AN EVENING OF SHORT PLAYS DIRECTED BY BOB BALABAN

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Bob Balaban, photo courtesy of Guild Hall.

Tag: Performing Arts

Staged Reading: Africaville by Jeffrey Colvin, Directed by Andrina Smith

THIS SHOW IS SOLD OUT BUT WE WILL HAVE A LIVESTREAM AVAILABLE FOR A LIMITED NUMBER OF HOUSEHOLDS
CLICK THE “BUY TICKETS” LINK ABOVE TO REGISTER

 

Thank you for your interest the program PRESENT TENSE: BLACK LIVES MATTER(ED): Staged Reading: AFRICAVILLE by Jeffrey Colvin, Directed by Andrina Smith. 

For everyone’s safety it is necessary to limit our live audience size but will be sending information on how to be part of our events remotely. To be added to our virtual waiting room for information about all of the Present Tense livestream and recorded viewing invitations, please email our producer Christine Sciulli at AfricavillePresentTense@gmail.com

A dramatized reading from Jeffrey Colvin’s new novel Africaville, produced by Christine Sciulli and presented in partnership with The Church; Arts Center at Duck Creek; The East Hampton Star and Canio’s Books.  Through the lens of Africaville’s multigenerational historical novel set in parts of Canada and the southern United States spanning from 1780s to the 1990s, major themes such as Community Destruction, Police Brutality, Healthcare Inequity, Criminal Justice Reform, Protests and Passing as White bring new insight to our current efforts to combat structural racism.  Director Andrina Smith’s unique perspectives as a storyteller, a Shinnecock native, and a member of a multigenerational family legacy uniquely equips her to bring themes and scenes from Colvin’s novel to the stage. The cyclical nature with which our society revisits the ongoing racial structures of oppression occurs with devastating repetition. The echoes of our past resonate in the song of today and whether in directing, writing, sketch comedy, or performing, Smith explores the way in which that tune underscores our daily life.

About Africaville: Africaville  was awarded the Honor Fiction Prize by the Black Caucus of the American Library Association. Africaville has also been featured in Publishers Weekly, NPR, Vogue, the Boston Globe, the BBC, the CBC, The Globe and Mail, Lithub and elsewhere.

*Your purchase of one ticket is for one Lawn Circle, which can sit a party of up to two people. All lawn circles are 6 ft. in diameter and are distanced 6 ft. away from other parties. Please bring your own blankets and/or beach chairs. For more information, visit the Theater FAQ page.

***THIS STAGED READING IS A PART OF A WEEKEND LONG EVENT – SEE BELOW FOR DETAILS***

PRESENT TENSE: BLACK LIVES MATTER(ED)

A Weekend of Theatre, Art, Literature, History and Activism centered around Jeffrey Colvin’s debut novel, Africaville. Co-sponsored by Guild Hall, The Church, Arts Center at Duck Creek, The East Hampton Star and Canio’s Books.

A small Nova Scotia town settled in the waning years of the eighteenth century by formerly enslaved people is the inspiration for Jeffrey Colvin’s rich and unforgettable debut novel, Africaville, which chronicles three generations of the Sebolt family—Kath Ella, her son Etienne, and her grandson Warner—whose lives unfold against the tumultuous events of the twentieth century. The sweeping, lyrical story filled with unforgettable characters, takes readers from Nova Scotia to Montreal, New England and the Deep South as it explores notions of identity, passing, cross-racial relationships, the importance of place, and the meaning of home. This powerful story of the black experience in parts of Canada and the United States, also offers insights into the outrage against racism and oppression that has sparked protests not only in America but around the world. This weekend of events August 15th and 16th  at venues including Guild Hall and Arts Center at Duck Creek on Long Island’s East End offers a unique opportunity to experience many of these insights. 

Purchase Africaville through Canio’s Books: https://bookshop.org/shop/caniosbooks

OUT OF THE LOOP
Saturday and Sunday, August 15th and 16th, 2-6 pm
Arts Center At Duck Creek 127 Squaw Rd, Springs, East Hampton, NY 11937
Free Event, Self Guided walk with Black Lives Matter(ed) representative available to answer questions

Installation by Jeffrey Colvin with sound design by Colvin and DJ Potts

We must move Out Of The Loop, repeating the same egregious injustices inflicted on Black communities–day after day, year after year, century after century. And we must move out of the loop of repeating the same ineffective responses.  We need new insights, but also a national will to do better. This installation—looping audio of media reports about racial injustices along with excerpts of Africaville invites the viewer to enter this conversation and carry away their own insights and desires for action.

AFRICAVILLE x PLAIN SIGHT PROJECT
Saturday, August 15th, 5 pm
VENUE TBA
This Free Event will take place OUTDOORS without a RAIN DATE. 

A recording will be posted on the Plain Sight Series page at www.duckcreekarts.org

Free copies of the book will be given to the first 15 RSVPs. Books can be collected onsite at the talk. 
Limited to 25 attendees. RSVP via email Jess Frost duckcreekarts@gmail.com 

Plain Sight Lecture Series with Guest Author Jeffrey Colvin

Donnamarie Barnes and David Rattray of the Plain Sight Project will be joined by author Jeffrey Colvin to discuss how his recent novel Africaville, relates to the stories of enslaved people on the East End of Long Island. Barnes, Rattray and Colvin will share their thoughts on how both his Out of the Loop installation at Duck Creek and their Plain Sight Project seek to support our “national will to do better.”

WRITING THE PAST TO RIGHT THE FUTURE
Sunday August 16 at 5pm
LOCATION TBA
Free Event, limited to 35 attendees 
Activist Panel 

Join us for a timely panel discussion with author Jeffrey Colvin and director Andrina Wekontash Smith. They will be joined by local cultural leader Bonnie Michelle Cannon and activist Willie Jenkins to discuss the pressing issues of our time and important themes in Colvin’s novel Africaville: namely social justice and the prison system, police brutality and social protest as well as the specific struggle of Black Communities in face of the Covid-19 Pandemic.

Sister Poets: Reading by Kathy Engel and Jill Bialosky

Sister Poets read and converse about their new books that tread the fine line between grief, hope and love.  Jill Bialosky is the author of Asylum:  A Personal, Historical, Natural Inquiry in 103 Lyric sections and Kathy Engel is the author of The Lost Brother Alphabet.

*Your purchase of one ticket is for one Lawn Circle, which can sit a party of up to two people. All lawn circles are 6 ft. in diameter and are distanced 6 ft. away from other parties. Please bring your own blankets and/or beach chairs. For more information, visit the Theater FAQ page.

Surf Movie Night XVIII: A Benefit for Clean Water and Healthy Beaches

Virtual Screening and Online Auction in partnership with the Surfrider Foundation

Online Auction closes for bidding on Friday, August 14th @ 5PM

VIEW AUCTION

Surfrider Foundation Eastern Long Island Chapter is dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of our world’s ocean, waves and beaches. The chapter has been a strong advocate of public access, environmental preservation and clean water from Montauk Point to East Quogue for over 20 years. Staffed by a dedicated team of volunteers, the grass roots chapter works with every level of government to resolve important coastal issues including shoreline preservation, sea level rise, beach access and water quality. In addition, dozens of beach cleanups and educational programs have been done with local students and community members to ensure clean water and healthy beaches for all! Proceeds from Surf Movie Night directly fund our Clean Water, Plastic Pollution, and Coastal Preservation programs and campaigns. Please help us continue to work for Clean Water & Healthy Beaches. 

Salieu Suso & World Music Collective (FREE LIVESTREAM)


THIS PROGRAM WILL BE STREAMED LIVE FROM OUR JOHN DREW BACKYARD THEATER

Salieu Suso – Kora and vocal  / Ebrima Jassey – balafon / Jimmy Mngwandi – bass / Claes Brondal- drums 

Salieu Suso was born into a family of musicians from Gambia, West Africa. At the age of 8, he was trained to play the West African Harp, the 21 stringed Kora. He is also recognized as a descendant of the originator of the instrument, JaliMady Wulayn Suso. He performed throughout Africa and Europe before coming to the U.S. where he freelances with other musicians today. Ebrima Jassey, born in Namibia, West Africa, and currently residing in the Bronx, plays the balafon, a wooden xylophone. He took up learning the instrument at the age of 9 and performs with his brothers at various restaurants and colleges. He also plays as a street performer. Jimmy Mngwandi got his musical start at age 11 playing bass on the streets of Bophelong Townsip in South Africa to help his single mother. Discovered playing a guitar fashioned out of an oil tin and wood, Mngwandi made his way to Johannesburg where he quickly made his name. Today, he is among South Africa’s most sought after bassists, writers and producers, He has performed with legends like Mirium Makeba, Hugh Masekela, saxophonist David Murray, flutist Yusef Lateef, bassist Rufus Reid, Jamaican Gutarist Ernest Ranglin and Sbongile Khumalo; and written and recorded platinum CDs for Sony/South Africa, Bongo Maffin, Brothers of Peace and Simphiwe Dana’s album, Bantu Biko Street. Mngwandi has also recorded his own album, with the EMI/South Africa group Bezwaan. Claes Brondal was born in Denmark, playing the drums since early childhood. Studied with drumming greats such as Ed Thigpen, Gary Chaffee, Kenwood Dennard and others. Versatile in many styles of music – especially loving jazz, funk, Afro/Cuban, Brazilian and Rhythms of the World.

*Your purchase of one ticket is for one Lawn Circle, which can sit a party of up to two people. All lawn circles are 6 ft. in diameter and are distanced 6 ft. away from other parties. Please bring your own blankets and/or beach chairs. For more information, visit the Theater FAQ page.

KidFEST: Liz Joyce & A Couple of Puppets: The Doubtful Sprout

Join award-winning puppeteer Liz Joyce and her cast of lovable characters for a series of puppet shows. Held in Guild Hall’s new John Drew Backyard Theater, shows explore themes of sharing, friendship, and saving the environment, as well as classic fairy tales with a twist.

Get ready to explore the world under your feet with in this underground puppet adventure; The Doubtful Sprout. Tunnel down with Worm and Sprout as they discover the mysterious life found inside soil. Along the way, kids help figure out the secrets that help Sprout grow. Award-winning puppeteer, Liz Joyce, brings this ecological wonderland to life with multiple puppetry styles, projections, and song.

Appropriate for families with children ages 3–7

*Your purchase of one ticket is for one Lawn Circle, which can sit a party of up to two people. All lawn circles are 6ft. in diameter and are distanced 6ft. away from other parties. Please bring your own blankets and/or beach chairs. For more information, visit the Theater FAQ page.

The Doubtful Sprout was funded in part by a Family Grant from The Jim Henson Foundation

KidFEST: Liz Joyce & A Couple of Puppets: The Princess, The Frog, & The Pea

Join award-winning puppeteer Liz Joyce and her cast of lovable characters for a series of puppet shows. Held in Guild Hall’s new John Drew Backyard Theater, shows explore themes of sharing, friendship, and saving the environment, as well as classic fairy tales with a twist.

Combining three well-loved stories, The Princess, The Frog, & The Pea delights audiences of all ages. A princess, a witch, an un-enchanted frog, a hoot owl and a neurotic pea are the stars of this mixed-up tale. 

Appropriate for families with children ages 3–7

Please note: to better accommodate our new Backyard Theater and ensure that the entire audience can view the incredible detail and craft of each puppet, we have changed the show from Little Red Riding Hood to The Princess, The Frog, and The Pea.

*Your purchase of one ticket is for one Lawn Circle, which can sit a part of up to two people. All lawn circles are 6ft. in diameter and are distanced 6ft. away from other parties. Please bring your own blankets and/or beach chairs. For more information, visit the Theater FAQ page.

 

KidFEST: Liz Joyce & A Couple of Puppets: Minkie & Friends

Join award-winning puppeteer Liz Joyce and her cast of lovable characters for a series of puppet shows. Held in Guild Hall’s new John Drew Backyard Theater, shows explore themes of sharing, friendship, and saving the environment, as well as classic fairy tales with a twist.

Designed for our youngest audiences, Minkie and Friends follows the tale of Minkie the Monkey and his experiences of sharing, growing, and playing with the world around him. 

Appropriate for families with children ages 3–7

*Your purchase of one ticket is for one Lawn Circle, which can sit a party of up to two people. All lawn circles are 6ft. in diameter and are distanced 6ft. away from other parties. Please bring your own blankets and/or beach chairs. For more information, visit the Theater FAQ page.

Free Clean Money, performance art piece by Katherine McMahon with pianist Ray Angry

Free Clean Money, a collaborative piece by Katherine McMahon and Ray Angry, is an outdoor art installation and performance that will debut at Guild Hall of East Hampton, NY during the Phase 4 reopening in New York State. Exploring the powerful emotional response triggered by money, “Free Clean Money” evaluates the perception of value, privilege, and the ethics associated with a dollars’ origins and who has access to it. It is an exploration into the freedom that money offers as well as the mental and societal barriers it imposes. “Free Clean Money,” presented outdoors at Guild Hall, will feature $500 of the artist’s own money on silver platters while a composition entitled “The Protest” by Ray Angry plays on loop. The money is on offer to visitors of the exhibition with no other conditions. The dollars will be routinely disinfected by the artist. This project contends with the individual’s hardwired attraction to money, the hoarding of wealth and an attempt at detachment from it. It is an exploration of the principle of reciprocity and the quandaries that arise when money is offered in unconventional ways, devoid of any obligation of repayment. Presented in the wealthy enclave of the Hamptons, the piece will also function as a social experiment and an opportunity to expand and transform the participants sense of place.

Julianne Moore and Alec Baldwin in Same Time, Next Year by Bernard Slade (Streaming Rental)

Directed by Bob Balaban

If you missed the brilliantly acted, hilarious and romantic virtual reading of Same Time, Next Year by Academy and Emmy Award winner Julianne Moore and Academy nominated and Emmy, SAG and Golden Globe award winner Alec Baldwin, you are in luck, for one month, the performance will be available for online streaming to be watched online anytime, anywhere from July 17 through August 16, 2020. Running time of the program is 90 minutes. The cost of streaming is $9.99, and proceeds from this on-demand offering benefit Guild Hall, the Hamptons legendary hub of arts, entertainment, and culture, greatly impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic but undeterred in creating art by any means necessary.

The online premiere took place on Sunday, July 12 with tickets at $100 per household. Under the direction of fellow actor and friend, Bob Balaban, Baldwin and Moore brilliantly reprised the roles of George and Doris, lovers who meets annually for 26 years as their individual lives evolve and mature. The real life friendship and rapport between Baldwin and Moore was palpable and transcended the medium. Dozens of viewers to the premiere heaped praise on the actors and the direction:

They succeeded, not only as impossibly charming and emotionally gripping, but as a rare glimpse into the commitment each actor felt for his//her craft, especially when done in service to a beloved institution. –Jody

Now you can catch the same program at your convenience with the knowledge that your rental is supporting Guild Hall.

Julienne Moore photo by Brian Bowen Smith. Alec Baldwin photo by Marco Vacchi.

Virtual Annual Members Meeting

Join Chairman of the Board Marty Cohen, Executive Director Andrea Grover, Museum Director & Chief Curator Christina Strassfield, John Drew Theater Artistic Director Josh Gladstone, and The Patti Kenner Fellow in Arts Education Anthony Madonna to learn all about the revamped 2020 Summer Season at Guild Hall. 

Free with required registration. Private Zoom link will be emailed to registrants 24 hours before the meeting. Please be sure to sign up for a free Zoom account ahead of time. 

We look forward to seeing you there! 

For any questions, please contact Membership and Special Events Associate Manager, Leta Mumgaard, at lmumgaard@guildhall.org.