Karla LaRive has a passion for horses. In 2005 she helped save 52 wild horses that had been given to a youth program. The program couldn’t use them, so they traded them for some younger horses--the broker decided that they needed to be slaughtered and Karla agreed to take action against the horrifying act.
Karla has an interesting background in the entertainment industry as well as special projects like the Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctuary for 'Save the Mustangs.' She is able to use both talents together to provide different mediums of information that instigates action for the issues that she holds close to her heart.
In Los Angeles California, Karla grew up with three sisters and her parents encouraging visual arts. Karla elaborates, beautifully, a bit of her family history, how it’s helped mold her to the dynamic woman she is now and what she’s doing to give back.
Jenica: Could you please tell us what your Native heritage is; if you went to school--where; and where you come from?
Karla: I was born and raised in Los Angeles California and I am the oldest of four daughters. My mother was Scotch/Irish/Eastern Cherokee and my father was German Jewish. I began studying performing arts at age 3 and eventually attended college in Santa Cruz, California studying drama and musical theatre.
Jenica: What draws you to the theater? Was there an instance growing up? And what keeps you there?
Karla: Theatre has always been in my family. My parents met in the theatre while performing in a local production of "Streetcar Named Desire” When I was a little girl, they owned a small professional theatre company in Los Angeles called, Studio West Theatre. It was there, I first learned the art and discipline of live performance.
I love the collaboration process on a live performance projects. No two shows are
alike and this makes each performance a unique and special experience. Today, I draw
on this experience and continue to use it in my craft on all my projects.
Jenica:
I understand that you staged the Ford Motor Company website launch at the Black Hills
Wild Horse Sanctuary for 'Save the Mustangs.' Could you expand on this for our readers
and elaborate what this project means to you?
Karla: Back in 2005, I working as a Media Relations Director at the Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctuary in South Dakota when an Associated Press broke the story on the confiscation of BLM wild horses headed for the Kaleb, Illinois horse slaughter plant.
A South Dakota tribe had received the wild horses from the Bureau of Land Management Wild Horse and Burro Adoption Program with the intention to be used for a youth program. Unfortunately, the BLM sent the tribe many older horses and they worried that the wild horses were not suitable for children to ride safely. The tribe traded 87 older wild horses to a horse broker for younger ones. The broker decided to ship the wild horses to slaughter when one of the trucks were stopped at the Illinois state line when the Department of Agriculture. Unfortunately, 35 of the horses were slaughtered before the Department of Interior abruptly intervened.
When Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctuary's program director, Susan Watt read the AP news story, she immediately called up to my office and asked if I would call Kathleen Clark, Director of Bureau of Land Management in Washington D.C. Sanctuary founder, Dayton Hyde said he would be willing to take the BLM wild horses and release them onto his 11,000-acre wild horse sanctuary located in South Dakota.
With the help of the Bureau of Land Management, Take Pride America, Ziad Ojakli and Andy Acho, Ford Motor Company, along with Animal/Activist, Stephanie Powers and Dayton Hyde of the Institute of Range and American Mustangs; fifty-three wild horses were saved. SaveTheMustangs.org website was launched at the Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctuary in May 2005. The focus of the event was to build public awareness to the plight of American's wild horses on the western range lands.
Today, Ford Motor Company's wild horses still run free at the Sanctuary. The message of the preservation of wild horses on western lands and its importance to indigenous cultural is a very powerful one for me! I continue to focus much of our projects around this genre and subject.
Jenica: Which production, that you've participated in, means the most to you and why? Do you think that this production was more/less successful than others because of it?
Karla: I am very grateful to have worked on many wonderful productions over the past 25 years ranging from Broadway legit theatre to Native American music videos. My company has recently released a short film documentary titled, "Imagine A Place, Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctuary Sponsor Mustangs". Ironically, the project came to me as a response to all the continued negative images on the mistreatment and slaughter of horses.
Imagine A Place DVD available on-line at: www.wildmustangs.com and www.justhorsevideos.com
Jenica: Could you divulge some advice to the youth or adult that's struggling to make it into the theater/entertainment industry?
Karla: Much of what I do is an application of the study of stage-craft. I began working professionally right out of college and took every production job I could find. So, I recommend taking acting, voice or production classes at your local high school or college if that is available in your area. The entertainment industry is very competitive and sometimes focuses only on the bottom line - - money and not the talent which can be very discouraging to those starting out in the field. But, if you have talent then study, network and collaborate with other like-minded people. And, never give up on your dreams.
Jenica: Besides working for the entertainment industry, do you have any outside hobbies that you have time for? If so, what are they?
Karla: I love photography and spend many happy hours in the field capturing the country-side here and its natural elements and culture.
Jenica: What inspires you?
Karla: As a Producer, my inspiration comes from the many remarkable people and their stories that they have shared with me. When I look at western landscape and its beauty, I can often hear the ancient voices within. I am blessed to be able to do what I do here in South Dakota.
Jenica: Do you have any up and coming projects? What are they?
Karla: Our next project is with Native American Performer/Host/Chef, Felipe Rose (of the Village People) and Executive Chef, Stephen Daniello on their new television pilot, "No Feathers In The Kitchen, a culinary, music cooking show." Director, Christopher Crosby and I are very excited to join their creative team. The pilot is scheduled for production this month on the east coast. We are also working on a new live concert/documentary film with Native American performers, Michael Bucher and Wind Spirit Drum. The "Concert for Sacred Sites" will be performed the Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctuary in South Dakota on June 17th 2010.
Please feel free to visit Studio West Management and it's projects on the web at:
www.nofeathersinthekitchen.com,
I would like to thank Karla for finding time to provide an interview to Native Digest. Karla’s advocacy for the wild mustangs is noble and we wish her continued success as well as support her in this cause.
Along with Director / Editor, Christopher Crosby (of musicseenPROductions) and Institute of Range and the American's Executive Producer, Susan Watt; we created a short form documentary that offers a positive look at wild horses and wild horse management. The 30 minute DVD follows the lives of six of Dayton Hyde’s favorite wild mustangs. The haunting sound track of indigenous music by Award Winning Native American musicians, Michael Bucher, Windwalker (of Wind Spirit Drum) and composer, Martin Meyer captures the emotions of how we all feel watching these magnificent wild animals running free before us.
