Above the Bridge "Writers Cafe" hosts its December event this Monday, featuring an evening of readings on the topic of "closure," written by a group of Northern Manhattanites from Washington Heights and Inwood.
Monday, December 7 at 8:00pm
The Red Room Lounge
Which is the Inwood you know and love? Could it be both? (Photo credit: Left: G. Paul Burnett, Right: Suzanne DeChillo)
Perhaps it's impossible to truly know a neighborhood if you do not live there. Over the past few years, The New York Times has tried to get to know our dynamic and interesting neighborhood, always getting some parts right and some wrong. The past two larger-scale features about the area have had a slant that some perceive left out a portion of the neighborhood, through East of Broadway/ West of Broadway, Hispanic/ Non-Hispanic or Monied/ Non-Monied myopia.
In February, many complained that Gregory Beyer's Real Estate section article "Northern Zone, South-of-the-Border Flavor" was too "East of Broadway" focused, what I believe is a euphemism for less wealthy and more Hispanic. Although the photo essay that accompanied the article does feature the Inwood community east of Broadway more prominently, a close read of the article highlights Inwood Hill Park and Park Terrace Gardens as well as Inwood's "Dominican restaurants, bodegas and beauty parlors [that] line 10th Avenue beneath the green elevated rails of the No. 1 train." The article also speaks to the Dominican and mulit-national Hispanic communities in the area as well as presumably non-Hispanic people who have chosen to make this area their home.
Today's article by Elisa Mala, "One Foot in the Past," written for the New York Times somewhat new Metropolitan section (used to be the City section) is meant to be less comprehensive in nature and takes readers on a six-hour-tour of the area. And yes, for the most part, Ms. Mala (the significance of the surname's Spanish meaning is not lost on me) stays west of Broadway and not once mentions the Dominican or mulit-national Hispanic communities who call Inwood home.
A lot is lost in that omission.
Granted, most Inwood residents are excited when the Grey Lady casts its eyes north of 155th Street, but one is left to wonder if there is no manner in which our dynamic neighborhood can get its fair coverage in the paper of record.
Painting by Mark Baum
Above the Bridge Café, a Northern Manhattan writing group led by producers Stacey and Joey with the support of the Washington Heights-located wine bar The Red Room, is now accepting submissions for the November/December theme "Closure."
Organizers call Above the Bridge Writer's Café "a playground for writers. It is a place to encourage and cultivate local writers and provide them with an audience for their work." Writers may submit five minutes of material of any genre or style (poetry, plays, fiction, non-fiction, blogs etc.) that reflects the month's theme and must live in Inwood or Washington Heights.
This round's deadline is November 20. The cafe event will take place on Monday, December 7 at The Red Room. Select pieces are chosen and presented at The Red Room Lounge with an open invitation to friends, family and neighbors.
For for information contact abovethebridge@gmail.com or call 917-747-7210.Image from Wikipedia Commons
Stacey and Joey, producers of the Northern Manhattan writers group Above the Bridge, are looking for submissions for their October 19 event. The duo produces this writing event each month in collaboration with the Washington Heights-located wine bar Red Room. Writers must be from Inwood or Washington Heights.
"Above the Bridge Writer's Café is a playground for writers. It is a place to encourage and cultivate local writers and provide them with
an audience for their work," Stacey and Joey write. "A theme is chosen for each month. Writers may submit five minutes of
material of any genre or style (poetry, plays, fiction, non-fiction,
blogs etc.) that reflects the month's theme.
Select pieces are chosen and presented at The Red Room Lounge with an
open invitation to friends, family and neighbors."
This month's Above the Bridge theme is "Turning Over a New Leaf" and the deadline is October 9. If selected, authors will read and perform their work on Monday, October 19, at The Red Room.
Will you be attending the Medieval Festival this weekend? What is this kooky festival you ask? Well, the organizers anticipated that question and many more on their site.
"The Medieval Festival brings to life the customs and spirit of the Middle Ages. Manhattan's Fort Tryon Park is transformed into a medieval market town decorated with bright banners and processional flags. Performers, guests and festival goers dress in medieval costume. Visitors are greeted by authentic medieval music, dance, magic, and minstrels, as well as jugglers and jesters. The afternoon is concluded with a thrilling joust between four knights on horseback. Costumed vendors will be on hand to demonstrate and sell a wide variety of medieval crafts as well as food and drink."
Date: Sunday, October, 4, 2009 11:30AM - 6PM
Rain Date: Sunday, October 11th, 2009
And for a taste, watch this short video from last year's festival:
Sorry for the last minute information, but I just learned that Donna Stearns, executive producer of Shakespeare Saturdays and wife of Astronomy celebrity Jason Kendall (also artistic director), is producing and casting the world premiere of "Minding the Heavens" by Mark Littmann. She will hold a casting call at the Inwood library today for the performance scheduled at the same library.
AUDITIONS WILL BE AN OPEN CALL on Monday, September 28th
from 4:00 PM until 7:30 PM. Casting will be ON-THE-SPOT.
Location of the OPEN CALL is The auditorium in the New York Public Library, Inwood Branch: 4790 Broadway [near Dyckman St.]. Take the "A" train to Dyckman Street, and walk north 1/2 block. East side of the street. Auditorium is in the entryway to the main library.
Donna writes the following about the casting call:Centered around Caroline Herschel, one of the most important women in the history of astronomy, this four-person play follows her life and tribulations as she gives up her career as an opera singer to help her brother, William, on his quest to become the greatest astronomer in Europe. While they both succeed at their quest, and she is lauded worldwide for her breakthroughs in science, we see her confront terrible
prejudice, and watch her heartbreak as her stardom wanes in her love of singing.
Presented as part of the 2009 International Year of Astronomy, Shakespeare Saturdays is working on a wider release of this play during this year.
Seeking 2 actors for the roles:
1) Elegant Woman, Servant, King George III, Lord Storker and John Herschel ---
(some singing involved) (seeking a male to play these roles)
2) Reading Stage Directions and playing Archbishop (Archbishop is in 1 scene/no lines)
--- (seeking male or female for this part)
Directed by Jerry Marco.
Please be ready with a 1-2 minute contemporary dramatic monologue. Please bring headshot and resume.
1) The play will be a staged reading (no memorization)
2) All rehearsals and the reading will take place at The New York Public Library, Inwood Branch.
3) This is a non-AEA reading, seeking non-AEA actors.
4) The playwright Dr. Mark Littmann will be traveling to NYC from Tennessee to attend the reading.
5) No pay.
Schedule:
Rehearsals at The Inwood Library
Mon., 9/28 - 6:00-7:45
Wed., 9/30 - 6:00-7:45
Sat., 10/3 - 10:15-4:45
Mon., 10/5 - 6:00-7:45
Wed., 10/7 - 6:00-7:45
Sat., 10/10 - 10:15-4:45
Wed., 10/14 - 6:00-7:45 - Dress Rehearsal
Sat., 10/17 - Reading Premiere (12:00 noon call / 1:00 Go)
Our main goal with this reading performance series is to foster learning, understanding and craftsmanship in the performance of Shakespeare. We work with many different performing artists, from the new-to-New-York to veterans, from those who performed at the Globe in London to those for whom this is their very first Shakespeare play. We also seek to promote minority actors. We are proud of our record for casting non-traditionally, and we strive to continue it. The experience from having a well-mixed cast heightens everything for everyone, and gives opportunities where many are denied. We are looking for people who enjoy studying text, tweaking nuance and depth out of a performance. We are seeking people who enjoy both processes of reading and acting. There are already far too many entertainmnt groups whose sole purpose is getting money out of your pocket. If that is the primary concern, then true acting and true understanding of literature loses. We are shooting for good fellowship, good friendship, good study and good acting. It is the desire and work that is all-important. We invite you to come listen and see our neighborhood and audition! Inwood is the neighborhood of Manhattan at the very northern tip. After the reading, you can walk across the street and go up to The Cloisters and enjoy the world's premier collection of Mediaeval art right in the middle of historic Fort Tryon Park. You can also take in a baseball game in Inwood Park, where local teams are scouted by the Minors. After the game, you can go visit Lucy, the white swan who lives in the inlet where the Hudson and Harlem rivers meet. Good dining is popping up in our neighborhood, and it's worth the trip. There is a lot to do up in this great neighborhood and it is all good. The Mission of Shakespeare Saturdays
Donna Stearns, Executive Producer
Jason Kendall, Artistic Director
Check out this weekend's festivities at Casa Duarte Cultural and Performing Arts Center's (no site yet, but organization is on Congressman Charlie Rangel's appropriation list) CULTURAfest2009 held on the edge of Inwood and Washington Heights this weekend. Beside dance, art, poetry and other interesting and fun events, the Barack Obama Democratic Club will also attend. Here's your chance to speak to learn more about this year's candidates before the primaries on September 15. Call 212-543-0010 for more information about this weekend's event.
| ||||||
A few weeks ago, I watched a clown walking through Inwood Hill Park, approaching families and offering to blow up balloons or do magic tricks. My friend and I thought it was odd, but I chalked it up to my distaste for clowns.
Apparently, we were not the only ones who thought it off. Two parenting messaging boards (InwoodKids and Parentandme1) have recently reported potentially suspicious visits from clowns and a man dressed as Spiderman (not to be confused with Maksim Katsnelson, a Riverdale-based performance artist who dresses up as Superman, who was profiled in the Riverdale Press today). Although none of the suspicions resulted in an arrest or complaint of harassment or abuse, some parents in the area are concerned.
Although their concerns are certainly valid, it has raised the question of what role adults without children can play in a child-focused world. One father, Raun Ruffin, writes on InwoodKids:
"As [a] father of a infant boy, I share every parents concern over safety, but shudder at the prospect of being profiled if I am in the playground without him. There are occassions when I am in search of my son and wife. The first place I look is the playground because we spend a lot of time there. We've gotten to know some parents and kids, so you may see me say hello. Tho' I don't wear a super hero costume, I am not typical. This is the reason I am concerned that some one will decide that I don't fit the profile of who should be in the park."
Followed by (after someone posted a similar sentiment adding that data shows most sexual predators aren't strangers but people known by the victim and added "racial profiling" to the superhero and clown profiling discussion):
"Just for the record, even tho' it's a fact of life, I never mentioned "racial" profiling. There's Super Hero profiling, male profiling, unaccompanied lady in a wheel chair profiling, and I don't like the way you look profiling. We just have to make sure we nab the "right" people for the "right" infractions and not create an atmosphere where innocent people can be caught in a web not designed for them."
What do you think?
Recent Comments