LET ME ASCERTAIN YOU, Shows on Cole Porter and Barbra Streisand and More Come to 92YTribeca, May & June

92YTribeca has announced its upcoming theater events this month and in June 2012, including Handbook for an American Revolutionary, Let Me Ascertain You, On Cole Porter and All That Jazz, On the Iconic Barbra Streisand, and Woman of Whimsy. See below for details.

MAY

Wed, May 23, 7:30pm, tickets from $15 adv/$20 day of show

Handbook for an American Revolutionary: Reading and Panel Discussion with Matthew-Lee Erlbach and MarK Wing-Davey and moderated by Allison Kilkenny

Join 92YTribeca for a reading and panel discussion of Handbook for an American Revolutionary, written and performed by actor, playwright, and Puffin Grant recipient Matthew-Lee Erlbach, whose work Rachel Maddow has called “shocking, engaging, funny, and totally original.” From coal power to white power, Handbook for an American Revolutionary introduces us to a diverse breadth of ordinary citizens in extraordinary circumstances whose battles are reshaping this nation. From a busker street drummer to a deaf Mennonite girl; from the mountaintop removal activist in West Virginia to the migrant field worker in California; from an energy lobbyist to a white nationalist; and from the banks of Wall Street to the banks of the Persian Gulf, the twelve characters we meet in the play are the face of America's turbulent present and a hand to our hopeful future—the 99%. Inspired by Matthew-Lee's travels around the country, Handbook is a provocative and funny play about the many Davids versus Goliaths in 21st century America. After the reading, Matthew-Lee will be joined by director MarK Wing-Davey and other special guests for a panel conversation moderated by Allison Kilkenny, co-host of the political podcast Citizen Radio and a reporter for The Nation. Co-presented with Truthout.

JUNE

Wed, Jun 13, 7:30pm, tickets from $15 adv/$20 day of show

LET ME ASCERTAIN YOU: BOGOTA

Let Me Ascertain You: Bogotá is part of The Civilians’ ongoing cabaret series. This special evening explores the annual beauty pageant that takes place in El Buen Pastor, the national women’s prison in Bogotá, Colombia. The never-before-seen performance material is crafted from interviews conducted by Civilians artists on-site in the prison with inmates who include members of the paramilitary, guerrilla fighters, drug smugglers, and more. The pageant - comprised of an evening gown competition, folk-dancing, and floats built from recycled materials - is a recent innovation in the prison system and is indicative of a shift in public policy that increases support of rehabilitation for the incarcerated. Let Me Ascertain You: Bogota offers a unique glimpse into life in a women’s prison and hear the personal stories behind the ongoing political struggles and warfare that the country continues to face. The Civilians is the Center for Investigative Theatre, dedicated to creating new work from a direct examination of real life experience.

Thu, Jun 14, 12-1 pm, tickets from $18

ON Cole Porter AND ALL THAT JAZZ

Perhaps the greatest of all composer/lyricists associated with the Golden Era of American popular song, Cole Porter continues to inspire jazz interpretations of his classics, including “Night and Day,” “I’ve Got You Under My Skin,” “In the Still of the Night,” and more. Join Jeffrey Ernstoff and his fellow musicians as they perform and offer insights into what has made Porter irresistible to artists like Frank Sinatra, MiLes Davis and Diana Krall. Ernstoff is the former creative director at Radio City Music Hall, a National Endowment for the Arts Fellow, Harvard Graduate School of Arts Education alumnus and presenter of last year’s 92YTribeca Gershwin and Rodgers and Hammerstein programs.

Wed, Jun 20, 12-1 pm, tickets from $18

ON THE ICONIC Barbra Streisand

As her highly anticipated show at Brooklyn’s new Barclays Center approaches, we look at one of the most commercially and critically successful woman in modern entertainment history, and the best-selling female recording artist of all time. Speaker Marc Courtade is business manager for Tilles Center for the Performing Arts at Long Island University and an adjunct professor in the arts management program.

Wed, Jun 20, 9pm, tickets from $10 adv/$12 day of show

WOMAN OF WHIMSY

Woman of Whimsy is a one-hour cabaret following the adventures of Doctor Princess Lady Scoutington, International Woman of Whimsy, as she explores life, love, loving life and living with love. From her humble upbringing in the fine state of Kansas to her current life of glamour as a “virtually unknown performer, making hundreds of dollars every month, reaching dozens of people with [her] comedy every year,” Lady Scoutington weaves her tale through storytelling and song. Accompanied by her trusted ukulele and fearless vocal looper, Woman of Whimsy features seven original songs, as well as a handful of classics remastered with a whimsical twist. Based on the life and comedy of Scout Durwood, the shows topics range from her nearly functional family growing up to her nearly functional relationships as an adult and the fairly dysfunctional system that is American politics. Lady Scoutington, who received her PhD in cuddling in 2006, has the wide innocence of a child and the drinking habits of a priest, bringing joy wherever she goes with the song in her heart and the firm belief that everyone should leave a trail of glitter all of the time.

About 92YTribeca: 92YTribeca is 92nd Street Y’s downtown arts and culture venue in New York City. Opened in October 2008, 92YTribeca presents music, comedy, film, theater, talks, classes, family events, and Jewish community and holiday programs in a versatile, street-level, modern space at 200 Hudson Street. In addition to the mainstage and screening room, the venue houses an art gallery, lounge, bar, café, seminar and meeting rooms, and free Wi-Fi around the space. With programs developed by a professional curatorial team in partnership with staff, local artists and arts organizations, new-media companies, fellow presenters, and community and cause-based organizations, 92YTribeca aims to engage a diverse community of young people from around the New York area with smart, relevant programming that encourages participation and conversation. For more information, visit www.92YTribeca.org.