The Strindberg Laboratory

Puppets Anonymous

On October 29th 2022 we premiered the second episode of Puppets Anonymous!! Join us for stories about amazing puppet characters all searching for their one true love. Join us if you ever had your heart broken and ever truly loved!!!

The Vaudeville Valley Troupe consists of actors with intellectual disabilities. All the stories and puppets were created by the actors!

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Together in September Banner

On September 28th 2022 we co created the event with Founders Center "Together in September." This event began with the unveiling of a banner that was created by a local middle school in Koreatown. The students that created the banner expressed what they loved in their life and their hopes for the future. Also during the event was our live puppet show and a storytelling cafe where the audience shared stories with one another and formed new connections over coffee and light refreshments. Through these art and culture events people did come together in september!!

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Vaudeville Valley Troupe

During the month of September the Vaudeville Valley Troupe performed their live show "Puppets Anonymous" in senior facilities throughout Los Angeles. We performed at the Veterans home in West Los Angeles as well as all three of St. Barnabas senior facilities. "Puppet's Anonymous" was created and performed by those with intellectual disabilities. Everyone had a great time and we can't wait to come back to these centers soon!

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Golden Rope of Hope

As part of The Strindberg Laboratory's transforming spaces through art and theater we have created and performed “The Golden Rope of Hope” a participatory theater game. We performed this game at multiple spaces throughout Los Angeles including Echo Park Lake, Los Angeles Mission and Pico Union Project. These spaces serve people who are food insecure, homeless and other marginalized communities. The purpose of this game was to form stronger community ties and have people once again take collective actions amongst each other. Video By Eric Ragan

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TSL Launch Party featuring Nicole

During the pandemic we created a series of videos profiling and celebrating the achievements of the amazing people that create our amazing productions. This video features Nicole Abbink! Nicole co-directed "Destiny Is the Journey" which featured actors from The Los Angeles Mission and was part of the Break It to Make It program. Hope you enjoy!

The Getting to Know You Game!

Throughout the month of September 2021, we created and played "The Getting To Know You Game." This game was developed during the pandemic and uses participatory theater to allow people to practice active listening and connect with one another post covid. We performed this piece on the street where people were starting to gather at Los Angeles landmarks such as Griffith Park, Hollywood and Highland, Santa Monica Pier and other locations throughout Los Angeles.

Hope for Justice!

During the pandemic we created a collective artwork that expressed our desire for a better future once the pandemic ends. We created this piece with our company members who come from diverse backgrounds. This piece was created for the No Labels No Walls Digital Festival-Creating Action Together on August 25th and 26th. One of the festival’s events is "Justice and Art" where we will be collecting art, poetry and other artistic expressions and creating from those materials a singular digital art work that we can share around the world. Here is our contribution!

TSL Launch Party featuring Tiara

During the pandemic we created a series of videos profiling and celebrating our actors who have helped to create our many productions. Here is a video featuring company member Tiara Gildon who was a participant of our program at The Los Angeles Mission. This video features interviews and artistic work created by Tiara during her participation of the stage production of 'Free Yo Mind' that was performed at Los Angeles City College as part of the Freedom Festival.

Strindberg’s Launch Party

During the pandemic we created a series of videos profiling and celebrating our actors who have helped to create our many productions. Here is a video featuring company member Marshall May. This video is all about Marshall and tells his amazing journey creating many productions with us and features interviews and artistic work that Marshall has created during the seven-year history that he has been associated with TSL.

All Things Tue Huynh!

During the pandemic we created a series of videos profiling and celebrating our actors who have helped to create our many productions. Here is the video featuring company member Tue Huynh! Tue performed in our shows while incarcerated in Lancaster Prison. He was in shows Redemption in Our State of Blues and Fathers and Sons. He is currently involved in our work in the community and has created a series of YouTube videos entitled “Fear for Breakfast.”

An Evening with Dominique Beltran

During the pandemic we created a series of videos profiling and celebrating our actors who have helped to create our many productions. Here is the video from “The Strindberg Laboratory’s” launch party with company member Dominique Beltran who first started with us in 2015 with our workshops at Fact Family which serves young autistic adults. Since then, Dominique has acted in many productions with us. During this video we celebrate Dominique with special guest appearances by Batman, Darth Vader, Arnold Schwarzenegger, George W Bush, Al Gore and many other surprises!!

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Mystery Theatre Horror Show

The Strindberg Laboratory is pleased to present with our Vaudeville Valley Troupe: Mystery Horror Theatre Show! This short film was created during the pandemic on zoom and in outside spaces and features actors that have disabilities. This short film is inspired by The Rocky Horror Picture Show as it is one of the favorite movies of our actors that performed in the film. If you thought Rocky Horror Picture Show was crazy you haven’t seen anything yet. Be ready to be blown away!!! This short film premiered at the No Labels No Walls festival on September 19th 2020. Created by the Vaudeville Valley Troupe, composed of actors on the autism spectrum.

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We Are The Strindberg Laboratory

"We Are The Strindberg Laboratory" is a feature documentary that chronicles our theater groups productions, events and the fantastic people we got to create with along the way. This documentary will tell the story of a theater company evolving as we reach into diverse communities and create theater with them and what we learned along the way.

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NLNW Festival

From September 14th–19th, 2020 the second No Labels No Walls festival took place in conjunction with Citizenfest and the We Are One Network and The Strindberg Laboratory. This festival’s aim is to unite diverse populations using art and culture. We hope to learn about many organizations and their work practicing art and theater with diverse populations throughout the world. This festival took place virtually and involved people and organizations from Finland, USA, Scotland and other European countries. The festival had over 100 events from people and organizations residing in 13 different countries and with thousands joining in from around the world. Thanks to everyone who attended and participated. Join us as we continue to create together a more connected future. Video by Eric Ragan

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Latino Equity Alliance

On April 10th at the beginning of Covid we conducted an online shared art workshop with Latino Equity Alliance. We had so much fun singing, drawing and coming together in these unique times. Our goal of the workshop was to get people connecting to one another even if we can’t meet in person. We can't wait to continue sharing with others and building a better and brighter future for all!

Senior Fairfax Center

What a great experience we had at the Fairfax Senior Center creating stronger communities through art and culture. During the workshop that consisted of members of the senior community our actors dressed up as Dark Vader and Macbeth and we created art work with the participants dealing with themes of belonging and their vision of a better future.

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Holiday Miracles

Through The Strindberg Laboratory’s theater workshops with the Los Angeles Mission, we have created scenes that are all about celebrating the togetherness of the holiday season with the mission’s residents. The scenes show how with the right spirit unlikely persons can connect despite all odds to make their lives and the world a better place.

Created for the No Labels, No Walls Festival

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Macbeth: A Tale of the Conqueror and the Conquered

From our work in Los Angeles’s prisons and skid row we have developed Macbeth: A tale of the conqueror and the conquered! This original take on the classic tale of Macbeth hopes to raise awareness of the consequences of lust for power and ambition on society. The production uses visual theater techniques such as shadow, theater, animation and puppetry to tell this tale and make its message accessible for any audience despite language barriers.
This production was part of the No Labels, No Walls Festival and the performances took place in Finland!

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Miracle in Skid Row

Through The Strindberg Laboratory's theater workshops with the Los Angeles Mission we have created scenes that are all about Christmas. The scenes will show the holiday spirit between sons, fathers, grandfather's and friends. These stories are touching and funny and come from the imaginations of the actors from the program. Please join us for this original holiday celebration.

When: Monday December 10th, 6:30pm
Where: The Los Angeles Mission Spanish Chapel 303 E 5th St, Los Angeles, CA 90013

This is a free event

Toons Gone Rogue

Through The Strindberg Laboratory's theater workshops with F.A.C.T. Family we have created Toons Gone Rogue, a variety show for the holidays. Come see our amazing cast celebrate all things Disney in this wild variety show that comes from the imaginations of our actors.

Saturday December 8th 2:00pm

Blue Door Theater 9617 Venice Blvd, Culver City CA 90232

Murder Mystery Mayhem & Most Talented

The most recent TSL workshop for F.A.C.T. culminated in a production in February 2018, called “Murder Mystery Mayhem & Most Talented.” In a series of short pieces created by the participants that spanned a love murder mystery to making it in Hollywood, the common theme was breaking down stereotypical stigmas, which has great resonance in the lives of our participants.

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Certificates of Recognition

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California Dreaming

“California Dreaming” was part of Strindberg Laboratory’s “Demonstration project” through California Arts Council’s “Prison Project” with people who are about to be released back into society. The play was formed from the dreams of our students about their family, relationships and their desire for a positive change. The play’s story centers on a lost soul who winds up in a magical train station where he is whisked away by a wise man who shows him how to build a better future through songs, scenes, dance, and poetry.

Fathers and Sons

Fathers and Sons" performed on the B yard in California State Prison of Los Angeles County in March of 2017. The play consisted of original and scripted material dealing with the relationships between fathers and sons. The families of our students who were incarcerated were allowed to have their family members attend the performances

One Dream Away

The play is written and performed by persons with one to two year release dates in the B yard in California State Prison of Los Angeles County. The play is about their dreams and fears for the future and consists of eight original scenes with raps, songs, and poems. The scenes ask the question; Can I dream big enough to change my life and am I able to conquer my fears and fulfill my dreams?

Media Piece from USC Annenberg of School of Journalism

Three Original Shows with Students from the Prisons

In 2016 and 2017, with support from the California Arts Council’s Prison Project, we created three original shows with students from the prisons. Our workshop is now a college course and all of our students receive two transferable college credits through Los Angeles City College.

Daroca’s Curious Journey

With support from Supervisor Sheila Kuehl, Meri Pakarinen, our Jails to Jobs program participants, and the FACT students created Daroca’s Curious Journey, which was performed in multiple venues in April, 2016. This was an important event, as people with criminal backgrounds have rarely been able to work within the autistic community due to requirements for background checks.

Jesus 911

Another Jails to Jobs production with our BITMI partners at the Los Angeles Mission about people who have faced adversity in their lives trying to seek help and be saved. The play captured the diversity and hope of people who have faced the impossible and their desire to turn their lives around.

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We partnered FACT for our “Jails to Jobs” program

Our first nonprofit partner with our “Jails to Jobs” program was FACT (Family, Adult & Child Therapies) a nonprofit that provides quality care to children, adults, couples and families managing a large range of diagnoses.

Certificate of Recognition from Governor Jerry Brown

Redemption in Our State of Blues

Redemption In Our State of Blues is written and performed by the drama class from the B-yard at the California State Prison in Lancaster. The play is about redemption, love, community, and hope. It consists of eleven original scenes with raps, songs, and poems. The stories ask the question; "Are there second chances?" and "How do you grasp them in time with life’s challenges?"

Awarded a Contract with the California Arts Council’s Prison Project

In 2015 Strindberg Laboratory was awarded a contract with the California Arts Council’s Prison Project and started working in California State Prison of Los Angeles County. The prison is a level 4 institution that had had very little programming, and the students on the yard we worked in had long sentences.

People Magazine

Jails to Jobs

The performers of Hustlin wanted to continue making plays with us but needed income. This led to the creation of our Jails to Jobs program in 2015. Through this program, our students who were leaving correctional facilities were employed teaching theater workshops to Los Angeles community providers, along with creating and performing original shows. Ongoing training and rehearsals for our Jails to Jobs program took place at the Vortex in downtown Los Angeles.

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Love is a Battlefield

Love is a battlefield was performed in 2014 at Men's Central Jail. It was created and performed by inmates from the K6G unit in the jail. The play explored many different types of loves, through songs, poetry, and scenes. The play was a testament to the fact that despite adversity and tribulations love conquers all.

Certificates of Recognition

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The LA Times

Theater Workshops at the Volunteers of America (VOA) on Skid Row

Due to the success of the Men’s Central Jail workshops, students wanted to continue working with us after being released. To answer that desire, in 2014 we began theater workshops at the Volunteers of America (VOA) on skid row where many of our students went to live after release from jail.

Transformative Theater Workshops at Los Angeles Men’s Central Jail

In the K6G unit that houses gay and transgender men. This workshop has continued at the Jails and now we are also in CRDF Jail through Five Keys Charter School.

Miss Julie