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Rattlestick Announces March Events Including New Episodes of MTA RADIO PLAYS
Each episode is inspired by a stop along the MTA’s 2 Train Line and each writer has selected a stop that reflects their own experience.
By: Chloe Rabinowitz Feb. 26, 2021
Rattlestick Playwrights Theater has announced details for its March programming including new episodes of MTA Radio Plays. The activities highlight new and necessary theatrical voices while also deepening connections between audiences and artists in new and meaningful ways.
MTA Radio Plays, a series of audio dramas created to honor and celebrate the people that keep New York City running, launched on December 14, 2020, to critical acclaim. MTA Radio Plays features the work of 17 playwrights. Each episode is inspired by a stop along the MTA's 2 Train Line and each writer has selected a stop that reflects their own experience. Conceived and curated by playwright Ren Dara Santiago (The Siblings Play), Episodes 7-9 will debut on March 17 and feature the work of writers Victor Cervantes Jr., Xavier Galva, and Robert Lee Leng along with directors Obi Abili and TJ Weaver. Tickets to the complete series are $15 and can be purchased at https://www.rattlestick.org/.
On March 4, composer, director, and actor Troy Anthony and playwright and actor Ngozi Anyanwu host Open Play, a monthly series that gives any and every artist of any discipline a chance to share 5 minutes of live work including song, monologue, scene, and more.
Tony-nominated, Drama Desk, Obie, and Lortel Award-winning actor Kathleen Chalfant will lead a Masterclass in Acting on March 6. Known for her Broadway performance in Angels in America and recently seen in Rattlestick's Novenas for A Lost Hospital, Chalfant brings her multi-medium acting techniques, tips, and wisdom to the Rattlestick community. This event has been rescheduled from February 26.
Village Song, 17 new original songs by NYU'S 2nd-year Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program, will continue to stream on-demand until March 6. This original series investigates the iconic West Village with new works about the people, places, and ideas that evoke the unique and inspiring living history of The Village. Presented in partnership with Village Preservation, these songs are inspired by a myriad of topics including Allen Ginsberg's poem Kaddish, the 1961 ban of folk music in Washington Square Park, and Alex Haley's work on Malcolm X's autobiography.
Throughout the month of March, Rattlestick will host a broad range of conversations including a Community Conversation on International Woman's Day, March 8, which will seek to challenge the definitions of womanhood, address gender biases, and uplift those often excluded by these days. On March 16, directors Orlando Pabotoy and Em Weinstein will be in conversation with Rattlestick's Directing Fellow Danilo Gambini about what is happening to the theater since it had to move online, the challenges, and successes of this new exploration imposed by the pandemic. Global Gab, a monthly cross-cultural conversation produced by the Rattlestick and New York Theatre Salon, returns on March 30 with a candid look at how safe immigrants feel in a polarized America.
Also in March, Rattlestick will host Actors-Who-Write, an in-house workshop specifically designed for actor/playwrights to develop their new projects. Participating artists include Ngozi Anyanwu, Mahira Kakkar, Kareem Lucas, James Scruggs, Arturo Soria, and Cece Suazo.
All events, except MTA Radio Plays, are free. Please visit www.rattlestick.org for more information. Additional event details follow.
March 4 at 8pm ET
Open Play
Composer, director, and actor Troy Anthony and playwright and actor Ngozi Anyanwu host Open Play, a monthly series that gives any and every artist of any discipline a chance to share 5 minutes of live work including song, monologue, scene, and more. Open Play is designed for those who know Rattlestick and for those who do not (yet) to find collaborators and community. This space is open to the public to listen.
March 6 at 2-3:30pm ET
Master Class with Kathleen Chalfant
Join Tony-nominated, Drama Desk, Obie, and Lortel Award-winning actor Kathleen Chalfant for a Masterclass in Acting. Known for her Broadway performance in Angels in America and recently seen in Rattlestick's Novenas for A Lost Hospital, Chalfant is bringing her multi-medium acting techniques, tips, and wisdom to the Rattlestick community. Select attendees will work on monologues of their choice. All artists of any acting background are encouraged to attend.
Ongoing Through March 27
Village Song
In February, Rattlestick presented new work from second-year students of the Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts that explored The Village through song, spoken word, poetry, and imagery. Presented in partnership with Village Preservation, this original series investigated the iconic West Village with new works about the people, places, and ideas that evoke the unique and inspiring living history of The Village. These songs are inspired by a myriad of topics including Allen Ginsberg's poem Kaddish, the 1961 ban of folk music in Washington Square Park, and Alex Haley's work on Malcolm X's autobiography.
March 8 at 5pm ET
Community Conversation: Celebrating ALL Women
Hosted by Sam Morreale with Kazem Ghouchani and Danilo Gambini
Our upcoming gathering falls on the globally celebrated International Women's Day, and we can't imagine a better way to share our time together than celebrating ALL women! When we gather, we will challenge definitions of womanhood, address gender biases, and uplift those often excluded by these days meant to build inclusion and equity. We challenge you to bring a story, resource, and/or offering to honor a woman you need us all to know: Who needs to get their flowers and get them now? A historical figure we were robbed of the opportunity to know fully? Your trans neighbor who glows with love and light? Your mother, wife, sister, daughter, auntie, or cousin? Let's come together to push against the history of exclusionary feminist practices and instead create a space of joy making that acknowledges and accepts all iterations of women.
March 16 at 5pm ET
Artist Chat: The Art of Virtual Directing
Directors Orlando Pabotoy and Em Weinstein in conversation about what is happening to the theater since it had to move online, the challenges and successes of this new exploration imposed by the pandemic. How can theater artists successfully navigate the stream/tv/film media? During this dynamic one-hour session facilitated by Rattlestick's Directing Fellow Danilo Gambini, Pabotoy and Weinstein will share samples of their work and practical insights into working in multiple mediums.
March 17
MTA Radio Plays: Episodes 7-9
Tickets are $15 for the complete series
MTA Radio Plays is a series of audio dramas created to honor and celebrate the people that keep New York City running. Conceived and curated by playwright Ren Dara Santiago (The Siblings Play), MTA Radio Plays features the work of 17 playwrights. Each episode is inspired by a stop along the MTA's 2 Train Line and each writer has selected a stop that reflects their own experience, in whatever style they choose.
March 30 at 7pm ET
Global Gab: How Safe Do You Feel?
America is a country that has afforded immigrants many opportunities. As immigrant artists, we want a future in this place we choose to call home. But what do we do when our physical, psychological, and emotional safety is at stake? When our negative portrayals far outweigh the contributions we are making. Hosts Jody Doo and Salma S. Zohdi want to dig deep with you this month. Let's gab - as an immigrant, how safe do you feel in America?
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