By Davida Singer
An eight-week festival celebrating the diverse performance work by and about women has just begun at 45 Bleeker Street Theatre. Presented by The Culture Project, who’ve produced such acclaimed new works as “And God Created Great Whales”, “The Good Thief” and “The Exonerated”, “Women Center Stage” has been the personal brainchild of artistic director, Allan Buchman since its inception in 1996.
“The festival was originally called The Salon, and took place at the Algonquin Hotel,” recalls program coordinator, Lauren Faffa. “It began as a tribute to Allan’s daughter Chitra, who died in her early 20’s. It was remounted in the summer of 2002, so this is our third year in this space. For Alan, it’s a way to keep his daughter’s spirit alive, by giving voice to young, emerging and established women artists.”
According to Faffa, the philosophy behind the festival is a response by the Obie-winning arts organization to the fact that there is “a disproportionate amount of women in the performing arts”, and “Women Center Stage-2004” offers a sizeable representation of artists. About 80 performers ranging in age from their teens to well past 70, will present over 30 pieces, and participate in panels and workshops during the two-month period.
“What makes our festival so unique,” Faffa says, “is that it’s the only one with women across the board. We have writers, directors, dancers, choreographers, musicians, comedians, poets, visual artists and photographers. Also, it’s quite an international crew-from Italian singer/songwriter, Irene Mastrangeli, to Scandinavian performance artist Erica Berg, to Jamaican slam poet Staceyann Chin – we’re truly all over the map.”
This year’s festival is about the combination of celebrated and emerging talent, and there is a mentoring program at work as well. Sarah Jones’ huge hit, “bridge and tunnel” is back, with continued support from Meryl Streep, and Chin’s physical piece, “Border Clash,” has been mentored by poet, Kyra Sedgewick. There are also works by daughters of celebrities who have blazed their own trails, like Precious Chong, (daughter of Tommy Chong) performing a “racy, solo piece” and Richard Pryor’s daughter, Rain, in her autobiographical, one-woman show, “Fried Chicken and Latkes.”
“The opening weekend featured a panel of performers (Deb Margolin, Emoni Izuli, Julie Goldman and Erica Berg) which illustrates the wide diversity of our group,” Faffa elaborates, “and highlights of the festival illustrate how we’ve chosen to include both known and new names in the world of performance.”
Some of those highlights include “Emmett, Down in My Heart,” a new play by Clare Cross, based on the case of Emmett Till and starring Mercedes Ruehl; “Dance Salon”, an interactive salon for dancers and musicians; comedians Jessie Klein and Julie Goldman with pieces on post 9/11 anxiety, gay marriage and reality TV; and Izuli’s, “Her Holy Water”: A Black Girl’s Rock Opera.
“Starting in August, we’ll have a lot of poetry,” notes Faffa, “including “Urban Word”, an open slam for teens, a featured reading with 7 gifted poets and Poetry Playwriting Project, where playwrights will perform short works inspired by their favorite poets. And our last piece, on August 23rd is “Belfast Blues”, an amazing solo show by Geraldine Hughes, about her childhood in Ireland.”
“Women Center Stage” really follows our mission to produce cross-disciplinary theater and musical events which influence cultural and aesthetic values,” adds the program coordinator, whose role it is to read through submissions and put the festival together. “It’s like a family relationship with us, giving visionary artists the tools they need in crucial stages of their development, pairing them up with directors and actors as needed. There’s so much talent out there, this festival has gotten huge so quickly. From two weeks last year, to two months now – it’s just ballooned.”
And what does Faffa wish to instill in her audience?
“I’d like people to walk away feeling inspired,” she says. “That they’ve had a connection with the artist(s) in the room, and are moved to create their own art, whatever that might mean.”
