Leadership and Change

Hello classmates,

Here is the information from Rick and Sandy's business cards:

Rick Shiomi
Artistic Director
Mu Performing Arts
ricks@muperformingarts.org
www.muperformingarts.org

Sandy Boren-Barrett
Artistic Director
Stages Theatre Company
sbb@stagestheatre.org
www.stagestheatre.org

Two themes in Baseball Saved Us that resonated with me and seemed to tie in well with our class were: one, leading where you are and second, the value of collaborative effort and projects. In our discussion prior to the play both Rick and Sandy emphasized the value of working on collaborative projects while emphasizing that the project needs to be one that has value added for all participants.

In the play the situations depicted around the building of the baseball field and the community gathering around a common effort tied in well with our discussions of community building the need to have a common vision and purpose. The father and Tad's leadership role in the camp should not be understated because both of them were the embodiment of leading where you are. Taking on the role of community leader was not really the father's desire it was more a result of his son modeling leadership behavior for him. It may be that one could make a case for leadership examples from each one of the characters, albeit on different levels. The building of the baseball fields and baseball teams were a great example of collaboration and community effort founded in strong family relationships and the need to stay productive.

All in all, I found the play to be engaging and well written and I must confess from my construction background, that the design and construction of the set was fantastic.

I am wondering if anyone else felt that Tad's mother and brother, the guard and the other characters in the play showed leadership, and how? I would be curious to hear what people think.

I made a correlation between Kouzes and Posner's second practice of inspiring a shared vision, and the father.

The father was able to imagine a new possibility and inspire others to join it. He looked to the past and recognized that baseball was something that the entire community was familiar with and felt good about. Galvanizing the community to action did not require a significant commitment from any one individual, but everyone benefitted in many ways.

Some people built bleachers, some sewed uniforms, others played, still others watched. Everyone - even Tad's brother - found a way to contribute to achieving the vision because they believed in its power. This gave them hope.

I don't think that the father's motivation for inspiring the vision was to model leadership for his son. I think that he recognized that the group needed to come together and become a community if they were to survive the internment camp.

At one point, the carpenter commented that it was the father's vision - not the specific actions he took - that made him a leader. This acknowledgement was one of the things that made Tad's brother realize that he, too, could be a part of making the vision come true.

I also connected the play to leading from where you are and that anyone in any situation can show leadership. Actually, the play reminded me that it is especially important to show leadership and vision in situations where people feel like they have no power or where they cannot make real change in their lives.

I think the father understood the importance of creating some sense of control in an environment that seems hopeless and completely invalidating. It also makes me think just how easy it would have been for the father to go the other way and to entirely let go of any hope and how different the outcome might have been for the family and the community. I wonder if it all comes down to a decision made in a moment.

Rick Shiomi, of Mu Performing Arts, and Sandy Boren-Barrett, of Stages Theatre Company, agree that change is a constant in the arts community and innovation is the key to survival. Artists always have to be innovative, yet economic challenges are forcing theatres to operate in new, more collaborative ways.

Both Shiomi and Boren-Barrett’s organizations have formed partnerships with schools as a tool for creating interest in the arts, spreading literary and cultural awareness, and generating new funding streams. Additionally, these arts organizations often work together so they can combine resources such as administrative costs and mailing lists.

I thought there were some interesting similarities between the play, Baseball Saved Us, and the film, Whale Rider. Aside from the obvious, the Asian-Pacific cultural heritage and the role of children as lead characters, there was also a similarity in context. Pai’s culture was trapped by rigid, paternal traditions. Tad’s culture was trapped by fences and barbed wire. Both scenarios showed cultures thrust into chaos, gradually or abruptly, and needing new leadership to create meaning and a sense of responsibility, similar to the perspective that Robert Terry describes in Zone 6.

Although there was certainly structure and order in the Maori community, the lack of innovative thinking led to an erosion of these traditional, cultural values. The Maori leadership model had to evolve or die. By contrast, the internment camps for Americans of Japanese descent attempted to rob the Nisei of the cultural values they wished to retain. Baseball served as a vibrant, visual reminder that they too were Americans and that they could function as a community, even as prisoners. Tad’s father stood out as a leader, finding ways to assign roles and align the game of baseball with a sense of cultural identity. This inclusive leadership process is an example of what Kouzes and Posner would call “Enabling Others to Act” (Kouzes, p. 20).

My interest in history and government requires me to also reflect on our inability as Americans to challenge the decisions that lead to internment camps. Dating back to the Alien and Sedition Act of 1798, we seem to keep ratifying acts of anxiety at precisely the time when our civil rights are most critical. My great-grandfather, William Volz, an American-born citizen of German descent, was required to sign a loyalty oath during World War I. He had never even seen Germany and, apparently, the oath of American citizenship sworn by his father in 1856 was of little consequence. Patriotism is a wonderful thing when it enhances our rights, quite another when it restricts them. Americans certainly have a culture of individualism, as stated by Offerman and Matos, yet when we do work collectively, we often seem to move very quickly in the wrong direction.

I have a copy of the citizenship letter of intent. In case anyone is interested, it reads:

I, Gottlob Volz, do solemly swear that it is bona fide my intention to become a Citizen of the United States, and to renounce forever all allegiance and fidelity to every Foreign Prince, Potentate, State, or Sovereignty, and particularly the King of Wurtemburg of whom I have been a subject.

- Detroit, March 16, 1856

As Americans we tend to forget our past and gloss over details that we find unflattering. The experiences of Nathan's ancestor were unfortunate and unnecessary. One can look back over the history of this country and see how quickly we are to react without thinking when we are challenged by extreme events. This country is not perfect, but we have come a long way because of the American spirit many immigrants have adopted in the face of these discriminations. Baseball saved us shows a time in our history where we allowed fear and anger over power good judgement. We also saw how the status quo thrust upon people doesn't always have to be accepted.

The younger boy in the play could have easily accepted the stereotypes placed upon him by others. He could have accepted being miserable in the camp. With the help of his father he brought about change in the camp. Baseball wasnt just a game for the kids to play, it was a symbol/project that the community could rally around. It gave them a sense of purpose and allowed them to be positive when everything around them was pushing them to be negative. They didnt accept the status quo.

The main characters of "Baseball Saved Us" showed extraordinary leadership during difficult times. Tad's father (I cannot remember his name) was challenging the process, one of the five characteristics of great leaders. The father was outraged when he heard the story of discrimination against Tad. After this, he decided to build the field because all Americans should be able to play baseball. As Kouzes and Posner said, "Innovation comes more from listening than from telling." Tad's father listened to his story of discrimination and realized how important baseball was to his son.

I was also fascinated by the part of the play that the audience is not supposed to watch- the scene changes. I couldn't help but notice how much teamwork and collaboration go into each scene change, and how much rehearsal time must be spent on these small, choreographed movements. As the lights dimmed on one scene, the news reporter gave Tad a light hug, and tousled his hat. When she did so, she removed the Yankees logo from his hat, and carried it off stage with her. When the lights went up again, Tad was no longer a famous baseball player, but was a regular kid in the camp. Another one of the characteristics of great leaders is "enabling others to act." Big plans require involvement from the entire group, and "collaboration must include all those who have a stake in the vision." For the play to succeed, communication and collaboration was necessary from even the minor characters. Without these small contributions, The major characters would not have been successful.

Baseball Saved Us Response
I thought that many of the themes that were explored in Baseball Saved Us could be compared to the current political and economic climate in our country. In particular, Americans with Japanese ancestry were demonized and oppressed during World War II due to irrational fear.

During this past election year, irrational fears were evident in the slanderous rumors generated about our president’s background and allegiances. Although some people can take comfort in the thought that World War II and internment camps were part of our past, the same biases and suspicions against those who are different remain. It is up to the American people to be vigilant and ensure that horrific injustices against others are not tolerated. Tad and the Hosokawa family made the difficult but admirable choice to stop the spread of hatred by focusing on what they could do in their current situation. As a result, the camp community worked together to build the baseball field. The people in the camp made the best of their situation and decided to build something together rather than allow hatred to tear them apart.

Mixed Blood Theater plays a similar role in today’s community. Like the baseball field in Baseball Saved Us, it offers a place of community and recreation. Although economic times are tough and the survival of arts programs appears grim, Mixed Blood Theater brings together people of all ages and backgrounds for a common goal of theatrical entertainment. The theater strengthened its presence by collaborating with the FAIR school and Stages Theater to form lasting partnerships. Rather than focusing on the potential negatives of the poor economic situation, Mixed Blood Theater chose opportunities for innovation and growth. The production Baseball Saved Us and Mixed Blood Theater demonstrate the value of teamwork, collaboration and common goals for a community to thrive and prosper through difficult times.

Thoughts of Baseball Saved Us came to me again and again as I read the chapters 9 & 10, Foster Collaboration and Strengthen Others, respectively, in K&P this week. The artistic directors spoke of collaboration and sharing leadership power in community based operations. For organizations such as theirs, innovation and the ability to forecast into the future is the essence of their survival especially in economically challenging times.
Staying true to their missions of community education and inclusion, Stages Theatre Company and Mu Performing Arts collaborated to use Baseball Saved Us to remind us that in even in the midst of institutional paranoia and discrimination, people can endure and thrive.

Inherent in the circumstance of an internment camp is the diminishment of control and self worth of the captive. A leader such as Tad’s father in Baseball Saved Us understands how critical a feeling of control is to emotional and physical well-being. Creating a sense of control can sometimes be accomplished by something as simple as planning and executing a team sport such as baseball. Tad’s father was able to “focus [his fellow internees] on a collective purpose bind[ing] people into cooperative effort” (Kouzes and Posner, p. 233). Baseball offered the internees an outlet for their frustrations and grab control of a portion of their lives in an uncontrollable environment. K & P would say that Tad’s father strengthened others by “creating a climate in which people are fully engaged and feel in control of their own lives” (p. 250). Tad’s father strengthened the self-esteem and internal sense of effectiveness (p. 265) of those around him, even in circumstances which in Terry’s view would be at best chaotic—full of questions of ethics, morality, and justice. The father modeled leadership that enabled Tad and Teddy to do the same for each other. He gave them life skills that would carry them far beyond this terrible time in their lives.

Baseball Saved Us was both difficult and a delight to watch at the same time. It was clear to see this story held great passion for both Rick Shimomo and Sandy Boren-Barrett. I was moved in the pre-performance interview when Rick identified the very personal reasons for wanting to share this story and Sandy said this play was important for her to be a part of because it was about a time in history that should not be forgotten and she feared could be repeated. That thought stuck with me throughout the entire performance. This story was both devastating and inspiring.

The father’s values were clear and he set a strong example– nothing good comes from taking on someone else’s anger. Teddy had wanted his father to show more resistance and fight for their family’s freedom. Teddy thought that his father’s refusal to act in violent protest meant he was passive and perhaps lacking any leadership. The father in fact was determined to remain dignified and humble under such dyer circumstances.

The idea for the baseball field and camp-wide games was genius. The father showed vision and forethought to involve so many in his idea. It allowed many to feel useful, it inspired collaboration, and empowered so many in a situation that for everyone in the camp lacked any sense of reason or ability of control.

Tad, on the other hand, saw his father as a leader for keeping the family together in the face of such atrocity. Tad was such an honest and resilient character; unafraid to try and fail, honest with his feelings, and able to persistently pursue his goal to improve his game of baseball. He also stayed proud of who he was. (And can I add what an impressive actor Andrew Moy was!)

Sometimes we cannot hear those we are closest to, and it takes another perspective of the same picture for clarity. Mr Shimoda, who believed strongly in the baseball vision, was able to help Teddy see what great strength and character his father had. The father never waivered from what was truly important to him. Saving his friends and family from being eaten by anger, wasting away mentally and physically, and losing hope was a powerful example that leadership truly can come from anywhere.

The leadership in "Baseball Saved Us" is multi-dimensional and provides a great example of both active and passive styles (those who delegate and those who support change). I was interested in the more subtle leaders of the play, the guard who's wise words to the older brother earned him respect just as Mr. Shimoda's tireless efforts to build the community baseball field made him a leader in the community. Tad was an integral leader in the community, though his low self-efficacy often shadowed his potential. Leaders in this position need the support of others, like his mother, father, and brother, to give them the power to create sustainable change.

In order to sustain change, leaders must embrace cultural heritage as well. During "Baseball Saved Us" the characters (especially Tad) deny their Japanese heritage, claiming they are American. Though they are American, they are also Japanese. I understand that this enactment was probably how many Jap-Americans felt during that time, more American that Japanese. I guess I am just commenting on leadership as a sustainable tool for innovation- you can't change who you are, the past, or cultural heritage so rather embrace it and use it to create change.

On a similar note, I recently went to an Italian Film Festival and watched a film called "Il vento fa il suo giro" (The wind blows round), a story about a small community's ability to adapt to change when a new family arrives. The theme and storyline is very different to "Baseball". Similar to "Baseball", though, is the significance of cultural heritage on creating change in a community.

All in all, "Baseball" was a great performance. I was glad to see a packed house when I went on Saturday afternoon, most of whom were children. The storyline is inspiring and simple, emphasizing how easy it is to become a leader and support change.

The leadership in "Baseball Saved Us" is multi-dimensional and provides a great example of both active and passive styles (those who delegate and those who support change). I was interested in the more subtle leaders of the play, the guard who's wise words to the older brother earned him respect just as Mr. Shimoda's tireless efforts to build the community baseball field made him a leader in the community. Tad was an integral leader in the community, though his low self-efficacy often shadowed his potential. Leaders in this position need the support of others, like his mother, father, and brother, to give them the power to create sustainable change.

In order to sustain change, leaders must embrace cultural heritage as well. During "Baseball Saved Us" the characters (especially Tad) deny their Japanese heritage, claiming they are American. Though they are American, they are also Japanese. I understand that this enactment was probably how many Jap-Americans felt during that time, more American that Japanese. I guess I am just commenting on leadership as a sustainable tool for innovation- you can't change who you are, the past, or cultural heritage so rather embrace it and use it to create change.

On a similar note, I recently went to an Italian Film Festival and watched a film called "Il vento fa il suo giro" (The wind blows round), a story about a small community's ability to adapt to change when a new family arrives. The theme and storyline is very different to "Baseball". Similar to "Baseball", though, is the significance of cultural heritage on creating change in a community.

All in all, "Baseball" was a great performance. I was glad to see a packed house when I went on Saturday afternoon, most of whom were children. The storyline is inspiring and simple, emphasizing how easy it is to become a leader and support change.

First of all I want to say I enjoyed the play Baseball Saved Us. I’m glad that there is a play about Japanese detainment in the U.S., I think it is an important part of our history and that we need to be continually reminded of what we did so that we don't make the same mistakes over and over. The biggest component to this play I think was bringing change. That is what the dad wanted to come out of creating the baseball field. It wasn’t truly about baseball, it was about bring the community together and giving a group of people that are suffering something else to focus on. They could have maybe thought of other things that would bring the community together, but with such few resources, baseball was the most sensible community activity they could think of. In order to create change, the father had to take a leadership position and present the idea to everyone. And then ask for help from others to put the plan into action. The camp community coming together was an example of people collaborating to achieve a common goal. Even though many people worked together to create the baseball field, it took a leader initiating it to make it happen. Another thing that made me think of leadership was the older brother’s actions. Towards the end of the play he began to be supportive of his brother and encourage him. This was an example of strengthening others, which some leadership advice that Kouzes and Posners give in their book. The older brother was being a good leader by giving his brother strength and helping him build self-confidence. The baseball field brought change to the community, and this was done through leadership, so this play exemplifies the themes of this class perfectly.

Mr. Rick Shiomi, the Artistic Director, Mu Performing Arts alluded to the fact that presently, theater arts have refocused their functions, and that nowadays , they are being used as a teaching tool to reach several audiences—especially young people. To me, this makes sense since young peoples’ behaviors and ways of reasoning can easily be altered or influenced by what they see at theaters as well as what they watch on televisions. To many young people, this could easily shape their leadership style.

Both Mr. Shiomi and Ms. Sandy Boren Barrett, the Artistic Director, Stages Theatre Company agreed that arts organizations need to collaborate with one another to jointly deliver their services to their customers. They maintained that these organizations are constantly striving to reinvent themselves.

Speaking about innovation and change, Mr. Shiomi stated that the present economic situation in the country is actually the right time for theatre companies to discover other innovative ways to do business. I agree with him that since pressure forces innovation, now is therefore the right time for theatre companies to make adjustments. One of the ways that these two theatre companies are taking the lead in making innovative adjustments in the theater business is by collaborating with each other to jointly deliver this play –Baseball Saved Us. This I think is what Kouzse and Posner (2007) would call a shared vision. They contend that: “When visions are shared, they attract more people, sustain higher levels of motivation, and withstand more challenges than those that are singular (p. 105).

The play -- Baseball Saved Us brought back very unpleasant memories to me about my ordeal while I was growing up in my Nigeria. I must have been about Tad’s (aka) “Shorty’s” age or maybe younger. It was a brief but bleak moment in Nigerian history that every Nigerian citizen would prefer that it never happened. It was a 30-month civil war that left the country’s infrastructure totally destroyed; personal properties wiped out, and over a million people died. It all started when people from the eastern part of the country (where I come from), decided to break away from the rest of the country. This was because about 300,000 easterners in other parts of the country had been killed for no known reason. Because of the killings, they felt that they were no longer needed in the entity called Nigeria. The eastern military governor, in consultation with the leaders from the east met and decided that they needed to secede from the rest of the country, and form an independent country. They therefore formed an independent country called Biafra. In response, the federal government launched a very bloody attack on the east to force them back to the country. It really was an ugly situation.

As I reminisce over what transpired during those 30-months of hell, the sight of federal soldiers, armed to the teeth, looting, raping , destroying and killing people from the east that they had come to “liberate” back to Nigeria readily comes to mind. We had to abandon our houses, villages and cities and run into the bushes and forests to hide from these soldiers that had no sympathy for the aged, the children, the women or the handicapped. We were starved for food and water for days or even weeks. It was horrible. Constant presence of armed soldiers that still treated us as rebels still saddens me till this day. I see the stone-faced armed guard in Baseball Saved Us who had no feelings for what Tad and his family are going through in this concentration camp. I also see an innovation leader in the person of Teddy – Tad’s senior brother, who is not willing to accept his present predicament. He wants to change his condition. He keeps saying that they are also Americans and therefore should not be subjected to this deplorable situation. I also see him express his emotions by coming to see his little brother play baseball, and by encouraging him to succeed. He is indeed an innovation leader.

I have enjoyed reading everyone's comments from "Baseball Saved Us" - wasn't it a great experience?

The conversations with Rick Shiomi (Mu) and Sandy Boren Barrett (Stages) was enlightening. It is great to know that theatre works cross-collaboratively in such a manner. We have learned through our readings that true collaborations identify their weaknesses and capitolize on others' strengths. In this case, "Stages" identified that they didn't have the capacity or knowledge to cast the play, so they reached out to the organization with the experienced Asian actors and cultural strengths. I don't know about the rest of you, but the young actor certainly moved me! Kudos "Mu"!

Many of you mentioned "vision" in your blogs. I agree, but what also resonated with me was sense of "purpose" (per Kouzes and Posner). The importance of everyone feeling valued, worthwhile and necessary. Amartya Sen would have given a standing ovation at this performance because each person was eventually "with purpose". Despite their "unfreedoms", Father's vision inspired "purpose". His vision allowed others to "be and do", they became "necessary". Father continually reminded others, if we don't do something - they will get the best of us!

I am on vacation this week in Florida with our five kids - boy can I tell you how important it is to have a vision and purpose! Whew! On vacation, I finished "Bel Canto". I would really like to have a discussion comparing "Baseball" with "Bel Canto". That would be extremely interesting!

See you next week!

Lisa

The connections I found between the play and our course themes are innovation, perseverance, courage. The saying, "when there is a will there is a way" came to my mind while watching this fabulous play. The family was a prisoner in their own country, and I cannot image how much anger and pain they felt during this outrageous injustice. Each family member brought a leadership role to the table. Dad is the strong in-charge man, Mom is the quiet wise woman of the family, Tad is the go-getter and strong willed, and Teddy took on the angry big brother role. The leadership roles that everyone brought forth were important, but without the innovation, perseverance and courage from Tad, the baseball game would not have happened. Once Tad demonstrated his desire to play baseball, and after a little time had passed his family jumped on board for support with the exception of Teddy. Tad's idea was so outrageous in the beginning that no one wanted to follow him. This event is very similar to what happens to great ideas in our work life. At first you have those who think your idea is crazy, but then people begin to warm up to the idea and want to jump on board to make it work. It goes back to the difficulty many of us have with change. It's uncomfortable in the beginning, but when the idea is good the uncomfortable feelings begin to disappear and the support system begins to grow. Teddy's anger kept him from supporting his brother, but eventually he came around with open arms. Tad demonstrated innovation, perseverance and courage. He had the courage to bring an innovative idea of baseball to the lives of people who lost hope. He was confronted with naysayers, but it was his perseverance that brought baseball to the prison camp. Tad is a good reminder that leadership does not begin at a certain age it begins in our hearts.

While at its surface, the play was not one about leadership, change or innovation, all of these themes can be found in the production. Father emerges as a community leader during a time of struggle and profound disempowerment. He provides the camp’s detainees with an innovative idea, and outlines a vision to make that idea a reality. Though the members of the community are distraught and heart broken by the change that has been forced upon them, they quickly embrace the idea that will provide them some level of control over their lives. Tad’s optimistic outlook adds the inspiration that moves the group to action.

Father also demonstrates patient leadership with his older son Teddy. He remains calm as Teddy struggles to make sense of the unjust circumstances that are beyond his control. With the help of Mr. Shimoda, another well-respected community member, Teddy realizes that he can help with the field, and enjoy the games without comprising his beliefs that their internment is wrong.

The victims of internment camp worked to gain control over some aspect of their lives. The title of the play - Baseball Saved Us - indicates that this effort did not just fill the time, or provide an opportunity for entertainment, but also made the difference in their very survival.

I really enjoyed the visit to the Mixed Blood Theater. As many have stated, it was a great play that retold a story from a difficult time in American history. Sandy Boren-Barrett stated that she felt it was an important story to tell because she fears that it is not out of the realm of possibility for the situation in the play to quickly and easily happen again. With the large scale fear promoted after 9-11 toward Islam/the Muslim community and the more recent “fear” promoted toward illegal aliens and to a degree Mexican immigrants, I think this play tells a great story from a sad time in history that should not be forgotten.

The play did offer many examples of leadership in a changing, innovated society. All of the people who were taken from their homes and placed in the internment camps had to adapt to change. They entered a new situation that did not have a traditional role for leadership. This was shown toward the beginning of the play where the boys were complaining about not having anything to do and the father stating that they needed to keep busy with something or they would go crazy. There did not seem to be any formal jobs, so there was no need for formal leadership. I feel that the people in the camp had to be innovated in their thinking to create a reason for leadership in a circumstance that they were not accustomed to.

I found it interesting that Tad’s father did not step up and take the leadership role at first, Tad had to take the initiative and push his father into the leadership role. This was done when he stood on the chair to get the camps attention and explained his father’s idea of building a baseball field, at which point Tad’s father began to step into the leadership role. I think this scenario related to our discussion a few weeks ago when we were questioning whether or not challenges find you or do you seek them out. Tad’s father saw the challenge of building the baseball field but it took Tad to get his father to take on this challenge.

The play and the talk beforehand were both interesting in many ways, especially in how they related to our course content. The two theater managers had a very interesting approach for creating a play that was both successful and incredibly innovative. The managers talked about the collaboration being the result of needing authenticity in for the play, but it was also very innovative in a time of economic struggles. Even the approach to using the Mixed Blood Theater as the venue was innovative. It was really a collaboration of three theaters to make the play possible.

The story was of innovation as well. The ability of the father in the story, and the community, to create a means of entertainment, community building, and hope through the construction of a baseball field, really showed innovation in a situation where there was not much opportunity for change or innovation. These themes really related to our course materials, especially when talking about the collaboration between the theaters. If the theaters had not worked together, it would have been much more challenging for one theater to put on such a successful play, or to be able to tell the story as well. In our readings for class, there is an emphasis on collaboration, leadership and innovation, and the theater managers of this play showed that each of these were an important part for being successful in telling the story. Finally, with the mixed audience of Mixed Blood, Stages, and Theatre Mu, this community experience offered a opportunity for new and old theatre viewers to celebrate this innovative production together.

A lot of what I saw in Baseball Saved Us I connected with Kouzes and Posner as well as the discussions we had related to Whale Rider and if anyone can be a leader.

First, both Tad and his father exemplified many of the leadership qualities as defined in K & P. A major leadership quality in K & P is that a leader defies the status quo and has the belief and reinforcement within themselves to take on this challenge. Tad and his father, although brought down to the lowest level being in the camp, did not let it define them. They believed they were true Americans, they deserved equal rights as any other American, and that if there was something that they believed in they set out to achieve it. Tad believed he could play baseball – it was his love, his interest, his passion. He also believed that being in the camp, although wasn’t right, didn’t define who he was as an American and what he could or could not do. He remained optimistic, didn’t listen to the defeated voices of his brother or Caucasian Americans that told him he couldn’t, and set out to do what he believed in while gaining the support from others. Tad’s father did the same. Despite the wrongful situation they were in, Tad’s father believed that America’s greatest past time still belonged to them and set out to create a baseball field to enjoy what they deserved. Despite what society felt was right thing to do at the time, Tad and his father both were insightful and believed in themselves to carry out their beliefs and passion.

I did connect Tad with the movie Whale Rider. Again, at any age, at some level, anyone can possess leadership qualities if they really believe in themselves. Tad, just being a child, had some much optimism and belief that he projected to his family, his brother, the community within the camp that he was able to create buy-in and optimism in others. His optimism created belief within others and probably helped his family and the camp community get through a tough time, especially when so many elements were out of their control.

Overall, I think as leaders and as human beings we can choose to make the best of our situations. As a leader, making the best of the situation is projected onto others. This can create a whole string of effects that either have a positive or negative impact. Successful leaders realize this and often make the impact positive; which is exactly what Tad and his father had the ability to do.

Thanks for letting me join you on your trip to Mixed Blood Theatre. It was good to meet so many of you there!

After five years as the manager of a performing arts center, it is difficult for me to focus my attention on performances. Rather, I tend to mind activities “front of house” (e.g. ticket office, ushers, concessions, house managers) and back stage (e.g. lighting and sound). On the night of Baseball Saved Us, I spent over an hour in the Mixed Blood’s lobby, observing the staff and volunteers in action front of house. The experience caused me to reflect on my own nonprofit leadership skills and I’ve been posing an (up-until-now) unanswered question to myself. I’m curious if you have any insights.

What I witnessed in that lobby seemed utterly chaotic. It was opening night. Theatre Mu and Stages Theatre Company were operating in a strange environment (Mixed Blood), the ticket software wasn’t working so every ticket had the wrong play title and the wrong date, the Mixed Blood’s house manager was working with Stages volunteers and hadn’t been told about the ticket situation, no one was sure how to sell copies of Baseball Saved Us books, and nobody seemed to be in charge. The woman in the ticket office was really struggling to stay calm. The volunteer ushers included a girl who couldn’t have been older than 12; would she be prepared to assist in case of a problem or an emergency? Frankly, it made me nervous and I took it upon myself to inform the house manager about the ticket situation, since no one else had done so.

As a theater manager (was I a leader?), I always took it upon myself to give staff and volunteers as much information in advance as I possibly could, to alleviate confusion and allow my team members to plan ahead and be prepared. To me, a good manager gives her team members all the information and resources they need to do their job well. To me, I was empowering my team members. It seemed clear to me that no one had done that for the staff and volunteers at Mixed Blood that night.

Yet I’m betting none of you even noticed these challenges or that there was any problem. Because, despite their stress (or obliviousness to the situation), the staff and volunteers managed to pull everything off. Although they struggled, they eventually figured things out.

So who is a stronger leader…one who thoroughly prepares her staff or one who just lets her staff carry on and figure things out? Some people thrive in stress. Some people freak out in stress. I know how I would have handled that situation, had I been the leader. But how should I have handled it, were I the leader?

I wasn't able to attend the showing of Baseball Saved Us with the class, but I've enjoyed reading all of your responses and comments about the talk beforehand.

My viewing and interpretation of Baseball Saved Us was influenced by my company at the play: my mother and aunt. I was interested to see how they established connections between leaderships and the characters' actions in Baseball Saved Us, and it helped me to see the play from a more mature and historical perspective as well.

The family dynamic of leadership in Baseball Saved Us is hard to deny. I was reminded of many of the themes from Whale Rider when thinking about the story, and my mother and aunt helped to reinforce the complex familial roles within the play. Tad and Teddy took on different perspectives on how to deal with the difficult situation, and it was interesting to see the brothers struggle together and finally come together through baseball. Their parents also took on different roles embracing the innovative idea of adding play and teamwork to their life at the camp. While the father led the charge initially, his wife followed suit and fulfilled the role of a 'good follower,' a role that is important and sometimes hard to define. Her impact might have seemed small, but her support allowed the family to embrace the idea and extend it to the rest of their community.

In the context of leadership, the father and Tad showed how just a few people - and a shared vision - can make a difficult situation bearable, and even positive in some ways. My mom made a comment that we all have a certain amount of control over our environments and situations and that this family, frustratingly, had no control over their location, though they did find at least some 'freedom' in their activities and interactions with others. The leader (Tad & Teddy's father) was less focused on what was lacking, but rather on what was available to improve the situation. "Innovation" in its essence was at work in Baseball Saved Us, as the father worked to provide a common ground for the people and families at the camp - which turned out to be exactly what they needed to boost morale and stay positive.

Even though resources were scarce and optimism was hard to find, the father and leader in this story innovated in order to promote community and foster unity. This innovation relates to conversations our class has had about the forward-thinking leadership required to lead in today's tough economic times, where leaders and managers are also cutting back on spending and facing discouraged workers. Figuring out what your constituents or employees need, despite scarcity, is an admirable quality of a great leader and was certainly evident in Baseball Saved Us.

Baseball Saved Us!

It was a good story, but I could not shake the feeling that it lacked much depth, and was far too short. Of course, from our pre-play meeting, Stages Theater struck me as more involved with elementary education. And Stages artistic director’s, Sandy Boren-Barret, answer to my question about why she initiated the telling of this play was most revealing. She shares that she has asian children and felt the responsibility to put such stories out there. I thought “aha!” there’s a leadership for the common good element for which I was searching—without realizing it. And truth be told the subject matter is a severely untold American story that needs telling. So I am, nonetheless, grateful for the experience.

What I gleaned from this play were two connections and parallels with:

1.) Real leadership involves inspiration and authenticity

2.) Chance, necessity and choice as evolutionary vehicles in birthing leaders and change.

Going with my first parallel, I think back to class discussions in Week one, where Dr. Crosby posed the questions: “Can everyone be a leader?” “Can leadership be improved and taught?” I remember in class to a certain degree there was consensus that everyone can be a leader—not all at once, but yes, and one can certainly improve and master leadership skills. Baseball not only saved Tad and his family but it gave them a crucible in which to become passionate community leaders. And in the case of Tad’s father, he became a stronger leader. Tad’s father can easily be viewed as a natural leader, the man owned his own business, was seen as a community stalwart, and was the heroic green lantern in his son’s imagination! That was sweet. His family looked to him for guidance, and he didn’t let them down even as he struggled internally to make sense of the internment. Tad’s older brother, the one character who, evidently, appeared to have hardest time with the situation seemed like an unlikely leader, even though one could infer that Tad looked-up to him. However, the internment seemed to have broken his(temporarily) will, a clear contrast with his father, and in the case of Tad, the situation prompted his ability to inspire. These themes of presupposition of who a leader should be were also visited in the movie Whale Rider. A transformational event appears to bring communities together and birth leaders.

Another inextricable link to this story is the element of chance, necessity and choice in combination. No one planned this, even the American government that thought it was a good idea, for the safety of the Japanese Americans, was the claim, but it happened. A chance event that changed the course of a country and a community. And out of this came the necessity to change, and the choice of bending or breaking. Fortunately, Tad’s family chose the former, but it was not without pain and loss.

The play on some level explored “the awakening…[that] would result in either destruction or the flowering of a great civilization.” I think the family weathered the storm and came out great.

One last thing, I would add to my musings would be a slight disagreement with Hillman’s notion of “I don’t develop; I am” (p. 7) there seemed to be a lot of development going on as the family and community came together to face the horror of the internment. They didn’t let the experience rob them of their spirit. And that was how Baseball saved them!

I realize I started a review of this but never posted my final. I'm not sure if anybody is still checking the blog, but I'm curious what people think about the cultural overtones and theme of assimilation for acceptance?

_________

I don’t get to see nearly as many plays as I would like to. I was kind of a theatre-dork in high school but haven’t had much time for plays, so attending Baseball Saved Us for class was a welcome requirement.

The talk before the play was interesting. The director seemed to have a good grasp of her organization’s capacity and mission. Though not able to coordinate the performance on their own, they partnered with another organization. The willingness to do this exemplifies an overall understanding that it isn’t one theatre organization alone that fulfills that artistic need within a community, but a variety of organizations working together as part of a cohesive creative whole. I really appreciated that collaborative effort and that added a positive context for the show itself.

The play itself was a great way of displaying an overall theme we’ve been discussing in class - that one can be a good leader even (and especially) in trying circumstances. Leading is easy when everybody is on the same page and external events are okay, but leading in difficult situations takes added strength.

I’ve found that I’ve learned a lot from the class in regard to this, what people have done troubleshooting difficult situations and leading from where they were at, even if they weren’t in positions of power or control.

I thought the cultural nuances of this book and play were a bit conflicting. I know baseball was his passion, but coming from my perspective (the child of an immigrant that assimilated as much as possible) I couldn’t help but think it was slightly disappointing that he was later only able to fit in by being “as American” as possible - hitting a home run and being a champion.