Erica Lasan is a video host, jewelry designer, writer, philanthropist. When she isn’t bringing the underground above ground on QuErivca TV, she is also raising funds to send art supplies to children in Brazil, Cuba and Panama! You can click on the below image to become a subscriber as you can visit her site to learn more about her greatness!
IG/Twitter: @EricaLasan
YouTube: www.YouTube.com/QuEricaTV
Sometimes it’s just best to use the words of the person who is bringing the awareness to their cause. Kenyanna Silverman-Maddox brings light to the situation:
I recently learned that 600 million people in Africa live without access to electricity, and this Hannuka and Christmas I’ve decided to do something to help.
I’ve started an Innovation: Africa campaign to help bring solar energy to a community in need, and to reach my goal, I’m going to need your help!Donate to my page, and together we’ll make this holiday season brighter for families around the world: www.innoafrica.org/
Every little bit counts. Thanks for your support!
With Love,
Keyanna
Visit her page by clicking HERE.
Truth be told, I know two of the founders of this great organization. Neonu Jewell and Marc Christmas are two power house players who believe that everyone has the potential to be their best. They have been instrumental in my own life over the last couple of months with their passion and support. Definitely check out their consulting firm, Allverse Consulting that includes Life Coaching, Small & Medium Business Advisory Services, Personal Life Coaching.
As many of you know, I lost my best friend, Cas Marino, to cancer this year. Unfortunately, most of us have either been diagnosed or know someone who has been diagnosed. The bottom line is we aren’t are illnesses.
Nicki Fenice is an ardent supporter of breast cancer. She has done the MoonWalk, with which I am now fascinated and will look into it for 2015, and is now doing the Race.
She’s raising $1500 for her cause. Please click HERE for more info!
Okay, raise your hand if you haven’t been on Etsy. Really? Then you need explore the artistry of these artisans. Especially of my friend Oneka who creates wonderful pieces using yarn, beads and strings. Her items are handmade and from now until the 31st, you can use the code MOVED444 at check out for 30% off! Happy Holidays indeed 🙂
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@neekedcreations on Instagram
If you are one of my followers on Twitter and Facebook, then you are used to my reactions to Grey’s Anatomy, How to Get Away with Murder and El Scandalo!
My friend, Candyce and her friends have a Youtube channel dedicated to Scandal. They recap with feedback on the episodes. Very funny even as they try to be sort of diplomatic around the choices the characters have made. Or Jesus turned water into wine so that Olivia Pope could drink it.
Subscribe, Follow, Share!
Twitter: @PKsOnScandal
Youtube: youtube.com/R3alityTV
IG: @PKsOnScandal
Just in case you didn’t get the memo, there’s 10 days till Christmas and 16 until the end of the year. Egads!
I love immersive theatre. I love to be in the midst of the storytelling. And I love when I can feel passion in the room. Being moved and inspired doesn’t quite describe what I felt on opening night of Soul Doctor. I was totally overcome by the energy and love in the room.
The shul turned theatre space is perfect for the return of Shlomo. After a brief run last summer on Broadway, Soul Doctor returns under the direction of Mindy Cooper as shorter and tighter at The Actors Temple. All I can say, again, is that I was filled with emotion from the beginning of the show as Shlomo Carlebach (played powerfully by Josh Nelson) and his congregation infused the space with Jewish music and singing. The story of his life begins with him in Vienna soulfully and musically engaging his followers in love, joy and freedom. The prescription for feeling broken. The story then unfolds as we travel back to his life as an 11 year old boy during the Hitler regime. The beautifully crafted songs continue the story of Carlebach’s life through his upbringing and awakening in New York City as the son of a lineage of rabbis, his chance encounter with Nina Simone (played exquisitely by Dan’Yelle Williamson) and his big break as a recording artist which landed him at the Berkeley Folk Festival. Shlomo’s story, supported by his faith, his friendship with Nina and the many lost souls that he touched, is beyond inspiring. David Goldstein kept with the style of The Actors Temple by creating a simple set with wood paneling and stain glass windows. By designing the set in this way, he provides a space for The Holy Beggar Band on top as well as a backdrop for the projections that indicate locale throughout the show. The set also provides this ensemble cast to move seamlessly and effortlessly into the different characters that Carlebach meets along his path.
As an extra bonus, the audience was treated with a few songs by Carlebach’s daughter, Neshama Carlebach, after the show ended. She has followed in her father’s footsteps. I had such a good time being wrapped up in the story and the music. What a night! Shlomo Carlebach’s goal was simple: to reach the masses with love and to express freedom through music and his faith. This gentile received the message and passing it along.
Directed by Mindy Cooper; Book by Daniel S. Wise;Music and Additional Lyrics by Shlomo Carlebach; Lyrics by David Schecter.
Music Director & Arrangements by Seth Farber
The Actors Temple Theatre at 339 W. 47th Street
Visit http://www.souldoctorbroadway.com for more information
As always many thanks for supporting my projects over the years. It has gotten to the point that I am now being asked to be on production teams for upcoming projects that aren’t my own. This is great as it means that I choose the project that really moves me.
My upcoming project is Justin Rivers’ The Eternal Space about the demolition of Penn Station on October 28, 1963. What connected be to this project is that I am a hardcore New Yorker who lives for the history of this amazing city. Grand Central Station and many other historic buildings are still standing as a result of the creation of the Landmark Preservation – created in response to the many losses especially Penn Station.
Simply, I am asking for you to join our campaign. Our goal is $20K!
What’s really awesome is that Kickstarter, the actual organization, donated to our campaign which is a huge endorsement about how much they love the project. We are also one of their featured shows in Theatre.
Please take a moment to visit our page by clicking HERE.
The Eternal Space Brings the Old Penn Station Back to Life
When I became a contributing writer for The Write Teacher(s), I knew I wanted to stretch myself with my writing and my topics. My hope over the next year is to visit other cities outside New York City with the intention of seeing theatre. So far I have been lucky to meet many artists who have performed abroad. Since I Am Me is opening this weekend, I wanted to share my article with you.
Originally published on September 11, 2014 on The Write Teacher(s).
BEYOND BROADWAY: TO RUSSIA WITH LOVE
Happy Fall, Friends!
This month we travel east of Edinburgh to Moscow. My friend, Nicole Kontolefa, is performing her one woman show, I Am Me, in two languages – English and Russian. It’s a site unspecific one woman show that she developed in Russia. Nicole Kontolefa was born and raised in NYC and is a graduate of the only American Class of the Moscow Art Theater. She is the managing director and a founding member of Studio Six Theater Company – the sixth studio to be born out of the Moscow Art Theater School. Nicole also performs with other theater companies, performance artists and is developing new solo performances. Her favorite places to play have been at The Chekhov International Theater Festival, Baryshnikov Arts Center and the New Stage of The Moscow Art Theater.
My knowledge of Russia is very basic: the history I learned in school, the wonderful community in Brighton Beach, and Stanislavksi and Chekov. I studied at the Actor’s Studio Drama School where the core of their MFA program is presented by Stanislavski‘s books, An Actor Prepares, Building A Character and Creating a Role. As a young and inexperienced artist (specifically, director), I was so hungry to learn the roots of “The Method” formerly known as the “System”. As I allowed myself to be immersed in this new world, I fell in love with the short stories of Anton Chekhov. I wanted to visit and actually had a passing thought of visiting Moscow. Now that I am writing about theatre for Beyond Broadway and my circle of international artists is getting bigger, I want to know more and want to share it with everyone. Nicole was eager to share her experiences with me.
Malini: Nicole, what is the theatre scene like in Moscow? How does it differ from the US in your experience?
Nicole: It is very vibrant and robust I would say. There is a lot of theater going on all the time. The biggest difference I would say is that while in America the playwright is often the deciding factor for seeing a show, in Russia it is the director. Theater is a director’s medium there so you can get imaginative and wildly different stagings of the same play going on at the same time just across town from each other. Also, the repertory system allows plays to live longer. A great production can run in rep for years. As an actor it’s amazing because one night you’re doing Shakespeare the next Chekhov the next a contemporary play – it keeps you on your toes and allows shows to grow over time. My class played Our Town once or twice a month for two years and by the end of that run, the show was more rich and alive than anything we else we had done. This is feedback I got from someone who saw it at the beginning of its run and then saw the very last show.
Malini: Your show, I Am Me, was written by Alexandra Chichkanova who was from Nizhny Tagil but lived in Yekaterinburg in the Ural Mountains region. Were you able to visit other cities in Russia and explore?
Nicole: I have been to St. Petersburg to perform – a beautiful city and Kolumna – a pretty small city to perform as well. Pretty similar differences as when you travel to big and small cities here. People are a bit more welcoming and exciting when you come to their small town. I met an acquaintance in Yekaterinburg this June when I was there and she was just so surprised to be seeing an American friend in her home town. Moscow is definitely very different than the rest of the country. Maybe that’s why I felt at home there though. Like New York – it is not a quintessential example of the culture but it still is a big driving force in the country. I’m not sure that makes sense…. I also did the Trans-Siberian railroad through Siberia down into Mongolia into Beijing. Amazing trip. Amazing trip to Lake Baikal and feel the great expanse of the country.
Malini: Did you get a sense that theatre and the Arts are an important part of the culture?
Nicole: Yes. Absolutely. And importantly, for artists I think, it is a respected and appreciated profession. It is not looked down on as a selfish or capricious pursuit. It is considered great and important work to be an artist. I rarely feel that way here outside of creative circles. I think it leads to an insulated creative community. And that stinks!
I am finding that the more I talk to artists who have worked beyond our borders, the more I am really yearning to take a year off and do a world road trip. I even wrote a blog about it. Are any of you performing in Prague in the near future?
Visit Coming Soon right here on The Write Teacher(s)’ site for more info.
Live, Love, Learn,
Malini Singh mcdonald 