FAB Feed

Guest Blog #8: Art Cart NYC™ Loves Duncan Malashock

2010-09-08T20:15:00.000-07:00

Duncan Malashock,

Godseye 2 (Video Still),

Digital Video, 2009

Artist we’re into- Duncan Malashock

Meet Duncan, a new media artist who will be participating in Neon Seduction! Originally from San Diego, California, Duncan earned a BA from Bard College in Integrated Arts. He will be exhibiting his digital video, Godseye 2, with Art Cart NYC™. Using luminescent color, geometric shape, and ambient noise, his video work has a magnetic power to entrance the viewer.

Duncan currently lives and works in Brooklyn, New York, and is a member of online art collective Computers Club. You can check out his portfolio here.

We've Moved!

2010-09-08T13:23:00.000-07:00

Hey All:

Just to let you know that we will now be blogging at Wordpress!
that address is fourthartsblock.wordpress.com
and you can read all the in depth creative going-ons
here at the East 4th Street Cultural Center
(and you can even expect some blogs from Tamara Greenfield, the Executive Director of FAB!)
happy reading!

FAB

Guest Blog #7: Art Cart NYC™ Loves Corey D'Augustine

2010-09-03T08:52:00.000-07:00

Light Pile, 2009

Installation at The Parlour, 2009

(Images courtesy the artist)

Artist we’re into-Corey D’Augustine

Meet Corey, a multimedia artist whose pile of fluorescent lights will be illuminating the interior of our art cart! Raised in Maine, Corey studied art history and conservation at the Institute for Fine Arts, and now teaches at Pratt University and MoMA. He has also made a name for himself exhibiting his work throughout the NYC art community and abroad. He participated in “Silicon Valley” at PS1 and “An Exchange with Sol LeWitt” at Cabinet.

We took particular interest in Corey after his recurring participation in The Parlour, a “nomadic curatorial project” founded by Ciara Gilmartin and Leslie Rosa-Stumpf in 2008. The Parlour pops up in a new home for each exhibition, so you can imagine our delight to discover Corey’s piece, Light Pile, not only in the white cube gallery space, but also on display on a rooftop garden. The site specific installation activates each space it inhabits and takes on a new identity as external factors change.

Discover how the installation evolves when the Light Pile takes up residence in the truck.

Until then, you can take a look at more of Corey’s work here.

-Art Cart NYC™

Guest Blog #6: Art Cart NYC™ Loves Erin Wahed

2010-09-02T07:48:00.000-07:00

Artist we’re into- Erin Wahed.

Meet Erin Wahed, the first artist to be included in the Neon Seduction Show. Though raised in Canada, Erin has been an East Village resident for a number of years. She recently graduated from New York University’s Tisch School for the Arts, where she studied photography. Erin’s future as an artist is bright, with gallery shows in Chelsea and Montreal already behind her and upcoming exhibitions in the fall. She manipulates found objects and scenes in her photography to create what she calls “hybrid subjects.” Erin’s work exemplifies the feeling of the East Village today; It synthesizes the raw, experimental aesthetic of the ’80s art scene with the chic and glamorous face of the revitalized neighborhood.

A clip from her statement reads:

Allow yourself to be confused.
Macro, line, shape and color inspire my work.
There is no subject.
I combine photographs.
I de-compose.
I adjust.
I experient.
Look differently.
Steer away from assumptions.
Question.
Think.

The enemy of photography is the convention…
The salvation of photography
comes from the experiment.
-Lázló Moholy-Nagy

Erin Wahed 2010

To learn more about Erin, check out our artist page for a link to her website. -Art Cart NYC™

Stripes: The Mystery Circus at FringeNYC

2010-08-27T10:57:00.000-07:00

Come and see Sarah Hayward in the final performance of her solo show, Stripes: the Mystery Circus at FringeNYC. It's this Saturday at 7:15pm at Studio at Cherry Lane Theatre, 38 Commerce St., West Village.

In Stripes: the Mystery Circus, people-pleasing Pollyhymnia, who will do anything to get into the circus. She brazenly re-invents eight iconic circus acts including: The Escape Artist, The High Wired Act and The Bittersweet Bearded Lady. Secret theories, mysteries and Leonard Cohen are just a few of Pollyhymnia’s passions. In this metaphysical musical, Pollyhymnia finds her way through song, memories and sheer determination.

"Stripes: The Mystery Circus benefits from an engaging performer and a unique premise…What ensues is a series of songs, stories, and comic bits that aim to show that life is a circus, and we're all performers in striped costumes…." Meredith Lee, Theatermania

Check out more about Sarah and her NYC adventures in Sarah's blog or on her website!

http://stripestheworldtourbegins.blogspot.com/

www.sarahhayward.ca/

Behind the Scenes of Picking Palin! FringeNYC Stage Manager Jessica Pollack Reviews

2010-08-19T13:58:00.000-07:00

As a stage manager, I'm usually one of the last people hired on a show. The cast is already in place, the first time I see the script is a few days before rehearsal starts, and the first time I hear any of the words on the page out loud is at the first rehearsal after design presentations. Not so with Picking Palin, written and directed by Stephen Padilla and debuting as part of this year's New York Fringe Festival at the Connelly Theater. I was fortunate enough to come on board Palin during the casting process as a casting assistant, which has made my experience with the show a unique one.

While Picking Palin explores the truth behind how and why Sarah Palin came to be the Republican Vice Presidential pick in 2008, it became clear during auditions that at just the mention of Sarah Palin's name, many people expected the play to be a send-up and a parody of Sarah Palin (some even expected a musical) rather than what it is -- a fly-on-the wall experience that lets audience members into a hotel room with four top Republican strategists as they come to a fascinating decision on John McCain's running mate days before the pick must be announced.

Beginning with finding a cast that can transport the audience into that room, it's been an exciting journey watching them bring the words in the script to life to open a window on a story that audiences have never before seen. If you're looking for an experience far more captivating and moving than a "Springtime for Sarah" send-up, and one that will stay with you long after you've left the theater, check out the website at http://www.pickingpalin.com/Home.html.

Playing @ Connelly Theatre: Sat 21 @ 9:45 Wed 25 @ 9:30 Sat 28 @ NOON

Buy Tickets at fringenyc.com.

Opening Tonight!!! ***Take a Spiritual and Wacky Ride with “Omarys Concepcion Lopez Perez Goes to Israel (to Speak to God at the Wailing Wall)."

2010-08-13T08:45:00.001-07:00

Written and Performed by Leila Arias

Catch the New York Premiere at The New York International Fringe Festival – FringeNYC August 13th - 29^th, 2010

Creator/Performer Leila Arias returns to the New York International Fringe Festival with the New York premiere of her multi-character solo comedy show, “Omarys Concepcion Lopez Perez Goes to Israel (to Speak to God at the Wailing Wall).”Omarys is a Persian/Puerto Rican Catholic girl from the Bronx who desperately needs to speak with God. When her father grants her the birthday present of her dreams, a pilgrimage to Israel, she never imagines that her spiritual journey will start with a lie. Forced to pretend a handicap so they can fly first class proves only the beginning, as Omarys wades through a cast of characters who both help and hinder her progress towards a conversation with God at the Wailing Wall.Although actress Leila Arias has been traveling the world since the age of 5, it was her trip to Israel that would transform her life. Inspired by Jerusalem and the people she met there, Leila wanted to create a one-woman play to capture and share her experience with others. The result is a passionate and heartfelt comedy show that offers a unique global perspective wrapped into a neat 40 minute bow. “Omarys Concepcion Lopez Perez Goes to Israel (to Speak to God at the Wailing Wall)” marks Leila’s second appearance at FringeNYC.

For more info, excerpts from the show and tickets, please go to; www.leilaarias.com

Six performances; Friday 8/13 @ 5 p.m., Sunday 8/15 @ 1 p.m., Monday 8/16 @ 9 p.m., Friday 8/20 @ 10:30 p.m., Sunday 8/22 @ 7:30 p.m., Sunday 8/29 @ 3 p.m.!!!! The Players Loft Theatre -- 115 MacDougal St., 3rd Fl. @ West 3rd NYC 10012.

FringeNYC Feels Good

2010-08-11T13:22:00.000-07:00

By  Stephen  W  Baldwin,  playwright  “My  Name  is  Ruth” 

Heat  making  you  drag?   Fret  not  theatergoer.   Help  is  on  the  way!   A  quirky  half‐pint  heroine  is  dowsing  the  city  with  a  big, cool  bucket  of  happy  over  at  the  Connelly  Theater  on  East  4th  Street.    She’s  bold,  she’s  adorable,  and  she’s  the  essence  of  FringeNYC.   Meet  “My  Name  is  Ruth.” 

It’s  1950’s  Minnesota,  don’tcha  know?   A  young  widow  moves  to  the  big  city  and  lands  a  job  at  a  department  store.   But  can  a  bashful  businessman  save  both  her  home  and  her  heart?   
Gosh-o‐willickers,  we  hope  so! 

Isn’t  fringe  great?   Where  else  can  you  see  a  modern  romantic‐comedy  based  on  the  Biblical  story  of  Ruth?   Or  what  about  a  show  with  two  boxing  dancers?   Or  a  singing  Dracula?  (the  last  two  are  at  the  Connelly  as  well,  by  the  way)   A  cool  breath  of  fresh  arts  blows  through  each  August  and  relieves  the  city  of  the  summer  doldrums.   It’s  a  chance  for  every  off beat  playwright,  cabaret  act,  and  dancing  duo  to  think  WAY  outside  the  box  and  be  heard. 

With  us,  we  like  to  tell  people  we’re  a  theater  company  that  won’t  depress  you.   This  adaptation,  its  adorable  leading  lady,  and  content — they  are  completely  sentimental  and  heart‐warming.   Sincere  to  its  fullest.    We  think  you  just  don’t get  to  see  that  very  often — sincerity  seems  to  live  on  the  outskirts  of  theatre  these  days,  on  the  fringe  of  society,  if  you  will.  But  right  now,  that’s  where  I  want  to  be.   It  feels  good  to  cool  off  every  once  in  a  while  with  the  rest  of  the  optimistic  avant‐garde. 

Feeling  good  never  felt  so  edgy!   

“My  Name  is  Ruth”  is  produced  by  34west  Theater  and  plays  at  the  Connelly  Aug 15-25.   Dates  and  details  are  available  at  www.34west.org/ruthnycfringe. 

Strange Love's Journey Across the Galaxy

2010-08-09T14:35:00.000-07:00

By Jorge J. Rodríguez
Producer, The Contasia Players

On the planet Contasia, the evil worm Dr. Roswald Tuscanunin has kidnapped the alien princess
Splontusia to use her as a test subject for his diabolical “mean” serum. As she plots her revenge,
a strange love begins to brew in the beakers of Dr. T's mad science laboratory! But before they
can slither off into the sunset, their love is challenged by past romances that come back to haunt
them...

Strange Love in Outer Space is a new sci-fi musical traumedy by 12-year-old playwright Janyia
Antrum. Currently a seventh-grader at New Haven’s Wexler-Grant Community School, Janyia
wrote the first part of Strange Love during the 2009 Dwight/Edgewood Project (D/EP), an after-
school playwriting program at Yale Repertory Theatre/Yale School of Drama that’s modeled
after the 52nd Street Project. She created the characters and crafted the world of the play over the
D/EP camping retreat. In just two days, she had imagined a whole new universe! When she got
home, she realized that her story wasn’t over yet and that same night, she wrote a sequel. A few
months later, Yale Cabaret commissioned her to write part three, and the trilogy premiered as
part of the their 42nd season, playing to sold-out audiences.

The Contasia Players, a group of students and graduates from Yale School of Drama, are now
proud to present the New York City premiere of Strange Love in Outer Space at FringeNYC!

If you enjoy zany musicals, sci-fi epics or romantic comedies (or all!), join us at The Cherry Pit
for a performance of Strange Love (Venue #14, 155 Bank Street). Five performances only—
8/14 at 2:15pm, 8/17 at 10:30pm, 8/19 at 8pm, 8/21 at 5:30pm, and 8/23 at 4pm. For more
information and tickets, visit: www.StrangeLoveinOuterSpace.com

3boys: Dogs Take a Bite Out of the Fringe

2010-08-02T14:16:00.000-07:00

The Fringe Festival is touching down on 4th Street this August. We at FAB thought it'd be cool to get some of the shows talking about what they're doing. They'll be posting guest blogs right here on the FAB Feed throughout the Fringe Festival! Check it out and be sure to get your Fringe Tickets Fast!

-Laurel

By Katie Chambers, Producer of 3boys

Ever wonder if your dog feels degraded by the name “Fifi”? Do you think he really likes wearing that pink poofy sweater to the park every day? These are the kinds of questions that ran through playwright Becca Schlossberg’s head as she stared at her dog and wondered whether, in reality, he was less of a family member and more of a slave. Take those philosophical musings, add a dash of social commentary and a whole lot of darkness and you have 3boys, the riveting and blackly humorous drama premiering at FringeNYC on August 13.

In 3boys, two older dogs teach a young pup the ropes of the human world and how they must obey the whacky rules set by man in order to survive. Sure, it’s a play about talking dogs, but it’s no Saturday morning cartoon. The dogs’ relationships with one another crumble under the weight of the limitations humans have set upon them—society literally beats their natural animal desires right out of them, forcing them into an image of domesticated “perfection.” Sound familiar? 3boys is a modern Aesop’s fable about masculininty and gay rights, and how a society’s ideals of right and wrong can often do more harm than good.

3boys is created, produced, designed, and performed by a group of Drew University alums who are dedicated to telling stories that matter and who are taking New York by storm. It’s not just a bunch of 20-somethings dressing as puppies—they hired a fight choreographer who wrestled an attack dog for research. They mean business.

If you like your theatre short, dark, weird, violent, profane, and meaningful, come downtown to the 4^th Street Theatre between August 13^th and 28^th to play with the 3boys—we’ll try not to bite. Dates and tickets are at www.3boysNYC.com.

Best Vintage Street Festival!

2010-07-15T11:23:00.000-07:00

Fourth Arts Block (FAB) just wanted to spread the word and the love about the Hester Street Market!

Time Out, rightfully so, has given the Hester Street Market a large print spread stating that the
Hester Street Market has been voted as the best vintage market in NYC!!! Check out the full article here.

The Hester Street Market is filled with all kinds of unique and fashionable treasures and FAB is excited to be tabling there this Saturday (07/17/10) from 11am to 2pm. At our table we will be distributing information about local art programs, FAB Passes and selling tickets to shows happening this weekend to the best theater in the East Village. Like tickets to FAB's innovative theater group NY Neo-Futurists show Too Much light Makes the Baby Go Blind.

The Hester Street Market is the perfect summer stop this weekend. If you are looking for some shade come to Hester Street. It is the shady (as in staying out of the sun!) place to be! The market is teeming with friendly vendors who are selling a wide variety of goods from: bikes/bike repairs, raw and organic food, unique and intense ice cream, natural body lotions and oils (they smell spectacular), stuffed animals, vintage clothing, tables of jewelry and much, much more!

For the small size of the space given to the market it is crammed with a large amount of exciting things, making this your one-stop-shopping experience for the weekend!

And if that is not enough there is usually a DJ playing music as well and a ping-pong table with a nearby misting tent! So come eat, drink, shop, cool off, play ping-pong and shake your groove thing in the Hester Street Market this weekend! One stop for cool excitement!

If you stop by, come visit me at the FAB table where I will be eating a delicious Mexican ice-pop from La NewYorkina.

Hope to see you there,
Matt Elliott

The Influencial Neo-Futurists

2010-07-09T11:02:00.000-07:00

Playwright Adam Szymkowicz interviews Neo-futurist Kevin R. Free and Kevin gives us some insight into the workings of the Neo-Futurists and how it has helped to set him on his present path.

"Q: You worked with the New York Neo-Futurists. Tell me more about them?

A: I am still an ensemble member of the New York Neo-Futurists, FYI. I am taking a break for a while, but I could go back in 2011.

Everything I know about myself as a writer, I learned first as a Neo. We don’t play characters and we don’t ever pretend onstage. Because we acknowledge the audience as part of the show, the show is visceral and immediate and dangerous, when we get it right. The show to which I am referring is, of course, Too Much Light Makes The Baby Go Blind (30 Plays in 60 Minutes). We write and perform all the plays and most of them are under 2 minutes. The plays are so in the moment that many people mistake the show as improv (but it aint). Anyway, I discovered when I started writing as a Neo-Futurist, I discovered that I had a lot to say – about myself – but I never really wanted to say it. A Raisin in the Salad: Black Plays For White People is actually an expanded, extrapolated piece that started as a series of plays in Too Much Light…"

Read the full interview here.

Thanks Kevin or “Kay-yuh-vee-yin” (as us southerns pronounce it like Kevin kindly tells us in his interview)! This is a fantastic reminder of the impact and innovative work that the neo-futurists are having on many actors'/playwrights' lives. Helping the world of theater to become a foundation for artistic self discovery. A step in the direction of a shift in theater!

The Neo-Futurists are one of the members of Fourth Arts Block and we are proud of their ability to foster such creative and unique voices. Thanks for all you do Neos! You sure know how to bring out the best!

Come be see other Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind with the Neo-Futurists by stopping by the East village this weekend and every weekend.

Thanks for keeping it fresh on a hot summer day!

~Matt Eliott

BTGay At Gent's Night Out After-Party

2010-06-22T13:06:00.000-07:00

After a day of fantastic shopping with Pride Goes East's Gentleman's Night Out store stop by Dixon Place to see the BTGay band perform this Thursday, June 24th from 9pm-11pm. See this youtube clip of the band's previous performance.

Read this statement from the band about the performance and performers not to miss this Thursday, June 24th from 9pm-11pm.

The BTK Band got its real start at The Stonewall Inn. I'd done a drag show as an experiment in character development and met the owner. We bonded over our Philadelphia sports tattoos and when the time came for the band to play, he gave us a spot. It was a lucky break for me, as I look like a post-menopausal Russian bride in a dress. Management gave us free reign, as long as their bar sales went up. That was no problem. Our shows at The Stonewall gave us the freedom to try new things, to implement different kinds of songs, to invite storytellers onstage and create a new type of music: improvised storytelling rock and roll. We slowly built an audience, many of whom had never had the occasion to go to The Stonewall. They all came back for more. It didn't hurt that there were lesbian jello wrestling matches downstairs. When our first June show came around, we wanted to do something different. We became The BTGay Band. We brought our best gay friends to tell their stories of Pride onstage with us. It just felt right. Our rhythm guitarist, Ian Dunn, whom we call The Tennessee Senator, drafted a BTGay Marriage Bill and passed it, effectively legalizing gay marriage (non-legally binding outside of the show). We married two gentlemen in a ceremony during our song "So Says The Lord." In that song, volunteers pick random bible verses and we explain them. Two verses were chosen, both happened to be about love and tolerance. The air in the room lifted. People were all together. The music was loud. The love was flowing. It was beautiful. We are proud to have the friends that we do. We are proud to provide an environment of chaos and acceptance. Come as you are to The BTK Band show. When we are BTGay, you better come fierce.

The King of the Lower East Side

2010-06-22T12:48:00.000-07:00

Check out FAB's homepage to see the video of the route that the King of the Lower East Side took to win Pride Goes East's Scavenger Hunt. Check out David B.'s (the King) blog on the event and his youtube videos with Tamara Greenfield, Executive Director of Fourth Arts Block, and his winning statements as King of Lower East Side. Great job David and we are honored to have you as out King!

Men Shopping Extravaganza

2010-06-22T10:11:00.000-07:00

Pride Goes East is excited to invite all the men (or women who are buying for men or like male clothing) to an event filled with fashionable and rare shopping, liquor and an after party at Dixon Place with the BTK Band, NYC's improvised storytelling rock band who in their celebration of Pride will be known as the BTGay Band! Gentlemen's Night Out starts at 6pm and goes until 9pm on Thursday June 24th. Prizes will be given out to the first few individuals who buy $50 or more at each store.

Get a head start on your fall wardrobe at Gentlemen's Night Out with my selection of some of the most fashionable jackets from the Lower East Side.

One of the stores participating is well-tailored designs By Robert James who "aims to make every man feel who wears his clothing feel as handsome as the clothes themselves" which means that every man who shops here will be leaving looking extremely handsome. Check out this photo of Robert James' The Washington jacket.

Another store is Any Old Iron which specializes in rare and UK-specific mensware clothing. This store is the first of its kind in Manhattan. Check out this Green Tonic jacket, I know it is on my wish list for the fall! I love unique clothing stores like this. Come and help bring Euro fashions to the city and the Lower East Side at Gentlemen's Night Out.

If your style is more punk rock check out The Cas t who specializes in denim, leather and t-shirt designs with a harder edge. This store is cutting edge with an '80s punk influence. Check out this hot vintage leather jacket.

Vintage-inspired Kai D Utility offers designs that he says are inspired by "wisdom". Every pocket and accessory are placed in the exact and most logical location. This store is perfect for the intellectual and philosophical man. Clean lines and cool colors offer a pristine look well suited for any chic man. Check out this sophisticated jacket from Kai D Utility.

Whether you are shopping for a well-tailored design, Euro fashion, Punk Rock/Vintage clothing or clothing for the sophisticated and wise attend Gentlemen's Night Out to meet your fashion needs. Visit all the stores and get drink tickets for the BTGay show at Dixon Place for the after-party. Make this event a must-do to kick off your Pride weekend.

Peace, Love and Fashion,
Matt Elliott

An Event of Good Fortune

2010-06-21T11:55:00.000-07:00

It was a night of grand fortune and posh surroundings. The Fourth Arts Block Benefit, Year of the Tiger, was such a huge success sitting on top of the Cooper Square Hotel's Penthouse looking out onto the glowing city. It excited my southern mindset and I knew that I was a long way from home. As the Knickerbocker Village blog says I felt like "I was sitting on top of the world". Check out his blog on the benefit to see his wonderful slide show. This slide show has pictures to see the view if you missed the event or have trouble remember the what happened because was a wonderful night filled with generous amounts of drinking and socializing.

Coming from Lexington, KY I have never attend an event of such grand proportions. FAB sure knows how to throw a party with southern hospitality: open bars, hors d'oeuvres, dancing and people dressed in their finest apparel. I was so excited to have the opportunity to make reservations and work the line for the fortune tellers. By working the line I met all kinds of wonderful New Yorkers, who are not mean like we are told they are in Kentucky!

The fortune tellers did a magnificent job, people left their readings with goose-bumps and with information to help guide them on their path. FAB covered all the bases of fortune telling from the stars to the cards to the palms. Several individuals made the rounds to all the fortune tellers. No secret was left untold at this party and people's fortunes were made clear.

Sporting my bright pink jacket I felt like I got to be a small part in making this colorful event more colorful. Sidra Bell's Dance company filled the space with color through movement and extravagant costumes.

Tamara, Lauren, Laurel and the multitude of volunteers help create an event that will be remembered in the stars and you can hire Kevin the Astrologer to find the FAB: Year of the Tiger constellation. I predict an even more spectacular benefit.

To see some of FAB's pictures of the evening check it out on our flickr account. FAB would like to express great gratitude for A Ruiz Photography for his spectacular job in capturing the memories of the night.

Thanks for being a part of these memorable evening!

Matt Elliott
FAB's newest intern

The Golden Girls at Pride Goes East

2010-06-11T13:32:00.000-07:00

We are excited to announce that the Golden Girls of drag will be making a special appearance at the Ladies' Brunch event for Pride Goes East. Come check them out on Sunday June 20th at 1pm!

From Nosedive Productions: The Little One

2010-06-08T11:30:00.000-07:00

Nosedive Productions

presents

The Little One

A new play by James Comtois

Directed by Pete Boisvert

Cynthia, a fledgling vampire, is taken under the wing of a more venerable one, Marie. Marie tries to teach her little one how to hunt and be merciful towards humans. However, like all rebellious children, Cynthia has ideas of her own on how to make the most out of immortality.

Featuring

Ryan Andes - Becky Byers - Rebecca Comtois

Stephanie Cox-Williams - Jeremy Goren - Stephen Heskett

Melissa Roth - Patrick Shearer - Christopher Yustin

The Kraine Theater
85 East 4th Street
(between Bowery and Second Ave.)

June 17 - July 10
(Thursdays through Saturdays)

All shows at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets on sale now

Discounted Pride Happenings this Weekend!

2010-06-04T14:01:00.000-07:00

This weekend is packed full of exciting and innovated LGBT inspired Pride Goes East events!

This weekends line-up is:

Bull Dyke Chronicles
June 5 9:30PM,
Dixon Plac e, 161A Chrystie St.,
Free FABPass with ticket purchase

Shelly Mars & Kirby (Shelly's four-legged mascot) offer a night of bull-dyke bullshit, artistry and edgy performance. Shake your tails off.

The Final Episode of Room for Cream
June 5, 5PM & 6:30PM,
La MaMa E.T.C.,
74A East 4th Street

This is the final installment of the live lesbian soap opera Room for Cream. If you missed the first few episodes, no worries!... here is a recap. This final installment will be a must see !

To Believe
June 6th at 6PM,
La MaMa La Galleria,
6 E. 1st St., Free FABPass with on-site donation to HMI

This art show features artists who are a mixture of skeptics and believers, participants and observers. Through their work they consider the actions taken to achieve self-fulfillment and enlightenment through the otherworldly.

Red Mother
June 4th & 5th at 8pm, 6th at 2:30pm
La MaMa First Floor Theatre,
74A East 4th Street

Muriel Miguel, the acclaimed Native American performer and co-founder of the Obie-award-winning collective Spiderwoman Theater, has cast herself as a Mother Courage character in her newest play, "Red Mother." Murielle Borst, Artistic Director of The Silvercloud Singers and Dancers, and Miguel’s daughter, is director and choreographer.

This weekend is filled with both comedic and enlightened LBGT stories. We hope to see you there!

Inside Look at LAVA Loving & Daring at Dixon Place!

2010-05-28T10:43:00.000-07:00

Sarah Johnson, the Artistic Director of LAVA talks about putting together the past, present and future to make LAVA Loving & Daring which will be premiering at Dixon Place on June 3rd, 2010:

On January 3rd 2010 we began rehearsing LAVA Loving & Daring at our Brooklyn studio. On June 3rd 2010 we will begin performing LAVA Loving & Daring at Dixon Place.  LAVA is celebrating 10 years by creating a show that has highlighted, remixed, and revived some of our and our audiences' favorite material from the past decade.  It has been really interesting to look at all of our past work and to try to assess what has withstood the test of time.

We are including many of our most acrobatic and virtuosic pieces: double trapeze, human pyramids, hoop diving and team tumbling.  All are done by a cast of women who are amazingly strong and synchronized, some new to the company, some veterans with 10 years under their belts. Also a good dose of geology and earth sciences with duets inspired by volcanoes and plate tectonics, a semi-accurate geology lecture that involves audience participation, swing dancing that combines with wrestling to point to the complexity and humor of socially-dictated gender roles, and a section from Tides inspired by the sounds and rhythms of ocean waves. We will be showing some of our site-specific video collaborations with Nancy Brooks Brody from residencies that we did in California, Hawaii, and New York. And a parade of props that refer to the heroics and inanities of scientific knowledge.

I am hoping that audiences will get to see the unusual combination of aesthetics, politics, and physicality that is unique to LAVA: our feminist resistance embodied in female strength and intimate relationships, our connection to the natural world, our movement vocabulary that spans from the virtuosity of acrobatics to the simplicity of pedestrian movements that anyone could do, and our commitment to a humanity and accessibility in our connections with each other, our community members, and our audiences.

Get a preview of the show here.

X-YU Festival is up an running!

2010-05-27T10:48:00.000-07:00

X-YU Festival, a one-of-a-kind partnership between three arts organizations in the downtown area (Dixon Place, WaxFactory and Dance New Amsterdam) kicked off last night with a punk-energy-driven WAYS OF LOVE by Maja Delak and Luka Princic from Slovenia and SAD SAM / ALMOST 6 /, an affecting solo by the Croatian choregrapher and dancer Matija Ferlin. We've had fantastic responses from our audiences, and many interesting conversations were simultaneously bubbling at Dixon Place's cozy lounge in between the two shows, partly fueled by the delicious Festival special...a refreshing cocktail called the Dirty Socialist (no, we won't give you the ingredients...you are just going to have to come down to try it!)

The work of all three participating companies is now on view for the first time in the United States -- including tonight's American premiere of Dalija Acin's installation/performance HANDLE WITH GREAT CARE, and you can see at least two shows on any given weeknight: and, on Saturday May 29, our closing day, you can be that hardcore contemporary performance fan, and see all three works in a row, beginning at 5pm!

Also, if you are interested in meeting the artists, asking questions, and hearing more about their work, join us as they converse with several protagonists of New York dance scene: tonight, there will be a post performance discussion on HANDLE WITH GREAT CARE with Jill Sigman, following the 9pm performance; on Saturday, WAYS OF LOVE at 5pm will be followed by a post-performance conversation lead by Ann Liv Young, and SAD SAM / ALMOST 6 / at 7pm will be followed by a post-performance conversation lead by the founders of the Moving Theater.

For a complete line-up, visit: http://www.dixonplace.org/html/XYU.html

La MaMa Moves! Festival & Benefit

2010-05-20T14:10:00.000-07:00

La MaMa is bringing back their dance festival this summer along with a benefit honoring Sara Rudner and Laurie Uprichard. Both of these women have made wonderful contributions to the dance world: Sara with her undeniable grace and beauty in movement and Laurie for her international support and outreach to other dance communities.
The line up for the benefit is impressive: Rocky Bornstein - Robert Een - Doug Elkins - John Kelly - Jon Kinzel - Jodi Melnick - Rashaun Mitchell - Quarry Film by Meredith Monk - David Neumann - Bill Ruyle - John Scott and Vicky Shick. Sara Rudner herself will also be performing with her collaborators--definitely not something you would want to miss.
You can buy tickets here, and do so if you can! It'll be a lot of fun and is for a great cause: La MaMa E.T.C. is an institution for performance that has been giving opportunities to many artists for almost 50 years.
The festival itself is also hosting scores of talents from all different areas of dance. Each day has a theme to it, including Mavericks in Motion, Dancing Divas and a showcase of NYU alums. The festival runs from June 3rd-20th and definitely has something in store for everyone.

This Blog is Pretty Cool.

2010-05-07T09:55:00.000-07:00

So, we just found this blog that is is doing something pretty interesting. This actor, Anna, has given herself the challenge of seeing one play every week for one whole year. This is a good goal to have to begin with. Many of us here at FAB are also involved in the performing arts and between rehearsals, techs and our own shows it can be difficult to get out and see the other work that is happening. So, kudow Anna!

Secondly, Anna has chosen to share this challenge with the world by writing about every show that she sees, giving the rest of us insight into shows that we maybe would have missed out on in the first place. This past week, Anna went to see the much discussed Gin & "It" at Performance Space 122. Everything that I have heard about this show sounds wonderful, creative and bizarre.

Gin & "It", by Reid Farrington, takes its inspiration from Alfred Hitchcock's film, Rope. This film used certain camera choreography to make the entire film appear to be one long take. This is a feat within itself, and for Farrington to create this on stage is ambitious to be sure.

You can read more about the show on Anna's Blog: A Year of Plays and I would say that you should keep going back to it since her view seems to be smart and in tune with the shows that she's seeing. Also, be sure to get your tickets to Performance Space 122's Gin & "It" since the last performance is Sunday, May 9th!

Regina Nejman's Repertory Workshop May 17-21

2010-04-30T20:25:00.000-07:00

Hi everybody! I will be teaching a Repertory Workshop May 17- 21 from 10Am-12Pm @
Panetta Movement Center @
214 West 29th Street, 10th Floor, New York NY 10001

I will be teaching movement from my recent works: Delete/Her and ANNETTE and will be auditioning male and female dancers for upcoming performances.
The class will start with a thorough warm-up followed by repertoire.

Cost:

$90 Before May 7
$100 After May 7
$20 Single Class

pay online at: http://reginarepertoryworkshop.blogspot.com/

Julie Lemberger

Pedal Power 2010: Kids' Art Bike Parade Coming Up!

2010-04-30T10:51:00.000-07:00

Join Us! Make Art! Ride Your Bike! Register Today! - www.evccnyc.org

The East Village Community Coalition is hosting the third annual Kids' Art Bike Parade on Saturday, May 8th in Tompkins Squar Park. It is a celebration of the arts, bicycling and sustainable street design. In addition to riding in the Parade, folks may transform their bicycles into mobile works of art, join the Learn-to-Ride Class (begins at 10:00 a.m.), take advantage of free bicycle tune-ups and benefit from free helmet fittings and giveaways.

Additionally, there will be live entertainment in Tompkins Square before the Parade, and Rude Mechanical Orchestra will welcome Parade participants back into the Park before the free raffle and post-ride refreshments.

Parade co-sponsors include Transportation Alternatives, Recycle-A-Bicycle, the Lower East Side Peoples' Mutual Housing Association, Bike New York and the NYC Department of Transportation. For more information, and to register for this FREE event, call 212.979.2344 or e-mail lesbikeparade@gmail.com

"Small Voices" Installation

2010-04-29T16:58:00.000-07:00

Today, Brian George and I deinstalled "Are We There Yet?" to make room for the second rotation of the ArtUp 2010 program. The Community Word Project exhibition consists of two images with a poem interspersed in between the images.

The installation went pretty smooth today. Again, I want to thank Lauren for the hours she put into creating the file on illustrator and Art Digital for printing it, and delivering it to us today. Special thanks go to Thomas Caudill for helping out with the installation and to K. Savage for lending us the "magic" clamps!

Defining Addiction

2010-04-24T10:57:00.000-07:00

My new play Moving Day, running through May 1 at the Kraine Theater is a story of addiction.

On the surface, it tells the tale of Max, a recovering heroin addict. The play takes places on the "front stoop" of the family home in Greenpoint he shares with his sister, Emily. Max is clean from heroin, moving away from Brooklyn, escaping to the small town of Franconia, New Hampshire to start his life over. But, looking deeper, we see Max also has an addiction to an unhelathy relationship with his soon to be ex-wife Melinda. And as we learn more about Emily and her "fake" boyfriend Steven, we can see their addictions as well.

I never intended to write a play about addiction. I wanted to write a play about what happens on the front stoop of a house in Brooklyn, because I saw so many things happen there when I was growing up. But, when I started writing, I started realizing all of the characters were addicted to something, chemical or otherwise and I became fascinated by that. I began to think about what really defines addiction and came to the realization that it is something you think you can't live without. It doesn't have to be drugs, it can even be a person. Something you're consumed by, that you spend every waking moment thinking about and every sleeping moment dreaming about. Something you want all the time.

Moving Day is a very personal story for me because my uncle was addicted to heroin. I never knew this until I was in my 20s. My whole life, I had been conditioned to believe that heroin addicts were those strung out, desperate "junkies" (a word I absolutely loathe, but very often the first word associated with heroin addiction) in the park with that glazed look in their eyes. But, that wasn't my uncle. He was funny, charming and loving and yet he struggled with one of the worst chemical addictions there is. He had nicknames for everyone in our family -- I was Himo, my sister was Taco, my grandmother and grandfather were Bozo and Spitzy, and his sister was simply Sister. He loved the ocean, kept a salt water fish tank and went scuba diving any chance he got.

One of my most vivid memories of my uncle is not a childhood one. I was an adult, working in midtown, walking to my bus after work and he was on the corner, waiting for his estranged wife outside her office. She had recently moved out and left him. He just wanted to talk to her, he said. What I remember so clearly was the sadness in his eyes. The only word I can use to describe him is broken.

My uncle's voice spoke to me in the character of Max. Max's voice was the loudest of all the characters. I kept trying to ignore it, to silence the sadness he wanted me to write about but I couldn't. He wanted me to tell his story. I am proud to share his story with anyone who wants to listen. Moving Day is for you, Uncle Mikie, I love you with all my heart.

Moving Day runs through May 1 at the Kraine Theater, 85 East 4th Street, New York, NY 10003. Tickets are available through Fourth Arts Block.

Triangle Shirtwaist Factory

2010-03-25T13:54:00.000-07:00

Today marks the 99th anniversary of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fires. The Tenement Museum has posted some photos of the event on their blog.
The museum will be holding a free talk tonight at 6:30PM so check it out.

Regina Nejman- ANNETTE interview with JIM MOORE

2010-03-24T16:27:00.000-07:00

Regina Nejman - ANNETTE - Dixon Place from Jim Moore on Vimeo.

Elephants on Parade: Interview with Playwright Rhea MacCallum

2010-02-24T06:50:00.000-08:00

Check out the fourth in our series of interviews with playwrights from Elephants on Parade 2010, coming to Teatro IATI March 10-20, 2010. The next installment, with playwright Rebekah Lopata, will be posted on Wednesday.

Today we talk with Rhea MacCallum ("Selling Beaver"). Her credits include: Baby Secrets (Cheeky Monkey), Getting Back to Me (Acme New Works), Name Me (Theatre Encino), Flushed Suicides (Stage Left Studios), Baby Blues (MADAIR Productions), A Little Experimenting (Native Aliens, Strings Attached), Resurrection for Dummies (Stormy Weather Players), The 7th Disorder (TADA!’s 15th Annual Playwriting Contest winner, Westbeth). Rhea holds degrees from USC and New School University and belongs to the Dramatists Guild, ICWP and ALAP. Yesterday Once More was a finalist for the 2004 Heideman Award.

Check out the full interview on our Tumblr blog. For more information on the festival and five other new one-act plays, visit www.ebeensemble.com or check out the show page at SmartTix to buy tickets. Use code FAB411 for $10 tickets (normally $15!)

Elephants on Parade - Interview with playwright Libby Emmons

2010-02-22T08:14:00.000-08:00

Check out the third in our series of interviews with playwrights from Elephants on Parade 2010, coming to Teatro IATI March 10-20, 2010. The next installment, with playwright Rhea MacCallum, will be posted on Wednesday.

Today we feature Libby Emmons ("leaving last night"). Her past work includes: Co-producer: Blue Box’s Sticky. Clubbed Thumb Biennial Commission 2009. “The Worm Turns at the Fort Peck Hotel,” 2009 NY Theatre Review. Film: “I Miss You” Acorn Films, LA, 2010; “Malcolm & Margerie,” 2010. Full-lengths: The Girls From Afar, reading: East West Players, LA; Desipina, NYC.; finalist Yale Drama Series 2010; The Little Room, short listed: BBC’s 2009 Radio Play Competition. Shorts: NYC, LA, Buffalo, Sacramento, New Zealand, Argentina; Collaborator: Polybe + Seats. She holds a BA from Sarah Lawrence and an MFA from Columbia.

Check the interview out on EBE Ensemble's Tumblr blog, ebeensemble.tumblr.com!

For more information on the show, visit www.ebeensemble.com, or check out the show page at SmartTix to buy tickets. Use code FAB411 for $10 tickets (normally $15!)

Elephants on Parade - Interview with playwright Nicole Pandolfo

2010-02-19T11:13:00.000-08:00

Check out the second in our series of interviews with playwrights from Elephants on Parade 2010, coming to Teatro IATI March 10-20, 2010. The next installment, with playwright Libby Emmons will be posted Monday morning!

Today we feature Nicole Pandolfo ("Things to do in New Jersey"). Her play “Canadian Tuxedo” was produced in Boston, London, California, New Mexico, Melbourne, and Singapore. It won the People’s Choice Award at the Short + Sweet Singapore Festival and will be published in the 2010 Best Ten-Minute Plays by Smith and Kraus. “Love in the Time of Chlamydia,” which she wrote, directed, and performed at the Estrogenius Festival in October, will be published in The Book of Estrogenius in 2010. She has studied with Craig Lucas, Gretchen Cryer, Austin Pendleton, Donna de Matteo, and Julie McKee.

Check it out on EBE Ensemble's Tumblr blog at ebeensemble.tumblr.com. For more information on the show, visit www.ebeensemble.com, or check out the show page at SmartTix to buy tickets. Use code FAB411 for $10 tickets (normally $15!)

Review for La MaMa's Heavy Like the Weight of the Flame

2010-02-19T11:12:00.000-08:00

As the audience enters the cubical-like theater space of LaMaMa, modern hip-hop beats fill the space with an uncanny explosion of words that reiterate the minimal black stage displaying only a guitar case and four small wooden squares. Ernie Silva enters the stage and with his guitar in hand, a wife beaters shirt and baggy jeans. The space is now filled with sirens and traffic noises, the tones of his quiet guitar play, and Silva is heavily panting in tone with the soft tunes; that stop in a sudden shift from internalized expression to the monologue that caries the piece for one and a half hours at a commendable speed. Like a rollercoaster of memories and emotions, Silva invites the audience into the tapestry of characters that have had a prominent role in the protagonist’s life. He begins with a interaction he had as a dishwasher, who is called out by his boss, for having more in his brain than what his ‘typical’ clothing tell of him.

This first sequence ends in what characterizes the boxed in feeling of the main character: “You will never be better, you are just like them, you will never escape” says his boss in a heavy Middle Eastern accent. The manner in which Silva switches flawlessly from his younger self to the busy boss and other roles is amazing. He uses posture and voices to embody the multifaceted character range that accompany his journey in such brilliance that one might forget they are watching only one man. From the almost depressing first interaction, the protagonist settles down and tells us of his muse, the hope of his world, his guitar; Savannah, while citing Jimmy Hendrix in Woodstock, a metaphor for the ‘good old days’.

Silva leads us thread by thread through the imagination, dreams and realities of his life, every time adding a patch of information that colors in the world right before our eyes, plainly through great acting. From his musical passion, he jerks away into his love of poetry through becoming Kerouac, and metamorphosing into Shakespeare and all of a sudden he delivers the balcony scene from Romeo and Juliet, acting out one of the most beautiful love soliloquies as both, the love struck Romeo, and the dreamy Juliet. From this place where everyone can relate, he pulls us into a much more personal memory, the interaction with his high older brother; who laughs at him for reading all that ‘shit’ and gives him three vibrant little dices. “That’s the real thing” says the brother, learn how to read these, stop reading all that crap is the message he receives from his role model. The story then pulls back into the philosophical realm of how knowledge makes you question everything, and everyone in the audience laughs at the painful truth that the more you know you know nothing at all; while the actor embodies the daily-news asking “what the fuck” is wrong with this world.

From the outside world inward again; Silva tells us of the realities of growing up in old-school Brooklyn, using the color Orange as a simile for it being a hot place without warmth. He becomes a twelve year old again, showing us the childhood experiences of his brother’s overdose and him being the bearer of bad news. As the youngest son to a single mother who feels different but locked in, by obligation to where he is from and what that entails. The words of his former Boss ‘you are just like them’ role around in his head like the dice his dead brother left him with. Nevertheless the wind from the outside world is hauling at him, calling him away, and he becomes the American out-back. We are invited into the scary adventures of his brave choice to leave behind where he is from, what seemingly makes one who they are. As everything he knew disappears into the distance, the voices in his head get louder. Anxious of falling into the trap of self medication, he lives on the road with the gatherers and wanderers, his Savannah as his guardian angel, accompanying him. When our hero falls into the next boxed in existence of jail, we fear that this is one of those stories that do not have a happy ending, but there is hope in ‘Pandora’s box’.

There is much to learn from this personal and vibrant story; I warmly recommend everyone to go and see what else this ‘box’ contains. And for certain everyone can find a thread to take home and internalize from this heart breaking, awakening most amazing story of one who left never to come back.

Elephants on Parade - Interview with playwright Isaac Rathbone

2010-02-17T09:19:00.000-08:00

Check out the first in a series of interviews with the six playwrights from Elephants on Parade 2010, EBE Ensemble's New York Innovative Theater Award winning festival (for best New Short Play, 2009) of new one-act plays. Interviews will appear online every other day through the end of next week, so make sure to check back!

Today we feature Isaac Rathbone ("Nice Paper"). Isaac was a 2007 Nantucket Short Play Competition Finalist for Jon Katsberg, a 2008 Heideman Award Finalist at Actors Theatre of Louisville for The Guests at Table 11, and a 2009 Theatre Arts Guild of Omaha Awards, Best Short Script Nomination for Death & Motor Vehicles. Backstage has praised his “Funny dialogue and thought provocing observations on complex issues.”

Check it out on EBE Ensemble's Tumblr blog at ebeensemble.tumblr.com. For more information on the show, visit www.ebeensemble.com, or check out the show page at SmartTix to buy tickets. Use code FAB411 for $10 tickets (normally $15!)

Celebrate Valentine's Day with All About Love at the Paradise Factory Theater

2010-02-10T11:02:00.000-08:00

Inspired by the music of Stevie Wonder, ALL ABOUT LOVE offers a “fresh look at love” in an energetic, interactive, modern multi-media experience that combines live theater, film, music, dance and more into a single narrative piece about love in all of its fabulously unpredictable forms.

On Valentine’s Day, there will be a special performance at 6:00pm that will include a complimentary glass of wine for each audience member. A 6:00pm curtain time gives the audience a chance to “go out” for the romantic holiday without being out in a crowded restaurant. With tickets priced at $18, anyone can afford to treat their beloved or themselves. What a great way to celebrate a day dedicated to love, whether or not you have a Valentine! For tickets and info visit www.allaboutloveshow.com.

ALL ABOUT LOVE consists of three unique storylines seamlessly woven together through a unique and contemporary use of multi-media. Love’s many forms are examined through these compelling scenes that touch real life emotions and are interspersed with vignettes that express unconventional viewpoints on relationships:

Three Point Stance at the Edge of the World

Soldiers from different eras find music and more in mayhem.

Carmelita 1:13

A young couple deals with a break up and a break down. It’s tough being in a love triangle with God.

Lost & Found

An aging gay couple comes to grips with disco and the truth in the dairy aisle of the Food Emporium.

ALL ABOUT LOVE, a new play written and directed by Donysha Smith will make it’s World Premiere with a limited engagement from February 11^{th –}February 21^st at the Paradise Factory Theater, 64 East 4^th Street (between Bowery and Second Avenue).

ALL ABOUT LOVE’s cast includes Jeff Kozel, Warren Katz, Aubyn Peterson, Bianca Lemaire, Erickson Dautruche, Wesley Volcy, Zdenko Slobodnik and is stage managed by Jaimie Van Dyke.

Donysha Smith, a Philadelphia born playwright, producer, and actress earned a B.F.A. in Dramatic Writing from the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University. She has held various roles in Theater, Media and Fashion. Donysha has been featured in projects for Oxygen Media, SuperStar Films, Ethereal Films and Fathom Entertainment. Donysha is a New York theater producer and performer and has played roles across a wide array of theatrical genres. From classics like “A Raisin in the Sun” and “Hamlet” to experimental productions such as “Sister FM Diva” and “The Poets”. ALL ABOUT LOVE marks the Directorial Debut of Donysha Smith.

Passionate about her work, Donysha believes that art does not just imitate life – it has the power to transform it! To that end, a percentage of the proceeds from ticket sales and concessions from ALL ABOUT LOVE will go to the Fistula Foundation. The Fistula Foundation raises awareness of and funding for fistula repair, prevention, and education programs worldwide. The Fistula Foundation helps women in Ethiopia, D.R. Congo, Angola and Afghanistan repair their bodies and their lives. For more information about the Fistula Foundation, please visit www.fistulafoundation.org.

Tickets for ALL ABOUT LOVE are $18 and are available online at www.allaboutloveshow.com

Performance Schedule:

February 11^th, 12^th, 13^th, 18^th, 19^th, 20^th at 8:00pm

February 14^th at 6:00pm

February 21^st at 3:00pm

ArtUp's "Are We There Yet?"

2010-02-08T16:32:00.001-08:00

"Are We There Yet" by K. Savage
View from Cuppa Cuppa.

Panel discussion on March 1, 2010 details will be released shortly.
Stay tuned!!!

All About Love Opens February 11th at the Paradise Factory Theater

2010-01-29T11:22:00.000-08:00

Three Point Stance at the Edge of the World

Soldiers from different eras find music and more in mayhem.

Carmelita 1:13

A young couple deals with a break up and a break down. It’s tough being in a love triangle with God.

Lost & Found

An aging gay couple comes to grips with disco and the truth in the dairy aisle of the Food Emporium.

ALL ABOUT LOVE’s cast includes Jeff Kozel, Warren Katz, Aubyn Peterson, Bianca Lemaire, Erickson Dautruche, Wesley Volcy, Zdenko Slobodnik and is stage managed by Jaimie Van Dyke.

Tickets for ALL ABOUT LOVE are $18 and are available online at www.allaboutloveshow.com

Performance Schedule:

February 11^th, 12^th, 13^th, 18^th, 19^th, 20^th at 8:00pm

February 14^th at 6:00pm

February 21^st at 3:00pm

Lower East Side/East Village Theater Tidbit

2010-01-22T10:35:00.000-08:00

This is an image of what was called "The Invisible Cinema" that lived in part of The Public Theater from 1970 to 1974. The filmmaker, Peter Kubelka, designed the theater with blinders on either side of each chair so as to focus your gaze entirely on the film that is being viewed.
The cinema was built for Anthology Film Archives and was made to promote their philosophy of enhancing (or prioritizing) the visual experience of film.
Kubelka said the following about the room:
The cinema built for Anthology Film Archives was comparatively small in size, seating less than one hundred people. Ceiling, walls, seats were all covered with black velvet, the floor was covered with black carpeting, doors and everything else were painted black. In the whole room, only the screen itself was not completely black. Consequently, the screen and film projected on the screen were the only visual points of reference. In a cinema, one shouldn’t be aware of the architectural space so that the film can completely dictate the sensation of space.
A friend of mine sent me the post made by the blog We Are Independently Wealthy that wrote about the Invisible Cinema which was such a serendipitous moment. I thought that this would be some fun fact information that could be enjoyed by all. If possible I would jump at the chance of watching all my movies like this. Of course, it does make movie-watching hand holding difficult.

FAB Funders get Chalked on the Block!

2010-01-21T14:32:00.000-08:00

Here are the names of the wonderful people who were part of our Kickstarter Campaign to help keep me working at this wonderful job. Fourth Arts Block thanks everyone who gave and I am certainly grateful, too since I can stick around and blog to my heart's content! This was just one of the gifts that I would give as a thanks to donations. Now I have to get cracking on some haikus and start knitting some scarfs. Thanks again to everyone who gave and come out to the block to see my chalk art before Mother Nature washes it away...

ArtUp's "Are We There Yet?" Installation Day

2010-01-20T21:16:00.000-08:00

Wednesday, January 20, 2010 at 13:00, Sunny skies and 20 degrees Fahrenheit:

K. Savage with the ropes that will be used to haul 3 of the masonite panels at a time, from the street to UP to the scaffolding bridge.

The bird's eye view from the scaffolding bridge.

Dry wall screws, washers and simple footwear.

CLAMPS were key, thanks Jacob Hashimoto for the lending it to us!

We decided to work backwards, we were half way done securing the top of the panels on the scaffolding bridge. K. Savage and Brian George with the panel referencing Hannah Höch.

Tamara Greenfield, Director of Fourth Arts Block, lending us a hand and her eye.

Brian George screwing the our final panel to complete the top half of the installation.

From left, Brian George, K. Savage, Joyce Manalo and the Blue Ladder.

Smooth installers...high fives!!!

Posted by Joyce Manalo, ArtUp Curator and founder of ArtForward.

Photos from the Holiday Happening!

2009-12-15T13:04:00.000-08:00

Here are some photos from last night's Holiday Happening at DUO Multicultural Arts Center. We had a nice turn out of people and the performances were full of high energy, the perfect way to celebrate the holidays and the arts. Throw in the food, open bar and goodie bags at the end of the night and it was quite the successful evening. Thank you to everyone who came out and supported FAB and the arts and we hope that you have a wonderful holiday season!

Let the Holiday Good Times Roll!

2009-12-11T09:06:00.000-08:00

Holiday parties are starting to happen left and right and we've got one that you don't want to miss! This Monday, December 14 we're holding the cocktail party of the season with live performances, tasty treats, an open bar (hosted by Hornitos) and goodie bags galore!
Doors open at 6:30PM with an open rehearsal by Rod Rodgers Dance Company, then move to the theater for "Happen Chance" by Claire Porter, provocative dance theater works by Sidra Bell Dance Company, selections from a multi-media tribute to Marilyn Monroe, back flippin' performance artist Edward Vilga, films from the NYC Downtown Short Film Festival and much more!
Tickets are $10, $5 when you use your FABPass online or show it at the door. There's no reason not to stop by for a little holiday time with your favorite FAB ladies.

Emma Goldman arrested on E. 4th Street?

2009-12-08T20:56:00.000-08:00

Yup, it is true. A century ago, this stretch of E.4th Street between the Bowery and 2nd Avenue was an important epicenter of New York City's labor union movement -- and a popular public forum for the anarchists, socialists, and other "-ists" that helped fuel the work-force's fire. (Eh, figuratively... in most cases.)

On October 30, 1906, already-prominent anarchist Emma Goldman was preparing to speak at 66-68 E.4th Street (now part of LaMama, then called Lyceum Hall), during an event which was organized to protest police suppression of free speech at a previous meeting. However, Goldman was arrested, along with ten others, during opening remarks by guest speakers -- she never had the chance to take the podium.

In one account of the story¹, Goldman was charged with "criminal anarchy" for distributing copies of Mother Earth magazine. In another account², Goldman was charged with "unlawful assembly for the purpose of overthrowing the government."

Either way, all charges in Goldman's case were dropped by 1907, and she got her chance to speak at the Lycum again on November 11, 1907 - along with longtime partner, Alexander Berkman³. No incidents were reported.

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PS: Thanks to FAB for letting LESHP post some history to the blog. We would be interested in your feedback, input, and experience regarding any of the articles/topics we present.

Review: The Heart is a Lonely Hunter at New York Theater Workshop

2009-12-08T09:36:00.000-08:00

This past Sunday I attended New York Theater Workshop's new show, "The Hearts is a Lonely Hunter". This play is based on the book with the similar title by Carson McCullers. "Heart..." was McCullers first novel, written in 1940, when she was merely 23 and it shows in the characters. They are all boiling underneath their skin with some hunger that makes them inherently unique in a small Southern town.

Each character attempts to vent their sufferings to a deaf man who has recently entered their town, John Singer. Singer invites each person into his room, to sit at his table, to be his companion. Here each character, a alcoholic with a Communist bend, a black doctor, a recently widowed restaurant owner and a young girl beginning the process of becoming a woman, tells Singer their problems, wishes and fears knowing that he will not expose them. Singer is a sounding board for their own existence to be amplified back at them without judgement.

Singer looks forward to seeing his best friend, a fellow deaf man who is prone to outbursts that have landed him in an asylum. Here you see Singer light up and turn into a three dimensional man with desires and opinions as opposed to a friendly face to air grievances to.

New York Theater Workshop's version of the book breaks the stories down into vignettes of experiences interchanged that highlights the want of connectivity within each character but also the inability and isolation felt instead. The gorgeous set (by Neil Patel) moves pieces of rooms back and forth, illuminating bits and pieces of these lives lived without fulfillment.

"Heart..." was able to make me successfully reflect on my own desires and yearnings and compare to these people how successful (or unsuccessful) I have been. The people in this story are very real and are expressing a feeling and part of life that many of us experience on a day to day basis. Watching failure of these goals is heartbreaking and shows you McCullers' ability to frame a specific loneliness. Leaving the show, I couldn't help but think about what I was going to do next and how it could impact greatly.

Terrible Things are Actually Pretty Great

2009-12-04T12:35:00.000-08:00

Lisa D'Amour and Katie Pearl bring their one-of-a-kind performances to Performance Space 122 with their show, "Terrible Things", opening tomorrow, December 4. These two have been creating fascinating, individual work together since 1996. PearlDamour works in a way that always focuses on how the audience percieves and even interacts with the performance. This show has turned P.S. 122 into an IMAX theater to show you all the parallel lives and adventures of Katie Pearl with an action-figure version of her mother, Nancy Pearl (Ms. Book Lust herself!). Go see the show and let this amazing duo give you a much needed in-out-of-body experience!

Also, if you want to learn a little more about the people behind the magic Culturebot, the awesome awesome blog, has this series that I really love called "Five Questions". And they asked the five questions to Ms. D'Amour. You can check that out here and be sure to buy two for one tickets to "Terrible Things" at FAB Tix every Thursday & Friday from 1-6PM.

Photo of the Week: New York Neo-Futurists Doing What They Do Best

2009-12-01T10:51:00.000-08:00

Pictured above: Erica Livingston, Christopher Borg, Adam Smith, Eevin H and Daniel McCoy

Here is a picture from the New York Neo-Futurists' show "Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind". This is the most reliable show around, with performances every Friday and Saturday at 10:30PM. And you can get discount 2for1 tickets for $12.00 each week via FAB Tix, FAB's discount ticket booth. Just come to 61 East 4th Street between 1&6PM Thursdays & Fridays and get your discount tickets. Get your tickets this week and find out what, exactly, is up those Neos sleeves.

Something New Everyday

2009-11-24T09:47:00.000-08:00

FAB's office was just graced by a representative of this really cool organization, No Longer Empty. They organize and host public art shows in vacant storefronts and properties. They are also a non-profit company dedicated to renewing neighborhoods in New York City via "high-caliber art installations with accompanying programming to the public".

No Longer Empty is planning to have their upcoming exhibition in the neighborhood and we're looking forward to helping them in any way possible. As we get more information, we will update what is going on, but as for now we can simply look forward to having even more art in the LES.

Their upcoming show, Cartoons in Conflict is their fourth major show and will be opening December 10, 2009 at 6 West 26 Street with an opening reception at 6PM. This show focuses on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and how cartoonist from all over the world have chosen to depict this situation. RSVP to events@nolongerempty.com and be sure to check this out!

We Want Your Stories!

2009-11-17T13:58:00.000-08:00

We at Fourth Arts Block want you to give us your favorite Lower East Side/East Village Experience. What is it that you love about these neighborhoods? Have you seen art on this block that has inspired you as an art maker? Do you have a fond memory that shows the diverse nature of the people and places that make these neighborhoods still vibrant? Let us know!

Please email us your stories at info@fabnyc.org and we will post them on our website! Sharing your stories and experiences will help others see all the great things this very special area has to offer. You could even help your favorite coffee shop get some new business, so let us in and don't keep this area a secret.

Tamar Rogoff has a blog that's pretty Faun-tastic

2009-11-12T09:49:00.000-08:00

"Diagnosis of a Faun" is a show that will be presented at La MaMa E.T.C. from December 3-20. This show will combine the faun and it's interaction with the world of medicine. The faun moves through different relationships with medicine, hospitals, humans and nymphs to find the relationship between art and medicine.

The creator of this show is Tamar Rogoff and she is chronicling her creative process of this work in her blog. Gregg Mozgala is an actor who has been working with Rogoff for over a year and a lot of what Rogoff has gotten in terms of movement vocabulary is based on Mozgala's experience with Cerebral Palsy. There are some cool blog entries about working with Mozgala in a movement-based way. It's great to read Mozgala's experience of movement and how Rogoff approaches working with a very specific body.

It's also great to read about a before and after experience Mozgala has had with his movement practice. To think that this year-long relationship with Rogoff has changed his everyday movement capabilities is so great and is something that is worth doing. Physical therapy is always an option for people with illnesses or disabilities that affect their physical capacity, but other body practices can have a powerful effect as well based on ideokinetic facilitation (Mozgala refers to a class taught by Rogoff as "experiential anatomy").

This show should be pretty cool and it's coming up! Make a note in your calendar and who knows, there may be a ticket deal in the mix...

KGB Bar Brings Literary Expression and Spirit Together (Again)

2009-11-10T09:26:00.000-08:00

The KGB Bar, 85 East 4th Street, has been happening since 1993 and is not looking to slow down anytime soon. Most days of each month is full of readings and performances for current writers, giving them a voice and a place to use it. Every Monday is a poetry reading, featuring a few poets and of course there is a fabulous bar to relax and enjoy all of the live experiences offered.

This Thursday, Nancy Mauro will be reading as part of the Behind the Book series from 7-9PM. Mauro recently published her first novel and here is a chance to check out her creative voice. She will be reading with Stephen Elliott, author of The Adderall Diaries as well as 6 other books and Brian DeLeeuw, also a first time author with In This Way I was Saved: a Novel.

Another cool way to get to know Mauro's work is to check out her Page 69 Test. In this blog, authors are asked to open their book to page 69 and talk about how the passage does or does not represent the rest of the work. A nice little nibble for Thursday, I say! So check out the KGB Bar, or go to their website and look at the calendar to see what reading night will match your personal poetic palette.

What do Sonic Youth, La MaMa and Performa 09 all have in common? East 4th Street

2009-11-06T10:04:00.000-08:00

The theme of "Cold Water", the exhibiton opening at La MaMa E.T.C.'s Galleria tomorrow, is performers on paper: Musicians and actors channeling their creativity into visual art. The exhibiton was curated by singer-songwriter Justin Bond (some may know him as his drag alter-ego, Kiki from the duo Kiki and Herb) and the New Yorker theater critic Hilton Als.
This show is presenting the talents of Rufus Wainwright, Tilda Swinton, Kate Bornstein, Jemma Nelson, Lady Rizzo, Leslie Thornton and Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore. All the artists who have participated are "rooted in the East Village, downtown, CBGB's, La MaMa scene."
This show is also part of Performa 09's citywide festival going on through November 22. This festival is dedicated to presenting cutting edge, experimental work from around the world. They have some awesome stuff happening and a whole lot of it too this year, so try to see as much as possible (especially "Cold Water").

East Village Eats!

2009-10-30T12:01:00.000-07:00

No New York neighborhood is complete without some fabulous restaurants at, well, every corner. Here at the East 4th Street Cultural District, we are blessed with some great eats bookending this cozy block.
Phebe's, 361 Bowery, is a great bar & grill eatery that has great burgers, wings, fish 'n chips, and always delicious ales to quench a long day's thirst. At the other end we have Cucina de Pesce, 87 East 4th Street, a tasty and reasonably priced Italian restaurant. They have great lunch and brunch (weekends only) deals and you'll never be disappointed with a visit there. Caddy-corner to Cucina at 84 East 4th Street, Belcourt brings you a fabulous little french cafe with a killer brunch menu and happy hour deal.
So on East 4th Street between Bowery and 2nd Ave, we have a little something for everyone to munch, slurp, gobble and delight their taste buds with any hour of the day. And if you stop by the block, be sure to take a stroll and see all the shops and theaters to make 'dinner and a show' a must-do for your weekends.

A Photographer with a Soft Side for the Block

2009-10-29T10:07:00.000-07:00

Brian Rose has an affinity for East 4th Street between Bowery and 2nd Ave. He used to live on the block and even worked at Cooper Square Committee for a period. On his blog, he recently posted an item about East 4th Street, remembering his experiences on the block as well as congratulating Cooper Square Committee on their 50th anniversary.

Rose is a photographer and uses his blog to show the parts of New York that strike him as interesting and compelling. We at Fourth Arts Block wanted to share his work and his attention to this block so that you could enjoy someone else's view of the East 4th Street Cultural District.

Rose's attention to detail and his appreciation of the simple, smaller aspects of New York come through in his photographs of stoops and sidewalk graffiti. He is able to find the grandiose in the niches of this city and for him to show his interest and appreciation for our block is appreciated. So check out his stuff and enjoy!

Salsa Workshop starting This Friday!

2009-10-27T14:24:00.000-07:00

If you want a surefire way to warm up in this cold weather, sign up for Teatro IATI's Salsa Workshop. This workshop is meant to teach you all the basic salsa moves, beginning with individual steps and working up to basic partnering techniques.

Plus if you sign up now, you can get $20 off the regular price of $160 just by using the code word FAB at checkout. Just go online to FAB's website, click on the FAB Deals, and get yourself some steamy salsa classes. The workshop will meet from October 30-December 18, every Friday from 6:00PM-7:30PM.

Instructor
Adolfo Vázquez studied ballet and choreography in the world famous Ballet Nacional de Cuba, where he became the youngest choreographer ever to create ballets for the company. After leaving his natal Cuba, Mr. Vazquez started a very successful career as choreographer and dance teacher in Spain, Mexico, and the United States where he resided for the last 25 years.

He has choreographed for dance and theater companies all over the world, like DanzaHoy in Madrid, Danza Contemporánea in Mexico D.F., Puerto Rican Dance Theater and Repertorio Español in New York. He received the prestigious ACE Award for "Cuentos Negros" which he wrote, choreographed and directed Currently Mr. Vazquez is dividing his time and creativity between New York and Rio de Janeiro where he is creating the Salsa School Dance Group.

It's too good to pass up, so sign up now and get the FAB Deal you deserve.

A Blog We Love (and you should too!)

2009-10-27T10:10:00.000-07:00

Earlier this month we participated in OpenHouse NY which was really great. So many people showed up to take tours of our block and to learn about how the East 4th Street Cultural District (and FAB) came to be. We appreciated being a part of the weekend so much that we started checking out their blog. Now we just can't get enough!

openhousenewyork is devoted to the architecture and design of New York City, and works hard to enhance knowledge and appreciation for the buildings surrounding us, old and new. They also promote the education of engineering, design, planning, and preservation to create a discussion about the place that we live in.

What's so great about OHNY's blog is how it makes design accessible, in little blog bits. They'll talk about specific buildings, post photos of some great hidden places to check out, and, most recently, discuss the benefits of plastic wine glasses. Essentially, OHNY is a great way to stay in touch with the urban design and architecture changes happening in the City, and we can't get enough!

East 4th Street voted Best Block in NYC!

2009-10-22T10:14:00.000-07:00

The Village Voice was gracious enough to award the East 4th Street Cultural District as the Best Block in NYC! We on the block are doing our little victory dances because this block is awesome. It's no secret to us who spend our time here all the fun there is happening on the block, and now you can get in on the good times too.

If you go to Fourth Art Block's website, you can check out all the events happening on the block as well as information about the restaurants and local businesses housed right here on East 4th Street, between Bowery and 2nd Ave. And, you can even get some discounts if you look up FAB (shopping, eating, drinking, theater tickets, the list goes on!).

And we weren't the only lucky ones to get some attention from the Village Voice, our neighbors at Plantworks received the Best Plant Shop award. Recycle-a-Bicycle, a company we recently collaborated with to bring our ArtUp exhibition "Cycle", currently on display won Best Way to Reincarnate Your Two-Wheeler.

As you can plainly see, the Lower East Side is a place to be. Come see for yourself, and soon!

East 4th Street: Perfect Date Block

2009-10-20T09:21:00.000-07:00

Finding love in the city is no easy feat. But when someone's struck by Cupid's arrow on East 4th Street, we can't help but want them to have romantic success. For example, this fine young man had a missed connection at our very own KGB Bar, so we thought we'd help his search a little more.

Read his post from Craigslist here. Do you know who he's searching for? Is it you? If so, contact him and come see a show on our block! What better place to have a first date than the cultural district that brought you together? We can even plan your date for you:

1. Grab a fabulous and affordable meal at Belcourt.
2. Go see a show with the 2 for 1 tickets from our very own FAB Tix ticket booth.
3. Grab an after-show drink at KGB Bar.

Success is written in the cards for that evening. Whether you're on your first date or celebrating your 45th wedding anniversary, the East 4th Street Cultural District is a date location you don't want to pass up. Check out all the options at FAB's website to plan the night of your dreams.

The Collective Arts Think Tank brings you...the Sustainable Avant-Garde

2009-09-01T09:56:00.000-07:00

A group of producers, organizers, artists, grant-writers and one critic have come together to create the blog, Collective Arts Think Tank that is meant to aid we makers of New York to create work for a long time. The blog went up this past Thursday and is written by Jennifer Wright Cook from The Field, Vallejo Gantner from Performance Space 122 (one of FAB's Affiliate Members!), Aaron Landsman from Thinaar and Elevator Repair Service, Sheila Lewandowski from the Chocolate Factory, Carla Peterson from Dance Theater Workshop, Brian Rogers from the Chocolate Factory and Morgan von Prelle Pecelli from The Lost Notebook and Performance Space 122.

This blog was born from a few meetings the above group had and they have hit the ground running. Their first post is an inventory of approaches and recommendations to the art/money debacle associated with the strife of being a 21st century artist attempting to live in New York, make work AND get people to come out and see what you're doing. In so many words, it is a struggle and this think tank is dedicated to finding the "systemic problems facing the field of contemporary live performance" and doing something about it.

This is a common preoccupation and when talking with a group of artists (or people involved in the art world in some way) the conversation will inevitably shift to the business, money-making aspect of their art. This will induce groaning, forehead slapping and 'whatever are we to do' statements with the usual consensus being things need to be changed. Perhaps the time has come. With this blog, you can become a part of the creative think tank with your comments and experiences. The writers want this to be the "beginning of a dynamic and strategic dialogue that speaks to our mutual passion and commitment to a thriving community of artists, audience and advocates."

It certainly sounds divine.
Lets make it happen.

People don't know how we say things... yet.

2009-08-06T12:05:00.000-07:00

Chris D: So The Pumpkin Pie Show, Commencement
Samantha W: Yes! At Under St. Marks. Presented by Horsetrade Theater Group.
C: Yes!
S: Si! (british accent) It was my first time at Under St. Marks, at all!
C: ...
S: We're PERFECT for each other! Why do I have to be the douche?
C: You're not! We're the perfect couple! of douchebags. The show! the show was great!
S: I liked how the performer, Hanna Cheek, greeted everyone in the audience and thanked them for coming.
C: The atmosphere was totally welcoming and warm.
S: And the beer was totally foamy.
C: but cheap! and good. I wouldn't expect anything less from Horsetrade.
S: Welcoming, warm, cheap, and good.
C: And foamy... The house was packed, too. That's always good.
S: Why are we still talking in british accents?
C: True.

(they clear their throats)

S: backpedal for a second. We are not critics.
C: and this is not a revue.
S: buuuuut, Hanna's performance was amazing and Clay McLeod Chapman's writing was superb.
C: This was our first time seeing the long running Pumpkin Pie Show, and I hear that this performance was a little different from their normal productions.
S: (back to british) Namely, the absence of Clay!
C: (ahem) the onstage presence, anyway.
S: Pip pip.
C: I want to mention that this production is traveling to Edmonton for the final stop of the Canadian Fringe Festival before returning to New York sometime this Fall.
S: Check out Horsetrade's website for any updates and details and whatnot.

(silence. We hear construction workers drilling into the walls of P.S. 122)

C: Pip pip.

I know who you are

2009-08-06T11:56:00.001-07:00

Samantha W here.

After recieving Chris' first email I wrote back. We spent the day on gchat and made plans for coffee the following Monday. Luckily for me, I didn't have to wait that long to meet him. (teehee) He ended up sneak attacking me at P.S. 122 the very next day under the guise of seeing one of the shows that was a part of the undergroundzero festival. He walked in with a somewhat sheepish expression not unlike the one in the magazine, with the telltale Devil's hat atop his head. So I smiled and said, "I know who you are."

Long story short, we didn't have to wait until Monday to have our first date. We met, we laughed, we decided we didn't need to keep checking our TONY personals email. And we decided to join forces and blog together about the wonderful shows made available to us by the amazing people at Fourth Arts Block.

Clever words, to be sure.

2009-07-28T08:10:00.000-07:00

Hola, amigos! Como estan Ustedes? Yo soy bien, gracias! No tengo un novia, y a veces estoy triste. Pero, Time Out New York Dice a yo es muy bueno! Ahora, todos las chicas de el East Village quieren "to bone" yo! Ok, I don't really speak spanish (yet I remain impressed with myself for coming up with that on my own!) and I'm fairly certain that all of the East Village ladies do NOT want to bone me because I was in a tiny back section of a magazine.

Now that we've cleared that up, I am the aforementioned, Chris: an equally excited participant in this lovely little FAB blog/dating experiment. Thought I'd drop a line and check in with you all before I start heading out to FABulous (get it?) dates in the near future.

It's been a week since the magazine with my goofy, incredibly young looking face graced news stands all over the city and I've had scarce response. The day began with a couple of goof e-mails from friends and co-workers suggesting that we date and offering up foot fetish stories. It appeared that this was going to be an embarrassing experience. So I decided to take some action regarding my self-esteem, and reach out to Samantha W. She was also being featured in the article and it seemed to make plenty of sense to share and comiserate with someone. My e-mail read as follows:

Hi Samantha,

I saw your profile in Time Out NY today and thought, "well there's someone I've got quite a bit in common with right there! I should e-mail her."
Then I thought, "Nah, Chris, you're creepy. your profile just went out too. wait until somebody contacts you!"
Then I ate breakfast
After Breakfast I thought, "Just e-mail her. what's the worst that happens? she gets to be a famous actor and holds a mysterious grudge against you, barring your professional career in the process."

So, at the risk of ruining my theatrical career, I reach out to you. Because at the very least, it'd be nice to know how someone else is handling being a famous East Villager for a day. And at the very most, well, I've already shared with you how dangerous my imagination could be.

Coffee?

-Chris D

It went over well! We saw Harry Potter yesterday and had a great time. So at least I won't be offering FABulous (nudge nudge) tickets to Fourth Arts Block performances to strange women on the street all the time. Now, there will be another character in this blog who I didn't make up! Hooray potential companionship!

First couple of shows are coming up in the coming weeks. I'll keep you all posted once they happen. In the meantime, au revoir!

-Chris D

Something to Look Forward To

2009-07-23T13:12:00.000-07:00

This past Wednesday, Time Out New York released their most recent issue that featured a complete guide towards the places to eat, drink, shop, view, and generally "recapture cool" in the East Village. It's about time everyone else knew how great the East Village is and all the hidden wonders it has to offer.

Time Out not only highlighted this vibrant neighborhood, but also chose an artist from East 4th Street as one of their East Villagers to date! That's right, Chris, who is the associate technical director for the New York Neo-Futurists is single and searching with the help of Time Out. Chris will be going out on blind dates, and we thought that it would be great if he kept us in the loop as to how his romantic adventures in the East Village were going by joining our blog.

We are going to find Chris some fun events and performances to see right here on East 4th Street, with the help of our fantastic members. After the date, Chris will write on this very blog all about his date and all about his East 4th Street cultural experience.

We at FAB are really excited that Chris is letting us in on his East Village escapades, and we hope that you all enjoy reading about his adventures. Perhaps he'll give you some good ideas about what you should be coming to the block and seeing. At least you know you can look forward to a new blogger and his clever words right here on the FAB Feed.

PS 122 & DTW Announce Seasons

2009-07-17T12:26:00.001-07:00

Our fellow East Villagers, PS122, have announced their upcoming fall line-up and it is sure to be eclectic and interesting. There are definitely some must-see stuff, especially the band LOW who will be collaborating with Morgan Thorson. To see the whole line up, check out PS122's website.

Dance Theater Workshop also announced their full season a couple weeks ago including Tere O'Conner, Anna Halprin (and friends), and Faye Driscoll (go to calendar to see the full line-up and dates). I have to say that I am extremely excited to see that Yasuko Yokoshi will be presenting work there in March 2010. She last showed Reframe the Framework (DDD) at the Kitchen in 2008 and I know she showed in the work in progress performance at BAX, but it'll be nice to see what she has in store for us this time. Definitely worth checking out.

Millenium Film Workshop: a film haven for the LES

2009-07-15T10:56:00.000-07:00

Since 1966, Millennium Film Workshop (http://www.millenniumfilm.org/)has opened its doors to non-commercial, "personal cinema" makers, giving them a refuge to learn, craft, edit, and exhibit their work with minimal cost. Millennium had the pleasure of being on the cutting edge of this phenomenon and has not looked back since.

The East Village was an ideal place for something like Millennium in the mid-1960s. The area was the hub of counter-culture life and political activity and a place that would present the highest culmination of art and film would fit right in. The kind of cinema presented would be referred to as "personal cinema", coined by now Executive Director, Howard Guttenplan: "I called it 'personal cinema' early on and I think that might be a better description and a more precise term. It's very personal, usually made by one person, free to investigate a wide range of ideas, subject matter, and forms. This work relates more closely to the art world than to traditional movies."

Millennium has been able to help bring this form of film-making into the foreground. In the 1940s, the concept of personal films was practically unheard of. However, during WWII, hand-held cameras were developed to shoot combat, and after the war people were still embracing 16mm as a way to expres your own personal experience.

After a few moves and directors, Millennium has spent 35 years on East 4th Street with Howard Guttenplan as the executive director. Guttenplan taught himself many of the administrative skills required as well as finding time to make and show his own "diary films", personalized archivings of his days in NYC as well as overseas. These films have been exhibited around the world and the Museum of Modern Art has described Guttenplan's work as "spontaneous, immediate celebrations of color, texture, and design."

MOMA also began showing avant-garde film in 1968 in its Cineprobe series as well as the Whitney Museum, which began showing films in 1970. Until these two leading museums in contemporary and experimental work, Millennium was the only space exclusively devoted to showing new experimental work. Guttenplan still pushes community interaction and keeping Millennium's open-door policy in tact to this day.

This is a prime example of the way East 4th Street Cultural District approaches art cultivation and distribution. We embrace the freedom of creation and are interested in supporting the exhibition of art without censorship. The right to explore, discover, succeed, and fail are respected and buoyed here on this block. It is not an easy thing to make happen, but we believe in safe havens for the arts and wish to continue making that more and more possible so people may make the art they want with positive effects.

Blogs to Blog About

2009-07-07T10:02:00.000-07:00

Hey there readers
Here are some blogs that we have enjoyed as of late:

East Village Podcasts
Tenement Museum
JZ Bich

They're great
They're informative
They're fun
They're local
They're blogging!

Check out what they have to say and then come to the LES and
check out what they (and us, of course) have to offer.

Enjoy!

2009-06-17T10:21:00.001-07:00

Sorry to not be writing so diligently, but a whole lotta stuff has been going on here in our tiny office. We are now officially in our new office which is so quite beautiful! I am currently watching people admire it from the outside which is great because we could use a little love.

The month of June is pretty wild since we are in the middle of our three street closings for Meet the Streets. The first, NYC Street Festival of Young Artists & Leaders produced by Downtown Art, was a great success and everyone had a great time. The second, ART Meets the Street, started off great, but was unfortunately rained out. However, Agrupación Lubola Macú and Tambores de Nueva York (presented by Teatro IATI) refused to be deterred by the rain and decided to have an impromptu parade complete with painted dancing women. Check out the Media page on the Fourth Arts Block website and you will find some awesome Meet the Street photos.

We have also been plugging away at planning Pride Goes East with the Lower East Side Business Improvement District. We are so excited because not only are we going to celebrate all over the Lower East Side and East Village, we're going to do it with Sarah Palin, pedi-cabs, shopping deals, theater, and a kickin after-party. You definitely don't want to miss out on the full week of Pride happenings, so get the low-down and we'll see you around the block.

More to come on the way!!! Thanks for reading

Meet the Street in Full Swing

2009-05-28T10:38:00.000-07:00

Here at Fourth Arts Block, we are in full planning mode to get everything pulled together for the Meet the Street Festivals. For three weekends in June, we will be hosting art, family, performance, games, food, and shopping out in the open of the block in the sunny summer afternoons. June 6 is devoted to Teens art and creation chock full of teen bands and shows presenting their own work. June 13 is geared toward adult art with theater, dance, and music performances all afternoon long. June 27 is all about Pride in NYC, and we're showing our Gay Pride here on the East Side with cabaret shows, films and a costume sale. This is in conjunction with Pride Goes East, which will be a weeklong celebration with tons of events from not only FAB, but the Lower East Side Business Improvement District (more of that to come!).

We are really excited about these festivals because they will not only help you get to know what we have to offer on East 4th Street, but you can find a new neighborhood to connect with. The Lower East Side is the home of innovative and renegade artists and these weekends are meant to celebrate that. So stop by to watch some short films, make some chalk art, eat some great food, see some performing, shop our delightful boutiques, and see what summertime with the arts is all about.

We're Under Construction!

2009-05-13T09:23:00.000-07:00

Hello Hello!

We're just writing from our out-of-office office while eagerly looking forward to moving into our slick front office. But for now we work next door in Teatro Circulo's office on the Fourth Floor. However, you can catch us downstairs on Fridays from 5:00-7:00PM sitting at the ticket booth waiting for you to come around and buy some cheap tickets to great shows! Check out our homepage to see what shows are going on sale for that Friday and then be sure to come around.

In the meantime, we will be working diligently on our Meet the Street Festival that is happening on three Saturdays in June. Each Saturday will have a different theme and is meant to introduce you to all of our multi-faceted ways on the block. There will be food and music and games and family fun during those sunny days, so please! be sure to come around East Fourth Street and see what we've got cookin'.

Welcome to the FAB Feed!

2009-05-06T11:30:00.000-07:00

Hello readers! Welcome to Fourth Arts Block's very first blog. In case you don't know who we are, Fourth Arts Block is a non-profit organization that represents the East Fourth Cultural District. We help to keep the performance venues open and operating by promoting their work while aiding the east village community with green initiatives, neighborhood festivals, and leading centralized projects to advance the district.

So we thought by starting a blog we could keep you updated with all of our adventures and goings-on! Be sure to check out our website, www.fabnyc.org, to catch all the shows and creative opportunities the neighborhood has to offer. Coming up this week are two really special events: FAB Fridays and Fundraising in Style. FAB Fridays happen every Friday in May and June at 5PM and we sell hugely discounted tickets (as low as $9.00!) to local theater, dance, and art shows so that everyone has an opportunity to see the great stuff today's artists are creating. Fundraising in Style is happening this Saturday at NOON at one of our theaters (check out the information and RSVP to get in free HERE) and we'll be setting up tables from local fashion designers to sell their items. So come and peruse all the quality faire while sipping on some sangria this spring Saturday. What more could you ask for?

And be sure to keep your eyes peeled and your ears open about all upcoming FAB Fridays and our June festival, Meet the Street.