Vera Hoar’s photos from the Artists Without Walls’ Showcase at The Cell Theatre, May 26, 2015
VERA HOAR'S PHOTOS from AWoW's MAY SHOWCASE at THE CELL
ARTISTS WITHOUT WALLS' MEMBERS "ON THE TOWN" WEEK of 11/9/14
“Artists Without Walls at Rockwood Music Hall,” 196 Allen St., Wednesday, November 12th, 7:00pm. (Doors open at 6:30) Come and be entertained by Deni Bonet, Warren Malone, Aisha Badru, Jack O’Connell, Tara O’Grady and Sasha Papernik. Tickets $20, members using the discount code $15. Click here to buy tickets now.
Social activist and ceramic artist Sana Musasama‘s show “Whispers and Echoes” is now at Hunter College, at the corner of 68th St. and Lexington Ave., NYC, through November 14th. Visitors will need to get a “guest pass” from the main entrance, next to the enormous black cube. You may then use any entrance to reach the Thomas Hunter Project Space, located in the basement of the Thomas Hunter Building. Visitation by appointment the weeks of October 26-November 14th also available. Please call or email with any questions: musasama@hotmail.com or 646.361.3861
ModERIN: DARRAH CARR DANCE at the Irish Arts Center, November 14 – 16, Friday & Saturday | 8 pm and Sunday | 3 pm. Featuring Choreographers: Christopher Caines – Darrah Carr – Seán Curran.
“Irish culture embraces the world in works by Darrah Carr.” New York Times
Tickets are $25, but AWoW members receive a $7 discount and pay $18. Write to info@artistswithoutwalls.com for the discount code. Family Shows, $15 Saturday & Sunday | 11 am. For a complete schedule and to buy tickets on line click here or by calling 866-811-411
RANDOM ACTS, written and performed by Renata Hinrichs, will have its final performance in the United Solo Festival, Friday, November 14th at 7:30. Theater Row 410 West 42nd St., NYC. Tickets are $19.25 at the door or click here
"THE ATMOSPHERE IS ELECTRIC' at an AWoW SHOWCASE
“The atmosphere is electric; it encourages creativity, imagination, and very importantly, friendship and discussion between like minds amongst the audience and the performers. Everybody is welcome at Artist’s Without Walls.” Eimear O’Connor, Ireland, author, Sean Keating: Art, Politics and Building the Irish Nation.
Here are a few of the great moments from AWoW’s 10/22/14 Showcase:
Ron Vazzano performed a monologue entitled “Ten Totems of Obsolescence in Passing,” adapted from an essay he had posted online in his monthly “Muse-Letter.” This stunning piece, that ran the full gamut of emotions— from pathos to joy— captivated the audience. A highlight, was his bemoaning the fact that the 100 Watt bulb had now been replaced by a new squiggly fluorescent one, which he suddenly produced from his jacket pocket with an existential bewailing: “A light bulb that will outlive me!”
Ceramic artist Sana Musasama began her compelling performance, which included a filmed photo-journey of her art and travels, stating that as a world traveler she seeks out the comfort and protection of women in traditional cultures. She visits markets that are dominated by women who invite her into their lives, guide her and teach her; they feed her passion. Describing her mission, Sana said, “Heart first…you touch lives and you are touched by life.” A riveting presentation.
Dan Yurkofsky, Noah Hoffeld,and Melissa Stylianou performed “Wyoming” and “MIddle of the Road”, songs from Hoverhill, Dan’s recently released album of his original songs. “Wyoming” featured Melissa’s gorgeous singing voice and Noah’s superb cello playing. Both songs displayed Dan’s evocative composing and lyric writing style. Hoverhill is available for purchase on CD Baby and Amazon.
Liz Queler and Laurie Lewis, were joined by musicians Mike Visceglia, Seth Farber and Robin Daniels in a piece written expressively for their AWoW performance called “The Owl and the Pussycat. Here are few of the audience’s comments:
“Everything about it was perfection—the contrast between the nursery rhyme and your narrative, the beauty of the underlying melody, Robin’s eerie percussive touches, it all coalesced into an incredibly moving and emotive piece of art.”
“Wow. That was wonderful. It came together beautifully and moved me to shiny tears. I expected the piece to be poignant, but the joy and hope came from the performance.”
“I just loved the piece – as lulling as a lullaby but oh so subtly becomes an adult odyssey, daydream, night mare….”
Israeli born Jazz guitarist Idan Morin said, “My playing is based off of jazz, but is influenced by rock, classical and world music. The music that I write tends to be very melodic, cinematic at times.” Idan began his set playing an improvised intro to an old jazz standard called “My Ideal,” followed by the actual tune. He followed with two originals, the first called “Mental Comp” and the second “Movement.” Idan is clearly staking out his own territory with his technical brilliance and melodic sound.
Richard Deane read a scene from his novel in progress “When Yesterday Comes.” In this scene Richard invites us into the private retrospection of a young woman reflecting upon the psychological abandonment and abuse that haunted her childhood. Elle Hatcher’s survival comes at the cost of her innocence and portends consequences that will affect not only her own life but those of her younger sisters. Richard’s words evoke a universal poignancy meant to scratch below the surface of our sympathetic responses to life’s tragic disappointments.
Warren Malone and his son Gibson lit up the theatre with three inspired tunes. Warren began with one of his own works, a soulful tune called “Ash and Smoke,” then was joined by his son Gibson on piano for “Good Golly Miss Molly” and “Mean Woman Blues.” Have a listen below.
Artists Without Walls next Showcase will be at The Cell Theatre on November 25th. For more information contact info@artistswithoutwalls.com
Photos by Vera Hoar.
STELLAR LINEUP for ARTISTS WITHOUT WALLS' SHOWCASE at THE CELL, WED, OCT 22, 7pm
“Artists Without Walls allows the various artists to bring things they ‘make’ to The Cell, to share with others. Sharing my neon animations last night was a real honor. To have been able to offer the crowd a touch of fun and joy is the icing on the cake for an artist.” Jack Feldstein, animator and scriptwriter, after a recent AWoW Showcase.
And they’ll be more of the same on Wednesday, October 22nd, 7pm at The Cell Theatre, 338 W23rd Street, NYC.
Ron Vazzano is a writer and poet, and his monthly on line “Muse-Letter” (a mix of essays, reviews, poems, quotes, wordplay etc) just reached its tenth anniversary this month. Ron’s essays have been posted on the Artists Without Walls’ website and he’s also read his poetry on a number of occasions at Showcases over the past year. In a former life, he spent some years as an actor appearing in theatrical productions in New York City as well as on the road. Ron will be working in both capacities on Wednesday, doing a character monologue that he has adapted from an essay appearing on his website this month, entitled: “Ten Totems of Obsolescence in Passing.”
Laurie Lewis is a nationally and internationally acclaimed composer/producer/owner of Incommon Music, an original music production company, established in 1990. Incommon Music has produced hundred of scores and songs for film, commercials and multi media installations. Joining Laurie will be Liz Queler who is a touring and recording artist. Liz’s first theater piece ‘Still Will be
Heard’ was recently commissioned and produced by Montclair State University to rave reviews. AWoW is delighted to reunite Laurie and Liz – a songwriting and production team that began 25 years ago. They’ve developed a piece called “The Owl and the Pussycat” specifically for Wednesday’s performance.
World traveler, humanitarian and ceramic artist Sana Musasama will be joining us once again this Wednesday to discuss her efforts on behalf of abused young girls around the world and her work, which as she says, “Is about an experience that triggers an emotion, sometimes of a place or a time.” She then submerges herself with information that informs these ideas and concepts. “When I feel this overwhelming presence I poetically call my extra heart beat. I then pick up my clay and begin to build.” If you missed Sana when she visited us six months ago here’s another chance to meet this very compelling woman.
Singer/songwriter Warren Malone loves to sing, write songs and play guitar. “I love traditional folk music as much as I love a great pop song. The first record I ever put on was a Hank Williams’ record when I was four years old. As a kid I loved Elvis.” Joining Warren on the piano for some old time rock ‘n’roll will be his son Gibson Malone. If you haven’t heard these two play together you’re in for a treat
Richard Deane will be reading a scene from his novel-in-progress, “When Yesterday Comes.” At a reading earlier in the year Richard read a scene that poignantly explores the existential conflict between a cabdriver’s skittish trepidations and the allurement of his prurient desires as he drives two menacing street pimps uptown to Harlem on Christmas Day. We’re looking forward to another excellent passage from Richard’s work.
Singer/composer Dan Yurkofsky will present two songs from his recently released CD “Hoverhill. “Although he now resides in New York City, many of the songs on the record are inspired by life in Santa Fe, New Mexico where he lived for several years. He’ll be joined by two of the outstanding musicians that play on the album: cellist Noah Hoffeld and singer Melissa Stylianou.
Idan Morin, a guitarist who hails from Israel and studied at the Tel Aviv Conservatory of Music and more recently at the New School for Jazz and Contemporary music in NYC, grew up studying the giants of jazz and musicians from all over the world. His ability to communicate without words is cleary present in his music and Improvisation.
Hope to see you at The Cell this Wednesday.
ARTISTS WITHOUT WALLS' MEMBERS ON THE TOWN: WEEK of 2/9/14
Singer Tara O’Grady will be at Why Not Jazz Room, 14 Christopher Street, in NYC’s West Village on Sunday, February 9, 9-11pm. $10 at the door. She will be joined by Pete Kennedy on guitar and David Shaich on bass. At the corner of Christopher St and Gay St in the West Village, a lovely coffee shop sits on the corner and plays records on a turn table. And below the turning and churning of Etta James and Colombian beans, nestled below the street, is a tiny jazz club where one can escape the cold and imagine the Village of Bob Dylan’s days.
Sana Musasama exhibits her sculptural ceramics, the Unspeakable Series at the Museum of Arts and Design, 2 Columbus Circle, NYC until March 2, 2014. Each work, inspired by a personal incident or symbolic tale, expresses a deep emotional identity, contrasting societal, political, and personal views on themes such as anxiety, bias, mortality and memory. Entry to the museum is $16.
Fiddler Deni Bonet will be performing with Ed Romanoff at Rockwood Music Hall on Saturday, February 15 at 7:30 PM. 196 Allen Street (Between Houston & Stanton). Tickets can be purchased here for $10
Join Artists Without Walls at their first “Showcase” at Hofstra University, Tuesday, February 18th, 2:15pm in Hempstead, NY . A talented array of artists will be performing: Members of Darrah Carr Dance, Hofstra students including spoken word artist Koro Koroye and dancer Priya Gupta, fiddler Deni Bonet, Irish singer/songwriter Brian Farrell, Brit-Asian stage performer Nadia Parvez Manzoor, jazz pianist Sharp Radway, Irish singer/songwriter Niamh Hyland and jazz singer Antoinette Montague.
ARTISTS WITHOUT WALLS' MEMBERS ON THE TOWN: WEEK of 11/10/13
There is a reception for artist Sana Musasama from 2-5 today, Sunday, at the Kingsborough Community College of the City University of New York in the Art Gallery, Ground Floor–Arts and Science Building–2001 Oriental Boulevard, Brooklyn, NY. Sana’s show “In Reawakening” is running through November 29. ———-
There will be a staged reading of Seamus Scanlon’s The Long Wet Grass in Tivoli New York, Sunday Nov 10th at 6 pm. Tangent-Arts Theatre
Honor Molloy will be part of a themed reading “when we were young” hosted by Mr. Devin Doyle, featuring Honor and four other talented writers: John “Chance” Acevedo, Nancy Agabian, Christine Kendall and Anna Voisard. You can find their bios here: http://boundlesstales.
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Irish Traditional singer and Fulbright Scholar Mary McPartlan and legendary jazz pianist Bertha Hope will be performing an evening of American blues, folk, and Irish songs at the Irish Arts Center, 553 W51st St on Thursday, November 14. The concert will see both their styles and history merging together to create a new earthy, colorful and playful canvas for these two genres. Bertha and Mary first met at an Artists Without Walls’ Showcase and they are making their debut at the Irish Arts Center. Tickets are $30 but AWoW members can click here to order tickets for $20. https://web.ovationtix.com/
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The Irish Arts Center will be hosting ModERIN: The 15th Anniversary of Darrah Carr Dance with guest choreographer Seán Curran. (Also featuring the book launch of “ModERIN: Contemporary Irish Dance Works – Darrah Carr Dance”). November 22-24 Friday & Saturday | 8 pm Sunday | 3 pm Family Shows: Saturday & Sunday | 11 am Opening Night Reception & Book Launch – Friday, November 22nd! *Special $18 discount for AWOW members! Call: 866-811-4111 or https://web.ovationtix.com/
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Honor Finnegan will be performing on Friday, November 15th at the Minstrel Coffeehouse. She will be opening for John Forster 8:00 pm | $8 Morris County Cultural Center Morris Township NJ 07005 US 973-335-9489. Honor will be performing on Saturday, November 16th in Concerts at the Crossing. She will be opening for John Gorka 7:30 pm. 268 Washington Crossing Rd Titusville NJ 08560 US 609-406-1424 Aviv Roth will be joining Honor on guitar. For tickets and reservations, please check their website.
ARTISTS WITHOUT WALLS’ SHOWCASE at THE CELL THEATRE: 10/22/13
Singer/songwriter Ed Romanoff said, “If you were to put Ed Sullivan, Oscar Wilde and TEDTalks into a blender you’d get Artist Without Walls. The Showcase is a friendly environment for artists to share their work and start unique collaborations in a remarkably intimate setting. One of the most receptive and fun shows I’ve been a part of…”
Poet Angela Alaimo O’Donnell offered a powerful reading of selections from her books Moving House, Saint Sinatra, and Waking My Mother. Hers are fierce, finely-wrought poems that embrace unlovely realities–the hard life of “Coal Town,” the families that labor beneath its ashen skies, the death of a father, the loves of a mother, spiritual hope dogged by spiritual despair. O’Donnell’s superb, inspired language and forgiving imagination have somehow survived the “slag heaps” of home. Her passionate performance offered public witness to the power of poetry to speak the unspeakable, to articulate for us all what we cannot, and to redeem our lives and losses through beauty.
Ceramic artist Sana Musasama began her compelling performance, which included a filmed photo-journey of her art and travels, stating that as a world traveler she seeks out the comfort and protection of women in traditional cultures She visits markets that are dominated by women who invite her into their lives, guide her and teach her; they feed her passion. Sana’s work is about an experience that triggers an emotion , sometimes a place or a time. She then submerges herself with information that informs these ideas and concepts. As she said, “When I feel this overwhelming presence I poetically call my extra heart beat. I then pick up my clay and begin to build.”
Visiting Irish writer Alan McMonagle read from his newly published collection, Psychotic Episodes. In ten captive minutes he excerpted a story that manages to accommodate a six-hundred-year-old woman, a talking cat, a marijuana grower, a pair of deaf and blind philosophers, a notorious womanizer, and a Yoga Master become property developer. We hope to see Alan back in the States soon. A most welcome addition to the AWoW lineup of talent.
Singer/songwriter Diana Jones made a dazzling Showcase debut singing three songs. She opened with “Henry Russell’s Last Words,” a song she wrote, based on a letter a dying miner scratched on a piece of paper while trapped in a mine. Diana followed with “Pony” a song told from the viewpoint of a young Native American girl in the 1920s who is forced to assimilate to a life and culture that is not her own. She ended her set with a song from her brand new release Museum of Appalachia Recordings. Diana combines traditional mountain and old-time sounds with a literate, character-driven brand of storytelling. She will be appearing in NYC at Hill Country NY on Monday, November 4th. I highly recommend getting tickets to hear this great talent. Click here for ticket info
Fiddler Deni Bonet and singer and AWoW cofounder Niamh Hyland accompanied Ed Romanoff on four tunes. Mixing humor and warmth with darker tones, aided by two very accomplished musicians, Ed’s songs, stories of the human condition, captivated the audience. Niamh closed out the set with a touching, soulful tribute to her mother Margaret and grandmother Sarah by performing the old Irish ballad: “The Parish of Knockmore.” She followed it with a haunting and powerful version of Alanis Morissette’s tune “Uninvited”. Beautiful singing and a voice that can go from zero-to-sixty in a heartbeat.
Ron Vazzano read from his books of poems Shots from a Passing Car, in a an exuberant and energetic manner, in the best tradition of spoken word performance. His satiric and cutting edge style was most evident in “Blue Sky Session At Morning,” which recounts moments in time from his previous life as an advertising executive. This piece especially elicited an hilarious response from an audience, obviously attuned to the “Mad Man” culture.
We were pleased to have Jenai Huff join us again last night. Jenai played three songs from her new EP Grace and Elbow Grease. The first song was the title track, followed by “Make This Be” and closing with with “Come Home.” Jenai’s songs are about life, love and loss and she clearly has a reverence for them. Her pure and soulful voice and big smile coax the listener to relax.
The evening concluded with a tour-de-force performance from a work written by the very talented actor D.J. Sharp. His portrayal of Tennessee Williams in his final three days of his life at New York’s Hotel Elysee was spellbinding and brought down the house. A brilliant end to a night filled with one great performance after another.
At the end of the evening AWoW member Ray Lindie said, “Brilliant! Somehow egos are left at the door and you sit there absorbing these wonderful performances. And by the end of the evening you find yourself connected to your soul.”
The next Artists Without Walls Showcase will be on November 26th at The Cell Theater, 338 W. 23rd St., NYC. For more information on Artists Without Walls contact info@artistswithoutwalls.com
Photos by Cat Dwyer and Vera Hoar
COMING UP ON TUESDAY, 10/22: ARTISTS WITHOUT WALLS’ SHOWCASE at THE CELL THEATER
“The atmosphere is electric; it encourages creativity, imagination, and very importantly, friendship and discussion between like minds amongst the audience and the performers. Everybody is welcome at Artists Without Walls.” Eimear O’Connor, Ireland, author, Sean Keating: Art, Politics and Building the Irish Nation.
And this promises to be another great evening, which will include a number of first time presenters.
A number of months ago singer/songwriter Ed Romanoff attended a Showcase at which fiddler Deni Bonet wowed the audience. They struck up a conversation and within a short period of time Deni was signed onto Ed’s tour of Ireland. On Tuesday they will be joined by singer and Artists Without Walls’ co-founder, Niamh Hyland. This promises to be a killer session.
Ceramic artist Sana Musasama will speak about her world travels, what she has seen, experienced and learned and how that translates into her work. “I really see no separation between my life, my travels, my objects, and my interaction with my community,” Musasama said. “The artwork that I make is full of cries, it’s full of tears, it’s full of stories. But when I’m making it and putting it in this object and handing it to you, you are sharing my burden when you take it away and share that story with someone else.”
Singer/songwriter Diana Jones will be making her debut at an Artists Without Walls’ Showcase. Diana has won a number of songwriting competitions including the venerable “New Folk” competition at the 2006 Kerrville Folk Festival. Her song “Pony” was nominated as “Song of the Year” by the North American Folk Alliance, and Jones herself was nominated as “Emerging Artist of the Year” for 2006. Joan Baez released a recording of Diana’s “Henry Russell’s Last Words” on her album Day After Tomorrow, which was nominated for a Grammy.
Angela Alaimo O’Donnell will be reading selections from her books Moving House, Saint Sinatra and Waking My Mother. These are poems that engage in myth-making, explore the darkness & complexities of family life, and honor the power of art to redeem our fraught and fractured histories. A species of sacrament, poetry celebrates mystery.
And there’ll be plenty more: Back for her second Showcase appearance will be Jenai Huff. Jenai, with her clear and soulful voice, will be singing songs from her new CD Grace and Elbow Grease. Visiting Irish writer Alan McMonagle will be reading from his newly published short story collection Psychotic Episodes, described by novelist Patrick McCabe as being precise, tender and glitteringly compelling. Ron Vazzano, a poet whose work has appeared in a number of literary journals, will be reading a few poems
from his book Shots from a Passing Car. And rounding out the evening will be playwright and actor DJ Sharp performing a scene from his play “Return to Tennessee.” The play takes place during the last three days of Tennessee Williams” life in his suite at the Hotel Elysee in NYC.
Join the members and friends of Artists Without Walls, Tuesday, October 22, 7pm, at The Cell Theater, 338 W. 23rd Street, NYC. There is no charge.