Pangea Sends Up Flare For TWEED Theater Works

Stephen Shanaghan, proprietor of the hip and cozy downtown club/restaurant PANGEA has reached out to the community on behalf of TWEED Theater Works, which is suffering greatly at this time. During the recent tidal wave of COVID-19 cases caused by the Omicron variant, shows everywhere are being canceled and postponed. Broadway theaters have had the benefit of Nationwide coverage when their stars have been taken out of commission by the virus (or food poisoning), with all of the openings, closures, postponements being reported to the public by nearly every outlet. The nightclubs and smaller theaters are operating with very little attention or assistance. The month of December saw nearly every act at Don't Tell Mama postponed or canceled. The Westbank Cafe/Laurie Beechman closed down for a few weeks. Acts have withdrawn from their time slots at 54 Below and Birdland, and Pangea had to revamp their operational procedures to keep guests in the establishment protected to the fullest extent.

Now Pangea has lost one of their regular bookings and the Pangea family is working hard to help the artists at TWEED Theater Works stay in business, in much the same way as the community worked to help keep Pangea alive during the height of the first year of the pandemic.

TWEED Theater Works is an avant-garde company of creatives that presents a new show once a week at Pangea. For nearly four decades the theater company has been providing a safe space for creatives of an edgier aesthetic, where they can spend their work hours in a deep dive that yields interesting, entertaining and sometimes bizarre works of art less likely to be found in more commercial venues. Presenting the likes of CLAYWOMAN and Flotilla DeBarge, the TWEED and Pangea partnership has been a successful one as crowds flood the Jewel Box Room at Pangea to see the edgy downtown artists and what they have come up with, lately.

Now, as TWEED Theater Works struggles to stay afloat due to COVID cancelations, a much-needed plea for crowdfunding has been started. The cabaret and concert community has already seen how crowdfunding kept the piano bars of the industry from closing down, and two much-publicized online events save the Westbank Cafe and Birdland. Hopefully, it is TWEED's turn for a little public assistance.

See Stephen Shanaghan's email to the community below, including a link to the TWEED crowdfunder.

Dear Friends, All of us at Pangea wish you a happy and healthy New Year! We would like to thank everyone who supported us throughout 2021. We look forward to welcoming you in 2022. Our special reduced capacity New Year's Eve went well with distance-safe dinner seating in both the front dining room and cabaret room. Thank all of you who joined us for the 10:30pm show with cabaret's beloved Sidney Myer. "Sidney's Back at Pangea", hosted by Gretchen Reinhagen with Tracy Stark on piano was a night we will not forget. Overall the evening imparted a deep sense of camaraderie and community. As many of you know, in addition to proof of vaccination, our current policy has been updated. It specifies that mask wearing is required to enter the restaurant, when seated at your table when not eating or drinking and when moving away from your table (including using the rest rooms). Service staff wears masks at all times. In addition to extra spacing between seated guests, we combine fresh air from the outside with strong air distribution from our new HVAC system with UV purification. As we move forward into 2022 we invite you to join us for a drink or dinner as we navigate these challenging times. Our programming of shows will continue with our new policies in place. This same time last year, TWEED Theater Works presented the virtual show 'TAINT as a Holiday Benefit for Pangea. Funds raised helped Pangea navigate the difficult winter months and helped pay our staff. TWEED's artists donated their time and performances to keep Pangea's doors open. If you are able to, we please ask you to consider making a donation to TWEED. Like Pangea they have been forced to cancel shows. See the attached flyer and link below. Funds raised will help support their artists directly affected by the current shutdown. On behalf of Pangea and TWEED , we thank you. Stephen Shanaghan To contribute to the TWEED Theater Works fundraising efforts click HERE.