Mailer, Monologues, Mind Games Part of March Makor Line-Up

Makor's March line-up will include a reading of a Norman Mailer play and the NYMF musical Soul Searching, among other events.

On Sunday, March 4th at 6 PM (participatory performances) and 7 PM (discussions), "Not Your Granparents' Jewish Theater" will be persented.  Ari Roth, Ellen Schiff, Karen Hartman, Tuvia Tenenbom and others will be feaured.  "Delve into contemporary Jewish theater—from the religious to the secular, from comedies of manners to political dramas. Come early for a set of participatory performances by guest theater groups including Storahtelling, BIMA-NY, and The Northwoods Ramah Theatre Company.  Then join Theater J's artistic director, Ari Roth, and several other prominent theater professionals as they examine the characteristics, impact and responsibilities of Jewish theater today. Break-out discussions follow with members of some of the nation's most successful Jewish theaters, including Theater J and The Jewish Theater of New York," state press noes.  The show is $12 in advance and $15 at the door.

Makor will present the concert version of Soul Searching, a hit at last year's New York Musical Theatre Festival, on Sunday, March 4 at 9 PM. "This sung-through musical  follows a single Jewish woman on her quest for romantic and spiritual fulfillment. Another performance takes place on Mar 15."  Tickets are $15. 

There will be a staged reading of Refugees: A Play About Berghof and Hagen on Sunday, March 5th at 7 PM.  "Veteran playwright Ed Napier stages a reading of a play about his mentor, Herbert Berghof (founder of the legendary HB Studios). This rollicking satire chronicles Berghof's relationship with actress Uta Hagen."  Tickets are $5.

On Tuesday, Mar 6 at 8 PM, "Five in One: The Best of the Manhattan Monologue Slam" will be performed. T"he downtown theater sensation known as the Manhattan Monologue Slam has given voice to some of the country's best actors, poets and comedians. Hear five Slam champions deliver their most stunning speeches and soliloquies. Katie Northlick, Robin Selfridge, Jodi Letizia and the Galinsky Brothers tear up the stage with their homegrown solo masterpieces. This program repeats on Mar 29."  Tickets are $10.

On Saturday, March 17 at 9 PM, Makor will present "Acoustic Theater," which "is Makor's new monthly series, featuring play readings paired with tunes from emerging singer/songwriters. Writers slated to participate in the coming months include Clay McLeod Chapman, Zayh Dorn, Quincy Long and Tony-winner Mark O'Donnell. The next Acoustic Theater date is Apr 14."  Tickets are $5.

A "365 Plays/365 Days" performance will be performed (for free) at 3 PM and 7 PM on Sunday, March 18.  "In November 2002, Pulitzer prize-winner Suzan-Lori Parks decided to write a play a day for the next 365 days. Makor and the New York Neo-Futurists present one week's worth of short plays from this ground-breaking dramatic cycle."

On Monday, March 19 at 7 PM, "Mind Games" will return.  "Marc Salem returns to Makor after last year's successful performances of his show 'Mind Games Extra.' Hailed by critics and audiences around the world, Salem has forged a career as today's foremost mentalist and expert in non-verbal communication - a man who can tell what you're thinking; detect where you're from and reset your watch without touching it. Note: this program repeats on Mar 26."  Tickets are $25.

On Monday, March 19 at 7 PM, an adult performance of Spelling Bee will be held.  "Makor is teaming up with The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee for a F-A-N-T-A-B-U-L-O-U-S event! Join cast members from the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical for an event unlike anything you experienced in elementary school. One-hour open wine and beer bar included."  Tickets are $15.

"Mortified" will be performed on Wednesday, March 21 at 8 PM.  The show "is a comic excavation of teen angst artifacts (journals, poems, letters, lyrics, home movies, etc.) as shared by their original authors…in front of total strangers. Hear grown men and women confront their past with firsthand tales of their... first kiss, first puff, worst prom, fights with mom, life at bible camp, worst hand job, best mall job, and reasons they deserved to marry Bon Jovi. Submissions come from a wide range of participants, from professional performers to total amateurs."  Tickets are $10 in advance and $12 at the door.

A reading of Norman Mailer's The Deer Park will be performed on Sunday, March 25 at 7 PM.  "The controversial work - adapted from Mailer's novel - details his experiences as a screenwriter during the height of McCarthyism. Ambition, sex and politics infuse this riveting depiction of 1950s Hollywood. Stephan Morrow directs the reading, which is followed by a discussion with Mailer."  Tickets are $15.

"Makor, a program of the 92nd Street Y, offers New Yorkers in their 20s and 30s opportunities for exploration and connection within an environment committed to Jewish pluralism, cultural innovation and intellectual excellence...Events take place in the club-like atmosphere of a beautifully refurbished double brownstone at 35 West 67th street, one of New York's landmark blocks."

For more information, visit www.92Y.org.

Photo - Norman Mailer