by Stuart Overbey
Daily Lobo
In the Barelas neighborhood south of Downtown, Virginia Hampton, Stephanie Willis and Lloyd Venable have turned the rambling historic building at 929 Fourth St. SW nto an art center. They call it Out Ch'Yonda.
Together, Hampton and Willis have produced around 10 plays over the past four years as Omniroots Productions. They have rented the KiMo Theatre, the Harwood Art Center, the South Broadway Cultural Center and used the Vortex to house their productions. Aside from Shakespeare's "Othello," all shows presented by Omniroots were written by black playwrights.
The main space of their newly leased building will be for Omniroots rehearsals and performances.
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Venable met Willis and Hampton when they called him to play a part in "Joe Turner's Come and Gone." Willis and Hampton knew Venable had no acting experience, but they were having trouble finding enough black actors to fill all the parts in the show.
Venable described the experience as "intense," and said that he was not eager to act again.
When Willis and Hampton told him about their idea of leasing the building he saw a place in it for reviving his passion for photography and for continuing his frame-building business. Venable and Willis now share a woodshop in the rear of the building, in which picture frames, Willis' furniture designs and stage sets are made.
Venable's office is in the center of the building and his darkroom is under construction.
Hampton occupies another space in the building's center with what she calls "the costume shop." Besides sewing clothes and costumes, Hampton teaches English and Cultural Studies courses at UNM and TVI, and is finishing her dissertation for her Ph.D.
For the three partners, holding the lease of the building allows the freedom to address political issues. Omniroots can produce radical plays, and Out Ch'Yonda can provide a common space for various local countercultures.
Although they realize their location and goals would probably make them an ideal non-profit corporation, they have made what Willis called a "hard but conscious choice" to remain private. They want Out Ch'Yonda to remain remote from the world of the IRS, tax laws and corporate sponsors.
"We want the people who come to see us to support us," Hampton said.
They said they are accepting donations of any size as they get the project underway.
"Part of our aesthetic is about scavenging and recycling," Willis said. "People tell us we can't do plays without thousands of dollars per production. But we absolutely can and we do."
Besides housing Omniroots and Venable and Hampton's businesses, the building has a studio space shared by a flamenco dancer and a kung fu teacher, a front room that will soon house a recording studio and an office space which is home to Willis' drafting table. Willis uses her architectural training to design residential additions, houses and furniture.
Out Ch'Yonda has evolved some regular happenings, although the first Omniroots production is not scheduled until Feburary.
Monthly "Juke Joints" feature a jazz band and a family-friendly atmosphere. On Fridays rehearsals by Haitian-based band, Racine Creole, are open to the public. A spoken word event is held every first Monday of the month and The Experience and The Alliance for Freedom and Direct Democracy meet every Tuesday.
Tonight, Out Ch'Yonda will become The House O Haints. Willis and Hampton hope the haunted house will help promote the neighborhood.
Out Ch'Yonda will celebrate the Day of the Dead by constructing a community altar and inviting people from the neighborhood to contribute to it.
For information on any of these events, contact Willis or Hampton at 243-4325.
