Agents & Assets

In a unique theatrical event combining cutting-edge performance with in-depth discussion, the Los Angeles Poverty Department (LAPD) presents Agents and Assets for four performances only.

Adding insight and energy to LAPD’s provocative theatrical production directed by John Malpede, Agents and Assets will run in conjunction with three discussions on the war on drugs featuring internationally acclaimed director Peter Sellars and leading activists and intellectuals (See complete schedule attached).

With Agents and Assets LAPD takes on a particularly explosive topic the U.S. governmentís escalating war on drugs. LAPD digs deep into the shady world of the CIAís alleged drug connections, drawing a parallel between the battles being fought on the streets of Los Angeles with those being fought in the jungles of Colombia. Mining dramatic material from the “Report on the Central Intelligence Agency’s Alleged Involvement in Crack Cocaine Trafficking,” presented to the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee in March 1998, Agents and Assets capitalizes on the radical incongruity of inner city actors taking on the roles of Congresspersons and CIA officials. The introduction of crack into Skid Row has deeply affected these actors and their community. Agents and Assets puts the spotlight on the human cost of high-level profiteering.

To further contextualize the U.S. Governmentís drug policies, each performance of Agents and Assets will be followed by a symposium in conjunction with Old Stories: New Lives. A nonprofit production company headed by world-renowned stage and film director Peter Sellars, Old Stories: New Lives uses the performing arts platform to generate awareness, discussion, and action in response to social, political and cultural forces affecting communities in America. Old Stories: New Lives joins John Malpede, LAPD and Side Street Projects to bring you this unprecedented wedding of theater and civic engagement.

“After 25 years, the Drug War has failed to reduce consumption while simultaneously having a devastating effect on communities in America and abroad far in excess of the “drug menace” itself seriously undermining basic freedoms in a democratic society,”  says Peter Sellars.   ‘The hypocrisies and contradictions of U.S. drug policy must be exposed and openly debated,” he continues. “The time is long overdue for drug use to be understood and dealt with not primarily through law enforcement but as a public health, social, and cultural issue.’

‘We want to get the real deal of Skid Row reality out to Normalville” says Malpede, who formed LAPD in 1985 and has spent 17 as an artist and activist making theater with a company of people living in downtown Los Angeles. LAPD works to transform Skid Row into a livable neighborhood with basic human services such as transportation, decent housing, sanitation, safety, and social amenities, and they believe that cultural empowerment is a vital step on the road towards wellbeing.

Sellars and Malpede share concerns that theater be a vital and connected part of the world at large resulting in theatrical experiences that push the boundaries of theater outside the comfort zone of the artistic community. ‘We want to get the real deal of  Skid Row reality out to Normalville” says Malpede, who formed LAPD in 1985 and has spent 17 as an artist and activist making theater with a company of people living in downtown Los Angeles. LAPD works to transform Skid Row into a livable neighborhood with basic human services such as transportation, decent housing, sanitation, safety, and social amenities, and they believe that cultural empowerment is a vital step on the road towards wellbeing.

Los Angeles is the “homeless capital” of the United States, with up to 75,000 people living on the streets. Agents and Assets works on many levels, engaging the very poor in cultural production, while creating awareness of street issues among the wider public. At the same time, Agents And Assets invites its audience to consider the actions of the U.S. Government, whether it be in a distant third world country, or right on the corner of 5th and Main.

Partially funded by grants from Cultural Affairs Department, Los Angeles and NEA Theater and the La County Arts Commission.

Performances/Residencies
2014 – Agentes y Activos, Queens Museum
2009 – Agentes y Activos, Bolivia
2008 – Agents & Assets, New York
2006 – Agents & Assets, Philadelphia and Baltimore
2005 – Agents & Assets, Compton and Utrecht, The Netherlands
2004 – Agents & Assets, Cleveland
2002 – Agents & Assets, Detroit
2001 – Agents & Assets, Los Angeles

PDF’s
1. The Script (ENGLISH)
2. The Script (SPANISH)
3. Panel Excerpts
4. Highschool Curriculum
5. Alexander Speaks
6. Recreating Imbalance by John Malpede