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Only 12 MORE DAYS until our first Spring tour performance!! Dates and times above. Please check this feed for more updates. We hope to see you at a borough near you!! #gentrificationontour #uptownaction #nyc #theatre #forumtheatre #gentrification #peoplepower

#uptownaction #theatre #gentrification #gentrificationontour #forumtheatre #peoplepower #nyc

PEOPLE’S THEATRE PROJECT presents “CIRCLE UP FAMILY WELLNESS DAY”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PEOPLE’S THEATRE PROJECT presents “CIRCLE UP FAMILY WELLNESS DAY”

A FUN AND FREE FAMILY EVENT CELEBRATING HEALTH IN OUR COMMUNITY FEATURING PERFORMANCES, ACTIVITIES, AND HEALTHY FOOD

DECEMBER 13, 2014 at the Alianza Dominicana Cultural Center

Sponsored by the Ambulatory Care Network of NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital.

Contact: Mino Lora, Co-Executive Director People's Theatre Project

646-398-9062, [email protected]

Media Link: http://bit.ly/CIRCLEUPMEDIA

Washington Heights, NY (December 8, 2014) – People’s Theatre Project has united a dozen Upper Manhattan organizations to present the first “Circle Up Family Wellness Day”, an afternoon featuring performances, wellness role models, healthy activities and opportunities to get involved in the community. Event organizer People’s Theatre Project will kick off the proceedings with the premiere of “Powerful People Everywhere”, a new play about health created and performed by local children. The event will take place on Saturday, December 13th at 12:00pm at the Alianza Dominicana Cultural Center (530 West 166th Street). Admission is Free. For more information and to RSVP call 646.398.9062 or visit www.PTP.nyc

Circle Up Family Wellness Day aims to promote community health by entertaining, inspiring, and activating a family audience. At the event, attendees will see People’s Theatre Project’s youngest actors premiere their brand new play about holistic health, hear community role models share how wellness plays a part in their lives, and taste healthy food provided by local restaurant Pick & Eat. Finally, guests will have an opportunity to get involved with some of the organizations that are making Northern Manhattan a healthier place to live. Mino Lora, Co-Executive Director of People’s Theatre Project explained why this event is a must for local families. “It’s getting cold out there, and we all need a good reminder that being healthy can be fun. We’re all in this together.”

“Powerful People Everywhere”, the play to be presented by the 6 – 12 year olds, is the culmination of a Saturday morning theatre program in which participants learn performance skills and work together to create a theatrical collage about body, mind, heart, community and family health. The children have been working toward the big day since mid-October under the guidance of local artist and activist Tara Mooney. This marks the 7th original play to explore health concepts through the wild imaginations of People’s Theatre Project’s program for children. Past titles have included “Occupy Your Life”, “Vive tu Vida Da”, and “Lunch Box: a Reenactment for the Future”. The plays are always creative and inspiring and include elements of Circus Yoga, improvisation, original songs, and characters ranging from the Carrot Princess to Teddy Roosevelt.

Following the play, a student from the Lang Youth Medical Program, a teen cyclist from I Challenge Myself, Broadway performer and founder of R.Evolución Latina, Luis Salgado as well as Alyssa Snow, Owner of Mind, Body, Soul Yoga in Washington Heights, will all take the stage to share with the audience how wellness inspires them in a panel with a “Show and Tell” format. These and a number of other local organizations who represent wellness in the community will be on hand to offer activities and program registration, share resources, and offer giveaways. Participating organizations include the newly renovated NYC Parks: Highbridge Recreation Center; Mind, Body, Soul Yoga which has recently launched a suite of donation-based after school classes for kids; and Pick & Eat which is providing healthy food for attendees.

Participating Organizations:

Archcare TimeBank Centro Altagracia de Fe y Justicia

I Challenge Myself The Mental Health Association of New York City

Mind, Body, Soul Yoga NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital NYC Parks: Highbridge Recreation Center NYC Department of Consumer Affairs Pick and Eat Revolución Latina Word Up Community Bookshop

ABOUT PEOPLE’S THEATRE PROJECT

People's Theatre Project, a nonprofit arts engagement organization founded in 2009, facilitates groups of children, teens, adults, and seniors through a process of creating and performing original theatrical events that raise awareness of the community’s shared struggles. People’s Theatre Project currently offers free afterschool, evening and Saturday programs for community members of all ages as well as serves as an arts provider for 5 local schools. www.PTP.nyc

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Sponsored by the Ambulatory Care Network of NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital.

This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council; City Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez, City Council Member Mark Levine; and our generous members and individual donors. We gratefully acknowledge The Alianza Dominicana Cultural Center for opening their doors to this program.

PEOPLE’S THEATRE PROJECT presents “PARDON OUR APPEARANCE”

A NEW BILINGUAL AND INTERACTIVE THEATRE EVENT BASED ON THE PERFORMERS’ TRUE STORIES OF GENTRIFICATION

NOVEMBER 21 & 22, 2014 at the UNITED PALACE OF CULTURAL ARTS

Contact:

Mino Lora, Co-Executive Director People's Theatre Project

646-398-9062, [email protected]

Media Link: http://bit.ly/PardonOurAppearanceMedia

Washington Heights, NY (October 31, 2014) – A group of Northern Manhattan residents are taking to the stage with their new play Pardon Our Appearance to speak out about the effects of gentrification in NYC communities. Community-based organization People’s Theatre Project is developing the play, based on the community actors’ true stories. The play will be presented in an interactive and bilingual community-brainstorming event on Friday, November 21st and Saturday, November 22nd at 7:30pm at The United Palace Theater, 4140 Broadway. Admission for both performances is Pay-What-You-Can. For more information and to reserve tickets call 646.398.9062 or visit www.PTP.nyc

Pardon Our Appearance features two short plays performed by 12 Spanish and English-speaking adult community members. Each play takes a unique look at injustices and disparities, big and small, taking place in a neighborhood affected by gentrification. The plots are taken directly from the stories shared by the group and reflect pressing issues that residents of NYC neighborhoods are currently facing. Following each of the rehearsed plays, a community brainstorming session will take place where audience members are invited onstage to experiment with alternative solutions to the challenges portrayed in the plays.

Pardon Our Appearance is the fifth annual production created and performed by People’s Theatre Project’s Uptown Action program participants. Past issues addressed have included domestic violence, abusive and neglectful landlords, unjust deportations, and bullying. The productions often ignite passionate and sometimes unexpected responses from the community audiences. The actors do practice for the moments when the audience volunteers step in as the lead roles, but it’s impossible to prepare for every new idea. “The most challenging audience interventions are when children join the scene”, says Co-Executive and Program Director Mino Lora. “Their lack of inhibitions allow them to come up with some really out of the box solutions that could actually be effective in the real world.”

The production is always an exciting experience to look forward to, but for People’s Theatre Project it is all about the process. The Uptown Action group has been rehearsing on Tuesday and Thursday evenings since late September at People’s Theatre Project’s resident home, the Alianza Dominicana Cultural Center, using Theatre of the Oppressed (TO), a theatre methodology used around the world for communal problem solving. TO is a unique tool because it uses interactive, physical and playful theatre exercises to help the actors explore situations in which they feel either personally or collectively powerless to make positive change. Lora adds “It is through this process that we see the community members transform into community actors.” At each rehearsal, the actors play games that encourage them to critically examine their experiences and to articulate the collective problems they face. They then shared their own personal stories of injustices, which are becoming the plays we will be sharing with the community. Lyana Fernandez, a community actor in the program who is also assisting Lora with directing this cycle, says: “Its surprising how all of us connect to this issue so personally and passionately, and how quickly we formed connections with one another-as performers, yes, but also as allies.”

ABOUT PEOPLE’S THEATRE PROJECT

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lolitapop09

Whether #FergusonOctober or #ISIS, “peace” prizes or disease, there are enough reasons why being online and plugged in is increasingly overwhelming. I’m overdue, then, for adding a drop to parched ground and making it arable again.

The actors over at peoplestheatreproject's Uptown Action Fall production - title to be announced - have begun sharing their true and personal stories of injustice that will eventually be created into plays for everyone to weigh in on. And this year for the first time we're ahead of schedule in our rehearsal process. It's as if this group is so anxious to get their experiences out that the usual icebreaker and “getting to know each other” games were tackled more as exercises in determination than diversion. That may sound severe but in reality it's heartening; more time to fine tune those transitions from pain, frustration and failure to instruction, solidarity and — well, triumph, if only perhaps. When it comes to the ugliness of gentrification the jury's out on that last point, but if this experience is showing me anything it's that all of us here, in my community, have something to tell you about it. Stay tuned.

lolitapop09

Genocides are never forgotten; even when its beneficiaries refuse to remember, that crime, no matter how old, will haunt the present. As a community we owe it ourselves and to all who have suffered at our hands to bear witness to our anguished past. Collectively we must confront what we have done to ourselves and to others; collectively we must try to make amends—for it is only in that reckoning with our nightmare past that our communities can be healed.

Junot Díaz, Producer’s Circle for Eddie’s Perejil.

Hola my gente! Join me, @Lolitapop09, along with People’s Theatre Project, Border of Lights and Northern Manhattan Coalition for Immigrant Rights, to watch Eddie’s Perejil, a one-man show by Edward Paulino about the 1937 Haitian massacre. For those who can’t attend, I’ll be live-tweeting under my handle (@lolitapop9) under hashtag #Perejil as we listen to stories of struggle in our own uptown community and talk about what we can do to stop the injustice.

Reception to follow with a photo exhibit from the Haitian-Dominican border by Tony Savino.

Saturday, September 20th @ 7:30pm

Alianza Cultural Center

530 West 166th Street

$10 Suggested Donation

And remember: Reblogging this post gives you wiiiiiiiings!… (via lolitapop09)

See ya’s later!

(via lolitapop09)

Northern Manhattan Comes Together to Remember the Haitian Massacre and Reflect on Undocumented Communities in the Dominican Republic and the US.

Washington Heights, NY (September 8, 2014) – People's Theatre Project, Border of Lights and Northern Manhattan Coalition for Immigrant Rights are teaming up to present “Eddie’s Perejil: A Night of Art and Dialogue.” This unique collaboration will bring art, performance and community dialogue to bear witness to the 1937 Haitian Massacre (also known as the Parsley Massacre), an ethnic cleansing meant to exterminate the Haitian population on the Dominican border, but also inspire action for people at risk for deportation from Dominican Republic and the US.

The evening will feature Eddie’s Perejil, a solo piece written and performed by Edward Paulino about how the 1937 Haitian massacre forces one New Yorker to defy his Dominican identity. Eddie’s Perejil, follows a working-class Dominican-American college student who stumbles upon a document describing a long-forgotten genocide against Haitians by Dominicans. This discovery and subsequent self-reflection sets him on an inescapable collision course with his romanticized notion of what it means to be Dominican in the diaspora. The play's essence is captured when Paulino laments, "How could my culture, my people, carry out genocide. I didn't want to believe it. I COULDN'T believe it."

“We believe this powerful performance can be a catalyst for community dialogue and an opportunity to connect the struggle amongst all those who are at risk for arbitrary deportation and permanent exile, from the United States and those who have become denationalized in Dominican Republic,” Angela Fernandez, Executive Director, Northern Manhattan Coalition for Immigrant Rights.

Following the performance will be a community dialogue with the historian and play writer / actor Edward Paulino, Claudia De La Cruz, Executive Director of D’Urban Butterflies, Executive Director of NMCIR Angela Fernandez, and a Dominican DREAMer. The post performance talk will be moderated by Mino Lora, Co-Director of People’s Theatre Project.

“Eddie’s Perejil: A Night of Art and Dialogue is presented as an opportunity for the Washington Heights community to come together to reflect on the many injustices caused by racism, xenophobia, and intolerant immigration policies that have become familiar headlines in recent weeks. One question we will pose to the audience is “how can we all work together to end the injustice?” says Lora.

The event has the backing of notable Dominican writers Julia Alvarez and Junot Díaz. “It’s important for those of us in the diaspora of Haiti and the Dominican Republic, as well as for all of us in the human family, to remember this history and to tell it to the new generations. It’s how we honor those who were massacred and also how we plant new seeds of parsley, of friendship, peace, and love in the minds and imaginations and hearts of the new generation," says Ms. Alvarez.

“Genocides are never forgotten; even when its beneficiaries refuse to remember, that crime, no matter how old, will haunt the present. As a community we owe it ourselves and to all who have suffered at our hands to bear witness to our anguished past. Collectively we must confront what we have done to ourselves and to others; collectively we must try to make amends—for it is only in that reckoning with our nightmare past that our communities can be healed,” says Mr. Díaz. Both Alvarez and Díaz are part of the event’s PRODUCER’S CIRCLE which also includes Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance and Centro Altagracia de Fe y Justicia.

The evening will culminate with a reception and photo exhibit of the Haitian-Dominican border by renowned photographer, Tony Savino. Mr. Savino’s work will also feature the international vigil organized in Dajabon, Dominican Republic by Border of Lights to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Haitian Massacre in 2012. “Border of Lights is an international movement of artists and advocates to bring voice to a genocide long forgotten. Each year we work with community groups in Dominican Republic and Haiti, to never forget, but to also build bridges of understanding and justice,” says Cynthia Carrion, a coordinator for the group. Eddie’s Perejil precedes the groups third year of action on the border which will begin on October 3, 2014.

The event will take place at 7:30pm on Saturday, September 20th at The Alianza Dominicana Cultural Center, 530 West 166th Street. A $10 donation for admission is suggested. For more information and to reserve tickets call 646.398.9062 or visit www.peoplestheatreproject.org.

ABOUT PEOPLE’S THEATRE PROJECT

People's Theatre Project, a nonprofit arts engagement organization founded in 2009, believes that all people are artists, we all have a voice to share, and that having access to the arts is a human right. Engaging with the arts lifts people up, and participating in a collaborative artistic process inspires confidence, creativity, teamwork and a deeper sense of community. People’s Theatre Project envisions Washington Heights, its home base, as a model for community building through the arts. Its mission is to unite members of under-represented communities and raise awareness of their shared struggles through the personally and socially transformative process of collaborative theatre making.

More information at: www.peoplestheatreproject.org

ABOUT BORDER OF LIGHTS

Members of the Haitian and Dominican diaspora and activists across the country are coming together on the anniversary of the Parsley massacre to commemorate, collaborate, and shed light on current injustices faced by Dominicans of Haitian descent living in the Dominican Republic. Activities are planned for October 3-5, 2014. For more information and to get involved, visit www.borderoflights.org

ABOUT NORTHERN MANHATTAN COALITION FOR IMMIGRANT RIGHTS

Northern Manhattan Coalition for Immigrant Rights (NMCIR) works with over 6,000 families a year on issues such as immigration, citizenship, deportation and voter participation focusing on keeping families together, facilitating integration and building community power. For more information visit: www.nmcir.org

#Voices #NYC #Teens #Art #Theatre #Writing

#art #theatre #writing #nyc #teens #voices

Tickets now on sale! #Art #theater #community #WaHi #NYC #stormthepalace

#wahi #theater #community #stormthepalace #nyc #art

This week's cover story! See you tomorrow night. www.PeoplesTheatreProject.org for tix.

“A loving yet unflinching family portrait… Astonishing subtlety of gesture, expression and accent…an extraordinarily efficient and moving hour of entertainment”-New York Magazine #OneWomanShow #Jewish #Latina #Community #Identity

#jewish #identity #onewomanshow #community #latina

Seen in the hood. And how true!

The audience at the United Palace sharing the stage with the actors. Photo courtesy of @upcarts_nyc

Great turnout for last night's opening! See you tonight at 7:30!

Look who's on the cover of the paper!

We open tomorrow night! #arts #NYC #action

#action #nyc #arts

lolitapop09

The article is out! The Manhattan Times covers “Domestic Disturbances”, in which I will perform beginning this Friday and through this weekend:

Raising the roof to break through Levantando todas las voces

February 19, 2014 Story by Sherry Mazzocchi Photos by DJ Boy

The People’s Theatre Project (PTP) will present Domestic Disturbance, two short one-act plays about domestic violence and housing issues. It only takes a few minutes to turn an audience member into an activist. That’s the premise of People’s Theatre Project (PTP), a Washington Heights theater group that not only breaks down the fourth wall—it invites audience members onstage to change the course of events. This week, PTP presents Domestic Disturbance – two short one-act plays about domestic violence and housing issues. “These issues affect everyone – not just immigrants,” said Mino Lora, PTP’s Program Director. “We bring our entire community together around these issues.” The storylines are inspired by actual events in actors’ lives. Most of the actors live in the neighborhood. With the exception of their PTP performances, many have never acted professionally. Stories gleaned from actor Lyana Fernández’s volunteer work shaped one of the plays: a woman coming home late from an office party celebrating her promotion provokes her husband’s violent tendencies. “This community is plagued by domestic violence,” she said.

The theater group invites audience members to participate and become part of the course of events. Fernandez is a co-chair of DOVE, Domestic and Other Violence Emergencies, a program at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital. She assists both women and men who’ve undergone domestic violence, sexual or other physical assaults with medical services, counseling and more. Other problems emerge when domestic violence occurs. Recipients of abuse are often singled out as the cause. They navigate an overcrowded and chaotic Family Court. They may have to search for new housing if their home isn’t safe. Children are at risk of being taken away by Children’s Services. Undocumented immigrants – even victims – risk deportation. “There are so many layers,” said Fernández. After performances, audience members are asked, “What would you do in this situation?” They are invited to talk with their neighbors about the play. Discussions are typically lively. After a few minutes, Lora asks the audience for volunteers to come on stage, take the part of one character and act out the scene. The audience member bends fate, leading to a more satisfying resolution.

“We bring our entire community together around these issues,” says PTP founder Mino Lora (in black blouse, right). It is a dynamic process that unfolds quickly. “You see people who start off quietly, placidly [observing] and they find a voice,” said Fernández. “When they have the platform, it’s lovely to see people really open up and express themselves.” “I love, love, love the fact that somebody could be watching this production and say, ‘Oh God, that’s my aunt, that’s my sister, or that’s my cousin,’” added Fernández. Audience members often have solutions because they’ve been in the same situation. During the interactive parts of the play, representatives from area social services agencies are on hand to chime in and offer their perspective as well. For Lora, the transition from passive theatergoer to engaged audience member to active participant is one of theater’s greatest feats of magic. “That interactive part is essential to the performances,” said Lora. “Without the audience, there is no play.” A majority of the members of the audience have had similar events transpire in their own lives, she said. People use the theater’s safe space to talk to a landlord, confront a bully or negotiate violent encounters with safety, if not grace.

The group has been hired by the the office of Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance (center) to perform a series of public service announcements. Lora, along with her husband Bob Braswell, started PTP back in 2008. The economy was tanking, but Washington Heights had a critical mass of artists, actors, activists and other talented people. The time was ripe for theater that embraced action at its core. PTP is growing strong. This is the group’s fourth round of Uptown Action—interactive plays about social issues. They have thriving after-school theater programs for children. Between 2011 and 2012, their audiences more than doubled. After their 2012 production of What Happens Here, the office of Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance hired them. They tour the city performing a series of public service announcements in the form of theater. This is the first time they’ve done anything on domestic violence. “We’re very eager to be able to bring an issue that is unfortunately so prevalent in our community,” said Lora. “It’s a very difficult subject and I think theater is the right way to bring it forth.” People’s Theatre Project presents two one-act, fully bilingual plays, Domestic Disturbance, from Feb. 21st through 23rd at different uptown venues. For more information, please visit: www.peoplestheatreproject.org.

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