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

Monday, September 30, 2019

Monthly Mashup for September, 2019 Apples and The Fall


Me - My topic for this month is apples. Apples are a big part of the Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashannah. On Rosh Hashannah, most people eat apples with honey. I don't like honey. I don't eat anything on my apples although I would like to try a caramel apple. I like my apples sliced. For some reason, I can't eat an apple when it's not sliced. When I eat an apple that is not sliced, I can only eat a bite or two without getting full. When I eat sliced apples, I can eat the whole thing. Sour apples are my favorite. I like sweet apples too, but not as much. I don't like bitter apples. The apples my grandmother gets are tasteless. I don't really like them. I also don't really like the skin of apples. I just like the inside part. I don't like how sticky the inside part gets when you eat the apple though so I do like having the skin part to hold on to.  I love apple juice, and apple sauce. I don't like apple pie but I love the smell of it. The Brooks Atkinson Theater in New York City smells like apple pie because Waitress is playing there, and they bake pies right in the building. I wish they could keep the smell even after the show closes.



Mom - My topic for this month is the fall. There is so much to love and so much to hate about the fall. I don't like when the summer ends. I do like when the weather gets cooler. I don't like when the kids go back to school because the summer is more relaxing, and we do a lot of fun things as a family in the summer. Yet, I do like when they go back to school because sometimes I get more done in the day when the kids are at school but only sometimes. I like when the leaves turn colors, but I don't like when the days get shorter. I don't like pumpkin pie or any of the traditional seasonal foods, but I do like that it is apple season. I love that all the theaters are starting their new seasons. I don't like that another year is coming to an end soon. They all go by so fast. Most of all, I don't like the fall because most of the worst things in my life have all happened in the fall particularly in September or October and particularly in recent years. This September has been one of those really bad times. I don't really want to get in to details, but I will just say that we are still dealing with the aftermath of the bad times we have had this month. I will be glad when this month and everything about it is long past.

And that's our view. What's on your mind?

Tune in tomorrow for Tips for Tuesday.

Photo credits:
photo credit 1: Damien Walmsley 20180930_Garden Apples via photopin (license)
photo credit 2: Stanley Zimny (Thank You for 44 Million views) N.H. Colors via photopin (license)

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Sunday Scoop Week of 9/29/19 - What's Happening This Week or Coming Up Soon

In This Week's Scoop

1) Upcoming at Merkin Hall
    Times Talks: Colson Whitehead, Quartet 131 Presents:Night ... Not in Four Movements, 
    Hacob Jaghatspanyan, Broadway Up Close:Bound for Broadway
2) Upcoming at Franklin Square
     Spooky Mini Golf and Fall Fun
3) Upcoming at Lincoln Center
    360°: 47Soul and AfrotroniX, LC Kids Free Saturdays at the Atrium: Brown Rice Family
4) Upcoming at iPlay America
    Metahuman: Unleashing Your Infinite Potential with Deepak Chopra
5)Upcoming at Central Park
   Volunteering with the Central Park Conservancy, 17th Annual My Dog Loves Central Park Fair
6) New York Pizza Festival in the Belmont Business District
7) Upcoming at Symphony Space
    Oran Etkin and Timbalooloo

PR Firm Roundup

8)  News from Andrea Alton PR
     Upcoming at United Solos Festival: That Wonder Boy
9) News from DDPR
    Limited Engagment Run of The Worth of Water Begins October 4
10) News from DKC/O&M
      10A) Tickets for Plaza Suite Now Available
      10B) The Wrong Man Begins Performances and Extends Run
      10C) Waterwell & Broadway Advocacy Coalition Launches "The Flores Exhibit"
11) News from JT Public Relations
      11A) The Bench Returns to NYC for One Night Only at United Solo Festival October 5
      11B) Soho Playhouse to Present Baba Brinkman's Rap Guide to Series in Rep
12) News from Karen Greco PR
      Roundtable, A Modern Comedic Take on King Arthur Debuts Off Broadway at 59E59 Theatres
13) News from Polk and Co.
     13A) Great Societ Announces TodayTix Rush Policy
     13B) The Inheirtance Announces Rush Policy
     13C) Renee Zellweger Duets with Sam Smith & Rufus Wainwright on Judy Soundtrack
     13D) Our Dear Dead Drug Lord Extends Run
14) News from Richard Hillman PR
      14A) Chasing Rainbows Begins Performances at Papermill Playhouse
      14B) Fifty Million Frenchman Begins Performances at York Theatre
      14C) The Drama League Reveals Details for 2019 Series
      14D) Theatre Historian Charles Troy Returns to York Theatre
15) News from The Press Room PR
      Is This A Room Begins Performances
16) News from Spin Cycle NYC
      16A) Unmaking Toulouse-Lautrec Extends Run Again
      16B) The Fez and the Sandalwood Box Begins Performances
      16C) Nothing Gold Can Stay Begins Preview Performances Oct. 1
      16D) The Art of Stacking the Deck Symposium Runs Oct. 4 - 6
17 News from Vivacity NY
     Sold Out Off Broadway Run of Little Shop of Horrors Extends Run

1) Upcoming at Merkin Hall
129 W. 67th St
New York, NY

Times Talks: Colson Whitehead, 
Quartet 131 Presents:Night ... Not in Four Movements, 
    Hacob Jaghatspanyan, 
Broadway Up Close:Bound for Broadway

Wednesday October 2, 7:00 PM
Times Talks: Colson Whitehead

The Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award-winning author discusses his recently-published book, The Nickel Boys.

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.kaufmanmusiccenter.org/mch/event/timestalks-colson-whitehead.

Thursday October 3, 7:30 PM 
Quartet 131 Presents:Night ... Not in Four Movements

Beethoven's towering Opus 131 in C♯ minor plus works for string quartet by Schubert, Bloch and Dutilleux.

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit 

Sunday October 6, 7:30 PM
Hacob Jaghatspanyan

All Colors of Autumn
From passionate Spanish music to traditional Armenian songs, relish the wonderful world of music created by guitar maestro Hakob Jaghatspanyan.

For more information or to purchase tickets visit, www.kaufmanmusiccenter.org/mch/event/hakob-jaghatspanyan-all-colors-of-autumn

Monday October 7, 7:30 PM

Broadway Close Up: Bound for Broadway


Hosted by Liz Callaway. Get a sneak peek at some of the best new shows headed for Broadway! Featuring Amanda Green, Georgia Stitt, Julianne Wick Davis and Katya Stanislavskaya.

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit hwww.kaufmanmusiccenter.org/mch/event/broadway-close-up-bound-for-broadway-2019
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2) Upcoming at Franklin Square
6th St. & Race Street
Philadelphia, PA

Spooky Mini Golf and Fall Fun

Friday October 4, 6:30 PM
Franklin Square’s Fall Fun Opening Night with Spooky Mini Golf, New Fountain Show

Franklin Square’s seasonal fun continues in the fall with delights for all ages. Opening night includes Spooky Mini Golf, where traditional Philly Mini Golf is transformed into spooky family fun for the whole season, with fog, lights, music, and surprises. Other fun that evening includes the Franklin Square Fountain Show (new in 2019) with seasonal colors, the Parx Liberty Carousel, and playgrounds. Check out SquareBurger’s fall menu updates, including homemade ice cream sandwiches, waffle fries, and the popular Cake Shake.

·       Daily and Nightly through October 31, every 30 minutes from 12 – 2 pm and from 6 pm to closing – Franklin Square Fountain Show (New for 2019) Swing along with the sights and sounds of this new free attraction with choreographed “performances” of fountain jets dancing magically with dramatic lighting and music both day and night. In between nighttime shows, the Fountain is colored to complement the fall atmosphere in the Square. The Franklin Square Fountain is the oldest public fountain in the United States.
·       October 3 – 31, 6 - 9 pm – Spooky Mini Golf – The Philadelphia-themed miniature golf course is transformed into spooky family fun for the season, with fog, lights, music, and surprises. (Thursday - Sunday evenings) ($10 adults, $8 children).
·       October 12, 12 - 4 pm – Halloween Maze (New for 2019!) – Walk in and try to find the way out in our new inflatable Halloween maze ($5 adults/children).
·       October 19, 12 - 2 pm – Pumpkin Patch – 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).
·       October 2612 - 3 pm – Trick-or-Treat Trail presented by Fox Rothschild Trick or Treat all through Franklin Square. Follow the map to special stops to receive a treat. FREE for children 10 and under. (Group reservations and participation are not available. While supplies last.) Also, the Lightning Bolt Express Train makes the  traditional fall stop in the Square ($5 adults, $4 children).  
.        October 27, 11 am - 1 pm  Bark-or-Treat Trail presented by Merck Animal Health – Celebrate with a favorite canine for this pup-tastic Halloween event. Dogs are encouraged to dress in costume, follow a trail of treats, and collect helpful information for their owners. Enjoy music, photo opportunities, and a place to play and run in the Square. (Giveaways while supplies last.) FREE
·       SquareBurger – New menu updates include homemade ice cream sandwiches, flurries, sundaes, panini caprese, and waffle fries, along with the delicious and popular Cake Shake.

2019 Franklin Square Season Operating Hours:
October 1 – 31: daily, 10 am – 7 pm; Thu - Sun, until 9 pm
November 1 – 13: daily, 10 am - 5 pm
November 14 – December 31: daily (closed Nov. 28 & Dec. 25), 10 am - 8 pm, Fri & Sat 10 am – 9 pm
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3) Upcoming at Lincoln Center

 360°: 47Soul and AfrotroniX, 
LC Kids Free Saturdays at the Atrium: 
Brown Rice Family

*FREE Thursday, October 3 at 7:30 pm 
David Rubenstein Atrium Atrium 
360°: 47Soul and AfrotroniX 
This global-minded double set mixes 47Soul’s Arabic Dabke dance music with the Afrofuturist funk of Chad native, Montreal-based AfrotroniX. 47Soul is known in the underground music scene for their traditional Palestinian street music combined with deep electronic beats and influences from funk, hip-hop, and rock—a genre they coined “Shamstep.” They add analogue synthesizers, hypnotic guitar lines, and probing lyrics in both Arabic and English to melodies that have been echoing through the Arab world for centuries. Their powerful shows are a mix of unstoppable dancing and a call for celebration and freedom in the struggle for equality. For the second part of the evening, AfrotroniX merges dubstep, house, reggae, and EDM with Mbalakh rhythms and electric Tuareg blues to create an intoxicating live experience that includes African urban dance and digital art. The musician behind this unique Afrofuturist vision is famed Chadian guitarist Caleb Rimtobaye, who has worked with Young Paris, Mbongwana Star, and singer-songwriter Brian Kennedy. AfrotroniX has been touring the world for a decade and now brings his visionary live show to the Atrium. 
David Rubenstein Atrium, Broadway between 62nd and 63rd Streets. 
FREE Seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis. For questions about accessibility or to request an accommodation, please contact access@lincolncenter.org or 212.875.5375. For more information, please visit LincolnCenter.org/Atrium. 

*FREE Saturday, October 5 at 11:00 am 
LC Kids Free Saturdays at the Atrium: Brown Rice Family 
A fresh world roots band jamming towards global solidarity, Brown Rice Family provides the masses with distinctively organic global music, which encompasses reggae, hip-hop, dancehall, Afrobeat, jazz stylings, rock, Brazilian, Latin, and funk. Always growing, the band now comprises eight members hailing from all over the world—Japan, Jamaica, Haiti, Nigeria, South Africa, and the USA. Their diverse backgrounds set the stage for a unique coexistence, musical creativity, and, of course, dancing! Recommended for Ages 2-5. 
David Rubenstein Atrium, Broadway between 62nd and 63rd Streets. 
FREE Seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis. For questions about accessibility or to request an accommodation, please contact access@lincolncenter.org or 212.875.5375. For more information, please visit LincolnCenter.org/Kids.
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4) Upcoming at iPlay America
110 Schank Rd.
Freehold, NJ

Metahuman: Unleashing Your Infinite Potential with Deepak Chopra

Friday October 4, 2019
Door time - 7:00 PM Start Time - 7:30 PM

Join New York Times bestselling author Deepak Chopra at The Event Center @iPA on October 4th for a highly anticipate talk, based on his newest upcoming book, Metahuman, Deepak Chopra unlocks the secrets for moving beyond our present limitation to access a field of infinite possibilities.

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit
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5) Upcoming at Central Park

Volunteering with the Central Park Conservancy, 
17th Annual My Dog Loves Central Park Fair

Volunteering with the Central Park Conservancy offers the opportunity to spend more quality time with family and teach kids about the importance of giving back to the community. 


This fall, as part of their Family Volunteer Day program, the Central Park Conservancy is inviting families to spend quality time while helping keep Central Park green. Projects are on Saturdays, 10:00 am – 11:30 am, and the fall dates include: 
  • Oct 5, 19, 26
  • Nov 2, 16, 23
  • Dec 7, 14, 21

Teens, ages 13-18, can give back to their community and promote good stewardship by helping out with seasonal projects in Central Park during our Teen Volunteer DayProjects are on Saturdays, 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm, and the fall dates include: 

  • Oct 5, 19, 26
  • Nov 2, 16, 23
  • Dec 7, 14, 21

THE CENTRAL PARK CONSERVANCY CELEBRATES THE 17TH ANNUAL
“MY DOG LOVES CENTRAL PARK FAIR”
Sunday, October 6, 2019
Central Park - Naumburg Bandshell (Mid-Park at 72nd Street)

Sunday, October 6 from 12:00 pm – 3:00 pm
12:00 pm  Event Welcome
12:30 pm  Dog Training Workshop
1:00 pm   Game on Stage: Tricks for Treats
1:30 pm   Dog Training Workshop
2:00 pm   Game on Stage: Dancing with your Dog
2:30 pm   Dog Training Workshop

Come, sit, stay, and celebrate Central Park and its dog community! Tails will be wagging at the Central Park Conservancy’s 17th annual My Dog Loves Central Park Fair with lots of activities for you and your canine.

Join uan afternoon of contests, training tips, games, and much more. This event is free and open to all ages. The Fair is an on-leash event. Tickets are not required.

For more information, visit centralparknyc.org/dogfair
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6) 2nd Annual 
New York Pizza Festival
in the Belmont Business District

October 5 - 6, 2019

Sponsored by the Belmont BID, the New York Pizza Festival is returning to the Bronx for its second year on Saturday, October 5 and Sunday, October 6 for a two-day event, with over 25 participating pizzaioli including Zero Otto Nove on Arthur Avenue that features different styles of pizza from all over the country from Los Angeles to Chicago to Las Vegas and the Bronx.

For more information, visit https://nycpizzafestival.com
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7) Upcoming at Symphony Space
2537 Broadway
New York, NY

 Oran Etkin and Timbalooloo

October 5, 11:00 AM

This internationally touring jazz clarinetist and educator will perform songs from his new globe-spanning album Finding Friends Far from Home: A Journey with Clara Net. Oran and special guests will invite loads of audience interaction including singing, clapping, dancing, and drumming. As the instruments “talk” with one another, children learn that making music means bringing their own character, humor, and emotion along for the ride. Etkin's highly interactive approach is based on his Timbalooloo music classes.

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.symphonyspace.org/events/just-kidding-oran-etkin-timbalooloo
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PR Firm Roundup

8) News from Andrea Alton


That Wonder Boy 
at United Solo Theatre Festival
Saturday, October 5 at 2:00 p.m.
 at Theatre Row

Bob Stromberg’s comic theatrical show That Wonder Boy is honored to be selected as a “Best of 10 Years” show for the 10th Anniversary season of the United Solo Theatre Festival in New York City this October, performing at Theatre Row on October 5 at 2:00 p.m. 

The show is a warm-hearted, laugh-out-loud exploration of life and art that begins with a flying baby and soars on a creative flight of laughter, joy and wonder through the eyes of a boy growing up in an artless environment, only to be blindsided by the beauty of art. Though his character’s story is unique, Stromberg has a way of evoking universal emotional moments that we all recognize.  

Stromberg is a co-author and veteran performer of the international hit Triple Espresso—a highly caffeinated comedy and author of “The Wide-Eyed Creative” podcast. 

That Wonder Boy is directed by Risa Brainin, an award-winning freelance director and Founder/Artistic Director of the groundbreaking new play development program LAUNCH PAD at UC Santa Barbara.
Brainin formerly served on the artistic staff at the Guthrie Theater and has directed for numerous theaters around the country. Music and soundscape are by composer/musical director Michael Pearce Donley, set and costumes by Nayna Ramey, lighting by Michael Klaers.

Performances at Theatre Row/Studio Theatre, 410 West 42nd Street (btw 9th & 10th Ave), NYC, NY 10036. Subways: A/C/E to 42nd Street. Tickets are $45.00 and are available at the Theatre Row Box Office or at http://unitedsolo.org/us/2019-thatwonderboy or by calling Telecharge at 212-239-6200.

Running time: 97 minutes
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9) News from DDPR

LIMITED ENGAGEMENT RUN OF
TIRA PALMQUIST’S

THE WORTH OF WATER
DIRECTED BY MÊLISA ANNIS

OCTOBER 4th – OCTOBER 20th
AT HERE

Clutch Productions, a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating opportunities for emerging female artists in theatre and film, today announced that tickets are now on sale for THE WORTH OF WATER, a new play written by Tira Palmquist and directed by Mêlisa Annis Friday, October 4th through Sunday, October 20th, Off-Broadway at HERE, 145 6thAvenue, (on Dominick St., one block south of Spring St.). This is the second commission of a new, full-length play from blank page to its world premiere on a New York stage by Clutch, the inaugural commission being the world premiere of Every Good Girl Deserves Fun by Heidi Armbruster (upcoming Dairyland at Playmakers Rep, Mrs. Christie at Dorset Theatre Festival).  https://www.clutchproductions.org/theworthofwater

Elle is a struggling singer-songwriter in California. Rebecca is an unhappy homemaker in Wisconsin. And Ethel is bringing her daughters together for her 70th birthday to be momentary mermaids in the springs of Weeki Wachee. But as the fantasy dissipates, will they be able to swim back to shore?

Elle is a struggling singer-songwriter in California. Rebecca is an unhappy homemaker in Wisconsin. And Ethel is bringing her daughters together for her 70th birthday to be momentary mermaids in the springs of Weeki Wachee. But as the fantasy dissipates, will they be able to swim back to shore?

HERE is located at 145 6th Ave. (Enter on Dominick St., 1 Block South of Spring St.)

Tickets to THE WORTH OF WATER are $25 and available at here.org or by calling 212-352-3101. 
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10)News from DKC/O&M

10A) TICKETS ON SALE NOW FOR MATTHEW BRODERICK & SARAH JESSICA PARKER IN NEIL SIMON’S “PLAZA SUITE”

Tickets go on sale to the general public today at 10:00 AM for both the Boston and Broadway engagements of Neil Simon’s classic comedy about marriage, Plaza Suite, starring two-time Tony Award winner Matthew Broderick and two-time Emmy Award® winner Sarah Jessica Parker, directed by Tony Award winner John Benjamin Hickey.

For tickets and additional information, please visit www.plazasuitebroadway.com

As previously announced, Plaza Suite will play a strictly limited 17-week Broadway engagement at Hudson Theatre (141 West 44th Street), with previews beginning March 13, 2020 and an official opening night set for April 13, 2020. Plaza Suite will mark the first time Broderick and Parker will share a Broadway stage since the 1995 revival of How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. This event will also mark Broderick’s return to the words of Neil Simon, having won his first Tony Award for creating the role of Eugene Jerome in Simon’s Brighton Beach Memoirs, followed by its sequel, Biloxi Blues.


Prior to coming to New York, in a move reminiscent of the golden age of Broadway when stars would take plays out of town, Broderick and Parker will travel with the production to Boston for a strictly limited 22-performance pre-Broadway engagement at the Emerson Colonial Theatre, the same theater where Plaza Suite had its 1968 world premiere and in 1976, Parker made her Boston stage debut as Flora in the pre-Broadway engagement of The Innocents.

Additional information, including complete casting, will be announced shortly.



**
10B) ROSS GOLAN’S WORLD PREMIERE MUSICAL 

THE WRONG MAN 
'
BEGINS PERFORMANCES AND EXTENDS RUN 

 AT MCC THEATER


MCC Theater (Bob LuPoneBernie TelseyWill Cantler, Artistic Directors; Blake West, Executive Director) is pleased to announce the extension by popular demand of the highly anticipated World Premiere production of The Wrong Man, the new stage musical written by multi-platinum songwriter Ross Golan. Previously scheduled for a limited run through October 27, The Wrong Man will now play through Sunday, November 17 at The Newman Mills Theater at The Robert W. Wilson MCC Theater Space (511 West 52nd Street). For tickets and more information, please visit 


**
10C) WATERWELL



AND



BROADWAY ADVOCACY COALITION

LAUNCH

“THE FLORES EXHIBITS”

A SERIES OF VIDEOS AMPLIFYING THE VOICES OF 

CHILDREN HELD AT THE U.S. / MEXICO BORDER

VIDEOS ARE LIVE NOW AT FLORES-EXHIBITS.ORG

WATCH THE TRAILER HERE


Waterwell and Broadway Advocacy Coalition announced the launch of “The Flores Exhibits,” a series of short videos that amplify the voices of children held in detention facilities at the U.S. / Mexico Border. The first group of videos, with more to be released soon, are now live at www.flores-exhibits.org and form the core of an integrated strategy to affect change in our immigration system through narrative-driven advocacy.

In “The Flores Exhibits,” high-profile artists, lawyers, advocates, and immigrants read the sworn testimonies of children held in detention facilities at the U.S. Border. Readers featured so far include Elizabeth Rodriguez (“Orange is the New Black”), Sakina Jaffrey (“House of Cards”), Kathleen Chalfant (Wit, “The Affair”), David Schwimmer (“Friends”), Malina Weisman (“A Series of Unfortunate Events”), Arian Moayed (Waterwell Co-Founder, “Succession”), Bitta Mostofi (Commissioner of the NYC Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs), Jeffrey S. Chase (Former Immigration Judge), and Luis Mancheno (Immigration Lawyer and refugee from Ecuador).

Each reader reads strictly what is presented in sworn testimonies taken in June 2019 by a team of lawyers visiting detention facilities as monitors for the Flores Settlement Agreement. This 1997 agreement set limits on the length of time and conditions under which children can be held in immigration detention, which were upheld by a 2017 court order in Flores v. Sessions.

The team working under Flores in June discovered severely detrimental conditions, including child separations from families continuing a full year after the executive order ending that policy. In response, members of the team created Project Amplify, a national campaign to raise awareness and establish legal protections for children in government care.

Elora Mukherjee, the Jerome L. Greene Clinical Professor of Law and director of Columbia Law School’s Immigrants’ Rights Clinic, has served as a monitor for the Flores team and has spent over 1,000 hours interviewing people held in immigration detention facilities in the past five years. “We have never sought to go public like this with children’s testimonies, but now we must,” said Mukherjee. “We can’t trust the Executive Branch, the Judiciary has been under repeated attack by the President and Department of Homeland Security, and Congress has been blocked from access to detained children. Only ongoing scrutiny and outrage from the American people will help ensure that independent oversight is preserved and this terrible situation is not repeated.”

All videos in “The Flores Exhibits” are live now at www.flores-exhibits.org. The site also includes more information about the Flores Settlement Agreement, tools to grow your own advocacy, and contact information for help arranging public events to show “The Flores Exhibits” videos and mobilize community organizing efforts.
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11) News from JT Public Relations


11A) The Bench, A Homeless Love Story 
Written and performed by ROBERT GALINSKY 
Directed by Drama Desk Winner JAY O. SANDERS 

One Night Only  -Saturday, October 5 at 7:30 PM 
Featured production of the United Solo Festival  
At Theatre Row  

Galinsky returns to NYC from Los Angeles after a sold-out run, for a one night only performance of his play The Bench, directed by Jay O. Sanders. He brings with him the energy of Skid Row Los Angeles in a show originally mined from the true stories of people in the New York neighborhood where he lived.  

Writer/activist Robert Galinsky presents a unique perspective of life on the streets through five homeless characters whose lives become forever entwined. With brutal honesty and humor, the story makes it alarmingly clear that so many of us are just one mistake away from joining this underserved and growing population. 

Robert Galinsky (Playwright/Performer) is an activist and theatre artist currently teaching his theatre workshops ‘Unscripted Leadership’ to 100’s of people experiencing homelessness, through Housing Works LA and A Million Drops Learning Center, and also to incarcerated youth at Riker's Island Jail in New York City, through Literacy for Incarcerated Teens. 

The Bench will be performed as a featured production of the United Solo Festival on Saturday, October 5 at 7:30 pm at Theatre Row (410 West 42nd Street). Tickets are $47.25 and can be purchased by visiting http://unitedsolo.org/us/ufest/


**

11B) SOHO PLAYHOUSE to present
Artist-in-Residence
BABA BRINKMAN’S RAP GUIDE SERIES “IN REP”
including the New York Premiere of 
RAP GUIDE TO CULTURE
IN REP with the Award-Winning 
RAP GUIDE TO EVOLUTION, plus RAP GUIDES TO 
RELIGION, CONSCIOUSNESS, and CLIMATE CHAOS
Beginning Monday, September 16 - October 18, 2019 
SoHo Playhouse’s Artist-in-Residence Baba Brinkman, for the first time ever, will perform FIVE of his celebrated award-winning Rap Guide shows IN REP, including the New York Premiere of his newest production, direct from 2019 Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Rap Guide to Culture, along with encores Rap Guide to Evolution, Rap Guide to Religion, Rap Guide to Consciousness, and Rap Guide to Climate Chaos. Beginning Monday, September 16 through October 18, tickets are $39. To purchase tickets and for the full schedule, visit www.sohoplayhouse.com.

Rap Guide to Culture explores cultural evolution and the science of social norms, seeking solutions to today’s divisive culture wars in the latest research. Rap Guide to Culture premiered at the 2019 Edinburgh Fringe where it was called “a wondrous blend between rap, academia, and literature.  Brinkman is a phenomenal rap artist. His free-styling is raw talent, his ability to deliver and to improvise is exceptional. His raps are intricate, clever and well-formed” VoiceMag.com; “Baba Brinkman’s Rap Guide to Culture is one of the most fascinating shows on the Fringe.” Chortle.co.uk.
Award-winning rap artist, science communicator & playwright, Baba Brinkman will present a rotating selection of his acclaimed "Rap Guide to..." shows — a scientific hip-hop theater cycle that seriously (and humorously) tackles the most challenging questions of our age: Who are we? Where did we come from? and Where are we going?
Rap Guide to Evolution ("Astonishing and brilliant" – NY Times) celebrates Charles Darwin's legacy, and the surprising power of natural selection to make sense of human origins and behavior, from peacocks’ tails to bling. Rap Guide to Evolution is a Scotsman Fringe First Award Winner and Drama Desk Award Nominee, directed by Dodd Loomis (The Lion King), visual design by Wendall K. Harrington, music by Mr. Simmonds. Rap Guide to Religion (“Very funny, very educational” – NY Times Critics’ Pick) explores the adaptive value of supernatural belief systems, from thanking god at the Grammies to the pro-Darwin mantra “be fruitful and multiply”. A celebration of religion’s exquisite design functions, if not it’s veracity. Rap Guide to Religion is a Drama Desk Award Nominee, directed by Darren Lee Cole, visual design by Baba Brinkman, music by Tom Caruana and Dan Moross.
Rap Guide to Consciousness ("Mind-blowingly, awe-inspiringly good" – Broadway Baby) tackles the ancient "hard problem" of how mind arises from matter, applying modern neuroscience to the subjectivity of newborn babies, octopuses, and sentient robots. Directed by Darren Lee Cole with visual design by Olivia Sebesky and music by Tom Caruana and Dan Moross. 
Rap Guide to Climate Chaos ("Passionate and engaging... and very funny" – The Stage) explores the science, politics, and economics of the world's hottest topic with equal parts humor and urgency. Sept 23 - 29 is New York Climate Week. Directed by Darren Lee Cole with visual design by Olivia Sebesky and music by Tom Caruana and Dan Moross.
BABA BRINKMAN’S RAP GUIDE TO...

Written and Performed by Baba Brinkman
September 16 – October 18, 2019
SoHo Playhouse is located at 15 Vandam Street
Tickets are $39 per performance and can be purchased by visiting SoHoPlayhouse.com

Mon Sept 16, 7 pm - Rap Guide to Religion
Tues Sept 17, 7 pm - Rap Guide to Culture
Weds Sept 18, 7 pm - Rap Guide to Evolution
Sat Sept 21, 5 pm - Rap Guide to Culture
Sun Sept 22, 5 pm - Rap Guide to Consciousness
Mon Sept 23, 7 pm - Rap Guide to Culture
Tues Sept 24, 7 pm - Rap Guide to Climate Chaos
Thurs Sept 26, 7 pm - Rap Guide to Culture
Fri Sept 27, 7 pm - Rap Guide to Climate Chaos
Sat Sept 28, 7 pm - Rap Guide to Climate Chaos
Sun Sept 29, 5 pm - Rap Guide to Culture
Mon Sept 30, 7 pm - Rap Guide to Religion
Tues Oct 1, 7 pm - Rap Guide to Religion
Weds Oct 2, 7 pm - Rap Guide to Culture
Thurs Oct 3, 7 pm - Rap Guide to Consciousness
Fri Oct 4, 7 pm - Rap Guide to Culture
Sat Oct 5, 5 pm - Rap Guide to Evolution
Sun Oct 6, 5 pm - Rap Guide to Culture
Fri Oct 11, 9 pm - Rap Guide to Religion
Mon Oct 14, 7 pm - Rap Guide to Climate Chaos
Tues Oct 15, 7 pm - Rap Guide to Consciousness
Thurs Oct 17, 9 pm - Rap Guide to Evolution
Fri Oct 18, 9 pm - Rap Guide to Culture

More info about the shows, including descriptions and links to reviews, music videos, studio albums, videos please visit BabaBrinkman.com
********************************************************************
12) News from Karen Greco PR


ROUND TABLE, a modern and comedic take on

 the King Arthur myth, makes its Off Broadway

 premiere at 59E59 Theaters


59E59 Theaters (Val Day, Artistic Director; Brian Beirne, Managing Director) is thrilled to welcome the Off Broadway premiere of ROUND TABLE by Liba Vaynberg and directed by Geordie Broadwater. Produced by Fault Line Theatre and Anna & Kitty, Inc., ROUND TABLE begins performances on September 27 for a limited engagement through October 20. Press Opening is Sunday, October 6 at 2:30 PM. The performance schedule is Tuesday – Friday at 7:30 PM; Saturday at 2:30 PM & 7:30 PM; and Sunday at 2:30 PM. Performances are at 59E59 Theaters (59 East 59th Street, between Park and Madison). 

Zach is a medieval scholar and devotee of LARP (Live Action Role Playing); Laura ghostwrites romance novels. They meet at the crossroads of the competing realities they create and live in. ROUND TABLE is a comedy about pretending to be what you already are.

Single tickets are $25 ($20 for 59E59 Members). Tickets are available by calling the 59E59 Box Office at 646-892-7999 or by visiting www.59e59.org. The running time is 80 minutes, with no intermission.
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13) News from Polk and Co.


13A) THE GREAT SOCIETY 

ON BROADWAY

ANNOUNCES TODAYTIX RUSH POLICY


Official opening October 1, 2019
12-Week Limited Engagement
At the Vivian Beaumont Theater on Broadway

THE GREAT SOCIETY has partnered with TodayTix to offer $35 mobile rush tickets beginning at 9am each performance day. Tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis exclusively through the TodayTix app.

Capturing Johnson’s attempts to build a just society for all, THE GREAT SOCIETY follows his triumph in a landslide election to the agonizing decision not to run for re-election just three years later. It was an era that would define history forever: the rise of the Civil Rights Movement, the deaths of Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy, the escalation of the Vietnam War, and the creation of some of the greatest social programs America has ever known—and one man was at the center of it all: LBJ.

TICKET INFORMATION:
Tickets are available by calling 800-447-7400, online at GreatSocietyBroadway.com or in person at the Lincoln Center Theater box office.  Ticket prices range from $107-157.

For schedule and performance times, please visit GreatSocietyBroadway.com.


**

13B) 2019 OLIVIER AWARD-WINNING BEST PLAY
THE INHERITANCE
ANNOUNCES RUSH TICKET POLICY

THE INHERITANCE has announced its rush ticket policy.

A limited number of rush tickets are available for purchase in-person for $40 at the Ethel Barrymore Theater box office beginning at 10am for that day's performance only. Maximum two tickets per person. Rush tickets are subject to availability and may not be offered at all performances. Rush seating locations will be determined at the discretion of the box office.

THE INHERITANCE begins previews at Broadway’s Ethel Barrymore Theater (243 West 47th street) on Friday, September 27, 2019 and will officially open on Sunday, November 17, 2019. 

THE INHERITANCE is a life-affirming journey of tears and laughter, through conflicts and connections, heartbreak and hope.  A new play, generations in the making.

For more information, please visit TheInheritancePlay.com.


**
13C) RENÉE ZELLWEGER

DUETS WITH

SAM SMITH & RUFUS WAINWRIGHT

STARS BOND OVER LOVE FOR JUDY GARLAND ON 

BRAND NEW ORIGINAL

SOUNDTRACK

'JUDY'

'Get Happy' recorded by Renée Zellweger & Sam Smith

'Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas' recorded by Renée 

Zellweger & Rufus Wainwright

‘JUDY’ THE ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK

Decca and Republic Records announce the release of
two star-studded duets, to appear on the brand-new album 'JUDY'. The Original Soundtrack which coincides with the release of the highly-anticipated feature film in which Renée Zellweger stars as ‘Judy’, is set for release globally on 27th September 2019. The film is based on the true story of Judy Garland’s final concerts in London in the late 1960s.

Decca and Republic Records announce the release of two star-studded duets, to appear on the brand-new album 'JUDY'. The Original Soundtrack which
coincides with the release of the highly-anticipated feature film in which Renée Zellweger stars as ‘Judy’, is set for release globally on 27th September 2019. The film is based on the true story of Judy Garland’s final concerts in London in the late 1960s.

Release on 27th September 2019, coinciding with the U.S. nationwide release of the film, ‘JUDY’ the album marks 50 years since Judy Garland’s premature death in 1969, and 80 years since she shot to teenage stardom in The Wizard of Oz in 1939, and will be released on the singer’s original record label, Decca.


**
13D) WP Theater & Second Stage Theater 

Uptown’s Acclaimed Production of

OUR DEAR DEAD DRUG LORD

Extends For One Week

Now Running Through Sunday, October 27

Due to extremely strong ticket demand, the acclaimed production of Alexis Scheer’s OUR DEAR DEAD DRUG LORD, directed by Whitney White, has been extended one week and will now run through Sunday, October 27, announced WP Theater (Lisa McNulty, Producing Artistic Director; Michael Sag, Managing Director) and Second Stage Theater (Carole Rothman, President & Artistic Director; Casey Reitz, Executive Director).

Tickets for OUR DEAR DEAD DRUG LORD start at $39 and are available by phone at (212) 541-4516, online at wptheater.org or 2st.com, or in person at the Tony Kiser Theater at 305 W. 43rd Street.  Tickets are also available at the McGinn/Cazale Theater one hour prior to curtain. Discounts for groups of 10 or more may be purchased by calling (212) 787-8302 x 130. Subscriptions to WP Theater's 2019-2020 season are available by calling (212) 765-1706 or at wptheater.org. Packages start at $99. Subscriptions to Second Stage Theater’s 2019-2020 Season are available by calling Second Stage Subscriber Services at (212) 246-4422, visiting 2ST.com or 305 W. 43rd Street. Packages begin at $193 for 3 plays.

In this fierce and feverish world premiere comedy from WP Theater and Second Stage, a gang of teenage girls gathers in an abandoned treehouse to summon the ghost of Pablo Escobar. Are they messing with the actual spirit of the infamous cartel kingpin? Or are they really just messing with each other? A rollercoaster ride through the danger and damage of girlhood – the teenage wasteland has never been so much twisted fun. 

For more information, please visit www.2ST.com
********************************************************************
14)News from Richard Hillman PR


14A) THE NEW JERSEY PREMIERE OF
CHASING RAINBOWS: THE ROAD TO OZ
BOOK BY MARC ACITO
MUSICAL ADAPTATION & ADDITIONAL MUSIC BY DAVID LIBBY
CONCEIVED BY & ADDITIONAL LYRICS BY TINA MARIE CASAMENTO
DIRECTED & CHOREOGRAPHED BY DENIS JONES
LIMITED ENGAGEMENT THROUGH OCTOBER 27, 2019
Paper Mill Playhouse (Mark S. Hoebee-Producing Artistic Director, Michael Stotts- Managing Director), recipient of the Regional Theatre Tony Award, presents the New Jersey premiere of Chasing Rainbows: The Road to Oz with a book by Marc Acito, musical adaptation & additional music by David Libby and conceived by and additional lyrics by Tina Marie CasamentoChasing Rainbows: The Road to Oz begins performances TOMORROW, Thursday, September 26, 2019, and will continue through Sunday, October 27, 2019, at Paper Mill Playhouse (22 Brookside Drive, Millburn, NJ). Bank of America is the major sponsor for Chasing Rainbows: The Road to Oz. Paper Mill Playhouse's 2019-2020 season is proudly sponsored by Investors BankOpening Night is Sunday, October 6, 2019, at 7:00pm.
Before she burst onto the big screen as Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, Judy Garland was a young vaudeville trouper named Frances Gumm. In this highly anticipated new musical chronicling Garland’s early career from vaudeville baby to MGM teen star in the making, the road to Oz is paved with adversity. At its heart a story of love between a father and daughter, featuring such legendary songs as “Over the Rainbow,” “You Made Me Love You,” and “Everybody Sing,” Chasing Rainbows is a poignant coming-of-age tale about “the little girl with the big voice,” who went on to become one of the world’s most beloved entertainment icons. The show has already earned praise from Liza Minnelli, who said, “My mother said that her biography is in her music, and now a talented creative team is using that music to tell the story of her early years and her extraordinary rise to fame.”
Chasing Rainbows: The Road to Oz will be performed at Paper Mill Playhouse eight times a week, Wednesday through Sunday. Performance schedule: Wednesday at 7:30pm, Thursday at 1:30pm and 7:30pm, Friday at 8:00pm, Saturday at 1:30pm and 8:00pm and Sunday at 1:30pm and 7:00pm. Season subscriptions are on sale now and are available by calling 973.379.3717. Individual tickets go on sale Monday, August 19, starting at $34. Tickets may be purchased by calling 973.376.4343, at the Paper Mill Playhouse Box Office at 22 Brookside Drive in Millburn, or online at www.PaperMill.org. All major credit cards accepted. Groups of 10 or more may receive up to a 40% discount on tickets and should call 973.315.1680. Students may order $23-$28 rush tickets over the phone or in person at the Paper Mill Playhouse Box Office on the day of the performance.
Accessibility Performances for _Chasing Rainbows: The Road to Oz_
Paper Mill Playhouse, a leader in accessibility, will offer audio-described performances for Chasing Rainbows: The Road to Oz on Sunday, October 20, 2019, at 1:30pm and Saturday, October 26, 2019, at 1:30pm. Prior to these performances at noon, the theater will offer free sensory seminars. Sensory seminars offer an opportunity for patrons with vision loss to hear a live, in-depth description of the production elements of the show and hands-on interaction with key sets, props, and costumes. There will be a sign-interpreted and open-captioned performance on Sunday, October 27, 2019, at 7:00pm.
Free Audience Enrichment Activities for _Chasing Rainbows: The Road to Oz_
CONVERSATION CLUB: Join us Thursday evenings, September 26, October 3, 10, and 17 one hour before curtain for an informal, informative gathering. You'll learn more about the performance you're about to see.
THE DIRECTOR'S VIEWPOINT: One hour before curtain on Wednesday, October 2, a pre-show discussion with the show’s director in the Renee Foosaner Art Gallery.
Q&A WITH THE CAST: After the matinee on Saturday, October 26, stick around for a lively Q&A with cast members directly following the performance.


**

14B) CELEBRATING BROADWAY’S LEGENDARY COLE PORTER
THE YORK THEATRE COMPANY
LAUNCHES ITS 50TH ANNIVERSAY SEASON WITH
THE FALL 2019 “MUSICALS IN MUFTI” SERIES
PRESENTATION OF
FIFTY MILLION FRENCHMEN
MUSIC AND LYRICS BY COLE PORTER
BOOK BY HERBERT FIELDS
ADAPTED BY TOMMY KRASKER AND EVANS HAILE
MUSIC DIRECTION BY EVANS HAILE
DIRECTED BY HANS FRIEDRICHS
11 PERFORMANCES ONLY
SEPTEMBER 28 – OCTOBER 6, 2019
AT THE YORK THEATRE AT SAINT PETER’S
Celebrating Broadway’s legendary Cole Porter! The York Theatre Company (James Morgan, Producing Artistic Director; Evans Haile, Executive Director), dedicated to the development of new musicals and rediscovery of musical gems from the past, launches their 50th Anniversary Season with its acclaimed Musicals in Mufti series celebrating the legendary Broadway composer Cole Porter. The series honors the illustrious songwriter behind such classics as Anything Goes, Kiss Me, Kate, Gay Divorce, Silk Stockings, Red, Hot and Blue, and Can-Can, to name a few.
Opening the Fall 2019 series is Fifty Million Frenchmen with music and lyrics by Cole Porter and book by Herbert Fields, adapted by Tommy Krasker and Evans HailePerformances began Saturday afternoon, September 28, 2019 and will continue for 11 performances only through Sunday afternoon, October 6, 2019. Opening Night is Sunday evening, September 29, 2019 at 7:00 p.m.

The year is 1929, the month is June. It's the season when all the Americans invade Paris—and all the Parisians leave town. This classic boy-meets-girl musical set in the city of love introduced the world to such memorable Cole Porter favorites as “You Do Something to Me,” “You’ve Got That Thing,” and “The Tale of the Oyster.” Originally opening on Broadway in 1929, Fifty Million Frenchmen was one of Porter’s earliest hits and a precursor to the success that was yet to come. Irving Berlin was such a fan that he took out an advertisement calling Fifty Million Frenchmen “the best musical comedy I have seen in years!” The York is delighted to kick off its Cole Porter Mufti celebration with this show, in the revised version created by Tommy Krasker and Evans Haile for a 1991 concert presentation, emphasizing its remarkable score.

The York Theatre Company’s acclaimed Musicals in Mufti series of musical theatre gems, performed in a simply-staged, book-in-hand concert format, is currently in its twenty-sixth historic year of presenting shows from the past that deserve a second look. Mufti means “in street clothes, without the trappings of a full production.”

Fifty Million Frenchmen will play the following 11-performance schedule— First Week: Saturday at 2:30 p.m. & 8:00 p.m., Sunday at 2:30 & 7:00 p.m.; Second Week: Wednesday at 7:00 p.m., Thursday at 2:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m., Friday at 8:00 p.m., Saturday at 2:30 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. and Sunday at 2:30 p.m.

**

14C)THE DRAMA LEAGUE
REVEALS DETAILS FOR ITS
2019 FALL SERIES
WORKSHOPS, NEW PLAYS, CLASSES, AND DISCUSSIONS
TO FOCUS ON
INTIMACY DIRECTION, CLIMATE CHANGE, TECHNOLOGY
AND FINANCIAL HEALTH FOR ARTISTS
IN TODAY’S THEATRE

The Drama League (Gabriel Stelian-Shanks, Artistic Director; Bevin Ross, Executive Director) has announced its 2019 Fall Series, including new play readings, open rehearsals, master workshops and conversations with America’s leading stage directors, to be held at The Drama League Theater Center (32 Avenue of the Americas) in Tribeca; as well as dates for its 37th city-wide festival, Directorfest 2020.

2019 DRAMA LEAGUE FALL SERIES
All events held at
The Drama League Theater Center,
32 Avenue of the Americas
* * *
MASTER WORKSHOP:
FINANCIAL WELLNESS FOR ARTISTS
AND ARTS PROFESSIONALS
General Admission: $5
Drama League Alumni, SDC/Equity/Directors Gathering Members: Free
Featuring Darren Sussan, Founder, Institute for Financial Wellness in the Arts
and Co-Founder of TheaterMania and Ovation Tix
Let’s face it: theater artists sometimes find the resources, skills, and knowledge to master their own financial well-being hard to come by. In this informative talk by some of the field’s leading financial experts -- led by Darren Sussan, the Co-Founder of TheaterMania and OvationTix who now leads the nonprofit Institute for Financial Wellness in the Arts (IFWA) -- participants can discover common mistakes and get the facts about long-term financial success as an artist or arts professional, learn valuable tips on smart financial planning, practice smart saving & protection strategies, pension facts, and take action for a successful financial future.
* * *
NOSEJOB
Created and Directed by
2019 Drama League Resident Director Nell Bang-Jensen
Friday, October 4, 2019 at 3:00 p.m.
General Admission: Free
Nell Bang-Jensen, the recently-announced artistic director of Philadelphia’s Horizon Theatre, leads a work-in-progress showing of this arresting new play. Charting 12 centuries of consent, power, and penance, Nosejob looks at the future of seduction by revisiting heroines from a barbarous past. Three worlds fold into one another as we land in 9th Century Scotland, where a pack of rapacious Vikings threatens the nuns of a small abbey; in 2019 America, where a football team and a sorority house grapple with a new game; and the future, where a new kind of sexuality is finally possible. Nosejob asks fresh questions about why we glorify women who compensate for violent male behavior. Then it dares us to ask for more. Recipient of both the 2019 Drama League Next Stage Residency and the SPACE on Ryder Farm Creative Residency.
* * *
MASTER WORKSHOP:
INTIMACY DIRECTION WORKSHOP
with Claire Warden, Intimacy Directors International
Saturday, October 12, 2019 - Noon-4pm
OR
Sunday, October 13, 2019 - Noon-4pm
General Admission: $129.99
Drama League Members: $109.99
Drama League Alumni/SDC/Equity/DG Members: $99.99
Students: $84.99
The staging of intimacy is one of the most vital concerns in today’s theatre. Claire Warden, the groundbreaking intimacy director whose work includes the first use of these principles and techniques on Broadway (in the recent revival of Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune and the current production of Slave Play), leads this informative workshop to show how theatre can build a consensual-based artistic workspace with the discipline of Intimacy Direction. Through a mix of exercises and discussions, participants will learn to understand, communicate, and advocate for respect, safety, and consent, and to create authentic and specific stories of intimacy. Guided by the base of IDI’s Five Pillars, participants will learn tools and language to approach basic intimacy in communication and choreography. Ms. Warden is an intimacy director, fight director, teacher, and actress with twenty years of experience in theatre, TV, and film across America and the UK. Claire is an Intimacy Director and is the Intimacy Director Liaison with Intimacy Directors International and a founding member of Theatrical Intimacy (UK), where she is co-leading the introduction of intimacy direction to Great Britain. She has delivered workshops, presentations, and panels at Julliard, Yale, NYU, Cambridge University, HB Studios, Sonoma State and for conferences and theatre communities on both sides of the Atlantic, including the TBA and TCG annual conferences.
* * *
MASTER WORKSHOP:
UNIVERSES: TECHNOLOGY IN STORYTELLING
Thursday, October 24, 2019, Noon-6pm
Featuring UNIVERSES Co-Artistic Directors Mildren Ruiz-Sapp and Steven Sapp
Premium Seating: $45
General Admission: $139.99
Drama League/SDC/Equity/DG Members: $99.99
Drama League Alumni/Students: $79.99
The legendary OBIE, Bessie, Doris Duke and Kennedy Prize-nominated ensemble UNIVERSES is comprised of writers and performers of color who fuse theater, poetry, dance, jazz, hip hop, politics, down-home blues and Spanish boleros into moving and entertaining works for the stage that tour across the U.S. and internationally. In this rare workshop, artistic directors Mildred Ruiz-Sapp and Steven Sapp will share their creative practice with participants -- which is usable for directors, actors, writers, and designers -- to explore the ways cutting-edge technology can amplify the creative moment. Participants will make new work as part of the process, learning skills they can incorporate in their own practice.
* * *
-IKE: A Reading of the 2019 Beatrice Terry Residency Project_
Written and Directed by Molly Beach Murphy
Monday, November 4, 2019 at 3:00 p.m.
General Admission: Free
The powerful new play IKE, written and directed by 2019 Drama League Beatrice Terry Resident Director Molly Beach Murphy (Cowboy Bob), follows a father and daughter who wake up one morning and walk outside...to find their house is the only one left standing. IKE takes place just after a storm that devastated the Texas Gulf Coast in 2008, and follows survivors as they try to make sense of a town reduced to rubble, a collapsing US economy and the heartbreaking, surreal, funny, devastating nature of what happens when life gets washed away in an instant. The Beatrice Terry Residency funds the development of a new work by a female or female-identified writer-director, culminating in a residency and staged reading at The Drama League Theater Center.
* * *
MASTER WORKSHOP:
THE DIRECTORS PROJECT: AN APPLICATION WORKSHOP
Monday, December 16, 2019 at 5:30pm
General Admission: Free
Featuring Artistic Director Gabriel Stelian-Shanks
The Drama League Directors Project is a lifelong home for stage directors, where they can advance their careers, hone their artistry, and develop networks for success. Its award-winning Directing Fellowships and Directing Residencies offer financial support, professional guidance, assistantships, and opportunities to develop and direct artistic work. In this informative, insightful workshop, Artistic Director Gabriel Stelian-Shanks will offer a rare glimpse into the new selection criteria used to choose recipients, and offers personal advice for crafting a strong, competitive application.
* * *
DIRECTORFEST 2019
January 10 - February 4, 2020
Across New York City at the New Ohio Theatre, LaGuardia Performing Arts Center, Joe’s Pub at the Public Theater, and The Drama League Theater Center
Featuring new productions directed by
NJ Agwuna, Chika Ike, Rebecca Marzalak-Kelly, Lindsey Hope Pearlman, and Ben Randle
The North American Premiere of Pure, conceived and directed by Christian Bakalov
and a new work-in-progress musical in concert, directed by Hannah Ryan
More information can be found at www.dramaleague.org.

**
14D) THE YORK THEATRE COMPANY
CONTINUES ITS CELEBRATION OF
BROADWAY’S LEGENDARY COLE PORTER
AT THE YORK THEATRE AT SAINT PETER’S
THEATER HISTORIAN CHARLES TROY RETURNS
WITH THREE MULTIMEDIA PRESENTATIONS
COLE PORTER’S TOP TEN LIST SONGS
COLE PORTER’S TOP TEN LUST SONGS

MONDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2019 AT 2:30 P.M
COLE PORTER AND THE GREAT DEPRESSION
MONDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2019 AT 7:00 P.M.
It’s Delightful. It’s Delovely! The York Theatre Company (James Morgan, Producing Artistic Director; Evans Haile, Executive Director), dedicated to the development of new musicals and rediscovery of musical gems from the past, continues their celebration of Broadway’s legendary Cole Porter with a one-day only special event. Theater historian Charles Troy make his fourth straight appearance during Musical in Mufti series, this yearwith two different Cole Porter programs: Cole Porter’s Top Ten LIST Songs / Cole Porter’s Top Ten LUST Songs, and Cole Porter and The Great Depression on Monday, October 7, 2019 at The York Theatre Company at Saint Peter’s (entrance on East 54th Street, just east of Lexington Avenue).

Charles Troy will present an afternoon program that consists of a pair of 45-minute presentations: Cole Porter’s Top Ten LIST Songs and Cole Porter’s Top Ten LUST Songs. You’ll find out what a List Song is and listen to Troy’s selection of Porter’s Top Ten, chosen for their wit, popularity, or significance in his career, woven into a biographical overview of Porter's life. For the second half of the program, Troy will cover Porter's love ballads, which he characterizes as Lust Songs. You'll discover why by learning about Porter's private life while you hear the Top Ten. One performance only, Monday afternoon, October 7, 2019 at 2:30 p.m.

Troy’s 90-minute evening program, Cole Porter and the Great Depression, will address the fact that the worst economic period in America’s history coincided with the height of the elegant Porter’s career. Between the stock market crash in 1929 and Pearl Harbor in 1941, Porter wrote the scores for twelve shows and four films, took a round-the-world cruise—and was permanently injured in a horseback riding accident. This program considers songs from every one of Porter's works during the period, and reflects on what was going on in the outside world when each show and film debuted. One performance only, Monday evening, October 7, 2019 at 7:00 p.m.

Single tickets for the Charles Troy multimedia presentations are priced at $20 for each performance and may be purchased online at www.yorktheatre.org/membership, or by visiting The York Theatre Company Box Office (Citicorp Building, entrance on East 54th Street, just east of Lexington Avenue), or by calling the Box Office at (212) 935-5820 during regular business hours (Monday through Friday, 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.).
*********************************************************************
15) News from The Press Room

IS THIS A ROOM
CONCEIVED AND DIRECTED BY TINA SATTER
PREVIEWS BEGIN OCTOBER 3
OPENING NIGHT OCTOBER 22
Is This A Room Performances will begin at the Vineyard Theatre (108 East 15th Street) Thursday, October 3 with opening night set for Tuesday, October 22

A true story, still unfolding. June 3, 2017. A 25-year-old former Air Force linguist named Reality Winner (Davis) is surprised at her home by the FBI, interrogated, and then charged with leaking evidence of Russian interference in U.S elections. Reality remains in jail with a record-breaking sentence. The FBI transcript of her interrogation is the heart of Is This A Room, conceived as a play and directed by Obie Award-winner Tina Satter, in which an extraordinary human drama unfolds between the complex and witty Reality, and the agents who question her. As Reality’s autonomy shrinks before her eyes, a simmering real-life thriller emerges, asking what it is to have honor in this American moment, and how the personal can reverberate globally.

The Vineyard’s 2019-2020 productions include Is This A Room,  conceived and directed by Tina Satter, the New York premiere of Lucas Hnath’s Dana Hdirected by Les Waters in a co-production with Goodman Theatre and Center Theatre Group, and the world premiere of Tuvalu or, The Saddest Song, by Antoinette Nwandu, directed by Danya Taymor.  All shows will be presented at Vineyard Theatre (108 East 15th Street). Memberships are now on sale for The Vineyard’s 2019-2020 season and can be purchased online at www.vineyardtheatre.org or by calling the box office at 212-353-0303.  
***************************************************************
****

15) News from Spin Cycle NYC


15A) Environmental Drama About Legendary Artist
Announces 4th Extension

UNMAKING TOULOUSE-LAUTREC

Bated Breath Theatre Company announces a fourth extension of their acclaimed immersive, environmental production UNMAKING TOULOUSE-LAUTREC, selected as one of the 11 “best immersive plays and interactive theatrical experiences on Broadway and beyond” by Time Out. Performances will now continue through January 8, 2020 at Madame X in Manhattan’s historic Greenwich Village, where performances began on May 8.

UNMAKING TOULOUSE-LAUTREC invites you to discover the bohemian world of the Belle Epoque with Henri Toulouse-Lautrec—artist, aristocrat and all-around 19th Century bad boy. Dive into the underbelly of old Paris as you drink innovative house-made cocktails, lounge in a totally immersive Parisian-style salon, and rub shoulders with the dancers, prostitutes and outcasts that inspired the most enticing, elegant and provocative art depicting the decadence and sexuality of post-impressionist France.

Through dance, imagery, vignettes, and text, the production combines modern music and language while exploring the ecstasy of creativity and the agony of the body in the sexiest art history lesson you'll ever have.

UNMAKING TOULOUSE-LAUTREC runs alternating Fridays (7pm & 8:30pm) and Wednesdays (7pm & 9pm) through October 30 before returning to a Wednesdays-only schedule through January 8, 2020.  (Please note: there will be no performances on Nov. 27 for Thanksgiving, Dec. 25 for Christmas or Jan. 1 for New Year’s Day.) Running time is 60 minutes. Madame X is located at 94 West Houston Street, between LaGuardia Place and Thompson Street -- accessible from the B,D,F,M trains at Broadway/Lafayette.  You must be 21+ to attend. Tickets are $35 including one complimentary beverage Tickets are available at www.unmakinglautrecplay.com.

**
15B) Now Playing 

Mac Wellman fest closer 

THE FEZ and THE SANDALWOOD 

BOX 

Now playing at The Flea a double bill of two short one-acts by Mac Wellman: the World Premiere of THE FEZ and a revival of THE SANDALWOOD BOX. These plays are the finale of MAC WELLMAN: PERFECT CATASTROPHES, a festival of plays by the influential vanguard playwright, which began in August. Performances run September 26 – November 1 at The Flea (20 Thomas Street in Tribeca, between Church and Broadway, three blocks north of Chambers). 

THE SANDALWOOD BOX is set in a surreal landscape on the border between dream and reality. Here we follow the journey of Marsha Gates, a young college student who has lost her voice. On her way to speech therapy, Marsha meets Professor Claudia Mitchell, who captures the most captivating catastrophes of the world and preserves them in a sandalwood box.
 
In THE FEZ, the charmed spell of the theater has somehow absented itself, and something strange happens.

**
15C) Opioid love story NOTHING GOLD CAN 
STAY begins previews Oct. 1

NOTHING GOLD CAN STAY begins performances on October 1  and runs through  October 26 at the Jeffrey and Paula Gural Theatre at The A.R.T./New York Theatres.

Clay and Jess have big dreams: college, refuge from the cold Maine winters, and a permanent escape from the paycheck-to-paycheck, rent-a-center furniture lifestyle of their parents. When Jess finds herself temporarily stuck behind and at odds with her stepfather, she moves in with Clay's mom and begrudgingly takes a job at the local chicken farm. Meanwhile Clay heads off to college, counting down the days to his return, desperate to avoid the destiny of his geography.  NOTHING GOLD CAN STAY is love story for the opioid era.

NOTHING GOLD CAN STAY runs October 1 - 26, Thursday - Saturday at 8:00pm with additional performances October 1, 2, 8 & 9. The Jeffrey and Paula Gural Theatre at The A.R.T./New York Theatres is located at 502 West 53rd Street (off 10th Avenue). Tickets are $20, available at 866-811-4111 or www.PartialComfort.org.


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15D) THE ART OF STACKING THE DECK: A MAC WELLMAN SYMPOSIUM
October 4-6 at The Flea

** featuring Young Jean Lee, Jan Leslie Harding, Anne Washburn, Paul Lazar, Helen Shaw & more**


The Flea announces THE ART OF STACKING THE DECK: A MAC WELLMAN SYMPOSIUM, part of its Fall 2019 season featuring a rotating repertory of five new productions – including two world premieres – by Mac Wellman. The symposium explores Wellman's profound impact on the American theater and runs October 4 through 6. 

Wellman's foremost collaborators, protégés, and scholars will explore the unique demands of interpreting his plays, the breadth of his career, and the legacy of his work on multiple generations of theater makers. Highlights include a conversation with Mac Wellman; Steve Mellor returning to his Obie-winning performance in a special reading of Terminal Hip; and panels exploring all aspects of Mac’s work and legacy. Guest speakers include Erin Courtney, David Lang, Paul Lazar, Young Jean Lee, Helen Shaw, Maria Striar, Anne Washburn, and more.
 

The three-day symposium offers Mac Wellman enthusiasts the chance to celebrate and explore Wellman's unique poetic theater with artists who have brought that work to life for the past 30 years. Performers, directors, writers, producers, and designers will offer their insights on collaborating with Wellman to achieve his idiosyncratic and demanding texts. Playwrights and culture writers will share memories of studying with Mac and investigate his vital contributions to the American theater. Guests will have the chance to connect with other enthusiasts at a reception and lunches throughout the weekend and to see two world premieres and three revivals of Wellman’s plays.

THE ART OF STACKING THE DECK: A MAC WELLMAN SYMPOSIUM includes:

• Mac Wellman in conversation with scholar and culture writer Helen Shaw (Time Out NY, The Village Voice).
 
• Steve Mellor returns to his Obie-winning role in Terminal Hip for two performances only. Mel Gussow of The New York Times wrote about the original production, “Terminal Hip is a case of theatrical skywriting. As performed by Mr. Mellor, this mono-comedy evokes memories of Lewis Carroll and James Joyce, but with its own idiosyncratic, terminally hip beat. Only Mr. Wellman could have written this play and only Mr. Mellor could have imbued it with such histrionic variety.” 
 
• Panels on bringing Mac’s work to life will feature Elena Araoz, director of A Chronicle of the Madness of Small Worlds; Claudia Brown, costume designer of the original productions of Bad Penny and Sincerity Forever; Kyle Chepulis, designer of over a dozen Mac Wellman productions; Meghan Finn, director of The Invention of Tragedy and The Offending Gesture; Anne Hamburger, producer of the original productions of Bad Penny and Crowbar; Jan Leslie Harding, performer in the original productions of Bad Penny and Sincerity Forever; David Lang, composer of the difficulty of crossing a field;  Paul Lazar, director of Antigone and Girl Gone; Graham Sack, director of the forthcoming The Bad Infinity videoscape; Kristan Seemel, director of The Flea’s current production of Bad Penny; and Maria Striar, producer of the Mac Wellman Festival with Clubbed Thumb.
 
• Panels on Mac’s influence on the American theater as a playwright and educator will feature Kate Benson, playwright of [PORTO] and A Beautiful Day in November on the Banks of the Greatest of the Great Lakes; Eliza Bent, playwright of Bonnie’s Last Flight and Indeed, Friend!; Erin Courtney, playwright of A Map of Virtue and Professor of Playwriting at Brooklyn College; Sibyl Kempson, founder of 7 Daughters of Eve and playwright of Fondly, Collette Richard; playwright Kristine Haruna Lee, playwright of Suicide Forest and Memory Retrograde; Young Jean Lee, playwright of Straight White Men and The Shipment;  Helen Shaw, culture writer with Time Out NY and The Village Voice; Karinne Keithley Syers, culture writer and playwright of Long Bright Day; and Anne Washburn, playwright of Mr. Burns, a Post-Electric Play and Shipwreck.
 
• Guests of the symposium will be invited to an opening reception on October 4 and will have the opportunity to attend all of the productions in Mac Wellman: Perfect Catastrophes, A Festival of Plays as part of their package. Select meals are included for all symposium guests.

THE ART OF STACKING THE DECK: A MAC WELLMAN SYMPOSIUM runs October 4 - 6. Ticket packages begin at $175, with discounts for students available. 
 
Mac Wellman: Perfect Catastrophes runs now through November 1, Thursdays through Mondays at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m., with Sunday matinees at 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. Tickets start at $37 with a limited number of $17 tickets available on a first-come, first-served basis.
 
The Flea Theater is located at 20 Thomas Street between Church and Broadway, three blocks north of Chambers, close to the A/C/E, N/Q/R/W, 4/5/6, J/M/Z and 1/2/3 subway lines. Purchase tickets by calling 212-352-3101 or online at www.theflea.org 

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17) News from Vivacity NY

SOLD-OUT OFF-BROADWAY RETURN OF
LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS
RELEASES 8 MORE WEEKS OF TICKETS

STARRING
TONY AWARD NOMINEE JONATHAN GROFF
EMMY AWARD WINNER TAMMY BLANCHARD
TWO-TIME TONY AWARD WINNER CHRISTIAN BORLE

NOW ON SALE THROUGH JANUARY 19, 2020
AT THE WESTSIDE THEATRE

 Producers of the highly-anticipated Off-Broadway return of LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS are thrilled to announce that the sold-out production starring Tony nominee Jonathan Groff (Hamilton, Spring Awakening, “Mindhunter”), Emmy Award winner Tammy Blanchard (Life with Judy Garland, Gypsy) and Tony Award winner Christian Borle (Something Rotten!, Falsettos) has released eight additional weeks of tickets, now on sale through Sunday, January 19, 2020 at the Westside Theatre (407 W. 43rd St, NYC).

Tony Award nominee Gideon Glick (To Kill A Mockingbird, Significant Other) will join the cast of the production as “Seymour” for two weeks only, from Tuesday, November 5 through Sunday, November 17, while Jonathan Groff is on a scheduled leave from the production.

TICKETS AND PLAYING SCHEDULE
Tickets through Sunday, January 19 are now on sale at Telecharge.com/212-239-6200 (outside NY metro area: 800-432-7250) and at the Westside Theatre Box Office (407 W. 43rd St.). Box office hours are 12-6PM or until showtime on performance days. The preview playing schedule for LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS is Monday–Saturday at 8PM, with Saturday matinees at 2PM.  Beginning October 18, the regular playing schedule will be Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7PM, Wednesdays and Saturdays at 2PM & 8PM, Fridays at 8PM and Sundays at 3PM.
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And that's the scoop. Tune in tomorrow for this month's Monthly Mashup.