The Days Are As Grass by Carol Hall

WORLD PREMIERE  A funny and poignant evening of theatre woven from eight beautifully written vignettes that are rich in characterization, wit, hope, lust, humor, and elegance. Two veteran actors Nicola Sheara and Brent Erdy portray more than a dozen characters in intimate portraits of lives at a turning point–dreams fulfilled, dreams broken, disappointments and joys. The work of playwright Carol Hall has been recognized with numerous awards and honors, including two Drama Desk Awards, an ASCAP award, a Grammy nomination, and an Emmy Award. At the helm, is distinguish theatre director, Vivian Matalon, who has worked extensively in London's West End, on Broadway and regional theatres in the US and has been recognized by a Tony nomination (The Tap Dance Kid), and the Tony and Drama Desk awards (Mornings At Seven). Eight performances.

Madam CJ Walker America’s First Black Female Millionaire

Author and actress Jo Tanner shares her passion for Madam Walker in an inspiring, solo performance depicting the life and times of this legendary, turn-of-the-century, inventor and entrepreneur. At a time when few opportunities were available to women, and even fewer to women of color, she earned her fortune selling "hair goods and 'preparations" to African Americans. Jo Tanner inhabits the soul of Madame Walker, transporting the audience back in time, to feel the power of Madame's inspiring challenge to Black women of the time, to stand up, improve their personal appearance and personal power, to change the society of the time, and to lead the way to greater freedoms. Madam Walker was a pioneer who led an extraordinary life that is portrayed by an extraordinary actress. A talk-back will follow each of the three performances.

Jo Tanner as Madam Walker

Tiny Ninja Theater presents Romeo & Juliet

Back by popular demand, this time with Shakespeare's classic tale of star-crossed lovers portrayed by inch-high plastic ninjas and assorted dime store figures on three brief-case size stages. Directed by Dov Weinstein and founded in 1999 to promote performance opportunities for vending machine thespians, this production has received rave reviews all over the United States and Europe at festivals ranging from the Piccolo Spoleto Festival to The Edinburgh Fringe. "Dov Weinstein has developed a presentation that is so fully realized, so artfully conceived, so wonderfully inventive that one cannot help but become a willing participant in the suspension of disbelief"— Charleston Post & Courier. Co-producer, Jonathan Van Gieson, comments: “I think it's safe to say that this is Shakespeare as it was meant to be seen. If tiny plastic ninjas had existed in the 16th century, I have no doubt that Shakespeare himself would have staged the play this way."  Seating will be extremely limited (only 25 at each performance), Purchase tickets early!

                                                                Visit the Tiny Ninja Theater Website:  http://www.tinyninjatheater.com

Greetings From Yorkville, a cabaret musical

WORLD PREMIERE Recording artists and Richard Rodgers Award Finalists, Anya Turner and Robert Grusecki will perform their new show, Greetings From Yorkville, a musical about love and dreams and life in the big city. Drawing from their own life experiences, the duo has fashioned a musical cabaret of original songs and monologues. Broadway and Off-Broadway veterans and cabaret artists, they have written and recorded two CD's of modern cabaret songs (Original Cast Records). Their songs are also performed by such diverse artists as Karen Akers, Steve Ross, Donna McKechnie and Kathy Kinney at NYC's Avery Fisher Hall and Town Hall, L.A.'s Cinegrill, and London's Pizza on the Park.  Three performances.

Anya Turner & Robert Grusecki

Stories to be Read with a Southern Accent

Memrie Innerarity and Judith Moore have spun their fabulous short stories of life in the South, into theatrical gold, creating a theatre piece that is both hilariously funny and deeply moving. These stories have humor, grit and pathos which together attempt to answer the question, "What is the South, and why are they acting like that"? As performers, they are charismatic and charming and have numerous Broadway, Off-Broadway and regional theatre credits between them.  Three performances.

American SongFest 2004

Concerts and cabaret featuring extraordinary young singers

and distinguished instrumentalists

Larry Alan Smith serves as Composer-in-Residence

Vive la Boulangerie!- Sat. Aug. 28th, 2pm at St. Gregory's Church.

During the 20th Century, hundreds of America’s young composers and performers flocked to Paris to study with the great Nadia Boulanger. We will mark the 25th anniversary of her death with a concert of works by Gabriel Fauré, Lili Boulanger, Nadia Boulanger and several of Mlle. Boulanger’s students (Aaron Copland, Douglas Moore, John Duke, Marc Blitzstein and Larry Alan Smith). Soprano Nancy Loesch makes her Songfest debut with this program of French and American Music. A finalist in the Center for Contemporary Opera’s 19th International Opera Singers Competition last year, Ms. Loesch will be joined by pianists Marguerita Oundjian Smith and Larry Alan Smith. 

Nancy Loesch

Marguerita Oundjian Smith

Songs of the Darkness - Wed. Sept. 1st, 8pm at Byrdcliffe Theater.

Soprano Catherine Thorpe returns to the Songfest with flutist Nicole Ladd and guitarist Christopher Ladd in a program of works by Larry Alan Smith and two young American composers, Lief Ellis and Thomas Schuttenhelm. Experience the beautiful acoustics and intimate atmosphere of the Byrdcliffe Theatre with this special evening of vocal and instrumental chamber music. 

                     Chrisopher Ladd          Nicole Ladd                Catherine Thorpe

I’ve Known Rivers - Sat. Sept. 4th, 2pm at St. Gregory’s Church.

Introducing bass-baritone and 2004 Metropolitan Opera National Council Finalist Charles Mays, Jr.! His program will include music by Samuel Barber, Margaret Bonds, Howard Swanson, William Bolcom, Aaron Copland and Larry Alan Smith and conclude with spiritual favorites: “Ev’ry Time I feel de Spirit”, “Were you there?” and “Deep River”.  Larry Alan Smith will be the pianist.

Charles Mays, Jr.

From the Great American Songbook

a cabaret workshop

Watson Heintz, critically acclaimed in her role at the FRINGE last year in The Great Nebula in Orion, returns this summer to sing with Wallace Norman, in a new cabaret they have been developing. This is a work-in-progress and feedback from the audience will be welcome. With musical direction by Michael Conley, some of the great songs of the theatre will be performed including songs by Harold Arlen, Leonard Bernstein, Irving Berlin, Jacques Brel, George Gershwin Stephen Sondheim and Carol Hall.