Tonight at The Cell Theatre, Artists Without Walls presents its second “Showcase.” The evening begins at 7PM and promises to be great fun, an evening filled with a diverse and very talented group of presenters.
We are pleased to announce that the celebrated Irish Traditional Singer Mary McPartlan who is also a member of staff at NUI Galway and has been awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to City University of New York will be joining us tonight. As part of her Fulbright Scholarship Mary will teach a module on “Irish Traditional Women Singers” and their songs since the 1950’s, as well as give a series of lectures on Irish contemporary playwrights and plays. Listen to Mary remember the great Chilean singer Victor Jara in song. Mary McPartlan sings “Victor Jara” You won’t want to miss Mary’s performance.
Among tonight’s presenters is author Kathleen Hill. Kathleen’s novel, Who Occupies This House, published in 2011, tells the story of an Irish-American family that has lived in the same house for a century. The story is inspired by silences that extend backward to the untold story of the Famine. But tonight Kathleen will be reading another great work, a story called, “My Apple, My Brightness.” I read this brilliant story not long ago. I was immediately reminded of my family leaving Ireland, and why they did, and how they lived on the Lower East Side, wondering what they saw, the odors they smelled and how they felt. This is a story in which all immigrants’ descendants will find his or her own experience and emotions folded within.
And that’s just the beginning. Wonderful jazz singer Antoinette Montague will be on hand and performing. Listen to Antoinette with jazz great, pianist Mulgrew Miller “The Song is You” Seamus Scanlon and Stehpanie Silber will be reading from their novels, spoken word artist Koro will be performing four short works (Patrick Kavanagh Award Winner, Connie Roberts, who Koro credits for helping her find her “voice” will also be joining us.)
Playwright Brendan Connellan, actor Jack O’Connell and attorney and writer Jim Rodgers, making his stage debut, will be performing a scene from Brendan’s play Pompa Pompal.
And maybe a surprise short film!
Hope to see you at The Cell Theatre, 338 W. 23rd St, 7PM.