Core Work 3.4.2020 — “No Promises”

(From Left) Core Workers Leila Ghaznavi, Christine Zagrobelny, Isaiah Tanenbaum and Justin Woo attempt to fill in cryptic forms as a part of the Kafka-esque government bureaucracy in Jason Tseng’s Sanctuary

Post, photo, and collective notetaking by Jason Tseng; Post title from Justin’s Hunger

WHO: Alex Chester-Banks, Leila Ghaznavi, Isaiah Tanenbaum, Jason Tseng, and Justin Woo

WHAT: Reading and discussing Justin’s new short horror film, Hunger, a feminist inversion of the home invasion genre; Reading assorted scenes and interacting with scenarios from Jason’s Sanctuary, an immersive play about New Sanctuary Coalition.

HOW: It was a night of firsts– Jason’s first time leading Core Work; our first Wednesday Core Work; and our first time at the Dotdash offices in Times Square. We also welcomed first-timer Alex Chester-Banks. We were saddened to not have Corinna and Salma in our midst, but we were thwarted by last-minute sickness (Feel better!). But the unexpected abundance of time was well spent, allowing extended time to mull over Justin and Jason’s pieces.

Collective Note-taking

Christine: Lifting up all the work that Jason has done to pull together these three scenes that capture a different aspect of the experience of people who are resisting deportation.

Justin: Sanctuary is a reminder of how much American life is a dog and pony show. And how much important work doesn’t end up getting done because we’re focused on the wrong things.

Isaiah: Lift up the spirit of resistance that is love. Whatever form the play ends up taking, how moving and necessary a resistant form of love is.

Jason: Lifting up Alex being new in this space and being really vulnerable. Hunger made me hunger for world building in this new world. Appreciate how long we spent on my piece and acknowledging that this was only made possible by Corinna and Salma’s absence.