4th Universalist Society's VDay

                                        "To be an artist is to believe in life."   Henry Moore

Gearing up for yet another VDay event, actually a weekend of events, kept me very busy for a couple of weeks.  It started off with a unique Concert-Drama “Talking to Schubert” at 4th Universalist Society's Gothic Church on Central Park West, a perfect setting for such a piece.  Husband-wife team Emir Gamsizoglu and Ege Maltepe  put together a really interesting multi-media play-classical music concert as the kick-off fundraiser for our VDay celebrations.

Happy Birthday Mom!

Amongst all the preparations were my rituals: music nights and birthday celebrations at Sojourn, writing class up in the Bronx, Philosophy class followed by lunch at Gracie Mews Diner with friends, as well as a trip “home” overnight for Mom’s birthday and some appointments.  It is truly bittersweet driving around my hometown now with no home to go to.  It was nice to see Mom, and have a birthday dinner in Cambridge with she and Katie, and spend time with my special Friend.  And of course, catch up with Auntie at her hangout, Brueggers in East Milton Square!

Walking to the train

I even managed to get to one of my favorite places, the NYPL, for a lecture moderated by one of my new favorite people who started the International Women Artists’ Salon.  “The Ins, Outs, Pitfalls, and Rewards of Self Publishing” was part of March’s National Small Press Month; an informative and entertaining discussion with a true cast of characters.

4th U from the Internet

Finally, the weekend of 4^th U’s Vday arrived.  I am officially a holy lady again with all the time I spent at Church this past weekend!  I have learned to love that old building, its nooks and crannies, the myriad rooms, alcoves, and hiding places.  A very special group of Ladies have been presenting Eve Ensler’s “The Vagina Monologues” for many years.  100% of the proceeds go to agencies that work toward ending violence toward women, with 10% going to VDay.org.  This year’s beneficiaries were: Safe Horizons, Restore, and Haitian Women for Haitian Refugees.  

My official duty was Volunteer Coordinator.  I’m getting good at it.  And, if I may share, I have had a number of People tell me they’d work anywhere with me in my various volunteer assignments since arriving in NYC.  Now if I could transfer this into a job!?  I digress.  I also felt like a Girl Scout Leader again as I made 100 bracelets to sell in our VCafe/Shop.

We had beautiful art displayed throughout the Sacristy.  A Silent Auction very successfully raised quite a bit of funds for our cause.  All this as the backdrop of the main event, four presentations of  Eve Ensler plays, “The Vagina Monologues” and “The Good Body.”  It was beautiful, moving, and wonderful.

I constantly thank my lucky stars for the wonderful People I am privileged to meet, work, and play with in my new hometown, NYC. 

Cast of "The Vagina Monolgues"



Cast and Directors of "The Good Body"

Week 23 More Theatre

 "Either write something worth reading, or do something worth writing."  Ben Franklin

World's largest food distibution center

My energy and willingness to do almost anything has found me with friends at the Food Bank for New York City fairly often lately.  I found myself at their site deep into the Bronx one day, and again at their Downtown offices on another.  I hated taking the MBTA around the Boston area, and although the MTA here in NYC has been a bit crazy this winter, I still find it to be an adventure.  So far, I absolutely do not miss my car.

From Andy Clayburn's website

Of course I kept up with my Monday and Tuesday music nights at Sojourn.  This week Gus was joined by Andy Clayburn, an amazing classical guitarist.  I am so blessed in my comfort and familiarity with this wonderful neighborhood gathering place. (and the food has never disappointed!).

An evening spent on Broadway with my Library friend was a treat, as I haven’t seen a Broadway show for awhile.  We met for a glass of wine and light bite with happy hour prices at L’ybane in Hell’s Kitchen right around the corner from The Music Box theatre.  Pippin was great fun, a circus-like play for adults.  From Timeout magazine’s review:  “Diane Paulus brings her magic to Pippin.  The innovative director behind Hair and Porgy and Bess infuses the Broadway classic with circus thrills.”  It won the 2013 Tony award for Best Musical Revival and Diane Paulus also won the Tony for Best Direction.  (Ms Paulus is also the artistic for the American Repertory Theatre in Cambridge, Ma.).



From the website

Another evening spent with OBP and some of my NYC Friends “My Father’s Ashes” was wonderful, and still a treat.  Many of us, including Kristi, continued the evening having some food, wine, and laughter at Sojourn.  Closing that establishment, we continued on to its sister wine bar, Vero around the corner. 

 

From the Website

 

My weekend was spent at the inaugural Women’s Travel Fest hosted by Kelly Lewis of GO Girl Guides..  Saturday was a jam packed day of talks, panels, information, food and wine at one of my favorite spaces in NYC, the Angel Orensanz Center.  It’s too hard to choose the best as the list was long with many great Women, but it was a thrill to hear Samantha Brown, and very moving to hear Sarah Shourd.  From the Fest’s bio “..working as a journalist and teaching for the Iraqi Student Project, when she was captured by Iranian forces somewhere along the unmarked border between Iran and Iraq in July ’09 while on a weekend trip in semi-autonomous Iraqi Kurdistan. She was subsequently held hostage in solitary confinement for 410 days and then released without ever being tried or charged. … Her memoir A Sliver of Light: Three Americans Imprisoned in Iran—co-authored by Shane Bauer (now her husband) and Josh Fattal—will be published by Houghton-Mifflin Harcourt in March 2014." 

From Facebook

Scene on Houston St.

As if that wasn’t enough, I scooted up to Hell’s Kitchen to catch some of International Women’s Artists’ Salon Symphony.  It was a celebration of International Women’s Day.  The League of Professional Women celebrated amazing women artists from around the world in song, poems, readings, and short theatrical pieces.  Very interesting in yet another cool space, TheaterLab.

From their website

Sunday’s session of  Women’s Travel Fest was held at a really great space in Chelsea amongst all the funky studios, Drift Studio.  The woman who was supposed to present the seminar “Work Digitally Anywhere” got stuck in Mexico due to illness.  Ashley Castle and Annelise Sorenson gave us a wonderful day, impressively, as I’m guessing it was very last minute! 

 

Family Ladies' Weekend to see "My Father's Ashes"

                             "Laughter is a celebration of the human spirit."    Sabina White

From Gus' website



From Keren and The Sugar Daddies' website

Habits and rituals are so comforting, aren’t they?  Becoming a regular at my NYC Cheers, Sojourn, has brought me countless hours of good food, entertainment (Keren and her Sugardaddies on Monday nights, Gus Fafalios, usually joined by friends on Tuesdays), and friendships.  All I have to do is walk across the street, literally!  It doesn’t get better than that.

Another day spent at the Food Bank for NYC downtown allowed me to see my two favorite Ladies there, Rachel and Lisa.  Another Lady I worked for gave me much food for thought, suggestions, and advice without even knowing it, so a very successful day overall.  From there I ventured up to Chelsea to the Upright Citizen’s Brigade to see a Rooftop Films Friend perform in his first show.  Giggles are always a wonderful thing.

From OBP website

One of the very first auditions Kristi had upon landing in NYC five years ago was for a young playwright’s, Tom Slot, rock musical.  I remember getting lost (and a bit nervous) in the halls of Columbia University on a Sunday night when I had been allowed to sit in a rehearsal since I couldn’t make it to the show. (That was a wonderful weekend all around as I scored an unbelievable price to stay at The Plaza for their soft opening following a major renovation.  What a treat!).    

That group of talented artists blew me away then, and continue to do so now.  The core group of that very first show, “Father of Songs”, is still together, and formed Original Binding Productions a couple of years ago.  (Kristi was asked to be a founding member!)  My NYC Friend joined me for Opening Night of OBP’s current production, “My Father’s Ashes” is, simply put, amazing.  Yes, I know I am a bit biased.  From their website: MY FATHER'S ASHES: THE SISTERS PLAY is a new dramatic play by Tom Slot that explores the issues of love, grief, and family. On the one-year anniversary of their father's death, three sisters return to their childhood home to scatter his ashes. But a brutal winter snow, their judgmental mother, and years of unresolved baggage threaten to derail the memorial before it even begins. As secrets and insecurities are exposed at every turn, can these three sisters overcome their sibling dynamic long enough to mourn their father? Or will the night leave their relationships so fractured that they can never go home again.
 

Going to the Village to do an errand (God, I truly love saying things like that!), I treated myself to a wonderful little $20 prix fixe lunch (a delicious citrus kale salad, mac n cheese with a lovely glass of Italian red) at Murray’s Cheese Bar.  It’s not enough the Murray’s Cheese is one of the largest purveyors of cheese in NYC, they added this quaint little Café to their family.  Brilliant and wonderful.

One of the absolute best emails I ever opened was the one last fall from Katie telling me about Eve Ensler’s lecture with other women activists from around the world at Columbia.  Attending that, and the meeting the next night that Eve invited all in the room to for VDay planning, has taken on a major part of my life this winter.  The people I have met, and worked, with have been so great.  Now that VDay One Billion Rising for Justice is over, I am fully immersed in The Fourth Universalist’s Society’s VDay presentation of two of Eve Ensler’s plays, “The Vagina Monologues” and “The Good Body”).  Apparently, people were happy with my work as volunteer coordinator for OBR4J as I have been asked to do the same for 4^th U’s Vday.  And, I am on the fundraising committee.  So it was on that note that a group of us met at a Lovely Ladies home to create crafts for the VDay Fair that takes place all weekend with the plays.  So very blessed to be meeting all these People!

St. Paul's Chapel

9-11 Memorial

Family Ladies (Mom, Katie, and two cousins Lee and Kathy) came down to play and see Kristi’s show for a quick overnight!  I met them at their hotel, the Intercontinental in Midtown, very swanky.  We headed out immediately and found a lovely little wine bar, La Cava, in the neighborhood for a wonderful brunch.  From there we split up for awhile.  Myself, Mom and Kathy headed downtown to the World Trade Center area.  St. Paul’s Chapel never ceases to overwhelm me with emotion, so much history, old and recent.  The 9-11 Memorial is also incredibly moving.  To see the changes being made is a true testament to the human spirit.  Katie and Lee visited another one of my favorites, The Frick

Iguana

We then headed over to the Theatre District for My Father’s Ashes.  Kristi was able to join us for a quick light bite next door at Iguana.  With a fun atmosphere and decoration, we thoroughly enjoyed the Mexican appetizers that we shared, even Mom!  Everyone enjoyed the play.  We then enjoyed a nightcap at the Hotel’s Bar.



Brunch @ Hi-Life

At The Boathouse

Sunday morning, my Ladies came to investigate my tiny home, and leave their bags here.  We then had a long leisurely, laughter-filled brunch at Hi-Life around the corner.  Kristi went off to the theatre.  The rest of us took a stroll in Central Park, stopping at the Boathouse for a bit of libation!   When checking in on Mom to make sure she got home all right, she said she loved my little home, and more importantly that I was so happy in it.  Wonderfully successful weekend!

Frolicking in Central Park!

Week 21 Milder weather finally

                            "Instead of thinking outside the box, get rid of the box."  Deepak Chopra

Still feel like I’m recovering from a couple of very busy weeks.  How did I work full-time, and run the All Night Party all those years (among other things)?  One answer could be that I was 15-20 years younger.  That’s okay, I do thrive in being busy and productive; which is good as I have been invited to take on some more projects; more on that later.

Seen while on errands

 I used to hate errands.  Dealing with traffic, parking, in and out.  Of course, I appreciate that being on Sabbatical, and having the huge gift of time changes everything.  But, simply jumping on a train for a couple of stops, then walking; past the Plaza, Central Park, then down 5^th Avenue, somehow makes it more exciting.  I actually giggled as I passed a Guy my age nonchalantly walking down the street smoking a joint.  “Yes, Bob, the times, they are a’changin”! 

Following my errands I went to one of my favorite places, the Library for a free reading.  From the NYPL website: Break-A-Leg Productions presents: "Delicious Comedy Reading Series" (Love Lasts Beyond February 14) -"The Square Root Of Love," by Daniel Meltzer, an O. Henry and Pushcart Prize winning author of many stories, memoirs, essays, poems, and plays. This stage reading portrays four preludes to love from youth to old age, from innocence to maturity.

·         In The Square Root of Love, two genius level college students discover that Man or Woman does not live by intellectual pursuits alone. 

·         A Good Time for a Change finds a successful executive and her handsome young male secretary ready to make a change. 

·         The Battling Brinkmires are George and Marsha Brinkmire, a middle aged couple who have come to Haiti to get a "quickie" divorce.  This one has a surprise ending. 

·         In Waiting for to Go, we are on a jet waiting to take off for Florida. He's a retired plumbing contractor who thinks his life is over she's a recent widow returning to her home in Hallandale."

It doesn’t get much better than that!  My Memoir Class is also keeping me busy.  Just getting there and back takes up a good part of my Wednesday.  No complaint, as it’s interesting, with lovely Ladies.

The Algonquin

Lobby of the NY Bar Assoc.

I joined my new friend and hairdresser at her Toastmaster’s meeting for a luncheon.  I have always been fascinated by Toastmasters.  We’ll see.  As always, I love seeing different buildings in the city. The SEC Rough Riders Toastmasters meets at the NY Bar Building in Midtown.  It’s beautiful.  Because I was right across the street, I decided to do some reading in a place I just recently read was one of the best places in the world to read!  The Algonquin Hotel, made famous by Dorothy Parker and Friends for their lunchtime Round Table.  It is lovely.

Kris and I finally caught up, and lunched as ladies at the little French restaurant, Lucien, in the East Village.  It was a long, leisurely one with wine.  The perfect French onion soup and cassoulet, followed by tarte tartin were just what the doctor ordered for a drizzly, foggy day.  A lovely nap was the icing on the cake.

On a perfectly mild day, my Philosophy friend and I celebrated after class with a great lunch salad at Hi-Life in our 'hood.  We then went down to the Village for some culture.  Classical pianist Emir Gamsizolgu led us in a Birthday party for Chopin at Caffe Vivaldi.  I was delighted when my Friend announced it was the most relaxed she had been in a very long time.  A perfect Saturday afternoon.

From Gallery website

To complete my week I ventured down to Essex Street Market (which is very awesome) to meet with a new friend at Cuchifritos Gallery & Project Space. We met and melded well while working wth Artivists for Vday.  We are planning another project together.  Another dream getting fulfilled; having a life in the arts?  A very interesting performance piece is taking place in the gallery.  A young photographer, Kathleen Ching, has a solo exhibit, Pain is Invisible, presented and supported by the Richard and Mica Hadar Foundation.   Very interesting.
 
Walking to my train through the LES into Soho, enjoying the mild weather, I passed a gritty little bar, Sweet and Vicious, advertising hot spiced cider and a heated patio. Don't mind if I do! I thoroughly enjoyed my first outdoor cocktail (spiked with whiskey) while catching up on some reading. Lovely way to end a nice Sunday.

 

 

VDay One Billion Rising for Justice

“That we find freedom, aliveness and power not from what contains, locates, or protects us but from what dissolves, reveals and expands us.” Eve Ensler


Ms. Eve Ensler

After the heady experience of the wonderful Athena Film Festival, I knew I must buckle down a bit to gear up for VDay’s  One Billion Rising for Justice (OBR4J).  Having happily accepted the position of coordinating volunteers, I wanted to do a good job for this wonderful organization.  Eve Ensler started this organization 10 years ago.  From its website:  V-Day's mission is simple. It demands that violence against women and girls must end. To do this, once a year, in February, March, and April, Eve allows groups around the world to produce a performance of the play (The Vagina Monologues), as well as other works created by V-Day(for example “The Good Body”), and use the proceeds for local individual projects and programs that work to end violence against women and girls, often shelters and rape crisis centers. What began as one event in New York City in 1998 today includes over 5,800 V-Day events annually.

www.Nightfishingmusic.com

That is not to say I didn’t keep my now regular evenings at my Sojourn for music with friends. I have talked about Keren and her Sugar Daddies.  On Tuesday nights, Gus Fafalios plays classic rock with his drummer, and often guests.  Last week was a wonderful singer, Allyssa.  This week it was with varied artists, including a young transplant from San Francisco, Andy Liszwski, who works in medical sales by day, and sings in subways for his art!

Since it was the second week of the month, I headed to the Village to Cornelia Sreet Cafe early on Tuesday evening for Thomas Pryor’s “City Stories: Stoop to Nuts.”  On this evening, Tommy’s guests were all women artists.  From the program:  “Sherryl Marshall is a New York singer who has worn any musical hats in her career.  Agatha Nowicki is an award winning actress/writer.  Regina Ress award winning storyteller, actor, writer, and educator, has performed as taught from Brazil to Broadway, in English and Spanish, in settings from grade schools to senior centers, prisons to Carnegie Hall, homeless shelters to the White House.” 

Of course, being in the neighborhood, I had to spend a bit of time at Marie’s Crisis where I was invited to sit at the piano with a couple of fascinating Ladies who invited me to some of their “Chick events”.  I hope that pans out.  I ended my night “at home” enjoying my music at Sojourn

Before buckling down to tackle VDay, and its volunteers, I headed up to the Kingsbridge Library in the Bronx where I had been admitted to a Memoir Writing class.  On Wednesday afternoons for the next couple of months, I will be spending time learning and honing my skills, surrounded by like-minded women.  I am excited and delighted. 

VDay.org "Crew"

After all ready spending a couple of hours on the MTA to get to the Bronx and back, I headed back out to the gritty neighborhood of Buschwick in Brooklyn to stuff gift bags at the Cobra Club/Yoga and Spirits, a cool neighborhood joint.  I have so enjoyed getting to know the small core of VDay.org. 

Yet another winter storm allowed me to hibernate the day before One Billion Rising for Justice.  I spent of the day on my computer, organizing, emailing, reassuring people that the show would go on, in spite of the weather!  Getting on the road at 6am, I decided to take a cab as the trains have been a bit iffy and crazy this winter.  One young Man walked past me on 2^nd Avenue frustratingly muttering “Have the cabs gone on strike without telling us?”  I asked the Guy across the street trying to find a cab going in the same direction as me if he wanted to share, if a cab ever came.  One finally did, so we climbed in.  That 10 minute ride was very interesting; we managed to get our life stories shared.  (When I shared this encounter with my dear Friend, she explained that  many years ago, she studied this very phenomena is a graduate psychology class.  Apparently, it is not uncommon to share life stories with strangers in trains, plains, and automobiles!)

VDay’s One Billion Rising for Justice held at the Manhattan Center was special, emotional, fulfilling, and in spite of the weather, filled with amazing People.  From the Program: 

                                                              Just Love

                                Release. Embody. Love. February 14 NYC

               Join us for a journey from release through embodiment to love.                                                  

                                   Each talk throughout the day is connected.

The morning session was  Releasing the Trauma  with Maya Azucena. Eve Ensler, Dr. Hyun Kyung, Gabrielle Bernstein, Patricia Moreno, and Dr. Christiane Northrup.  The afternoon was Bringing in the Love with Maya Azucena, Meggan Watterson, Rha Goddess, Danielle LaPorte, Patricia Morena, and Eve Ensler to lead us in dance.

All day there were trained therapists and counselors on hand as well as bodyworkers (practitioners in Vikaz, Craniosacral Biodynamics,  Dynamic Embodiment, and massage therapy). 



Melissa Reiker leading dancers

MAH06523

youtube.com

While Just Love was going during the day, an amazing group of “Artivists” were snaking, dancing, flash mobbing all over the city.  Popup arts events were held including theatre presentations, media installations.  What a real treat, pleasure, and privilege to work with such wonderful People.    

 



Times Square Flash Mob

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

If that wasn’t enough we then moved into a Dance Party: Rise NYC in the Hammerstein Ballroom. Batala NYC (the Women's Drumming Group I had met in December), DJ's Natasha Blank and Beverly Bond, Maya Azucena, Ramya Ramana, Eve Ensler,and many others entertained and led us in dance. Simply wonderful, magical day and night.



VDay. Org at Rise NYC Dance Party