I CELEBRATE MYSELF: A CELEBRATION WITH WALT WHITMAN to Play the Davenport Theatre

I CELEBRATE MYSELF: A CONVERSATION WITH WALT WHITMAN is a hip-hop-infused movement piece about the tedium that many people endure during their work day all the while internally living in a parallel universe of creativity in which they would rather live. However, they cannot simply abandon their blue-collar lives because it is what funds their lives as creators. The piece is structured as a conversation between these voices and the poems of 19th century poet Walt Whitman from his work, "Leaves of Grass."

Written and directed by City College graduate Pilar Gonzalez, this piece features a cast of young actors who are directly affected by the necessity of having a "survival job" in order to be able to take classes, go on auditions, pay for headshots, buy equipment and supplies. By participating in this show, they are speaking their real truths through spoken word and asking the master of the self - Walt Whitman - for guidance. It is an opportunity to be heard amidst the noise of society and for others who are not familiar with this kind of tragedy to understand them a bit better. Understanding is a crucial step in increasing the love we have for one another, and this piece is meant to facilitate that even if only a for a bit.

This piece features light and sound design by Natalie Marmol, costume design by Kat Peña, and choreography by Nelson Patino, Jr.

I CELEBRATE MYSELF: A CONVERSATION WITH WALT WHITMAN goes up on February 3, 2016 until February 5, 2016 at the Davenport Theatre (354 W 45th Street) in the heart of Manhattan. The theatre is easily accessible by taking the A, B, C, D, E, N, Q, R, 1, 2, 3, or 7 train to 42nd Street. There are only three performances; the first two are at 7:00PM and the last one is at 3:00PM. Tickets are $15.

Pilar Gonzalez (Director) is from Queens, New York. She recently graduated Magna Cum Laude from the City College of New York with a degree in Theatre and Creative Writing. This past summer, she assistant directed an Off-Broadway production of Shakespeare's Othello at the Davenport Theatre in New York City, where she will be directing I Celebrate Myself: A Conversation with Walt Whitman. Pilar has translated many works of poetry from Spanish to English which she has read at festivals such as The Americas Poetry Festival of New York. She is also currently playing the role of Abuela Claudia in the Harlem Repertory Theatre's production of In the Heights.