Some comments from Tuesday night’s Artists Without Walls “Collaboration Night.”
“Once again I thank you for the wonderful opportunity and venue you have provided for artists to showcase their talents.” Ron Vazzano
“Stupendous experience. Oh, the memories! A special highlight of my life participating at AWoW last night.” Cynthia Neale
“Good people, great fun! Let’s put on a show!” Jack O’Connell
“The photos capture the sweetness and magic of that night!” Jenai Huff
“I still have a smile on my face since Tuesday night, it was so much fun.” Tzila Levy
One of the objectives of Artists Without Walls is for members to collaborate with other artists of the same or different disciplines. Over the course of AWoW’s first ten months we’ve had a number of collaborations that have led to some wonderful performances and we know, given the opportunity, there are many more waiting to happen.
Last Tuesday AWoW had it’s first “Collaborative Night.” Six groups of three or four members, who have worked together for the past two months, presented short works. The idea behind the event was to get the creative juices flowing and come up with something creative and entertaining.
The evening began with a short work written by Honor Molloy and Joe Goodrich. Caroline Winterson and Annette Homann were wonderful as a woman looking for love and another looking for work in “Looking for Love in All the Wrong Places.” Charles Hale played the shifty and lubricious, bar owner/pianist.
Marni, Rice, Jack O’Connell and Guen Donohue each showcased their special talents in a skit about Coney Island circa 1970. Marni’s accordion, Jack’s “barking” and Guen’s yearning all worked brilliantly together and perfectly captured a “gone-by” era.
Singer/songwriter Jenai Huff adeptly wove two songs through Cynthia O’Neale’s compelling reenactment of a story of her character Nora from her book, “Norah: The Making of an Irish-American Woman in 19th-Century New York,” and Joanna Rush’s dramatic performance of a character from her solo play “Asking For It.” The skit was titled “Women Who Rise Up Through Adversity.” This radiant trio gets the award for having the most fun. What a delight!
Noel Lawlor and Michele Cetera presented “Private Illusions”, combining Tennessee Williams, “Glass Menagerie” and “Streetcar named Desire.” Two different plays, two different characters and yet the protagonists, Tom and Blanche, have much in common. Each creates their own “private illusions” to cope with life’s disappointments and lost dreams, while never escaping ghosts from the past. Great work from two fine actors.
Fiddler and singer Deni Bonet opened her group’s skit with a stirring rendition of her song, “One in a Million” and then proceeded to create evocative moods for the wonderful poetry of Ron Vazzano and Mary Tierney.
The next Artists Without Walls’ Showcase will be on Thursday, December 19, 7pm, at The Cell Theater, 338 w. 23rd St., NYC. For more information on Artists Without Walls contact info@artistswithoutwalls.com
Charles, AWoW’s collaboration w/Deni Bonet & Ron Navarro had the original work of both of them; however the poems I read were by David Pilot and the song was Ophelua’s mad son “Will he not come again.”
Just wouldn’t want to have not recognized David’s work from his play HANS. We were unable to use our graphics that night where everyone was given due credit.
I’m not a writer or a poet or a singer/songwriter AS YET!
But more work with AWOW, who knows!
See you the 3rd at Lehman for WOMEN & Labour night.