BWW Previews: KAFKA SHORTS by Voice Afire; Music, Wine and Kafka on May 30th

Kafka Shorts will be performed by Voice Afire Pocket Opera and Cabaret at the Tenri Cultural Institute of New York on Friday May 30th. The evening will begin with a wine tasting reception at 7:30 showcasing red, white and port wines of Portugal. The World Premiere performance of Kafka Shorts will follow.

Kafka Shorts is an original live musical performance piece by Ray Leudeke. Leudeke composed the music and also developed the script, adapted not only from the Parables of Franz Kafka but also from sections of Kafka's diary.

Directed by Dan Swern of CoLAB Arts and sponsored by the American Composers Alliance, Kafka Shorts will also feature a sampling of string quartets by Kenneth Fuchs, Matthew Davidson, and John S. Gray.

The performers for Kafka Shorts are the very accomplished actors Eric Gravez and Paula Llapur. The Voice Afire String Quartet includes top New York City violinists Artur Kaganovskiy and Julianne Klopotic, violist Ann Roggen, and cellist Lawrence Zoernig.

Voice Afire Pocket Opera and Cabaret presents "Chamber Music as Theater." It began in Canada in 2007 by the company's composer, Ray Luedeke, and moved to NYC in 2010. Voice Afire productions include Butterfly's Trouble, a re-invention for 7 performers of Puccini's opera; Close Embrace, a tango cabaret for 8 performers; My Life with Pablo Neruda, a cabaret-opera on the life of the Chilean poet; The Magical Singing Drum, a chamber opera on an African theme; Garbage Delight, on poems for children by Dennis Lee; and The Art of Love / Into the Labyrinth for 2 pianos, actor, and visuals.

The Tenri Cultural Institute of New York is located at 43A West 13th Street in the West Village. It is an intimate venue, perfect for Voice Afire's production of Kafka Shorts. Metropolitan area audiences should not miss this opportunity to experience this unique production. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased in advance online at www.AlfamaArts.com. For more information on Voice Afire Pocket Opera and Cabaret, visit their web site at http://www.voiceafire.com.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of the Artist, Eric Gravez