Charles R. Hale

ARTISTS WITHOUT WALLS’ MAY SHOWCASE by VINCENT NAUHEIMER

Artists Without Walls’ May Showcase by Vincent Nauheimer

The attendees at Tuesday night’s Artists Without Walls’ performance at the Cell were richly rewarded by a diverse group of artists and, for a number of the performers, a debut in grand style.

The evening started out with a heart-warming story told in spoken word and song by first time Artists Without Walls’ presenter, Mary Catherine Bolster, or MC as she is known. She was accompanied on the piano by Gabriel Charles. In a beautiful voice, MC recalled how she and her sister grew up with music and then moved on with their lives in separate directions. The one thing that was quite obvious from her words, emotion and song, was that the love they had for each other never diminished. Her performance ended with a beautiful rendition of the Ave Marie in tribute to her now deceased sister.

Cynthia Neale, who was in New York this week to celebrate the early release of her book, “The Irish Milliner” at McSorley’s Old Ale House, followed MC. Cynthia, together with our own Charles Hale, (Co-founder of Artist’s Without Walls) performed a scene from her play, which revolved around the prejudice shown to both the Irish and women in the 1850’s. The irony of the scene is that it depicted a woman trying to get a drink in McSorley’s and the bartender played by, Charles, promptly showing her the door. The scene ended with Cynthia and Charles doing a modified version of the Irish Jig which would have made Fred and Ginger envious!

Peter Stoopack, also a first time Artists Without Walls’ performer, added drama to the evening, delivering two engaging pieces. Peter’s first piece was Robert Frost’s poem, “Death of the Hired Man.” Skillfully delivered, the poem examines what the word home means and recounts Frost’s tale of the hired hand coming back, to what he considered his home, to die. Next, Peter launched into the famous St. Crispin’s Day monologue from Shakespeare’s “Henry V.” It was a rousing performance of Henry the V’s call to his army to beat the French at Agincourt. If Peter had been Henry, we would have followed him into battle following his amazing delivery of this emotional charged speech.

Next to take center stage was Patrick Bamburak, who is best known as a founding member of the indie-rock band, bait-oven, (pronounced “Beethoven” – as a pun on the composer’s name.), but is also globally recognized as a contributing editor for Black Belt Magazine. Patrick, a veteran artist, songwriter and singer played three of his own compositions including his opening number, America Can’t Last and then added, Without Love. He recognizes that it is the artists who are called to be the keepers of the flame and speak their truth especially concerning the power of love and compassion. Patrick finished up his set with a splendid rendition of another appropriate song for the times, “America” by Simon & Garfunkel.

Gui Augustini and Christina Jolie Breza extracted numerous belly laughs from the audience in a hilarious scene from “Sight Unseen” by Donald Margulies. The action began as a first time artist’s model, played by Christine, cajoles the artist, Gui, to show her his sketches. She then comes on strongly to the rather timid artist, who obviously doesn’t know what to make of it. This was an amazing, high energy performance, playing off each other so incredibly well, which the scene’s hilarity. It was a pleasure watching these two perform and judging by the abilities displayed at the Cell, we will be hearing and seeing a lot more of them.

**Christina Jolie Breza and Gui Agustini**

The final performance was comedic, one that included an underlying message of great importance. Jennifer Rawlings was welcomed for the first time to the Artists Without Walls’ stage by Niamh Hyland, co-founder of Artists Without Walls. Jennifer,who has appeared on Comedy Central, CMT, PBS, FOX, VH-1, A&E, CNN, Joy Behar and TEDx talks, highlighted the pain and suffering of mothers and women in warzones and asked the question, “What am I/we going to do about it?” Jennifer then proceeded to discuss the making of her documentary “I Only Smoke in War Zones” which documents the effects of war on women. The underlying theme was a magnificent and inspirational story about the power one woman wielded when she set her mind to it. A brilliant ending to a wonderful evening. And lastly, as a veteran, I would like to personally thank Jennifer for the over 300 shows she has done for members of our armed forces all over the globe.

Photos by Vera Hoar

Vera Hoar’s Photos from the April Showcase

It had been two months since we had an AWoW showcase, and the line-up from our April night just reminded us why we do this every month. On a rainy evening, folks trickled in slower than usual and as they said their hello’s, grabbed a beverage and took to their seats, they switched off the day that had passed and enjoyed 90 minutes of entertainment. From comedy, to poetry, to music and word, we moved through seven performers, closing out the night with our usual buzzing after chat, excited performers, and some new members to add to the fold.

Grateful we continue to have outstanding talent from month to month. Our next showcase is May 23rd.

**The Artists Without Walls April 2017 Showcase!**

MITCH TRAPHAGEN’S PHOTOS FROM AWOW’S “LOVE FORCE” NIGHT AT SID GOLD’S

Mitch Traphagen’s photos from Artist Without Walls’ “Love Force” benefit Showcase for Stars of Hope at Sid Golds Request Room.

AWoW February 2017 Showcase featuring Walter Parks, Serena Jost, Allison Sylvia, Deni Bonet, Niamh Hyland, J.r. Garcia. Marty Plevel, Charles R. Hale, Dia Luna and Joe McGinty.

THE EXPRESSIVENESS OF SILENCE

THE EXPRESSIVENESS OF SILENCE and SPACE in STORYTELLING, MUSIC and ART

by Charles R. Hale

Recently, a few friends and I gathered in a local pub when the subject turned to “silence and space” in art. When one of my friends mentioned that he once heard Pete Seeger say, “It’s not what you put into a song, it’s what you leave out that counts,” the music of jazz great Miles Davis came to mind. When I began listening to Miles I was struck by his ability to do more with silence and empty space than any musician I had ever heard. Miles didn’t fill every second with sound. He understood the power of silence. Listen to “It Never Entered My Mind.”

Great artists have the ability to create with less, allowing us our own space to develop our own story: Francisco Goya, in his Tauromaquia series used blank canvas and shadings of grey and white to create the feeling of space. In this sketch, Goya uses empty space to dramatize the fury of a singular moment of horror during a bullfight.

Johan Sebastian Bach understood the power of silence and space as well. During Bach’s B Minor Mass, at the end of the section marked Crucifixus (Crucification), the music slowly sinks into silence, followed by a pause—a moment of contemplation, a moment of space—and then, an explosion of joy and revelation in the Et resurrext. (The Resurrection)

A year ago I received a note from a friend. “Would you read a story I wrote? Something’s missing. I’m looking for a word or words that will give the last few paragraphs more impact, more oopmh. Nothing seems to work.” I read her story and while I claim no great editorial skills, I felt the character development was wonderful, the story had great pace, from the inciting incident, which created conflict, through the midsection’s rising tension, right up until the crisis point or conflict resolution. The ending was perfect. I sent my friend a note. “I could see your character in the last scene and I understood his problem. I knew his motivations and I was there with him. You didn’t have to tell me the character was desperate or frantic, you’d done all the heavy lifting earlier. Your shorter words and shorter sentences built a moment of high drama. Your writing shows great respect for your reader; you allow them the space to be creative; you allow them the space to furnish the emotion. Less is more. In my view, that’s what often makes for great storytelling.”

The power of space and silence were never more evident to me than when I spoke before a gathering of college students and their families a number of years ago. The subject was the value of family stories. I was undecided about including the story of my mother’s sister’s death, a baby who died seven hours after she was born, until the moment I began speaking. I feared that I’d have difficultly controlling my emotions, yet, within a few minutes—I don’t know why—I started telling the story.

As I feared, her death and burial, and the emotions that the story evoked in me, were still too raw. I bowed my head and my eyes filled with tears; I had no idea how I would go on. Finally, I looked up. I was astonished. The entire front row was crying. I regained my composure. I was able to finish my story.

The events of the day became clear to me later in the evening. During the story’s build-up a number of listeners were probably experiencing a bond with my grandmother, grandfather or me. They were sharing a powerful story and many may have assumed the role of one of the characters in the story. Other listeners may have experienced the same wound and so they filtered my story of the baby’s death through their past. When I paused, the listeners may have been provided the space in which they could explore their thoughts, furnish their own emotions, and develop their own stories.

Miles Davis once said, “‘It’s not about the space you play, but the space you leave.” Allowing for space and silence may be one of the keys to effective creative expression, not only for the artist, but the artist’s audience as well.

NYC: ASHCAN ART, EDWARD HOPPER AND MY GRANDFATHER

NYC: ASHCAN ART, EDWARD HOPPER and MY GRANDFATHER

By Charles R. Hale

When I began researching my family history I discovered that there were few mementos from the past. There were no letters, only a few old photos—one may have been taken in the 1890’s, and only a few before 1930–a 1913 funeral receipt and an oil painting. The painting captures a nighttime ritual, three NYFD firemen from Engine Co. 14, including my grandfather, (right), sitting around a table, playing poker.

The painting hung on a wall in my grandparents’ NYC apartment and other than Grandpa Charlie using it as a prop for one of his riotous tales, I didn’t know much. I knew that a fireman, Edward Brady, painted it but I never gave much thought to the history of the painting.

As I searched for links to the past–events that would elucidate my ancestors’ space and time–I began considering the painting. I imagined, given my grandfather’s appearance, that it was completed in the nineteen-forties. Once I learned that Edward Brady was a fireman at Engine 14 during the early forties, I was confident in my dating of the painting. As I studied, what I call “Firemen Playing Cards” and American art and artists of that period, I also learned the history behind the style in which Brady painted. It was a school of painting, very different than a generation earlier, and a style that enabled Brady to capture that singular moment in my grandfather’s life.

At the turn of the 20th century American Artists and photographers rebelled against the predominating art of aristocratic portraiture. A new style of painting developed, which was loose and impressionistic, and based on a new subject matter: modern life. Artists developed an interest in human elements: every day subjects in dramatic light. Art became a revelation of life’s experience, both the exciting and the mundane. This school of painting became known as Ashcan Art and included artists such as Robert Henri, John Sloan and George Bellows. Two artists who were greatly influenced by this style of painting, both of whom were associated with New York schools of art during the developmental period of this style, were Edward Hopper and Guy Pene du Bois.

As I studied “Firemen Playing Cards” in greater detail, I noticed that there was a similarity in style or at least a suggestion of Edward Hopper’s painting, “Nighthawks.” Deliberate and spare, each painting captures a singular New York moment in which three New Yorkers seem lost in their thoughts, anonymous and uncommunicative. The diner’s harsh electric light sets it apart from the dark night outside, as does the softer light emanating from the hanging lamp over the poker table.

Brooklyn born, Guy Pene du Bois who, like his good friend Hopper, depicted narratives of inaction and themes of emotional disengagement, differed in style. While Hopper was interested in capturing moments of solitude, using bold, simplified forms to infuse his scenes with drama, du Bois used smooth curves striking a balance between abstraction and realism. And while at first glance there appears to be no similarity in Brady and du Bois’s work, there is one commonality: the hands.

I’d always believed that Fireman Brady could not paint a pair of human hands. The firemen’s hands are nothing like I’d expect them to be, strong, large and rugged, but rather they look childlike and small.

But then I look at the style in which du Bois painted hands and I wonder if Brady was familiar with du Bois? The hands are almost identical. Was Brady familiar with the school of painters who had studios on 14th St. and Union Square, a few blocks from Engine Co. 14, which is located on 18th Street. Did he take lessons at any of these art leagues?

I don’t remember hearing Edward Brady’s name when I was a child. I noticed his name on the painting after his art was bequeathed to me a number of years ago. Looking through old firehouse logs of Engine 14 I was able to determine that Brady and my grandfather were fellow firefighters. And now I stare at the painting every morning, grateful that my grandfather’s friend, a man with whom he risked his life fighting fires, captured this singular moment in my grandfather’s life.

SPOTLIGHT ON AWoW COFOUNDER AND ARTISTIC DIRECTOR CHARLES R. HALE

Interview with Mitch Traphagen

Who is Charles R. Hale?

**Charles R. Hale preparing for “Jazz in the City: The New York Connection” Photo by Vera Hoar**

Charles R. Hale was born, raised and educated in New York. A descendant of New York City’s Irish famine immigrants, Charles is a former partner of a NYC based consulting firm that specialized in succession planning for family-owned and closely-held businesses. He grew up in a family of inveterate storytellers and has continued the family tradition. His storytelling now incorporates the written and spoken word, music and film.

Why do you have such a great interest in stories and storytelling?

If someone asks me to tell him or her something about myself, what do I do? I share something of my life and put it in story form. I think we all do that. Stories are the narratives that we live by, revolving scripts of our own creation.

We’re all subject to an endless source of new material that impacts our experience and I think we define ourselves, our world, and our role through these experiences. All of these moments coalesce into our personal narrative in which each of us play bit parts; thus, we are connected through our stories.
What picture do you love to stare at and why?

I enjoy looking at anything painted by Johannes Vermeer, but a painting I stare at every day is one by NYC firefighter, Edward Brady. It’s a painting of three firemen, including my grandfather Charlie, staring at their poker hands, singularly within themselves, absent of any sentiment or theatrics. The soft light emanating from the hanging lamp over the poker table enhances the mood and subtle emotion of the participants; the interaction is minimal, but it captures a singular New York City moment in my grandfather’s life. I am very grateful for this painting.

What word best describes you?

I don’t know if it best describes me but it’s a word I use and think of often…connection. Much of our lives and history are connected; sometimes they’re connected by design but often the connection is subtle and borne of chance. Many great philosophers have talked about being born of other lives. The great humanitarian Albert Schweitzer talked about how nature compels us towards mutual dependence, and how, in the fibers of our being, we bear within ourselves the solidarity of each other. Thus we recognize how connected we are. I often think of that.

Do you have upcoming events you would like people to attend?

The Artists Without Walls’ Showcase, Tuesday, January 24, 7PM at The Cell Theatre, 338 W.23rd St.
“Jazz in the City: The New York Connection,” a show I’ve written and narrate. Stage 72/The Triad at 152 West 72nd Street, Manhattan, March 23.
Charles R. Hale Productions presents “Niamh Hyland and Friends,” at The Cell, March 30.

You mentioned the upcoming Artists Without Walls Showcase. Why did you decide to create AWoW? Where did the idea come from?

I’ve always been inspired by the flowering of artistic achievement, which often arises when cultures come together. Jazz is one of the great examples. As a result, I was inspired to create a dynamic environment that allows for and promotes cultural collaboration and artistic achievement.

If you could try something in the future that you haven’t done yet what would that be?

I would like to organize and produce a global event that would help promote cultural unity. Why not think big?

What is your favorite place in the world to visit and why?

That’s hard to say, but a few that come to mind are the Garden Court at the Frick Museum in New York: a sea of tranquility amid the city’s chaos. Another is Dick Mack’s pub in Dingle Ireland where at any given moment you might be among the greatest cast of characters assembled anywhere on earth. And while I’m on pubs, I must add the little table just of north of the stove at NYC’s McSorley’s Old Ale House.

Who is your greatest inspiration and why?

There have been a number of inspirational people in my life but the one I most often think about is my maternal grandfather Allie Gorman, (pictured left.) His mother died when he was four; his brother was killed in a fire in which he was badly scarred when he was six; another brother died of spinal meningitis and four siblings died before they were two. His father was an alcoholic and abusive and my grandfather spent eighteen months in a reform school when he was a teen. He survived it all and became a successful labor leader. He was a tower of strength. I think of him often.

What was the best gift that someone gave you that inspired or facilitated an interest in your art?

Both my father and his father were storytellers with two very different styles. My father could make the simplest story hilarious. In my father’s hands, the next-door neighbor putting the garbage out could turn into a tale of great hilarity. My father was a product of the streets of New York City and he had a little “Brooklynese” for every experience imaginable.

Grandpa Charlie, on the other, had a world-class imagination. Dinner in my grandparents’ Manhattan apartment was unbeatable. According to Grandpa Charlie, he met my grandmother when he rescued her from King Kong’s grasp

“True story, Charles. I swear, every word is true. Aren’t I telling the truth, Helen?”

And he was the Lone Ranger’s sidekick before Tonto.

“I was just like Tonto,” he’d say.

“But Tonto was an Indian, Grandpa. “

“I was too, Charles, before I lost my hair!”

Grandpa Charlie…bigger than life.

ARTISTS WITHOUT WALLS’ JANUARY SHOWCASE AT THE CELL

Join Artists Without Walls for its January Showcase at The Cell, 338 West 23rd Street, Manhattan, Tuesday, January 24th. Presenters include jazz fiddler Michi Fuji, author and lecturer Suzanne Bernier, singer/songwriter Martina Fiserova, artist and singer Maia Nero, writers Billy Barrett and Mike DeLucia, playwright Brendan Connellan and actor Faye Franzini. Charles R. Hale and Niamh J. Hyland are the evenings hosts and emcees.

The doors and the bar open at 6:45. Performances begin at 7:30. This is a free event.

MITCH TRAPHAGEN ON BILLY JOEL: AN ARTIST WITHOUT WALLS

The Soul of an Artist Without Walls

by Mitch Traphagen

Billy Joel performed his 37th consecutive sold-out monthly show at Madison Square Garden on Jan. 11, 2017. When he began, he said he would keep playing until people stopped showing up. There is no sign of that happening. His 41st concert was just announced.

It would be hard to argue that he needs the money. He is among the best selling recording artists in history. But he is a New Yorker through and through. Born in the Bronx 67-years-ago, Madison Square Garden is in his hometown; it’s his backyard. And for many artists, Madison Square Garden represents the high bar of a goal of which dreams are made. It is a venue known around the world. Performing there places one in a very rarified club.

Now entering my third year as a member of Artists Without Walls, I’ve seen a number of artists that could be playing at Madison Square Garden. For those artists, having seen them perform at an AWoW monthly showcase, the stretch to MSG is not a long one from my outside perspective. But for the artists, it may well appear differently. For them, it is a matter of choosing the path of the heart, and making the sacrifices, often far more than most people could bear, in reaching that stage.

Billy Joel made sacrifices. He was busy performing and didn’t actually graduate from high school until…1992. Was it worth it? In terms of wealth and fame, no doubt it was for him. But he has also long suffered from clinical depression, including after September 11, 2001. And yet he continued. He wants to perform. He wants to play until people stop showing up.

What determines what is “worth it” is the soul of the artist in many cases. Some are lucky financially. Sometimes the sacrifice is simply too much, when living indoors and having regular meals must be chosen over someday dreams of 21,000 people at MSG cheering you on.

Many years ago when I played in a rock band at the tail end of the disco era, we used to joke that dinner for musicians meant going into a diner, ordering a bowl of hot water and grabbing the ketchup bottle on the table. For too many artists today, that probably isn’t far from the truth.

During the concert Billy at times would stop and ask, “Do you want hear this song?…hitting a few keys…or this song?…hitting different keys — but both songs iconic for millions of people encompassing generations.

He spoke of his songs and albums. At one point, he mentioned an album from the mid-70s and asked the crowd if anyone had it — and quickly followed up with, “Don’t worry. It wasn’t one of my best. I don’t even have that album.”

In the end he played for two and a half hours. There were songs that he likely felt he had no choice but to play — the audience was surely expecting them. But he also mixed it up with some Stones and Led Zeppelin. He has long been a Led Zep fan.

There are any number of artists with AWoW who either have or will someday play on that stage or one equal in stature. There are any number of artists who will perform at the Richard Rogers Theatre on Broadway or in front of movie or television cameras, who may one day change lives while playing at the Rockwood Music Hall or Cafe Vivaldi.

There is a reason Billy Joel is performing monthly shows at MSG and it probably doesn’t have much to do with money. There is something else; there is pure, driving passion and there is an “it” factor. Artists Without Walls’ cofounder Charles R. Hale understands it; he is himself an artist, after all. And thus there is a reason such talent takes the stage at the Cell every month for the AWoW showcases. There is a reason such talent exists at all.

From Billy Joel to the many artists with AWoW, from MSG to the Cell, walls don’t matter. The words, the music, the talent…it is in the souls of the artists.

CHARLES R. HALE TRACES HIS GREAT GRANDMOTHER’S FOOTSTEPS

By Charles R. Hale

I’ve often wondered what it must be like to live one’s entire life in a small town, surrounded by the same sights and sounds, day after day. And now I realize that my ancestors, living in the crowded and congested tenements of lower Manhattan, shared a parallel existence with those who have done that. “A bell for birth, a bell for marriage, a bell for death.” I had never considered the universality of their experience.

Click here for the article about my great grandmother, Margaret Horrigan, as it recently appeared in Irish Central.

Charles R. Hale

"Soaring Spirit" at Artists Without Walls’ Showcase at The Cell Theatre

“Performing at Artists Without Walls is a deep privilege and a pleasure. To appear as part of a lineup of such talented artists is simultaneously thrilling and humbling. I always leave AWoW with a soaring spirit, full of gratitude for the gifts of my fellow artists, and newly energized and encouraged in my own work. Mille Grazie to Charles Hale and Niamh Hyland for creating this warm, welcoming community.” Angela Alaimo O’Donnell, poet/author

A witty and humorous beginning to the evening as Giovanni Villari, Janine Hegarty, and Paul Eisemann entered the stage to perform a scene from David Loughlin’s play, “Millennial Discourse.” Soon, ripples of laughter were coming from the audience as David’s comedic look at contemporary relationships began to unwind. Commitment-phobe Emma (Janine) feels as if she’s stuck between a rock and a hard place when her cat-loving work-partner, Anthony, (Giovanni) asks her to marry him. And when the grouchy, eaves-dropping Old Guy (Paul) tells her his tale of commitment-phobe woe, she’s left to contemplate the possibility of moving to Alaska and spending the rest of her life with Anthony. Is this what she wants? Whoever thought an afternoon ride on the New Jersey Transit could tell us so much about how we think and feel?

Singer/songwriter Janet Burgan brought three of her newest songs to the Showcase. With her Guild guitar glinting in the lights, she sang about love…all aspects of love. In “Snow Moon,” she told the story of a love that “freezes my soul in endless gloom.” She followed that with a song only a few weeks old, “So Why Am I Crying?,” a funny, in your face song about the end of a relationship. She closed her performance with a screening of her music video, “Seize The Day,” the first single from her new album, Nothing But Love Songs, which you can view by clicking here. High energy, precise and talented, Burgan is the real deal. Go see her the first Tuesday of the month at Bar Chord, 1008 Cortelyou Street in Brooklyn at 9:30PM. Click here for Janet’s complete performance schedule. Don’t miss her!

Eliana Gonzalez captivated the audience with a touching rendition of the song “She Used to be Mine”, by Sara Bareilles. Her sensitivity and grace shone through her performance. The joy was palpable during “Andar Conmigo”, the song we all tried to sing along to in Spanish. Martin Fuks, acclaimed producer and composer, skillfully accompanied this singer and actress with a flawless domain of the acoustic guitar. These two Argentinian-born performers are, no doubt, a perfect blend.

The cast from Peter Welch’s Autumn Stage performed an excerpt from scene two of the first act, and was enthusiastically received by the audience. The playwright and actors Mary Tierney and Larry Fleischman received dozens of compliments about the work afterward. A number of Artists Without Walls’ folks immediately bought tickets to see the show, which will premiere in two weeks, running from September 4th to September 11th at Theater for the New City’s Dream Up Festival. Tickets can be purchased by clicking here.

Anana Kaye and Irakli Gabriel were joined at the end of the evening by the world renowned violin virtuoso Deni Bonet and captivated the audience with passionate original compositions – a beautiful ballad “Broken”, funky rocker ” Ain’t Dead Yet” and a particularly poignant “American Smile”, the last two co-written with the acclaimed songwriter Freddie Stevenson. Anana and Irakli, who are originally from Republic of Georgia, are not only first rate songwriters and performers, they are also talented photographers and videographers. They recently released a beautifully crafted an EP “Sentient,” which contains five original songs and is accompanied by music videos which they directed, filmed and edited themselves. You can click here to see them.

Zhana Roiya,….is one of the newest additions to Artists Without Walls. When actor Sedly Bloomfield asked her to be part of an emotional excerpt from the the Play “Fences” by August Wilson, she jumped at the chance, an opportunity to home her skill in a more intimate setting. This exerpt of the play, takes us on a journey of betrayal, trust and lust, taking the audience on an emotional roller coaster of torment, pain agony defeat and surrender. The passion felt by these two dynamic actors was riveting, an electric clash of two titans….each expressing themselves in ways that left the audience wanting to see more.

Artists Without Walls next event will be a performance as part of Origin Theatre Company’s 1stIrish Fest, called “New York City: A Shining Mosaic.” The performance will take place at Pier A, Harbor House, Battery Place in Manhattan. For further info click here. For tickets, which are $15 in advance with a small convenience fee, click here.

Photos by Mitch Traphagen