink scale and How To Lose Weight book are both real Barbie accessories from the 1960s. They are recurring motifs in the pictures in the series, symbolizing the ongoing dissatisfaction many girls and women feel about their weight and body image. The dolls' names, Ana and Mia, are taken from internet neologisms coined by anorexic and bulimic girls who have formed online communities with the unfortunate purpose of encouraging each other in their disordered eating. With each passing era, Ana and Mia are younger and younger, and the physical ideal to which they aspire becomes more unattainable. They internalize the unrealistic expectations of a society that digitally manipulates images of women in fashion and beauty advertisements and value their own bodies only as objects for others to look at and desire.
Read more about the project here:
tiffanygholar.blogspot.com/2008/08/doll-project.html
Purchase prints here:
The Doll Project is a series of conceptual digital photographs that uses fashion dolls to embody the negative messages the media gives to young girls. Though it would not be fair to blame it all on Barbie, there have been many instances in which she has come dangerously close. I chose to use Barbie dolls because they are miniature mannequins, emblems of the fashion world writ small, a representation of our culture's impossible standards of beauty scaled to one sixth actual size. The little pink scale and How To Lose Weight book are both real Barbie accessories from the 1960s. They are recurring motifs in the pictures in the series, symbolizing the ongoing dissatisfaction many girls and women feel about their weight and body image. The dolls' names, Ana and Mia, are taken from internet neologisms coined by anorexic and bulimic girls who have formed online communities with the unfortunate purpose of encouraging each other in their disordered eating. With each passing era, Ana and Mia are younger and younger, and the physical ideal to which they aspire becomes more unattainable. They internalize the unrealistic expectations of a society that digitally manipulates images of women in fashion and beauty advertisements and value their own bodies only as objects for others to look at and desire.
Read more about the project here:
tiffanygholar.blogspot.com/2008/08/doll-project.html
Purchase prints here:
Weathervane Playhouse in Akron, Ohio, presents Lorraine Hansberry's "A Raisin in the Sun" -- live on stage from Jan. 29 to Feb. 15.
ABOUT THE SHOW
Set during the early 1950s, "A Raisin in the Sun" tells the timeless story of one family’s grasp for a piece of the American Dream — and the explosive backlash that erupts when they seek to become the first black family to move into an all-white neighborhood.
The play revolves around the divergent dreams and conflicts within three generations of the Youngers, a black family living in a cramped apartment in Chicago’s racially segregated Southside neighborhood. The family’s struggle for dignity and their quest for a better life shape the powerful drama in this ground-breaking masterpiece of the American theater
Younger family matriarch Lena (whom everyone calls “Mama”) is the strong, moral heart of her clan, but she clashes frequently with her extended family. The family’s “man of the house” is her son Walter Lee, who works as a chauffeur but remains frustrated by his dead-end position in both life and the workplace. Walter’s wife is Ruth, who masks her discontent by directing all her energies toward her husband and their young son, Travis. Walter’s sister, Beneatha, is a young dreamer who dabbles in various hobbies and activities but embraces a strong desire to become a doctor.
When the insurance money from her deceased husband’s insurance policy comes through, Mama dreams of moving to a new home and a better neighborhood. But Walter Lee, who describes himself as a volcano full of internalized regrets and pipe dreams, has other plans: he wants to buy a liquor store and be “his own man.” Meanwhile, Beneatha wants to spend the money on her medical schooling. The tensions within the family and the blatant prejudice they receive from outside their home combine to shape the rich dramatic texture in this seminal American play.
THE CAST
TAMICKA SCRUGGS
Ruth Younger
BRIAN KENNETH ARMOUR
Walter Lee Younger
JOHNTAE LIPSCOMB
Travis Younger
TAYLOR ADAMS
Beneatha Younger
KEEYA CHAPMAN-LANGFORD
Lena Younger
MICHAEL SWAIN
Joseph Asagai
BRIAN STEELE
George Murchison
CHACE COULTER
Karl Lindner
KYM WILLIAMS
Bobo
THE CREATIVE TEAM
JIMMIE WOODY
Director
TABA ALEEM
Stage Manager
SCOTT CRIM
Lighting Designer
AUDREY FLIEGEL
Sound Designer
JOE HUNTER
Properties Designer
JASEN J. SMITH
Costume Designer
TODD DIERINGER
Scenic Co-Designer
KATHY KOHL
Scenic Co-Designer and Assistant Technical Director
The photos in this Flickr set were shot for Weathervane Playhouse by Scott Diese at the show's final dress rehearsal on Jan. 28, 2015.
Full report: Fantastic. Matt Sherrod brought some terrific energy on drums that seemed to get Nick Seymour amped up. Neil was his charming self and his voice stronger than it felt even on the record. (Not forgetting Mr. Hart, he was his usu...al reserved & talented self.)
I bought tickets in the upper loge, meaning that Marcus and I had assigned seats. They were a bit cramped, but so nice to always have a clear view and none of the jostling for position that can ruin the Warfield or any cattle call venue. Also they bring beer to your seat. (!) And it's not so easy to just meet up with other people you know are there. (Sorry to miss you, Jean.)
The stage setting is a quirky and efficient combination of Persian Rugs and glowing plastic tacky lawn ornaments. I could see doing my house in the same style.
The set list was a good combination of all-time favorites (Don’t Dream It’s Over, Four Seasons in One Day, Better Be Home Soon) and songs off of the new album, including my two faves Either Side of the World and Twice if You're Lucky. Archer's Arrows and Even If didn't work as well live as on the album. Other numbers included stuff from way back in '88 (I Feel Possessed) and a smattering from Together Alone. There was nothing from Time on Earth, which I missed, but you can't get it ALL in there, there's too much.
Numbers that really stuck out included It's Only Natural, especially poignant in San Francisco. Near the end a fan brought a large, hand-written scroll with the lyrics of Tombstone. Neil unrolled it and immediately fell into an impromptu performance, which felt like a special moment all our own, even hitting "Let the Lone Ranger/Ride Again" with appropriate punch. (Props to the fan. Note taken.) When You Come had a personal layer for me that I haven't ever felt around it before that was mighty, mighty powerful...No, just, just something in my eye...And of course Neil knows his fans like to sing and he worked the audience choir, and we all loved it.
I'm a huge fan of Finn's oddities on record, like Paradise and The Land Torments the Sea, and to my surprise and delight, the band played one of them: Not the Girl You Think You Are, which is a beautiful, haunting, and ultimately kind of cruel song. It was even better for the surprise inclusion and the fact that a lot less of the audience seemed to be singing along.
For the most the band stuck to the recorded version, deviating only occasionally. I like alternate versions, but am also aware that it takes a lot of effort and doesn't play well to the fair weather fans. Witty banter and spoken improvisation gave the whole thing a personal feeling, even if you're aware that it might not be as custom as it appears.
All in all really terrific. I've never internalized Neil's age, but when he mentioned that he's 52, I am more impressed for the tight show he and the band manage to bring. If you have the chance, go go go.
And a quick note: I was really impressed with the opening act, Laurence Arabia, enough to purchase the album after the fourth song. Recommended to check out.
Oh, also, the mustache is thankfully gone. Neil was his fresh faced self.
The Death of Cleopatra (1876) by Edmonia Lewis, leading black female artist of the nineteenth-century, inspires discussion of race and sex in America. The Death of Cleopatra by Edmonia Lewis is a neoclassical sculpture that portrays the moment following the Egyptian queen’s suicide. It was the only major work of art displayed by an African American at the 1876 Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia and therefore subject of much critical attention. Sadly, within a few years after its first public appearance in Philadelphia, the statue was thought lost until its acquisition and restoration by the National Museum of American History in the 1990s.
Philadelphia Centennial Exposition of 1876
The Death of Cleopatra was first exhibited at the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition of 1876 in Memorial Hall, an opulent glass and iron structure that boasted 75,000 square feet of space for paintings and 20,000 square feet for sculptures. Of the 673 sculptors exhibiting at the Exposition, Lewis was the only African American.
Edmonia Lewis’s unique status as the only internationally recognized African American woman artist of the nineteenth-century attracted both positive attention and scrutiny. In its review of the sculpture, the African American weekly publication, The People’s Advocate , commented that Cleopatra “excites more admiration and gathers larger crowds around it than any other work of art in the vast collection of Memorial Hall” (Woods, 67). The Depiction of Race and Sex in Cleopatra
Much of the attention and controversy over Lewis’s sculpture centered upon nineteenth-century attitudes regarding race and sexuality. Cleopatra’s race was subject of debate in art, literature, and scholarship. Artistic presentations and discussions of a black Cleopatra in the United States evoked popular images of women of mixed racial ancestry as defined by an abusively racist culture. The black Cleopatra could therefore signify internal conflict, exotic beauty, and sexual availability. On the other hand, abolitionists promoted the idea of a black Cleopatra as symbolic of the nobility of African civilization and the worth of its people.
Lewis’ portrayal of Cleopatra is often compared to that of William Wetmore Story, another American sculptor in Rome with strong abolitionist ties. Edmonia Lewis was undoubtedly aware of Story’s portrayal of Cleopatra as black and of the abolitionist celebration of this image, but she chose to model her Cleopatra after classical images portraying the iconic queen with classically Greek features. Critics have debated whether this was indicative of Lewis’s internalized racism or simply an example of her loyalty to the formalism of the neoclassical sculptural tradition. Critics also note that in contrast to Story’s sculpture of a queen contemplating her suicide, Lewis shows Cleopatra after the act is accomplished. The popular Victorian conception of Cleopatra was far more sexualized goddess than historical figure. Lewis’s decision to portray Cleopatra in death challenges masculine consumption of her as a sex object and may be read as representative of those women who literally chose death over the risk or continuation of slavery and sexual violence. As such, Lewis’s Cleopatra offers commentary on the African monarch’s agency, if only in death, and serves as a rebuke against the sexual exploitation of women under systems of American slavery and European imperialism.
Loss and Restoration of Cleopatra
Lewis displayed The Death of Cleopatra at the Chicago Interstate Industrial Exposition of 1878. The sculpture found an unlikely buyer in “Blind John” Condon, a racetrack owner desiring a memorial for his favorite horse, Cleopatra. The statue served this purpose for many years until the racetrack was closed and the statue was moved to a salvage yard near Forest Park, Illinois. During this time, the art world thought the statue lost. In the mid-1970s a fire inspector found the statue and gave it to the Forest Park Historical Society which in turn donated it to the National Museum of American Art. After significant restoration, the National Museum of American Art put The Death of Cleopatra on display to the public in 1996.
The Doll Project is a series of conceptual digital photographs that uses fashion dolls to embody the negative messages the media gives to young girls. Though it would not be fair to blame it all on Barbie, there have been many instances in which she has come dangerously close. I chose to use Barbie dolls because they are miniature mannequins, emblems of the fashion world writ small, a representation of our culture's impossible standards of beauty scaled to one sixth actual size. The little pink scale and How To Lose Weight book are both real Barbie accessories from the 1960s. They are recurring motifs in the pictures in the series, symbolizing the ongoing dissatisfaction many girls and women feel about their weight and body image. The dolls' names, Ana and Mia, are taken from internet neologisms coined by anorexic and bulimic girls who have formed online communities with the unfortunate purpose of encouraging each other in their disordered eating. With each passing era, Ana and Mia are younger and younger, and the physical ideal to which they aspire becomes more unattainable. They internalize the unrealistic expectations of a society that digitally manipulates images of women in fashion and beauty advertisements and value their own bodies only as objects for others to look at and desire.
Read more about the project here:
tiffanygholar.blogspot.com/2008/08/doll-project.html
Purchase prints here:
Attachment theory describes several behavioural systems, the function of which is to regulate human attachment, fear, exploration, care-giving, peer-affiliation and sex. Attachment is defined as any form of behaviour that results in a person attaining and retaining proximity to a differentiated other. The primary caregiver is the source of the infants stress regulation and, therefore, sense of safety and security. Attachment theory emphasises the role of the parent as mediator, reflector and moderator of the childs mind and the childs reliance on the parent to respond to their affective states in ways that are contingent to their internal experience, a process often referred to as secure base/safe haven functioning. Within the close parent-child relationship neural networks dedicated to feelings of safety and danger, attachment and the core sense of self are sculpted and shaped. These networks are conceptualised as internal working models of attachment.
Characteristic patterns of interaction operating within the familys caregiving-attachment system give rise to secure, insecure and disorganized patterns of attachment. These discrete patterns have been categorized using the Strange Situation research procedure, which observes the young childs behaviour when separated and reunited with his or her primary caregiver. Attachment patterns are represented in the childs internal working models of self-other relationships. Secure attachment is promoted by the interactive regulation of affect, which facilitates the recognition, labelling and evaluation of emotional and intentional states in the self and in others, a capacity known as reflective function or mentalization. The recognition of affects as having dynamic, transactional properties is the key to understanding behaviour in oneself and in another. The child comes to recognize his or her mental states as meaningful self-states via a process of parental affect mirroring and marking. Secure children are able to use sophisticated cognitive strategies to integrate and resolve their fear of separation and loss.
When the parent is unavailable, inconsistent or unpredictable, the infant develops one of two organized insecure patterns of attachment: avoidant or ambivalent-resistant. These defensive strategies involve either the deactivation or hyper-activation of the attachment system. Deactivation is characterized by avoidance of the caregiver and by emotional detachment. In effect, the avoidant child immobilizes the attachment system by excluding thoughts and feelings that normally activate the system. Hyper-activation is manifested by an enmeshed ambivalent preoccupation with the caregiver and with negative emotions, particularly anger. However, in common with the avoidant child, the ambivalent child appears to cognitively disconnect feelings from the situation that elicited the distress. Disorganised-disoriented attachment is discussed below.
Attachment research, then, demonstrates that discrete patterns of secure, insecure, and disorganized attachment have as their precursor a specific pattern of caregiver-infant interaction and their own behavioural sequelae. Repeated patterns of interpersonal experience are encoded in implicit-procedural memory and conceptualized as self-other working models of attachment. These mental models consist of generalized beliefs and expectations about relationships between the self and key attachment figures, not the least of which concerns ones worthiness to receive love and care from others.
In sum, the care-giving environment generally, and the infant-caregiver attachment relationship particularly, initiate the child along one of an array of potential developmental pathways. Disturbance of attachment is the outcome of a series of deviations that take the child increasingly further from adaptive functioning. Child abuse and cumulative developmental trauma violate the childs sense of trust, identity and agency and have pernicious and seminal influences on the developing personality. In essence, internal working models of early attachment relationships provide the templates for psychopathology in later life, which may include violent, destructive and self-destructive forms of behaviour. In attachment theory, the main purpose of defence is the regulation of emotions. The primary mechanisms for achieving this are distance regulation and the defensive exclusion of thoughts and feelings associated with attachment trauma.
Early trauma in the form of abuse, loss, neglect and severe parent-child misattunement compromises brain-mediated functions such as attachment, empathy and affect regulation. From an attachment theory perspective, patterns of attachment are encoded and stored as generalized relational patterns in the systems of implicit memory. These are conceptualized as cognitive-affective internal working models which are seen as mediating how we think and feel about ourselves, others and the relationships we develop. Although open to change and modification in the light of new attachment experiences, whether positive or negative, these non-conscious procedural models, scripts or schemas within which early stress and trauma are retained, tend to persevere and guide, appraise and predict attachment-related thoughts, feelings and behaviours throughout the life cycle via the implicit memory system. Psychopathology is seen as deriving from an accumulation of maladaptive interactional patterns that result in character traits and personality types and disorders.
Disorganised attachment may occur when the childs parent is both the source of fear and the only protective figure to whom to turn to resolve stress and anxiety. In such instances, neither proximity seeking nor proximity avoiding is a solution to the activation of the childs attachment and fear behavioural systems. If the trauma remains unresolved and is carried into adulthood, it leaves the individual vulnerable to affect dysregulation in interpersonal conflict situations that induce fear, hate, shame and rage. In such cases, alcohol and illicit drugs are often resorted to as a maladaptive means of suppressing dreaded psychobiological states and restoring a semblance of affective equilibrium.
Findings show that disorganised attachment developed in infancy shifts to controlling behaviour in the older child and adult, reflecting an internalized mental model of the self as unlovable, unworthy of care and support, and fearful of rejection, betrayal and abandonment. Disorganised attachment is associated with a predisposition to relational violence, to dissociative states and conduct disorders in children and adolescents, and to personality disorders in adults. This state of mind constitutes a primary risk factor for the development of borderline, anti-social and sociopathic personality disorders. The rate of such disorders in forensic settings is particularly high. Clinically, dissociated traumatic experience is unsymbolized by thought and language, being encapsulated within the personality as a separate, non-reflective reality which is cut off from authentic human relatedness. The information contained in implicit memory may be retrieved by state-dependent moods and situations. Dissociated archaic internal working models are then activated, influencing and distorting expectations of current events and relationships outside of conscious awareness, particularly in situations involving intense interpersonal stress. In such situations, the self is felt to be endangered, thereby increasing the risk of an angry and potentially violent reaction.
The Doll Project is a series of conceptual digital photographs that uses fashion dolls to embody the negative messages the media gives to young girls. Though it would not be fair to blame it all on Barbie, there have been many instances in which she has come dangerously close. I chose to use Barbie dolls because they are miniature mannequins, emblems of the fashion world writ small, a representation of our culture's impossible standards of beauty scaled to one sixth actual size. The little pink scale and How To Lose Weight book are both real Barbie accessories from the 1960s. They are recurring motifs in the pictures in the series, symbolizing the ongoing dissatisfaction many girls and women feel about their weight and body image. The dolls' names, Ana and Mia, are taken from internet neologisms coined by anorexic and bulimic girls who have formed online communities with the unfortunate purpose of encouraging each other in their disordered eating. With each passing era, Ana and Mia are younger and younger, and the physical ideal to which they aspire becomes more unattainable. They internalize the unrealistic expectations of a society that digitally manipulates images of women in fashion and beauty advertisements and value their own bodies only as objects for others to look at and desire.
Read more about the project here:
tiffanygholar.blogspot.com/2008/08/doll-project.html
Purchase prints here:
Weathervane Playhouse in Akron, Ohio, presents Lorraine Hansberry's "A Raisin in the Sun" -- live on stage from Jan. 29 to Feb. 15.
ABOUT THE SHOW
Set during the early 1950s, "A Raisin in the Sun" tells the timeless story of one family’s grasp for a piece of the American Dream — and the explosive backlash that erupts when they seek to become the first black family to move into an all-white neighborhood.
The play revolves around the divergent dreams and conflicts within three generations of the Youngers, a black family living in a cramped apartment in Chicago’s racially segregated Southside neighborhood. The family’s struggle for dignity and their quest for a better life shape the powerful drama in this ground-breaking masterpiece of the American theater
Younger family matriarch Lena (whom everyone calls “Mama”) is the strong, moral heart of her clan, but she clashes frequently with her extended family. The family’s “man of the house” is her son Walter Lee, who works as a chauffeur but remains frustrated by his dead-end position in both life and the workplace. Walter’s wife is Ruth, who masks her discontent by directing all her energies toward her husband and their young son, Travis. Walter’s sister, Beneatha, is a young dreamer who dabbles in various hobbies and activities but embraces a strong desire to become a doctor.
When the insurance money from her deceased husband’s insurance policy comes through, Mama dreams of moving to a new home and a better neighborhood. But Walter Lee, who describes himself as a volcano full of internalized regrets and pipe dreams, has other plans: he wants to buy a liquor store and be “his own man.” Meanwhile, Beneatha wants to spend the money on her medical schooling. The tensions within the family and the blatant prejudice they receive from outside their home combine to shape the rich dramatic texture in this seminal American play.
THE CAST
TAMICKA SCRUGGS
Ruth Younger
BRIAN KENNETH ARMOUR
Walter Lee Younger
JOHNTAE LIPSCOMB
Travis Younger
TAYLOR ADAMS
Beneatha Younger
KEEYA CHAPMAN-LANGFORD
Lena Younger
MICHAEL SWAIN
Joseph Asagai
BRIAN STEELE
George Murchison
CHACE COULTER
Karl Lindner
KYM WILLIAMS
Bobo
THE CREATIVE TEAM
JIMMIE WOODY
Director
TABA ALEEM
Stage Manager
SCOTT CRIM
Lighting Designer
AUDREY FLIEGEL
Sound Designer
JOE HUNTER
Properties Designer
JASEN J. SMITH
Costume Designer
TODD DIERINGER
Scenic Co-Designer
KATHY KOHL
Scenic Co-Designer and Assistant Technical Director
The photos in this Flickr set were shot for Weathervane Playhouse by Scott Diese at the show's final dress rehearsal on Jan. 28, 2015.
CONTACT: K. Alane Golden
Communications / S.M. Specialist, NARA, NW: Nak-Nu-Wit
503.224.1044, Xt. 264 / agolden@naranorthwest.org
The Portland, Oregon Based Native American Rehabilitation Association of the Northwest, Inc., NARA NW, Will Join More than 1,000 National Children's Mental Health Awareness Day Celebrations’ Nationwide.
PORTLAND, OR — On Wednesday, May 9th, 2012, NARA, NW will host a Family Day celebration at Concordia University (2811 NE Holman Portland 97211) from 3 – 7pm, joining more than 1,000 communities and 115 federal programs and national organizations across the country participating in events, youth demonstrations, and social networking campaigns to raise awareness about the importance of children’s mental health. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's (SAMHSA) National Children's Mental Health Awareness Day seeks to raise awareness about the importance of positive mental health from birth. This year, the Awareness Day national event will focus on young children from birth to 8 years old by emphasizing the need to build resilience in young children dealing with trauma.
For the past forty – two years, NARA, NW has provided culturally appropriate education, physical and mental health services and substance abuse treatment to American Indians, Alaska Natives and other vulnerable people in the greater Portland metro community. NARA’s unique wraparound child and family mental health services program, Nak Nu Wit, serves families, their young children and youth with mental health challenges, offering culturally-based services and supports needed to thrive at home, in school, and in the community. Research has shown when children as young as 18 months are exposed to traumatic life events, they can develop serious psychological problems later in life and have a greater risk for experiencing problems with substance abuse, depression and physical health. Integrating social-emotional and resilience-building skills into every environment can have a positive impact on a child's healthy development.
In conjunction with the Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board and Concordia University, NARA, NW will celebrate Awareness Day locally by hosting a Family Day with the culturally-rooted theme: "Warriors Against Trauma", highlighting the strengths & adventure-based youth and family activities, to Elder storytelling, traditional drumming, dancing and singing, the event offers something for everyone - blending rich history and traditions of the past with modern day tribal urban culture. Attendees will enjoy complimentary face-painting, food and drinks, arts, crafts, ceremony, storytelling with Ed Edmo and a special performance by Emcee One and an array of mental health materials and resources aimed at reducing stigma. The event will focus attention on the importance of providing comprehensive, community-based mental health supports and services to enhance resilience and nurture strength-based skills in young children from birth. In the NARA community, Elders, family relations, community members, spiritual helpers and friends are invited to help the family. Nak Nu Wit is a Sahaptin phrase describing the program’s philosophy and mission:
“Everything / All things are being taken care of for the people, the people are the project, our responsibility, our work.” It is in this spirit that NARA welcomes all to attend this free event.
NARA, NW holds sacred the culture and traditions’ passed down from our ancestors and believes that when we recognize our “Warrior Self”, we can exhibit strength, without sacrificing tenderness. It is precisely because our ancestors called upon their inner warriors to be a source of strength to draw upon in times of great need that we exist today. The “Warriors Against Trauma” campaign honors our ancestors and asks today’s youth to thoughtfully deploy their “Warrior Spirits” to manifest as clarity, focus, determination, courage, constancy and an unflappable zest for life.
“Trauma Warriors” understand a true warrior views roadblocks as evolutionary opportunities, and isn't afraid to pursue a purpose to its finish – in the face of hardship, adversity, or strife. There is more than enough room in the existence of the warrior for softness and benevolence, and the warrior’s willingness to stand up for their beliefs can aid greatly in the healing process. As our youth strive to incorporate these ideals with today’s fast-paced world, they broaden their realities to internalize mindfulness while overcoming life’s challenges with an unwavering intensity of spirit. Can we get a W.A.T., W.A.T.?
"’Awareness Day is an opportunity for us to join with communities across the country in celebrating the positive impact we have on the lives of young people when we’re able to integrate culturally relevant positive mental health into every environment,’ says Terry Ellis, Child and Family Services Clinical Manager. ‘When we focus on building resilience and coping skills in young children from birth, especially if they have experienced a traumatic event, we can help young children, youth, and their families thrive.’"
Data released on May 3, 2011, by SAMHSA indicates that an estimated 26% of American children will witness, or experience a traumatic event, before the age of 4 years. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), almost 60% of American adults say they endured abuse, or other difficult family circumstances, during childhood. Research has shown exposure to traumatic events early in life can have many negative effects throughout childhood and adolescence, into adulthood. The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) study found a strong relationship between traumatic events experienced in childhood as reported in adulthood, and chronic physical illness such as heart disease, and mental health problems which includes depression.
The annual financial burden to society of childhood abuse and trauma is estimated to be $103 billion. NARA, NW is committed not only to treatment aimed at reducing this financial burden, but, strives to address historical trauma through culturally-based mental health services. Through NARA’s child and family mental health programs, our families and youth are treated by nationally recognized trauma experts who aim to decrease the prevalence of exposure to traumatic events among children and youth to eliminate intergenerational trauma, the problems trauma causes, and offer available treatments that can help children and youth recover through resilience. It is a great honor to act as liaisons, standing side-by-side with family and community members helping ensure the complete mental health and well-being our youth so they may continue the traditions passed down from elders with strength, honor and dignity.
12 year old Mechoopta Maidu tribal member and Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day contributing artist reflects upon what a Warrior Against Trauma means to him, “I have very bad dreams that wake me up at night. With help from Amber, I learned to call my Warrior to make the bad things that happen to me when I sleep go away. He protects me by throwing a tomahawk at the bad things, making them disappear and helping me sleep better.” Michael, NARA Nak Nu Wit client.
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The Doll Project is a series of conceptual digital photographs that uses fashion dolls to embody the negative messages the media gives to young girls. Though it would not be fair to blame it all on Barbie, there have been many instances in which she has come dangerously close. I chose to use Barbie dolls because they are miniature mannequins, emblems of the fashion world writ small, a representation of our culture's impossible standards of beauty scaled to one sixth actual size. The little pink scale and How To Lose Weight book are both real Barbie accessories from the 1960s. They are recurring motifs in the pictures in the series, symbolizing the ongoing dissatisfaction many girls and women feel about their weight and body image. The dolls' names, Ana and Mia, are taken from internet neologisms coined by anorexic and bulimic girls who have formed online communities with the unfortunate purpose of encouraging each other in their disordered eating. With each passing era, Ana and Mia are younger and younger, and the physical ideal to which they aspire becomes more unattainable. They internalize the unrealistic expectations of a society that digitally manipulates images of women in fashion and beauty advertisements and value their own bodies only as objects for others to look at and desire.
Read more about the project here:
tiffanygholar.blogspot.com/2008/08/doll-project.html
Purchase prints here:
Weathervane Playhouse in Akron, Ohio, presents Lorraine Hansberry's "A Raisin in the Sun" -- live on stage from Jan. 29 to Feb. 15.
ABOUT THE SHOW
Set during the early 1950s, "A Raisin in the Sun" tells the timeless story of one family’s grasp for a piece of the American Dream — and the explosive backlash that erupts when they seek to become the first black family to move into an all-white neighborhood.
The play revolves around the divergent dreams and conflicts within three generations of the Youngers, a black family living in a cramped apartment in Chicago’s racially segregated Southside neighborhood. The family’s struggle for dignity and their quest for a better life shape the powerful drama in this ground-breaking masterpiece of the American theater
Younger family matriarch Lena (whom everyone calls “Mama”) is the strong, moral heart of her clan, but she clashes frequently with her extended family. The family’s “man of the house” is her son Walter Lee, who works as a chauffeur but remains frustrated by his dead-end position in both life and the workplace. Walter’s wife is Ruth, who masks her discontent by directing all her energies toward her husband and their young son, Travis. Walter’s sister, Beneatha, is a young dreamer who dabbles in various hobbies and activities but embraces a strong desire to become a doctor.
When the insurance money from her deceased husband’s insurance policy comes through, Mama dreams of moving to a new home and a better neighborhood. But Walter Lee, who describes himself as a volcano full of internalized regrets and pipe dreams, has other plans: he wants to buy a liquor store and be “his own man.” Meanwhile, Beneatha wants to spend the money on her medical schooling. The tensions within the family and the blatant prejudice they receive from outside their home combine to shape the rich dramatic texture in this seminal American play.
THE CAST
TAMICKA SCRUGGS
Ruth Younger
BRIAN KENNETH ARMOUR
Walter Lee Younger
JOHNTAE LIPSCOMB
Travis Younger
TAYLOR ADAMS
Beneatha Younger
KEEYA CHAPMAN-LANGFORD
Lena Younger
MICHAEL SWAIN
Joseph Asagai
BRIAN STEELE
George Murchison
CHACE COULTER
Karl Lindner
KYM WILLIAMS
Bobo
THE CREATIVE TEAM
JIMMIE WOODY
Director
TABA ALEEM
Stage Manager
SCOTT CRIM
Lighting Designer
AUDREY FLIEGEL
Sound Designer
JOE HUNTER
Properties Designer
JASEN J. SMITH
Costume Designer
TODD DIERINGER
Scenic Co-Designer
KATHY KOHL
Scenic Co-Designer and Assistant Technical Director
The photos in this Flickr set were shot for Weathervane Playhouse by Scott Diese at the show's final dress rehearsal on Jan. 28, 2015.
Weathervane Playhouse in Akron, Ohio, presents Lorraine Hansberry's "A Raisin in the Sun" -- live on stage from Jan. 29 to Feb. 15.
ABOUT THE SHOW
Set during the early 1950s, "A Raisin in the Sun" tells the timeless story of one family’s grasp for a piece of the American Dream — and the explosive backlash that erupts when they seek to become the first black family to move into an all-white neighborhood.
The play revolves around the divergent dreams and conflicts within three generations of the Youngers, a black family living in a cramped apartment in Chicago’s racially segregated Southside neighborhood. The family’s struggle for dignity and their quest for a better life shape the powerful drama in this ground-breaking masterpiece of the American theater
Younger family matriarch Lena (whom everyone calls “Mama”) is the strong, moral heart of her clan, but she clashes frequently with her extended family. The family’s “man of the house” is her son Walter Lee, who works as a chauffeur but remains frustrated by his dead-end position in both life and the workplace. Walter’s wife is Ruth, who masks her discontent by directing all her energies toward her husband and their young son, Travis. Walter’s sister, Beneatha, is a young dreamer who dabbles in various hobbies and activities but embraces a strong desire to become a doctor.
When the insurance money from her deceased husband’s insurance policy comes through, Mama dreams of moving to a new home and a better neighborhood. But Walter Lee, who describes himself as a volcano full of internalized regrets and pipe dreams, has other plans: he wants to buy a liquor store and be “his own man.” Meanwhile, Beneatha wants to spend the money on her medical schooling. The tensions within the family and the blatant prejudice they receive from outside their home combine to shape the rich dramatic texture in this seminal American play.
THE CAST
TAMICKA SCRUGGS
Ruth Younger
BRIAN KENNETH ARMOUR
Walter Lee Younger
JOHNTAE LIPSCOMB
Travis Younger
TAYLOR ADAMS
Beneatha Younger
KEEYA CHAPMAN-LANGFORD
Lena Younger
MICHAEL SWAIN
Joseph Asagai
BRIAN STEELE
George Murchison
CHACE COULTER
Karl Lindner
KYM WILLIAMS
Bobo
THE CREATIVE TEAM
JIMMIE WOODY
Director
TABA ALEEM
Stage Manager
SCOTT CRIM
Lighting Designer
AUDREY FLIEGEL
Sound Designer
JOE HUNTER
Properties Designer
JASEN J. SMITH
Costume Designer
TODD DIERINGER
Scenic Co-Designer
KATHY KOHL
Scenic Co-Designer and Assistant Technical Director
The photos in this Flickr set were shot for Weathervane Playhouse by Scott Diese at the show's final dress rehearsal on Jan. 28, 2015.
Weathervane Playhouse in Akron, Ohio, presents Lorraine Hansberry's "A Raisin in the Sun" -- live on stage from Jan. 29 to Feb. 15.
ABOUT THE SHOW
Set during the early 1950s, "A Raisin in the Sun" tells the timeless story of one family’s grasp for a piece of the American Dream — and the explosive backlash that erupts when they seek to become the first black family to move into an all-white neighborhood.
The play revolves around the divergent dreams and conflicts within three generations of the Youngers, a black family living in a cramped apartment in Chicago’s racially segregated Southside neighborhood. The family’s struggle for dignity and their quest for a better life shape the powerful drama in this ground-breaking masterpiece of the American theater
Younger family matriarch Lena (whom everyone calls “Mama”) is the strong, moral heart of her clan, but she clashes frequently with her extended family. The family’s “man of the house” is her son Walter Lee, who works as a chauffeur but remains frustrated by his dead-end position in both life and the workplace. Walter’s wife is Ruth, who masks her discontent by directing all her energies toward her husband and their young son, Travis. Walter’s sister, Beneatha, is a young dreamer who dabbles in various hobbies and activities but embraces a strong desire to become a doctor.
When the insurance money from her deceased husband’s insurance policy comes through, Mama dreams of moving to a new home and a better neighborhood. But Walter Lee, who describes himself as a volcano full of internalized regrets and pipe dreams, has other plans: he wants to buy a liquor store and be “his own man.” Meanwhile, Beneatha wants to spend the money on her medical schooling. The tensions within the family and the blatant prejudice they receive from outside their home combine to shape the rich dramatic texture in this seminal American play.
THE CAST
TAMICKA SCRUGGS
Ruth Younger
BRIAN KENNETH ARMOUR
Walter Lee Younger
JOHNTAE LIPSCOMB
Travis Younger
TAYLOR ADAMS
Beneatha Younger
KEEYA CHAPMAN-LANGFORD
Lena Younger
MICHAEL SWAIN
Joseph Asagai
BRIAN STEELE
George Murchison
CHACE COULTER
Karl Lindner
KYM WILLIAMS
Bobo
THE CREATIVE TEAM
JIMMIE WOODY
Director
TABA ALEEM
Stage Manager
SCOTT CRIM
Lighting Designer
AUDREY FLIEGEL
Sound Designer
JOE HUNTER
Properties Designer
JASEN J. SMITH
Costume Designer
TODD DIERINGER
Scenic Co-Designer
KATHY KOHL
Scenic Co-Designer and Assistant Technical Director
The photos in this Flickr set were shot for Weathervane Playhouse by Scott Diese at the show's final dress rehearsal on Jan. 28, 2015.
Weathervane Playhouse in Akron, Ohio, presents Lorraine Hansberry's "A Raisin in the Sun" -- live on stage from Jan. 29 to Feb. 15.
ABOUT THE SHOW
Set during the early 1950s, "A Raisin in the Sun" tells the timeless story of one family’s grasp for a piece of the American Dream — and the explosive backlash that erupts when they seek to become the first black family to move into an all-white neighborhood.
The play revolves around the divergent dreams and conflicts within three generations of the Youngers, a black family living in a cramped apartment in Chicago’s racially segregated Southside neighborhood. The family’s struggle for dignity and their quest for a better life shape the powerful drama in this ground-breaking masterpiece of the American theater
Younger family matriarch Lena (whom everyone calls “Mama”) is the strong, moral heart of her clan, but she clashes frequently with her extended family. The family’s “man of the house” is her son Walter Lee, who works as a chauffeur but remains frustrated by his dead-end position in both life and the workplace. Walter’s wife is Ruth, who masks her discontent by directing all her energies toward her husband and their young son, Travis. Walter’s sister, Beneatha, is a young dreamer who dabbles in various hobbies and activities but embraces a strong desire to become a doctor.
When the insurance money from her deceased husband’s insurance policy comes through, Mama dreams of moving to a new home and a better neighborhood. But Walter Lee, who describes himself as a volcano full of internalized regrets and pipe dreams, has other plans: he wants to buy a liquor store and be “his own man.” Meanwhile, Beneatha wants to spend the money on her medical schooling. The tensions within the family and the blatant prejudice they receive from outside their home combine to shape the rich dramatic texture in this seminal American play.
THE CAST
TAMICKA SCRUGGS
Ruth Younger
BRIAN KENNETH ARMOUR
Walter Lee Younger
JOHNTAE LIPSCOMB
Travis Younger
TAYLOR ADAMS
Beneatha Younger
KEEYA CHAPMAN-LANGFORD
Lena Younger
MICHAEL SWAIN
Joseph Asagai
BRIAN STEELE
George Murchison
CHACE COULTER
Karl Lindner
KYM WILLIAMS
Bobo
THE CREATIVE TEAM
JIMMIE WOODY
Director
TABA ALEEM
Stage Manager
SCOTT CRIM
Lighting Designer
AUDREY FLIEGEL
Sound Designer
JOE HUNTER
Properties Designer
JASEN J. SMITH
Costume Designer
TODD DIERINGER
Scenic Co-Designer
KATHY KOHL
Scenic Co-Designer and Assistant Technical Director
The photos in this Flickr set were shot for Weathervane Playhouse by Scott Diese at the show's final dress rehearsal on Jan. 28, 2015.
Confucius (孔子; pinyin: Kǒngzǐ; lit. 'Master Kong'; c. 551 – c. 479 BCE), born Kong Qiu (孔丘), was a Chinese philosopher of the Spring and Autumn period who is traditionally considered the paragon of Chinese sages. Much of the shared cultural heritage of the Sinosphere originates in the philosophy and teachings of Confucius. His philosophical teachings, called Confucianism, emphasized personal and governmental morality, harmonious social relationships, righteousness, kindness, sincerity, and a ruler's responsibilities to lead by virtue.
Confucius considered himself a transmitter for the values of earlier periods which he claimed had been abandoned in his time. He advocated for filial piety, endorsing strong family loyalty, ancestor veneration, the respect of elders by their children and of husbands by their wives. Confucius recommended a robust family unit as the cornerstone for an ideal government. He championed the Silver Rule, or a negative form of the Golden Rule, advising, "Do not do unto others what you do not want done to yourself."
The time of Confucius's life saw a rich diversity of thought, and was a formative period in China's intellectual history. His ideas gained in prominence during the Warring States period, but experienced setback immediately following the Qin conquest. Under Emperor Wu of Han, Confucius's ideas received official sanction, with affiliated works becoming mandatory readings for career paths leading to officialdom. During the Tang and Song dynasties, Confucianism developed into a system known in the West as Neo-Confucianism, and later as New Confucianism. From ancient dynasties to the modern era, Confucianism has integrated into the Chinese social fabric and way of life.
Traditionally, Confucius is credited with having authored or edited many of the ancient texts including all of the Five Classics. However, modern scholars exercise caution in attributing specific assertions to Confucius himself, for at least some of the texts and philosophy associated with him were of a more ancient origin. Aphorisms concerning his teachings were compiled in the Analects, but not until many years after his death.
In the Analects, Confucius presents himself as a "transmitter who invented nothing". He puts the greatest emphasis on the importance of study, and it is the Chinese character for study (學) that opens the text. Far from trying to build a systematic or formalist theory, he wanted his disciples to master and internalize older classics, so that they can capture the ancient wisdoms that promotes "harmony and order", to aid their self-cultivation to become a perfect man. For example, the Annals would allow them to relate the moral problems of the present to past political events; the Book of Odes reflects the "mood and concerns" of the commoners and their view on government; while the Book of Changes encompasses the key theory and practice of divination.
Although some Chinese people follow Confucianism in a religious manner, many argue that its values are secular and that it is less a religion than a secular morality. Proponents of religious Confucianism argue that despite the secular nature of Confucianism's teachings, it is based on a worldview that is religious. Confucius was considered more of a humanist than a spiritualist, his discussions on afterlife and views concerning Heaven remained indeterminate, and he is largely unconcerned with spiritual matters often considered essential to religious thought, such as the nature of souls.
Attachment theory describes several behavioural systems, the function of which is to regulate human attachment, fear, exploration, care-giving, peer-affiliation and sex. Attachment is defined as any form of behaviour that results in a person attaining and retaining proximity to a differentiated other. The primary caregiver is the source of the infants stress regulation and, therefore, sense of safety and security. Attachment theory emphasises the role of the parent as mediator, reflector and moderator of the childs mind and the childs reliance on the parent to respond to their affective states in ways that are contingent to their internal experience, a process often referred to as secure base/safe haven functioning. Within the close parent-child relationship neural networks dedicated to feelings of safety and danger, attachment and the core sense of self are sculpted and shaped. These networks are conceptualised as internal working models of attachment.
Characteristic patterns of interaction operating within the familys caregiving-attachment system give rise to secure, insecure and disorganized patterns of attachment. These discrete patterns have been categorized using the Strange Situation research procedure, which observes the young childs behaviour when separated and reunited with his or her primary caregiver. Attachment patterns are represented in the childs internal working models of self-other relationships. Secure attachment is promoted by the interactive regulation of affect, which facilitates the recognition, labelling and evaluation of emotional and intentional states in the self and in others, a capacity known as reflective function or mentalization. The recognition of affects as having dynamic, transactional properties is the key to understanding behaviour in oneself and in another. The child comes to recognize his or her mental states as meaningful self-states via a process of parental affect mirroring and marking. Secure children are able to use sophisticated cognitive strategies to integrate and resolve their fear of separation and loss.
When the parent is unavailable, inconsistent or unpredictable, the infant develops one of two organized insecure patterns of attachment: avoidant or ambivalent-resistant. These defensive strategies involve either the deactivation or hyper-activation of the attachment system. Deactivation is characterized by avoidance of the caregiver and by emotional detachment. In effect, the avoidant child immobilizes the attachment system by excluding thoughts and feelings that normally activate the system. Hyper-activation is manifested by an enmeshed ambivalent preoccupation with the caregiver and with negative emotions, particularly anger. However, in common with the avoidant child, the ambivalent child appears to cognitively disconnect feelings from the situation that elicited the distress. Disorganised-disoriented attachment is discussed below.
Attachment research, then, demonstrates that discrete patterns of secure, insecure, and disorganized attachment have as their precursor a specific pattern of caregiver-infant interaction and their own behavioural sequelae. Repeated patterns of interpersonal experience are encoded in implicit-procedural memory and conceptualized as self-other working models of attachment. These mental models consist of generalized beliefs and expectations about relationships between the self and key attachment figures, not the least of which concerns ones worthiness to receive love and care from others.
In sum, the care-giving environment generally, and the infant-caregiver attachment relationship particularly, initiate the child along one of an array of potential developmental pathways. Disturbance of attachment is the outcome of a series of deviations that take the child increasingly further from adaptive functioning. Child abuse and cumulative developmental trauma violate the childs sense of trust, identity and agency and have pernicious and seminal influences on the developing personality. In essence, internal working models of early attachment relationships provide the templates for psychopathology in later life, which may include violent, destructive and self-destructive forms of behaviour. In attachment theory, the main purpose of defence is the regulation of emotions. The primary mechanisms for achieving this are distance regulation and the defensive exclusion of thoughts and feelings associated with attachment trauma.
Early trauma in the form of abuse, loss, neglect and severe parent-child misattunement compromises brain-mediated functions such as attachment, empathy and affect regulation. From an attachment theory perspective, patterns of attachment are encoded and stored as generalized relational patterns in the systems of implicit memory. These are conceptualized as cognitive-affective internal working models which are seen as mediating how we think and feel about ourselves, others and the relationships we develop. Although open to change and modification in the light of new attachment experiences, whether positive or negative, these non-conscious procedural models, scripts or schemas within which early stress and trauma are retained, tend to persevere and guide, appraise and predict attachment-related thoughts, feelings and behaviours throughout the life cycle via the implicit memory system. Psychopathology is seen as deriving from an accumulation of maladaptive interactional patterns that result in character traits and personality types and disorders.
Disorganised attachment may occur when the childs parent is both the source of fear and the only protective figure to whom to turn to resolve stress and anxiety. In such instances, neither proximity seeking nor proximity avoiding is a solution to the activation of the childs attachment and fear behavioural systems. If the trauma remains unresolved and is carried into adulthood, it leaves the individual vulnerable to affect dysregulation in interpersonal conflict situations that induce fear, hate, shame and rage. In such cases, alcohol and illicit drugs are often resorted to as a maladaptive means of suppressing dreaded psychobiological states and restoring a semblance of affective equilibrium.
Findings show that disorganised attachment developed in infancy shifts to controlling behaviour in the older child and adult, reflecting an internalized mental model of the self as unlovable, unworthy of care and support, and fearful of rejection, betrayal and abandonment. Disorganised attachment is associated with a predisposition to relational violence, to dissociative states and conduct disorders in children and adolescents, and to personality disorders in adults. This state of mind constitutes a primary risk factor for the development of borderline, anti-social and sociopathic personality disorders. The rate of such disorders in forensic settings is particularly high. Clinically, dissociated traumatic experience is unsymbolized by thought and language, being encapsulated within the personality as a separate, non-reflective reality which is cut off from authentic human relatedness. The information contained in implicit memory may be retrieved by state-dependent moods and situations. Dissociated archaic internal working models are then activated, influencing and distorting expectations of current events and relationships outside of conscious awareness, particularly in situations involving intense interpersonal stress. In such situations, the self is felt to be endangered, thereby increasing the risk of an angry and potentially violent reaction.
Wonderwerp #60
Studio Loos, Den Haag 2015
Based loosely on Ganzfeld experiments (a technique used in parapsychology in the 1970s as a way of invoking telepathy), Color Field Immersion involves masking the audience with semi-transparent blindfolds onto which light projections are mapped. Similar to sensory deprivation, Color Field Immersion provides perceptual deprivation, replacing the entirety of each audience member’s visual field with washes of color, line, and movement – often inducing hallucinations as the brain seeks to replace lost stimuli. Flipping the traditional performer-audience relationship, the internalized experience becomes the location of the performance. Combined with rich, textural soundscapes, Color Field Immersion creates a deeply immersive perceptual architecture of sound and vision.
Doron Sadja is an American artist, composer, and curator whose work explores modes of perception and the experience of sound, light, and space. Working primarily with multichannel spatialized sound – combining pristine electronics with lush romantic synthesizers, extreme frequencies, dense noise, and computer-enhanced acoustic instruments, Sadja creates post-human, hyper-emotive sonic architecture. Although each of Sadja’s works are striking in their singular and focused approach, his output is diverse: spanning everything from immersive multichannel sound pieces to sexually provacative performance / installation works, and stroboscopic smoke, mirror, laser, and projection shows. Doron has published music on 12k, ATAK, and Shinkoyo records, and has performed/exhibited at PS1 MoMa, Miami MOCA, D’amelio Terras Gallery, Cleveland Museum of Art, Issue Project Room, and Roulette amongst others. Sadja co-founded Shinkoyo Records and the West Nile performing arts venue in Brooklyn (RIP), and has curated various new music/sound festivals around NYC, including the multichannel SOUNDCORRIDORS Festival, Easy Not Easy, John Cage Musicircus, and more.
Weathervane Playhouse in Akron, Ohio, presents Lorraine Hansberry's "A Raisin in the Sun" -- live on stage from Jan. 29 to Feb. 15.
ABOUT THE SHOW
Set during the early 1950s, "A Raisin in the Sun" tells the timeless story of one family’s grasp for a piece of the American Dream — and the explosive backlash that erupts when they seek to become the first black family to move into an all-white neighborhood.
The play revolves around the divergent dreams and conflicts within three generations of the Youngers, a black family living in a cramped apartment in Chicago’s racially segregated Southside neighborhood. The family’s struggle for dignity and their quest for a better life shape the powerful drama in this ground-breaking masterpiece of the American theater
Younger family matriarch Lena (whom everyone calls “Mama”) is the strong, moral heart of her clan, but she clashes frequently with her extended family. The family’s “man of the house” is her son Walter Lee, who works as a chauffeur but remains frustrated by his dead-end position in both life and the workplace. Walter’s wife is Ruth, who masks her discontent by directing all her energies toward her husband and their young son, Travis. Walter’s sister, Beneatha, is a young dreamer who dabbles in various hobbies and activities but embraces a strong desire to become a doctor.
When the insurance money from her deceased husband’s insurance policy comes through, Mama dreams of moving to a new home and a better neighborhood. But Walter Lee, who describes himself as a volcano full of internalized regrets and pipe dreams, has other plans: he wants to buy a liquor store and be “his own man.” Meanwhile, Beneatha wants to spend the money on her medical schooling. The tensions within the family and the blatant prejudice they receive from outside their home combine to shape the rich dramatic texture in this seminal American play.
THE CAST
TAMICKA SCRUGGS
Ruth Younger
BRIAN KENNETH ARMOUR
Walter Lee Younger
JOHNTAE LIPSCOMB
Travis Younger
TAYLOR ADAMS
Beneatha Younger
KEEYA CHAPMAN-LANGFORD
Lena Younger
MICHAEL SWAIN
Joseph Asagai
BRIAN STEELE
George Murchison
CHACE COULTER
Karl Lindner
KYM WILLIAMS
Bobo
THE CREATIVE TEAM
JIMMIE WOODY
Director
TABA ALEEM
Stage Manager
SCOTT CRIM
Lighting Designer
AUDREY FLIEGEL
Sound Designer
JOE HUNTER
Properties Designer
JASEN J. SMITH
Costume Designer
TODD DIERINGER
Scenic Co-Designer
KATHY KOHL
Scenic Co-Designer and Assistant Technical Director
The photos in this Flickr set were shot for Weathervane Playhouse by Scott Diese at the show's final dress rehearsal on Jan. 28, 2015.
Weathervane Playhouse in Akron, Ohio, presents Lorraine Hansberry's "A Raisin in the Sun" -- live on stage from Jan. 29 to Feb. 15.
ABOUT THE SHOW
Set during the early 1950s, "A Raisin in the Sun" tells the timeless story of one family’s grasp for a piece of the American Dream — and the explosive backlash that erupts when they seek to become the first black family to move into an all-white neighborhood.
The play revolves around the divergent dreams and conflicts within three generations of the Youngers, a black family living in a cramped apartment in Chicago’s racially segregated Southside neighborhood. The family’s struggle for dignity and their quest for a better life shape the powerful drama in this ground-breaking masterpiece of the American theater
Younger family matriarch Lena (whom everyone calls “Mama”) is the strong, moral heart of her clan, but she clashes frequently with her extended family. The family’s “man of the house” is her son Walter Lee, who works as a chauffeur but remains frustrated by his dead-end position in both life and the workplace. Walter’s wife is Ruth, who masks her discontent by directing all her energies toward her husband and their young son, Travis. Walter’s sister, Beneatha, is a young dreamer who dabbles in various hobbies and activities but embraces a strong desire to become a doctor.
When the insurance money from her deceased husband’s insurance policy comes through, Mama dreams of moving to a new home and a better neighborhood. But Walter Lee, who describes himself as a volcano full of internalized regrets and pipe dreams, has other plans: he wants to buy a liquor store and be “his own man.” Meanwhile, Beneatha wants to spend the money on her medical schooling. The tensions within the family and the blatant prejudice they receive from outside their home combine to shape the rich dramatic texture in this seminal American play.
THE CAST
TAMICKA SCRUGGS
Ruth Younger
BRIAN KENNETH ARMOUR
Walter Lee Younger
JOHNTAE LIPSCOMB
Travis Younger
TAYLOR ADAMS
Beneatha Younger
KEEYA CHAPMAN-LANGFORD
Lena Younger
MICHAEL SWAIN
Joseph Asagai
BRIAN STEELE
George Murchison
CHACE COULTER
Karl Lindner
KYM WILLIAMS
Bobo
THE CREATIVE TEAM
JIMMIE WOODY
Director
TABA ALEEM
Stage Manager
SCOTT CRIM
Lighting Designer
AUDREY FLIEGEL
Sound Designer
JOE HUNTER
Properties Designer
JASEN J. SMITH
Costume Designer
TODD DIERINGER
Scenic Co-Designer
KATHY KOHL
Scenic Co-Designer and Assistant Technical Director
The photos in this Flickr set were shot for Weathervane Playhouse by Scott Diese at the show's final dress rehearsal on Jan. 28, 2015.
Attachment theory describes several behavioural systems, the function of which is to regulate human attachment, fear, exploration, care-giving, peer-affiliation and sex. Attachment is defined as any form of behaviour that results in a person attaining and retaining proximity to a differentiated other. The primary caregiver is the source of the infants stress regulation and, therefore, sense of safety and security. Attachment theory emphasises the role of the parent as mediator, reflector and moderator of the childs mind and the childs reliance on the parent to respond to their affective states in ways that are contingent to their internal experience, a process often referred to as secure base/safe haven functioning. Within the close parent-child relationship neural networks dedicated to feelings of safety and danger, attachment and the core sense of self are sculpted and shaped. These networks are conceptualised as internal working models of attachment.
Characteristic patterns of interaction operating within the familys caregiving-attachment system give rise to secure, insecure and disorganized patterns of attachment. These discrete patterns have been categorized using the Strange Situation research procedure, which observes the young childs behaviour when separated and reunited with his or her primary caregiver. Attachment patterns are represented in the childs internal working models of self-other relationships. Secure attachment is promoted by the interactive regulation of affect, which facilitates the recognition, labelling and evaluation of emotional and intentional states in the self and in others, a capacity known as reflective function or mentalization. The recognition of affects as having dynamic, transactional properties is the key to understanding behaviour in oneself and in another. The child comes to recognize his or her mental states as meaningful self-states via a process of parental affect mirroring and marking. Secure children are able to use sophisticated cognitive strategies to integrate and resolve their fear of separation and loss.
When the parent is unavailable, inconsistent or unpredictable, the infant develops one of two organized insecure patterns of attachment: avoidant or ambivalent-resistant. These defensive strategies involve either the deactivation or hyper-activation of the attachment system. Deactivation is characterized by avoidance of the caregiver and by emotional detachment. In effect, the avoidant child immobilizes the attachment system by excluding thoughts and feelings that normally activate the system. Hyper-activation is manifested by an enmeshed ambivalent preoccupation with the caregiver and with negative emotions, particularly anger. However, in common with the avoidant child, the ambivalent child appears to cognitively disconnect feelings from the situation that elicited the distress. Disorganised-disoriented attachment is discussed below.
Attachment research, then, demonstrates that discrete patterns of secure, insecure, and disorganized attachment have as their precursor a specific pattern of caregiver-infant interaction and their own behavioural sequelae. Repeated patterns of interpersonal experience are encoded in implicit-procedural memory and conceptualized as self-other working models of attachment. These mental models consist of generalized beliefs and expectations about relationships between the self and key attachment figures, not the least of which concerns ones worthiness to receive love and care from others.
In sum, the care-giving environment generally, and the infant-caregiver attachment relationship particularly, initiate the child along one of an array of potential developmental pathways. Disturbance of attachment is the outcome of a series of deviations that take the child increasingly further from adaptive functioning. Child abuse and cumulative developmental trauma violate the childs sense of trust, identity and agency and have pernicious and seminal influences on the developing personality. In essence, internal working models of early attachment relationships provide the templates for psychopathology in later life, which may include violent, destructive and self-destructive forms of behaviour. In attachment theory, the main purpose of defence is the regulation of emotions. The primary mechanisms for achieving this are distance regulation and the defensive exclusion of thoughts and feelings associated with attachment trauma.
Early trauma in the form of abuse, loss, neglect and severe parent-child misattunement compromises brain-mediated functions such as attachment, empathy and affect regulation. From an attachment theory perspective, patterns of attachment are encoded and stored as generalized relational patterns in the systems of implicit memory. These are conceptualized as cognitive-affective internal working models which are seen as mediating how we think and feel about ourselves, others and the relationships we develop. Although open to change and modification in the light of new attachment experiences, whether positive or negative, these non-conscious procedural models, scripts or schemas within which early stress and trauma are retained, tend to persevere and guide, appraise and predict attachment-related thoughts, feelings and behaviours throughout the life cycle via the implicit memory system. Psychopathology is seen as deriving from an accumulation of maladaptive interactional patterns that result in character traits and personality types and disorders.
Disorganised attachment may occur when the childs parent is both the source of fear and the only protective figure to whom to turn to resolve stress and anxiety. In such instances, neither proximity seeking nor proximity avoiding is a solution to the activation of the childs attachment and fear behavioural systems. If the trauma remains unresolved and is carried into adulthood, it leaves the individual vulnerable to affect dysregulation in interpersonal conflict situations that induce fear, hate, shame and rage. In such cases, alcohol and illicit drugs are often resorted to as a maladaptive means of suppressing dreaded psychobiological states and restoring a semblance of affective equilibrium.
Findings show that disorganised attachment developed in infancy shifts to controlling behaviour in the older child and adult, reflecting an internalized mental model of the self as unlovable, unworthy of care and support, and fearful of rejection, betrayal and abandonment. Disorganised attachment is associated with a predisposition to relational violence, to dissociative states and conduct disorders in children and adolescents, and to personality disorders in adults. This state of mind constitutes a primary risk factor for the development of borderline, anti-social and sociopathic personality disorders. The rate of such disorders in forensic settings is particularly high. Clinically, dissociated traumatic experience is unsymbolized by thought and language, being encapsulated within the personality as a separate, non-reflective reality which is cut off from authentic human relatedness. The information contained in implicit memory may be retrieved by state-dependent moods and situations. Dissociated archaic internal working models are then activated, influencing and distorting expectations of current events and relationships outside of conscious awareness, particularly in situations involving intense interpersonal stress. In such situations, the self is felt to be endangered, thereby increasing the risk of an angry and potentially violent reaction.
Attachment theory describes several behavioural systems, the function of which is to regulate human attachment, fear, exploration, care-giving, peer-affiliation and sex. Attachment is defined as any form of behaviour that results in a person attaining and retaining proximity to a differentiated other. The primary caregiver is the source of the infants stress regulation and, therefore, sense of safety and security. Attachment theory emphasises the role of the parent as mediator, reflector and moderator of the childs mind and the childs reliance on the parent to respond to their affective states in ways that are contingent to their internal experience, a process often referred to as secure base/safe haven functioning. Within the close parent-child relationship neural networks dedicated to feelings of safety and danger, attachment and the core sense of self are sculpted and shaped. These networks are conceptualised as internal working models of attachment.
Characteristic patterns of interaction operating within the familys caregiving-attachment system give rise to secure, insecure and disorganized patterns of attachment. These discrete patterns have been categorized using the Strange Situation research procedure, which observes the young childs behaviour when separated and reunited with his or her primary caregiver. Attachment patterns are represented in the childs internal working models of self-other relationships. Secure attachment is promoted by the interactive regulation of affect, which facilitates the recognition, labelling and evaluation of emotional and intentional states in the self and in others, a capacity known as reflective function or mentalization. The recognition of affects as having dynamic, transactional properties is the key to understanding behaviour in oneself and in another. The child comes to recognize his or her mental states as meaningful self-states via a process of parental affect mirroring and marking. Secure children are able to use sophisticated cognitive strategies to integrate and resolve their fear of separation and loss.
When the parent is unavailable, inconsistent or unpredictable, the infant develops one of two organized insecure patterns of attachment: avoidant or ambivalent-resistant. These defensive strategies involve either the deactivation or hyper-activation of the attachment system. Deactivation is characterized by avoidance of the caregiver and by emotional detachment. In effect, the avoidant child immobilizes the attachment system by excluding thoughts and feelings that normally activate the system. Hyper-activation is manifested by an enmeshed ambivalent preoccupation with the caregiver and with negative emotions, particularly anger. However, in common with the avoidant child, the ambivalent child appears to cognitively disconnect feelings from the situation that elicited the distress. Disorganised-disoriented attachment is discussed below.
Attachment research, then, demonstrates that discrete patterns of secure, insecure, and disorganized attachment have as their precursor a specific pattern of caregiver-infant interaction and their own behavioural sequelae. Repeated patterns of interpersonal experience are encoded in implicit-procedural memory and conceptualized as self-other working models of attachment. These mental models consist of generalized beliefs and expectations about relationships between the self and key attachment figures, not the least of which concerns ones worthiness to receive love and care from others.
In sum, the care-giving environment generally, and the infant-caregiver attachment relationship particularly, initiate the child along one of an array of potential developmental pathways. Disturbance of attachment is the outcome of a series of deviations that take the child increasingly further from adaptive functioning. Child abuse and cumulative developmental trauma violate the childs sense of trust, identity and agency and have pernicious and seminal influences on the developing personality. In essence, internal working models of early attachment relationships provide the templates for psychopathology in later life, which may include violent, destructive and self-destructive forms of behaviour. In attachment theory, the main purpose of defence is the regulation of emotions. The primary mechanisms for achieving this are distance regulation and the defensive exclusion of thoughts and feelings associated with attachment trauma.
Early trauma in the form of abuse, loss, neglect and severe parent-child misattunement compromises brain-mediated functions such as attachment, empathy and affect regulation. From an attachment theory perspective, patterns of attachment are encoded and stored as generalized relational patterns in the systems of implicit memory. These are conceptualized as cognitive-affective internal working models which are seen as mediating how we think and feel about ourselves, others and the relationships we develop. Although open to change and modification in the light of new attachment experiences, whether positive or negative, these non-conscious procedural models, scripts or schemas within which early stress and trauma are retained, tend to persevere and guide, appraise and predict attachment-related thoughts, feelings and behaviours throughout the life cycle via the implicit memory system. Psychopathology is seen as deriving from an accumulation of maladaptive interactional patterns that result in character traits and personality types and disorders.
Disorganised attachment may occur when the childs parent is both the source of fear and the only protective figure to whom to turn to resolve stress and anxiety. In such instances, neither proximity seeking nor proximity avoiding is a solution to the activation of the childs attachment and fear behavioural systems. If the trauma remains unresolved and is carried into adulthood, it leaves the individual vulnerable to affect dysregulation in interpersonal conflict situations that induce fear, hate, shame and rage. In such cases, alcohol and illicit drugs are often resorted to as a maladaptive means of suppressing dreaded psychobiological states and restoring a semblance of affective equilibrium.
Findings show that disorganised attachment developed in infancy shifts to controlling behaviour in the older child and adult, reflecting an internalized mental model of the self as unlovable, unworthy of care and support, and fearful of rejection, betrayal and abandonment. Disorganised attachment is associated with a predisposition to relational violence, to dissociative states and conduct disorders in children and adolescents, and to personality disorders in adults. This state of mind constitutes a primary risk factor for the development of borderline, anti-social and sociopathic personality disorders. The rate of such disorders in forensic settings is particularly high. Clinically, dissociated traumatic experience is unsymbolized by thought and language, being encapsulated within the personality as a separate, non-reflective reality which is cut off from authentic human relatedness. The information contained in implicit memory may be retrieved by state-dependent moods and situations. Dissociated archaic internal working models are then activated, influencing and distorting expectations of current events and relationships outside of conscious awareness, particularly in situations involving intense interpersonal stress. In such situations, the self is felt to be endangered, thereby increasing the risk of an angry and potentially violent reaction.
The Doll Project is a series of conceptual digital photographs that uses fashion dolls to embody the negative messages the media gives to young girls. Though it would not be fair to blame it all on Barbie, there have been many instances in which she has come dangerously close. I chose to use Barbie dolls because they are miniature mannequins, emblems of the fashion world writ small, a representation of our culture's impossible standards of beauty scaled to one sixth actual size. The little pink scale and How To Lose Weight book are both real Barbie accessories from the 1960s. They are recurring motifs in the pictures in the series, symbolizing the ongoing dissatisfaction many girls and women feel about their weight and body image. The dolls' names, Ana and Mia, are taken from internet neologisms coined by anorexic and bulimic girls who have formed online communities with the unfortunate purpose of encouraging each other in their disordered eating. With each passing era, Ana and Mia are younger and younger, and the physical ideal to which they aspire becomes more unattainable. They internalize the unrealistic expectations of a society that digitally manipulates images of women in fashion and beauty advertisements and value their own bodies only as objects for others to look at and desire.
Read more about the project here:
tiffanygholar.blogspot.com/2008/08/doll-project.html
Purchase prints here:
Weathervane Playhouse in Akron, Ohio, presents Lorraine Hansberry's "A Raisin in the Sun" -- live on stage from Jan. 29 to Feb. 15.
ABOUT THE SHOW
Set during the early 1950s, "A Raisin in the Sun" tells the timeless story of one family’s grasp for a piece of the American Dream — and the explosive backlash that erupts when they seek to become the first black family to move into an all-white neighborhood.
The play revolves around the divergent dreams and conflicts within three generations of the Youngers, a black family living in a cramped apartment in Chicago’s racially segregated Southside neighborhood. The family’s struggle for dignity and their quest for a better life shape the powerful drama in this ground-breaking masterpiece of the American theater
Younger family matriarch Lena (whom everyone calls “Mama”) is the strong, moral heart of her clan, but she clashes frequently with her extended family. The family’s “man of the house” is her son Walter Lee, who works as a chauffeur but remains frustrated by his dead-end position in both life and the workplace. Walter’s wife is Ruth, who masks her discontent by directing all her energies toward her husband and their young son, Travis. Walter’s sister, Beneatha, is a young dreamer who dabbles in various hobbies and activities but embraces a strong desire to become a doctor.
When the insurance money from her deceased husband’s insurance policy comes through, Mama dreams of moving to a new home and a better neighborhood. But Walter Lee, who describes himself as a volcano full of internalized regrets and pipe dreams, has other plans: he wants to buy a liquor store and be “his own man.” Meanwhile, Beneatha wants to spend the money on her medical schooling. The tensions within the family and the blatant prejudice they receive from outside their home combine to shape the rich dramatic texture in this seminal American play.
THE CAST
TAMICKA SCRUGGS
Ruth Younger
BRIAN KENNETH ARMOUR
Walter Lee Younger
JOHNTAE LIPSCOMB
Travis Younger
TAYLOR ADAMS
Beneatha Younger
KEEYA CHAPMAN-LANGFORD
Lena Younger
MICHAEL SWAIN
Joseph Asagai
BRIAN STEELE
George Murchison
CHACE COULTER
Karl Lindner
KYM WILLIAMS
Bobo
THE CREATIVE TEAM
JIMMIE WOODY
Director
TABA ALEEM
Stage Manager
SCOTT CRIM
Lighting Designer
AUDREY FLIEGEL
Sound Designer
JOE HUNTER
Properties Designer
JASEN J. SMITH
Costume Designer
TODD DIERINGER
Scenic Co-Designer
KATHY KOHL
Scenic Co-Designer and Assistant Technical Director
The photos in this Flickr set were shot for Weathervane Playhouse by Scott Diese at the show's final dress rehearsal on Jan. 28, 2015.
Weathervane Playhouse in Akron, Ohio, presents Lorraine Hansberry's "A Raisin in the Sun" -- live on stage from Jan. 29 to Feb. 15.
ABOUT THE SHOW
Set during the early 1950s, "A Raisin in the Sun" tells the timeless story of one family’s grasp for a piece of the American Dream — and the explosive backlash that erupts when they seek to become the first black family to move into an all-white neighborhood.
The play revolves around the divergent dreams and conflicts within three generations of the Youngers, a black family living in a cramped apartment in Chicago’s racially segregated Southside neighborhood. The family’s struggle for dignity and their quest for a better life shape the powerful drama in this ground-breaking masterpiece of the American theater
Younger family matriarch Lena (whom everyone calls “Mama”) is the strong, moral heart of her clan, but she clashes frequently with her extended family. The family’s “man of the house” is her son Walter Lee, who works as a chauffeur but remains frustrated by his dead-end position in both life and the workplace. Walter’s wife is Ruth, who masks her discontent by directing all her energies toward her husband and their young son, Travis. Walter’s sister, Beneatha, is a young dreamer who dabbles in various hobbies and activities but embraces a strong desire to become a doctor.
When the insurance money from her deceased husband’s insurance policy comes through, Mama dreams of moving to a new home and a better neighborhood. But Walter Lee, who describes himself as a volcano full of internalized regrets and pipe dreams, has other plans: he wants to buy a liquor store and be “his own man.” Meanwhile, Beneatha wants to spend the money on her medical schooling. The tensions within the family and the blatant prejudice they receive from outside their home combine to shape the rich dramatic texture in this seminal American play.
THE CAST
TAMICKA SCRUGGS
Ruth Younger
BRIAN KENNETH ARMOUR
Walter Lee Younger
JOHNTAE LIPSCOMB
Travis Younger
TAYLOR ADAMS
Beneatha Younger
KEEYA CHAPMAN-LANGFORD
Lena Younger
MICHAEL SWAIN
Joseph Asagai
BRIAN STEELE
George Murchison
CHACE COULTER
Karl Lindner
KYM WILLIAMS
Bobo
THE CREATIVE TEAM
JIMMIE WOODY
Director
TABA ALEEM
Stage Manager
SCOTT CRIM
Lighting Designer
AUDREY FLIEGEL
Sound Designer
JOE HUNTER
Properties Designer
JASEN J. SMITH
Costume Designer
TODD DIERINGER
Scenic Co-Designer
KATHY KOHL
Scenic Co-Designer and Assistant Technical Director
The photos in this Flickr set were shot for Weathervane Playhouse by Scott Diese at the show's final dress rehearsal on Jan. 28, 2015.
A CHRISTOPHER WHITBY PRIMER
96" x 176"
Drawing panels: 96" x 48" each
Gesso, acrylic, paper, hemp, wood maché, vellum
Sculpture: 77" x 24" x 24"
Modeling stand, metal, wood, wood maché, vellum, hemp, modeling paste, acrylic
While teaching at the La Jolla Art Center (now the San Diego Museum of Contemporary Art) Robert Cremean would often see the young son of his landlady playing in the yard, most often riding his hobby horse. The image of the child equestrian was indelible in the imagination of the artist who first depicted him in sculpture in 1958 and again in 1960. The child on the hobbyhorse appeared repeatedly thereafter both in individual works and as a detail within much larger and more comprehensive studio sections. These depictions were done in wood maché, wood mortise, carved wood, graphite drawings, modeling paste relief, gesso and in bronze. The most extensive examination of Christopher Whitby was in THE CHRISTOPHER WHITBY COLORING BOOK, 1990-1993.
In this final portrayal, many of the metaphorical images depicted and analyzed by the artist during the whole of the fifty-five year ride of the ever-young but spiritually and intellectually maturing equestrian are once more revisited. It appears that his and his horse’s expressions have radically changed, as if the events confronted and experienced while riding through that ever-present “valley of astonishment,” contemplated by the artist decades earlier, have at last been fully internalized. He remains a child but no longer is he naive.
Numerous questions arise when viewing this depiction: could it really be a self-portrait of the artist whose memories are so clearly made manifest in the drawings on the two wall panels?; through time and sexual awakening and diminishment, exactly whose passage was it?; have the artist and the equestrian finally become one in which the boy is becoming the horse and the horse the boy and the boy a man?; does the amorphous naiveté of the child of first view metamorphose into the startled cognizance of the second view, the horse reacting with startled and rearing anger and the equestrian of the third view resigned?; have the equestrian and the horse finally become one both actually and sexually?; do the panels serve as a defining retrospective of so many of the ideas and events and thoughts through which the horse and rider have ridden? And is A Christopher Whitby Primer further evidence that the entire STUDIO SECTION 2009-2015 is, in fact, a multi-faceted retrospective of the artist’s work and his own abbreviated autobiography?
Weathervane Playhouse in Akron, Ohio, presents Lorraine Hansberry's "A Raisin in the Sun" -- live on stage from Jan. 29 to Feb. 15.
ABOUT THE SHOW
Set during the early 1950s, "A Raisin in the Sun" tells the timeless story of one family’s grasp for a piece of the American Dream — and the explosive backlash that erupts when they seek to become the first black family to move into an all-white neighborhood.
The play revolves around the divergent dreams and conflicts within three generations of the Youngers, a black family living in a cramped apartment in Chicago’s racially segregated Southside neighborhood. The family’s struggle for dignity and their quest for a better life shape the powerful drama in this ground-breaking masterpiece of the American theater
Younger family matriarch Lena (whom everyone calls “Mama”) is the strong, moral heart of her clan, but she clashes frequently with her extended family. The family’s “man of the house” is her son Walter Lee, who works as a chauffeur but remains frustrated by his dead-end position in both life and the workplace. Walter’s wife is Ruth, who masks her discontent by directing all her energies toward her husband and their young son, Travis. Walter’s sister, Beneatha, is a young dreamer who dabbles in various hobbies and activities but embraces a strong desire to become a doctor.
When the insurance money from her deceased husband’s insurance policy comes through, Mama dreams of moving to a new home and a better neighborhood. But Walter Lee, who describes himself as a volcano full of internalized regrets and pipe dreams, has other plans: he wants to buy a liquor store and be “his own man.” Meanwhile, Beneatha wants to spend the money on her medical schooling. The tensions within the family and the blatant prejudice they receive from outside their home combine to shape the rich dramatic texture in this seminal American play.
THE CAST
TAMICKA SCRUGGS
Ruth Younger
BRIAN KENNETH ARMOUR
Walter Lee Younger
JOHNTAE LIPSCOMB
Travis Younger
TAYLOR ADAMS
Beneatha Younger
KEEYA CHAPMAN-LANGFORD
Lena Younger
MICHAEL SWAIN
Joseph Asagai
BRIAN STEELE
George Murchison
CHACE COULTER
Karl Lindner
KYM WILLIAMS
Bobo
THE CREATIVE TEAM
JIMMIE WOODY
Director
TABA ALEEM
Stage Manager
SCOTT CRIM
Lighting Designer
AUDREY FLIEGEL
Sound Designer
JOE HUNTER
Properties Designer
JASEN J. SMITH
Costume Designer
TODD DIERINGER
Scenic Co-Designer
KATHY KOHL
Scenic Co-Designer and Assistant Technical Director
The photos in this Flickr set were shot for Weathervane Playhouse by Scott Diese at the show's final dress rehearsal on Jan. 28, 2015.
Miss SL Press Presentation - Paper Couture.
MISS SL ♛ Ireland 2016.
MISS SL ♛ Ireland 2016, Aealla Illyar chose the beautiful painting, "L'Etoile (The Star)" by Degas. When she looks at this painting, she says it brings her joy and peace. MISS SL ♛ Ireland studied dance from the age of three to the age of 19, and performed in a dance company. She has feelings of joy and peace that she experienced dancing that are brought back to her when she contemplates this painting.
MISS SL ♛ Ireland describes herself as somewhat shy and tends to internalize her feelings, but participating in the Miss SL competition has helped her rediscover and grow in confidence. This painting represents stepping out of the shadows and into the light thanks to that renewed sense of confidence.
MISS SL ♛ Ireland's crinkled paper ballerina dress is from Wicca's Wardrobe "Princess Petite" Dress and Collar, AZOURY Argippina Ballet Shoes, Lode Balts Headpiece that resemble paper flowers and Meva Flower Spheres.
The Cause
MISS SL ♛ Ireland, Aealla Illyar chosen cause is Domestic Violence Awareness, representing the group, "Women Thrive Worldwide" and their campaign, "Stop The Violence. Stepping out of the shadows is something women do every day when they make the decision to leave a violent relationship.
The World Health Organization reports that an astounding one in three women worldwide experiences physical or sexual violence. In some countries, that rate jumps to 70 percent.
These statistics are shocking but domestic violence is still clouded in shame and victims are forced to hide in the shadows until they die or get help.
For MISS SL ♛ Ireland, the Degas painting, L'Etoile (The Star), is a good representation of victims leaving the shadows and stepping out on their own for the first time. We need to bring this issue out of the shadows and continue to encourage women to talk about their experiences and grow confident in themselves once again.
Weathervane Playhouse in Akron, Ohio, presents Lorraine Hansberry's "A Raisin in the Sun" -- live on stage from Jan. 29 to Feb. 15.
ABOUT THE SHOW
Set during the early 1950s, "A Raisin in the Sun" tells the timeless story of one family’s grasp for a piece of the American Dream — and the explosive backlash that erupts when they seek to become the first black family to move into an all-white neighborhood.
The play revolves around the divergent dreams and conflicts within three generations of the Youngers, a black family living in a cramped apartment in Chicago’s racially segregated Southside neighborhood. The family’s struggle for dignity and their quest for a better life shape the powerful drama in this ground-breaking masterpiece of the American theater
Younger family matriarch Lena (whom everyone calls “Mama”) is the strong, moral heart of her clan, but she clashes frequently with her extended family. The family’s “man of the house” is her son Walter Lee, who works as a chauffeur but remains frustrated by his dead-end position in both life and the workplace. Walter’s wife is Ruth, who masks her discontent by directing all her energies toward her husband and their young son, Travis. Walter’s sister, Beneatha, is a young dreamer who dabbles in various hobbies and activities but embraces a strong desire to become a doctor.
When the insurance money from her deceased husband’s insurance policy comes through, Mama dreams of moving to a new home and a better neighborhood. But Walter Lee, who describes himself as a volcano full of internalized regrets and pipe dreams, has other plans: he wants to buy a liquor store and be “his own man.” Meanwhile, Beneatha wants to spend the money on her medical schooling. The tensions within the family and the blatant prejudice they receive from outside their home combine to shape the rich dramatic texture in this seminal American play.
THE CAST
TAMICKA SCRUGGS
Ruth Younger
BRIAN KENNETH ARMOUR
Walter Lee Younger
JOHNTAE LIPSCOMB
Travis Younger
TAYLOR ADAMS
Beneatha Younger
KEEYA CHAPMAN-LANGFORD
Lena Younger
MICHAEL SWAIN
Joseph Asagai
BRIAN STEELE
George Murchison
CHACE COULTER
Karl Lindner
KYM WILLIAMS
Bobo
THE CREATIVE TEAM
JIMMIE WOODY
Director
TABA ALEEM
Stage Manager
SCOTT CRIM
Lighting Designer
AUDREY FLIEGEL
Sound Designer
JOE HUNTER
Properties Designer
JASEN J. SMITH
Costume Designer
TODD DIERINGER
Scenic Co-Designer
KATHY KOHL
Scenic Co-Designer and Assistant Technical Director
The photos in this Flickr set were shot for Weathervane Playhouse by Scott Diese at the show's final dress rehearsal on Jan. 28, 2015.
Color of Life Color Conceals: Cuttlefish are excellent examples of cryptic coloration. Chromatophores in the cuttlefish skin are controlled neurologically, allowing almost immediate color change disappearing into its background right before your eyes.
Ref: California Academy Color of Life exhibit 2015
TAXONOMY
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Cephalopoda
Order: Sepiida
Family: Sepiidae (Cuttlefishes, shell internalized)
Genus/species: Sepia bandensis
GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS: S. bandensis has 8 arms with rows of suckers along each and 2 feeding tentacles. It moves by the undulation of lateral fins that surround the body. Cuttlefish have an internal shell within their bodies that they can fill with more or less gas to create neutral buoyancy. The cuttlebone is often collected and used as a calcium supplement, beak sharpener, and all-purpose toy for caged birds.
Like most cephalopods, cuttlefish have 3 hearts. Two hearts pump blood to the gills, and a central heart pumps oxygenated blood to the body.
Length up to 10 cm (4 inches)
DISTRIBUTION/HABITAT: The Indo-Pacific region, including the Philippines, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea.
Found in shallow coastal waters near or on coral reefs or sandy substrates.
DIET IN THE WILD: Crustaceans and fish. The Cuttlefish changes colors and patterns as it approaches prey then ejects its feeding tentacles to capture its prey with its suckers and eating it with a parrot-like beak and a radula. Active diurnally.
ACADEMY DIET: Shrimp and crab (M Avila, staff biologist)
LONGEVITY: Life span: 6 mos. to 3 yrs.
REMARKS: Masters of camouflage, cuttlefish and most cephalopods can change their colors, shapes and textures in seconds to avoid predators and blend into their surroundings. They have keen vision, but are color blind.
They also produce large amounts of ink, both as a decoy and foul-tasting deterrent. Known as sepia ink, after the genus name of cuttlefish, it was a dye once prized by artists.
The Steinhart Aquarium is the first institution in the U.S. to breed dwarf cuttlefish. To date, (2010) more than 350 have hatched at the Academy, most of which have been sent to other aquaria and research institutions. Quote from Rich Ross, Academy biologist and cuttlefish breeder extraordinaire: Over time, [cuttlefish] learn to recognize and respond to you, and will often greet you when you walk into the room (or maybe they just know you bring the food). They are smart, beautiful and unusual, and unlike certain other eight-armed cephalopods (think octopus), they don’t try to escape from your aquarium!
References
California Academy of Sciences Steinhart Aquarium Water is Life Surviving 2016 AQG13
The Marine Biology Coloring Book 2nd Ed. Thomas Niesen 2000
EOL Encyclopedia of Life eol.org/pages/591499/details
Ron's flickr www.flickr.com/photos/cas_docents/3953684359/in/album-721...
Ron's Wordpress shortlink wp.me/p1DZ4b-1yp
10-15-11, 11-7-14, 7-22-15, 12-8-16
The Doll Project is a series of conceptual digital photographs that uses fashion dolls to embody the negative messages the media gives to young girls. Though it would not be fair to blame it all on Barbie, there have been many instances in which she has come dangerously close. I chose to use Barbie dolls because they are miniature mannequins, emblems of the fashion world writ small, a representation of our culture's impossible standards of beauty scaled to one sixth actual size. The little pink scale and How To Lose Weight book are both real Barbie accessories from the 1960s. They are recurring motifs in the pictures in the series, symbolizing the ongoing dissatisfaction many girls and women feel about their weight and body image. The dolls' names, Ana and Mia, are taken from internet neologisms coined by anorexic and bulimic girls who have formed online communities with the unfortunate purpose of encouraging each other in their disordered eating. With each passing era, Ana and Mia are younger and younger, and the physical ideal to which they aspire becomes more unattainable. They internalize the unrealistic expectations of a society that digitally manipulates images of women in fashion and beauty advertisements and value their own bodies only as objects for others to look at and desire.
Read more about the project here:
tiffanygholar.blogspot.com/2008/08/doll-project.html
Purchase prints here:
The Doll Project is a series of conceptual digital photographs that uses fashion dolls to embody the negative messages the media gives to young girls. Though it would not be fair to blame it all on Barbie, there have been many instances in which she has come dangerously close. I chose to use Barbie dolls because they are miniature mannequins, emblems of the fashion world writ small, a representation of our culture's impossible standards of beauty scaled to one sixth actual size. The little pink scale and How To Lose Weight book are both real Barbie accessories from the 1960s. They are recurring motifs in the pictures in the series, symbolizing the ongoing dissatisfaction many girls and women feel about their weight and body image. The dolls' names, Ana and Mia, are taken from internet neologisms coined by anorexic and bulimic girls who have formed online communities with the unfortunate purpose of encouraging each other in their disordered eating. With each passing era, Ana and Mia are younger and younger, and the physical ideal to which they aspire becomes more unattainable. They internalize the unrealistic expectations of a society that digitally manipulates images of women in fashion and beauty advertisements and value their own bodies only as objects for others to look at and desire.
Read more about the project here:
tiffanygholar.blogspot.com/2008/08/doll-project.html
Purchase prints here: