EMAV 10 Bites: Keaton Delmar Johns, Performer

In every neighborhood, there is someone who makes the Arts a part of their life, and our community. You'd be surprised to discover how many different people use the arts to improve the quality of life in our hometown. EAT MORE ART! VEGAS will feature them regularly in our series "10 Bites."

Like many exceptional, local artists actor and musician Keaton Johns dazzles audiences from all walks of life in shows about everything from high stakes drama to drag, and lucky for us he released a new single. Enjoy these "Ten bites" and check out the tunes!

What kinds of art do you enjoy, create, or perform in?

I was trained mainly in musical theatre, but I also love pop music which is my current passion I’m pursuing. I’m also a local singing drag queen in town which is just as delicious as it sounds.

Why do you do it?

I come from a long line of performers, so it runs in my blood to perform. But I love getting to tell stories, diving into character’s psyches, and sharing experiences with audiences.

What’s your favorite production/performance experience so far?

I did a production of Next to Normal in college, and that was the single most incredible, demanding, challenging, and rewarding experience of my life. Here in Vegas, doing Spring Awakening and West Side Story were two of my most cherished shows I’ve ever done.

What jobs have you done other than being an artist, or what do you do when you are "at work?"

I currently work as a gondolier at the Venetian, singing Italian standards to guests from all around the world. I’ve also taught as a dance teacher to people of all ages.

What is an arts experience that you will never forget, or a memorable response to your work?

Whenever someone tells me how moved they were by my performance, I feel so grateful and humbled at the same time. My job is not to indulge in my own emotions as a performer, but to let it translate to the audience and let them experience the feelings.

What would you be doing if you weren't performing, creating, or enjoying the Arts in Las Vegas?

If I weren’t an artist, I would probably be a teacher of history, anthropology, mythology, or archaeology. I’ve been a huge fan of Indiana Jones and Tomb Raider my whole life, and history/mythology/etc has always been so fascinating to me.

Name something you love about Las Vegas, and why.

I love the amazing community of performers here. From the local theaters, to the bars/lounges, and all the way to the shows on the Strip, everyone I’ve met is so incredibly kind, supportive, and talented.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given?

I heard this aphorism from one of my favorite singers, Sierra Boggess: you have nothing to prove, only to share. I like to keep that with me when I’m getting anxious, doubtful, or worried about performing.

What superpower would you have and why?

I’ve always loved Invisible Woman and Violet from The Incredibles, so I’d want invisibility and the force fields power. That way, I can summon immense power when I need it, and when I need to shut the world off for a moment and be more introverted, I can turn invisible and not worry too much about people.

Listen to "Chapter," the latest single by Keaton Johns.

What future projects are you looking forward to?

I’m currently working on my own album that will most likely be released next summer. I released my first single, Chapter, and the reception has already been so incredible. I’m looking forward to putting out more music for everyone to hear.

Follow Keaton @KeatonDJohns and at keatondelmarjohns.com.

Are you a local artist of any

discipline? Do you work with a company as a stagehand or administrative staff? Do you love to experience it as the audience? We'd love to get your 10 Bites to share. Fill out a form here, and you might be featured in a post!

CHECK OUT OUR 10 BITES FEATURE GALLERY HERE

#TenBites #EatMoreArt #vegasculture #vegasmusic #vegastheatre

The LAB LV Keeps the Show Going While Addressing the Struggle of Local Artists

The LAB LV's Pass Over by Antoinette Nwandu opens outdoors Oct 15th

Pass Over features Jamey Clay-Brown and Jason Nious.

Being quick to adapt to change is vital in the arts community, and The LAB LV is no exception, as they have found ways to continue performances with the purpose of increasing representation of marginalized people while allying with other groups to generate support for the arts.

The LAB LV is an accomplished experimental and interdisciplinary performance ensemble, founded in October 2015. Made up of multiple art styles and disciplines, the company works to create opportunities that are both artistic and community-focused. Their mission is to “provide incomparable experiences for audiences by presenting strong, provocative work in unconventional settings, encouraging community dialogue and growth,” and strives to be a platform for artists from diverse cultures and their communities, (The LAB LV).

Cast and directors of The LAB Lv's "The Royale." 2019.

Kate St-Pierre, Artistic Director at The LAB LV, shared that the company is very selective of the stories that are told by their ensemble.

“We want the stories that we share to be inclusive and center marginalized voices/BIPOC,” St-Pierre said. “We want to increase accessibility to the theatre in as many layers as we can identify which historically has had limited access.”

The layers of particular focus, St-Pierre shared, include the cost of going to the theatre, the casting of those in the productions, and the representation in the stories that are told. They also put a lot of focus on having representation in the company itself by making sure that their board of directors has women and people of color at the helm.

Sabrina Cofield as Queen Titania at the Lab's "Midsummer" at Super Summer Theatre, 2019.

“We are very ensemble-driven, and strive to create challenging opportunities,” St-Pierre said. “Some of these kinds of stories are ones that might make some people or artists uncomfortable but it makes room for growth - as audience members, as actors and artists, and as a community.”

The COVID pandemic has shut the doors on many production companies, including The LAB LV as they work to tell stories and facilitate conversations that need to be shared in our community.

“If we are going to put on a live production at this time, there has to be a valid reason for it,” St-Pierre said. “It has to be a necessary commentary and a community dialogue, as we want to create an opportunity for that dialogue to cover important issues - like the election coming up.”

She went on to say, “I like to consider our shows as the inciting incident. If the performance can create an energy and excitement within the audience, how can we channel that into an action? How can we as a theatre company be as specific as possible with what that action is,” she said. “Is it to get people to vote? To understand Black Lives Matter? What’s the action we want to incite through this performance.”

A scene from "Dance Nation", pre-COVID 2020.

For now, St-Pierre said that the company is “taking it one day at a time” and that she “couldn’t be more proud of the cast” for all the work they’ve done, how they’ve responded to the pandemic, and for the productions they are working on in the near future.

She said that the company “pivoted - the word of 2020”, and redirected their energies into how they could continue their work for and with the community in a constructive, responsible manner, offering an online play-reading-series over the summer with award-winning playwrights, working on new unproduced plays with Las Vegas artists.

“Many of these plays had never been read out loud before. Actors got to work with a new script, and playwrights had their works read out loud for the first time,” St-Pierre said. “It was a really wonderful opportunity to work with people from all over the world.”

Besides the readings, the company itself has been doing frequent private readings together as an ensemble to keep their connection going when they can’t meet up to practice in person.

“At this time we have no intention to create a performance on Zoom,” St-Pierre said. “There would have to be a really good reason to do so, just like when we do live, public performances. There’s a lot of disconnect on Zoom.”

The LAB LV is planning an in-person community dialogue/performance October 15th - 17th, and the 22nd - 24th, with a play called ‘Pass Over’, by Antoinette Nwandu. Reservations are available through The LAB’s website.

St-Pierre said she is excited to have such esteemed experts moderating the community conversations including the ACLU, Professor Frank Rudy Cooper of UNLV’s Boy School of Law, and Keisha Weiford (MS,LMFT).

With no commercial event work available for artists and no additional funding to support the arts community during the public health crisis, the situation is dire.

“It’s been a struggle. The state hasn’t given any consistent guidelines to keep actors safe and employed, nor have they provided actors and artists any financial help,” St-Pierre said. “Many actors are not receiving unemployment and can’t pay their bills. Production companies and artists can’t pay the leases on their spaces or studios.”

The issue at hand is bigger than simply getting back to producing shows to some degree, as St- Pierre said that the performing arts community and art community in general needs massive funding, especially from the government, sharing how the arts are always overlooked, and especially during times like these.

“It’s devastating,” she said. “It’s only going to get worse if we don’t start working on a solution.”

St-Pierre went on to say that while she doesn’t believe now is the time to do performances inside, there are opportunities for socially-distanced, masked, and limited capacity outside events. That way actors and artists can get back to work and get paid.

“People that own or rent their spaces are desperate, they have to pay their overhead without having any work while trying to figure out how to survive and stay healthy.” (#MaskUp!)

“We’re a family here. And it’s terrifying to see this happen to our community,” she said.

Here in Las Vegas, the world-renowned creative community brings in a massive amount of tourism for the local economy and many industries were bailed out with programs like the Small Business Payroll Protection Program. St-Pierre believes it’s only fair that the arts community is also taken care of out here but that “the government has left the las vegas arts community behind.”

St-Pierre called various groups in the performing arts community together to form the Producers Alliance of Southern Nevada, or PALSNV for short, to improve conditions for the region’s nonprofit and event-related small businesses. The group is currently made up of over 20 organizations that are looking to improve cooperation among partners and advocate for equitable regulations at both the state and local level.

“We want them to know that we are here, and that we are ready to work with them in a safe capacity,” St-Pierre said. “We have a wonderful, vibrant community here. We must find ways to protect and still support ourselves, somehow.”

For those who wish to help support The LAB LV, St-Pierre shared that the best way to help the company is by checking out their website, ‘Liking’ and following their Facebook page or Instagram, and by donating directly to the company through their PayPal. The LAB LV is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, so donations are tax-deductible.

Sharing information about their company’s productions through word-of-mouth, and by coming out to the actual community talk-backs and performances to be a part of the dialogue, are other invaluable ways to support The LAB LV.

People can also help by contacting their local and state representatives to make sure government officials get cultural leaders like Kate St-Pierre’s message that “Many artists have already had to leave Vegas due to lack of opportunities and support,” and “The arts are an essential part of our local economy.”

#EatMoreArt #vegastheatre #CreateOurRecovery

Vegas Theatre Hub to depart The 705 due to city-planned redevelopment

Vegas Theatre Hub says "Farewell" to their former home online, June 28th

Clowning classes offered by internationally trained master teachers are a favorite among locals.

For the past few years, Vegas Theatre Hub has been proud to call 705 Las Vegas Blvd. North home after its nomadic founding in 2015 by professional improv artists Darren Pitura, Derek Shipman, and Natalie Shipman. Unfortunately, the City of Las Vegas has claimed The 705 space, now famous for its outdoor mural "A Phalanx of Angels Ascending" by local artist James Stanford, and the area will be built up to further "redevelop" the Cultural Corridor.

Awarded "Best Comedy Boot Camp" in 2019 by the Las Vegas Weekly, students and teaching artists made The 705 a home for emerging talent and original comedy in Southern Nevada, reviving the former VFW building interior with their bare hands and inclusive community spirit. Sadly, the Hub had to cancel its 5th Anniversary Show last March with the onslaught of COVID. Due to the uncertainty brought on by the pandemic (and the ongoing struggle for the Arts to survive Downtown gentrification without policies to protect them) the Hub's future in a new location is uncertain.

The Hub was declared "Best Comedy Boot Camp" in 2019 by the Las Vegas Weekly

One can only hope that local policymakers will address the needs of our local cultural industry as smaller nonprofits and arts-adjacent businesses struggle to survive. The Vegas Theatre Hub has been a rare gem for members of the public to become lifelong learners, polished professionals, and connected to the community with low-cost classes, drop-in sessions, and a collaborative creative incubator. It is one of several local arts groups that are impossible to replace threads in our community's fabric.

Our recovery can and must begin with the "redevelopment" of local nonprofits and locally-run venues invested in by the public with their savings and sweat equity if we are looking to leverage resources for the greatest social and economic gains.

Vegas Theatre Hub founder Darren Pitura.

In order to say "Thank you" to the neighborhood and to all of the students and artists who have made The 705 a home for talent and comedy in Southern Nevada, founder Darren Pitura has put together a virtual celebration featuring comedy, improv, sketches, clowning, and storytelling. 

This show is free, and because of the group's uncertain future they will not be accepting donations for the Hub; however, viewers of the telethon-style livestream will be encouraged to support the Vegas Freedom Fund, a bail relief organization working to combat mass incarceration in Clark County, and the Las Vegas Rescue Mission, a shelter providing meals and housing to downtown’s homeless population.

Whether a beginner or a professional, performers with a passion for Improv called the Hub home.

Participating contributors in the event include Matt Donnelly and Paul Mattingly ("Matt & Mattingly's Ice Cream Social," "Penn & Teller's Fool Us," and more), Marc Roberts ("Blue Man Group"), Shannan Calcutt & Darren Pitura ("Cirque du Soleil"), Noah Bremer ("Cirque du Soleil," "Clowns after Midnight"), Derek Shipman ("Cirque du Soleil"), and actor Adriane McLean.

Hopefully, this special event is merely the marking of a pause in programming for Vegas Theatre Hub. Southern Nevada needs a community that is trained and ready to improvise in the New World for local arts and our society that, now more than ever, is hungry for them.

“The Hub Takes 5: Bidding Farewell to the 705!” will be a livestream combination of recorded content and live hosts from The Hub’s Facebook

this Sunday, June 28, from 2:00 pm - 7:00 pm

The Lineup

Hour 1 hosted by Stinky & Bunny

What is the Hub?

Awards

The Hub Ghost

Hub Teachers

We Hot Bingo

Fabricated Egg

Uncle Crimson

Hour 2 hosted by Noah Bremer & Justin Green

Philoween

Tales of the Green Room

Fishbowl & Hubbub

Storytelling

Clown Variety Acts

Hour 3 hosted by Ben Pawlowski & Josh Hand

Last Level 3 Class

Soft 7 Hard 10

Das Taco

Judgement City

Relatable Content

Workshop Teachers

Cardio Spider

Hour 4 hosted by Marc Roberts & Phil Kotler The Hub Snake Man Candy Funderdome Furious Water Stinky & Bunny Bleach One Take Hour 5 hosted by Darren Pitura Faustino Musical Moments A Special Song A Message from the Community Words from Darren Pitura The 705 Send Off

#EatMoreArt #vegastheatre #VegasBornArts