John Moran and Artists Without Walls are pleased to present a staged reading of Ancient History, by David Ives featuring Stephanie Linas and Daniel Schwait,* January 12, 7:30pm, at The Cell Theatre.
Jack and Ruth, a seemingly perfect match, are suddenly faced with the question of marriage. In this smart and spirited play, serious differences, previously swept under the rug, are now forced into the light. She is culturally Jewish and her parents reject her dating outside the faith; he is a lapsed Catholic who scorns organized religion. She enjoys the finer things in life while he is happy to live with little means. She wants to get married and have a family. He has been married before and vows never to do so again. They make their cases with razor sharp wit and poignant pleas, but is staying together the right thing to do?
The Cell Theatre 338 W 23rd St New York, NY 10011 Door opens at 7 pm, curtain at 7:30, free admission, no reservations required.
You can watch the artists perform, and meet them as well, at Artists Without Walls’ May Showcase at The Cell Theatre, this Tuesday, 5/24. The doors and bar open at 6:45. Presentations begin at 7:30.
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Here are a few of the artists who will be performing:
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Allison Sylvia is a poet/artist/dancer who has performed at a number of Artists Without Walls’ Showcases. Here’s what was said about Allison after her performance at “Permutations,” an AWoW/ Kathleen Bennett Bastis collaboration at Chelsea’s First Street Gallery last Spring: “Attention grabbing, fast paced, stay focused so you don’t miss a thought….Allison is not a rapper, but if Socrates were a rap artist you might think of Allison. Brilliant.”
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AWoW charter member Brendan Connellan, who has written and produced a number of shows that were premiered on 42nd Street, NYC in the past few years, will be presenting a scene from his play, “Savage.” Appearing in the scene will be:
Courtney Torres
Courtney Torres, who frequently works with independent theater companies such as Locked in the Attic Productions and Fengari Ensemble. She has participated in various showcases and festivals in the New York City and currently trains at Playhouse West Brooklyn Lab.
Rebecca Lowry
Rebecca Lowry, who last appeared on the New York stage in the mid-1990s, when she spent a decade traveling the country as a professional actress performing in everything from Shakespeare to Burlesque. She is currently an attorney and legal writing Professor at Saint John’s University as well as an economic analyst.
John Moran
And..John Moran, long time fan and charter member of Artists Without Walls, fresh from filming Danni for “Take it to the Stage Productions” and “Age of Consent” in association with Rusty Ferris Wheel Productions and Artists Without Walls.
When what’s above the ground is as dark as what’s below, you know you’re getting close to “The Last Day.”
Artist Without Walls’ member John Moran is producing a reading of Pulitzer nominated playwright, Richard Vetere’s play, “The Last Day” at The Cell Theater at 338 W 23rd St. NYC.
The reading will take place Friday May 15th at 7:30 PM. Seats are limited so get there early..
John Moran
Cast will include Broadway / Off-Broadway actors Tom Bozell and Michelle.Mazza, Lifetime Network Actress Sarah Cote doing stage directions and our own John Moran.
Directing the reading is Brian Patrick Reager, graciously on loan to us by Kira Simring, Artistic director of The Cell.
Richard Vetere has already had a successful run of this play at the Gloucester Stage in Gloucester Massachusetts and is working to bring the play to New York.
Among Richard’s other credits are the screenplay for “The Third Miricle” directed by Agnieszka Holland and starring Ed Harris and Anne Heche and the Pulitzer nominated play “One Shot One Kill.
I was driving a limousine at the time; It was a late night pick-up, Christie’s auction house to the Upper West Side. An art dealer sat in the back.
“What is art?” I asked.
“Art is the tool which unlocks your soul,” he replied.
“Then what is good art?” I said.
Kathleen Bennett Bastis-Slate Study #2
“If your soul needs a hammer to release it and your art hits your soul like a hammer, it’s good,” he answered.
“What if your art twists your soul like a wrench?” I challenged.
“Then it is good for the man who needs the wrench.”
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On Friday night Artists Without Walls celebrated the work of Kathleen Bennett Bastis at Chelsea’s First Street Gallery. Her mixed media art works are truly tools to unlock the soul.
Martina Fiserova
Surrounded by Kathleen’s stunning and beautiful creations with names such as Sentinel, Concerto #1, Copper Spirit and Scattered Geometry, the equally evocative and eclectic artists Martina Fiserova, Allison Sylvia, and Annette Homann captivated the crowd with their own forms of highly skilled and entertaining art.
Alison Sylvia
Martina’s accompanied vocals playfully and intensely reverberated through what seemed like near perfect acoustics in Kathleen’s First Street Gallery space. Martina’s sonority so total, so brilliant, so penetrating was a perfect prelude to Allison Sylvia’s attention grabbing, fast paced, stay focused so you don’t miss a thought, hey, I think just learned something about myself, spoken word brand of poetry. Allison is not a rapper, but if Socrates were a rap artist you might think of Allison. Brilliant.
Annette Homann
Annette Homann wrapped up the evening’s entertainment by bringing us on a musical theme park ride: Soothing us with the classical, Massenet’s “Meditation on Thais;” moving us with the contemporary, “If I Aint Got You;” thrilling us with her fiddling in Mark O’Connor’s “Caprice for Unaccompanied Violin #2,” and making us smile with a sexy, funny, acrobatic interpretation of Adele’s “Skyfall,” complete with gypsie like dance moves and back bends while never missing a note. She is a profound talent.
Great art on every level for a warm and welcoming crowd.
Why attend Tuesday’s Artists Without Walls’ Showcase at the Cell Theatre? Here’s what singer/songwriter Jenai Huff said about a recent Showcase: “What an extraordinary night. I feel blessed to have been a witness and a participant to the magic.” Jenai Huff
Here’s the cast of performers:
Russian born actress and model Alessia Sushko and screen and TV actor Sedly Bloomfeld will be performing the death scene from Othello. “I am thrilled to be performing at AWoW again,” Alessia said. “Being able to expand my craft and exercise my performance muscles with the beauty and the complexity of Shakespeare’s language is a gift.”
Jack Feldstein
Jack Feldstein will be presenting his neon animation films, Manhatta (by Walt Whitman and The Atomic Adventures of Jack Kerouac. Originally from Sydney, Australia and now based in NYC, Jack Feldstein is an award-winning scriptwriter and neon animation filmmaker. His scripts “A House Like Any Other” and “Three Months with Pook” have won prizes in Australia and Britain. His neon animations have been screened and won awards worldwide from Lincoln Center in NYC to Rotterdam, The Netherlands. His philosophy is “search for an interesting life.”
Maura Knowles
Actress/playwright Maura Knowles will be presenting a scene from her new play Insult to Injury, which examines why we should never give up on angels or anyone with broken wings. The piece is inspired by actual events drawn from Maura’s life. Nathania Wibowo is her composer.
Vincent Nauheimer
Vinnie Nauheimer, a long time advocate for children and a voice against abuse, will be reading two poems that deal with current events related to the abuse of children. The first poem concerns the three hundred abducted Nigerian girls and the second deals with the events recently disclosed about an unwed mother home in Tuam, Ireland. Though thousands of miles and years apart, the stories are very much connected through the apathy shown to the plight of these children.
Serena Jost
Serena Jost is a Swiss-American singer/songwriter/cellist whose music invokes vivid emotional landscapes. Serena’s new album, A Bird Will Sing, was exquisitely produced by the legendary Anton Fier (Golden Palominos) and was named one of the Top 50 Albums of 2013 by New York Music Daily. Serena can be seen at some of NYC’s top venues including Brooklyn’s Barbès and Joe’s Pub, and tonight performs both songs from the album and new material.
Honor Molloy
Rounding out the lineup will be long time AWoW fav Honor Molloy, who will present a segment from Prisoner’s Cinema–the book for a new music-theatre work about three patients held in a long-term psychiatric facility who believe they are Christ and their psychiatrist; John Moran, whose scene from his play “A Cancelled Note,” a story of mystery and forgiving will be directed by Tess Howsam and stars Lorin Partalis and Larry Fleishman, and Steven Silver’s film “The Watchtower” a film about the Westies of Hell’s Kitchen. which stars Steve and AWoW member David Sharp.
Tuesday’s Showcase at The Cell Theatre, 338 W23rd St, NYC begins at 7pm. We hope to see you there. This is a free event.
The following was written by Artists Without Walls’ member, John Moran:
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I have ambitions to actually make acting my next career. Foolish you say! I know. You’re right. It’s a long shot at best and a difficult road lies ahead but having had an interesting and instructive life I believe I’m prepared for both success or failure and am simply grateful to be in a position to try. And try I will. I genuinely want to learn the craft so I am paying attention now to the heavy lifting required by stage acting, such as the concentration needed for Miller’s deceptively simple dialogue, the long emotional monologues of O’Neill or the quick pop and snap needed for much of Mamet’s prose. After that type of work I imagine delivering a line for a TV script will be easier.
I’ve always considered myself to be a good public speaker. I communicate clearly. I enjoy it. An audience of ten is great. One-hundred is even better. Public speaking causes me no concern whatsoever.
Kirk and Moran
Keeping the above in mind, what a surprise to me when I auditioned for a spot in an acting studio, was handed a script, stood in front of a crowd of one man and nothing came from my mouth. Not one word. Not a sound did I utter. “That was interesting.” he said. Then yawned. What great fun.
Apparently I didn’t have a problem speaking my own words but when the words of another person were substituted such as those of a playwright, nothing good seemed to happen, or at least not until recently.
I have many bad qualities but giving up isn’t one of them. For over a year I’ve been working in a scene study class. The teacher, Scott Freeman seems to believe the devil is in the details and the phrase “go back and do it again” is not unheard of. I’ve come a long way since that troubling audition and at last felt competent enough to commit to do a first short scene in front of a genuine audience at an Artist Without Walls’ (AWoW) Showcase in late September.
John Moran
Showcase time was getting closer and stage fright became the order of the day. Nothing I could do about it. I kept myself busy by taking the day off from work and spending time with an actress rehearsing an entirely different scene from the one I’d be doing that night. The showcase began at seven that evening and as the time grew closer for me to perform I grew……, hmmmm what’s the word I’m looking for? Oh yes, nasty; I grew nasty. I told my partner Jason and my buddy Joe not to talk to me and sat in the garden out back of The Cell theater going over lines I’d said a hundred times before. Then of course I found religion. I have a lot of negative opinions about the state of my church and The Creator himself when all is well, but when the guns are about to go off I can say Hail Mary’s as fast as anyone I know. After a decade or two of the rosary the time came, my partner Jason and I performed and all was well. For those who would like to step up, but like me are shy and reluctant, I must say that when you present at an Artists Without Walls’ Showcase you’re among friends. Seize the day. The members of AWoW want to see you do well and regardless of how well you believe you presented your work, they are happy to have you. You/we/us are the reasons for the existence of an organization like AWoW to begin with. And remember, regardless of your feelings ten PM will come. The showcase will be over. You will have done yourself, and AWoW, a service by sharing your art. All will be well once again.
“No question, if you weren’t there, you missed out on the wonderful and talented performances of a fine group of artists.” Vin Nauheimer
Kathleen Frazier opened the AWoW Showcase with a riveting reading from her memoir in progress, Somniloquies: The Mysterious Makings and Recovery of a Sleepwalker. Kathleen described how her somnambulism turned dangerous at adolescence when her oldest brother first attempted suicide – a sort of nighttime mirroring of his waking pain – and her failed efforts to self-medicate with alcohol. Kathleen’s proposal is currently being shopped to publishing houses… fingers crossed.
Jason Kirk and John Moran
In the words of playwright Arthur Miller, “The audience sat in silence before the unwinding of All My Sons and gasped when they should have…” John Moran and Jason Kirk gave excellent performances as a father and son, bravely grabbing this American classic and wrestling it to the ground. John and Jason asked that we express their gratitude to Artists Without Walls for providing a forum for their development. They said they feel honored to be working with the group’s incredible talent.
Michele Cetera read from “Mickey’s Girl” a section from her monologue memoir. “Mickey’s Girl” is the poignant story of the night Michele’s father was mugged and murdered in May 1975. Michele searches for closure, left with the feeling she did not have a chance to say a proper goodnight to her father. On Monday night she said it in a very special way, through dance, a gift she received from her mother and father. “Dancing celebrates life and the passion to live it.” Michele said, “On the dance floor, there is always a center and light and its one of the happiest places to be.” With her dance partner, Harry Dominicci, Michele celebrated her father’s life and finally got to say “I love you and goodnight” to her father through the rhythms and energy of a salsa dance.
Jack O’Connell and Nancy Oda
A few months ago, Nancy Oda was part of a scene study group conducted by veteran actor Jack O’Connell. On Monday night Nancy and Jack gave a reading from Eugene O’Neill’s Anna Christie, which they had worked on in the study group. In the scene they chose, Matt tells Anna he has signed onto another ship that will take him far from her, setting off a near deadly confrontation. A dynamic performance by two very talented actors.
First time performers MbiraNYC enlivened the Showcase and delighted the audience with their soulful harmonies, beautiful melodies and complex polyrhythms. The traditional songs of the shona people from Zimbabwe, played on the metallic prongs of mbira, accompanied by rocking percussion, brought people to their feet in dance. It was a wonderful taste of Zimbabwe in Chelsea.
Michele Cetera and Harry Dominicci dancing to the sounds of MribaNYC
Honor Molloy, author of Smarty Girl – Dublin Savage, and marvelous actor Caroline Winterson read “The Deadevens” in which Noleen O’Feeney waits in the Rotunda Maternity Hospital for her mammy to come out from a visit to the doctor. It’s there in the waiting room that a roadwoman shares an Aerobar and tells her an ancient tale Irish endurance. Wonderfully spirited performance by two great talents.
A scene from Joe Davidson’s play the Rekindling drew plenty of laughs as the foul mouthed Nancy Morris threatened to have her husband Barney Morris incarcerated by exposing an old secret in a game of emotional ping pong. Nancy Morris was performed by Mary Tierney and her husband Barney Morris was played by actor Ron Ryan. Both actor’s performed brilliantly bringing an unmistakable chemistry and energy to this comical yet tragic marriage.
Ray Lindie
Ray Lindie followed with a stirring performance of the opening soliloquy of Richard III. Ray said, “I think it was probably my best presentation of the piece and I credit the ambiance of the theatre, created by our members and friends, for allowing all presenters the latitude needed for their best performances.” Actress Mary Tierney said, “Best Richard I’ve seen, including some prime-time actors.” Great work.
Singers/songwriters Tara O’Grady and Sasha Papernik, who recently tourned together in Montana, closed the show. Sasha, accompanying herself on the piano, sang “Kiss Me Faster” from her upcoming album. Sasha and Tara then sang a beautiful duet, “Black is the Color” off of Tara’s Celt in the Cotton Club album. And thus, an evening filled with diverse and eclectic talent, ended on the perfect note.
The next Showcase will be at The Cell Theatre, 338 W 23rd St, October 22, 7pm. For more information about Artists Without Walls write to info@artistswithoutwalls.com
