Performers Leading Artistic Youth (PLAY) recently announced the launch of its first Living Portrait (LP) performance series, featuring a masterful journey through the lives of five African American legends, performed by classically-trained actor, Willie E. Teacher. Supported by its Broadway caliber of imagery and sound, LP inspires leadership, develops self-esteem and highlights the historical impact of these legends' contributions to our individual success. The first LP series, scheduled to debut Friday, Jan. 30 at The Harlem School of The Arts Theatre, includes the profiles of President Barack Obama, Martin Luther King Jr., Jack Johnson, George Washington Carver and Harriet Tubman.
'We're living in a very poignant time in history, where the dreams of our past leaders have become reality for our current leaders,' said LP actor, Willie E. Teacher. 'It is very critical educators are able to make that connection for children in a way that allows them to see how their current decisions impact the face of history for future generations. Living Portrait is no doubt a powerful and unique tool for educators to engage students in the process of learning.'
Willie E. Teacher is deeply committed to enriching the lives of urban youth through student-centered, theatrical performance-based interaction (PBI). He has spent 15 years developing and perfecting his techniques both on stage and in the classroom, including his role as Director of the Indiana Jones production at Walt Disney World in Orlando. Teacher holds a Master of Fine Arts degree in Acting from Brandeis University. Most recently, he has held lead roles in the acclaimed Off-Broadway play, Actor's Rap with playwright J. Kyle Manzay and the Tony award-winning production, Ain't Supposed to Die a Natural Death, written by Melvin Van Peebles. Teacher also holds TV and movie credits, having appeared in the HBO movie, Life Support, starring Queen Latifah, as well as numerous appearances on ABC's All My Children.
In the month of January into early February, The Brava is celebrating the inauguration of the first African-American U.S. president with presentations discussing censorship, race and the extraordinary contribution of some of our heroes of the past. Brava is committed to producing, presenting and cultivating live art celebrating the intersection of feminism and multiculturalism that ignites social change and builds community. In the upcoming weeks, Brava will be exploring the American Metaphor and how it is changing - what it WAS to be American, what it IS to be American today, and how we look at the legacy as we embark on our future by exploring what it means to be American and face our American stereotypes. 'A Song for Coretta' by Pearl Cleage Thru-Feb 7/09 On February 6, 2006, people began lining up at dawn outside of Atlanta's Ebenezer Baptist Church to pay their respects to the late Mrs. Coretta Scott King, widow of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., whose body lay in state in the small sanctuary. By mid-morning, the crowd wound down the street and around the corner of the old red brick building. At close to midnight, the crowd had dwindled to a determined few. The five fictional characters in this play are at the end of that long line.
Andre De Shields stars in solo performance in 'Mine Eyes Have Seen The Glory: From Douglass to Deliverance'
In Celebration of Black History Month
Monday, February 9, 2009
The Martin Luther King Jr. Labor Center
At SEIU District 1199, 310 West 43rd St.
ONE SHOW ONLY - 7:30 PM Free Event - Open to the Public
Sponsored by AEA's Eastern EEO Committee
In celebration of Black History Month, award-winning Broadway star Andr? De Shields will perform Mine Eyes Have Seen The Glory: From Douglass to Deliverance for one show only on Monday, February 9, 2009, 7:30 PM, at SEIU District 1199, 310 West 43rd Street. Presented by Actor's Equity Association's EEO (Equal Employment Opportunity) Committee, the performance is free and open to the public. Seating will be on a first come, first served basis.
Taproot Theatre Company opens its 2009 Mainstage season in January with the regional premiere of Elyzabeth Gregory Wilder's celebrated play, Gee's Bend. A story of courage and hope spanning over 60 years in the African American community of Gee's Bend, Alabama, Gee's Bend, directed by Karen Lund, opens on January 30 and runs through February 28, with low-price previews on January 28 & 29, plus a Pay-What-You-Can performance on February 4.
Taproot Theatre is hosting a series of special events during the run of Gee's Bend, including a special appearance by several quilters from Gee's Bend, Alabama, at the post-play discussion on February 18; behind-the-scenes preview events at the Greenwood library (January 17) and the Northwest African American Museum (January 24); and post-play appearances by the Pacific Northwest African American Quilters (Wednesdays, February 4-25), who built a quilt that will be seen at Taproot Theatre. That association is also providing several other quilts to be displayed and auctioned off during the run of Gee's Bend.
Corresponding with Black History Month, Gee's Bend captures the rich story of the women of Gee's Bend, Alabama, where discarded rags, scraps and bits of thread are pieced into works of art. Their compelling stories, like the spirituals they sing and the quilts they create, form a striking patchwork of the African American journey of the past century.
On a day honoring Martin Luther King, Jr., this will be the first public reading of a 'semi-true' play, which celebrates four generations of the playwright's Italian immigrant family, who lived through much of the turmoil and social upheavals of the last century and endured, in the words of the author's grandmother 'one long Depression.'
MC Squared Productions will present a return engagement of THE FUNERALOGUES, a site-specific look at eulogies and the people who deliver them. Conceived and performed by Stacy Mayer, written by playwright Robert Charles Gompers, and directed by Molly Marinik, this unique theatrical experience has found its ultimate home at All Souls Chapel on New Yorks' Upper East Side where it began performances in November 2008. This encore engagement runs January 16 - March 15.
Sundance Institute announced today the lineup of films selected to screen in the U.S. and World Cinema Dramatic and Documentary Competitions for the 25th Sundance Film Festival. In addition to the four Competition categories, the Festival presents films in five out-of-competition sections to be announced tomorrow. The 2009 Sundance Film Festival runs January 15-25 in Park City, Salt Lake City, Ogden, and Sundance, Utah.
In 1980, Saint Paul resident Sally Ordway Irvine challenged her community to help her create a performing arts venue in which her dream of offering 'everything from opera to the Russian circus' could be realized. She set an example by making the first donation to a fund that eventually built Ordway Center for the Performing Arts.
The $46 million center opened to the public on January 1, 1985, Sally had contributed $7.5 million-and her family had matched that amount. Certainly, Sally's vision is alive today in Ordway Center's dizzying schedule of theater, dance, music, family events, and educational programs. Ordway Center is also the proud sponsor of the Saint Paul Conservatory for Performing Artists which opened its doors in September 2005.
Ordway Center contains the 1,900 seat Main Hall, the intimate 306 seat McKnight Theatre; two large rehearsal halls, and magnificent lobbies on each floor, including the second floor Marzitelli Foyer, a spacious, two story lobby encircled by a glass facade.
There are a few spaces left in A Class Act's ACTING 101 CLASS with Mary Poppins Star, Tony Mansker! You will leave this six week class with a strong acting foundation. Class starts Saturday, January 17th. It culminates in a showcase for family, friends and industry professionals.
MC Squared Productions will present a return engagement of THE FUNERALOGUES, a site-specific look at eulogies and the people who deliver them. Conceived and performed by Stacy Mayer, written by playwright Robert Charles Gompers, and directed by Molly Marinik, this unique theatrical experience has found its ultimate home at All Souls Chapel on New Yorks' Upper East Side where it began performances in November 2008. This encore engagement runs January 16 - March 15.
In the month of January into early February, The Brava is celebrating the inauguration of the first African-American U.S. president with presentations discussing censorship, race and the extraordinary contribution of some of our heroes of the past. Brava is committed to producing, presenting and cultivating live art celebrating the intersection of feminism and multiculturalism that ignites social change and builds community. In the upcoming weeks, Brava will be exploring the American Metaphor and how it is changing - what it WAS to be American, what it IS to be American today, and how we look at the legacy as we embark on our future by exploring what it means to be American and face our American stereotypes.
On a day honoring Martin Luther King, Jr., this will be the first public reading of a 'semi-true' play, which celebrates four generations of the playwright's Italian immigrant family, who lived through much of the turmoil and social upheavals of the last century and endured, in the words of the author's grandmother 'one long Depression.'
Are you a 15 - 17 year old guy who wants to be in a Big Hollywood comedy starring MerylStreep, Alec Baldwin & Steve Martin?
Universal Pictures is searching for a guy to play Edward, a 17 year old high school senior. Think Michael Cera. Jonah Hill. McLovin'.
NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY
The film will shoot in NYC/LA early 2009
Sundance Institute announced today the lineup of films selected to screen in the U.S. and World Cinema Dramatic and Documentary Competitions for the 25th Sundance Film Festival. In addition to the four Competition categories, the Festival presents films in five out-of-competition sections to be announced tomorrow. The 2009 Sundance Film Festival runs January 15-25 in Park City, Salt Lake City, Ogden, and Sundance, Utah.
MC Squared Productions has announced the addition of 3 Sunday performances to the New York premiere of THE FUNERALOGUES, a site-specific look at eulogies and the people who deliver them.
MC Squared Productions presents the New York premiere of THE FUNERALOGUES, a site-specific look at eulogies and the people who deliver them. Conceived and performed by Stacy Mayer, written by playwright Robert Charles Gompers, and directed by Molly Marinik, this unique theatrical experience has found its ultimate home at All Souls Chapel on New Yorks' Upper East Side. Workshopped at Emerging Artists Theatre's One Woman Standing Festival in 2007, previews begin November 7 with opening set for Saturday, November 15.
B.B. King Blues Club and Grill and The Highline Ballroom, two of the nation's most respected music venues and New York's premier home for Broadway stars and cabaret, present their schedule of performances, with recently added or altered shows.
Lincoln Center announced today an exciting series of artistic and educational events and initiatives to celebrate its forthcoming 50th anniversary, officially beginning with a ceremony to commemorate the institution's original groundbreaking in 1959 and ending with a campus-wide open house. The anniversary celebration coincides with the physical transformation of Lincoln Center, designed to make the campus a more open, accessible and vibrant urban destination. Ribbon cuttings will be held throughout the year as redevelopment projects are completed.
