Greetings from Oracle
When I first arrived at Triangle L Ranch at the beginning of my residency with Oracle State Park, I couldn’t hold in my excitement. The opportunity to take time to create in response to my experience of the beauty of the park and the town of Oracle proved invaluable. I left feeling more connected to the people of Oracle, the wildlife of this part of the Sonoran Desert, and the planet we all share.
What I taught
During my residency, I channeled my skills as a theatre artist to offer four public programs where people could express their creativity or interact with mine. First, I offered a Voice Over Acting Workshop, where I taught tips for creating character voices and taking care of vocal health, and then I invited attendees to use their skills to create character voices for videos of wildlife I took at the park the day before.
Second, inside the historic ranch house and visitor center, I developed a Puzzle Room. I crafted a narrative where the Reptiles, Mammals, and Birds in the park began to fight against one another, and participants solved clues inside the ranch house to re-discover the peace agreement the wildlife signed decades earlier.
Third, I hosted an Open Studio where I was available to answer questions about my creative process. At this event, I offered opportunities for attendees to engage with the ideas of the play I was writing. Visitors could record a voicemail message for two characters I created on an audio guest book, write down what they admire most about Oracle, or write a greeting card to wildlife in Oracle State Park.
Lastly, throughout my time, I developed a play titled Greetings from Oracle and performed it at the end of the residency with three volunteers from the community. This play centered around a chain of 20 greeting cards among characters inside Oracle State Park. Characters ranged from wildlife to geological features to human beings, and they commemorated anniversaries, loss, birthdays, and more. I voice recorded many of these greeting cards as well to preserve them outside the live performance.
Beyond these artistic offerings, I had the honor of spending time in local Oracle places, meeting volunteers and park rangers, seeing shows at the SPATS and Oracle Center for the Arts, exploring Triangle L Ranch, and much more.
Those interested to learn more about my work at the park can visit my portfolio website.
Greetings from Oracle final performance
What I learned
I mentioned that I learned a lot during my time in the residency, and I want to share these learnings with you. Here is a list of joys I will carry with me from this residency as I continue forward as an artist and an Arizonan. Each of them is accompanied by a quote from my play Greetings from Oracle:
Human connections. I met many people who warmed my heart, welcomed me to the community, and taught me their perspective on Oracle. I received generosity, kindness, and hospitality in a way I will remember for my entire life. “I’m always watching out for you. Why don’t you come by for a chat sometime? I miss your company.” –Denise the Coues White Tailed Deer
Special moments with wildlife. Hiking throughout Oracle State Park and sitting on the porch of the Bunk House at Triangle L Ranch led me to see a lot of wildlife that I had never encountered in person. I watched a majestic Great Horned Owl fly and turn their heads toward me, park rangers showed me a rattlesnake (at a safe distance), baby quail scurried around drinking water on the park patio as I wrote my play, and I watched Harris’s Hawks take care of a nest of young hawks. These moments only scratch the surface of my experience. I will never forget these gifts from the wildlife, and the experience encourages me to slow down and take more notice of all that is happening in the world around me. “How lucky you must be to have your children nearby. I know they’re still around, but I feel so alone whenever I get a drink of water on the patio, and it’s just me drinking.” –Quinten and Quinn the Quail
The beauty of Oracle residents giving life to my words. In both the Voice Over Acting Workshop and the final play performance, residents of Oracle and nearby towns performed my writing, and it was priceless to hear people bring energy, character, and creativity to what I created in response to the place where they live. Expressing our creativity in community matters a lot to me. “If you’ll let me have one cliche: teamwork makes the dream work.” –Juanita the Javelina
Valuable facts and knowledge. For my play, I did a lot of research about the wildlife, natural landscapes, and history of Oracle State Park. I discovered a lot about the ecological role of oak trees, I encountered fun facts about skunks and tortoises, and I learned about bird hunting and migratory patterns. The more I learned, the more I wanted to know. All of this knowledge makes me appreciate our Sonoran Desert even more, and it challenges me to take care of it. “No books anywhere can really tell me what it’s like to be in this park for myself. Will I ever run out of questions?” –The Librarian
Deeper appreciation for park rangers. While I have always had respect for park rangers, seeing them in their work environment for two weeks not only brought me closer to them as people, but it also gave me a window into all of the work and care they put into maintaining a park. I found this especially true for a smaller team of rangers. Their care for the community and natural environment, and the creativity they use to solve problems and improve conditions for wildlife and visitors, struck me and deepened my appreciation for the environment around the park. “You have so much courage, grit, and whimsy.” –Timothy the New Mexico Thistle
The reality of grief. Greetings from Oracle touched on the grief of some characters for changes in their environment, or the anticipation of hard times with depleting water or other changes in nature. Audience members noted how the indirect naming of grief resonated with their experiences. I felt challenged to name more frequently the collective grief we often feel. “I have grieved many beings in my lifetime; it’s not easy being the oldest reptile around. I choose to love deeper as I grieve more.” –Toby the Sonoran Desert Tortoise
Dedication to creativity in Oracle. Oracle constantly impressed me with the creativity around every corner. Public murals, art ranches, public performances, and so much more showed how the community appreciates art. Oracle’s breadth and depth of creativity inspired me to seek out creativity in every corner of where I live and to fill each day with something creative. “May the artists shepherd our grief and our hope.” –The Artist
The wonder of caring. Care has always been a central value for me, and seeing it in action in so many pockets of Oracle helped me rededicate my commitment to it. Initially, beauty, grief, and curiosity were three of the themes I wanted to integrate into my play, but I saw care come up so often from volunteers, artists, rangers, gardeners, and others in town, that I knew I had to prioritize care as a theme in my play as well. Seeing volunteers give time, attention, and conversation to protecting the park, learning more about it, and educating others was perhaps the strongest display of care I noticed. “I offer you an embrace–of a million stars, pulsing with energy filled with care, rhythm, and harmony. May you always know you can look to me for solace.” –Michelangelo the Milky Way Galaxy
Places are special. We all have a relationship to the places we visit and the places we live. Oracle is a really special place, and visiting encouraged me to slow down enough to listen to what is around me–including nature, people, and infrastructure. This residency refined my skills for using nature and a specific place as a source of inspiration and a partner for creating. Oracle also helped me remember our collective shared place on planet Earth. I cannot wait to visit again. “Thank you for listening, and for caring about this place as much as I do. Balance is so delicate, but it’s so important to me.” –Edgar the Emory Oak
Thank you so much to the Arizona Commission on the Arts, Arizona State Parks and Trails, Oracle State Park, Friends of Oracle State Park, and Triangle L Ranch for your generosity and support of this residency.
“May spring be a time of newness–new habits, new blooms, and new rhythms of care. May we all care, together.” –The Gardener in Greetings from Oracle
With love,
Jacob Buttry