There will be a post-performance discussion with Libby McDonnell and Elizabeth Streb on Thursday, October 24.
En Masse (U.S. premiere)
Wednesday, October 23, 2019 at 7:30 pm
Thursday, October 24, 2019 at 7:30 pm
Friday, October 25, 2019 at 7:30 pm
Gerald W. Lynch Theater at John Jay College
Circa
Robert Murray, tenor
Tamara-Anna Cislowska, Michael Harvey, piano
Created by Yaron Lifschitz with the Circa Ensemble
Music by Franz Schubert, Klara Lewis, and Igor Stravinsky
Yaron Lifschitz, direction and stage design
Yaron Lifschitz and Richard Clarke, lighting design
Libby McDonnell, associate director and costume design
Performance length: One hour and 50 minutes, including intermission
Endowment support for the White Light Festival presentation of En Masse is provided by the Blavatnik Family Foundation Fund for Dance.
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts 2019 White Light Festival will run October 19 through November 24. For its tenth anniversary season, the multidisciplinary festival will feature events presented in eight venues across the city, including U.S. and New York premieres and the return of festival favorites.
“The resonance of the White Light Festival has only deepened during its first decade, as we have moved into far more challenging times here and around the world,” said Jane Moss, Ehrenkranz Artistic Director of Lincoln Center. “The Festival’s central theme, namely the singular capacity of artistic expression to illuminate what is inside ourselves and connect us to others, is more relevant than ever. This 10th anniversary edition spanning disparate countries, cultures, disciplines, and genres emphasizes that the elevation of the spirit the arts inspires uniquely unites us and expands who we are.”
Israel’s celebrated Gesher Theatre will return to New York City October 3 and 4 with two performances only of its new production inspired by The Dybbuk, or Between Two Worlds written by S. Ansky 1913, in a modern version written by Roy Chen, at the Gerald W. Lynch Theater at John Jay College (524 West 59 Street). The Dybbuk, arguably the most iconic play of the entire canon of Jewish drama, tells the story of a young Hasidic woman who became possessed on the eve of her wedding by the dead spirit of her beloved, a young scholar whom her parents forbade her to marry. The esteemed Gesher Artistic Director Yevgeny Arye directs the cast of 25.
The schedule of performances is October 3 and 4 at 8 pm only.
The Cherry Orchard Festival, co-founded by Maria Shclover and Irina Shabshis, is presenting this Gesher Theatre production, along with a political satire In the Tunnel, which will play October 6 and 7. Both shows are in Hebrew with English and Russian supertitles.
Tickets for The Dybbuk are priced at $55. – $125. and are available online at CherryOrchardFestival.org. Premium VIP and Artist Reception tickets, located in the center of the orchestra, are available at $250 and include an exclusive Post-Show Cocktail Reception with the Gesher Theatre cast, featuring hors d'oeuvres and an open bar. For group sales, please contact the Cherry Orchard Festival Foundation directly 800.349.0021 or email info@cherryorchardfestival.org
Ballet Academy East will present its Spring Performance from May 15-17, 2015 at the Gerald W. Lynch Theater at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice at 524 W. 59th Street, NYC. Performances: Friday, May 15 at 7:00pm, Saturday May 16 at 2:00pm and 7:00pm, and Sunday May 17 at 2:00pm. The Saturday May 16, 2:00pm performance will be a special family matinee, which will feature craft activities in the lobby during intermission, (recommended for ages 6 and up). Tickets are $40 - $60 and may be purchased at www.TicketCentral.com beginning March 30, 2015.
The performance will feature the Pre-Professional Division, levels 2-9, in ballets choreographed by Jenna Lavin, Matthew Neenan, Margo Sappington and Rex Wheeler.
ABOUT BALLET ACADEMY EAST
Ballet Academy East, established in 1979 by director, Julia Dubno is made up of four divisions. The Pre-Professional Division for ages 7-19, led by artistic director, Darla Hoover, trains dancers for professional careers in ballet. An audition is required for admission to the Pre-Professional Division. The Enrichment Program is open to students ages 7 and older who wish to study ballet recreationally. The well-known Young Dancers Division offers creative movement, pre-ballet, tap, and modern to ages 18 months to 6 years. BAE’s Open Class Program offers adults of all levels classes in ballet, tap, Pilates, Zumba, and yoga. For more information, visit www.baenyc.com.
ABOUT THE BAE STUDENT COMPANY
The BAE Student Company was formed in 2003 to provide performing opportunities to the aspiring dancers of BAE’s Pre-Professional Ballet Division. The Company performs twice annually, in February and May. The BAE Student Company is able to accept tax-deductible donations through Unique Projects, Inc., a subsidiary of Pentacle/DanceWorks. All proceeds raised go towards supporting the BAE Student Company performances.
ABOUT THE GERALD W. LYNCH THEATER AT JOHN JAY COLLEGE
Since opening its doors in 1988, the Gerald W. Lynch Theater has been an invaluable cultural resource for John Jay College and the larger New York City community. The GWLT is dedicated to the creation and presentation of performing arts programming of all disciplines with a special focus on how the artistic imagination can shed light on the many perceptions of justice in our society.
In addition to Ballet Academy East, the GWLT has hosted events for many notable organizations, such as the Lincoln Center Festival since its first season in 1996, New York City Opera, Great Performers at Lincoln Center, Gotham Chamber Opera, Metropolitan Opera Guild and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater/Ailey II. The Theater has also been the site of many television and film specials including A&E's Live by Request, Comedy Central Presents and Premium Blend.
For directions to the venue and more information, visit www.jjay.cuny.edu/theater.
Alexandre bis/Comedy on the Bridge
Music by Bohuslav Martinů
Neal Goren, conductor; James Marvel, stage director; Cameron Anderson, set designer; Fabio Toblini, costume designer; and Clifton Taylor, lighting designer
Presented in collaboration with the Gerald W. Lynch Theater at John Jay College.
October 14 – 18, 2014, Gerald W. Lynch Theater at John Jay College, NYC
Tickets $30-175, 212-279-4200, www.ticketcentral.com
A bridge to nowhere. A singing painting. An intermittent beard. Take a dip into the 20th-century absurd as Gotham Chamber Opera begins its 13th season with a double-bill of short comic operas by Czech composer Bohuslav Martinů. Alexandre bis (Alexander twice) is a surrealist comedy about a man who decides to test his wife’s fidelity by shaving off his beard and posing as his own cousin from San Francisco. She recognizes him but falls in love anyway. Martinů’s answer to Mozart’s Così fan tutte observes the conventions of comic opera while tweaking them, thus proving that a composer, if not a husband, can have it both ways. Comedy on the Bridge tells the story of two rival principalities separated by a river. A woman returning from one side gets caught in the middle by a bureaucratic snafu; soon she’s joined in this absurdist limbo by a letch, a fiancé, a vengeful wife, and a schoolmaster with a riddle. Everyone has a secret, but no one has a clue – except the composer, who gets them all happily sorted by the end. Featuring Jenna Siladie, Abigail Fischer, Cassandra Velasco, Jason Slayden, Jarrett Ott, and Joseph Beutel. Gotham Chamber Opera previously presented a Martinů double-bill of Les larmes du couteau and Hlas lesa in 2003, a hit with the press and the public, resulting in lines around the block for returned tickets.
ABOUT THE 2002/2003 MARTINU DOUBLE-BILL:
"Both works were done with a startling combination of sensitivity and panache."
- Paul Griffiths, The New York Times
El gato con botas (Puss in Boots)
Music by Xavier Montsalvatge
Neal Goren / Geoff MacDonald, conductors; Moisés Kaufman, stage director; Andromache Chalfant, set designer; Clint Ramos, costume designer; David Lander, lighting designer; and Sean Curran, choreographer.
A co-production with El Museo del Barrio and Works & Process at the Guggenheim and produced in co-operation with Tectonic Theater Project.
December 6 – 14, 2014, El Museo del Barrio, NYC
Tickets $30-175, 212-279-4200, www.ticketcentral.com
This fall, the cat in the spats is back, when Gotham Chamber Opera revives El gato con botas (Puss in Boots), Xavier Montsalvatge’s take on the classic story of a mangy feline with magical talents. Can Puss win the princess’s hand for his master? Can he outwit the evil ogre? Don’t miss the amazing Bunraku puppetry that turns a fairy tale into an evening of “tuneful,” “magical,” “exquisite,” and eye-opening opera. Gotham’s production will be directed by Moisés Kaufman (The Laramie Project, 33 Variations) and features innovative Bunraku-style puppetry from London’s Blind Summit Theater. Featuring Andrea Carroll, Ginger Costa-Jackson, Karin Mushegain, Craig Verm, and Kevin Burdette.
ABOUT THE 2010 PRODUCTION OF EL GATO CON BOTAS:
“The puppets worked brilliantly. The cat strutted, slunk and cavorted, evolving from a mere house cat to a regal puss in boots.” - Vivien Schweitzer, The New York Times
“It’s the puppetry, created by London's Blind Summit Theatre, which takes the breath away...”
- Ron Cohen, Back Stage
“My only disappointment was that the show had to end.” - Patrick Dillon, Scherzo
“An exquisite production. * * * *” - John Simon, Bloomberg News
“An enthralling show for adults and kids of all ages.” - Bill Madison, The Flip Side
“A dazzling visual feast from start to finish.” - Andy Propst, TheaterMania
Gotham Chamber Opera is the nation’s leading opera company dedicated to vibrant, fully staged productions of works intended for intimate venues. Its high quality presentations of small-scale rarities from the Baroque era to the present have earned Gotham an international reputation and unanimous critical praise.
Founded by conductor and Artistic Director Neal Goren, Gotham debuted in 2001 with the American premiere of W.A. Mozart’s Il sogno di Scipione. In subsequent seasons, the company has produced many more local and world premieres, including Bohuslav Martinů’s Les Larmes du Couteau and Hlas Lesa (U.S. premiere 2002); Heinrich Sutermeister’s Die schwarze Spinne (U.S. premiere 2004); G.F. Handel’s Arianna in Creta (U.S. stage premiere 2005); Ottorino Respighi’s La bella dormente nel bosco (U.S. premiere 2005); Ariadne Unhinged, with music by Claudio Monteverdi, Joseph Haydn, and Arnold Schoenberg (World premiere 2008); Hadyn’s L’isola disabitata (New York stage premiere 2009); Xavier Montsalvatge’s El Gato con Botas (U.S. stage premiere 2010); Nico Muhly’s Dark Sisters (World premiere 2011); Lembit Beecher’s I Have No Stories To Tell You (World premiere 2014); and Toshio Hosokawa’s The Raven (U.S. premiere 2014).
Gotham has partnered with notable New York and national institutions, including Lincoln Center Festival and Spoleto USA (La bella dormente nel bosco) in 2005; the Morgan Library and Museum for Scenes of Gypsy Life (an evening of song cycles by Janáček and Dvořák) in 2008; the American Museum of Natural History and the American Repertory Theater for Hadyn’s Il mondo della luna (2010); Brooklyn Botanic Garden and the Broad Stage, Los Angeles for Daniel Catán’s La hija de Rappaccini (Rappaccini’s Daughter, 2013); Trinity Church Wall Street for Marc-Antoine Charpentier’s La descente d’Orpheé aux enfers (2013); The Metropolitan Museum of Art for Monteverdi’s Il combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda and Beecher’s I Have No Stories To Tell You (2014); and the New York Philharmonic for Hosokawa’s The Raven (2014).
Gotham has earned a reputation for showcasing outstanding young singers alongside established directors and choreographers such as Mark Morris (the 2009 production of Hadyn’s L’isola disabitata), David Parsons (the New York stage premiere of Astor Piazzola’s tango opera, María di Buenos Aires), Karole Armitage (the world premiere of Ariadne Unhinged), Basil Twist (La bella dormente nel bosco), Robin Guarino (Gioachino Rossini’s Il signor Bruschino and Il combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda/I Have No Stories to Tell You), Christopher Alden (Il sogno di Scipione and Arianna in Creta), Diane Paulus (Il mondo della luna), Moisés Kaufmann (El gato con botas), and Rebecca Taichman (Dark Sisters and La hija de Rappaccini.)
In recent years, Gotham Chamber Opera has been recognized as a pioneer in creating opera productions in alternative venues, beginning in 2010 with its production of Haydn’s Il mondo della luna at the Hayden Planetarium, followed in 2013 with the U.S. professional stage premiere of Francesco Cavalli’s Eliogabalo at New York’s notorious late night club The Box, Catán’s La hija de Rappaccini on the Cherry Esplanade of Brooklyn Botanic Garden and at the Greystone Manor in Beverly Hills, and the double-bill of Monteverdi’s Il combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Bloomberg Arms and Armor Gallery and Beecher’s I Have No Stories to Tell You in the Medieval Court.
For more information, visit www.gothamchamberopera.org.
With music by Toshio Hosokawa, and based on the poem by Edgar Allan Poe, the creative team for The Raven consists of Neal Goren, conductor; Luca Veggetti, stage director/choreographer; Clifton Taylor, scenic and lighting designer; and Peter Speliopoulos, costume designer.
Toshio Hosakawa’s The Raven, a monodrama for mezzo-soprano and twelve instrumentalists, will be given its U.S. Premiere at the Gerald W. Lynch Theater as part of the New York Philharmonic’s inaugural NY PHIL BIENNIAL, an 11-day exploration of today’s music scene by more than 50 contemporary and modern composers from 12 countries as curated by Alan Gilbert and the New York Philharmonic as well as by partners on and off the Lincoln Center campus. Directed and choreographed by Luca Veggetti, The Raven will star Fredrika Brillembourg in the role of the Narrator and will be danced by Alessandra Ferri, former prima ballerina assoluta with the Royal Ballet (1980–1984), American Ballet Theatre (1985–2007) and La Scala Theatre Ballet (1992–2007).
Based on the narrative poem by Edgar Allan Poe, The Raven tells the story of a man visited by a raven after the death of his lover. To all the questions the man asks, the raven only answers, 'nevermore'. After drifting through states of different emotions, the narrator, still burdened with the loss of his beloved, finally lays down in the raven's shadow, his soul trapped and lifted 'nevermore'.
About the Company: Gotham Chamber Opera
Gotham Chamber Opera is the nation's foremost opera company dedicated to producing rarely-performed chamber operas from the Baroque era to the present. The company's mission is to present innovative, fully-staged productions of the highest quality in intimate venues. Founded by conductor and Artistic Director Neal Goren in 2000, Gotham Chamber Opera has, in its short history,presented seven U.S. premieres of 18th- and 20th-century operas, including such masterpieces as Mozart's Il sogno di Scipione; Darius Milhaud's Les Malheurs d'Orphée; Czech composer Bohuslav Martinu's Dada opera Les Larmes du Couteau; and Swiss composer Heinrich Sutermeister's Die schwarze Spinne. In February 2005, Gotham presented the U.S. stage premiere of Handel's Arianna in Creta. Also in 2005, Lincoln Center Festival and Spoleto Festival USA presented Gotham Chamber Opera's U.S. premiere of Ottorino Respighi's fantastical puppet opera La bella dormente nel bosco, featuring the puppetry of Basil Twist. In the spring of 2006, Benjamin Britten's Albert Herring received its first professional staging in New York in more than 30 years, and in winter 2007, Rossini's Il signor Bruschino received its first major professional New York staging in more than half a century. In the 2007/2008 season, Gotham Chamber Opera celebrated dance with Astor Piazzolla's tango opera, María de Buenos Aires, directed by David Parsons and featuring Parsons Dance, and with a new work entitled Ariadne Unhinged, directed by Karole Armitage and featuring members of Armitage Gone! Dance. In 2009, Mark Morris directed the U.S. stage premiere of Haydn's L'isola disabitata. Most recently, in 2010, Gotham made news world-wide for its high-tech production of Haydn's Il mondo della luna, staged in the Hayden Planetarium of the American Museum of Natural History, and for Montsalvatge's El gato con botas (Puss in Boots), at The New Victory Theater, staged by Tony Award-nominated director Moisés Kaufman, with puppet design by Blind Summit Theatre. For more information, visit www.gothamchamberopera.org.
Gotham Chamber Opera will begin its 12th season with a fully-staged production recreating the legendary Baden-Baden Festival of Contemporary Music performance of July 17, 1927. During the composer-organized summer festival, four one-act operas were presented in one evening: Kurt Weill’s Mahagonny Songspiel, Paul Hindemith’s Hin und zurück (There and Back), Darius Milhaud’s L'enlèvement d'Europe (The Abduction of Europa), and Ernst Toch’s Die Prinzessin auf der Erbse (The Princess and the Pea). Perhaps most noteworthy among the works is Weill’s Mahagonny Songspiel, which was premiered at the festival and later developed into the complete opera, Aufstieg und Fall der Stadt Mahagonny. Gotham Chamber Opera will re-create this historic performance of all four operas with an evening entitled Baden-Baden 1927.
The creative team for Baden-Baden 1927 consists of Neal Goren, conductor; Paul Curran, stage director; set design by German neo-expressionist painter Georg Baselitz; co-design and costume design by Court Watson; lighting design by Paul Hackenmueller; video design by Driscoll Otto; and hair and makeup design by Randy Mercer.
The production marks the long-awaited return to the New York stage of legendary soprano Helen Donath and also stars soprano Maeve Höglund, mezzo-soprano Jennifer Rivera, tenors Daniel Montenegro and Matthew Tuell, baritone Michael Mayes and bass John Cheek.
About the Company: Gotham Chamber Opera
Gotham Chamber Opera is the nation's foremost opera company dedicated to producing rarely-performed chamber operas from the Baroque era to the present. The company's mission is to present innovative, fully-staged productions of the highest quality in intimate venues. Founded by conductor and Artistic Director Neal Goren in 2000, Gotham Chamber Opera has, in its short history,presented seven U.S. premieres of 18th- and 20th-century operas, including such masterpieces as Mozart's Il sogno di Scipione; Darius Milhaud's Les Malheurs d'Orphée; Czech composer Bohuslav Martinu's Dada opera Les Larmes du Couteau; and Swiss composer Heinrich Sutermeister's Die schwarze Spinne. In February 2005, Gotham presented the U.S. stage premiere of Handel's Arianna in Creta. Also in 2005, Lincoln Center Festival and Spoleto Festival USA presented Gotham Chamber Opera's U.S. premiere of Ottorino Respighi's fantastical puppet opera La bella dormente nel bosco, featuring the puppetry of Basil Twist. In the spring of 2006, Benjamin Britten's Albert Herring received its first professional staging in New York in more than 30 years, and in winter 2007, Rossini's Il signor Bruschino received its first major professional New York staging in more than half a century. In the 2007/2008 season, Gotham Chamber Opera celebrated dance with Astor Piazzolla's tango opera, María de Buenos Aires, directed by David Parsons and featuring Parsons Dance, and with a new work entitled Ariadne Unhinged, directed by Karole Armitage and featuring members of Armitage Gone! Dance. In 2009, Mark Morris directed the U.S. stage premiere of Haydn's L'isola disabitata. Most recently, in 2010, Gotham made news world-wide for its high-tech production of Haydn's Il mondo della luna, staged in the Hayden Planetarium of the American Museum of Natural History, and for Montsalvatge's El gato con botas (Puss in Boots), at The New Victory Theater, staged by Tony Award-nominated director Moisés Kaufman, with puppet design by Blind Summit Theatre. For more information, visit www.gothamchamberopera.org.
Ten years ago, Gotham Chamber Opera burst onto New York's opera scene with Mozart's Il sogno di Scipione (Scipio's Dream). To commemorate the anniversary of that debut production, Gotham Chamber Opera will revive Il sogno di Scipione in April 2012, reuniting its original creative team of director Christopher Alden, scenic designer Andrew Cavanaugh Holland, costume designer Fabio Toblini, and lighting designer Allen Hahn. The production will be conducted by Gotham Chamber Opera's Founding Artistic Director Neal Goren. The cast will include Michele Angelini, Marie-Ève Munger, Susannah Biller, Rachel Willis-Sørenson, Arthur Espiritu, and Chad A. Johnson.
The highly-virtuosic one-act opera tells the story of the Roman Emperor Scipio Africanus, who, in a dream, awakens to find two goddesses before him: Fortune and Constancy. He must choose one or the other to guide him through life. Dazed by their enticements and threats, Scipio calls up his dead forebears for guidance in making this important and dangerous choice.
About the Company: Gotham Chamber Opera
Gotham Chamber Opera is the nation's foremost opera company dedicated to producing rarely-performed chamber operas from the Baroque era to the present. The company's mission is to present innovative, fully-staged productions of the highest quality in intimate venues. Founded by conductor and Artistic Director Neal Goren in 2000, Gotham Chamber Opera has, in its short history,presented seven U.S. premieres of 18th- and 20th-century operas, including such masterpieces as Mozart's Il sogno di Scipione; Darius Milhaud's Les Malheurs d'Orphée; Czech composer Bohuslav Martinu's Dada opera Les Larmes du Couteau; and Swiss composer Heinrich Sutermeister's Die schwarze Spinne. In February 2005, Gotham presented the U.S. stage premiere of Handel's Arianna in Creta. Also in 2005, Lincoln Center Festival and Spoleto Festival USA presented Gotham Chamber Opera's U.S. premiere of Ottorino Respighi's fantastical puppet opera La bella dormente nel bosco, featuring the puppetry of Basil Twist. In the spring of 2006, Benjamin Britten's Albert Herring received its first professional staging in New York in more than 30 years, and in winter 2007, Rossini's Il signor Bruschino received its first major professional New York staging in more than half a century. In the 2007/2008 season, Gotham Chamber Opera celebrated dance with Astor Piazzolla's tango opera, María de Buenos Aires, directed by David Parsons and featuring Parsons Dance, and with a new work entitled Ariadne Unhinged, directed by Karole Armitage and featuring members of Armitage Gone! Dance. In 2009, Mark Morris directed the U.S. stage premiere of Haydn's L'isola disabitata. Most recently, in 2010, Gotham made news world-wide for its high-tech production of Haydn's Il mondo della luna, staged in the Hayden Planetarium of the American Museum of Natural History, and for Montsalvatge's El gato con botas (Puss in Boots), at The New Victory Theater, staged by Tony Award-nominated director Moisés Kaufman, with puppet design by Blind Summit Theatre. For more information, visit www.gothamchamberopera.org.
Beginning in 2008, the Theater created the unique series, ART OF JUSTICE, which focuses on how the artistic imagination can shed light on the many perceptions of justice in society. ART OF JUSTICE focuses on advocacy for marginalized communities through music, drama, dance and fine art. JUST-US Dialogues,a supplemental series, will be formally introduced this fall. Through intimate discussions, lectures and post-show dialogues with artists and experts, audiences will gain legible context and have the opportunity to exchange critical thinking and share perspectives. Provocative and engaging performances that explore topics ranging from the post-9/11 environment politically and culturally in the United States and abroad, immigration and race, religious freedoms and separation of church and state are included in this season’s ART OF JUSTICE series.
The Gerald W. Lynch Theater’s Fall 2011 Season includes:
* The 9/11 Performance Project
* unFRAMED
* Soul Steps
* Dark Sisters (World Premiere)
Winner of the 2011 Award for Excellence in Theatre from the DC Black Theatre Festival, “In unFRAMED writer and performer Iyaba Ibo Mandingo tells the story of his journey from Antigua to America. It wasn't without tribulations; navigating treacherous times without a father, Mandingo turned to art. unFRAMED puts the art front and center: Mandingo uses painting, poetry, prose and song to tell a story that echoes the lives of many.”– Times Herald Record.
At the age of eleven, Iyaba is plucked from the tropical comfort of his childhood and taken to a new life in a strange country. unFRAMEDis his poetic tale of life as an immigrant - from boyhood in Antigua to manhood in America. Using canvas, paint, poetry, prose and song, Iyaba Ibo Mandingo tells a story of his transformation -from “Mommy Me No Wanna Go Merrica” - a prophetic piece that hints at the many trials he will face in a new land - to his powerful political poetry which leads to his arrest and attempted deportation in post 9/11 America, Iyaba shares his rage, his determination, and his hope while he paints his self-portrait and successfully struggles to redefine his humanity, rediscover his smile, and truly accept himself for the first time. Presented in conjunction with an exhibit of his original artwork, audiences are invited into the studio of the artist where painting and poetry create unframed art.
The Gerald W. Lynch Theater at John Jay College, in collaboration with Double Play Connections and Doing Life Productions, Jane Dubin, Executive Producer, presents Iyaba Ibo Mandingo’sunFRAMED: A Man in Progress, directed by Brent Buell,on Thursday, September 22 at 1:30pm, Friday, September 23 at 7:30pm and Saturday, September 24 at 7:30pm at the Gerald W. Lynch Theater at John Jay College, 899 Tenth Avenue, NYC. Tickets are $20 ($10 students) and are available at www.ticketcentral.com or by phone at 212-279-4200.All shows will be followed by a JUST-US Dialogue.
Winner of the 2011 Award for Excellence in Theatre from the DC Black Theatre Festival, “In unFRAMED writer and performer Iyaba Ibo Mandingo tells the story of his journey from Antigua to America. It wasn't without tribulations; navigating treacherous times without a father, Mandingo turned to art. unFRAMED puts the art front and center: Mandingo uses painting, poetry, prose and song to tell a story that echoes the lives of many.”– Times Herald Record.
At the age of eleven, Iyaba is plucked from the tropical comfort of his childhood and taken to a new life in a strange country. unFRAMEDis his poetic tale of life as an immigrant - from boyhood in Antigua to manhood in America. Using canvas, paint, poetry, prose and song, Iyaba Ibo Mandingo tells a story of his transformation -from “Mommy Me No Wanna Go Merrica” - a prophetic piece that hints at the many trials he will face in a new land - to his powerful political poetry which leads to his arrest and attempted deportation in post 9/11 America, Iyaba shares his rage, his determination, and his hope while he paints his self-portrait and successfully struggles to redefine his humanity, rediscover his smile, and truly accept himself for the first time. Presented in conjunction with an exhibit of his original artwork, audiences are invited into the studio of the artist where painting and poetry create unframed art.
"Iyaba IS a true work of art -- a powerful poet, painter and performer (among many other things); that raw/rare breed whose naked truth shatters long-held myths about life in America. Real deal."
- Forrest McClendon, 2011 Tony Award Nominee, The Scottsboro Boys
“One of the most powerful, sometimes funny, often angry but ultimately life-affirming shows I've ever seen! GO EXPERIENCE IT!!!” – Frank Lowell, WTBQ
“Everyone needs to know what a fantastic - simply great show this is. Humor, depth, artistry - it has it all and it is truly an engaging and wonderful evening of theater … Heart, heart, heart. GO to this show - it's one of the best evenings of theater you will experience and I can not recommend it highly enough!”
- M. Peters, Esq, Audience Member
Demolition of the Eiffel Tower
Written by Jeton Neziraj (Kosovo), Directed by Kushtrim Bekteshi (Macedonia), Produced by International Theatre Festival MESS
Starring Amar Selimovic, Alban Ukaj, Adi Hrustemovic, Irma Alimanovic, and Alma Terzic
Friday, September 9, 2011 at 7:30pm, followed by a JUST-US Dialogue;
Saturday, September 10, 2011 at 12pm
Performed in Albanian with English supertitles
A tragicomedy, Demolition of the Eiffel Tower addresses one of the modern world’s most significant problems – terrorism arising as a consequence of global political and religious conflicts. Above all, the play highlights misunderstandings, stereotypes, and prejudices created as a consequence of secular politics clashing with religious observations in Paris. For more information about the playwright, visit www.jetonneziraj.com. For more information on MESS Festival, visit www.mess.ba.
Tickets $20 ($10 students)
The Domestic Crusaders
Written by Wajahat Ali, 2011 OTTO-award winner for The Domestic Crusadersand San Francisco based attorney
Directed by Carla Blank
Starring Adeel Ahmed, Deepti Gupta, Imran Javaid, Kamran Khan, Monisha Shiva, and Abbas Zaidi
Invited Dress Rehearsal: Friday, September 9, 2011 at 10am; Saturday, September 10, 2011 at 4pm;
Sunday, September 11, 2011 at 5pm, followed by a JUST-US Dialogue Moderated Panel
An award winning two-act play written by a Muslim-American, The Domestic Crusaders,the first play ever published by McSweeney's,is an authentic, revelatory, and no-holds barred depiction of a day in the life of a contemporary Pakistani-American Muslim family post-9/11/01. For more information about the playwright and the company, visit www.domesticcrusaders.com.
Tickets $20 ($10 students)
Another Life
Written and Directed by Karen Malpede (author/director ofProphecy, editor:Acts of War)
Starring George Bartenieff with Eunice Wong, Ariel Sharif, Omar Koury, Christen Clifford, Dorien Makhloghi
Co-Produced with Theater Three Collaborative
Invited Dress Rehearsal Thursday, September 8, 2011 at 7:30pm, following The Guantanamo Lawyers’ Panel
Saturday, September 10, 2011 at 8pm;
Sunday, September 11, 2011 at 1:30pm, followed by a JUST-US Dialogue with author Chris Hedges
A surreal, real, and satiric story of a mogul and his daughter locked in a titanic struggle, Another Lifeoffers a whirl-wind trip through the past ten years. Greed, torture, war-lust and sexual enslavement vie with a subtle but growing resistance that leads to brave acts of caring and whistle-blowing. Another Life employs inventive language and memorable characters to bring to light questions of complicity and conscience in civil society. For more information, visit www.theaterthreecollaborative.org.
Tickets $20 ($10 students)
Student Productions
What Happened: The September 11th Testimony Project
By Professor Amy S. Green, Directed by Professor Michael Aman
Performed and produced by Chris Balda, Lori Duran, Jonathan Hamilton, Stephanie Lubin, Calvin Massiah, Michelle Robles, and Tyler Romero.
Tuesday, September 6, 2011 at 1:40pm, Haaren Hall, 3rd floor, John Jay College; Thursday, September 8, 2011 at 1:40pm, selected scenes from the Play during theJohn Jay College of Criminal Justice 9/11 Community Event at 1:40pm the Gerald W. Lynch Theater; Monday, September 12, 2011 at 1:40pm, Haaren Hall, 3rd Floor, John Jay College
Based on interviews conducted by students at John Jay College of Criminal Justice during 2001-02
We Were Kids: 9/11 Stories
By Ayana Atkinson, Shaina Chavis, Gregg Donshik, Yun Gao, Peter Jules, Ashley Neely, Daniel O'Keefe, Stanley Santana, Mellody Tabary, Susan Tillman, Vivian Wang, Nadetia Williams, and Alex Zeaman.
Conceived in Professor Karen Malpede’s Criminal Justice in Theatre class Summer 2011.
Directed by Vernice Miller, Artistic Director of A Laboratory of Actor Training
Stage Manager Syeda Fatima, John Jay College of Criminal Justice Peer Ambassador
Wednesday, September 7, 2011 at 1:40pm and Tuesday, September 13, 2011 at 1:40pm, Haaren Hall, 3rd Floor, John Jay College
A collaborative venture comprised of personal and community-based oral histories authored by John Jay students who were children in September 2001.
September 14, 2011 – Double Bill:
What Happened: The September 11th Testimony Project and We Were Kids: 9/11 Stories
Wednesday, September 14, 2011 at 7:05pm, Haaren Hall, 3rd Floor, John Jay College
FREE Panel Discussions
Sponsored in collaboration with the:
Center on Terrorism, John Jay College
Together with 9/11: Families for Peaceful Tomorrows
York College, CUNY, and the Christian Regenhard Center for Emergency Response Studies
Thursday, September 8 – Sunday, September 11, 2011
Nothing can adequately honor the pain of 9/11 survivors and the families of those who died in the disaster. It was too large an event, one that remains simultaneously ever-present and elusive. At John Jay College, which lost 68 alumni that day, we feel a special connection to the significance of 9/11 and wish to probe some of its enduring meanings on the cusp of this tenth anniversary year. In three panels and some smaller breakout sessions, these panels will explore 9/11 in cultural and historical memory.
The Guantanamo Lawyers’ Panel
Thursday, September 8 at 5pm in the Gerald W. Lynch Theater lobby
This panel of lawyers who represent Guantanamo and other detainees and work to defend civil liberties at homeis bound to create an incredible dialogue about some of the most hotly debated and contested issues surrounding the ongoing detainment of terrorism “suspects” and the line between interrogation and torture. Panelists: Jonathan Hafetz,Seton Hall and Rutgers Universities; Martha Rayner, Fordham Law, currently representing a Guantanamo detainee; Gita Gutierrez,the Center on Constitutional Rights; Alex Abdo,ACLU’s National Security Project; chaired by Kathleen Chalfant,award-winning actress of stage and screen and advocate of social justice.
Panel: 9/11 After Ten Years - The Cultural Perspective
Friday, September 9 at 11am in Room 630, Haaren Hall, John Jay College
The vast scale of 9/11 left its enduring mark on our culture. There is nothing that has been untouched, from novels and poetry, to film, art, theater, photography, and television, indeed all aspects of the way we try and creatively imagine terrorism, survival and resilience. This panel of writers and scholars will address these interrelated issues and invite reflection on the deeper meanings of culture and 9/11. Panelists: Amy Waldman,national correspondent for the Atlantic Monthlyand author ofThe Submission: A Novel(Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2011); Karen Malpede, playwright, author of “Another Life” at John Jay College, as part of the 9/11 Performances Series and editor of Acts of War: Iraq and Afghanistan in Seven Plays(Northwestern University Press, 2011); Susie Linfield, Professor of Journalism at New York University Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute and author of The Cruel Radiance: Photography and Political Violence(University of Chicago Press, 2010); Chaired byMichael Flynn, Associate Professor of Psychology, York College, CUNY and Associate Director, Center on Terrorism, John Jay College, CUNY
Panel: 9/11 After 10 Years - The Historical Perspective
Friday, September 9 at 4:30pm in Room 630, Haaren Hall, John Jay College
Mourning a loss, whether personal or collective, finds its most poignant moment of commemoration after a year. After that the dates tend to blur and anniversaries mean different things to different people. But with the tenth anniversary of 9/11, memories will fade, which is not to say forgotten but memorialized in different ways. The context changes, an idea that will be explored from several perspectives in this panel of scholars who will examine the disaster in historical perspective as we look forward, with some trepidation, to the future. Panelists: Robert Jay Lifton, Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry and Psychology Emeritus, John Jay College and the Graduate Center, CUNY and author of Witness to an Extreme Century (The Free Press, 2011); Karen Joy Greenberg, Executive Director of the Center on Law and Security at New York University School of Law and author of The Least Worst Place: Guantanamo’s First 100 Days(Oxford University Press, 2009); Moustafa Bayoumi, Professor of English, Brooklyn College, CUNY and author of How Does it Feel to be a Problem: Being Young and Arab in America; Louis Bickford, Adjunct Associate Professor of Public Administration, New York University Wagner School and Director of the New York office of the Robert F Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights; Chaired by Peter Romaniuk, Associate Professor of Government and Associate Director of the Center on Terrorism, John Jay College, CUNY and author of Multilateral Counterterrorism: The Global Politics of Cooperation and Contestation (Routledge, 2010)
Panel: The Muslim-American post 9/11 experience
Sunday, September 11 at 7:30pm, immediately following 5pm performance of The Domestic Crusaders,Gerald W. Lynch Theater, Haaren Hall, John Jay College
This panel will solicit audience responses to the play and will specifically include issues pertaining to the Muslim-American experience post 9/11. Panelists: Wajahat Ali, playwright of The Domestic Crusaders and San Francisco-based attorney; Carla Blank, director of The Domestic Crusaders; Ishmael Reed, American poet, essayist, and novelist. A prominent African-American literary figure, Reed is known for his satirical works challenging American political culture, and highlighting political and cultural oppression.
Beginning in 2008, the Theater created what has become its signature series, ART OF JUSTICE, which focuses on how the artistic imagination can shed light on the many perceptions of justice in society. ART OF JUSTICE focuses on advocacy for marginalized communities through music, drama, dance and fine art. JUST-US Dialogues,a supplemental series, will be formally introduced this fall. Through intimate discussions, lectures and post-show dialogues with artists and experts, audiences will gain legible context and have the opportunity to exchange critical thinking and share perspectives. Provocative and engaging performances that explore topics ranging from the post 9/11 political and cultural environment in the United States and abroad, immigration and race, religious freedoms and separation of church and state are included in this season’s ART OF JUSTICE series.
Since opening its doors in 1988, the Gerald W. Lynch Theater has been an invaluable cultural resource for John Jay College and the larger New York City community. Its signature series, The Art of Justice, is the only performance series in New York that presents a diverse exploration of the role performing arts have played in the pursuit of social, transitional and criminal justice. The Theater has collaborated with such noted companies as Epic Theatre Ensemble, Gotham Chamber Opera, and has also hosted prestigious events for Lincoln Center Festival, Great Performances, Juilliard, Alvin Ailey and numerous television specials for HBO and Comedy Central.
About John Jay College of Criminal Justice: An international leader in educating for justice, John Jay College of Criminal Justice of The City University of New York offers a rich liberal arts and professional studies curriculum to upwards of 15,000 undergraduate and graduate students from more than 135 nations. In teaching, scholarship and research, the College approaches justice as an applied art and science in service to society and as an ongoing conversation about fundamental human desires for fairness, equality and the rule of law. For more information, visit www.jjay.cuny.edu.
For more information, visit www.jjay.cuny.edu/theater.php.
Demolition of the Eiffel Tower
Written by Jeton Neziraj (Kosovo), Directed by Kushtrim Bekteshi (Macedonia), Produced by International Theatre Festival MESS
Starring Amar Selimovic, Alban Ukaj, Adi Hrustemovic, Irma Alimanovic, and Alma Terzic
Friday, September 9, 2011 at 7:30pm, followed by a JUST-US Dialogue;
Saturday, September 10, 2011 at 12pm
Performed in Albanian with English supertitles
A tragicomedy, Demolition of the Eiffel Tower addresses one of the modern world’s most significant problems – terrorism arising as a consequence of global political and religious conflicts. Above all, the play highlights misunderstandings, stereotypes, and prejudices created as a consequence of secular politics clashing with religious observations in Paris. For more information about the playwright, visit www.jetonneziraj.com. For more information on MESS Festival, visit www.mess.ba.
Tickets $20 ($10 students)
The Domestic Crusaders
Written by Wajahat Ali, 2011 OTTO-award winner for The Domestic Crusadersand San Francisco based attorney
Directed by Carla Blank
Starring Adeel Ahmed, Deepti Gupta, Imran Javaid, Kamran Khan, Monisha Shiva, and Abbas Zaidi
Invited Dress Rehearsal: Friday, September 9, 2011 at 10am; Saturday, September 10, 2011 at 4pm;
Sunday, September 11, 2011 at 5pm, followed by a JUST-US Dialogue Moderated Panel
An award winning two-act play written by a Muslim-American, The Domestic Crusaders,the first play ever published by McSweeney's,is an authentic, revelatory, and no-holds barred depiction of a day in the life of a contemporary Pakistani-American Muslim family post-9/11/01. For more information about the playwright and the company, visit www.domesticcrusaders.com.
Tickets $20 ($10 students)
Another Life
Written and Directed by Karen Malpede (author/director ofProphecy, editor:Acts of War)
Starring George Bartenieff with Eunice Wong, Ariel Sharif, Omar Koury, Christen Clifford, Dorien Makhloghi
Co-Produced with Theater Three Collaborative
Invited Dress Rehearsal Thursday, September 8, 2011 at 7:30pm, following The Guantanamo Lawyers’ Panel
Saturday, September 10, 2011 at 8pm;
Sunday, September 11, 2011 at 1:30pm, followed by a JUST-US Dialogue with author Chris Hedges
A surreal, real, and satiric story of a mogul and his daughter locked in a titanic struggle, Another Lifeoffers a whirl-wind trip through the past ten years. Greed, torture, war-lust and sexual enslavement vie with a subtle but growing resistance that leads to brave acts of caring and whistle-blowing. Another Life employs inventive language and memorable characters to bring to light questions of complicity and conscience in civil society. For more information, visit www.theaterthreecollaborative.org.
Tickets $20 ($10 students)
Student Productions
What Happened: The September 11th Testimony Project
By Professor Amy S. Green, Directed by Professor Michael Aman
Performed and produced by Chris Balda, Lori Duran, Jonathan Hamilton, Stephanie Lubin, Calvin Massiah, Michelle Robles, and Tyler Romero.
Tuesday, September 6, 2011 at 1:40pm, Haaren Hall, 3rd floor, John Jay College; Thursday, September 8, 2011 at 1:40pm, selected scenes from the Play during theJohn Jay College of Criminal Justice 9/11 Community Event at 1:40pm the Gerald W. Lynch Theater; Monday, September 12, 2011 at 1:40pm, Haaren Hall, 3rd Floor, John Jay College
Based on interviews conducted by students at John Jay College of Criminal Justice during 2001-02
We Were Kids: 9/11 Stories
By Ayana Atkinson, Shaina Chavis, Gregg Donshik, Yun Gao, Peter Jules, Ashley Neely, Daniel O'Keefe, Stanley Santana, Mellody Tabary, Susan Tillman, Vivian Wang, Nadetia Williams, and Alex Zeaman.
Conceived in Professor Karen Malpede’s Criminal Justice in Theatre class Summer 2011.
Directed by Vernice Miller, Artistic Director of A Laboratory of Actor Training
Stage Manager Syeda Fatima, John Jay College of Criminal Justice Peer Ambassador
Wednesday, September 7, 2011 at 1:40pm and Tuesday, September 13, 2011 at 1:40pm, Haaren Hall, 3rd Floor, John Jay College
A collaborative venture comprised of personal and community-based oral histories authored by John Jay students who were children in September 2001.
September 14, 2011 – Double Bill:
What Happened: The September 11th Testimony Project and We Were Kids: 9/11 Stories
Wednesday, September 14, 2011 at 7:05pm, Haaren Hall, 3rd Floor, John Jay College
FREE Panel Discussions
Sponsored in collaboration with the:
Center on Terrorism, John Jay College
Together with 9/11: Families for Peaceful Tomorrows
York College, CUNY, and the Christian Regenhard Center for Emergency Response Studies
Thursday, September 8 – Sunday, September 11, 2011
Nothing can adequately honor the pain of 9/11 survivors and the families of those who died in the disaster. It was too large an event, one that remains simultaneously ever-present and elusive. At John Jay College, which lost 68 alumni that day, we feel a special connection to the significance of 9/11 and wish to probe some of its enduring meanings on the cusp of this tenth anniversary year. In three panels and some smaller breakout sessions, these panels will explore 9/11 in cultural and historical memory.
The Guantanamo Lawyers’ Panel
Thursday, September 8 at 5pm in the Gerald W. Lynch Theater lobby
This panel of lawyers who represent Guantanamo and other detainees and work to defend civil liberties at homeis bound to create an incredible dialogue about some of the most hotly debated and contested issues surrounding the ongoing detainment of terrorism “suspects” and the line between interrogation and torture. Panelists: Jonathan Hafetz,Seton Hall and Rutgers Universities; Martha Rayner, Fordham Law, currently representing a Guantanamo detainee; Gita Gutierrez,the Center on Constitutional Rights; Alex Abdo,ACLU’s National Security Project; chaired by Kathleen Chalfant,award-winning actress of stage and screen and advocate of social justice.
Panel: 9/11 After Ten Years - The Cultural Perspective
Friday, September 9 at 11am in Room 630, Haaren Hall, John Jay College
The vast scale of 9/11 left its enduring mark on our culture. There is nothing that has been untouched, from novels and poetry, to film, art, theater, photography, and television, indeed all aspects of the way we try and creatively imagine terrorism, survival and resilience. This panel of writers and scholars will address these interrelated issues and invite reflection on the deeper meanings of culture and 9/11. Panelists: Amy Waldman,national correspondent for the Atlantic Monthlyand author ofThe Submission: A Novel(Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2011); Karen Malpede, playwright, author of “Another Life” at John Jay College, as part of the 9/11 Performances Series and editor of Acts of War: Iraq and Afghanistan in Seven Plays(Northwestern University Press, 2011); Susie Linfield, Professor of Journalism at New York University Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute and author of The Cruel Radiance: Photography and Political Violence(University of Chicago Press, 2010); Chaired byMichael Flynn, Associate Professor of Psychology, York College, CUNY and Associate Director, Center on Terrorism, John Jay College, CUNY
Panel: 9/11 After 10 Years - The Historical Perspective
Friday, September 9 at 4:30pm in Room 630, Haaren Hall, John Jay College
Mourning a loss, whether personal or collective, finds its most poignant moment of commemoration after a year. After that the dates tend to blur and anniversaries mean different things to different people. But with the tenth anniversary of 9/11, memories will fade, which is not to say forgotten but memorialized in different ways. The context changes, an idea that will be explored from several perspectives in this panel of scholars who will examine the disaster in historical perspective as we look forward, with some trepidation, to the future. Panelists: Robert Jay Lifton, Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry and Psychology Emeritus, John Jay College and the Graduate Center, CUNY and author of Witness to an Extreme Century (The Free Press, 2011); Karen Joy Greenberg, Executive Director of the Center on Law and Security at New York University School of Law and author of The Least Worst Place: Guantanamo’s First 100 Days(Oxford University Press, 2009); Moustafa Bayoumi, Professor of English, Brooklyn College, CUNY and author of How Does it Feel to be a Problem: Being Young and Arab in America; Louis Bickford, Adjunct Associate Professor of Public Administration, New York University Wagner School and Director of the New York office of the Robert F Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights; Chaired by Peter Romaniuk, Associate Professor of Government and Associate Director of the Center on Terrorism, John Jay College, CUNY and author of Multilateral Counterterrorism: The Global Politics of Cooperation and Contestation (Routledge, 2010)
Panel: The Muslim-American post 9/11 experience
Sunday, September 11 at 7:30pm, immediately following 5pm performance of The Domestic Crusaders,Gerald W. Lynch Theater, Haaren Hall, John Jay College
This panel will solicit audience responses to the play and will specifically include issues pertaining to the Muslim-American experience post 9/11. Panelists: Wajahat Ali, playwright of The Domestic Crusaders and San Francisco-based attorney; Carla Blank, director of The Domestic Crusaders; Ishmael Reed, American poet, essayist, and novelist. A prominent African-American literary figure, Reed is known for his satirical works challenging American political culture, and highlighting political and cultural oppression.
Beginning in 2008, the Theater created what has become its signature series, ART OF JUSTICE, which focuses on how the artistic imagination can shed light on the many perceptions of justice in society. ART OF JUSTICE focuses on advocacy for marginalized communities through music, drama, dance and fine art. JUST-US Dialogues,a supplemental series, will be formally introduced this fall. Through intimate discussions, lectures and post-show dialogues with artists and experts, audiences will gain legible context and have the opportunity to exchange critical thinking and share perspectives. Provocative and engaging performances that explore topics ranging from the post 9/11 political and cultural environment in the United States and abroad, immigration and race, religious freedoms and separation of church and state are included in this season’s ART OF JUSTICE series.
Since opening its doors in 1988, the Gerald W. Lynch Theater has been an invaluable cultural resource for John Jay College and the larger New York City community. Its signature series, The Art of Justice, is the only performance series in New York that presents a diverse exploration of the role performing arts have played in the pursuit of social, transitional and criminal justice. The Theater has collaborated with such noted companies as Epic Theatre Ensemble, Gotham Chamber Opera, and has also hosted prestigious events for Lincoln Center Festival, Great Performances, Juilliard, Alvin Ailey and numerous television specials for HBO and Comedy Central.
About John Jay College of Criminal Justice: An international leader in educating for justice, John Jay College of Criminal Justice of The City University of New York offers a rich liberal arts and professional studies curriculum to upwards of 15,000 undergraduate and graduate students from more than 135 nations. In teaching, scholarship and research, the College approaches justice as an applied art and science in service to society and as an ongoing conversation about fundamental human desires for fairness, equality and the rule of law. For more information, visit www.jjay.cuny.edu.
For more information, visit www.jjay.cuny.edu/theater.php.
The Domestic Crusadersfocuses on a day in the life of a modern Muslim Pakistani-American family of six eclectic, unique members, who convene at the family house to celebrate the twenty-first birthday of the youngest child. The play is an authentic, revelatory, and no-holds barred depiction of a day in the life of a contemporary Pakistani-American Muslim family post-9/11/01 and shows the divergent views held by Muslim Americans.
A surreal, real, and satiric story of a mogul and his daughter locked in a titanic struggle, Another Lifeoffers a whirl-wind trip through the past ten years. Greed, torture, war-lust and sexual enslavement vie with a subtle but growing resistance that leads to brave acts of caring and whistle-blowing. Another Lifeemploys inventive language and memorable characters to bring to light questions of complicity and conscience in civil society.
Another Life,written and directed by Karen Malpede (National Maknight Playwrights Fellow, NYFA Playwriting Award), stars George Bartenieff (4 time Obie Award winner, Drama Desk Award) and Eunice Wong (Helen Hayes Award), Ariel Shafir (Barrymore Award), Omar Koury (Drama Desk Award nominee), Christen Clifford, and Dorien Makhloghi and is co-produced with Theater Three Collaborative. Another Lifewas recipient of an On the Road Travel grant from Theater Communications Group and received a week-long workshop as part of the New Plays and Theater Forms Festival in June at the National Theater of Kosovo. Another Lifewas excerpted in The Kenyon Review,fall 2010, called “stinging and satirical.”
Demolition of the Eiffel Tower, is a tragicomedy that addresses one ofthe modern world’s most significant problems – terrorism arising as a consequence of global political and religious conflicts. The play confronts cultural divisions, religious fanaticism, violence, and issues regarding democracy and individual freedom in Europe. Above all, the play highlights misunderstandings, stereotypes, and prejudices created as a consequence of secular politics clashing with religious observations in Paris.
John Jay College and the APACHE Project will present Hugh Wheeler and Stephen Sondheim’s musical thriller, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, at the Gerald W. Lynch Theater at 899 Tenth Avenue (between 58th and 59th Streets).
Dana Tarantino directs Stephen Sondheim’s riveting masterpiece — a story of obsession and revenge, lush songs, and Grand Guignol gore and melodrama. It’s a captivating story of betrayal, vengeance, madness, and murder. When Benjamin Barker, alias Sweeney Todd, returns to London after years of wrongful imprisonment, he vows to take revenge on the malevolent judge who destroyed his life. He schemes with Mrs. Lovett, an enterprising culinary accomplice, and his descent into ruthless retribution and madness begins. Sondheim's score to Sweeney Todd is one of his most complex to date, relying heavily on counterpoint and rich, angular harmonies.
The production features a multi-talented cast of 29 from John Jay and the other participating colleges of the New York Arts Program from New York to Santa Fe. The cast is joined by some special guest artists, such as Broadway actress Meghan Duffy (Mrs. Lovett), Chandler Bishop (Sweeney Todd), and noted soprano Janet Momjian (Beggar Woman/Lucy Barker). Other guest artists include: Douglas Manes as (Judge Turpin).
Tarantino’s creative team includes Nicholas G.M. Ross (conductor/musical director), Jad Bernardo (vocal director), Julia Noulin-Merat (set design), Lucrecia Briceno (lighting design), and Joanne Haas (costume design).
Performances run December 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11, at 8:00 p.m. There is also a Wednesday matinee (December 8) at 2:00 PM at John Jay College’s Gerald W. Lynch Theater at 899 Tenth Avenue (between 58th and 59th Streets).
General admission is $20, and $10 for college students with a valid ID. Tickets can be obtained at the door on performance nights or by making reservations at apachetickets@verizon.net or by calling 212-695-6908.
About the APACHE Project:
SWEENEY TODD marks the third APACHE Project at John Jay College. APACHE is the acronym for Arts Partnership and Collaborative in Higher Education, and is a collaborative initiative between John Jay College and the colleges participating in the New York Arts Program. The APACHE Project is designed to promote a collaboration of performing artists from diverse communities while creating an arts in education program that fosters cultural diversity. In 2007, APACHE presented the 50th anniversary of West Side Story; and in 2009, Stephen Guirgis’ The Last Days Of Judas Iscariot.
"The Master Forger" tells the true story of the ingenious Dutch art forger Han van Meegeren. Taking place in the shattered city of Amsterdam after World War II, van Meegeren is arrested for selling a priceless Vermeer to the Nazis and charged with treason. But the investigation takes a bizarre turn when van Meegeren claims that the Vermeer in question is his own forgery. The authorities challenge him to prove his ridiculous claim or face the gallows. Now, the master forger must create his own greatest fake – or die. "The Master Forger" is directed by Susan Einhorn and the cast of six features David Little as Han van Meegeren.
This one act play is the story of two young African American sisters, Fredericka (Fredie) and Jane (Janie), who find themselves living in poverty after the death of their mother. They have no remaining family. They own a few valuables passed down through the slavery of their ancestors: a pearl necklace, a Freedom Box and a quilt. Fredie and Janie take turns looking for jobs sharing one set of “dress up” clothes and the pearl necklace. Hand clapping games, call and response chants and retelling of oral history passed down through their mother helps them maintain their optimism through daily hand to mouth struggles.
When Jefferson, the landlord’s son, steals the remains of the money left by their deceased mother Fredie attempts to sell the pearls. Her visit to the jeweler reveals that the pearl necklace is faux. The visit to the jeweler however, triggers their mother’s emergency plans for her daughters. The jeweler, Mr. Kravitz, contacts Ms. Nicole, a neighbor and secret guardian. The real pearls are safely stored in a vault. The story ends as Fredie and Janie prepare to move to a new home with new jobs and a renewed perspective on the real treasures left by their mother, wisdom and perseverance.
Bloody Bess
Conceived by Stuart Gordon
Written by William J. Norris and John Ostrander
Directed by Kathryn Wylie-Marques
Presented by John Jay’s Department of Communication and Theatre Arts
The Art of Justice Series
Tuesday, April 20 – Friday, April 23 at 7pm; Wednesday, April 21 and Saturday, April 24 at 2pm
"Bloody Bess" is the swashbuckling tale of Elizabeth Presberty, daughter to the governor of the island of Tobago, and her transformation into the avenging pirate captain, Bloody Bess. This melodramatic thriller is sure to please with its larger than life characters, action-packed fight scenes, hairpin plot reversals, and sizzling feminist overtones.
Tickets $10 (Students $5)
For tickets, call the Communication and Theater Arts department at 212-237-8363.
"The Legacy of Shoah" is a unique and compelling two-day festival of documentary films, lectures and music concert that share the personal experiences of survivors of the Holocaust. The Festival will feature the American premiere of "The Forgotten Transports", four films about deportations of Jews to little known concentration camps in Latvia, Belarus, Estonia and Poland, told through the memories of survivors by the award-winning director Lukas Pribyl. The concert will include Schubert’s "Arpeggione Sonata", Bach’s "Cello Suite No. 2 in D Minor", "Children of the Night" by Marion Wiesel, and "Forgotten Transports to Poland" by Lukaš Přibyl. The film "Forgotten Transports to Latvia" (Lukaš Přibyl) will be shown on 12:30pm, 3pm and 5:30pm on March 28, with "Distant Journeys" (Alfred Radok) at 8pm.
Zombie
by Bill Connington
adapted from the novella by Joyce Carol Oates
The Art of Justice Series
Wednesday, March 10 – Saturday, March 13 at 7pm
Once upon a time, Jeffrey Dahmer was the normal guy next door. Now meet Quentin P. – mild-mannered, unassuming, and a serial killer attempting to turn young men into his zombie slaves. Come get inside the mind of a homicidal psychopath. . . if you dare.
Tickets $15 (CUNY Students FREE with Valid ID)
For tickets, call Ticket Central at 212-279-4200 or visit www.ticketcentral.com.
"First Throws" is John Jay’s first playwright salon, presenting new theatrical works and readings in a casual setting. "First Throws" presents new works that examine issues of justice with an artistic perspective.
"Dawn’s Light: The Journey of Gordon Hirabayashi", a solo play by Jeanne Sakata, was inspired by a true story. During World War II in Seattle, University of Washington student Gordon Hirabayashi agonizes over U.S. government orders to forcibly remove and mass incarcerate all people of Japanese ancestry on the West Coast. As he fights to reconcile his country’s betrayal with his passionate belief in the U.S. Constitution, Gordon journeys toward a greater understanding of America’s triumphs --- and a confrontation with its failures.
The featured Virginia Opera Company will be joined by actor Eli Wallach, United States government officials, the Norwegian Ambassador, Songs of Solomon and the Mozart Academy Ensemble in a program of music and readings. The evening will culminate in a performance of Beethoven’s Ode to Joy by all soloists and choruses accompanies by the Mozart Academy Ensemble.
The program featuring the Virginia Opera Company, Peter Mark, Founder and Director will include performances of arias and duets by soprano Veronica Mitina from St. Petersburg, Russia; tenor and former Marine Daniel Snyder; and versatile African-American baritone Lawrence Craig accompanied by Virginia Opera’s Associate Artistic Director and pianist Joseph Walsh. At the climax of the celebration Peter Mark, Artistic Director of both the International Opera Alliance and Virginia Opera Company, will introduce the musical tribute. Broadway Composer & Pianist Jimmy Roberts (“I Love You…You’re Perfect…Now Change”) will perform his unique repertoire including his new song, “One Bright World”. Recently Virginia Opera Company was represented at the Maputo International Music Festival in Mozmbique, Ms. Mitina starred in “Eugene Onegin” and recently opened Virginia Opera’s 35th season as Mimi in “La bohème”. Directed by Chantel Wright, Songs of Solomon, a vocal ensemble, will offer both gospel and Baroque holiday music. The Mozart Academy Ensemble will perform “Vivaldi’s Concerto for Violin in D Major”.
This season the Gerald W. Lynch Theater launches a new Justice Theatre Festival, which showcases new plays that address themes of justice. The theme for Fall 2009 is FLESH & BLOOD: “Justice and the Family”.
IL FURIOSO: THE BIRTH OF MODERN JUSTICE
(a dual language adaptation of Aeschylus’ Eumenides with drums)
Directed by Seth Baumrin
Presented by John Jay’s Department of Communication & Theatre Arts
The Art of Justice Series
Wednesday – Sunday, November 18 – 22, 2009 at 8pm
Il Furioso uses drumming, dance and Aeschylus’ classical text, with a new bilingual translation spoken in English and Spanish, to dig up the roots of justice, from bloody revenge to fair trail in multi-tribal Athens.
Tickets $10 (Students $5)
For tickets, call the Communication and Theater Arts department at 212-237-8363.
For more information, visit www.jjay.cuny.edu/theater.php.
This season the Gerald W. Lynch Theater launches a new Justice Theatre Festival, which showcases new plays that address themes of justice. The theme for Fall 2009 is FLESH & BLOOD: “Justice and the Family”.
“DE NOVO” – Part 1: Lil’ Silent
Written and directed by Jeffrey Solomon
The Art of Justice Series
Thursday – Saturday, November 12 – 14, 2009 at 7pm
A gripping true story of fourteen year-old Edgar Chocoy, who fled Guatemala to escape the largest gang in Central America, only to be sentenced to death by a flawed U.S. immigration system. Talkbacks follow each performance.
Tickets $15 (CUNY Students FREE)
For tickets, call Ticket Central at 212-279-4200 or visit www.ticketcentral.com.
For more information, visit www.jjay.cuny.edu/theater.php.
This season the Gerald W. Lynch Theater launches a new Justice Theatre Festival, which showcases new plays that address themes of justice. The theme for Fall 2009 is FLESH & BLOOD: “Justice and the Family”.
HIDDEN VOICES
Directed by Carli Gaughf
The Art of Justice Series
Saturday, November 14, 2009 at 2pm
True stories of abandonment, drug abuse, loss, motherhood, imprisonment, healing and freedom are voiced by the women who lived them.
Tickets $15 (CUNY Students FREE)
For tickets, call Ticket Central at 212-279-4200 or visit www.ticketcentral.com.
For more information, visit www.jjay.cuny.edu/theater.php.
WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD! is a poignant memoir that artfully rewrites the social scripts available to women, explores the ways in which identities are policed by significant others, and underscores the lasting impressions of the first-generation American experience. The piece is written and performed by Meghan Duffy and directed by Andrea Balis. Mark Goodman provides musical accompaniment.
For more information, visit www.jjay.cuny.edu/theater.php.
Commissioned by the Mural Arts Project of Philadelphia and InterAct Theatre, KILLADELPHIA is the latest work from award-winning playwright and solo performer Sean Christopher Lewis
In the summer of 2008, the city of Philadelphia was in the midst of a murder epidemic on par with those of some third world countries. In KILLADELPHIA, Lewis takes an unflinching look at the causes of the increased crime rate and the effect on the community. Using hip hop and documentary theatre techniques, he interweaves the story of murdered teaching fellow Beau Zabel with interviews from inmates at Graterford Prison employed to beautify the city with more than 3,000 murals while serving out life sentences.
John Jay College and the APACHE Project will present The Last Days of Judas Iscariot by Stephen Adly Guirgis, at the Gerald W. Lynch Theater at 899 Tenth Avenue.
Dana Tarantino directs this compelling and complex look at the conflict between divine love and the existence of free will. Set in Downtown Purgatory, a time bending world where troubled souls wait to be permanently assigned to either Heaven or Hell, Judas Iscariot stands trial for committing the world’s most infamous betrayal. As some famous saints and sinners take the witness stand, a feisty defense attorney desperately tries to spare her client the sentence of eternal damnation. Guirgis’ play is a moving and soul-searching look at the consequences of choice, faith, guilt, and redemption. Adult themes and language.
The talented and multi-cultural 39 member cast includes David Paarlberg (Judas), Victoria Hervas (St. Monica), Langston Belton (Pontius Pilate), Isaac Bush (Satan), Rosie Pignataro (Mother Teresa), Ryan Eustace (Judge Littlefield) and Chelsea Kilburn (Cunningham) and Michael Fudge (El-Fayoumy).
Tarantino’s creative team features Julia Noulin-Merat (set design), Lucrecia Briceno (lighting design), Joanne Haas (costume design) and Susan Smale (sound design).
Performances run April 21, 22, 23, 24, and 25, at 8:00 p.m. General admission is $10, and student admission is $5 with a valid I.D. Tickets can be obtained at the door on performance nights or by making reservations at apachetickets@verizon.net or by calling 212-695-6908.
In 1957, the Jets and the Sharks fought their turf war on the streets of Hell's Kitchen. Now, a half Century later, and still in Hell's Kitchen, John Jay College is proud to present its 50th anniversary production of West Side Story at the Gerald W. Lynch Theater on December 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th at 8pm.
A modern retelling of Romeo and Juliet, West Side Story is the tale of young lovers caught between the cultural tension and violence brewing on the streets of New York City as working-class white youth and Puerto Rican immigrants sought to carve out a turf and identity they could call their own. Through the years clashes between different ethnicities change, but the story remains timeless, and its message about gang violence still resonates today in cities throughout the country.
In the true collaborative spirit of the original production, the West Side Story cast, orchestra, and crew will consist of over 100 students chosen from John Jay College as well as from other participating colleges from Ohio to New Mexico. Dana Tarantino directs, musical direction by Nicholas G.M. Ross, set design by Art Rotch, lighting design by Lucrecis Briceno, and features performances by Adam Sansiveri, Abby Lee, Heather Revfram, Buenaventura Rodriguez.