Affecting Change: Small Moves, Grand Gestures, Merge Magazine, Summer 2007
The red carpet posturing, the endless soap opera of who's dating whom, the buzz about the latest boffo box office-the only thing more striking than the amount of attention paid to the minutia of Hollywood's microcosm is the industry's ability to communicate ideas. As a sounding board for a global audience, Tinseltown not only suggests what is cool, it sways our vision of the future.
With a climate in crisis, a war lingering overseas, and a seemingly unending domestic affliction with violence, it is harder than ever to turn a blind eye toward the issues that are pushing us to the tipping point. In order to explore the concept of how individual action can affect global change, Merge Magazine recently invited actors Frances Fisher, Wendie Malick, Esai Morales, and Amy Smart to share their thoughts in a roundtable discussion. Their history of personal activism predates the current trend, and they recently joined Ed Asner, Barbara Bain, Amy Brenneman, Dan Lauria and others in a reading of The Gift of Peace, a series of monologues which explore the notion of establishing a Department of Peace within the United States government.
Frances Fisher brings an understated elegance to roles in iconic films such as "Unforgiven," "LA Confidential," and "Titanic," and that quality accompanies her offscreen involvement with organizations such as the Environmental Media Association and the Peace Alliance. While Fisher has been a spokesperson for environmental causes for years, she observes a newfound possibility for transformation: "Consciousness is shifting. As more people wake up to it, it will reach a critical mass and there will be a shift. I completely believe that," she says. Considering the widespread acceptance of recycling, organic food, and hybrid vehicles, that shift has already become perceptible in mainstream culture.
Wendie Malick's extensive resume includes 148 episodes of the sitcom "Just Shoot Me," appearances in many films and television shows, and voiceover work in animated features such as "The Emperor's New Groove." Though she has cultivated a rich career as a performer, Malick also makes time to apply her apply herself toward numerous humanitarian projects, including building homes for needy families. "Gloria Steinem once said that we all bring our voice to the table, and all those voices must be heard; we can do it through humor, music, poetry, and drama. It's through our particular strength," she emphasizes, "that we find our way of speaking." Malick's unique perspective stems from a 1978 trip to Africa, which became the first of many. "We had just introduced a program that taught young kids to respect domestic animals; since then, a direct correlation has been made between the abuse of animals and the abuse of women. If you travel to places where people have so little in common with you, you see that we're all the same," she says. "We are all interconnected, all of us, no matter where we live. Most people want the best for their families-they want shelter and food, and an opportunity to find joy and meaning in life. It's so simple."
Self described "actorvist" Esai Morales may have made his name by portraying the brother of Ritchie Valens in "La Bamba," but his earliest career move was the act of running away from home at thirteen in order to pursue an acting career. Perhaps it was the influence of his mother's strong will-as a child he watched her organize an international worker's union. Since his breakout role, he gained exposure through numerous film and television roles, including 47 episodes of "NYPD Blue." Morales explains that his social responsibility also stems from his identity as an artist. "My spiritual father is John Lennon," he says. "Just putting people in a different frequency, this is the power of art whether it's music, theatre, or plays. I think it is one of the main reasons we as human beings want to become artists, because we want to be part of the solution, not the problem."
"At this point in time, everything is kind of heightened," agrees Amy Smart, reinforcing the sentiment that no decade since the '60s seems as ripe for change as the present. Smart, a fresh-faced beauty who has appeared in films including "Starsky and Hutch" and "Crank," dedicates her volunteer efforts to the Humane Society, PETA, and the Environmental Media Association. She has also spent seven years as a speaker for Heal the Bay. "Grassroots efforts," she says, "could completely change the way we live and function with a higher consciousness. There are endless opportunities to affect change in a peaceful manner, through non-violent conflict resolutions."
If it can be agreed that it is our responsibility to take part in creating a better tomorrow, what comes first: the goal, or the action? The question, of course, is an entirely personal one, and though the overwhelming barrage of problems can trigger apathy, our dialogue revealed that answers are more accessible than one might think.
"Reduce. Re-use. Recycle. and rethink! Don't use so much stuff," suggests Frances Fisher. "Anybody reading this magazine is on the right track and will get many ideas here. Once you want to do it," she adds, "you will find people who are doing it. It's just about waking up."
"I try to be an example," explains Amy Smart, "in the sense of 'walking the walk.' I buy organic foods, I drive a hybrid; just little things. And I continue to find better, more sustainable ways-buying organic clothes, supporting causes that I believe in, volunteering. Any time you give back, there's something in you that just expands; you feel so alive and you feel so good, it's addicting."
"I just think we were all born here for some reason," muses Esai Morales. "You know how many other beings would rather be in your place? Honor that. Find out why you are here. You have to be able to personally change your world by changing yourself," he says. "Then raise a good family. and so and so on, exponentially. It's a slow road, but if everybody dedicated themselves to seeking the most enlightened and advanced path in raising their children, you could change the world one diaper at a time."
Wendie Malick expresses a similarly individualistic sentiment, emphasizing the importance of maintaining a sense of realism. "I think of myself as a work in progress," she says, "and will probably always be that. So don't be too hard on yourself. You just have to make the first step. It can start with a tiny little first step, where you impact just one other life: mentor, be a Big Brother/Big Sister, go to Habitat for Humanity, get involved with a neighborhood environmental group, there's so many opportunities out there. And the great big secret about all this," she adds, "the reason so many of us keep coming back, is that you get hooked. Those endorphins kind of flower in you."
A fitting postscript to our roundtable is the story of the project which brought these four remarkable personalities together. The Gift of Peace, written by Stacey Martino, is a play whose ideology was first explored over 200 years ago in an essay by Benjamin Rush entitled "A Plan for a Peace Office for the United States." The concept, which has gone through numerous iterations throughout the 20th and 21st centuries, was most recently presented to Congress in 2007. It proposes the establishment of a cabinet with the goal of researching and developing methods of avoiding international and domestic violence. Although Martino realizes that the process could take decades, she hopes her play will ".just start the conversation, and open the door."
The project took a quantum leap when Martino shared it with Frances Fisher. The actress ended up believing in it so strongly that she introduced it to several acquaintances, galvanizing their commitment. Because recognizable names can be as vital as high-minded grassroots efforts, the star-studded reading at UCLA's Freud Playhouse launched an eight day, eight-city tour which concluded at the Peace Alliance National conference in Washington, D.C. A documentary of the cross-country experience is currently being produced, and the play is also being distributed virally on a local level.
As evidenced by Frances Fisher, Wendie Malick, Esai Morales, and Amy Smart's willingness to infuse The Gift of Peace with their personal passion, global issues can be challenged through the simple acts of individuals which combine to form a grand gesture. It's a basic formula, one that if followed on a large enough scale, can redefine the future. It all starts with the focused intention of one step, and the will to follow through.
Basem Wasef
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