John Steinbeck said, “We learn a great deal about people by listening to their music. Listen to their songs, for into the songs go the anger, fears and frustrations, the hopes and aspirations.”
I have created a series of videos that highlight the role of women in the labor movement. Each video portrays an event and includes a song that is related to the event or to the labor movement in general.
The subjects of this video, the fourth in the series, are the 1968 West Virginia mine disaster, a miner’s wife and the song “West Virginia Mine Disaster.”
Artists Without Walls’ member Honor Finnegan, a recent winner of the New Folk Song Songwriting Contest at the Kerrville Folk Festival, has been making a splash in the Northeastern regional folk scene with her original songs and ukulele playing. Combining elements of musical theatre, comedy, traditional folk, and poetry, Honor is “cooler than the other side of the pillow.”
Honor Finnegan was born and raised on the South Side of Chicago and learned to appreciate a variety of people and music living in a mostly African American neighborhood and sitting in the back seat of her single mother’s car listening to the radio for long periods of time. When Honor was eleven her dream of being an actress came true when she was cast in the first National Tour of “Annie”.
Honor is a regular attendee at the late, great Jack Hardy’s songwriter’s exchange, which has nurtured the talents of Suzanne Vega, and Shawn Colvin to name but a few. Honor recently performed this incredible version of Hardy’s “Aint I A Woman” at an AWoW Showcase at NYC’s Cell Theater.
For more information about Artist Without Walls contact info@artistswithout walls.com
Many reading this have attended an Artist Without Walls’ Showcase but a number, for a variety of reasons, haven’t. So what can you expect at a Showcase? Well, just about anything. We have professionals and amateurs, dancers and spoken word artists, jazz, cajun and Persian folk musicians, poets, novelists and playwrights and collaborations that cannot be categorized. And somehow, it all works.
Noel Lawlor had attended many Showcases but had never presented. Finally, to the delight of the most wonderful audience an artist could ask for, Noel stepped forward and presented the opening prologue of Shakespeare’s Henry 5th. Noel gave a beautifully paced and compelling performance from the play, which focuses on events during the Hundred Years’ War.
Join us at the next Showcase at The Cell Theatre, 338 West 38th St., Tuesday, August 27th, 7pm. Everyone is welcome. For more on presenting at an Artists Without Walls contact info@artistswithoutwalls.com
Why become an Artists Without Walls’ member? Here’s what some of our friends are saying:
Eimear O’Connor
“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.
Jack O’Connell
“This is a note of thanks for supporting my efforts through pictures and words these past months. I’ve been working as an actor for at least twenty five years now and I’ve never before been involved in anything quite like this. AWoW is a unique blessing. So happy to be a member.” Jack O’Connell, actor, New York
Koro Koroye
“Artists Without Walls feels like home to me. I just feel like I belong there.” Koro Koroye, poet and spoken word artist, Nigeria.
Jim Rodgers
“I’m always amazed at the talent AWoW gathers, and I’m honored to share the same stage with such talented artists. Once again AWoW proved they are the United Nations of the NYC cultural scene at NYC’s “Living Room.” The performers and audience included folks from Germany, Israel, Egypt, Nigeria, Puerto Rico, Ireland and the United States. Great night!” Jim Rodgers, writer and attorney, New York
Carl Capotorto
“Thank you so much for allowing me the opportunity to present to the group, last night. And I was delighted to read a few pages from my book Twisted Head for the wonderfully diverse and highly sophisticated audience. It’s great work that AWoW is doing!” Carl Caportorto, “Little Paulie” in the Sopranos, New York
Colin Broderick
“It was a privilege to read for a packed house at the Artists Without Walls’ Showcase at The Cell Theatre. It feels like home to be in the midst of such talent and support. Artists Without Walls is a family that I’m extremely grateful to be a part of.” Colin Broderick, author That’s That, Belfast, Ireland and New York.
Barbara Rick
“It was great to see AWoW in action once again at Lehman College doing what it does so beautifully – making great art accessible and connecting artists with each other and with new audiences.” Barbara Rick, filmmaker, New York.
Tzila Levy
“I was very impressed by the talented individuals I met when I attended one of your “Showcases.” I would love to become a member and participate in the upcoming showcases. I am a screenwriter and playwright from Israel, with professional experience in the Israeli film and theater industry.” Tzila Levy, filmmaker, Israel.
Ed McCann
“An enthusiastic, standing-room-only crowd filled the Cell Theater last night — an evening showcase of writing, acting, music, and dance. Founders Charles R. Hale and Niamh Hyland’s focus on the interests of the group’s membership suggests that members will shape AWoW’s development — an “open source” approach that foreshadows a future of diverse and experimental performances spanning multiple artistic disciplines.” Ed McCann, writer/producer/editor, New York
John Steinbeck said, “We learn a great deal about people by listening to their music. Listen to their songs, for into the songs go the anger, fears and frustrations, the hopes and aspirations.”
I have created a series of videos that highlight the role of women in the labor movement. Each video portrays an event and includes a song that is related to the event or to the labor movement in general.
The subjects of this video, the third in the series, are the Harlan County Coal Wars, Florence Reece and the song, “Which Side Are You On?”
John Steinbeck said, “We learn a great deal about people by listening to their music. Listen to their songs, for into the songs go the anger, fears and frustrations, the hopes and aspirations.”
I have created a series of videos that highlight the role of women in the labor movement. Each video portrays an event and includes a song that is related to the event or to the labor movement in general.
The subjects of this video, the second in the series, are the 1912 Lawrence, MA textile strike, the women mill workers and the song, “Bread and Roses. “
Violinist/singer Deni Bonet will be playing every Tuesday in August, 8pm, at Garcia’s Club at the Capitol Theater, 149 Westchester Avenue, Port Chester, NY. The show is called “A Tribute to Old and in the Way”. Tickets are $7.
Singer/songwriter Tara O’Grady will be at Winnie’s Lounge in the Refinery Hotel on Tuesday and Wednesday from 6-9pm, 63 W. 38th Street. No cover.
“I can’t stop rewinding last night in my mind! What an incredible cast of talent, surrounded by an audience in awe. A truly magical evening. Thanking you over and over.” Barbara O’Connell
With a brilliant sense of comedic timing and heart, Nadia Manzoor kicked off the evening with a hilarious segment from her one woman show, Dirty Little Paki. Nadia’s segment featured both the aspirations of a five year old and the cultural limitations faced as a woman. Her story of a Pakistani girl facing the dichotomy of a strict Muslim upbringing in free-spirited London is both universal and intensely personal. I first saw Nadia performing in Brendan Connellan’s Pompa Pompa earlier in the year and just as her humor, intelligence and charm shone through then, it did so again on Wednesday night.
Eimear O’Connor
Dr. Eimear O’Connor followed Nadia and held the audience rapt with a slide presentation that featured the art of Irish born Sean Keating. The art teacher you always wanted, Eimear presented a picture of Keating, his projects, his expansive career and his overtly political paintings with an ease and wit that brought Keating’s work to life. Sean Keating: Art, Politics and Building the Irish Nation is a book that is richly illustrated with over 200 color paintings, sketches, and photographs, and the definitive work on this hugely respected, yet controversial Irish artist.
Maggie O’Farrell
Best selling author and award winning novelist Maggie O’Farrell, whose most recent award was the Costa Novel Award in 2010 for The Hand That First Held Mine, gracefully read from her latest novel Instructions for a Heat Wave, the story of a family that is falling apart and coming together and the truths about who they really are. Earlier, Maggie said, “I’ve always been interested in how extreme weather affects behavior.” Maggie combined that interest with an interest in dyslexia and her own life long stammer to develop her novel’s main character, Aoife.
Deni Bonet and Charles R. Hale
Incorporating humor and edginess, violinist Deni Bonet dazzled the audience with her breathtaking virtuosity. Beginning with “Last Girl on Earth” from the CD with the same title, Deni moved into a sizzling violin solo called the “Goddamn Violin Solo,” so called, as Deni laughingly said, “For lack of a better name.” Deni concluded with a foot stomping, rocking “Alone.” Deni will be playing every Tuesday in August at the Garcia’s Club at the Capitol Theater in Port Chester, NY. The show is called “A Tribute to Old and in the Way”.
Pamela Herron
Pamela Herron began the second half of the evening with a dance, a very moving, untitled, Butoh solo that she performed with a grace and intensity that echoed throughout the space. She dedicated the piece to the healing of an artist she has been collaborating with since 2009, Jogyo (aka/ Dru Barnes) who recently suffered a brutal attack that took his left eye. Enthralling, heart wrenching, and spectacular.
Liv Mammone
Poet Liv Mammone is a vivacious young voice that will be heard on the New York performance poetry circuit for years to come. Using her background as a novelist, she uses various characters, including Venus de Milo, a fictional gangster, and a certain part of her own anatomy, to provide insight into what she calls “all the million ways one must be moved; the changes we make on our migrations through the world.” Her poems were titled “Venus de Milo answers a Tumblr Feminist,” “Elegy for James Darmody,” and one of the funniest poems imaginable, the laugh out loud “Vagina Resigning.”
Brendan Connellan
Playwright Brendan Connellan ended the evening dipping into crazed, frenetic prose, racing through some fresh and fun thoughts on his visit to Japan. Brendan touched on scraping away calf muscles, Perry blasting his cannons at Japan’s gates, foreigners being welcome but only if they leave quickly and Joseph Stalin turning out to be a friend with benefits.
The next Artists Without Walls Showcase at The Cell will be on August 27, 7pm. For more info on becoming a member of Artists Without Walls write to info@artistswithoutwalls.com
Since our server was down a good part of yesterday we thought it appropriate to repost yesterday’s photo blog of Wednesday’s Showcase at The Cell. Here’s the link:
