Stone Soup began its career with an exhilarating and occasionally bizarre trip to the People’s Republic of China in January, 2002. These were our younger, college-aged selves: wide-eyed, care-free, slightly doughier than we are now and a bit drunk on cheap rice-wine.

The trip was research for our inaugural show as a full-fledged company, the human-rights themed The Seventh Song. It was also a chance to live like kings and queens for a week in a country with a ludicrous exchange rate, an opportunity to haggle over factory-knockoff sneakers as if it mattered whether they cost $2 or $2.37. We started our journey in Beijing, visiting all the major attractions: the imposing Forbidden City (now featuring a Starbucks next to the concubine pagoda), the Temple of Heaven , and a rather touristy knockoff of the Chinese Opera. We viewed all of these sites with maximal government stage management: a government-appointed tour guide, reservations in a government-anointed hotel, and a government-approved itinerary that carefully avoided historically unpleasant associations.

On one confusing day in our journey, we were taken somewhat unwillingly to a series of factories on the outskirts of town, where we presumably were to purchase the ample jade and pearls on display. “This is pearl factory,” our opaque tour guide told us. “Very important for understanding China.” Followed by, “This is jade factory. Very important part of Chinese culture.” A business-attired Jade representative gave us a short lecture on the history of that precious stone. When she’d finished, she lifted her hand like a ballerina, cueing the Jade cutters to turn on their machines with a sudden thud. Their hands soon synchronized into a dour, industrial dance.

We finished up our trip flying south to Guilin, in the south of China. The mountains there are unlike any others in the world, emerging from the flat earth like stalagmites. It was in this part of the country that we got in touch with our outdoorsy selves– renting bikes, climbing mountains, and tasting the sweet country air. Admittedly, sweet country air in China still involves a high concentration of unleaded gas fumes, but everything’s
relative.

There can never be too many cooks in the Stone Soup kitchen! We’re proud to welcome many new staff members to our Honorary Kitchen this season, but we are still searching for generous cooks to lend a hand.

While we pride ourselves on our constant frugality, our stew still requires staple ingredients (insurance, $450 or rehearsal, $15/hour) and a little spice (puppets, $50 each or lighting equipment rentals, $200). All these elements must be combined before we can offer our feast to an audience. So we must rely on our staff, both present and future, to help us raise the remaining $1500 needed for this newest Stone Soup concoction.

Stone Soup is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts Staff service organization. Contributions in behalf of Stone Soup may be made payable to Fractured Atlas and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.

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“The key to a good double bill is contrast,” one character observes in Stone Soup’s upcoming production. This line pithily sums up both the structure in which we present this spring’s plays, and the process through which the company has evolved this season—one characterized by contrast, risk, and the invitation of new perspectives and dramatic forms.

Our theme this season developed from a confession—no matter where we stand, the political, social and economic rifts that divide our country define us. As a progressive theatre company, we’ve considered ourselves above the fray—we’ve spent five years fighting to conquer cultural division—but we admit that these rifts have done more than simply provide us with ideas. They have formed us as artists. This admission inspired and informed our decision to present both the original piece and the published in the same production this spring. These contrasts and divergences are nowhere more evident than in April’s double bill, an evening of two separate but complementary pieces, united by theme, but divided by style and message.

Written by Edward Bond, a pioneer of the revolutionary “Angry Young Men” theatrical movement, Stone is a chilling fable about the struggle to find one’s place in an economically polarized world. It’s distinctly Socialist view is highlighted by the use of puppetry, allegory, and folkloric original music. Stone’s dark examination of vertical, circumstantial divisions is contrasted by The Maguffin, an upbeat farce that examines the lateral oppositions of the American two-party system. All identities—straight, gay, conservative, liberal—are lampooned in this original comedy about what happens when the gay marriage movement dies, and the Republican party makes a frenzied attempt to revitalize it.

Our work this year has taught us a few things. Good fences can actually make good neighbors, because they’ve inspired us to reevaluate who we are and what we know. And between black and white, there exists a world of contrast.

Jacques: Hi DR! What were you doing right before I called you? DR: Spending time with family and friends. Talking, drinking, and enjoying an incredible day where my parents renewed their vows.

So, we have an interesting connection to one another. You directed my current roommate in a production of Waiting for Godot at San Francisco State University. What did you take away from the experience? I loved doing it in college because it gave me an opportunity to play with the absurdity in a political forum that would not have flourished outside of a learning environment.

So you grew up in Texas and went to college in San Francisco. What brought you to New York, and how did you find Stone Soup? Actually, I went to Marymount Manhattan College my first year out of high school where I became good friends with Leigh Goldenberg. After I transferred to San Francisco, we kept in touch. She invited me to work on Stone Soup’s production of [Vaclav Havel’s] The Memorandum in the summer of 2003. Then after graduation, I moved back to NYC.

How would you define Stone Soup as a company? And what is your ingredient in the Soup? Stone Soup takes an organic approach to theater. They allow actors to find the characters themselves, and then help them tweak the characters to what they’re meant to be. I consider myself the broth that you can add or take away depending on the other ingredients.

Where do you see Stone Soup heading into the future? Stone Soup has always commented on what’s affecting our community, and as long as we continue to wisely evaluate what’s going on, we’ll continue to make meaningful theater.

Lastly, if you could pick one food item out of a supermarket, and eat it forever, what would it be, and why? Five Cheese Pizza Hot Pockets. Mmmm. They’re such a treat for my taste buds. Whatever those five cheeses are, they are the greatest in the world.

• 4 large Russet Potatoes (washed, peeled, and diced)
• 4-7 Tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 large stalk of leeks (washed well to remove any dirt or mud, and diced fine)
• water

Put washed and diced leeks and potatoes in a large pot. Fill pot with cold water until it reaches about a quarter of an inch above the vegetables. Cover pot and bring to medium heat on burner. Bring Soup to simmer and cook for about 30-40 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Add butter (one tablespoon at a time) to mixture and stir thoroughly. Add plenty of salt and pepper to taste and more butter if necessary. Take off heat and mash with potato masher or large fork. Serve with crusty bread and enjoy!