S1: On today's KPBS Midday Edition. The arts and culture shaping San Diego. I'm Jade Hindman , keeping you informed , inspired , and making you think. A new book takes us back in time to explore how the San Diego Zoo came to be. Then Beth Accomando takes us behind the scenes of the world premiere musical , Grimm. Plus , midday edition producer Giuliana Domingo walks us through your weekend preview. That's ahead on KPBS Midday Edition. For many San Diegans , the San Diego Zoo is a beloved staple of Balboa Park , but lesser known is the history of the zoo and the people who built it. A new book tells us the story of a central figure in that history , Belle Benchley , for much of her 30 year career at the zoo. She was the only woman to direct a zoo in the world. Belle passed away in 1973. Today , she is remembered as the Zoo Lady. That nickname is the title of a new book all about her life and legacy. It's written by local author and historian Sandy Bernera. She joins me now to talk about this book. Sandy , welcome to Midday Edition. Well , thank you for having me. So glad to have you here. Take me back to when Belle Benchley first got started at the San Diego Zoo. What was her first job there?
S2: Well , boy , there's a lot we have to skip to get to that point. Because when Belle walked into the San Diego Zoo in 1925 , the zoo was barely two years open. Right. So we have 1916. The society was formed , but 1921. The gates of the zoo open. 1925. Enter Belle Benchley. And when she entered there , she thought she was only going to be there for two weeks on a temporary bookkeeping assignment , and she walked in with a lot of stigma. She had left Fullerton after being born and raised in San Diego. Her husband abandoned her , so she was a divorced single mother about 43 years old , middle aged. And that's she walked into a zoo , just barely hanging on by 1925. Hmm.
S1: Hmm. Well , you poured through Belle's own scrapbooks to write this story. Tell me , how did Belle describe working in the zoo? In her own words.
S2: Oh , well , she wrote her own memoir. It's called My Life in a man Made Jungle. And I really invite people to get that if they can , from their local libraries to find out all those nuances. To ask how she liked working there. It was. It was became her family. Those animals were her family. The zookeepers became her family. It was her mission in life. She was an educated woman. She was one of San Diego's first teachers , graduated from San Diego Normal School , now today San Diego State. So she was a teacher and she was Fullerton's first female elected school board member. So she was feisty. She was ahead of her time when she walked into the zoo. And I mean , she had to earn her respect because that was the era where men are in charge , especially in the zoo world. I mean , here's this little five foot grandma at this point with she's in charge of wild animals that people only see in picture books of the era , and wild men , former circus trainers , etc. so it was really rough. But she found her rhythm , she found her groove and she. What a difference. Three decades she stayed there. Hmm.
S1: Hmm. It sounds like. I mean , she was a first for so many things. What what do you think sort of drove her? What was her driving force there?
S2: Well , I could only speculate , you know , um , what's what's my driving force? You know , just to just to be the best I can , you know , to put my head on my pillow at night and say I did a good job , and I didn't slack over anything. I didn't , you know , that's how she was. She had a real high work ethic. And she went there and , um , she just wanted to make a difference. And she always gave credit to other people , which didn't serve her well when you're trying to write her book because she credits everybody but herself , that's just who she was. But , um , I'm not sure I answered your question , but it's hard to know what drove her. But she lived a very fulfilled life , but she had to earn it and work hard.
S1: What was Bell's working relationship like with the zoo founder , Harry Wedgeworth? I mean , how would you describe that dynamic?
S2: Well , I had always learned , you know , what I had learned in the past , but the zoo narrative was that they were just simpatico partners in crime , working hand in hand. And that's the narrative I went in right in the book , because I've written about Harry Goforth before in my other book on John Spreckels , Empire Builder. So I was really aware of the Garforth family and their influence. And Harry Garforth was the founder , who was a visionary founder of the zoo. Um , behind the scenes , I learned from private correspondence Bell did with this guy named Waldo Schmidt at the Smithsonian , um , in Washington , D.C.. I cast my net when I was doing the research for this book , and I went , oh , I have found gold. She talked and complained and vented and cried in these letters about the fact that Harry Wegg often goes off every week , often never really worked at the zoo. He was a he was a practicing physician in San Diego , so he had already cycled through four directors when Bell came in 1925. He was kind of like the it's my way or the highway kind of guy. He was testy and people couldn't get along with him. But Bell had her ways , and she was very frustrated that he would go off collecting all these animals around the world , especially after he had a heart attack in 1931 , who would have to put to find homes at the zoo for those bell who'd have to do all the paperwork permits , quarantining? She just said , she said , whenever she would say to , um , Waldo Schmidt , her confidant across the country. This guy's driving me crazy. He's not , you know , he's not. He's not caring what we have to do when he brings these animals back.
S1: Well , I mean , so answer me this. I mean , how did Belle move up in her career , then at the San Diego Zoo? What barriers did she break?
S2: Well , she definitely broke the glass ceiling when she became the first in 1927. Remember , she came in 1925. Within two years , Harry Goforth and the board said , oh , boy , we can't lose this woman. So they offered her everything. You're running a zoo. You're going to just you're going to run the zoo. You're going to be in charge of everything. You're doing it anyway. However , the board got together and said , you have to have the title and the salary of executive secretary because they look , there was no place across the world who knows? Zoo. No zoological institution had a female zoo director , and especially with one with no scientific degree. She was just a , you know , a teacher and , um , a mental aged woman. So in 1927 , she became the zoo director and all but name. But she had ways to work that in when you. You look at all the interviews because pretty soon our Belle Benzie would be a household name , not only in America , but across the the the pond because she wrote four bestselling books about the zoo. Amazing woman.
S1: Well , I mean , and there's so many stories in this book here that you wrote , but one that I want to talk about is Belle's effort to bring gorillas to the zoo. How did she make that vision a reality? Mm.
S2: Mm. Good question. And I'm trying not to give you a long answer , but in but in 19. I'm trying to think it was 1931. Actually. These two gorillas had been captured. And the controversy around that. Um , I talk about in the book and how Belle's thoughts on that. But these two gorillas needed a home. Now , in 1933 , the movie King Kong came out , which didn't do real good for the apes image. Am I right? So , Bell , um , got these gorillas by hook or crook? Now , the San Diego Zoo is a privately run zoo still today , so she had to fundraise everything to feed and house all these animals. Forget about buying gorillas. Every zoo in America that had the money and the credentials wanted these two young gorillas that were now at the Bronx Zoo awaiting purchase. I mean , these two crazy collectors from Hollywood got them. That's a whole story , anyway. Bell got them. Half of what? Any other zoo. They tried to outbid her. Take a train , you know , interfere with the purchase. But she buy her in her own words. Timid persistence wrote letter after letter. They will thrive in San Diego. Look at our weather. And under my maternal care , these gorillas are going to live a long and happy life. The gorillas came in 1931 put San Diego Zoo on a global map. Now she has outbid every male director who knows knowing , oh , she's someone. She's a contender. This little woman is a contender.
S1: Well , I think and that speaks to her influence , right? I mean , and talk about about how that worked , her influence on the growth and the resilience of the zoo during a time when zoos across the world were really struggling.
S2: Oh , absolutely. Now , when Doctor Goforth died , had the heart attack in 31 and sort of had to back away from everything. Then we had the Great Depression where nobody was eating. And , you know , I hate to bring this up , but I had to read about it. Um , zoos across America , people broke into zoos to get animals for food , and then some animals were fed to other animals. This was a time our nation is unprecedented. But the Great Depression , where my parents lived through , um , I mean , we never think about what happens to the zoo animals. Then after that , here comes World War two. And now there's food rationing across America. And nobody's eating steak. Nobody's eating beef except for a soldier. So Bell had to feed a lot of. She had a lot of animals. And the zoo 1000 , 2000. I can't remember the exact count that had to be fed meat. Her creative ways to feed these animals. Blew my mind. What grit this five foot little grandmother at the time did. And , um. And and mind you , um , when Pearl Harbor hit on December , every zoo on the west coast was prepared for the Japanese to bomb them next. San Francisco , shut your zoo , Los Angeles. Shut your zoo , San Diego shut your zoo , Bell said. I don't think so. While the other zoos closed and zoos across America , Bell kept the gates open. She says , number one , if I shut these gates , who's going to feed my animals?
S1: Well , I mean , and tell me about that. Like , how did she convince folks that the animals needed , needed to be fed , as you had the Great Depression , you had World War Two? I mean , food rationing. People are hungry. And yet the zoo animals stayed well fed.
S2: Oh , they stayed well fed and they bred like crazy. So just to jump ahead after the war , because San Diego stayed open and she fed them , we could now help repopulate the decimated zoos from World War Two in places like London and Germany and Japan. Those zoos were just leveled. And who sent animals? Belle Benchley at the San Diego Zoo. We were called the global nursery at the time , and I'm sure I missed your question. Would you mind repeating that again?
S1: It's all right. It all goes back to how how people were in support of of the zoo , the community that supported the zoo at a time when people weren't doing so well , weren't hungry. I think that there was there were these animals over here. I know.
S2: That's just amazing because she had such a love with the community , was so , so. Interesting.
S1: Interesting.
S2: And also this kind of startled , startled me. In 1934 , she was able to get San Diegans in the middle of a depression to tax themselves to , to help support the zoo because they loved Belle Benchley. Belle Benchley went out to fundraise.
S1: How did she sell that to to the people.
S2: Oh my God.
S1: Well , she was. So why was it so important? Why was the zoo so important at that time?
S2: Well , it was important to her. And she was going to make it important to every single San Diegan. Never did you realize that it would be such an attraction. You know that it would be the world famous zoo , which , by the way , she coined that term. Um. However , um , what was the question? I'm sorry.
S1: It's all right here. I want to ask you this because I want to talk more about the process that went into this book. What? What about Belle's story really grabbed you?
S2: Well , the fact that she was a woman in her era , you know , that , um , broke every glass ceiling. And in 19 , I believe it was 1949 , she became the president of the national association that became Asa. Asa. So she was now the boss of every zoo in America. It's just amazing. But , um , there's so many things that struck me about zoo. Excuse me , about Belle. It's it's hard to pin point one thing , but the thing I tell audiences when they come to my talks is like , why did I select her? I've had this mission since I retired from being a teaching college to find these people who've been historically ignored and restore their legacy for Belle Isle. Now , Jade , I grew up in San Diego. I'm named after San Diego. I went to the zoo starting in the in the 50s and 60s. How come I never heard her name? So when I heard the name Belle Ben , she my friend. By the way , my last book was so big , I said , I'm done writing books. I'm done. She said. Huh? My friends just finished this book called West with giraffes. Maybe you're not done. You should look up this woman , Belle Benchley. I said. Who? Yeah.
S1: Yeah.
S2: So when I began doing. I'm going. How come no one's not? How come nobody has written her biography? She's a phenomenal woman.
S1: It sounds like it. I mean , what do you hope? I mean , it's her legacy lives on here. And what do you hope readers take away from the zoo lady in the last 20s we have here?
S2: Well , I know it's changed my life. How I look at wildlife. And I don't go to the zoo the way I used to go to the zoo. I used to run. Oh , hurry. I got to get to the to the champ. I got to get to this and habitat to the next one. Now I stop , I look , I listen , I look at someone , not something anymore. I hope other readers are inspired by the way that Bell brings these animals to life. I mean , it's changed my life and I'm a pretty tough cookie. I think it can save some other hard hearts and promote conservation. And I really hope that the zoo does more to , to to. Maybe I put a statue up of her. I'm ready for a statue of Bell at the zoo , you know.
S1: All right. I've been speaking with author and historian Sandy Ventura. Her new book about the life and legacy of Belle Benchley is called The Zoo Lady. Sandy , thank you so very much , I appreciate you.
S2: It was so fun.
S1: Thank you. Coming up on midday Edition , the Grim Reaper needs to retire , but his daughter might not be the right candidate to take over the family business. We'll go behind the scenes of the world premiere musical Grimm when KPBS Midday Edition returns. Welcome back to KPBS Midday Edition I'm Jade Hindman. La Jolla Playhouse opened the world premiere musical , Grimm. It's a story about life and death. And after 300,000 years of collecting souls , the Grim Reaper is ready to retire , and he's looking to his daughter to take over the family business. KPBS Arts reporter Beth Accomando spoke with director Sammy Nold about the seven year journey of bringing Grimm to life.
S3: Sami , the new play Grimm has just opened. You are the director. So to start with , explain what Grimm is all about. What's the story?
S4: So Grimm tells the story of the Grim Reaper's daughter , Diana. And it's at a moment where the Grim Reaper is retiring , and it is time for someone else to take the throne , and it becomes clear that Diana is the one who has to do it. But she falls in love with life vis a vis a friendship with a human that she's supposed to kill. And chaos ensues. And it's an incredible musical comedy that also has a huge beating heart and is is a show that I have loved a lot in the seven years that I've gotten to work on it. And now getting to to bring it to life here is such a such a dream.
S3: Okay , you mentioned seven years. I think people may not realize how long it can take a musical to get to fruition. So what was that evolution like? I mean , how has it changed? Or like what was that process?
S4: It's changed enormously. I think the core DNA of the show is the same. I think that elevator pitch I just shared is the same as it was seven years ago , more or less. But the details have changed a lot. So , for example , I would say that over the past seven years we've had maybe 35 different songs come through the show based on new songs that the writers wrote or songs that were in the show seven years ago that are no longer in the show now. Making a new musical is a very iterative process , and even here , now that we're in production last week , we were we were moving numbers around , cutting the middle of numbers out , cutting scenes , moving scenes over here. So it's it's very developmental. You're always sort of iterating on things.
S3: So how would you describe the character of the Grim Reaper , the father. What is his kind of take on his job?
S4: When he. First.
S3: First.
S4: Started his career as the Grim Reaper , he approached death and how he takes loss with a sense of empathy and care. And over the 300,000 years that he has been the Grim Reaper , he's gotten less empathetic , more routine about the way that he does things. And he isn't as generous , I would say , in the way that he approaches loss as he used to be. And so that is part of the reason that it is time for somebody else to take the take the scythe , as we say. Um , so he , he's played by the wonderful Pablo Montauban. And I think that what's fun about that character in our show is that you think of the Grim Reaper as this very scary , very intense , very , you know , like bony figure. But Paul is a funny , sweet guy. And so there's also that , that surprising element to to the way the grim Reaper functions in the show.
S3: And then does his daughter , as a younger generation , take a different approach to the job and what might that be?
S4: So I , I won't tell you the ultimate conclusion , because everybody should come see the show and find out. But at the beginning of the show , we learned that part of the reason that it's really surprising and concerning that Diana Grimes daughter is the one tapped to be the next Grim Reaper is because she has such a huge heart that she can't harm anything. At the you know , when she's in training with her father and her brother at the beginning of the show , we watch her try to kill a flower and she can't kill the flower. She bursts into tears and she has this big , big heart. And so you end up in this series of questions where you're like , wow , how can someone with a heart that big and with so much empathy and so much care for other people , be the person in charge of ending life? And the answer to that question is answered in our show. Yeah.
S3: Yeah. No spoilers. And is there any competition for filling in for the Grim Reaper? Yes.
S4: Yes. So Diana's brother Moore at the beginning of the show , this is a small spoiler , but you find out in the first ten minutes. So you know Diana's brother Mort is the one who's tapped to initially tapped to be the next Grim Reaper , and it was expected. He's the wonder boy. He is like , can do no wrong , Adonis. And then the forces that decide who the next Grim Reaper is say , actually , it's not. It's not the brother , it's the sister. Um , and so that's when everything starts to go helter skelter , because we all thought it was going to be the brother. But there is , over the course of the show , a lot of competition between the two of them in terms of who it is that is going to be the Grim Reaper.
S3: Now you have the backdrop of this grim Reaper and death , but with a father trying to pass on a tradition to a daughter , is there also a more kind of intimate and personal story going on as well? Absolutely.
S4: Absolutely. I think that there's there's a family drama at the heart of this show. There's also a young woman's coming of age story at the heart of the show. It has a lot of different sort of angles to it , I would say. And I think that even though it is a show about the Grim Reaper , it's a show that ostensibly is about things related to death. It is a show that you're smiling and laughing through for the majority of the time. And then there are moments where the heartbreak hits you , of course , but I think that people might be surprised to find how joyous a show about death is.
S3: Well , and this is also a musical. So what kind of music do we get to hear in this?
S4: It's an amazing , amazing pop score. And one of our writers got hung is one of the members of Pentatonix. And we the sound of our show is not quite pentatonic C because they are a cappella , but it is similar in how it is , feels really unique and really singular and pop driven , but also has these wonderful elements of musical theatre. And Joey and Petro , who are our our composers as well. Um , they have just written a score that I fell really in love with when I first encountered the project. And actually , the show's opening number now was the opening number seven years ago , and it was the first song that I listened to when I encountered the show , and I was like , this music is so cool , I want to work on this. So I hope that people will have that experience when they come. Come see it.
S5: Let us introduce ourselves. We know you want an explanation. People say life.
S6: Is a journey.
S5: No , Karen , it's a destination. If life were a journey , the airplane ride would be the point of a vacation. But you only went to college to get yourself a diploma. And where lives? Graduations , every idea , every nation , every single new creation will eventually breathe it last breath. And even though it's true that you only live once , every life is a millionaire.
S7: We are the deaths of every little thing that you know and love. We are the things that are moving. Everything we do get with our finger guns. Just like light us or just buy us like fire. We are the deaths of every little thing. Your libido.
S5: Your huge.
S7: Ego that you know and love.
S3: So being with this for seven years , what was it about it that hooked you? And that was the thing that made you want to stick with it?
S4: I think number one was , was the music. When you're a director of musicals and you get you often get sent demo tapes of songs from the show. And as soon as I started listening to this music , I was like , oh , this is a special sound that I haven't heard before in musicals. So that was part of it. But I think also the idea that it's a musical about the one thing that every single person on earth has in common , in that it's a show about our mortality and about the way that we live life and the way we choose to cherish the moments that we that we have. Um , the fact that that's so universal , um , felt like a gift to be able to work on something that could potentially speak to so many people. And we're already really finding it that , you know , when people read the one sentence description of the show , uh , there's an immediate interest in intrigue because I think it's something that , like we as humans wonder so much about is like , what is what is afterlife? What , you know , what does this all look like? And the show gives you a , you know , part of an answer to that question. So I think that there's a , there's a draw to it because there's a curiosity and an eagerness to like , engage with something that affects all of us.
S3: Now this is for radio , so I can't show people some of the photos of the amazing set and production design. Can you describe what that's like? And is that creating the world of the afterlife? Yes.
S4: Yes. So we are set designer. Jason and I chose to set the show within limbo , which is the place that grim and the other Reapers that work with him where they live. And so there are moments where we go to Earth , but it's sort of contained within this bigger container of , of limbo. And we decided to take alongside the other designers on the show who are incredible to take an approach to the show where it would feel like Pixar movie. Um , because we felt like this story has all the sort of grandeur and theatricality of a Disney musical , but it's a little left of center. It's a little quirky , it's a little. It has like a very specific tone of humor. And so we decided , okay , if we when we enter our design process , if every decision we make , we make through the lens of what we do , if we were making a Pixar movie , we'll make something that has that kind of zany , fun energy , in addition to being spectacle driven and exciting and comedic.
S3: Well , you do think when a place called grim and it's about death , you might think of a more goth looking set or something , but it's very vibrant and alive , I guess.
S4: Yeah , we. Really.
S3: Really.
S4: Wanted to upend people's expectations there. But much like the show says , you know , you thought you were coming to a show about death , but this is actually a show about life , you know? And so I think that the design tries to communicate that as well. And it's been really exciting to get to realize that here.
S3: So when you are directing an actor who is playing death , what direction do you give them?
S4: Um , I think that when you have people who are playing like mystical creatures , in my mind , the way to think about it is to think about them as , as people in the same way that we do. So it's like , what do we want? What do we not want? And how can you help an actor express that on stage? Um , so the principles are oddly the same in my opinion. And you'll find like , you know , when we first sat down to , to to make the show , we were like , okay , is the grim reaper in a Disney World a fuzzy suit , you know? And then we said , no , like , our our Reapers look like humans. They're wearing really cool outfits that don't look like you would see on the street every day. But they are people. They're not like , alien looking. Um , so I think we made the decision to make them behave like humans , to make them look like humans , even though they're wearing clothes that , you know , you and I might , would probably never wear.
S3: So what has been the biggest challenge in putting this on?
S8: I think the biggest challenge. With.
S4: With.
S8: A musical of this.
S4: Size is.
S8: Making sure.
S4: That the hundreds of people who are working on the show are , um , aligned and telling the same story. So it's such a privilege to be in a position like mine , where you get to sort of be at the epicenter of all these people who are like little villages around the , the , you know , the , the , the , um , the thing. And but if one sub village is telling a different story than another sub village , there's a sort of you get a misalignment in , in what it is. So it's really just about like the coordination of , of so many different brilliant people just making sure that we're all in the same universe. Um , and then time , time , as always in theatre , I mean , any making , any piece of theater , but especially a musical and especially a big musical , this is a big musical. We have 20 people on stage. We have a lot of automation. We have a lot of , you know , probably like a hundred costumes every night. I don't know what the exact number is , but something like that. And , you know , it's it's the time needed to do that well is a lot. And so we're always kind of just like sprinting.
S3: And there's also choreography in this as well. I'm sure that takes a lot of time. Yes.
S4: Yes. Our choreographer is the incredible Andy Blank , who is the choreographer of Hamilton and In the Heights and many other amazing things. And he has brought such an incredible layer of athleticism and humor through choreography and beauty and all these different elements of his work that have really enhanced the show in such a meaningful way. And yes , it takes a lot of time to to to sculpt the production number and , you know , some of these big , big production numbers he's putting up in a day , which is really heroic. Um , so , you know , it's a , it's but I think when you come see the show , it's , you know , hopefully you don't see that blood , sweat and tears. You just see the , the story and you're engaged in the story and you don't even think about , you know , myself or Andy or the people who are like the invisible hands that are. That are helping to shape the story. You just get lost in it. That's that's our job is to to do enough work that it feels like we don't exist.
S3: And what are you hoping audiences are going to connect with or take away from the show?
S8: I hope that people learn something about the.
S4: Way about their relationship to life , in terms of how they value the days they have , and also for people who are currently.
S8: Going through. Loss will go through loss.
S4: Have gone through loss , which is all of us. That there's something that helps. I think the show , at least for me , gives me a lot of tools to help with those things , and I don't. I'm really grateful for the dialogue that the show has about that , because I think sometimes it's it's a subject matter that's hard to talk about. The show really confronts it head on and says , let's talk about it and let's make it funny and engaging and a big dance number.
S8: And so.
S4: Um , it's a it's it's why I fell in love with the show in the first place. And I it's been exciting to see just in our first few weeks of audiences here how it's , uh , resonating with people in that way.
S3: So a theme like death is something that doesn't change a lot in terms of events that are happening in the world , but this has taken seven years to develop. Do you feel that that core theme has changed at all , or has that like the the basic core values of that about facing death and dealing with grief? Has that stayed the same , or has that time period made you and the other creators kind of find new or different elements?
S4: We've absolutely found new and different elements within that. I would say one element that's been really important to us is that the character Diana , she has so many feelings compared to the other Reapers , compared to her dad , the Grim Reaper. She she she feels a lot. And at the beginning of the show , we're led to believe that in limbo , that's a bad thing. And you have to close that off. And and the way to cope with losses , to shut out the complicated feelings and harden yourself. And I won't fully spoil it. But I will say that the journey of learning to embrace feeling everything is something that has been a discovery for us over the course of developing the show , and I , I love the way that the show now explores us , like through the lens of a of a young woman who's trying to figure out , like , I have all these feelings , like , what do I do with them? Um , and , uh , and also I have to kill people. That's a that's another.
S9: Angle of it. But , you know , but I think it's.
S4: It's , um. I.
S9: I.
S4: You know , everybody likes to think that their show is relatable to a broad audience. But I really think this show is has something for everybody , because for young women like myself , we can see ourselves so literally in Diana. Like , I , I find so much commonality with her , but I much commonality with her. But I think that there are so many different characters in the show , and so many people who are not young women feel that same kind of kinship with this character , who is really in touch with how she feels.
S3: All right. Well , I want to thank you very much for talking about Death and Grimm.
S9: Thank you. Thank you so much for having me. And I hope. Everybody.
S4: Everybody.
S9: Will come. Secret.
S1: That was Beth Accomando speaking with director Sami Kolb about the world premiere musical , Grimm. La Jolla Playhouse has extended run through December 6th at the Mandell Weiss Theater. Still to come. Your weekend preview when KPBS Midday Edition returns. Welcome back. You're listening to KPBS Midday Edition. I'm Jade Hindman for our weekend arts preview. We have a legendary norteno band , video , poetry , TwitchCon , and much more. Joining me this week with the details is Midday Edition producer Giuliana Domingo in for Julia Dixon Evans. Giuliana , welcome.
S10: Hey , J , thanks for having me.
S1: Glad to have you here. So first off , we have a few art showcases on your radar , starting with Apertura at the Athenaeum Art Center in La Jolla. What can you tell us about this one? Yes.
S10: Yes. So our Apertura will be a showcase of poetry , zines , music and community resources. And it's the companion project to San Diego Poet Laureate Paola Garcia and her video poetry exhibition Apertura of the same name , which KPBS has actually covered previously. And for that project , she worked with poets from San Diego and Tijuana and then brought their work to screen. So it's all really with the goal of broadening how people , you know , think about and experience poetry. And here's a clip from Paola , who is describing her goal for Apertura. And you know why she wanted to pursue this project in the first place?
S11: Because this is a way to also get people interested in poetry who maybe normally wouldn't be interested in poetry right through the visuals , through that storytelling and bringing something on the page to life that way.
S10: So that is happening the Saturday from noon to 4 p.m. , and it's free and open to the public.
S1: All right. And moving on to theater , there's a new play at diversionary called Arrowhead. And what is it about? Yes.
S10: So Arrowhead is written by playwright Katja McMullen , and this local production is directed by The Visionaries artistic director Sheridan Barber. And it follows Jen , a lesbian who finds herself unexpectedly pregnant. So she brings her college friends together to a lakeside cabin for a secret abortion party. And the play explores a lot of really interesting questions and themes like bodily autonomy , queer identity , community expectations , and , of course , friendship. So diversionary did a really cute post on their Instagram actually featuring the cast , and it's in the style of a sitcom opening , and I've noticed that's been a bit of a trend on social media where people will phone their friend groups to the theme of friends the show. So on that post , the theatre describes the cast as a little bit of friends in a dash of adults. That's the effects show and a lot of chaos. So the play Arrowhead will be on stage starting tonight at diversionary , but the actual opening night for the play will be November 21st , and from there it'll run until December 6th.
S1: You also have one film on your radar that you'd like to recommend. And that's the Ebola Negra. Yes.
S10: Yes. And I can wax poetic about this film. I love it so much. But La Bola Negra is opening at Digital Gem Cinema this Friday , and it's a Spanish queer epic historical drama directed by the director duo Javier Calvo and Javier Ambros. They're also known as Los Harveys , and they actually won at the Cannes Film Festival for their direction on this film. But as for the premise , the the film follows three different timelines in Spanish history , and that includes the years before the Spanish Civil War , the war itself , and the present day. And it's inspired by the work of Spanish poet playwright Federico Garcia Lorca and his unfinished play of the same name. So the film is a tribute to Lorca and the legacy of his work in Spain , and also the place that he holds in Spanish history and literature in the arts. I got the chance to see an early screening of La Bola Negra last month , and I have not stopped thinking about it since. I was just so struck by the scale of it and the intimacy of the film. It has this really , you know , monumental feeling to it because of its setting and its sweeping and emotional , but then also grounds you in the present. So I also really appreciate how it honors the existence and resilience , you know , of queer artists and their works in times of oppression. So again , that's opening at Digital Gem Cinema on Friday. And I highly , highly , highly recommend it. Please go see. It.
S1: It. All right. Sounds interesting. Now for those interested in getting some holiday shopping done , where can they go this weekend?
S10: Yes , I got you covered. Um , so Mission Trails Regional Park is hosting its annual holiday marketplace this weekend. So the vendors include local woodworkers , ceramics artists , sourdough bakers. Um , so there will be plenty of local makers to check out there , and then you can enjoy some nature afterwards. Perfect time to go and walk. Touch some grass , all the things. So the portion of the vendor sales will go directly to the Mission Trails Regional Park Foundation , and that will take place over both Saturday and Sunday. And then it's free. So this would also be a good time to mention that KPBS has compiled its own guide of holiday markets across San Diego. So if you can't make it to this one this weekend , or you just want to check out other markets between now and the holidays , you can find all of that information on our website at KPBS.
S1: Oh my gosh , it's hard to believe we're there already. Holiday shopping.
S10: I'm overwhelmed already.
S1: Yeah , it's still summertime , folks. What are we doing?
S10: I know , all right.
S1: Well , not really , but all right. Well , there is a big convention happening this weekend hosted by the streaming platform Twitch. Brief us on TwitchCon and what people should know.
S10: Yeah , TwitchCon kicks off tomorrow and we'll kick and we'll run through the rest of the weekend. And for those who might not be familiar with how Twitch works and what it is , it's like you said , a platform where people can stream. You know , pretty much everything , and it's really exploded in popularity. It started out mostly with gaming , but it's branched out a lot in the past few years. So people will play DJ sets. They'll paint , they'll do get ready with mes , they'll do all sorts of content. And the really popular streaming category is IRL that stands for in Real Life. So creators basically film everything going on in their life that day unfiltered. So there's also a huge space for online commentary commentary. Excuse me. So from everything on politics to current events and TwitchCon is really an opportunity for fans and creators to , you know , get together and build community with one another. And there's also a lot of attendees and a lot of in a lot of things for attendees to check out , like meetups , workshops for streamers , gaming sessions , and our arts reporter Audrey McAfee will actually be covering it. And they actually did a piece about TwitchCon , and her topics were what people should see. And she'll also be talking about it on KPBS roundtable tomorrow. So that's all happening at the San Diego Convention Center this weekend.
S1: All right. And I'm glad you broke down with that. Earl means. Because I didn't know. I've been working to figure it out. I got it now. All right , I got you. Yeah. There's a new bookstore opening up this weekend that readers are going to be very excited to hear about.
S10: Yes , and I'm pretty excited to hear about this one myself. And I think San Diego has a thriving independent bookstore scene , and it's always really cool to see the community grow even more so. The bookshop is called Tall Tales books and more , and it'll be having its grand opening in Normal Heights this Saturday. They actually started out as a freebie bookshop back in 2024 , and did a lot of pop ups at schools , markets and more. And they've also been building community in different ways. So they've hosted reading parties that I still have yet to make it to , but would love to come by and check out at some point. So all in all , the news of the storefront for them is really exciting , and the grand opening will take place this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and it's located on Adams Avenue , and you can expect flash tattoos , vinyl jams , coffee , matcha , and of course , plenty of books to peruse. And that's very dangerous for me. As someone who definitely should not be buying more books and instead should be reading the ones I already own.
S1: So it's good though. They filled the shelves.
S10: They they do.
S1: They look. Good.
S10: Good. It's interior design. Yeah. Who knows? I'm building my library. Okay , maybe that's if I can frame it. Yeah.
S1: Yeah. Listen. And I'm rooting for you. Thank you. Yes. Okay. Rounding it out with live music and all woman flamenco quartet will be coming to UC San Diego for a performance. What can you tell us about this? Yes.
S10: Yes. So the group is called Las Amigos. They're an all woman ensemble , excuse me , from Spain , and have really shaped the world of flamenco. They're known for mixing their songs with a lot of different genres and musical styles , and also for taking on roles that extend beyond what women have traditionally been assigned in , in the genre of flamenco. But for this most recent album , flamenco , it's a tribute to , you know , the core essence of the genre. And in one , the Latin Grammy for Best Flamenco Album last year. And here's a song from that album. It's called Pena. Benita Pena. Pena.
S12: Pena. I love , love Let me go to for. Kamakura Boulevard.
S10: So let's. Minkus will be performing at the Epstein Family Amphitheater at UCSD on Friday. And that show starts at 7:30 p.m. , so definitely check it out.
S1: All right , then a legendary Mexican norteno band will be coming to San Diego this weekend. Yes.
S10: Yes. And this one is really , really exciting. Mexican norteno band Los Tigres del Norte will bring its tour to San Diego this Saturday at Pechanga. And over the past few , you know , over the past 60 years , they've gathered community stories and put them in a song. And the stories range from the struggles of the working class to the nuances of the immigrant experience to social injustices across the world. And that's really why fans know them as the voice of the people , because of their storytelling and musicianship. NPR actually put out their Tiny Desk concert last month as part of it , as part of its Hispanic Heritage Month series , and it's just really powerful. And I want to play a snippet , and you can hear it right now from that tiny desk performance. This is Los Tigres del Norte playing so most Americans.
S13: Give me a morning bus.
S10: So even listening to it now , I get really emotional kind of hearing it. It's really powerful. So that's Las Vegas , del Norte. Like I said , they'll be performing at Pechanga Arena this Saturday. The show starts at 8 p.m..
S1: All right. That's it for weekend arts preview. You can find all those details on our full KPBS arts calendar at our website , KPBS. I've been speaking with Midday Edition producer Giuliana Domingo in for Julia Dixon Evans. Giuliana , thank you so much. Thanks , Jade. That's our show for today. I'm your host , Jade Hindman. Thanks for tuning in to Midday Edition. Be sure to have a great day on purpose , everyone.
