Down the Rabbit Hole — Karjaka × Karly

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Page 01LIMITED COVER ISSVE NO. 0000I creative direction INTERVIEW · CONCEPT · LAYOUT · STYLED BY JEFF KARLYTM KRISTIN DODSON down the rabbit hole

Page 0201. DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE A piece that taps into the intersection of art, fashion, identity, and the film industry. It draws parallels between Alice's journey through Wonderland and Kristin Dodson's experiences in Hollywood. highlighting the surreal challenges and absurdities they face, as well as the need for resilience, adaptability. This metaphor reveals the dichotomy between the industry's glamorous facade vs the realities faced by those seeking a place within it, and the quest for equality while being fully authentically themselves. JEFF KARLY 02 KARJAKA MAGAZINE

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Page 04KARJaKa We're all about collaboration in the world of KARJAKA, so we've let go the reins on this one and let the Illustrious visionary Jeff Karly concept, style, layout design and interview the legendary Kristin Dodson! Columbia MFA Acting Alumni. She boasts a solid track record in television and flm, with credits including Onyx's “1266", Showtime's “Flatbush Misdemeanors", and Nickelodeon's "The Loud House" In addition to her screen work, Kristin is an accomplished theatre actor, recently seen in the off-Broadway production of “Bernarda's Daughter" at Signature Theater. She is represented by Framework Entertainment and Kohner Agency. PHOTOGRAPHY BY KARJAKA 04 KARJAKA MAGAZINE

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Page 0606 KARJAKA MAGAZINE "IT'S LIKE FINALLY Y'ALL WANNA SEE US AS MULTIFACETED AND CULTURE SHIFTERS Karly, pleasure to have you as the to show people that just because you're from an area that's labeled first artist featured in this series. the hood" doesn't mean I'm not East NY is kind of wild, haha. educated and cultured. Yeah, she says with a smirk. Tells us about your background and how your neighborhood influenced your perspective on storytelling and the arts, can you speak to dichotomy? I'm a Brooklyn girl - I've lived all over. Between my mom and my aunties they dragged us all throughout the borough lol - there is nothing like the flavor and energy of Brooklyn. Not sure if I can put it into words tbh. As for ENY specifically, it has the reputation for being " the hood" - I didn't feel that way going up. My block was and to this day is very residential - so it felt way more communal like that of Bedstuy back in the day - like during the 60s lol 1 know my neighbors; they watched me, and my siblings grow up and experience life. I relish in the fact that I can live between the worlds of “the hood” and “bougie" - it taught me how to code switch - and not code switching because I feel ashamed and moving from a place to distance myself from my upbringing, but doing it as a means

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Page 08ZAYNA 08 KARJAKA MAGAZINE

Page 09T CANNOT SEPARATE MY BLACKNESS FROM MY CHARACTERS, AND I ALSO CHOOSE NOT TO DO THAT ZAYNA

Page 10That fire! How do you see the importance of about us being from the south and exiting only in the church. No shade The entertainment industry has faced black arts in today's entertainment to those stores either, I was raised several challenges in recent years, industry, from producers and in the church, my dad's side all are writers to actors like yourself? including actor and writer strikes. How thas these strikes affected the from the south - but I've always Didn't someone once say we make felt half nourished because I didn't industry and what it might mean for culture - nothing pops off until its future? see my Caribbean heritage told in black people make it cool. I love any stories. If there were Caribbean Well, namely it feels like we entered seeing more black art in today's characters, they were Jamaican and our own pandemic in a sense. Like our industry. We still have a long the butt of a joke that white people own pause. Which is super difficult way to go, but it feels really to deal with. I'm team strike - actors found interesting. Having more good when you get a script that and writers shouldn't have to work diversity in these rooms - and not sounds good in your mouth when just race, socioeconomic diversity multiple jobs at once in order to you say the words - I'm talking your as well - it is so exhilarating to see. make a living. That type of grind is mother tongue (Ebonics). I love that It's like finally y'all wanna see us as grueling and easily makes you feel we are getting more diverse stories multifaceted and culture shifters. burnt out. To this day I have not been and perspectives. Which is exciting - able to not have a survival job on because we are not monoliths - I'm What are some projects you worked the side because with all my acting waitingforthetheater worldtocatch on where black arts and culture credits, it's not enough to sustain were central to the storyline, and up and stop my lifestyle. I don't come from a how it impacted your approach to putting on wealthy background. I also don't have the same the role? that luxury to depend on anyone to tired help me financially. That article with I've been privileged to say that ALL stories Sydney Sweeny was the realest thing my work has allowed for black culture I have read about what it's like being to be at the center of the storyline an actor who's bulkjobs are streaming That's not often the case - in my jobs and the pay/residuals (if you can senior year of grad school, I was even get them) are PALTRY. What casted in a play where the casting was also really sucks about the strike are "blind casting" so I played a woman friends who aren't in the union and who originally is white. There was no have limited opportunities to get the reference of culture in terms of race. same assistance that Ican get because But as an artist, I cannot separate my I am in the union, all the people who blackness from my characters, and I work behind the scenes - with now also choose not to do that. I brought even more limited resources - it's my own personal heritage and culture fucked up. My hope, with the coming norms to the character. I was very of the end of the strike, is that this proud to grace the stage amongst a won't slow down the momentum for cast of majority white, with my hair new actors having the opportunity to tied up in a headscarf during a night book work, because unfortunately, scene. we live in a society where how much mass influence trumps talent. What was the name of the play? Moscow Moscow Moscow Moscow Moscow Moscow, Halley Feiffer's reimagining of Chekhov's "Three Sisters."

Page 11"JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE FROM AN AREA THAT'S LABELED THE HOOD DOESN'T MEAN I'M NOT EDUCATED AND CULTURED ZAYNA top by: REN HAIXI skirt by: PIPENCO LORENA

Page 12I RELISH IN THE FACT THAT I CAN LIVE BETWEEN THE WORLDS OF HOOD' AND 'BOUGIE IT TAUGHT ME HOW TO CODE SWITCH. KARJAKA MAGAZINE 13

Page 13WILD control over. Lena, from Bernarda's can be seen as a metaphor for Style is often seen as an extension the dichotomy faced by the Black Daughter, looked for comfort and of one's personality. How would experience-a world of surreal you describe your personal familiarity while trying to process the death of her father. I'm always style, and how does it influence challenges and absurdities, where excited about what my character navigating through a complex, your acting roles or on-screen is wearing, that's the first glimmer ever-changing landscape requires presence? of who they are before they even resilience and adaptability, especially That's hard! I'm such a chameleon. open their mouth. when you have forces that want to I dress based on my mood. These challenge your identity and thwart you from demanding equality. So We used the story of Alice and days I feel myself dressing like my mom, she has the most eclectic much is smoke and mirrors, lots of Wonderland as inspiration for vibey wardrobe - without trying. I players who don't always have your this shoot.. Can you make a best interest at heart. Players who also currently live with someone connection between your own will use you or leech off you in all who, outside of my grandfather, is experiences and the story of Alice one of the best dressed men I know in Wonderland, particularly in the ways, just for their own self gain. (another person who doesn't even how the Cheshire Cat serves as You can make crazy money one both a guide and an enigmatic minute and then the next day you're try to be fly, they just are). I'm not figure whose intentions on the unemployment line. It's sure if all my roles are influenced are really bizarre! I've learned nothing by my style. I have a strong belief unclear? is always as it seems. I've met some that your character's mindset folks who presented themselves as dictates how they want to present Wow, we gettin deep! Lol I think the willing guides and protectors even, to the world. When playing Zayna, whole industry is like a wonderland. fashion and her looks were the only but the moment I disagreed vocally As a black woman, my journey with their narrative, I became this thing she felt like she had some through Hollywood, “"Wonderland" 14 KARJAKA MAGAZINE

Page 14"thing" that they needed to silence. Which can be disheartening. It can be a challenge at times to define what is real in a world filled with contradictions and uncertainties. have seen the concept of identity and visibility become elusive to individualsbecause somewhere down the line, the people around them convinced them to shed certain parts of themselves all in pursuit of "playing the game' As black folks, I feel like that type of stuff always comes back to bite us in the ass. HIRING DIVERSE CASTING DIRECTORS PRODUCERS WRITERS DIRECTORS DIVERSE IN ALL SENSE BACKGROUND EXPOSURE SOCIOECONOMIC AGES GENDERS EtC. KARJAKAMAGAZINE 15

Page 1516 ACTORS AND WRITERS SHOULDN't HAVE TO WORK MULTIPLE JOBS AT ONCE IN THE ORDER TO MAKE A LIVING What changes can be made to regrets, but that is one that I have. I didn't allow myself to have enough improve working conditions and opportunities for actors and fun doing this thing that really is writers, especially those from childsplay. I meet so many actors who are only focused on either the underrepresented backgrounds? glitz and glam of acting, or looking Hiring diverse casting directors, for this major result driven thing that hiring diverse directors, diverse is so elusive at times. This industry is producers, diverse writers - and fickle as fuck, so if you're gonna do diverse in all sense, background, this, why not have fun and dive on exposure, socioeconomic, ages, in fully. It's probably never gonna be The creation of genders, etc. the right time and rarely will it look studios that are interested in like what you think it should look like telling a wide range of stories from - just do this "acting" thing because ALL people. More funding from you love it, and have fun. I can't get diverse backgrounds to help more that time back that I spent in grad productions produced. I think also school. I'm happy that by the last educating people to lean on your year, I was such a goofball lol I lived union reps who are there to help so largely in those rooms at Columbia you. Not just when you are solely in and had a blast doing it. First time a situation. that I felt like I really brought myself into that space. What advice would you give to someone looking to get started? Looking ahead, what do you envision for the future of the Boy, that's a hard one....hmmm I'd industry? say take the dive and have fun. I was talking to my friend Tenneh, and One that is a real reflection of the we were discussing life post-grad world we live in and one that is school. I asked her what would have limitless in who gets to be cast in happened if we both had committed front and behind the camera. to just having fun and diving in. No judgment or need to be "right" or "perfect" - just went off and had fun. I try to not live my life with KARJAKA MAGAZINE

Page 16THIS INDUSTRY IS FICKLE AS FUCK IF YOU'RE GONNA DO THIS WHY NOT HAVE EFUNAND DIVE ONIN FULLY. KARJAKA MAGAZINE

Page 17A FUTURE THATIS A REAL REFLECTION OF THE WORLD WE LIVE IN AND ONETHAT IS LIMITLESS IN WHO GETS TO BE CAST IN FRONT AND BEHINDT THE CAMERA 18 KARJAKA MAGAZINE

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Page 19HAIR: TAWANNA THOMAS DESIGNERS: LORENA PIPENCO REN HAIXI PHOTOGRAPHY ASSISTANTS: SARA STEWART ISAIAS AYALA