Countdown to SOUL SAMURAI: Cinematic Fight Inspirations

Whaddup, Vamp Fans! It’s been a busy week here at The Battle Ranch. As we near the end of our third week of rehearsals, most of all the major fight sequences in “Soul Samurai” have now been choreographed. And like any theatrical process, I’ve already had to toss away my fair share of original ideas for the service of newer and better ones. Alas, because of union rules as well as me not wanting to spoil the show for ya, we’re not allowed to film any of the fight rehearsals. But what I can do is share some of my favorite seventies action scenes below. Check'em out.

1. Black Belt Jones (1974) From Dolemite’s all girl army of kung fu killers to John Shaft’s spin kicks, blaxploitation characters all knew some sort of make-shift martial arts. Besides chop socky, no other genre had more “hi-ya’s” than seventies blaxploitation. But out of them all, only one of them was truly legit. That guy was Jim Kelly aka Black Belt Jones. And though he might seem silly in the above clip, Jim Kelly was the perennial “black” belt martial artist. At his height, he also starred in “Enter the Dragon” with Bruce Lee. Though the fights I’ll be putting together will have a ton more complexity and modern day speed to them, the heart of the badass kung fu black belt is behind every punch. Dig it.

2. Enter the Dragon (1973)Speaking of Bruce Lee, no other seventies action flick is better than the historically important “Enter The Dragon” which brought international fame to the late great Bruce Lee. Premiering literally weeks after his death, Bruce never got to experience the mega explosion of Kung Fu love that happened after this movie’s debut. But as a film it has influenced more than a few martial artists including myself. The above clip is the infamous fight he has with Han’s henchmen. In “Soul Samurai”, there’s undoubtedly an occasion where Dewdrop, our lead, will have to fight multiple adversaries. Trust me, I’ll be using this footage as inspiration. It's gonna be badass.

3. Samurai 3: Duel on Ganryu Island (1954)Okay, Inagaki’s “Samurai 3: Duel on Ganryu Island” completely predates the seventies. It was actually filmed in the fifties, but I’d be lying if I said there was anything more influential when it comes to my katana choreography than this flick. Miyomoto Musashi (the main character in these flicks) is perhaps the single most important samurai of all time. Though I love flicks like “Kill Bill” and “Samurai Champloo”, I gotta go old school when it comes to the Ronin. I even decided to rethink one of my main character’s weaponry after getting deep into the Miyomoto Musashi lore. Originally wielding a baseball bat, I’ve decided to give the character Cert a wooden bokken instead (a wooden samurai sword) in homage to Japan’s single greatest swordsman. In the above clip, we see a cinematic depiction of Miyomoto’s most famous duel against Sasaki Kojiro where Miyomoto fights his famous rival with a bokken he made out of a boat’s oar. Pretty badass for a guy not wielding a blade, right? I love these films. (Sidenote: If you dig on this stuff, I’d also recommend checking out the manga “Vagabond” by Takehiko Inoue, which tells a fictionalized account of Miyomoto Musashi’s story).

Countdown to SOUL SAMURAI: Interview with Nick Francone

Continuing our focus on the cast and crew of “Soul Samurai”, the spotlight now turns to one of the creative architects of our organization, resident scenic/lighting designer Nick Francone. As a collaborator since the company’s very beginning, Nick is one of the creative pillars to Vampire Cowboys. His artistry has helped define the company’s aesthetic far beyond his professional duties on sets and lights, it has helped define our voice, our mission, and our stories. He is a trusted friend and collaborator who, in my humble opinion, is one of the best designers in all of the city.

In your own words, what is “Soul Samurai”?
"Soul Samurai" is a classic Qui Nguyen mash-up in every sense. It’s an old school Samurai story layered with funky Blaxsploitation style set in the post-apocalyptic future.

What excites you about this show?
Every VC show excites and inspires me. What I find particularly exciting about this show is the dark quality of the storytelling and the challenge of bringing it to a much bigger venue than we’re used to. It has such potential to be great that I lay awake at night trying to figure it all out.

What makes this show different from your other theatrical endeavors?
There are a few things that always distinguish VC shows from everything else I do all year. There is such freedom in the mandate to make it awesome. It’s like the difference between being the cinematographer for “Benjamin Button” versus “The Bourne Supremacy”. Everything is faster, looser, freer, less careful, more daring and set to a thumping beat. The material has such a frantic style to it that you have to strap in, set the light board cue times to zero and start pounding away. From a scenic perspective, the challenge is to make it epic, keep the scale right for five actors, plan for everything and be ready to change it all for a new great idea.

Is there any particular bit of research you’re looking at to build this show?
I have to say, like everyone else who will respond, I’ve looked at a ton of Blaxsploitation movies because I was least familiar with that genre. Also, though, we’re pulling from a lifetime of martial arts films like “Fist of Legend”, “Half a Loaf of Kung Fu”, “Shadow Llama Fist” (Only $3.99 in China Town!), “Twin Warriors”, “Iron Monkey”, etc. etc. etc.

I have to say the biggest inspiration for me, though, has been Brooklyn itself. It isn’t a huge leap to imagine post-apocalyptic New York when you’re standing on the subway platform at Smith and 9th or driving to JFK on Atlantic Avenue. I’ve had a great time soaking in the grunge of it all and imagining if all the gentrification just went away…

What are some of your favorite film/books/music/comics of this genre?
For Blaxsploitation, I have to say that I love “Shaft in Africa”. See, Shaft goes to Africa to uncover an evil plot and ends up saving the day, loving the ladies straight, and blowing up the bad guy’s house for no discernible reason. Awesome. For the martial arts and samurai style, I have watched Jet Li’s “Fist of Legend” probably 20 times. The storytelling is so good, the issues at stake are enormous and the fights kick ass. Musically, I’m listening to “Hello Nasty” by Beastie Boys to get my Brooklyn on. I also love “The Warriors” because of its stripped down aesthetic and dirty look at New York .

You’re a veteran of the Vampire Cowboys team, what makes this collaboration with Ma-Yi exciting?
Ma-Yi is committed to bringing quality theater to New York City at large. We at Vampire Cowboys have traditionally had such a focused demographic that I’m thrilled to see postcards going out to a whole new group of theatergoers. It’s also exciting to have another quality set of eyes on the process as we try to push this show past our usual limits of size, scope, and scale.

What are some of your main artistic influences? How will you incorporate that into this show?
My main artistic influences are early to mid Italian Renaissance icon painters. And Bach. I just love that guy. He gets me.

No, I’m like a cross-cut shredder of artistic influences. Recent highlights include: Ansel Adams National Parks series, NWA’s Straight Outta Compton, Rock of Love Charm School, Neckface’s hilarious showing at the LA Museum of Modern Art, the underside of the F train on the way to Loews, the construction site outside my studio window and a book called Brooklyn Storefronts that I weirdly found in a bookstore in Australia.

Is this show anything like the previous Vampire Cowboys shows at all?
The process is much the same. I think we’ve tried to standardize the way we do things a bit so that what we do can be as varied as it needs to be. The fall workshop, the month or so of rewrites, the storyboard session, the alone time to figure out what all of it means, and the collaborative discussions that follow the first presentation are all pretty comfortable now. What’s never the same is how we attack the material. I’m not sure how we’re going to achieve some of the video we have in mind and it will be a challenge to do a show with as much set as I think this one requires. In a way we’re a long way from the white butcher paper sets of yesteryear (A Beginner’s Guide to Deicide), but in a way we’re doing the same kind of Shakespearian storytelling that we were doing then. (That’s right, I said it! The Vampire Cowboys are like Shakespeare. How do you like that?)

Finally, why should people come see “Soul Samurai”?
I’m pretty sure girls are going to kiss in it. And then fight. And then probably kiss again. I will go on record right here as saying that the Vampire Cowboys bring shows to the stage that would not be as good on television. I know that’s a bold assertion, but how many times have you sat through a play that you thought you would have enjoyed more on your couch at home? This show, like our other projects, is best viewed live in a room of 98 like-minded people. So come on out and feel the funk!

Countdown to SOUL SAMURAI: Actor Video Journal (Week 2)

For more on "Soul Samurai", CLICK HERE!

Countdown to SOUL SAMURAI: The Prequel

Jon Hoche and I have been working like mad to get this finished. After long hours and alotta ink thrown, here it is! The Official SOUL SAMURAI prequel comic book! Click the pic below to check it out!

Countdown to SOUL SAMURAI: Tickets are now onsale!

Whaddup, Vamp Fans! Guess what? Tickets are now officially onsale for the SOUL SAMURAI! Tell your friends! And get them now before they're gone. Cause I have a feeling this show is gonna be the complete hotness. For more info and to get your tix, Click Here!

Countdown to SOUL SAMURAI: Interview with Jon Hoche

Our next interviewee is Vampire Cowboys’ resident comic book aficionado and go-to stunt guy, Jon Hoche. He first appeared on our stage last season in “Fight Girl Battle World” where he blew it up as the show’s big bad, the regenerating President Ya-Wi. Since then, he has regularly appeared with us at the NY Comic Con, The Saturday Night Saloon, Revamped: Seventies Soul, and a slew of other Vampire Cowboys outreach events including HERE Arts Center's 2008 B-day party.

In “Soul Samurai”, Jon plays a gang of characters including Grandmaster Mack the Shogun of Manhattan; A Brownsville Pastor out to save Brooklyn; A comedic thug named Burnout; a movement-based character named Neutral Mask Marcus, and a ton of others. Here's what he has to say about the show:

Jon, in your own words, what is "Soul Samurai"?
It's hard to say. It's about a lot of things. I mean, if you strip it down to its core, it’s about a young girl journeying through the most dangerous part of a war-torn New York City to kill the man responsible for her true love’s murder. But beyond the plot, it's also a celebration of Asian and hip-hop culture that’s most importantly a fun-filled, action-packed, kickass time at the theater.

What excites you about this play?
Simply the chance to be able to work with Vampire Cowboys again and be able to work with Ma-Yi Theater for the first time. They are both great companies here in the city with strong reputations of doing innovative grade “A” shows. I have no doubt “Soul Samurai” will maintain this reputation.

I’m also a huge fan of movement-based theater and, with this show, I get to exercise that muscle. Among the multiple roles I’ve been cast to do, I play a character called "Neutral Mask Marcus" which, in essence, is like a giant puppet who is forced to only communicate through movement. No words, no voice, and I’m also trapped behind a mask. This is a challenge I am thoroughly thrilled to tackle. I love it.

Are there any particular movies or comic books you're looking at to prepare for this show?
Being relatively new to the genre of blaxploitation, I really engulfed myself in whatever I could get my hands on. First and foremost, there's “The Mack” who my character Grandmaster Mack is based on. However, blaxploitation classics such as “Shaft”, “Superfly”, “The Last Dragon”, and, “Sweet Sweetback's Badaaasss Song” also hugely helped in my research. I also looked at a documentary that came out a year or two ago called “Planet B-Boy”. It was great to watch because it showed how much Hip-Hop culture has found its way to all the countries of Asia.

And as far as comic books go, I read DMZ by Brian Wood to help me visualize a truly war-torn New York City. Other fun stuff included the manga and anime series BLEACH which has a great look to it, especially when imagining what a modern hip Samurai might look like if they were around nowadays.

Vampire Cowboys is known for their comic book aesthetic. Are you a comic book fan? If you are, what are some of your favorite comic books and characters?
I definitely am. I’m for the most part what you would call a DC guy. I love a lot of the stuff coming out from that company. Batman is one of my all-time favorite characters and the creative team behind DETECTIVE COMICS is one of the best. Other titles I regularly read are GREEN LANTERN, GREEN LANTERN CORPS (Yep, that’s a different title), SUPERMAN, ACTION COMICS, and especially JSA. From the other studios, I love WALKING DEAD and INVINCIBLE from Image and AVENGERS, MIGHTY AVENGERS, and INCREDIBLE HERCULES over at Marvel. Comics are great. There's a lot more that I dig, but these are just some of my favs.

What is it like working with Qui and Robert?
What can I say? Qui and Robert are a great team. They really make the entire rehearsal process fun and interesting and give you the chance to explore and bring your ideas to the table. It's very much a collaborative process with very little ego involved.

What's it like to do fights onstage?
As I mentioned before, I just love movement-based theater. With stage combat, you have the task of telling a story thru a fight. You also have to be completely present because, although the fights are choreographed for safety, they can still be dangerous. If you zone out, someone could get really hurt. So there is a huge level of trust between everyone involved, especially from those getting attacked since they’re the ones being thrown, hit, and kicked. Which I personally prefer. It’s just a bit more fun playing the victim.

Like any show involving the Vampire Cowboys, “Soul Samurai” promises to have some great innovative action in it and I'm excited to once again go all-out balls-to-the-wall with it. I mean, how often does one get fight with a pimp cane like it was a Samurai Sword?

Is there anything from any previous roles you've done that will help you prepare for this show?
I think the work I did in last season’s “Fight Girl Battle World” will be hugely beneficial since it helped me understand how everyone works and what is expected mentally and physically from these kinds of shows.

What are some of the personal influences that help you most as an actor onstage?
Growing up, I idolized Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire. Their ability to tell stories through movement is something I strive to do everytime I'm onstage.

Finally, why should people come see "Soul Samurai"?
Hot girls, cool guys, awesome action, blood, guts, and a modern love story. Need I say more? Seriously, I guarantee you'll have a great time. Trust me, you'll love it.

Hope

It's a new day!

Countdown to SOUL SAMURAI: Actor Video Journal (Week 1)

Check it out, Vamp Fans! Jon Hoche and Paco Tolson, from the cast of "Soul Samurai", have created a online video journal chronicling their process on the show! Check out their vid for Week 1 below!

For more on "Soul Samurai", CLICK HERE!

Countdown to SOUL SAMURAI: First Shots

Last night was our publicity photo shoot for "Soul Samurai". Theresa Squire, our photographer and VC board member (as well as an amazing Broadway costume designer) came out to take the shots. Currently, our producers and press rep are now scrounging through the hundreds of pics from last night to find the perfect set to be included with our official press materials. However . . . I too had my handy dandy Canon Powershot with me and took some photos as well. My camera may not be as fancy as our photographer's, but I think I snagged a coupla good pictures here and there. Nothing press worthy I'm sure, but most definitely blog worthy. Check'em out. Enjoy! Photos include "Soul Samurai" actors: Sheldon Best, Maureen Sebastian, and Bonnie Sherman.

Countdown to SOUL SAMURAI: Movie Inspirations

Whaddup, Vamp Fans! We are now officially in rehearsals for “Soul Samurai”. Yee-muthafuckin-haw! I loves putting up shows. And since I can’t let you all into our rehearsal hall each night to see what we’re doing, what I can do is share with you some of the stuff that is inspiring all of our work, specifically the material that inspired yo’ favorite yella playwright in putting this bad boy together in the first place.

Obviously, a big influence on me is the films I grew up watching. From blaxploitation flicks to kung fu classics, “Soul Samurai” honors and homages many of the heroes I found in 70’s and 80’s cinema. Obviously, I love the big three – “Shaft”, “Foxy Brown”, and “Superfly”. Those flicks were the ones that made the genre. They are the granddaddy of all badass cinema. And martial art films like “Enter the Dragon”, “Drunken Master”, and “Five Deadly Venoms” are staples to any young yella fella trying to get themselves some good self esteem growing up. However, though those are the ones that immediately pop to mind, they aren’t the ones that are on the top of my play list. For whatever reason, be it who I was with when I watched them or how they impacted me when I first saw them, the top five flicks that defines “Soul Samurai” ain’t the heavies, but the following:

5. Harakiri (1962)

Now there are some great Samurai flicks out there from Hiroshi Inagaki’s “Samurai Trilogy” tracking the story of the legendary Miyamoto Musashi to any of Kurasawa’s epics, but my personal favorite in the genre has to be Masaki Kobayashi’s “Harakiri”, solely because it was a movie that blew my mind away as a kid. The film told the story of a rogue Ronin showing up to request the opportunity to commit hara-kiri (suicide by jabbing a katana through one’s gut) in the Shogun’s court. However to complete this act, he asks for the presence of certain other famous Samurai to be present. As the Shogun sends out messengers to bring in the men, our rogue Ronin takes this time to tell the story of how he came to this juncture. It’s a masterpiece of a film that, even at the age of 10, forced me to reexamine my thoughts regarding tradition, honor, and loyalty. It’s very effective and, when you see it, a very influential flick to many a movie maker out there. I highly recommend it if you ever want to see something quality and a bit outside the usual Kurasawa and Toshiro Mifune samurai stuff. I really love it . . . though it is a far more depressing flick than say any of the “Zatoichi the Blind Swordsman” movies.

4. Brother (2000)

Okay, many fans of Beat Takeshi may disagree with me saying his pure Japanese films are far better and “Brother” is just a pale American imitation of what he does so well. However, I would retort by saying “You’re fuckin’ crazy” and “I loves this movie.” I’ll admit, it’s mad violent and not for moviegoers who’d rather see “Anne of Green Gables” over the newest Tarantino, but if you like the genre, this is one of the best. It’s about a member of the Japanese Yokuza getting exiled to America where he runs into a young Los Angeles street gang. When they threaten to mug him, he decides, instead of killing them on the spot, to school them from being neighborhood slingers into corporate hustlers. It’s a badass flick that, along with being a helluva gangster movie, also takes time to examine prejudice, our fear of the “other”, and the meaning of loyalty itself while it simultaneously blows some shit up. It’s good stuff. See it. It'll grow hair on your nether regions.

3. Fist of Legend (1994)

Now, don’t get me wrong, I love Bruce Lee. There’s no way around it. My fight choreography, my fighting skillz, and my love for action-oriented storytelling all have been hugely influenced by history’s most important onscreen martial artist. I mean, the guy reinvented Kung Fu for chrissakes. He challenged hundreds of years of tradition and then did something no one thought possible, he made it even better by stripping away the bullshit. So, yeah, Bruce was clearly my first celebrity hero. However, he only made four films (Five if you count “Game of Death” which he never completed.) and one of those movies completely sucked (Let’s be honest, “The Big Boss”, though it made him a star, was complete trash). So though I give Bruce mad props for the being perhaps the single most important martial artist of all time, my favorite chop socky actor is actually Jet Li. Yep, I said it . . . Jet Li. The guy has made over 35 films, which, yeah, a lot of them ain't so hot, but at least there’s some variety in there. At least it’s more than four. And Jet's masterpiece, without a doubt, is “Fist of Legend” (which ironically is a remake of Bruce Lee’s “Fist of Fury” AKA “The Chinese Connection”), the story of a fighter coming home to avenge the death of his sifu. I first saw this movie back in high school when my brother rented it. I, of course, was mad skeptical. I had heard of Jet Li, but never saw any of his films. And at the time, I couldn’t fathom remotely liking any other action star over my hero, Bruce. But after fifteen minutes of this movie, my whole world changed. Here was a guy who not only could fight, but the choreography he was executing was far beyond anything I had ever seen before. Cause unlike Bruce Lee who was choreographed by . . . well, Bruce Lee, Jet was doing fights by Yeun Woo-Ping (the guy who choreographed “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”) and that choreography was both beautiful as well as awesomely violent. It was so far beyond anything anyone was doing in America at that time and I had never seen anything remotely like it. It was seeing this flick that suddenly made me become obsessed with how fights were put together and the artistry behind violent storytelling. I needed to know how it all worked and how I could someday do it. So, yeah, though it was Bruce Lee who first made me want to be a better fighter, it was actually Jet Li who first influenced me into wanting to become a fight director.

2. Blacula (1972)

As a kid growing up in the 80’s, a major portion of my adolescence was obsessing over horror movies. From regularly reading Fangoria to watching marathons of all the “Nightmare on Elm Street” and “Friday the 13^th” films, I couldn’t get enough of the adrenaline rush that accompanied getting the shit scared out of me. However, there was one flick that changed my perception on monsters forever. That film was the 1972 film “Blacula”. I remember sitting down and watching this with my dad who also shares my soft spot for all things Vampish. But when we saw this together, we both sort of had the same reaction when it was over . . . Blacula wasn’t all that bad. Not only was I not afraid of Prince Mamuwalde (the character who would be turned into Blacula), but I felt an overwhelming sympathy for him. In the opening scene, he’s out to do some real good, he wants to get the aid of a certain Transylvanian Count to help him end the slave trade. However, the count as you might suspect is evil and betrays Mamuwalde by transforming him into a vampire and trapping him in a casket for “all eternity”. This was the opening scene, mind you. And from this point forward, no matter how much the movie wanted to make me scared of Mamuwalde, there was always something in the back of my prepubescent mind that said, “Fuck that. Mamuwalde is justified in fucking some shit up. Go Blacula! Go get you yours!”. It was the first time I recall not looking at good guys and bad guys in black and white. It made me acknowledge the gray. So, yeah, it was an important flick to say the least.

1. Berry Gordy’s The Last Dragon (1985)

And finally, the biggest and most influential film of all has to be Berry Gordy’s “The Last Dragon”. And I’m not gonna lie, this isn’t just the most influential flick when it comes to “Soul Samurai”, this is singularly my all-time favorite movie. In Paco’s interview he called this the proto-Soul Samurai, I’d even go further and say this is perhaps proto-Qui Nguyen. This is my “Godfather”. This is my “Citizen Kane”. This is the flick that made me decide that making stories was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. “The Last Dragon” told the story of Leroy Green aka Bruce Leroy – a young martial artist – who wants to achieve getting “the glow” (the master level of martial arts where as legend tells, once you get there, you will see a glow all around you), but in his way is Shogun Sho’Nuff, a rival martial artist who will stop at nothing to prove he’s the baddest brotha on the block, which of course means tons of fights in this hour and a half flick. Element wise, this movie has everything – I mean everything - great action, hysterical dialogue, music, Prince’s hot sidekick from the 80’s - Vanity, a young William H. Macy, an even younger Rudy Huxtable, SAFD Fight Master Michael G Chin, Tony Award winniner Faith Prince, Ernie Reyes Junior, an old Asian guy, a bald guy, perennial mustache singer El Debarge, Taimak, and a truely fun and unadultered awesome storyline. I watched this movie with my two younger brothers over and over again during our childhood. The repercussion, I grew up to be a playwright/fight director and they learned how to take alotta pain growing up cause . . . well, I usually hit them directly after each viewing cause I’d be so hyped up on martial arts madness. It’s really a spectacular flick worth seeing. Pure fun. And in case you’re curious, yeah guys, after all these years of doing Vampire Cowboys shows, I do indeed gots da glow!

Countdown to SOUL SAMURAI: Interview with Paco Tolson

Whaddup, Vamp Fans! As part of our “Countdown to SOUL SAMURAI” blog, we’re also going to include interviews with a few of the players of the show including members of the acting and creative team. "Soul Samurai" has a thoroughly amazing team around it and we want to share some of their insights in the creation of our newest pop-culture riff for the stage.

To kick us off, our first interview goes to Vampire Cowboys and Ma-Yi Theater fan-favorite, Paco Tolson. Paco was part of last season’s NY Innovative Theatre Award-winning ensemble of “Fight Girl Battle World” (which he also received an additional nom for outstanding actor in a featured role), and Lloyd Suh’s Off-Broadway production of “Children of Vonderly” produced by Ma-Yi Theater which also featured VC's own Maureen Sebastian.

In your own words, what is “Soul Samurai” about?
"Soul Samurai" is a story of love and redemption disguised as a revenge odyssey. The lives of many characters collide as our sword-wielding heroine fights her way through dark territory to avenge her lover’s death. At the same time, the audience becomes more and more intimate with a New York City deeply influenced by all of the things that make Vampire Cowboys so wonderful—the comprehensive artistic expression of love for genre codes; in this case, Blaxploitation, Samurai, and Chop-Socky.

Paco, in “Soul Samurai”, you play the role of Cert. Without giving away too much, what can you tell us about your character?
To me, Cert’s like a street-wise Sancho Panza from Brooklyn with a kick-ass bat. He’s loyal, lovable, a constant companion on a quest, and bound by great love. He’s also a smitten B-Boy with a libido that goes up to 11. He has a number of lines that reveal a need to prove himself and amount to something, but really he may just be driven by lust. Lovably lustful. It’ll be very interesting to see where the one ends and the other begins.

What do you anticipate to be some of the challenges in creating such a role?
I had a blast working on this part in the workshop. I think the real challenge is going to be making him unique from other parts I’ve had success with. The temptation is always to pimp out “bits” you’ve done before because you know they work. I’m looking to make sure that every time out the work resembles what is actually there in the writing and the concept and it fits the function the character serves in the bigger picture. In addition to Cert, there’s a bunch of smaller incidental roles, which I love, so the process also becomes about making instant, recognizably different people over and over. That’s really hard, although Qui generally makes it easy because his characters, even the small ones, have great dynamics that eventually lead to strong characterization. That’s a big challenge, but it wouldn’t be worth it if it wasn’t hard. That’s stitched on a pillow somewhere, I think.

What are some of the films/books/comics you’re looking at to prepare for this role?
Berry Gordy’s The Last Dragon
Shaft
Superfly
Foxy Brown
Hara Kiri
Samurai Champloo
The Mack
Sweet Sweetback’s Baaad Assssss Song
Black Mama White Mama
Dolemite
Lone Wolf and Cub (Shogun Assassin)
Francis Lawrence’s Belly
The Wire

What are some of your favorite films/books/comics of this genre?
I was not terribly familiar with Blaxploitation as an artistic movement before researching the show, so a lot of the stuff on that list is all new to me. It has been a wild journey, too. My favorite samurai movie is "Rashomon", although that’s more to do with storytelling. It’s great on its own. I was practically raised on "The Last Dragon", which in my mind is the Proto-Soul Samurai. Sho-Nuff! "The Mack", in my mind, is a cinematic triumph. Musically, artistically, politically. A lot of people have, ironically enough, exploited the “pimp” mythos using "The Mack" as a template when the film’s not a glorification at all. It’s an empathetic experience (as opposed to a sympathetic one) of someone else’s life and what they lived through.

What’s it like to work with Qui and Robert?
Qui and Robert are a great team. Here’s what it’s like from the viewpoint of an actor. Everybody reads through the scene, we talk a little bit, we get it on its feet, we begin saying the lines…and Robert and Qui instantly start whispering to each other. We sometimes even stop and watch them in the middle of a scene just to see how long it’ll take for them to notice we’ve stopped. Sometimes we’ll look out and Robert and Qui and Abby (Vampire Cowboys producer), all three of them, will be talking during a scene. They’re working out ideas—that’s where the real magic happens, unbeknownst to us.

What’s it like to do fights onstage?
Stage combat is pretty amazing when it’s pulled off well, and it’s always an intense experience to perform because you’ve got to keep yourself focused and in-check for your partner’s sake. You expend so much energy that it’s easy to get carried away. It’s like instead of simply throwing a punch, you have to use your entire instrument to sell it to the audience because you can’t actually do the real punch. Your whole body gets into the act. If you throw a punch using 20 pounds of power, you have to add another 20 just to make sure you’re truly controlling it. And even then you can get so wrapped up in kicking someone’s ass that your mind wanders and you connect for real. In rehearsal for the workshop I was using a plastic bat and I nailed Jon Hoche with it on the back. Instead of selling it, I actually swatted him really good because I was “feeling it” in the scene. I found out later I hit him between the top of his pants and the bottom of his shirt right on the skin and he was really pissed. (He got over it.) I also slapped Temar Underwood pretty hard, and everyone is afraid I’ll hit them in the balls. I don’t know why.
For this show in particular, I’m doing more work with effects and bat technique (no katana for me, I know) so there’s a big catch-up to do physically. Getting it into your muscle memory and feeling confident that you’re in control is key for me.

This is your second show with Ma-Yi and your third with Vampire Cowboys. In your opinion, what excites you about this collaboration?
First of all, I think this collabo is a perfect fit. Ma-Yi has a wonderful eye and ear for great plays expressed in beautifully executed productions. There’s an artistic commitment to expanding the diversity of theatre and examining what constitutes an American story. Vampire Cowboys is into redefining what constitutes theatre itself, innovation and pushing boundaries. I think their sensibilities are very harmonious and exciting.

Is there anything from any past role you’ve played that will help you to create Cert?
In the first days of the workshop it became clear that there is a lot of violence and darkness in Soul Samurai’s New York. I want to bring some lightness and joy to whatever scenes I can to balance that out, whatever makes the most sense. I want to take many elements from the past and create something that is singularly Cert’s. I don’t think The Mole will make it in there, but you never know. Everything you put out there has been synthesized out of your own life and what’s rattling around in your brain, so who knows.

What are some of the personal influences that have helped you most onstage?
Kate Marks remains a constant inspiration and lifeline through these shows and everything else in between. She knows more about the plays I work on than I do at this point. Her multidisciplinary approach to art and performance is something I’m building into my own work philosophy, too. Seeing a night at the theatre as something that engages your heart and mind and realigns your understanding somehow. You should see the world with new eyes if even for a moment.

Finally, why should people come see “Soul Samurai”?
A lot of people know to expect the unexpected from Vampire Cowboys and this time is no different. The operating principles of mash-ups and genre homages are in full effect on top of our commitment to bring you something f-ing awesome and unique. It’s fun, it’s smart and it’s got a lot of heart. If you’re reading this interview it’s very likely you already know what I mean.

BONUS MATERIAL!
This week also kicks off the rehearsal process for "Soul Samurai". To mark the occasion, I also added a blog entry that Paco wrote below during the show's First Bite Workshop back in October. It's an insightful essay examining the genre of blaxploitation. Can you dig it? Enjoy!

One of the best parts about working with Vampire Cowboys is that in the researching of roles for the show you fall in love with the genres you're mashing up. I have recently taken in the delights of Shaft, Superfly, Black Mama White Mama, Foxy Brown, Samurai Champloo, and Hara Kiri. The Mack, Shogun Assassin, and (my favorite title so far) Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song are lined up for this weekend.

Blaxploitation. The genre is controversial, and a few people have come up to me saying is it cool to do that in this day and age? Didn't that genre cherry-pick the worst aspects of black culture and then help codify and normalize those stereotypes nationwide? Well, yes and no. In my opinion, the answer needs to be contextualized.

In the beginning (as I understand from the documentary Badassss Cinema--absolutely required viewing), the films coming out reflected the revolutionary energy of the times. They featured potent, powerful and proud black characters who were impervious to racists and suffered no fools. They offered performers of color the opportunity to play lead roles of substance that Hollywood had always denied them. Because these were initially independent movies, they afforded entrepeneurial outlets, a sense of cultural ownership, and again, pride in black craftsmanship. They celebrated the slogan "Black is Beautiful" and put the day-to-day worlds of Harlem and the ghettos of LA on the big screen.

(Superfly has a still photography montage that is basically a photo essay on Harlem in the 70's.) Combined with the soul and funk music of the legendary artists Isaac Hayes and Curtis Mayfield, the result was a profound experience at the movies for people of color who were desperate for stories and images that spoke to them and their lives.

As with most film, the characters were larger-than-life icons. Shaft was a detective who was cooler and badder than anyone in the room--a black 007. Preacher, the pusher from Superfly, commanded a small army and lived like a king, enjoying clothes, money, women, and prestige. Foxy Brown was a sexy afro'd independent woman who could infiltrate and take down a prostitution ring (and whose boyfriend was a black DEA agent! What?)

A lot of characters were pimps and ho's, crime bosses and hitmen, this is true. However, that negativity was usually counter-balanced by the appearance of Black Power activist characters and/or community watch groups who confronted the underworld figures about the damage they were doing to the neighborhood.

To me, these are usually the best scenes and provide the most dramatic fireworks. In Superfly, the confrontation is in a diner. A watchdog gang in daishikis accost Preacher about his peddling drugs and his disregard for his own people, as it is blacks who are buying his cocaine. Characteristically, Preacher responds, "What you need to do is get a gun. And then get guns for all those blacks you care so much about. And when you do that, I'll join you and be there on the front line shootin' whitey. But until then, stay the fuck outta my way." Or something similar, but the politics and concern with social justice and cultural elevation was usually put front and center at some point. John Shaft enlists the aid of his former friend, now an activist, in the rescue of a mobster's daughter, and they spar over who's helping the people the most. There's an incredibly powerful scene in The Mack where the pimp's brother says that instead of visiting him in jail, he created a people's movement that would actually do some good. The empowerment of the people was worth more than some phone calls or envelopes of money because it would truly help his brother when he got out. He argues that the pimp is essentially still in a prison of the mind because he's playing right into The Man's hands by selling drugs and women. The Mack responds by saying he has a right to pursue his business anyway he likes . . . because this is America. He says, "Being rich and black means something, don't you know that? It's crazy to stay in the ghetto once you've seen the way out." Or something similar, but essentially, huge questions are raised and social justice is prioritized in the middle of a film about an unrepentent pimp.

After this initial period, Hollywood saw how popular the movies were and how much they made. They began cranking out shitty versions of their own, replacing the black artistic staff behind the camera, and turning the style into formulaic crap and wildly over the top characterizations. The negative aspects were seized upon, commoditized, and encouraged by the industry (not unlike the gangstery thuggish hip-hop of the past ten years).

Eventually people cooled to the nonsense. This is the heartbreaking part, because they eventually screwed the black artists. When they saw that they had taken an art form and turned it into a trend--and that that trend had run it's course--they again shut the door in the faces of actors they had made famous. Many were never hired again despite being matinee idols and stars in their own right.

So, yes and no. Blaxploitation, in my opinion, began as something incredibly empowering and beautiful and devolved into something cheap and harmful. There was always a sense of whimsy and silliness and overblown characterization, but with the influx of money and studio interference, the movement got away from its roots and became another cliche of Hollywood genres like the western and the romantic comedy.

I think what we are setting out to do with Soul Samurai is honor the essence of this tradition and have a lot of fun with a style that is inherently theatrical and dramatic. Everyone is doing research on their own to inform the characters they play. We talk a lot about what Pam Grier movie we saw last night or what we're excited about incorporating and how it relates to what we have to play in our scenes. Who should see X to get an example of Y.

It's a challenging task, but we're endeavoring to do it with honor and respect.

We're aiming to blow your mind.

And your soooul.

Countdown to SOUL SAMURAI . . .

Whaddup, Vamp Fans! We’re now one week away from diving face first into the rehearsal process for “Soul Samurai”, our newest adventure into awesomeness. This time around, we’re taking on Samurai films, Chop Socky Kung Fu flix and marrying them with 70’s blaxploitation and modern hip-hop. And, wouldn’t you know it, I am excited as a muhfuckah. I’m also nervous as all hell, but excited nonetheless. This has been a show that I’ve been wanting to write and see for years now. I’m talking since childhood. This is the kinda stuff that your favorite yella playwright was made from, what I grew up on. This is the shit that makes me tick.

While other kids my age wanted to be Michael Knight or Magnum P.I. (Yeah, I grew up in the 80’s. Whaddup?), I wanted to be the baddest mamma jamma in my hood. I wanted to be yella Shaft. Why’s that? Well, growing up in a small southern town of El Dorado, Arkansas, there just wasn’t that many (or should I say any) other older Asian sensations (besides my folks that is) for me to lock my impressionable young eyes on to steer my adolescent direction. I had zero idols. So my dad, instead of letting me loathe myself for being the ultimate other in the fairly homogenized world of El Dorado, he brought me to the movies. Not just any movies, but double features of Chop Socky flicks and blaxploitation films. At that time, we were living in the projects and my dad wanted me to have pride for who I am and where I lived, so instead of covering my eyes to the violence, he just looked at me and said, “See, son, look at those good guys” when referring to Bruce Lee, Richard Roundtree, Sonny Chiba, and Pamela Grier kicking ass onscreen. It was manipulative, I know. But I credit that to why I have such a strong backbone years later. He made sure I had heroes.

As with any Vampire Cowboys show, Robert (my director) has once again empowered me to write what I want. His words, which I always appreciate hearing, are “Don’t worry about being practical. Don’t try to write the sensible stageable script that’s easily accomplishable for the theatre, write the show you’ve always wanted to see. If need be, write the movie and let me worry about making it into a play.” So, once again, I have done just that, thus giving me and our entire team of brilliant designers a whole array of new challenges to tackle.

Many of those challenges, though, are ones we’ve encountered before such as a million characters with only a limited number of actors to play them, cinematic transitions, and a slew of multimedia sequences. Luckily, last year’s “Fight Girl Battle World” was a bit of a breakthrough for us when it comes to all this. It achieved some new and exciting staging principles that we will now be taking and exploding onto a much larger scale for “Soul Samurai”, evolving our theatrical version of quick cuts and onstage movie editing to bring alive our newest production full of kung fu, katanas, and ass-kicking.

Obviously this is going be our most ambitious show to date. Not just in vision, but also in cost. I know what you’re thinking - in a time of economic crisis, we’re going to attempt to produce our most expensive and longest running show to date. That means more seats to fill, more days of the week to hustle people in to see the show, and more salaries to pay.

“Don’t you know we’re in a recession, Qui?”

Yeah. But in times like these, we think the worst thing we can do is to back off on our programming. This is what we do. This is the ambition we have. And we can only hope that by busting our ass to create the best show we can, people will come. Abby, my wife and Vampire Cowboys producer, said it best, “We need to give people reason to go out and live. That’s the way we do our part in helping this economy.”

But this time, we’re not going to be doing it alone. As you can all see by our fancy postcard images, the first name on the billing ain’t your beloved undead wranglers this time, but instead it’s the badass Obie Award-winning asskicking Asian-American-empowering unforgettable and always undeniably original Ma-Yi Theater. They’re stepping in as our co-producer to help bring “Soul Samurai” to a new audience. And this shit is meaningful. We’re talking Indie Theatre going Off-Broadway. We’re talking about the premier Asian American theater of the country looking us straight in our eyes and saying “Let’s go kick some ass together”. So, yeah, it’s a lot more easy to be brave when you got a big muscular motherfucker like that in your corner. It’ll add a swagger to your step for sure.

Regardless of money and producers, though. Overall and ultimately, this show is about heroes for me. That’s what makes this important. For some writers, it’s about creating the next great American play. Others, it’s about getting awards and acclaim. To me, it’s about creating characters that will hopefully last forever. As a writer, I want to draw up a set of heroes as memorable and longlasting as a Superman, Batman, or Wonder Woman. But specifically and personally, heroes that live in places that I've lived with faces that resemble my own and those that I care about. I want to see an Asian Wonder Woman, a black Superman, a Latino Batman. And I want the world to love them the same way as they've embraced Spiderman. That’s what drives me. This is my hope as an artist. That’s what keeps me coming back to doing these crazy shows over and over again. I want to give people what my dad gave me - a reason to cheer. And, to me, that’s the reason why the only way this show could have been done was as a co-production between Ma-Yi and VC. This is our chance to make some new heroes and their chance to give them powers. It’s an exciting time. Risky, but thoroughly exciting. I hope you come and see it. Dewdrop and Cert, the leads of "Soul Samurai", are two of my favorite characters I've ever penned and are being played by two of my favorite actors in the city, Maureen Sebastian and Paco Tolson, respectively.

So there ya go. It’s time to make another Vampire Cowboys show! Yee-muhfuckin’-haw, muthafuckahs! Get ready for some fun, we’ve got our badass hats on.

And to keep up with the progress of the show as well as to read interviews with the cast and crew, stay tuned HERE to continue the COUNTDOWN TO SOUL SAMURAI!

FIGHT GIRL BATTLE WORLD: Best of 2008 . . .

This is absolutely so nice and awesome. FIGHT GIRL BATTLE WORLD made several top shows for 2008 by a few bloggers. Thank you so much, fellas. This really means a ton. It's very nice being noticed.

http://jamespeak.blogspot.com/2009/01/top-10-of-2008.html

http://www.americantheaterweb.com/index.php/originals/2008/12/31/2008-in-review-some-highlights-bests-mon-1

http://zackcalhoon.blogspot.com/2008/12/visible-soul-top-ten-plays-of-2008.html