>>>
>>> GOOD
>>> GOOD MORNING AND WELCOME TO NEW DAY NORTHWEST.
KICKING THINGS OFF IS AN OSCAR-
WINNING ACTOR AND DIRECTOR AND
WRITER AND MUSICIAN.
HE HAS A PLAY CALLED NEW
COLOSSUS.
COLOSSUS.
COLOSSUS. WE ARE THRILLED TO HAVE TIM
ROBBINS WITH US.
IT IS GREAT TO MEET YOU.
>> IT IS GREAT TO MEET YOU ALSO.
>> I ALWAYS SAY THAT THE ROAD
TO GREATNESS GOES RIGHT THROUGH
NEW DAY WELLNESS WEDNESDAY.
SO TELL US ABOUT YOUR PLAY.
>> IT IS ACTORS TELLING STORIES
ABOUT REFUGEES.
ABOUT REFUGEES. THEY RESEARCHED FAMILY
HISTORIES AND THEY TELL THE
STORIES OF THEIR FAMILIES.
DIFFERENT STORIES OF PEOPLE
THAT LEFT BEHIND A THREAT TO
THEIR LIVES. THEY WERE FLEEING
TOWARDS FREEDOM TO FIND A
BETTER LIFE.
BETTER LIFE. WHEN WE DO THE PLAY WE TAKE THE
AUDIENCE THROUGH THE JOURNEY
AND AT THE END OF IT I COME OUT
AND I TALKED TO THE AUDIENCE
WHICH IS ALWAYS INCREDIBLY
MOVING BECAUSE WE START TO HEAR
THE STORIES OF THEIR ANCESTORS
AND THEIR STRUGGLES AS THEY GOT
AWAY FROM OPPRESSION.
>> THERE IS SOMETHING SO
BEAUTIFUL ABOUT THIS.
AS WE TALK ABOUT IMMIGRATION
AND REFUGEE POLICY SOMETIMES IT
IS ACADEMIC AND SOMETIMES IT'S
ABOUT NUMBERS.
ABOUT NUMBERS. WHEN WE EXAMINE OUR OWN
EXPERIENCES PRETTY MUCH ALL OF
US HAVE THAT STORY SOMEWHERE.
>> AT THE END I ASKED PEOPLE IF
THERE ARE ANY REFUGEES OR
IMMIGRANTS IN THE AUDIENCE AND
SOME HANDS COME UP.
BEFORE YOU KNOW IT THE WHOLE
AUDIENCE HAS RAISED THEIR HAND.
IT ILLUMINATES SOMETHING THAT
WE DO KNOW IN THIS COUNTRY THAT
WE ARE FROM A COMMON EXPERIENCE
WITHIN OUR OWN COUNTRY.
AFRICAN-AMERICANS HAVE HAD
STORIES OF MIGRATION AND
GETTING OUT OF THE SOUTH AFTER
THE CIVIL WAR.
WHAT WE COME TO UNDERSTAND WHEN
WE ARE IN THESE DIALOGUES IS
THAT WE HAVE A LOT IN COMMON IN
THIS COUNTRY.
THIS COUNTRY. TO BE ABLE TO SIT IN A THEATER
AND EXPERIENCE SOMETHING AND GO
THROUGH THE EMOTIONS AND AT THE
END OF IT SEE THAT THE PERSON
NEXT HE WAS SOMEBODY THAT YOU
HAD NOT THOUGHT OF THAT THIS
STRANGER IS A NEIGHBOR BUT ALSO
HAS AN AMAZINGLY COMPELLING
STORY.
STORY.
STORY. WE
STORY. WE FOUND A COMMON THEME.
>> ACTIVISM INNOCENT IN THE WAY
THAT YOU CONDUCT YOUR ART. HOW
DO YOU INSPIRE THAT?
>> MY FATHER WAS A FOLKSINGER
WHO MOVED THE FAMILY FROM
CALIFORNIA IN 1961 TWO NEW YORK
CITY.
CITY.
CITY. I
CITY. I SAW COMMUNITY COMING TOGETHER
AND I COMMUNITY THAT CARED
ABOUT SOMETHING WHETHER IT WAS
ECOLOGY -- THE ENVIRONMENT --
>> YES.
>> YES.
>> YES. >> OR AGAINST THE VIETNAM WAR
OR FEMINIST ISSUES OR CHILDCARE.
MY KIDS HAVE INHERITED THAT. I
THINK THAT THE CHILDREN REMIND
YOU THAT THERE IS A FUTURE AND
THAT WE SHOULD HAVE A VESTED
INTEREST IN THE FUTURE AND
WHATEVER POLICIES THAT WE SEE
AS WE ARE CHOOSING OUR
CANDIDATES. WE HAVE TO BE
RESPONSIBLE TO OUR CHILDREN NOT
ONLY IN OUR OWN DESIRES AND
AMBITIONS AND NEEDS.
>> ACTIVE LISTENING CAN BE
REALLY IMPORTANT.
REALLY IMPORTANT. >> TOMMY ABOUT YOUR ACTORS GANG.
>> WE ARE A THEATER COMPANY.
WE HAVE BEEN TOGETHER FOR 38
YEARS NOW.
YEARS NOW. >> THAT IS HARD TO SAY
CONSIDERING YOU ARE ONLY 39.
>> I STARTED IT WHEN I WAS TWO
YEARS OLD.
YEARS OLD. [LAUGHTER]
[LAUGHTER] WE STARTED IT OUT OF UCLA.
A GROUP OF LIKE-MINDED ACTORS.
WE DO THEATER ALL OVER THE
WORLD.
WORLD.
WORLD. WITHIN ON FIVE CONTINENTS AND
40 U.S. STATES.
WE HAVE PERFORMED PLAYS THAT WE
FEEL ARE VITAL AND INVOLVE THE
AUDIENCE. WE ARE SPEAKING ABOUT
SOMETHING THAT IS IMPORTANT TO
OUR AUDIENCE.
OUR AUDIENCE. WE ALSO DO PROJECTS INSIDE
PRISONS.
PRISONS.
PRISONS. WE HAVE A REHABILITATION PROGRAM
AND 13 CALIFORNIA STATE PRISONS.
WE ARE ALSO AT 12 PUBLIC
SCHOOLS IN THE LOS ANGELES AREA
RUNNING FREE ARTS TRAINING AND
PROGRAMS FOR CHILDREN WHO ARE
NEEDED.
NEEDED.
NEEDED. A
NEEDED. A LOT OF THE ARTS PROGRAMMING
WAS CUT FROM THE STATE BUDGET.
>> DID ANY OTHER PRISON WOULD
COME FROM SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION?
BY THE WAY THAT IS EVERYBODY'S
FAVORITE MOVIE.
FAVORITE MOVIE. SERIOUSLY THAT MOVIE IS AT THE
TOP OF EVERYBODY'S LIST AND
BEST FILM.
BEST FILM. >> I AM INCREDIBLY LUCKY TO BE
PART OF SUCH AN IMPORTANT MOVIE
TO SO MANY PEOPLE.
MY AWARENESS OF PRISON HAPPENED
BEFORE THAT.
BEFORE THAT. I GREW UP IN AN AREA OF NEW YORK
WHERE SOME OF MY FRIENDS GOT IN
TROUBLE SO I NEVER FELT THAT
FAR REMOVED FROM PEOPLE THAT
WERE IN PRISON.
I HAD FRIENDS THAT HAD FALLEN
INTO THAT.
INTO THAT. SHAWSHANK ALSO OPENED MY EYES
TO A LOT OF OTHER THINGS.
TALKING THE PRISON GUARDS IN
MANSFIELD, OHIO IN 1994 AND
ASKING THEM WHAT THEY WOULD
CHANGE IF THEY COULD AND
HEARING THESE CONSERVATIVE SALT
OF THE EARTH PEOPLE SAY WE
SHOULD HAVE TWO DIFFERENT
PRISONS.
PRISONS.
PRISONS. ONE FOR NONVIOLENT CRIMINALS
AND ONE FOR VIOLENT CRIMINALS.
WE HAVE A LOT OF KIDS COMING IN
WITH POSSESSION OF MARIJUANA
AND THERE IS A LONG WAITING
LIST FOR A GED PROGRAM SO WHAT
THE PRISON GUARDS CALLED IT WAS
CRIME SCHOOL.
CRIME SCHOOL. THEY DID NOT FEEL WE WERE
SERVING THE PEOPLE. I ASKED THEM
IF THEY WOULD EVER TELL A
POLITICIAN THAT AND THEY WOULD
SAY YES BUT THEY WOULD NOT
LISTEN TO US.
>> THEY DO NOT ASK THE PEOPLE
THAT KNOW THE BEST.
>> SO I BECAME MORE AWARE OF IT
ALSO WHEN I DID DEAD MAN
WALKING.
WALKING.
WALKING. SO WHEN ONE OF MY ACTORS CAME
TO ME 14 YEARS AGO AND SAID I
WANT TO START THIS PROGRAM I
WAS ALL IN AND I PROVIDED THE
FUNDING FOR IT AND SAW IT
DEVELOPED INTO AN AMAZING
PROGRAM.
PROGRAM.
PROGRAM. WE HAVE AN 89% REDUCTION IN
RECIDIVISM RATE.
RECIDIVISM RATE. >> DO YOU ADVOCATE THEM WITH
POLITICIANS AND LEGISLATORS?
>> WE WERE INSTRUMENTAL IN
GETTING FUNDS FOR ARTS.
>> I WAS LOOKING AT YOUR LIST
OF FILMS AND I HAD JUST SEEN
FOR PROXY ON CABLE AND I
ENJOYED THAT. HERE YOU ARE IN
THAT ROLE IN MYSTIC RIVER FOR
WHICH YOU WHEN OSCAR AND THIS
GOOFBALL IN BOULDER THEM WHICH
I STILL LOVE.
IT HAS BEEN SUCH A RICH CAREER.
DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE BEEN
LUCKY?
LUCKY?
LUCKY? >>
LUCKY? >> I ALWAYS FEEL LUCKY AND
BLESSED.
BLESSED.
BLESSED. I HAVE AN EXTRAORDINARY LIFE.
WHAT HAS KEPT ME HONEST THROUGH
THE YEARS HAS BEEN WORKING WITH
THE ACTORS IN THE THEATER.
YOU CAN GET INTO A BUBBLE OF
SELF APPRECIATION.
SELF APPRECIATION. THEATER REMINDS YOU IN THE
MOMENT WHETHER YOU ARE DOING IT
OR NOT.
OR NOT.
OR NOT. >> BECAUSE YOU CAN SEE OR FEEL
IT WHEN IT IS GOING ON.
>> ALL OF THE CONTACT WITH THE
PUBLIC WHAT YOU ARE DOING
EXCLUSIVELY IF IT IS ALL
FABULOUS ANYWHERE NOT IN FRONT
OF AN AUDIENCE CREATING A
CHEMISTRY WITH HIM HE CAN BE
DETRIMENTAL.
DETRIMENTAL. I HAVE ALWAYS GONE BACK TO THE
ACTORS GANG FROM THE TIME I
STARTED MOVING ACTING IN
MOVIES.
MOVIES.
MOVIES. >> THAT IS WHEN HE INFORMED THE
THEATER GROUP.
THEATER GROUP. I'M GLAD WE HAVE THAT SOLVED
AND FIGURED OUT.
SO YOU WILL BE AT THE MOORE
THEATER.
THEATER.
THEATER. >> YES IT IS A BEAUTIFUL THEATER
AND WE ARE EXCITED TO PERFORM
IT.
IT.
IT. WE
IT. WE AFFORDED SHOWS COMING UP
STARTING TOMORROW.
STARTING TOMORROW. >> AND YOU BROUGHT THE
SUNSHINE.
SUNSHINE.
SUNSHINE. IT'S LIKE THIS ALL THE TIME IN
SEATTLE.
SEATTLE.
SEATTLE. >> I SPOKE TO FRIENDS BEFORE I
CAME.
CAME.
CAME. >>
CAME. >> SOME OF THEM THINK WE ARE
NUTS BECAUSE WE ARE SO EXCITED
ABOUT THIS.
ABOUT THIS. >> WE PROVIDE TICKETS WHEREVER
WE GO THAT ARE AFFORDABLE.
I DON'T WANT ANYBODY TO BE'S
SCARED OFF THAT IT WILL BE
EXPENSIVE.
EXPENSIVE. IT IS REALLY GREAT TO BE ABLE
TO GET PEOPLE IN THE THEATER
THAT DO NOT COME TO THEATER
USUALLY.
USUALLY.
USUALLY. >> THANK YOU SO MUCH.
THE NEW COLOSSUS OPENS TOMORROW
NIGHT AND RUNS THROUGH SATURDAY
AT THE MOORE