I started this blog with one daughter, kept it up with the other, to spend time together doing something we enjoyed.
However, things change and people evolve. My daughters are older, busier, and not as interested in writing.
From now on this blog will be mostly mom with occasional contributions from my daughters and maybe even my husband.
Nothing else will change. We'll still focus on sharing fun places to go, fun things to do, and more, and we would  still love to hear your views too

Sunday, October 1, 2017

Sunday Scoop Week of 10/1/17 - What's Happening This Week or Coming Up Soon

Now at the Franklin Institute
222 N. 20th St.
Philadelphia, PA

Terracotta Warriors of the First Emperor

Now through March 4

Take a journey inside one of the most significant archaeological discoveries in history at Terracotta Warriors of the First Emperor. Unprecedented in its focus on the science and technology used to build, bury, and excavate the Terracotta Army, this brand new exhibit engages visitors of all ages through ten terracotta figures, more than 160 artifacts, plus multimedia and interactive elements. Don’t miss this unforgettable opportunity to explore the story, culture, craft, and science of the legendary Chinese Terracotta Army in a brand new special exhibition at The Franklin Institute.

For more information or to purchase tickets visit
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Free Fall Fun in Franklin Square
200 N. 6th St.
Philadelphia, PA

Free Fall Fun in Franklin Square
·        Spooky Mini Golf – October 1 – 306 - 9 pm – Philly Mini Golf is transformed into spooky fun for the season with fog, lights, music, and surprises (Fri., Sat., and Sun. evenings) ($9 adults, $7 children).
·        Fall Night at The Movies: Ghostbusters (1984 version) – October 77 - 11 pm –presented by K-12 – Bring a blanket and watch a movie on the Great Lawn. Games and pre-show activities, movie begins at 7 pm.
·        Pumpkin Patch – October 21, noon - 2 pm –Pick a pumpkin out of the Pumpkin Patch and decorate it to take home, FREE for children 10 and under. (Group reservations and participation not available.) Also, the Lightning Bolt Express Train makes the traditional fall stop in the Square ($5 adults, $4 children).
·        Trick or Treat Trail presented by Fox Rothschild – October 28noon - 3 pm –Say the magic words to receive a treat. FREE for children 10 and under. (Group reservations and participation are not available.) Also, the Lightning Bolt Express Train makes the traditional fall stop in the Square ($5 adults, $4 children).
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Now at iPlay America
110 Schank Rd.
Freehold, NJ

Virtual Reality Arena 

The first Virtual Reality Arena of its kind in New Jersey is installed and ready for action at iPlay America. iPlay America’s VR Arena features a new type of Virtual Reality – “Active VR” – which allows players to walk and run inside the VR Arena and gives players full freedom of movement in each virtual world using omnidirectional treadmills. The VR Arena presents a variety of thrilling play options and three action-packed games to choose from including Training Ops, Omni Arena and Shadow Ops. The games include multiple virtual settings and options that pit players against artificial intelligence attackers and zombies. The new VR Arena gives gamers the option to play solo or to battle other players in an interactive virtual reality setting.
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Upcoming at Merkin Concert Hall
129 W. 67th 
New York, NY

Intelligence Square U.S. Debates and Israeli Chamber Project

Tuesday October 3, 7:00 PM
Intelligence Square U.S. Debates
Democracy

Recent waves of populism and nationalism – including those that fueled Brexit and Donald Trump – have some fearing the end of Western democracy. But are these events really a threat to the liberal world order? 

For more information or to purchase tickets 

Saturday October 7, 7:30 PM
Israeli Chamber Project 
A Solider's Tale

This program centers on Stravinsky’s piano, violin and clarinet arrangement of his Soldier’s Tale.

For more information or to purchase tickets 
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Upcoming at Kelsey Theatre
1200 Old Trenton Rd.
West Windsor, NJ

Sleuth

Friday October 6, 2017 to Sunday October 15, 2017 

The ultimate game of cat-and-mouse is played out in a cozy English country house owned by celebrated mystery writer, Andrew Wyke. Invited guest, Milo Tindle, a young rival who shares not only Wyke’s love of the game but also his wife, has come to lay claim. Before you know it, Maurer Productions OnStage will have you caught up in this spell-binding whodunnit with twists at every turn keeping you on the edge of your seat!

For more information or to purchase tickets visit 
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Upcoming at State Theatre New Jersey
15 Livingston Ave.
New Brunswick, NJ

The Rocky Horror Picture Show and Festival of South African Dance

Friday October 6, 2017 11:00 PM
The Rocky Horror Picture Show

For more information or to purchase tickets visit

Saturday October 7, 2017 8:00 PM
Festival of South African Dance

Free Community Event

For more information or to reserve tickets visit 
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Upcoming at Symphony Space
2537 Broadway
New York, NY


Saturday, October 7 and 11 am and 2 pm:

Story Pirates 

Musical Sketch Comedy Inspired by Kids


Using stories submitted by children, the Story Pirates create outlandishly funny sketches and mini-musicals that leave kids and their parents howling in the aisles. Whether it's following the adventures of a superhero baby, or reminiscing about disposable rain ponchos at a baseball game, or rooting for a hot dog superhero,the songs and stories explode with the unfiltered creative energy that only children possess.

Since their beginnings at a Harlem elementary school in 2004, the nonprofit Story Pirates (whose members hail from some of the top comedy hubs such as Upright Citizens Brigade and the Groundlings) have celebrated the imagination of young people with their performances around the country. Now based both in New York and Los Angeles, they've collected more than 100,000 stories by children and have reached more than 200,000 young people with their shows.Their zany storytelling is also featured on their popular weekly podcast

For more information or to purchase tickets visit 

For more about the Story Pirates visit their website at storypirates.org
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Upcoming at Broadway Workshop
Ripley Grier Studios
520 Eighth Ave.
16th Fl
New York, NY

On-Camera TV Intensive with Joy Suprano & Fox Casting


JILL PETTIGREW from FOX CASTING, one of NYC's top network TV casting offices will be joined by Broadway Workshop's JOY SUPRANO!
Date: Saturday October 14
Ages: 12-19
Time: 11:00am - 2:00pm
Location: Ripley Grier Studios - 520 Eighth Ave - 16th Floor
Tuition: $175 

JILL PETTIGREW is currently the Casting Associate at FOX Casting. She is the casting associate of a major network, working on numerous projects and pilots. Projects at the network have included 24: LEGACY, The Gifted, Empire, LA to VEGAS, The Resident, Orville, The Exorcist, Ghosted, and 911. Previously, Jill was working at Cody Beke Casting where her credits include season 3 of Broad City for Comedy Central, season 1 of Master of None for Netflix, both seasons of The Jim Gaffigan Show for TV Landand seasons 1 & 2 of Difficult People for Hulu.

Students will have the opportunity to work on scenes and sides from her current and past projects! Students will begin this class working on camera and learning how to break down sides for Film/TV auditions with JOY SUPRANO. Joy and Jill will share their special insight on what students can do to pop on camera and have more successful on camera auditions and self tapes. 

For more information or to register visit 
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PR Firm Roundup

News from BroadwayCon

News Panels Announced

Just announced panels include:


Young Professionals
Hear from the next generation of Broadway creators as they chronicle their early career experiences and what they've learned about making their mark in the theatre.
--This session is curated by Sammi Canold (director, RAGTIME on Ellis Island)



Being Out on Broadway
Join Broadway stars for an intimate discussion about finding their place in the world as a member of the queer community. They'll discuss being true to themselves, speaking out, and why it's more important to be loud than play it safe.



Shall We Dance?
Choreographers and their trusted dancers give you an inside look at their process for getting a number up on its feet.

Featuring Appearances By:

Laura Benanti
Jenn Colella
Kelli O’Hara
Laura Osnes
Anthony Rapp
Ruthie Ann Miles
Derek Klena
Lesli Margherita
AND MORE!

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SECOND ANNUAL
BROADWAYCON STAR TO BE
TALENT COMPETITION RETURNS!
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE JIMMY® AWARDS

BroadwayCon is seeking specialty acts for the second annual BroadwayCon Star To Be competition in partnership with the Jimmy® Awards, the annual high school musical theatre showcase presented by The Broadway League Foundation. Up to ten finalists will be selected to perform on the BroadwayCon MainStage for a panel of three celebrity judges and a room full of fellow Broadway fans on Saturday, January 27, 2018.

Specialty acts should be inspired by a Broadway play or musical and recreatable at BroadwayCon. Vocal solos, duets, group numbers, dances, band performances, and more are all encouraged. Submissions are due by October 13, 2017, and finalists will be announced beginning November 15. The winner of BroadwayCon Star To Be, selected by our judges at BroadwayCon, will be awarded a General Pass and hotel accommodations for BroadwayCon 2019. For more information, please visit www.BroadwayCon.com/Star-To-Be.

The BroadwayCon Star To Be nominating committee includes David Alpert (BroadwayCon Artistic Director of Headline Programming; Associate Director: If/Then), Erin Quill (Actor: Avenue Q), Jereme Kyle Lewis (Stage Manager: M. Butterfly, Present Laughter), Carmel Dean (Music Director: American Idiot, Hands on a Hardbody), Rob McClure (Actor: Chaplin, Something Rotten) and Xavier Rubiano (Casting: Tara Rubin Casting).
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News from DKC/O & M

LUCILLE LORTEL AWARD WINNER
IRIS BAHR
BRINGS HIT SOLO SHOW
“I LOST YOU THERE”
BACK TO THE CHERRY LANE THEATRE
FOR LIMITED ENGAGEMENT 

PERFORMANCES BEGIN OCTOBER 3-7
AND CONTINUE OCTOBER 10-14

Lucille Lortel Award-winner Iris Bahr is bringing her hit solo show I Lost You There: A humorous exploration of a most unfunny subject, back for a limited 2-week engagement at the Cherry Lane Theatre. Bahr will take audiences on a funny and moving journey through love, loss, mortality, and Brussels sprouts.  The show will be directed by Andrew Russell. Performances begin Tuesday, October 3 through Saturday, October 7and continue Tuesday October 10 through Saturday October 14, with evening performances at 7pm and 3pm matinees on Wednesdays and Saturday.

After a smash run earlier this year in May, I Lost You There returns to the Cherry Lane Theatre Studio Space featuring Award-winning solo performerBahr (“Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “Svetlana,” DAI) as she brings to life six characters whose lives intertwine in surprising and hilarious ways, exploring how death is viewed and experienced through different occupations, personal attitudes and cultural norms. Through her distinguished brand of witty pathos, Bahr brings to life touching and hilarious characters whose lives interconnect in surprising ways, shining a light on the one aspect of our existence that we all have in common.

Ticket for I Lost You There are $31 for general admission. For a complete performance schedule and to purchase tickets, please visit:
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News from Karen Greco PR

VETERANS VOICES 2017 announced as part of the run of 

OUTSIDE PADUCHA: THE WARS AT HOME


Military veteran artists will present special readings of poetry, flash fiction and more before each performance of OUTSIDE PADUCHA: THE WARS AT HOME, written and performed by J. A. Moad II, running at the wild project from September 26 - October 15, for the first annual VETERANS VOICES 2017, a groundbreaking initiative celebrating the creative work of our military veterans.

Produced by Consequence MagazineWarrior WritersWar Literature & The Arts, & Poetic Theater Productions, VETERANS VOICES 2017 take place just prior to performances of Moad’s OUTSIDE PADUCHA: THE WARS AT HOME. The performance schedule is Monday, Wednesday, Thursday at 7 PMFriday at 8 PMSaturday at 2 PM & 8 PM; and Sunday at 3 PM; with an added performance onTuesday, September 26 at 7 PM. Tickets are $25 and are available by calling OvationTix at 866-811-4111or by visiting www.thewildproject.com. For more information, visit www.poetictheater.com.

The line up for VETERANS VOICES 2017:

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27th7PM: Teresa Fazio reading “Float,” the story of a young Marine’s attempt to balance the pressures of military culture, peers, and her own desires.

Teresa Fazio
Teresa Fazio was a Marine Corps officer from 2006-2006, deploying once to Iraq. Her essays and fiction have been included in the New York TimesRolling StoneThe War HorseTask and PurposeVassar QuarterlyConsequence Magazine, and Penthouse, and the anthologies Retire the ColorsThe Road Ahead, and It’s My Country, Too. Her awards include the 2015 Consequence Magazine Fiction Prize and a fellowship at Yaddo, and she is a current MFA candidate at the Bennington Writing Seminars.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 28th7PM: Brendan Walsh

Brendan Walsh
Brendan Ryan Walsh was honorably discharged from the U.S.M.C. and came home to N.Y. to pursue his love for theatre. He is a graduate of Esper Studio's two-year conservatory and continues to study at the renowned HB Studio under the tutelage of Austin Pendleton. He is obtaining his degree in Dramatic Studies from Columbia University. Brendan has performed in theatre regionally and nationally winning awards in acting and ensemble work as well as for his work in Irish Theatre. He also has multiple
Film,T.V.and Commercial credits. A proud member of Equity and SAG-AFTRA, Brendan is honored to be a member of The Forge at Hudson Theatre Group.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 29th 5:30PM: Special Kick-Off Event
A special reception and extended kick-off program with the art gallery opening reception at 5:30PM and presentations in the theater starting at 6:30 PM. Presentations starting at 6:30 PM will include Pushcart Nominee and Managing Editor for O-Dark-Thirty the journal of the Veteran Writing Project Jerri Bellreading “Her Husband’s Stars,” a flash fiction inspired by her Navy experiences; Poet and Veteran Artist Curator Jenny Pacanowski reading her original poem “Combat Dick;” author of The Guerrilla Factory Tony Schwalm reading “Combat Anthropology” a short treatise on the process of trying to understand the people of another culture while trying to kill them; and editor at Wrath Bearing Treepresenting Drew Pham presenting “After Action”, a story about the search for meaning after killing a man. The evening will be hosted by senior associate editor of Consequence Magazine Catherine Parnell.

Catherine Parnell (Host)
Catherine Parnell, Senior Associate Editor for Consequence Magazine, is an independent consultant as well as an instructor at Grub Street in Boston. Her non-fiction chapbook, The Kingdom of His Will, explores the culture of war, and her short fiction, essays, and articles have appeared in a wide variety of publications including Redivider and TSR: The Southampton Review.

Jenny Pacanowski
Jenny Pacanowski is a poet/combat veteran/facilitator/public speaker/actor/curator.
IntheArmy while deployed to Iraq, Jenny was a combat medic and provided medical support for convoys with the Marines, Air Force and the Army. She also did shifts in the Navy medical hospital. In Germany, she was part of a medical evacuation company.
Currently, she collaborates with Impact Theatre, Aquila Theatre, Intersections International, One Fight Foundation, CUNY, Ithaca College, Syracuse University, Poetic Theater Productions, Bedlam Outreach, and The Military Resilience Project along with many other organizations. In this past year, Jenny has founded and is the director of FVET; Female Veterans Empowered to Transition which is held at Camel’s Hump Farm in Bethlehem, PA. Most recently, Jenny has performed at the Lincoln Center Atrium, The New York Cultural and Ethical Society, Poetic License: Kicking down Doors, Veterans Special at the Lucid Body House, LaGuardia Community College Veteran Week and Aquila Theatre@ GK arts center. She has been published in, “Reflections; Public Rhetoric, Civic Writing and Service Learning,” “Journal of Military Behavioral Health,” “TheIndypendent, online magazine,” “The I’mpossible Project,” and multiple poetry anthologies. As a veteran herself, Jenny’s goal is to help veterans and civilians by healing the wounds of war and military culture through the arts.  Jenny hopes by creating smoother reintegration programs; it will facilitate lowering the suicide, homelessness and addiction epidemics that plague our veterans.  Jenny’s Female Veterans Empowered to Transition is on Facebook at facebook.com/femaleveteransempowered2transition. She is on Twitter @jennyfootsteps.

Jerri Bell
Jerri Bell is the Managing Editor for O-Dark-Thirty, the literary journal of the Veterans Writing Project. She retired from the Navy in 2008; her assignments included antisubmarine warfare in the Azores Islands, sea duty on USS Mount Whitney and HMS Sheffield, and attaché duty at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, Russia. Her fiction has been published in a variety of journals and has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize; her nonfiction has been published in journals, newspapers, and blogs. She and former Marine Tracy Crow are the co-authors of It’s My Country Too: Women’s Military Stories from the American Revolution to Afghanistan.

Drew Pham
Drew Pham is a Brooklyn-based writer and contributing editor at The Wrath Bearing Tree. In 2010, he deployed to Afghanistan with the 10th Mountain Division. You can follow him on twitter @drewspeak.

Tony Schwalm
Tony Schwalm is a retired lieutenant colonel with the U.S. Army Special Forces (a.k.a. the Green Berets). A veteran of multiple combat deployments, he returned to the Special Operations community in 2012 as a Department of the Army civilian assigned to the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force – Afghanistan, where he led a group of social scientists supporting special operation forces in that war-torn country. Since his return in 2013, he has continued to write and work in various positions supporting agencies in the Department of Defense to include DARPA. He makes his home in Tampa, Florida, with his wife Stephanie and daughter, Sydney.
https://www.guerrillafactory.com
 
SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 30th 2PM & 8PMHayley Johnson

Hayley Johnson
Former Military Police Officer in the United States Navy, Hayley Johnson volunteered to serve in the Gulf War and was stationed in Sasebo, Japan at the age of 19. After her service, she returned as a single injured parent with a sick child stemming from a military birth. In need of better medical care for her daughter, Hayley worked at American Express. Years later, she moved to New York in need of better veteran care for herself and in the process had to leave her family behind. In 2015, Hayley experienced homeless firsthand, living in a shelter after fleeing a domestic violence. In New York, she became a part of Bedlam Outreach, a program designed to help Veterans overcome traumas of war through Shakespeare and acting. Hayley found her voice by using the stage to explore her own personal experiences. She has performed at The Sheen Center, The New Ohio Theatre, The Wild Project, and Interfaith International. At The Lucid BodyHouse she has written for the stage, directed, and performed her own work. Hayley is now moving into film and television, working on the upcoming series “The Neighborhood” created by William DeMeo, about the Brooklyn Mob in the 80’s, and the feature length action film “Bare Knuckle Brawler” starring Martin Kove (“Karate Kid”), created by Peter Passero and directed by Joe Gawalis. Hayley worked with Movie Entertainment to promote the film “Little Boy”. She credits Housing Plus Solutions, Samaritan Village, HERO’s, DECRUIT and The WYCA as integral stepping stones for her success. Hayley’s lifelong mission is to encourage and empower women, including veterans, to let them know that all things are possible, and to never give up in the face of adversity. Hayley is currently working with Victor Film Productions to see this vision come to life.

*SUNDAY, OCTOBER 1st 3PMStephan Wolfert (A post-show discussion with J.A. Moad II and Stephan Wolfert about the role of theater in helping veterans find their voice will take place after this afternoon’s performance of OUTSIDE PADUCHA)

Stephan Wolfert
Stephan Wolfert, Actor/Writer/Director, MFA, (AEA, SAG) (US Army, ’86-’93, Medic & Infantry Officer) Stephan left a career in the military for a life in the theatre after seeing Shakespeare’s Richard III. Stephan Received his Master of Fine Arts degree from Trinity Repertory Conservatory in Providence, Rhode Island. On Broadway, Stephan created and directed the military segments for Twyla Tharp & Billy Joel’s Tony-Award winning production Movin’ Out and a character coach for Cirque du Soleil's, Mystere. He also co-created a touring Shakespeare Company for Trinity Rep Company, directed and taught acting Shakespeare at Cornell University and at Antelope Valley College.
Currently, Stephan is based out of NYC where he is an actor and the Director of Veterans Outreach for the critically-acclaimed, award-winning off-Broadway company Bedlam. He is also the creator of DE-CRUIT®--a program to reintegrate military Veterans using Shakespeare, psychology and classical actor training.
For more than a decade Stephan has worked with two Native American theater companies: Native Voices in Los Angeles and Native Earth in Toronto, Canada. Stephan was also the Founding ArtisticDirectorfor: Shakespeare & Veterans, and the Veterans Center for the Performing Arts (V.C.P.A.) in Los Angeles. For his work with Shakespeare & Veterans, Stephan has received a certificate of appreciation from the City Council of Los Angeles, presented by fellow veteran and councilman the late Bill Rosendahl. He has been published in the fields of art and science for his work, and is also a member of the NYU think tank PACH (Project for the Advancement of our Common Humanity).
As an actor Stephan continues to perform his critically-acclaimed, award-winning, one-man show CRY HAVOC off-Broadway, nationally and internationally. His most recent off-Broadway productions for Bedlam were The Seagull, Sense & Sensibility, Hamlet and Saint Joan. His favorite Shakespeare roles performed include: Richard III, Richard III; Pericles, Pericles; Petruchio, Taming of the Shrew; Antony, Antony & Cleopatra; Cassio, Iago, Othello; Leontes, Polixenes, The Winter's Tale; Antonio, Measure for Measure; Cassius, Julius Caesar; Mercutio, Paris, Friar Lawrence, Romeo & Juliet; Andrew Aguecheek, Orsino, Twelfth Night. His favorite Shakespeare plays he has directed are: Twelfth Night, Macbeth, Coriolanus, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Othello, King Lear, Much Ado About Nothing, and an all-female production of Henry V.
 
MONDAY, OCTOBER 2nd 7PMDonna Zephrine

Donna Zephrine
Donna was born in Harlem New York and grew up in Bay Shore, Long Island.  She went to Brentwood High School, graduated from Columbia University School of Social Work in May 2017 and currently works for the New York State Office of Mental Health at Pilgrim Psychiatric Center Outpatient SOCR (State Operated Community Residence).  She is a combat veteran who completed two tours in Iraq. She was on Active duty Army stationed at Hunter Army Airfield 3rd Infantry Division as a mechanic. An article featured Donna’s story in the Wounded Warrior Project After Action Review Report Fall 2015. Donna participated in multiple writing workshops including the Veterans Writing Workshop at Fordham Lincoln Center. She was recently published in Radvocate Literary Magazine, the “Afterwords” anthology, the “9 lives” New York University’s Veteran’s Writers Workshop anthology, Bards Annual 2017, The Local Gem Press, War Writer’s Campaign, Poets and Writers, and Blogground. She is a contributing member to other writing workshops including the Voices from War and Project 9 Line workshop.  Currently, Donna is studying for her license in social work. She is involved in World Team Sports, Wounded Warrior Project and Team Red White and Blue.  

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 4th 7PM: original poetry written and presented by Jan Barry and Sarah N. Mess

Jan Barry
JAN BARRY is an award-winning journalist and poet whose books include A Citizen's Guide to Grassroots Campaigns, Life after War & Other Poems and (co-editor) Winning Hearts & Minds: War Poems by Vietnam Veterans, among other works. A U.S. Army veteran of Vietnam, his poetry presentations have ranged from the New York Public Theatre to high school and elementary school classes. A participant and poetry reading coordinator at the Geraldine R. Dodge Poetry Festival at the NJ Performing Arts Center and the New York City Poetry Festival, he coordinates Warrior Writers workshops for veterans and family members in the New Jersey-New York area.

Sarah N. Mess
SARAH N. MESS’s poetry and art are featured in Warrior Writers’ most recent anthology, titled Warrior Writers. Sarah served in the U.S. Army from 1992-2000, including a combat tour with the 42nd Field Hospital in Mogadishu, Somalia in 1993. Her poetry presentations have electrified audiences at Cooper Union, New York City Poetry Festival, Geraldine R. Dodge Poetry Festival at the NJ Performing Arts Center and other locales in New Jersey and New York City. She lives in Branchburg, NJ with her husband and two children.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 5th 7PM:  Sokunthary Svay presents the sequence poem “Re-Education Building” about a Cambodian soldier who survived the Khmer Rouge regime.

Sokunthary Svay
Sokunthary Svay was born in a refugee camp in Thailand shortly after her parents fled Cambodia after the fall of the Khmer Rouge regime. They were sponsored to come to the United States and resettled in the Bronx where she grew up. She is currently poetry editor for Newtown Literary, the only literary journal for the borough of Queens, a founding member of the Cambodian American Literary Arts Association (CALAA), an adjunct lecturer at the City College of New York (CUNY) in Harlem, and the recent recipient of the American Opera Projects' Composer and the Voice Fellowship for 2017-19. Her publication credits include Homelands: Women’s Journeys Across Race, Place and Time, FLESH, Prairie Schooner, Women’s Studies Quarterly, and TheMargins. Her first collection of poetry, Apsara in New York, will be published this September by Willow Books.     
“Re-Education Building”: This is a sequence poem about a Cambodian soldier who survived the Khmer Rouge regime (in numerous ways) who resettles in NYC, learning as an adult and re-learning what he remembers of himself and what teaches his daughter.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 6th 8PM: Col. (USAF, Ret.) James P Stanton

James P. Stanton
James P. Stanton is a 2014 graduate of the Hunter College Department of Theatre’s Master of Arts.  He was a recipient of the CUNY Vera Roberts Fellowship for his anti-war play A Fortnight at Tripler. Most recently he performed in Frog and Peach’s MacbethShields of Blue at the Midtown Int’l Theatre Festival, Aquila Theatre’s five state tour of Our Trojan War finishing at BAMand The Public’s Shakespeare in the Park season finale production of As You Like It at Central Park’s Delecorte.  A native New Yorker, Colonel Stanton is a combat veteran who served in the Air Force as a fighter and bomber pilot, commander, accident investigator and strategic international analyst.  He is now an actor, playwright, attorney, alternative dispute resolution mediator, and an administrative law hearing officer for the City of New York. 

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 7th 2PM Matinee: Jen Hinst-White reading “Fifteen Eggs” weaving together a first-person account of a Hiroshima survivor, the history of nuclear weapons, and meditations on nuclear danger as seen through the eyes of children and parents.

Jen-Hinst-White
Jen Hinst-White is a fiction writer and essayist whose work has appeared in The Common, The Missouri Review, The Southampton Review, Image Journal, Consequence and elsewhere. After working in the peace movement, she wrote a novella, A Fortune, about a girl whose mother serves in the 1991 Gulf War (published by Big Fiction, 2014). She blogs (and posts songs and quirky sermons) at jenhinstwhite.com.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 7th 8PM: Robert Lambert presenting his short one-man play Te amo mas que mi vida.

Robert Lambert
Robert Lambert: Director, Writer, Actor,singer  and founder of Trampled Rose Productions
Born in Brockton, Massachusetts and currently living in Brooklyn, New York. A US Army Veteran-Rob is no stranger to the spotlight. From the early days of spinning records at the Youth Center on  Loring Air Force Base, to touring around New England as a hip-hop artist for SHO-NUFF RECORDS. As an adult he began competing in amateur body building- eventually winning first place, at the ANBC Massachusetts Body Building Championship. As an actor, he has played lead roles in small budget films and video, and has appeared as an extra in television series such as "Law & Order" and HBO's "Brotherhood", plus films such as "The Other Guys" and "Underdog". He is most recognized for the musical Born in Brockton Born Again in Brooklyn,  a one- act musical he wrote, directed and starred in.  As a new believer, Rob wanted to be involved in his church and began to serve on the Worship Team, as well as write/perform short skits that would portray the Gospel in a more contemporary light. This was the genesis of Trampled Rose Productions Inc.

*SUNDAY, OCTOBER 8th 3PM Matinee: Everett Cox (There will be post- performance discussion with J.A. Moad II and Everett Cox about Vietnam Veteran Voices.)

Everett Cox
Everett Cox served in the U. S. Army from 1966-1969.  He served in Vietnam in 1969 with the 245th Surveillance Airplane Company at Marble Mt. Airbase and was an aerial camera specialist. Mr. Cox has worked most of his life as a laborer. He lived and worked for 7 years at New Experimental College in Denmark and did 7 years of volunteer work with the Association of World Education, an NGO at the United Nations in New York trying to implement a global minimum wage. He is the father of a magnificent 23 year old son.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 9th 7PMDonte Wright Da Storyteller reading his poems “Combative Illusions”, “Where Are You” and “Uncle”

Donte Wright Da Storyteller
Donte Wright Da Storyteller is a Desert Storm veteran. He is a member of "Warrior Writers NYC,” and has been a featured poet on Sex & Politics Radio and the Vets Chat Show. He has performed at the Wild Project with Poetic Theater Productions as a part of Love Redefined, and was featured in Warrior Writers’ poetic theatrical production of From Table To Stage at the Puffin Cultural Forum. He was a featured opening poet for the presentation of Takeo Rivera’s GOLIATH at LaGuardia Performing Arts Center.
 
WEDNESDAY and THURSDAY, OCTOBER 11th and 12th 7PMNatalie Lovejoy presenting an excerpt from her musical Deployed.

Natalie Lovejoy
Natalie Lovejoy is a composer, lyricist, and author from Annapolis, MD whose work has been heard in New York at Lincoln Center, 54 Below, The Duplex, Laurie Beechman Theatre, The Flea Theatre, and Greenwich Music House, as well as in San Diego, LA, and Nashville. She wrote the music, book and lyrics to Deployed, (Off-Off Broadway), which she began writing when she was married to a soldier who deployed to Iraq in 2008.  Other work includes: Walk Across a Wire, Hall Pass ("Flyers and Fryers”), and The Big C., Her short-story “Two Roads” was published in the anthology Incoming (So Say We All Press) which examines the transition from military to civilian life. Natalie is listed in The Directory of Contemporary Musical Theatres Writers at Contemporary Musical Theater.com. Education: New York University (MM in Music Composition), Catholic University (BM in Musical Theater), the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop, and the Johnny Mercer Musical Theatre Project at Northwestern University. Professional Member: ASCAP, the Dramatist Guild. www.natalielovejoymusic.com.

*FRIDAY, OCTOBER 13th 6:30PM Closing Weekend Celebration Special Event featuring: a reading by Jesse Goolsby,  an excerpt from Deployed by Natalie Lovejoy, poetry reading by Nicole Goodwin, an original short play by John M. Meyer, and an excerpt from Maurice Decaul‘s new play Hurt Me.

Jesse Goolsby
Jesse Goolsby is the author of the novel I’d Walk with My Friends If I Could Find Them (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt), winner of the Florida Book Award for Fiction and long-listed for the Flaherty-Duncan First Novel Prize. His fiction and essays have appeared widely, including The Literary ReviewEPOCHThe Kenyon ReviewNarrative MagazineSalon, and Pleiades. He is the recipient of the Richard Bausch Short Story Prize, the John Gardner Memorial Award in Fiction, and fellowships from the Sewanee Writers’ Conference and the Hambidge Center for Creative Arts and Sciences. His work has been listed as notable in both Best American Essays and Best American Short Stories, and selected for Best American Mystery Stories. He serves as Acquisitions Editor for the literary journal War, Literature & the Arts.

A US Air Force officer, Goolsby holds an English degree from the United States Air Force Academy, a Masters degree in English from the University of Tennessee, and a PhD in English and Creative Writing from Florida State University. He was raised in Chester, California, and now lives in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Nicole Goodwin
Nicole Goodwin is a veteran, author, performance artist, and award-winning poet.  Her book Warcries is a collection of poems inspired by her experiences in combat theatre. She is a 2013-2014 Queer Art Mentorship Queer Art Literary Fellow, and the winner of The Fresh Fruit Festival’s 2013 Award for Performance Poetry. Her articles “Talking with My Daughter…” and “Why is this Happening in Your Life…” (Personal essay/Review for award-winning documentary Tough Love) was featured in the New York Times’ parent blog Motherlode. Nicole’s play Desert Flowers was shortlisted and selected for performance by the Women Playwriting International Conference in Cape Town, South Africa. Her work has been featured in multiple years of Poetic Theater Productions’ Love Redefined.

Maurice Decaul
MAURICE EMERSON DECAUL, a former Marine, is a poet, essayist, and playwright, whose writing has been featured in the New York Times, The Daily Beast, Sierra Magazine, Epiphany, Callaloo, Narrative, The Common and others. His poems have been translated into French and Arabic and his theatre pieces have been produced at New York City’s Harlem Stage, Poetic License Festival in New York City, Washington DC’s Atlas INTERSECTIONS FESTIVAL in 2013 and 2014, Odon-Theatre de Europe in Paris, The Paris Banlieues Bleues Festival, The Middelhein Jazz Festival in Antwerp, The Avignon Theatre Festival in France andD’tours de Babel, The Grenoble Festival, Grenoble France, Arizona State University Gammage Memorial Auditorium, The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, The David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center and the Park Avenue Armory in NYC. Forthcoming productions include The Mary L Welch Theatre at Lycoming College in Pennsylvania The Kimmel Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Brown University. His album, Holding it Down, a collaboration with Vijay Iyer and Mike Ladd was The LA Times Jazz Album of the year in 2013. Maurice, a Callaloo and Cave Canem Fellow, is a graduate of Columbia University [BA], New York University [MFA] and he began his MFA in playwriting at Brown in fall of 2015.
MauriceDecaul’s Dijla Wal Furat: Between the Tigris and the Euphrates was presented by Poetic Theater Productions as part of the 2015 Poetic License festival of new poetic theater.

John M. Meyer
John M. Meyer is an artist studying at the University of Texas at Austin. His work as a playwright-performer has been featuredintheAustin Chronicle, The Austin American-Statesman, KUT radio, and the BBC online. His stage-play “American Volunteers” won the 2010 Mitchell Award at the University of Texas, and subsequently made the long-list for the Dylan Thomas Prize in the United Kingdom. Much of John’s work draws on his experiences as an Airborne Ranger. He served in both Iraq and Afghanistan.
Upcoming With Poetic Theater Productions:
Playwright and performer of an original theatrical piece to be presented on October 13th as a part of a special Veterans Voices 2017 Series event before a performance of Outside Paducah: The Wars At Home
Previously With Poetic Theater Productions:
Playwright & Poet for Love Redefined 2016
Performer for Kicking Down Doors: Veterans & Their Families in Poetic License 2016

*SUNDAY, OCTOBER 15th 3PMHayley JohnsonAdrienne BrammerSandra W. LeeJenny Pacanowski join the post-show panel with the featured veteran artists and Pam Campos-Palma about Female Veteran Voices

Adrienne Brammer
Adrienne Brammer is a 14-year Air Force veteran who worked as a broadcast journalist and combat videographer. She’s been assigned to South Korea, Iceland, Italy, and South Carolina and deployed to both Iraq and Afghanistan. Off-Broadway: Bullet Catchers (Women in Combat Theater Project), Our Trojan War (Aquila Theatre), Blueprint Specials (Waterwell); Television:  Shadow of Doubt (Investigation Discovery). She is an alumna of the Veterans Immersion Program at The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Adrienne is a founding member of Society of Artistic Veterans (501(c)(3)) and is currently the Project Manager for OurVeterans.nyc, the NYC Veterans Alliance’s extensive online calendar of events for NYC-area veterans. She has a BFA in Acting from Marymount Manhattan College.  AdrienneBrammer.com 

Sandra W. Lee
Sandra W. Lee is an 8-year Army combat veteran in the Special Operations Command, having deployed to Baghdad, Iraq from '03-'04.  Upon returning from her deployment where shesustainedinjury, she completed her Bachelor’s degree in International Relations/Social Sciences with a minor in Music. Off-Broadway: Blueprint Specials (The Public Theater), Bullet Catchers (Judson Memorial Church), Comfort Women: A New Musical (Theatre at St. Clements). Selected New York: The Home Show (Lincoln Center), Interabang (Ars Nova),The Telling Project (Bay Street Theatre). Selected Regional: Rent (Ivoryton Playhouse), Next to Normal, South Pacific (LTM), Avenue Q (OHP), Addams Family (CCT), Thoroughly Modern Millie (Diamondhead Theatre). Sandra splits her time between NYC and Manchester, CT, where she is on the Governing and Artistic Boards of The Little Theatre of Manchester 501(c)(3), and is often a guest/keynote speaker as a disabled veteran for corporations and organizations regarding Military Sexual Trauma (MST), PTS, TBI and her service in the military. She also performs around the country for organizations such as Got Your 6 (501(c)(3)) and The Veteran Artist Program (501(c)(3)). www.sandrawlee.com @sandrawlee

Pam Campos-Palma
Pam Campos-Palma is an impactful political strategist, campaigner, and leader serving on the front lines of democracy and change with a passion for international peace & security. She is the Executive Director of Common Defense, a national grassroots organization that mobilizes diverse veterans & military families and she forms part of Beyond The Choir, a strategy and training group that partners with movement leaders and organizations. Pam served in the US Air Force for over a decade as an operations intelligence analyst, specializing in geopolitical strategic analysis, mission planning, training, and counter-violent extremism and served in Germany, Kyrgyzstan, OIF and OEF. Pam has been recognized internationally for her transformative leadership and advocacy and was named to Huffington Post's "Top 40 Under 40 Latinos in Foreign Policy". Pam has been featured on NBC, CNN, BBC, and NPR, among others and holds a Masters of Public Administration in International Policy from NYU. She is a member of Truman National Security Project's Defense Council, an alumna of Veterans in Global Leadership and a 2017 Writing Fellow for The War Horse.

Additional Artists Involved:

Matthew Thomas Burda
Matthew Thomas Burda is an Actor and Producer.  Theater Producer credits include Comfort Women: A New Musical (Off-Broadway, Summer ’15), Green Card: A New Musical (Off-Broadway, Summer ’16), and Interview: A New Musical (Off-Broadway, running until March 5th, 2017) Matthew served in the USAF Security Forces, deploying to Iraq and Afghanistan.  MTB is a City College of NY graduate (theater) and recently completed a fellowship in the Marketing Department at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts.  He is currently a Creative Producer for Tomahawk Pictures and a Producer for the Dimo Kim Musical Theater Factory. www.matthewthomasburda.com.
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News from Michelle Tabnick PR

Patricia Field and Dancers Responding to AIDS 
Choose Catskill for Their Events
ARTFASHION show and Dance Festival in One Weekend

Two huge events are happening in Catskill NY in October over Columbus Day Weekend. Patricia Field, the award-winning costumer of HBO's Sex and The City(series and movies), The Devil Wears Prada movie, TV Land's current hit showYounger,and many other media projects, has chosen to bring her ARTFASHION collection to Catskill the weekend of October 6-8, 2017, as a benefit for Greene County Council on the Arts (GCCA). On the same weekend, Dancers Responding to AIDS, a program of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, is hosting its fifth annualHudson Valley Dance Festival at the Historic Catskill Point. The two events masterfully do not conflict with each other, making this a phenomenal opportunity for fashion, dance, and art lovers in the New York area to enjoy a blockbuster weekend in one of the most beautiful parts of the state, especially during autumn.

Ms. Field's ARTFASHION show occurs at Joe's Garage-Catskill, a new industrial event space on Main Street and underwriter of the event on Friday, October 6, at 7 pm, and on Saturday, October 7 at 8:30 pm followed by a dance party DJ'd by world renowned DJ Tedd Patterson. Ms. Field will also host a pop-up shop at Joe's garage onSaturday, October 7 from 11 am to 7 pm, and a Q&A on Sunday, October 8 at 1pm.General Admission is $20 online or $25 at the door, with VIP Preview Packages at $100. Reservations may be made at www.greenearts.org or 518-943-3400.

Hudson Valley Dance Festival (#hvdance) will feature renowned dance companies and emerging artists from a range of styles for two enchanting performances on Saturday, October 7 at 2 pm and at 5 pm. The festival will again transform the 120-year-old wooden warehouse at Historic Catskill Point into a modern-day dance venue.

Performances will include choreography by Tony and Emmy Award winner Rob Ashford, Joshua Beamish, American Ballet Theatre Principal Dancer Jeffrey Cirio, American dance legend Merce Cunningham, Moses Pendleton, Emmy Award nominee Sonya Tayeh and Manuel Vignoulle. Performances subject to change. Tickets start at $40 and are on sale now at dradance.org or by calling 212-840-0770, ext. 229.

**

KULU MELE AFRICAN DANCE & DRUM ENSEMBLE,
A PHILADELPHIA CULTURAL INSTITUTION FOR NEARLY 50 YEARS,
TO PREMIERE ALL-NEW SHOW, "FROM MALI TO AMERICA"
Kulu Mele African Dance & Drum Ensemble
presents
From Mali to America
Sunday, October 15, 2017 * 3:00 p.m.
Kurtz Center for the Performing Arts at William Penn Charter School
$30 adults / $15 students with I.D. & children 17 & younger
Tickets and more information at www.kulumele.org

 Kulu Mele African Dance & Drum Ensemble has commissioned renowned Malian composer Moussa Traore (http://moussadjembeclass.wixsite.com/moussa ) to compose new and original music, in traditional Malian styles, for "From Mali to America," Kulu Mele's all-new dance and drumming show, to premiere Sunday, October 15, 2017 at the Kurtz Center for the Performing Arts in Philadelphia, PA.   
Traore's compositions for Kulu Mele will feature traditional Didadi musical styles from Mali's Sikasso region, and well as Madan rhythms, which traditionally were played at the end of harvests and at other festive events in Mali
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News from Polk and Co.

THE BAND’S VISIT


Music & Lyrics by DAVID YAZBEK
Book by ITAMAR MOSES
Based on the Screenplay by ERAN KOLIRIN
Direction by DAVID CROMER

Previews begin OCTOBER 7, 2017
Official opening NOVEMBER 9, 2017
On Broadway at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre

TICKETS ON SALE AT TELECHARGE.COM


THE BAND’S VISIT will begin performances on Saturday, October 7, 2017, and officially open on Thursday, November 9, 2017. Tickets are now on sale.

An Egyptian Police Band arrives in Israel to play a concert. After a mix-up at the border, they are sent to a remote village in the middle of the desert. With no bus until morning and no hotel in sight, these unlikely travelers are taken in by the locals. Under the spell of the desert sky, their lives become intertwined in the most unexpected ways. The Band’s Visit celebrates the deeply human ways music and laughter connect us all.

Ticket Information
Tickets ($67 – $157, including the $2 facility fee) are on sale now at telecharge.com212.239.6200, or at the Barrymore Theatre box office (243 West 47th Street). For groups of 10 or moreplease contact Broadway Inbound atbroadwayinbound.com or 866.302.0995.

Performance Schedule
The preview performance schedule for THE BAND’S VISIT is: Monday – Saturday at 8pm; with matinees at 2pm on Wednesday (except October 11) & Saturday. The regular performance schedule is: Tuesday – Thursday at 7pm; Friday & Saturday at 8pm; with matinees at 2pm on Wednesday & Saturday; Sunday at 3pm.

For more information visit TheBandsVisitMusical.com

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SONGWRITER MICHAEL MOTT 
DEBUTS HIS NEW ALBUM 
“ABANDONED HEART” 
IN OCTOBER CONCERT

Songwriter Michael Mott will debut his second studio album, Abandoned Heart, live in concert on Monday, October 9th at 9:00PM at The Cutting Room in NYC.

This eclectic night of original material features a variety of feel good pop, anthemic soul and introspective ballads featuring vocals by some of Broadway, television and film's most celebrated talents. The LP is co-produced by Mott and Richard Matthew and will be released by Grammy-award winning label Broadway Records.

Mott will be featured at the piano, joined by his five piece band. Guest vocalists who will be singing his original material include Jenna Ushkowitz (GleeWaitress), Andy Mientus (Smash, The Flash, Spring Awakening), Jay Armstrong Johnson (On The TownHands on a Hard Body), Ciara Renée (Big FishPippin, DC's Legends of Tomorrow), Eric LaJuan Summers (Kinky Boots), Kacey Velazquez (Pop/R&B Artist), Shayna Steele (Hairspray Live), Crystal Monee Hall (International Soul Recording Artist, Rent), Bonnie Milligan (Kinky Boots National Tour), Alexa Green (Recording Artist, Wicked National Tour), Remy Zaken (Spring Awakening), Jerome Bell (Recording Artist), and some very special surprise guests. Singer Reilly will open for Michael.

Abandoned Heart: Live in Concert is Produced by Robin Carus and Directed by Hunter Bird. A portion of the proceeds will go towards a cause – to be announced during the event.

The Cutting Room is located at 44 East 32nd Street. Showtime is 9:00PM. There is a $25/$30 cover charge plus a $20 food/drink minimum. Visit  www.thecuttingroomnyc.com  or  www.MichaelMott.net.

**
M. BUTTERFLY Adds Special Preview Performance Saturday, October 14 at 2pm

100 Prime Front Row Orchestra Seats Available for Students

Broadway audiences have another opportunity to see this fall’s most anticipated production!  David Henry Hwang’s Tony Award-winning play, M BUTTERFLY, directed by Julie Taymor and starring Clive Owen, has added an additional performance on Saturday, October 14 at 2pm.

For this special performance only, M BUTTERFLY has set aside 100 prime front orchestra seats to be available for students for only $25.  These student tickets are available in person only at the Cort Theatre Box Office on the day of the performance.  One ticket per valid student ID. The Cort Theatre box office (138 West 48th street) will open at 10am on October 7. All other tickets for this added performance are available at www.MButterflyBroadway.com or www.Telecharge.com.

David Henry Hwang’s modern classic, M. BUTTERFLY, charts the scandalous romance between a married French diplomat and a mysterious Chinese opera singer – a remarkable love story of international espionage and personal betrayal.  Their 20-year relationship pushed and blurred the boundaries between male and female, east and west – while redefining the nature of love and the devastating cost of deceit. 

For the Tony Award®-winning play’s first Broadway return, Hwang will introduce new material inspired by the real-life love affair between French diplomat Bernard Boursicot and Chinese opera singer Shi Pei Pu that has come to light since the play’s 1988 premiere.


TICKETS


For more information, please visit www.MButterflyBroadway.com.
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And that's the scoop. Tune in tomorrow for another Talking Topic.

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