JCTC Continues The Conversation With New Online Programming

We may all be living under quarantine conditions, but isolation does not necessarily mean you're alone. Jersey City Theater Center (JCTC) has launched online programming to keep artists, audiences and communities connected through the arts.

And, in typical JCTC style, JCTC online programming is global in scope yet relevant to the community.

JCTC Conversations: Voices From Around The World premieres Friday, April 10, at 2:00 PM.

This new weekly online series links artists from the Jersey City community together with artists from around the world for an interactive experience featuring performances, interviews & discussion

"These times we are living through now have us all on edge," said Olga Levina, Artistic Director of JCTC and host of JCTC Conversations: Voices From Around The World. "Everyone's life has changed, many of us know people who've died or are sick with COVID-19, but we at JCTC feel it's important to remember you are not alone. Art and the conversations it inspires brings us together. JCTC is committed to that ideal. It's what we do, even when we have to use technology to do it."

The musicians, poets, spoken-artists, singer-songwriters, actors and other artists participating will be broadcasting live and from a place familiar - yet far from typical than a stage, theater or studio - their home. Audience members will be able to join the conversation with comments and questions enter into the dialogue inspired by the performances, their unique settings, the evening's theme and the current state of the world.

The performers and other artists for Episode 1 - Home - come from Italy, Spain, and Brazil and of course Jersey City and the surrounding region. JCTC Conversations: Voices From Around The World is curated by Olga Levina, JCTC staff & collaborators, who will be selecting work based on quality and how well it expresses the episode theme. For the second show, on April 17, the theme is Resilience.

For upcoming themes and other show announcements, people are urged to watch the show and follow JCTC on Facebook, where updates, submission information and upcoming themes and other JCTC programming are regularly featured.

"We will be announcing future themes and we invite artists to submit their work, but we're also encouraging everyone to watch the show and get a feel on how to perform from your home before submitting," said Levina. "We want everyone to stay tuned, stay connected and stay healthy."

With programming suspended for the foreseeable future, JCTC is also adapting events to an online format, such as the Jersey City New Play Festival, JCTC's annual series of staged readings of new plays by emerging playwrights. Dates and times of upcoming online programming will be announced on JCTC's Facebook Page.

All online programming will be free to the public, no subscription fee or registration. Everyone is invited to watch, listen and join in the conversation. For updates and additional information, please visit JCTC's Facebook page and its website, www.JCTCenter.org.

"JCTC has a strong following in the Hudson County, but our reach goes stretches throughout the region and beyond," said Levina. "Our International Artists also have followings in their own countries, which means JCTC Conversations: Voices From Around The World truly spans the globe. We may not be able to present theater and art in our spaces, but the online platform is a new space with new ways to engage audiences with art and ideas. With the support of our audiences and artists, JCTC can continue the conversation. "

Participating performers & artists in JCTC Conversations: Voices From Around The World Episode 1: Home include: Claudia Godi; Chrissy Roberts; Angelo Bellobono; Rashad Wright; Rescue Poetix; Duda Penteado; Jack Crying Raven Anderson; Mai Rojas and Marco Cappelli.