It’s so nice to have a filmmaker and editor in the family. I’m grateful to my bro Matt, of Unveil Studios, who does such quick and professional work. He made this trailer go a mile with footage captured during a rehearsal of the World Premiere in a space that required much improvisation.

Watching this footage excites me. We’re putting so much work to get the tour on its legs, that I often forget about the story. Seeing this trailer reminds me of the play itself, the moments that come alive, the journey of Jason and 18. What a thrill to see your work find breath, life, animation through talented actors.

I’m proud to share with you this short trailer, and eager to invite you to see the play as it goes on tour.

Enjoy!

I like Steve!  I’m so glad he’s part of the team bringing She Has A Name across the country.

Here’s a video from Steve in which he shares his perspective on the significance of the upcoming national tour. Take a look!

It’s that time again, for a year in review.  I have so much to be thankful for and so much to reflect upon.

Click the image below to get a small glimpse of my 2011 (PDF-style).

If you have a reflection on your year, please send it my way!

Much grace to you in 2012.

If you want to go all retro, here’s some past years in review: 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 |

Thematman put together this promo for the She Has A Name tour.  Looking forward to uploading more interviews with the creative team and some actors in the upcoming weeks.

We’re looking for different ways to make the tour a reality.  If you have ideas, connections, or resources that would help, please drop me a line!

You can learn all about the tour here.

© 2011 Andrew Kooman

View more magnetic poetry here.

I first met Josh Yeoh a number of years ago while living in Malaysia, but didn’t get to know the man until a recent trip (when I returned to the country to work on this project).  I had never spent much time before in a House of Prayer, but because of my friendship with Josh I had the opportunity to do the very thing in Penang.  The experiences were, personally, profound.  For many of us the concept of a building dedicated solely to prayer is foreign at very least.  If you have the fortune to visit the Penang House of Prayer, affectionately also known as PenHOP, you’re likely to see Mr. Yeoh sitting at the keys, playing, meditating, singing his heart out.

[Check out my Malaysian video interview with Josh about his previous album Is Anyone Out There]

Josh’s work and vocation give a glimpse, for me at least, into what the ancient ministers in the temple must have been like  – men like Asaph, appointed by Israel’s King David to continually sing before the ark of the covenant. Or maybe he is more like the man Annie Dillard describes in the incomparable Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, the man “on the road who knows precisely how vulnerable he is, who takes no comfort among death-forgetting men, and who carries his vision of vastness and might around in his tunic like a live coal which neither burns nor warms, but with which he will not part.”

I was excited to learn that Josh recorded, and is about to release his second album, entitled In That Day.  I interviewed Josh via email, and he thoroughly typed out his thoughts on an iPad from Penang.

Andrew Kooman: I’ve only heard a brief tease of your upcoming album but in it I can hear it goes a very different direction from your previous one. Describe your new sound.

Josh Yeoh: You’re right. It’s pretty different. The first one was a snapshot of my personal journey with God and what He was doing in me at that point in time. It was singer-songwriter and probably more introspective. This upcoming album captures what my life has been like ever since He called me back to Malaysia to start the Penang House of Prayer . I think the message of the CD is what is burning with urgency on my heart. It’s the understanding that Jesus is coming back as a Bridegroom, King and Judge. He’s not just the little baby in the manger, or the dead man on the cross. He’s jealous and zealous for His Bride, the Church. And He will receive the reward of His suffering. I think this “new sound” you mentioned reflects the heart and message of the album. It’s definitely a bigger sound. And I was privileged to have some of my closest friends play on this album with me. And it reflects what happens on a daily basis in the Prayer Room at PenHOP (albeit a lot more rehearsed and with fewer mistakes!). This album is definitely more congregation-friendly. But there are still a couple tracks that are reminiscent of the first CD. Yep, I’m still Josh. I still have a soft spot for the piano and cello combo.

AK: Will you be touring the album or playing gigs? How can people connect to you live?

JY: There will be four release concerts this month in Penang. Three at local churches, and one an invite-only event at PenHOP, where many of the songs were birthed [details on the website]. My full-time vocation is with the House of Prayer, so any “gigs” I have will probably be tied into speaking engagements or worship leading. I’ll be in Australia and Singapore for a few weeks in January, in Sabah (East Malaysia) in February, and in Indonesia in May next year. No “gigs” lined up as of now, but who knows? I’ll be updating my ministry page on the website with my schedule, so that’s the best way to connect. It’s also the best way to invite me to minister, or speak, or sing, or for dinner.

AK: How would you say that have you grown and developed as an artist since your previous album?

JY: Man, you don’t ask easy questions, AK! Part of my job now involves me leading worship and intercession sets for many hours in a week. In addition I’m leading worship nearly every weekend, whether at FGA Center or at different ministry engagements. And a lot of what I do now in worship is spontaneous. So you could say that I’m always writing new songs. Some are sung only once, some I remember and flesh out into full songs. So I think I’ve grown in terms of songwriting. And also vocally. I’m learning to do things that I never did in my previous album.

I’ve also been involved in several collaborative projects in Malaysia: with Oops! Asia (my song “Relent” was featured on a compilation album) and with Malaysian Gospel Music (for the recently released “Adore” album, I recorded a revamped version of arguably the most popular Malaysian worship song, “Everytime I Pray” written by Pastor Wah Lok). So I’ve spent a lot more time in studios working with different producers and learning the tricks of the trade from them. You’ll notice what I call the “Josh choir” on some of the tracks in this new album. No, I didn’t have female backing vocalists. I also got to work with Sam who taught me a lot about recording.

AK: Who are some of your musical influences?

JY: I never know how to answer this, especially if I list influences that my album sounds nothing like. I literally just looked on my iPhone to see what is loaded, because what I listen to most probably is what influences me, right? By that logic, my musical influences are: Phil Wickham, Cory Asbury, Ben Woodward, Jon Foreman, Starfield, Audrey Assad and Sufjan Stevens. My music probably sounds nothing like some of them… but I really like their music.

AK: What was the process like to write these new songs? Where did they come from and why these songs now?

JY: The process was different for each. I never know what to say when people ask if I write the melody first or the lyric or both. Many of the songs were birthed spontaneously in the Prayer Room. “Song of the Lamb” for example, was birthed during a packed out Friday Night Burn set in our old place. I remember it being a very powerful time of worship and it was like we were standing before the throne of God, and I “heard” this refrain: “I can hear heaven’s symphony resounding in worship to the Lamb who was slain”. And we just started singing that over and over for a good 20 minutes. “There Will Be A Day / Garden” were both birthed when I was doing a devotional set (soaking type worship). It was just me at the keys and I think there were two other people in the room. And I was singing from Revelation 22, and all of a sudden started to sing this chorus: “There will be a day when you will wipe away every tear from our eyes”. And as I sang I suddenly became aware that the other two people were bawling their eyes out as they encountered God. Ironic? Or poignant.

AK: Why these songs now?

JY: Great question. It was right after we had wrapped up our 168 Hours of Prayer in June when I felt it was the right time to make this CD. Of course, I had an internal argument with God about this because this was also the height of busyness in my life. To add to the “pressure”, I felt like the deadline for the CD was to be in November. Which gave us about 3 months to pull everything together. Ridiculous. But I like your question because I did feel an urgency in my heart for these songs to be released. I think there is a message in each song — I joke that each song is really a sermon in disguise — and each is rooted in Scripture that I hope as people sing will reveal Jesus rightly and inspire worship, because I believe worship is really a response to the revelation of who He is! Also, I think I had read or heard someone say — I think it was Bill Johnson… and if it wasn’t, then it was me — that what we sing in worship often shapes our theology, and where we want the Church to be in five years is what we should be singing today. Ok, that was a poor paraphrase. But you get the idea.

AK: What’s your day-to-day life like? (A lot of people don’t know or haven’t experienced life at an “intercessory mission” like the Penang House of Prayer). Can you describe what PenHOP does and why you do what you do?

JY:In a nutshell, PenHOP’s vision is to establish a 24/7 House of Prayer for all nations in the spirit of the tabernacle of David that is a nexus of worship, intercession and missions. (I speak on this all the time and it usually takes a couple of hours, so summarizing is going to be… fun!) I believe PenHOP is called to exist with the Church and for the Church — like an engine room that powers what He is doing in the City, and like the tip of a spear that pierces and breaks through the new things. In this season, we are called to “Awaken the Bride” to intimacy, intercession and her inheritance in Jesus, and one of the ways we have been doing that is through our 30 Hour Prayer Weekends that we hold in a different church each month.

We really want to raise the water level of worship and intercession in the city of Penang. We also run internships a couple of times a year that have been really life-changing for a lot of people. And our strategy in this season is to “spark and strengthen” what He is doing in Malaysia and in the region, so we’ve been sending teams to various places to “deposit” the DNA of the House of Prayer wherever He leads us!

My day-to-day life involves leading worship and intercession, leading people, and drinking lots of coffee. I get to serve as Director at PenHOP and so I guess I end up “directing” a lot of what goes into achieving everything I described in the paragraph above. But definitely it involves a lot of coffee. And a lot of the Holy Spirit. And coffee.

AK: Why do prayer and music blend so well and why do you think people are drawn to your house of prayer?

JY: I think it’s because it’s how God likes to be worshiped. Look at what you see around the throne of God. It’s Revelation 5:8. It’s the harp AND the bowl. I was just reading the other day about how prayer is the full spectrum of human expressions to God (Bob Sorge) and that encapsulates worship, thanksgiving, intercession, confession, etc. So I really don’t see a division between prayer and worship/music. We have an entire book of prayers that were written to music — the Psalms. So really, I don’t think we are reinventing the wheel or anything. We’re just doing what always preceded revival and nation transformation.

What draws people to PenHOP, in a word… or in four words… The presence of God. If we don’t have His presence, we have nothing.

AK: I don’t know if you’ve read Malcolm Gladwell’s Outliers, but it could be your autobiography. (Insert laughter here). You’re probably fast approaching 10,000 hours at the piano. How do you keep worship and intercession fresh?

JY: That awkward moment when I don’t know who you are referring to. But I just wikipedia-ed it and now I think I will need to get a copy for myself. Maybe as a Christmas gift. Funny story about the piano. My keyboard at home won’t turn on, I think something got fried. And the keyboard we bought for PenHOP just a few months ago — I think we may have broken the “A” key. So it makes obnoxiously loud noises every so often. Highly distracting. Ok, so that wasn’t a very funny story.

I think about the creatures around the throne whose primary function is to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord. And if they never get bored and never cease to cry “Holy” because you can never really exhaust the revelation of God… I don’t see how worship and intercession could ever get stale, if it’s rooted in beholding Him, and not in what we can get out of worship for ourselves.

AK: I’m wondering what sort of cultural legacy you hope Penhop will leave in your part of the world?

JY: I got to ride in my aunt’s Prius recently and it occurred to me that this is what I want to see most of people who are a part of PenHOP. Because of the nexus of worship, intercession and missions, I want to see a “hybrid” where the answer to questions like: “Are you a worship leader, intercessor, or missionary?” is “Yes, yes and yes”. I would also love to say that we had a hand in raising the level of worship and intercession, calling a generation to wholehearted abandonment and consecration, and turning the hearts of the generations. Sounds like a lot, eh? And perhaps not what you were really asking…

AK: I’ve asked other musician friends recording albums about how they find and pursue an authentic voice and I wonder if it is especially challenging when dropping a worship CD. What, to you, is authentic worship and how do you gauge authenticity in your own life?

JY: When I talk to worship teams, I always tell them that greatness is established not on stage, but in the secret place. And I think that’s the key to authenticity. God brought (broke) me to the place where the cliche of “performing before the Audience of One” became reality. So the way I gauge is to determine if my secret place life with the Father and what I do on stage or when leading matches up.

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Follow Josh: facebook | twitter | youtube

Book Josh via email

Visit his official website: www.JoshuaOneEight.com

Read more of AK’s interviews with artists, activists and bold thinkers here.

© 2011 Andrew Kooman

View more magnetic poetry right here.

©2011 Andrew Kooman

For more magnetic poetry check this out.

It was a privilege to be part of the first ever TEDx event in Red Deer this year.  The event was all about connections and there was a great line up of speakers.

Here’s my talk, followed by a reading from She Has A Name, a scene where JASON has a Skype conversation with his wife ALI who is at home with the kids in Canada while he is far off in Bangkok investigating a human trafficking case.

My thanks to Christopher Schulz, Lisa Spencer Cook and Burnt Thicket Theatre’s James Popoff  for their offering their talent and energy to this day.

View all of the TEDx Red Deer videos here.

A few years ago I saw a poster in a hallway filled with posters at the Red Deer College.  It had a simple question: Have you ever thought of writing a play?  It was a serendipitous moment in my life, to say the least.  The question landed in me with much force.  I had an impression for a story at the time – just a seed – and I didn’t know how to write it.  It wasn’t a novel, it wasn’t even a short story.  It was centred in dialogue.  The question posed on the small 11×14 inch piece of paper helped open the door to solve the riddle that what I needed to write was a play, and it began a whole new chapter in my writing life.

Tanya Ryga is partly to blame!  As co-founder of Scripts at Work in Red Deer and an instructor for 20 years, Tanya has helped to open many such doors for people across Canada.  For me it was by being part of an incredible playwright series in central Alberta that offers opportunity to new and emerging playwrights through workshops and an annual Playwright Competition that for eight years has given writers the privilege to learn from leading Canadian theatre professionals.

If you’ve stopped by my site before, you know I like to ask questions of artists, activists, and bold thinkers.  And so I wanted to pick Tanya’s brain about theatre in central Alberta, the creative process and why she has given much of her career to championing and developing the talent in others.

I connected with her through email in Red Deer, in the lead up to the Scripts at Work annual playwright competition in the 2011/12 Series.

 Andrew Kooman: Who are some of the artists that have most inspired you in your career?

Tanya Ryga: The ‘big picture’ inspirations for me came from those out of reach: Leonard Cohen, Joni Mitchell, William Shakespeare, Tom Waits. But closer to home I’ve been fortunate to know and/ or work with artists who give me day-to-day moments of ‘gasp’ as well. Artists you might know? David More , Glynis Boultbee, Lynda Adams, definitely Larry Reese.

AK:. What do you love about theatre?

TR: Everything. Doing it, reading it, seeing it.

AK: What should people know about theatre in central Alberta that they don’t?

TR: Theatrical activity is thriving. We have more companies doing theatre than ever before – there is always something on. There are setbacks, sure, but theatre companies are very resourceful, exceedingly supportive of each other and the audiences are enthusiastic. The type of theatre available to see is broadening all the time – and that means audiences are wanting choices. In the midst of all the creativity Scripts at Work has emerged to flush out and support the growing number of playwrights in the area.

AK: What first drew you into acting? What drew you into instructing theatre artists?

TR: My father was one of Canada’s foremost playwrights but that wasn’t what did it for me. No, I thought he typed for a living. What hooked me was when Holiday Playhouse (the touring arm of the Vancouver Playhouse) brought a production of Romeo and Juliet to my school. It’s the first time I remember ever seeing a play. At twelve I signed up for summer school with that company and have never stopped doing and learning about theatre. One who loves to learn is eventually lured back to school. I’ve been an instructor at RDC for 20 years.

AK: Tell me about the beginnings of Scripts at Work: why did you start it and with who?

TR: There have always been Acting students who are also writing plays or wanting to write for theatre. During the winter of 2004 with the help of theatre faculty, current students and alumni an evening of brand new short plays was presented on campus to a surprisingly enthusiastic audience. Who knew? The idea for an annual play competition grew from there. Lynda Adams was the founding faculty member and has kept SAW going and growing since then. It has a talented Advisory Board and brings professional dramaturgs and directors to Central Alberta annually to work with our emerging playwrights and local actors. SAW playwrights have had successful productions of their works here and elsewhere plus continue to write for theatre and film.

AK: When I’ve connect with people who’ve had the fortune to work with you or learn from you, they always comment on your generosity and say you’re their biggest encouragement. What motivates you to foster and develop talent?

TR: Gosh. I could be flippant and say ‘compliments like that!’ Teachers are always in a privileged position to encourage and develop others. In the arts, working with others is always about process and creation. Something is being created and there is often no template. It’s so important to thrive in the not knowing and just trust in the talent all around. As for developing that talent, if you can see it in them so will they.

AK: Dramaturgy is a term many people aren’t familiar with. How do you define it and why is it important in the theatre world?

TR: Every province has organizations that provide supports to writers and new plays. In Alberta we have many: Alberta Playwrights Network, Scripts at Work , the Citadel and Banff Playwrights Colony to name a few. Rarely do plays go from creator to production without a dramaturgical process. Mentorship can come from any of these organizations or a dramaturg may be provided by the theatre company who is producing the new play. Together the writer and dramaturg look at every aspect of the play from theme to structure to character arc.

Scripts at Work -- Promotional Photo

A lot of questions are asked to ensure that what the writer is thinking is actually on the page. With an existing play that we are preparing to direct or rehearse we will mine the world of the play and the world of the characters to get a deeper understanding of the work. That process can also be referred to as dramaturgy.

AK: Why is Scripts at Work important for the arts in Red Deer and central Alberta?

TR: SAW has provided opportunities for over 70 playwrights and 150 actors since it began eight years ago. There are workshops such as ‘How to Write a Play’ and ‘Stand And Deliver-for actors. Two playwright Circles are offered where new plays are written, developed or adapted for film under the guidance of a professional dramaturg. SAW is most known for its development of winning plays from the annual playwright competition culminating in staged readings at the Festival of New Plays in Red Deer.

AK: What has surprised you about Scripts at Work over the last 8 years, and where do you see it going in the future?

TR: I’m surprised at the number of people wishing to write for theatre but I’m not surprised at how good the writing is. SAW has thrived due to thousands of volunteer hours and the dedication of those involved humbles and cheers me. Artists from the professional theatre community are happy to come to work with our writers and actors, or serve as jurors reading all the plays submitted to the competition and I’m always surprised and thrilled with this generosity. We get financial support annually from the Alberta Foundation of The Arts and the City of Red Deer, which helps us bring in the professional artists but everything else is done by volunteers and organizers – people who love the theatre.

I see the programs growing. We’ve very occasionally had longer intensives for the full length plays and we’d like to be able to offer more of that.

Something new for us recently is partnering with Central Alberta Theatre to showcase the plays once the SAW phase of development is complete. We dream about having the capacity to fully mount one of the SAW plays one day, but our biggest contribution continues to be encouraging writing.

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About Tanya Ryga: As a long-time instructor in the theatre program at Red Deer College, Tanya Ryga has taught many of the artists who are writing, directing and acting in theatre productions all over Canada and beyond. She received a Women of Excellence Awards for Community Building (2010) from the Red Deer & District Community Foundation for her work with Scripts at Work and two theatre companies: Butt Ugly and BITE: Body Image Theatre Education for which she is the Artistic Director.

To learn more about Scripts at work visit www.scriptsatwork.com