WHY: Having already hosted Mayor Pete Buttigieg, Secretary Julian Castro, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, Governor John Hickenlooper, Governor Jay Inslee, and Congressman Seth Moulton Manny’s Mission District café and community space is hosting five Presidential candidates in almost as many days this coming week.
“I couldn’t be more proud to have so many Democratic Presidential Candidates visit us,” said Manny Yekutiel, founder and owner of Manny’s. “Manny’s is located in an area of San Francisco with a deep history of political and civic involvement so it’s an honor to continue that history here at the corner of 16th and Valencia.”
Although it has not yet been scheduled, Yekutiel confirms that he is “in conversation” with the campaign of Vice President Joe Biden and hopes to secure his appearance in the coming weeks. In addition, Senator Kamala Harris is slated to appear at Manny’s later in June.
Manny’s is a people powered and community focused meeting and learning place in the heart of San Francisco that combines a restaurant, political bookshop, and civic events space. The goal of Manny’s is to create a central and affordable place to become a better informed and more involved citizen. We do this by offering our events space to nonprofits, activists, and civic organizations to spread their message and do their work as well as hosting our own civic and arts related programming. Our kitchen is run by the non-profit, Farming Hope, which hires formerly homeless and formerly incarcerated individuals and trains them in the food skills needed to work in the restaurant industry.
Manny’s opened on Election Night, 2018 where over 500 people came together to watch the results of that moment in our civic life together and since then the venue has hosted hundreds of gatherings. Manny’s is a community space and is proudly located in the Mission District – a historic hub of activism and progressive action.
7 May 2019 – Palm Springs, CA: It was the best of times, it was – yeah: that. For Dezart Performs, their 11th Season was a record-breaking, critically-acclaimed combination of laughter, drama, poignancy and social commentary at Palm Springs’Pearl McManus Theater at the historic Palm Springs Woman’s Club. Add to that Dezart’s new designation as a Small Professional Theatre, and it was an historic season indeed.
“It doesn’t get much more gratifying than that,” said Michael Shaw, founding artistic director for Dezart Performs, noting that attendance was up over 60 % from the previous season and 126% from three years ago. “Now fully into our second decade, we’ve staked a claim here in the Valley for theatre that is innovative, entertaining and inspiring. All I can say is ‘thank you’ to all our loyal supporters, volunteers, patrons and sponsors.”
Opening the season was the “very, very powerful” (BroadwayWorld.com) politically-timely comedy/drama Church & State by Jason Odell Williams “intelligently and sensitively directed by Michael Shaw” (Desert Local News) and “beyond special– spectacular” (CV Independent). Next, the poignantly painful look back at hidden gay lives in the 1950s Perfect Arrangementby Topher Payne sold out its entire run from opening night: audiences delighted by its McCarthy Era meets I Love Lucy casserole of “lies, shame, suspicion, security risks, fear, irony, hate, stereotypes, furniture polish, girl talk and sex” (CV Independent), a “pretty production that is pretty near perfect (Palm Springs Life). Timed to coincide with the similarly-themed play, the acclaimed documentary Lavender Scare was presented by Dezart Performs at the Palm Springs Cultural Center for one night: an almost sold-out screening followed by a panel discussion benefiting The LGBTQ Center of the Desert, Cinema Diverse.
After two plays that combined hilarity with headlines, the third offering was a decidedly “raw and powerful play that addresses America’s racial divide” (Desert Local News), White Guy On The Bus by Bruce Graham. It’s “a powerhouse of a play…and a production so good it will you keep you thinking long after the curtain call” (BroadwayWorld.com). Like its two season predecessors, the play sold out its run almost from the get-go.
“The success of White Guy On The Buswas, to me, proof that people will pay for hard-hitting, thought-provoking theatre,” said Shaw, who directed the first three shows of the season, “even if sometimes they’re made to squirm a bit in their seats. This season, and this play, cemented my deeply held conviction that Desert audiences are among the most curious and intelligent anywhere.”
Ending the season was the loving and lovable two-person romantic comedy Maytag Virgin by Audrey Cefaly and directed by Valley veteran Deborah Harmon. “Asdelightful as a spring day. It’s a wonderful, feel-good play…superb acting and well-crafted, intelligent characters with a great deal of heart” (BroadwayWorld.com), “an impressive and entertaining evening in the theatre” (Desert Local News). Dezart Performs ended its11th season “on a perfect note…a magical time at the theater” (CV Independent).
“My greatest joy and my greatest challenge is picking the plays for our next season,” said Shaw, currently deep in negotiations and planning for the new season. “In the next few weeks, we’ll be announcing our 12th season. I can only hope its up to the expectations we set with this last year!”
The 12th Season for Dezart Performs will be announced next month, with subscriptions going on sale July 1.
Dezart Performs, one of the Coachella Valley’s preeminent theatre companies, recognizes that the performing arts enrich the life and culture of a community, promote greater understanding and provoke insightful discussion. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit theatre company, its mission is to provide an artistic home for bold and cutting–edge plays, creating an atmosphere of artistic growth for actors, writers, and directors who uniquely contribute to the diverse theatrical environment in the Coachella Valley.
Sponsors of Dezart Performs’ 2018/19 Season included The Riviera Palm Springs, Desert Care Network, Eight4Nine Restaurant & Lounge, Acqua California Bistro at the River, Lulu California Bistro, TRIO Restaurant, Hotel Zoso and the Desert Sun.
Contact For Press Inquiries: Alison Healy 415-203-6305
MEDIA ALERT
DATE: April 26, 2019
WHAT: Peruvian Navy Tall Ship “Union” arriving for its first visit to the Port of San Francisco
WHEN: Crossing under the Golden Gate Bridge at 7:00 am and docking by 8:00am
WHERE: Pier 15-17 on Embarcadero
WHY: Sailing School Ship Union carries 106 Cadets in their final year of Naval Academy. Union is a tall ship Ambassador to Peru, sailing to expose cadets to other countries and cultures while giving them hands-on exposure to traditional sailing.
PHOTO & VIEWING OPPORTUNTITES: Golden Gate Bridge, Fort Point, Crissy Field, St. Francis Yacht Club, Pier 39, and Pier 15-17
FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC: Saturday and Sunday, April 27 & 28, the ship will be open for tours from 10:00 am to 6:00pm, Free of charge at Pier 15-17
LOA 115.5meters, Beam 13.5 meters, draft 6.5 meters
Build in Callao, Peru, commissioned in 2014, launched in 2016
Largest Class A Tall Ship in Latin and South America
Total Aboard: 257 persons including officers, cadets and crew members
Commander: Captain Kurt Ludwig Bottger Garfias
2019 VOYAGE FACTS: From March to July, Union will sail to Mexico, United States, Canada and various ports in Peru totaling 12 ports of call and sailing 14,500 nautical miles. Union will be arriving from San Diego, California and will be sailing on to Vancouver, Canada.
THE MISSION: Sailing Ship Union was built to teach cadets how to sail without electronics, how to work as a team and how to appreciate original meaning of life at sea. Cadets embark on this sail a one of their final rights of passage before graduating to junior officer status. More, Union was designed as a Floating Ambassador to the Country of Peru. Union sails around the world approximately five months a year, often participating in international sailing events and races with other class A naval, merchant marine and sailing vessels of the world. Each year, Union’s itinerary is determined by the Commander General of the Navy and approved by the President of Peru.
UNION, THE NAME: The name Union was chosen for several reasons; the most noteworthy is the international message that the word Union brings to each person, regardless of their native language. Union transmits a message of goodwill, cooperation, and international friendship among all people which is fitting for the tall ship ambassador to Peru.
FUN FACT: All Peruvian Naval Academy cadets are required to be fluent in English before they graduate the academy, so you won’t have any language problems if you don’t speak Spanish.
DEPARTURE: Union will depart San Francisco on Monday, April 29, leaving her berth at 8am.The same viewing spots are recommended for photographs and general viewing.
Contact: Mayor’s Office of Communications, 415-554-6131
*** PRESS RELEASE ***
CITY OF SAN FRANCISCO, FRENCH CONSULATE & GRACE CATHEDRAL ANNOUNCE PUBLIC SOLIDARTY CONCERT FOR THE NOTRE-DAME DE PARIS
SF Symphony, SF Opera, American Bach Soloists, and Johann Vexo, the organist from the Notre-Dame de Paris, will all perform at Grace Cathedral on Monday, April 29th in a concert that is free and open to the public
San Francisco, CA — Today Mayor London N. Breed, the French Consulate and Grace Cathedral announced a solidarity concert for the Notre-Dame de Paris will be held on Monday, April 29th at 6 pm that is free and open to the public. The concert will take place at Grace Cathedral and will include performances by the San Francisco Symphony, the San Francisco Opera, American Bach Soloists, Johann Vexo, the organist from the Notre-Dame de Paris, and others.
“San Francisco is proud to stand in solidarity with the people of Paris, our sister city, and the world to celebrate the beauty, spirit and resilience of Notre Dame de Paris,” said Mayor Breed. “Watching Notre Dame burn was devastating, just as it was also horrible to witness a series of historic Louisiana churches burnt in recent arson attacks. Our houses of worship hold a special place for our cities and our people, and we are proud to support the people of Paris as they begin the work to rebuild the iconic monument in the heart of their city.”
“Watching Notre Dame de Paris engulfed in flames was a shock for all Paris lovers,” said Emmanuel Lebrun-Damiens, Consul General of France. “Beyond a monument and an architectural masterpiece, it is a part of the world history of art and our common identity that was being damaged. I am very grateful to San Francisco Mayor London Breed for the organization of this concert at Grace Cathedral and would like to acknowledge all the many ways of support that we have received during the past week. This concert will allow all of us to find comfort in the beauty of music, and the strength to move on to the phase of reconstruction of our beloved cathedral.”
Grace Cathedral is French Gothic in design and while its influences include the French cathedrals of Amiens, Beauvais and Chartres in addition to Notre Dame, its facade most reminds visitors of the beloved Parisian cathedral. The event will be coordinated by Charlotte Mailliard Shultz, the Chief of Protocol of the City and County of San Francisco. More details will be released next week.
Media contact: David Perry & Associates, Inc. (415) 676-7007 / news@davidperry.com
Voices from the Railroad: Stories by descendants of Chinese Railroad Workers
Co-edited by Sue Lee and Connie Young Yu, full-length book features first-hand narratives by descendants of Chinese workers who built US Transcontinental Railroad
150th Anniversary of Transcontinental Railroad: May 10, 2019
15 April 2019 – San Francisco, CA:Published to coincide with the 150th anniversary of the completion of the TransContinental Railroad on May 10, a new book — Voices from the Railroad: Stories by descendants of Chinese Railroad Workers — reveals the hitherto untold stories about the unsung and often forgotten Chinese workers who built the mammoth project. These stories have never been told outside their families until now. The book, $ 25, is available through the Chinese Historical Society of America (965 Clay Street, San Francisco) or online at https://chsa.org/shop-chsa/publications/voicesfromtherailroad/.
“No longer nameless, faceless workers lost to history, their stories will shatter misconceptions about the Chinese who helped build America,” said noted historian Sue Lee, longtime Executive Director of San Francisco’s Chinese Historical Society of America and community advocate. “For the first time, readers will learn about Chin Lin Sou, Hung Lai Woh, Jim King, Lim Lip Hong, Lee Ling & Lee Gik-Gim, Lee Wong Sang, Lum Ah Chew, Mock Chuck and Moy Jin Mun, workers of the Central Pacific Railroad.”
Co-edited by Lee and Connie Young Yu, this full-length book features first-hand narratives by railroad worker descendants Gene O. Chan, Montgomery Hom, Carolyn Kuhn, Sandra K. Lee, Paulette Liang, Russell N. Low, Andrea Yee, Vicki Tong Young, and Connie Young Yu.
The Transcontinental Railroad was the work of giants. The building of 15 tunnels in the Sierra Nevada, the towing of locomotives and rails for 28 miles over the summit, the laying of ten miles of track in one day. The courage and daring of the Chinese in doing the impossible has been omitted from American history. Setting the record straight has been the driving force of the Chinese Historical Society of America (CHSA) since its founding. In 1969, the Chinese Historical Society of America initiated an effort to obtain recognition for the Chinese who helped to build the first Transcontinental Railroad at its 100th anniversary celebration. The plan was to produce and install commemorative plaques at the two ends of the Central Pacific Railroad—in Sacramento and Promontory Summit. The Centennial Committee invited Phil Choy as President of CHSA to speak at the May 10th 1969 ceremony at Promontory.
“What happened instead was a monumental snub,” says Lee. “Phil was removed at the last minute rom the main program due to a special guest appearance by John Wayne. To add insult to injury, the keynote speaker, U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary John Volpe’s asked, ‘Who else but Americans could chisel through miles of solid granite?Who else but Americans could have laid 10 miles of track . . . ‘ His backhanded acknowledgement of key construction milestones insulted the very Chinese laborers who performed these amazing feats. Chinese immigrants, specifically laborers, were unwanted—they were discriminated against and eventually prohibited from becoming citizens by the Chinese Exclusion Act.”
This snub ignited community efforts for rightful recognition. New York photographer Corky Lee’s efforts to recreate the iconic Gold Spike photo in the name of photographic justice has inspired an annual event at Promontory. Stanford University’s Chinese Railroad Workers of North America project has spurred academic interest in recovering source material on Chinese, inspired new research in multiple disciplines, and brought stories to light through interviews and oral histories from descendants of railroad workers. Then at last, official recognition came in May 2014 when the United States Department of Labor inducted the Chinese Railroad Workers into its Hall of Honor in Washington DC. No one could have anticipated the unintended consequence of this simple act of recognition. The ceremony struck a chord in the hearts of Chinese Americans. They have been inspired to recover the untold stories of descendant families.
“For many years, the only named Transcontinental railroad worker of note was Chin Lin Sou of Denver. And there was no documentation of other identified workers,” Lee continues. “Today, we can identify names on the incomplete collection of Central Pacific Railroad payrolls of specific individuals and name more than a dozen descendant families who have stories about their railroad ancestor. Some families were inspired to share heirlooms and photographs, conduct deeper research, and interview far-flung family members. Their accounts are the foundation of a new chapter in the overall American historical narrative—the Chinese in America.”
According to Lee, this book now provides an opportunity to give the Chinese community’s laboring ancestors the recognition and credit, and above all, the humanity they deserve. While they did not leave journals of their ordeals or speak for themselves in the hearings on Chinese labor, the book documents the oral history interviews of descendants who can speak for their forebearers. Incredibly, the great-grandchildren and even great-great-grandchildren have provided insight into the character of their railroad worker ancestors.
“This book evokes the breadth and scope of the experience of these early Chinese American pioneers,” Lee sums up. “Their stories outline humble and arduous beginnings as well as their legacy to six generations of descendants, who now add their own history of the Chinese American experience.”
