CRUX...

Who are We? Where are We? Why are We?

CRUX is a Company for Random Urban Xenophiles. Lovers of Strange and Foreign things.

CRUX was formed in response to the growing need for a greater understanding between cultures. CRUX is dedicated to producing work that reflects cultural diversity and promotes exchange between peoples around the world.

CRUX in co-operation with The Center for World Indigenous Studies manages Casa Xipe Totec in the Communidad Indigena de Chacala on the Central West Coast of Mexico.

CRUX was formed in 1995 and has produced a number of live performances, film and video projects, and arts exchanges. Some of the projects that CRUX has produced include:

Cowlitz Country. A documentary video focusing on the cultural and political conflicts faced by Native Peoples in the Northwest United States and focusing on the Cowlitz tribe of Southwest Washington State.

Noche de la Iguana. A cross cultural stage adaptation incorporating community involvement from the Communidad Indigena de Chacala in the state of Jalisco, Mexico.

Dressing Room Translations. A stage play incorporating classical and contemporary theatrical forms from Russia, Japan, and England.

When Nations Make Treaties. A web based movie used for educational purposes on the World Wide Web focusing on the history of treaty making between North American Indian tribes and the United States Government.

CRUX Company Personnel:

Because of the diversity of projects that CRUX produces, personnel change according to project.

Company Director, sub-Commandante

Christian W. C. Rÿser: Producer, Director, Writer, and Actor in a number of film, stage, television, and multidisciplinary artistic projects. Christian is a member of the Cowlitz Indian Tribe.

Associate Members

Dion Doulis: Director and Founding Member of WAX Factory, a New York based theatre company that promotes artistic exchange primarily in the US and Europe.

Naho Shioya: Producer and Artistic Coordinator. Founding Member of Art Theater Puget Sound.

Amber Cole: Photographer, specializing in documentary photography

Bettina Schunter: Producer and Director. Former Project Director of Doctors Without Borders.

Tom Wisely - Sirus: Director. Free-lance theater director.