Recap of The Neo-Political Cowgirls Advocacy Night: Charlottesville lawsuit, RFK Human Rights, and the words of Nobel laureate Elie Wiesel

Last night, I returned from a walk around the neighborhood to find red spray paint on the Black Lives Matter sign in my family's yard. I wasn't so much disturbed as surprised. Militant racism in our friendly little college town?

Earlier that day, I'd tuned into The Neo-Political Cowgirls Advocacy night: a series of conversations with social justice change makers. As part of the event, Integrity First For America Executive Director Amy Spitalnick and attorney Roberta Kaplan discussed bringing a lawsuit against the Charlottesville rioters. Before, I thought the riot was just a misguided protest against the removal of a Civil War statue. But as Spitalnick and Kaplan explained, it was nothing of the kind.

The rioters, most of whom were not Charlottesville natives, planned the event for months—and planned to get violent. They discussed running into people with their cars and pretending it was self-defense. They targeted Blacks and Jews.

When Kaplan approached those injured by the rioters, their courage impressed her. She told them the process would be long and drawn out, that they wouldn't get much money from it, and that they might receive personal threats if they were involved. Nevertheless, they agreed to act as plaintiffs. Three years later, despite reluctance to comply and threats from the defendants, Kaplan is still fighting.

In her own words: “It’s still going to be a struggle, but we will take back our streets, our democracy, and our constitution, and that’s what gives me hope every morning when I wake up.”

For Amy Spitalnick, the granddaughter of a Holocaust survivor, this is about sending a powerful message that we will not tolerate racial violence in America. Her ancestors, she explained, didn't have this system, but we do, and we'll use it for as long as we can.

That tied into the work of Kerry Kennedy, another social justice activist, who spoke next. President of Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights, Kennedy takes on international lawsuits she hopes will make change for a country.

Kennedy also amplifies the voices of other social change leaders: she recorded the words of several change makers and published them, and that became a series of monologues, which the Neo-Political Cowgirls performed at the end of the night. In the monologues, we heard from a mother whose daughters were kidnapped and murdered while the police refused to help, an LGBTQ student who faced bullying while the principal turned a blind eye, a woman questioning the death penalty, and finally, Nobel laureate and Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel. In his words:

“What I want, what I’ve hoped for all my life, is that my past should not become your children’s future.”

A theatre dance company working to amplify women's voices, the Neo-Political Cowgirls, along with their guests and partners, are working to make his hope a reality. Their Advocacy night sent a clear message about the kind of work they do and why it needs doing.

Review: 'Andromeda’s Sisters' speaks up for the underrepresented and unappreciated

Mia Funk's In My Dreams

What did Erin think?

Women dance like primal, animalistic spirits. A female dog reminisces about life before COVID-19. A woman mourns her lover, knowing she will not be invited to the funeral. A wife seeks pleasure elsewhere when her husband turns a cold shoulder to her. A woman accused of witchcraft in 17th century dishes on what she'd do if she really was a witch.

By turns hilarious, clever, poetic, and thought-provoking, this series of monologues and performance pieces gives a voice to the underrepresented, the unappreciated, and the oppressed. Focusing on women's experiences, Andromeda's Sisters: An Arts and Advocacy Forum is the annual gala event of the Neo-Political Cowgirls, an organization created to amplify women's voices in theatre.

With one performance via Zoom on August 14 and another on September 3, the first part of this two-evening forum presents monologues, dance pieces, video, and poetry written by, about, and for women. Brave, bold, and empowering, it gives an intriguing glimpse into the kind of work supported and created by the Neo-Political Cowgirls.

A singular piece is Mia Funk's In My Dreams, a short film acted with poetic movement and diction by Funk herself. Exploring a woman's vision of the ideal romance, it incorporates black and white footage of Funk moving gracefully and slowly, along with images and superimposed narration. In gentle yet longing tones, the speaker yearns for a deep romance, not a cheap fantasy.

Another relationship-focused piece is Joy Behar's "Where Are You At?" performed with both hilarity and gravity by Catherine Curtin. 9-months pregnant, a popular actress discovers her husband has been cheating on her. She's outraged, but instead of starting a scandal that could backfire, she'll just channel the anger into her next audition. As her pregnancy continues, as she gives birth, as she cares for their newborn, her husband is repeatedly absent, leading her to ask "where are you at?" Cleverly written and shrewdly performed, this woman's attempt to reclaim her rights—or at least explain her reaction—is laugh-out-loud funny, without robbing the situation of its gravity.

In "Goody Garlick," written by Lucy Boyle and performed by Tony Award-winner Blythe Danner, a woman accused of witchcraft in 1658 chats with her neighbor about why the accusation outrages her. It's not so much the assumption that she's a witch as it is the idea that she'd waste such incredible, soul-destroying powers on getting back at her neighbors. Danner embodies this clever, passionate woman with sensitivity and range, brilliantly poised as she delivers a rant about everything from close-minded villagers to the endless drudgery of housework and the perils of childbearing.

The final performance, a reading of June Jordan's "Poem About My Rights" by Portia, embodies a common theme tying all these works together. The speaker does not consent to othering, to oppression, to rape, whether it's sexual, personal, or political. "I am not wrong," she declares. "Wrong is not my name. My name is my own."

What else do I need to know?

You can catch part two of the forum on September 3rd at 5 pm EST. Buy tickets here. 

And while you're at it, learn more about the Neo-Political Cowgirls.

Your obedient servant,

EJK

Review: The Bathroom Plays show the many sides of quarantine loneliness

"Loneliness...is that a sin? It feels like one."

- PIDGEONs, The Bathroom Plays

Amberlin McCormick in Mary, part of The Bathroom Plays

What did Erin think?

Eden Theater Company's third and final installment of The Room Plays, titled The Bathroom Plays, takes a penetrating look at the seclusion and loss inherent in quarantine. With clever scripts and honest acting that hits home, these three one-acts somehow manage to be both fun and tragic, playful and serious.

Nearly six months into this pandemic, most of us can probably relate to what the characters in these pieces experience: needing to get away from partners or family members, losing and grieving in a topsy-turvy world, and questioning reality in an effort to find meaning.

Can external events destroy relationships? Or does constant togetherness simply reveal the problems that were there all along? In Monogamous Animals, written by Brennan Vickery and directed by Alex Pepperman, two friends, video chatting from their bathrooms, find themselves in a paradoxical dilemma. Being trapped at home with their significant others has somehow made them lonelier than ever. Superb acting from Cassandra Paras and Niccolo Walsh make this honest conversation between two friends engaging and emotionally accessible.

Amy Berryman's PIDGEONs, directed by Amber Calderon, also hones in on the breakdown of a relationship. A woman who's recently lost her husband to coronavirus confesses her sins over zoom, but when she starts talking about conspiracy theories (the virus isn't real, and neither are birds), things take a drastic turn. LeeAnn Hutchison performs with a sensitivity that mines the full depths of Berryman's script, switching from humor to horror in a seamless second. It's funny until it's not. Eventually it becomes clear that this woman's deranged thoughts and actions are simply her response to a loss she can't conceive of, which begs the questions: what does grieving look like in quarantine? and what happens when we refuse to let go?

Perhaps that's a question only a ghost can answer. In Mary, written by E. E. Adams and directed by Jordan Gemaehlich, a young Black woman, quarantined in her apartment, tries to befriend the ghost in her bathroom. But she's haunted in more ways than one, as her one-sided conversation soon shows. (Amberlin McCormick's mesmerizing interpretation may even haunt the viewer.) Though initially disturbed by the apparition in her mirror, she comes to realize that ghosts aren't all that scary. What's scary is becoming the thing to be scared of, to look in the mirror and be afraid of what you see. Finally, in what feels like a nod to BLM, she tells the phantom, "Some people will see a ghost before they will ever see me."

With a perfect balance of light and dark, some beautiful writing, and a sensitive, authentic cast, The Bathroom Plays are perhaps the most penetrating pandemic-focused art piece yet (at least that I've seen). The questions they ask are subtle but profound, perhaps unanswerable, but necessary if we want to retain our humanity in the weeks and months ahead.

Is loneliness a sin?

If it is, we're all due for confession.

What else do I need to know?

The Bathroom Plays were a one-time, site-specific (via zoom) performance. But keep an eye on Eden Theater Company--they've got lots more planned and they're worth watching.

Your obedient servant,

EJK

Review: Source Material's 'In These Uncertain Times' finds the beauty in quarantine

Grace Tiso and Chekhov in In These Uncertain Times

What did Erin think?

A digital collage of social posts, monologues, and Zoom conversations, In These Uncertain Times, devised by Source Material and directed by Samantha Shay, takes a tragicomic look at being an actor amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Equal parts absurd and serious, jarring and lyrical, it tries to walk a fine line between quarantine style humor (off-the-wall, on the edge of insanity) and profound explorations of a changing world. If it doesn't always succeed in staying perfectly poised, its value shines through in poignant moments like when a group of friends tell each other corny jokes over Zoom or an actor walks the beach speaking a monologue from The Three Sisters.

The "setting" is a group of actors navigating a dystopian world where theatre has all but ceased to exist. Via Zoom, they discuss their emotions, expectations, fears, and hopes for the future. Some express their feelings eloquently, others fall completely apart. (Annelise Lawson's hysterical breakdown is so amusing only because it hits so close to home.) Meanwhile, one actor is hacking up a lung, and when asked if he's OK, he responds simply, "no."

Another scene touches on the seclusion of quarantine and how desperately those who are isolated crave any kind of social interaction at all: 

"One time I held my breath and stood 5 feet 11 inches away from you in line at the store, but you didn’t notice."

Later, two friends chat about what love will be like in the post-quarantine world. Cast members say the standard "curtain speech" or talk about auditions, their words falling purposefully flat in a setting with no physical stage or in-person performances. 

In between these episodic scenes, someone scrolls through Instagram, showing us humorous memes and videos about the dilemma of being an actor in quarantine. 

One of the most resonant parts of the piece is a profound monologue on love and grief accompanied by a black screen. Grief and love are twins, we're told, not adversaries. Grief is a way of loving, and love is a recognition of temporariness. In loving—not just people, but places, things, or times in your life—you recognize that everything is temporary. Paradoxically, there's something comforting in that.

Likewise, the final scene, a video of sunlight on the beach accompanied by Olga's final monologue from Chekhov's The Three Sisters, is a lovely moment, reminding us that we too will one day be gone, and our suffering will turn into joy for future generations. 

"And the music is so beautiful, so brave, it almost seems like any minute we’ll know why we live, and why we suffer."

In These Uncertain Times seems to end on a note of hope: we may not know why difficult things have to happen and we may not know how to deal with them (meditate? drink? fall apart?), but at the end of the day, like everything else in life, these uncertain times won't last forever. And there's still beauty and joy to be found amid the chaos.

How can I get tickets?

The run is over, but hints of a possible extension have been dropped. Check Source Material's website for more details.

How long is it?

Slightly less than an hour, with no intermission.

What else do I need to know?

In These Uncertain Times was digitally devised by Source Material, an adventurous, ever-evolving group of artists, specifically for Zoom amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The cast includes James Cowan, Miles Hartfelder, Annelise Lawson, Stephanie Regina, Raven Scott, Victoria Sendra, and Grace Tiso.

Is it appropriate for all ages?

There's a bit of swearing, but other than that it's fine.

Your obedient servant,

EJK

Interview: Actor Tim Palmer talks 'The Listening Room,' his Shakespearean dream role, and moving from a small English town to NYC

Tim Palmer

For actor Tim Palmer, born and raised in the English countryside, moving to NYC to pursue theatre was a bit of a culture shock. But if his recent explosive performance in Nylon Fusion's The Listening Room is any indication, he's adjusting fine.

Recently, I got to ask Palmer a few questions about being a Brit in NYC, acting in The Listening Room, his Shakespearean dream role, and more.

Coming from a tiny English village to New York City, what’s been the biggest culture shock for you?

There were many things such as the subways, streets filled with so many people and the tall buildings! But for me, the biggest cultural shock has to be the food--not that I hate American food, I love it, but it’s the little things I notice that are different from home. The chocolate is slightly sweeter over here, meals are that lot larger and everything is served on bigger plates. But I love it!

What’s been the hardest part of breaking into the New York acting scene?

For me it has to be the sheer number of actors in NYC and the competition. I think in any major city that has a big theatre, film/TV scene there’s going to be a lot of competition for the roles.

Not that that’s a bad thing because it keeps me on my toes, always looking for ways to improve my ability and to stand out above the rest. But acting, like many industries, is hard and competitive when you begin. It’s all about pushing forward regardless, despite all the rejection and the worst odds.

In The Listening Room, you played Marcus: a radical revolutionary who’s a little unstable. How did you get in character for that role?

There are many ways I find to get in character, whether it's re-reading the script over and over or finding how this character walks and talks, how they maneuver through this world.

But what I find most helpful with all characters I play, is to find their main goal and objective. What does this person want for themselves? For the world? How do they go about achieving this goal?

Marcus was loud, violent and aggressive, but he needed to be like that to survive the harsh world of the play. He wouldn’t have gotten anywhere by being passive and silent, he would’ve been silenced and forgotten. He needed to be loud to be heard. He needed to be violent and aggressive to push his views, to change the world for the better.

What parts of Marcus’ character are most like and most unlike your own?

I think me and Marcus are very different, but we also share some similarities. For example, I’m not violent in any way. I try to avoid fighting if at all possible, whereas Marcus would in many cases initiate violence and conflict. I would go as far to say that he enjoys it. I think I’m also a lot more reserved and quiet compared to Marcus, who any chance he gets he wants to speak above everyone else.

However I do think we’re similar in that we’re both loyal to our friends and loved ones and would do anything to make sure they don’t reach harm's way. Marcus is also incredibly passionate about many things, including politics and speaking up against the injustice he sees in the world which I feel I do too. Now more so than ever, with current events.

What was your favorite thing about The Listening Room?

There are so many things I loved about this production; not just from the writing and direction (which I think were incredible and both the directors and writer worked together to bring the world alive) but also the cast I worked with, who I drew a great deal of inspiration from.

But also the set itself: the production spent days trying to make it look authentic and realistic. I personally think they did a phenomenal job and made it easier for me to lose myself within the world of the play. Costumes, lighting and sound also I believe deserve the highest praise for their dedication and commitment to the process of the play.

The play itself was written beautifully, Michaela Jeffery does an astonishing job not only with world building but with the characters, all bringing their own unique ideas and experiences into the play. The political tones also mirror closely that of our current political climate. The plays challenges the audience, telling them that things can only be achieved through action and determination. By pushing and fighting for the things you want and believe need to be changed.


Tim Palmer in The Listening Room. Credit: All Foote III Photography.

What’s one piece of theatre that’s had a big impact on you as an actor?

There are too many plays and performances both I’ve been in or watched that have had a profound effect on me and the way I see the world. But there is one that stands out the most to me. It was a production of Trouble In Mind by Alice Childress performed at my acting school, The American Academy of Dramatic Arts. The play is about black actors in a theatre company in the US in the early 1950s. It brought to light many prejudices and discriminations that African American actors experienced in the theatre, as well as in American society.

The performances from all the cast members were phenomenal, I was instantly captivated from the start of the play to the end. It was funny, heartbreaking, informative, extremely moving and taught me a lot of things about the struggles of black people, not only in society but in the theatre and artistic world.

Many of the performances even moved me to tears (something that’s rare for me, to cry while watching the theatre). The direction, the performances, the writing all captivated me and I came away with a completely different point of view. It made me think about the subject matter for days, even weeks afterwards, something I think that good theatre does.

Who’s an actor you look up to?

There are so many actors and actresses that I look up to and admire within the industry. Marlon Brando and Meryl Streep are probably the two I admire the most, but also the likes of Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Denzel Washington, Cate Blanchett. For me there are so many actors that I love to watch, to single out one actor would be impossible.

What’s your dream role?

Ooo there’s so many to choose from. I’d love to go into film and TV because I believe there are many amazing performance opportunities and great roles. But theatre will always have a special place in my heart. The dream role I would one day love to play, is Shakespeare’s Macbeth. Not only because it’s one of my favorite plays and characters, but it also contains some of the best (in my opinion) Shakespearean monologues that he ever wrote.

What advice do you have for aspiring actors?

Take any job you can, no matter what, even if you think the role is below you. You don’t know who is working on that production and where they could go, or who might watch it. I know many actors who have taken jobs in small theatres, even though they thought they could do better, but ended up booking an agent because of that project. So my advice would be to audition for everything, and take every job that gets offered to you in the beginning. Who knows who may be sitting in the audience.

Any advice specifically for British actors working in New York?

I think most roles you go in for are going to be for an American, or have an American accent. So work on your American accent! But there are also many jobs in the city that want Brits, or people with foreign accents, so it can go both ways. Never give up your identity or nationality to try and fit in, because that could be the very thing that gets you cast in a production.

Your resume lists celebrity impressions as one of your skills. What’s your most spot-on impression?

Aha, I do a few. I would say my best would be Ian McKellen and Michael Caine!

Review: 'The Room Plays'--Eden Theater's new Zoom shorts--start on the right foot

In a Bubble, With Only You features Simone Grossman and Robert Gemaehlich

What did Erin think?

A cynical loner meets her match. A young couple discovers a dangerous artifact. An eccentric bride tries to pick up the pieces of her life. 

And it's all on Zoom.

Eden Theater Company's new series The Room Plays presents original, 10-minute pieces written during and about self-isolation, live-streamed from the theater company's Facebook page. Three different installments will be performed on June 9, July 9, and August 6. And this first installment, The Bedroom Plays, is certainly promising. 

With all the Zoom theatre going on right now (FOMO, anyone?), it's difficult for one independent theater company to stand out. But luckily, this company has assembled a great cast and an intriguing line-up of stories that make The Bedroom Plays enjoyable and even thought-provoking.

In Jake Brasch's The Man in the Fuchsia Mask (directed by Jordan Gemaehlich), an embittered New Yorker (Audrey Rapoport) shouts at people through her bedroom window, complains about potato chips that taste like feet, and guzzles alcohol in an attempt to beat isolation-induced depression. And she wonders: when you're a cynical loner in a world suddenly forced into self-isolation, how do you stand out? A stranger in a fuchsia face mask may have the answer...or he may not.

While Audrey Rapoport's sour expression and biting critiques won a few laughs from me (especially during the potato chip scene), the writing and presentation jarred me a bit. Nevertheless, the character-writing was strong, and the short did have its moments.

By contrast, I found Cassandra Paras' Daeva (directed by Byron Anthony), riveting and fun. What starts as a normal video chat between a husband (Matt Pilcie) and his expecting wife (Cassandra Paras) quickly turns sinister when she reveals a mysterious sealed box she found in the closet. Good presentation and a twist ending made for a delightfully chilling performance.

Finally, Tracy Carns' In a Bubble, With Only You (directed by Diane Davis) is an intriguing story about a pair of newly weds who separate after an incendiary wedding night. (The bride sets fire to their bed.) On the morning after, the groom (Robbie Gemaehlich) is understandably bitter and the bride (Simone Grossman) isn't sure what she wants. As a literati, I enjoyed the classic lit undertones (Moby Dick, Jane Eyre and/or Great Expectations?). Add honest, compelling acting and spot-on direction to an already intriguing premise, and it's hard to go wrong.

With the next installment of The Room Plays coming July 9, it will be fun to watch this project evolve as Eden Theater Company discovers what works and doesn't work in a Zoom performance. Building on an already solid foundation, they're sure to do great things.

How can I get tickets?

The first performance is over, but if you want to watch the next one on July 9, you can find details on Eden Theater's website or Facebook page. Tickets are free, but donations to the Equal Justice Initiative are encouraged. 

How long is it?

Each play is about 10 to 15 minutes long, so altogether the performance runs 30 to 45 minutes.

What else do I need to know?

Support small theater and social justice. What else do you need to know?

Is it appropriate for all ages?

There was some profanity in the first piece, but the other two were pretty clean. Of course, I'm guessing the plays on July 9 will be completely different, so who can say? 

Your obedient servant,

EJK

Review: APAC's 'Jump' asks the hard questions

Kelechi Ezie and Alex J. Gould in Jump. Credit: Michael R. Dekker.

What did Erin think?

Are there warning signs? Does it take a certain strength to go through with it (or not go through with it)? Afterward, how do those left behind cope with what has happened?

These are just a few of the questions Charly Evon Simpson poses in her play Jump, which receives its New York premiere in a thought-provoking performance by Astoria Performing Arts Center. At a pop-up location at 28-21 Steinway, Astoria, Arpita Mukherjee directs a four-person cast in a story of family, trauma, and unexpected friendship.

Kelechi Ezie is Fay, a young adult who's recently lost her mother to cancer and is slowly losing her father to alcohol. When her father (played by Dathan B. Williams) summons Fay and her older sister Judy (Natasha Hakata) to the now vacant family home in order to go through their things before he sells the house, painful memories return and old tensions rise anew. Troubled by these and the vague feeling that she may be losing her mind, Fay seeks solace on the bridge her mother used to bring her to as a child. There she meets a young grad student named Hopkins (Alex J. Gould) and an unlikely friendship blossoms. 

But both her family members and her new friend are battling their own demons, and Fay's vague worries about whether or not she's going crazy are soon swept beneath the current of weightier events. 

Jump takes a thorough, contemplative look at the act of suicide and the many questions surrounding it. The material is heavy, but strange to say, it's not a complete downer. Such is the strength of Simpson's script, which varies light and dark moments, laughter and tears and even an impromptu dance party performed by two strangers to Queen on a bridge, that a balanced picture emerges of human life in all its joy, heartache, surprise, and shock.

Alex J. Gould gives perhaps the most nuanced performance as a man contemplating suicide but held back for some reason he can't articulate. His delivery is natural but loaded, a ready-to-burst-at-any-moment cloud hanging just over his head.

But the other cast members also give perceptive performances. When Kelechi Ezie's Fay gives full vent to her emotions, the effect is devastating. And there's something just a little off about Natasha Hakata's Judy, who manifests her despair in barley noticeable moments between conversations. 

With thoughtful pacing and some (intentional) confusion, time becomes a tricky thing. We're not always sure which scenes follow each other chronologically, if what we're seeing has already happened, has yet to happen, or is actually happening at all. It's perhaps the play's most striking theme, hinting at the way traumatic events play with our minds and memories.

How can I get tickets?

$20-$25 tickets are available on APAC's website.

How long is it?

About 65 minutes with no intermission.

What else do I need to know?

Jump runs February 7 - 23. The pop-up theatre is located at 28–21 Steinway St, Astoria. It's in the Kaufman Arts District, not far from the Museum of the Moving Image (which is a great thing to check out if you're in the area).

Is it appropriate for all ages?

The play deals with heavy themes like suicide and alcoholism, and there is some swearing. I'd leave the kids at home.

Your obedient servant,

EJK