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SINGER MARY McPARTLAN APPEARING AT "ARTISTS WITHOUT WALLS' SHOWCASE" TONIGHT AT THE CELL THEATRE

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.

"SPOTLIGHT ON" SARAH FEARON

Who is Sarah Fearon?

Sarah graduated from the High School of Performing Arts in Manhattan and New York University, Gallatin Division, aka the “University without Walls.” She has worked as an actress, stunt person, stand-up comic, and producer. Some feature film credits include The Departed, Reversal of Fortune, Liebestraum and Dancing in September. Sarah has done stand-up comedy at Gotham, Metropolitan Room, Greenwich Village Comedy Club, and Stand Up New York. She has a great love of New York City and has recently rented and sold property from the Cloisters to Greenwich Village with The Corcoran Group.

And your passions are?

Mission of Mermaids by Sue Rockefeller, which is a film, environmental group and jewelry line advocating for clean ocean awareness. I’ve been an ambassador for the group, taking the film to Washington D.C. for the Environmental Film Festival, the Hamptons Film Festival, the Coney Island Film Festival, and marching in the Mermaid Parade.

And enjoying the ocean as a surfer or on a stand-up paddleboard.

What are you working on at the moment?

Merging the world of art and real estate gave life to my wild and zany character Snazzy Peabody who sells everything: The Highline, the Brooklyn Bridge and the Empire State Building. There are rumors that a Snazzy film is underway with director/editor Lizzie Donahue.

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

I’ll be at the Metropolitan Room, 34 W 22nd St, NYC, March 1, 9:30 or call 212 206-0440. Tell them Sarah Fearon sent you.

What are five things you can’t live without?

Coffee, coffee, coffee, coffee and oh, yeah, COFFEE.

Your favorite quote at the moment and why?

“Art is a lie that makes us recognize the truth.” My high school teacher Anthony Abeson used to say it was Picasso who said it. Artists go to great lengths to create these lies that bring us back to simple truths.

If you had the opportunity to ask someone when you were starting out for advice what would you have asked?

I would have asked, “How do I develop my own definition of success?”

If you could dream about trying out something you haven’t tried out in the arts yet, what would?

I dreamed about taking tap dance lessons and guess what, I just finished lesson number three. There’s a lot of joy to be found in dance, particularly tap dance.

Oh, here’s another quote: “Do you know how old I’ll be by the time I learn to play the piano? The same age I’ll be if I don’t!” Next stop Ukelele lessons…

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

For me, it was tickets to great shows in NYC when I was growing up.

Youtube: Snazzy Peabody Sells the High Line

Facebook: Sarah Fearon

Mission of Mermaids

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STELLA PULO'S "SHRIMP SHELLS IN MY CLEAVAGE" SUNDAY, MARCH 3, NYC'S ABINGDON THEATRE

Ever stood on a hill in the middle of Europe waiting for the Blessed Virgin to appear? Gutted rabbits in Macedonia or sell eggs and potatoes door-to-door in Brussels? Or been a bag lady outside of Victor Hugo’s apartment in Paris? Stella Pulo has.

Stella’s a writer and performer who’s done it all. She writes stories and articles for newspapers and magazines and one woman shows for herself to perform. In 1992 Stella became the first Australian to be honored with lifetime membership into the Actors Studio. Stella is originally from Melbourne, Australia and now lives in New York City. Next Sunday, March 3, 7PM, at the Abingdon Theatre at 312 W. 36th St., Stella’s presents a “book performance,” in character and in costume, called “Shrimp Shells in My Cleavage.”

What is “Shrimp Shells in my Cleavage?” As Stella describes it, it all began from behind a white plastic desk in the ladies’ bathroom of AXIS, a discotheque in Malta. She’d gone to check out her roots and to kill some time before returning to New York for her final audition at The Actors Studio. From 4 p.m. to 4 a.m. her job at AXIS was to make sure that no one smoked in the cubicles, went there in pairs or dropped dead from heat exhaustion.

At AXIS the music was so loud that the vibrations often made the toilet bowls crack. She was sometimes able to have a conversation, but not often. And since she couldn’t hear anyone speak, and her body language only got her into trouble, she decided to sit there for twelve hours a night marrying her memories and notes. It was from behind that white plastic desk that Shrimp Shells in My Cleavage emerged. She thought that one day she’d transform these bits and pieces into something else. She wasn’t sure what: first it was the book Shrimp Shells in My Cleavage and now it’s a “book performance” in character and in costume.

It’s sure to be a hoot. Tickets are $20 but if you put in the code “shrimp” you’ll pay just $15. www.abingdontheatre.com

Here’s what some folks are saying about Stella:

“If she hadn’t pulled rabbits out of her cart, I wouldn’t have known she was a Comédienne. She’s lucky I didn’t arrest her!” A policewoman in Paris

“She could have done other things to make a buck like sell the eggs from her ovaries.” Dobie in Hammersmith

“She couldn’t control herself. Fell into my lap and just stayed there!” Businessman in London

“I liked her but she was a little crazy. Sat there writing all night. In the toilet of a discotheque! Said something about … shrimp shells.” Carmen in Malta

OWEN AND MOLEY O' SUILLEABHAIN AT THE IRISH ARTS CENTER THIS SATURDAY FEBRUARY 23, 2013

Russell Crowe said of Artists Without Walls’ members Owen and Moley ‘O Suilleabhain, “I’m a huge fan of size2shoes, (as they call themselves) From the inspired mastery of their harmonies, to the streetwise intellect of their humor. Unique, unaffected, awesome.”

I first heard the brothers ‘O Suilleabhain at the Irish Consul General’s residence this past summer. Owen and Moley offered up a blend of ancient Irish sacred songs with modern pop tunes and mesmerized the audience with a brilliant musical performance. Particularly moving was a Gregorian Latin Chant, “Caminus Ardebat.” I’ve heard the ‘O Suilleabhains a number of times since that first hearing and as they bridge their musical act into other disciplines and performance opportunities the brothers continue to incorporate a deeper narrative into their performances.

This Saturday, February 23, Owen and Moley Ó Súilleabháin will be at the Irish Art Center for two performances, a special Family Show at 11AM and a concert at 8PM. Join them as they share their creative sound, layering vocal harmonies, guitars, harmonicas, percussion and strings to create a fusion of Irish folk and hip hop that is utterly delightful. The brothers have been featured in Ireland and America alongside The Chieftains, Bobby McFerrin, Russell Crowe and Sinéad O’Connor. I wholeheartedly recommend this unique and talented duo.

For ticket information click here: Irish Arts Center: Moley and Owen

Visit www.owenandmoley.com to learn more about size2shoes

"SPOTLIGHT ON" STEPHANIE SILBER

1. Who is Stephanie Silber?

Stephanie is an award-winning documentary filmmaker with a background in newspaper and magazine writing. She has written on a variety of subjects and themes, but with a particular focus on the arts, health, and women’s issues. The high points of Stephanie’s career in film and television include: Bravo profiles on Cyndi Lauper and Robert Duvall; educational docs in both long and short form for non-profits such as Asia Society, Sierra Club, and Amnesty International; festival favorite Random Lunacy, which looks at the extraordinary life of Poppa Neutrino, who lived homeless by choice; Songs & Stories, a bio pic about the late great guitarist Rory Gallagher, and Black 47 at Connolly’s, a doc wrapped around a rollicking New Year’s Eve performance in the heart of Times Square.

2. What are you working on at the moment?

Currently, I am happily working on my first love, which is fiction. Specifically, I am working on a short story collection. I am also focusing on acquiring representation for both my first novel, the coming of age story Other People’s Houses, and my more recent work, a psychological thriller, The Dark Side of Time.

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

I will be reading from The Lemon Tree at the Artists Without Walls Showcase at The Cell Theatre, Feb. 26, 7PM.

4. What are five things you can’t live without?

Love
Work
Art
Nature
The opportunity for personal growth.

5. Your favorite quote at the moment and why?

“Everything begins and ends in exactly the right time and place.” –Miranda, from Peter Weir’s Picnic at Hanging Rock. A favorite because it’s resonantly true in my life and work.

6. Who have you always wanted to work with and why?

I’ve been blessed and lucky to have worked with my partner and husband, the filmmaker Vic Zimet because we share our deepest sensibilities. As to marquee names, my current idol is Kathryn Bigelow. She doesn’t shy away from intricate stories that pack a mighty punch.

7. If you had the opportunity to ask someone when you were starting out for advice, who would you have asked and what would you have asked?

I suppose I may have asked Stephen King how he keeps those stories coming so thick and fast.

8. If you could dream about trying out something you haven’t tried out in the arts yet, what would that be?

Who wouldn’t want to front a rock and roll band? I have an unfortunate voice, but I can dance like Mick Jagger!

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

My parents gifted me with an easel when I was ten, and I painted for many years, not well, but with a pleasant right-brain induced buzz. Further, my parents instilled in me my love for books.

Home Team Productions

Home Team Production–Facebook Page

Songs and Stories: New York Remembers Rory Gallagher

Random Lunacy

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© Artists Without Walls, LLC

SARAH FEARON: AN "AWoW NIGHT ON THE TOWN" AT THE METROPOLITAN ROOM

One of the objectives of Artists Without Walls is to “promote members’ careers in the arts, whether they have already established themselves or are at the beginning of their artistic career.” With that in mind we’ve created an event called “Night on the Town” when members and friends can support a fellow artist by attending one of our artists’ events. Not only is it a nice show of support, but it’s also an opportunity for members to share an enjoyable evening together.

And so, we’re asking members and friends to join us for Artists Without Walls’ member Sarah Fearon’s comedy performance on March 1, 9:30 at the Metropolitan Room, located at 34 W. 22nd St. in Manhattan. Sarah, along with a select group of top comics, will be performing her latest stand up material, born of her numerous attempts at maintaining sanity in an insane world.

You can call the Metropolitan Room to make reservations at 212-206-0440, (Tell them you are booking to see Sarah Fearon). The weekend shows at the Metropolitan Room sell out fast so don’t wait to make reservations. Tickets are twelve dollars.

Sarah is a very supportive of other artists and is often seen at members and friends’ events. It’d be great if we could show Sarah the same support she shows others. And, I’m betting it’ll be an evening filled with laughs and merriment. Who couldn’t use a night like that.

"SPOTLIGHT ON" KORO

Who are you?

My name is Koro Koroye and I am a Spoken Word artist from Lagos, Nigeria. I am currently pursuing my MFA in Creative Writing with a focus on poetry at Hofstra University. Spoken word has always been and will continue to be a passion. I enjoy expressing myself in front of a microphone. My goal is to inspire my audience every time I perform.

What are you working on at the moment?

Besides working on my Masters, I am working with an NGO (Non government organization) in Nigeria that serves orphaned children living in the slums. I also work with the Huntington Arts Council on an art exchange program that inspires creativity in these children. I am working on a collection of poetry that I hope to have published soon.

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

I will be performing at the “Artists Without Walls Showcase” on February 26th at The Cell Theatre, 338 W. 23rd St in NYC. The show starts at 7pm and ends at 9:30pm.

What are five things you can’t live without?

An Ipod,
A pen,
Red lipstick
A bottle of water
Lip balm!

Your favorite quote at the moment and why?

“The better a man gets, the more he is envied and in turn, hated” – Charles Bukowski. This quote gets me through life.

Who have you always wanted to work with and why?

I have always wanted to work with Joshua Bennett. He is an amazing spoken word artist and he inspires me so much. Look him up on YouTube when you have a chance.

If you had the opportunity to ask someone when you were starting out for advice, who would you have asked and what would you have asked?

I’d ask other poets that started out doing “Spoken Word” when it was a form of art that was not properly understood or appreciated. Poets such as Felipe Luciano and Mos Def come to mind. They paved the way for “Spoken Word” poetry in my opinion.

If you could dream about trying out something you haven’t tried out in the arts yet, what would that be?

No doubt: performing a poem with a singer. I have never tried that and I’d like that to happen as soon as possible.

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

When my professor, Connie Roberts, introduced me to The Nuyorican Poets Café in New York. It’s the best.

http://www.youtube.com/user/koromone

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgrPwHuR_bE&list=UUBU5AspFNcSkVNA_nmk5D3A&index=9

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzFvYjBO6zk

https://www.facebook.com/koro.koroye

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Website: www.artistswithoutwalls.com

MORE CAT DWYER PHOTOS FROM THE ARTISTS WITHOUT WALLS LAUNCH 1/29/2013

Jack O’Connell lamenting to Mr. Tumulty the neighborhood’s transformation from upscale to “Desolation Row.”

Marni Rice presenting “Have You Seen My Son.”

Dancer/choreographer Xio Evans is the director and founder of The Experimental Dance Theater of Puerto Limon.

Marni Rice and Xio Evans

Playwright/novelist Honor Molloy reading Samuel Beckett

“Highway Star” Billy Barrett kicked off the evening.

Tara O’Grady and Niamh Hyland closed the evening. Here Tara sings “Summertime,” Billy Holiday style.

"SPOTLIGHT ON" TARA O'GRADY

1. Who are you?

Tara O’Grady is a singer/songwriter who leads her own jazz/blues band in New York City. She seems to have been born in the wrong decade with a voice like Billie Holiday and retro threads reminiscent of the golden age of Hollywood. Growing up on Irish trad music and big band swing, she combined both and released her first album, Black Irish, in 2010. Swinging songs like “Danny Boy” led to wanting to compose her own songs, so in 2011 she recorded her sophomore CD, Good Things Come to Those Who Wait, in Nashville.

2. What are you working on at the moment?

Tara is preparing for her upcoming recording of her third album, A Celt in the Cotton Club, a collection of new songs and a few Irish favorites in her unique style blending jazz, blues and folk. The songs will take listeners on a journey from Belfast to Butte, Montana.

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

On February 14, Tara will be performing live at the Cell Theatre for the premiere of a new jazz series called “Jazz at the Cell “with members of her Black Velvet Band, as well as special guests including Jordan Sandke on trumpet and Michael Howell on guitar, a former member of Dizzy Gillespie’s band. The ‘My Funny Valentine’ show will take the audience through the stages of love. The rapturous heartache begins at 8:00pm at 338 W. 23 Street. FREE.

4. What are five things you can’t live without?

Chocolate
Music
Chocolate
Red lipstick
Chocolate.

5. Your favorite quote at the moment and why?

“Be more awesome.” A nine-year old called Kid President has his own You Tube channel and is trying to teach boring adults to have more fun, create cool stuff for the universe to make the world a better place, and dance more. I think that’s awesome.

6. Who have you always wanted to work with and why?

Steven Spielberg. I’m a film fanatic, and have always wanted to work in cinema.

7. If you had the opportunity to ask someone when you were starting out for advice, who would you have asked and what would you have asked?

My question would have been, how do I pursue a life in the arts, and I would have asked anyone in any art form that looked happy about their chosen path. I was always taught to pursue “a real job” with stability, health insurance and a retirement package. I wish someone advised me when I was a teenager that pursuing something you are passionate about is as real as it gets. And that bliss is better than bucks.

8. If you could dream about trying out something you haven’t yet tried out in the arts, what would that be?

I would really love to be able to play guitar, piano, ukulele, just about any instrument. I wish I learned when I was younger. But it’s never too late to start. My voice is my instrument, but I would like to learn the physical tools to express myself even more.

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

Encouragement. I used to be told not to sing. I was even rejected when I auditioned for my high school chorus. I didn’t believe I was a musician because I didn’t study music. I needed people to tell me, hey, you have a voice, and you have the ability to write, so just do it.

http://taraogradymusic.com/

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tara-OGrady-Jazz-Vocalist/117033958343666?ref=search

http://www.youtube.com/taraogradymusic

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NIAMH HYLAND NAMED ONE OF THE IRISH ECHO'S TOP 40 UNDER 40

On February 21, at the Manhattan Club in NYC, the Irish Echo will be honoring the up and coming personalities of Irish America from every walk of life, and from every part of the nation. Artists Without Walls co-founder Niamh Hyland has been chosen as one of the honorees. Congratulations, Niamh.