Monroe Center Arts Community Blog

AN INVITATION TO EXHIBIT AND SELL

Godfrey — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 18:43:01 +0000

ATTENTION: ARTISTS, ARTISANS, PHOTOGRAPHERS, CRAFTS PEOPLE AND VENDORS. The Monroe Center will be holding the next Open Studio Day on Sunday, March 21^st.

Hoboken’s Independent Arts Festival, The Digable Arts Festival, begins at The Monroe Center on March 20. This Event will roll into Sunday, March 21^st, Monroe Center Open Studio Day, thus ensuring a steady flow of foot traffic.

Planned Events at The Monroe Street Movement Space and The Monroe Theatre Space on Open Studio Day will draw additional foot traffic.

Date: Sunday, March 21st

Time: 11am to 6pm

Place: Monroe Center
720, Monroe Street
Hoboken N.J. 07030
Exhibiting Fee: $ 20.00
Free Parking
To Participate, Please Contact:

Godfrey Pereira: E-mail: gp@monroedev.com Phone: 201 978 3027

“Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse”

Art — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 20:05:34 +0000

By Jonathan Mandell/The Jersey Journal

Hoboken Now

Long before director Spike Jonze made a movie out of the beloved children’s book “Where The Wild Things Are,” a playwright and National Public Radio commentator from Minnesota named Kevin Kling turned another beloved children’s book, by an author and illustrator from Wisconsin named Kevin Henkes, into a play.

The play, like the book, is entitled “Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse,” and it opened over the weekend at the second-floor theater of the Monroe Center for the Arts. It is the first play for children produced by the Mile Square Theater since the Hoboken-based theater company started seven years ago.

“I first learned of this play during my nine years at the Seattle Children’s Theater.,” says Chris O’Connor, Mile Square Theater’s artistic director. “Now I have a five-year-old daughter, Willa, who’s very much like Lilly. They are both exuberant.” By coincidence, his wife had bought the book “Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse” for their daughter, which reminded O’Connor of the play, and seemed a good choice for their next production.

“We want to connect to the community, and that means appealing to all parts of the community. It was time to present a play for a young audience from four to nine years old.”

The play “Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse,” with a cast of six, actually combines stories and characters from several of Kevin Henkes’s popular “mouse books.” All the characters are supposed to be mice, but they act very much like people. Chester and Wilson are best friends, play tennis for championship of the universe, and worry if a watermelon will grow in their bellies because they have both eaten a watermelon seed.

The central character is Lilly, who tends to make happy announcements such as “I am the Queen” and “I like everything.” She teaches Chester and Wilson how to talk backwards and saves them from bullies by disguising herself as a cat. She is not crazy about her new baby brother Julius (played hilariously in the Mile Square Theater production by a puppet.) “Julius, germ of the world,” she pouts.

The story that gives the play its name occurs when Lilly’s grandmother takes her shopping and winds up buying her a purple purse of “authentic plastic.” She is so proud of her purse that she wants to show it off to her friends and family, but they are busy, so she interrupts a lesson by her teacher Mr. Slinger at school (he is lecturing on “the mysterious black holes in Swiss cheese…did the holes come first or the cheese?”) Her teacher kindly offers to hold her purse until the end of the day, which enrages Lilly. Gentle lessons ensue. One of them comes from a note that Mr. Slinger leaves for Lilly: “Today was difficult. Tomorrow will be better.”

Some 450 actresses applied for the role of Lilly, O’Connor said, and he auditioned about 50 of them. The person they wound up casting in the role, Blaire Brooks, was already a member of the company.

The artistic director is hoping that the audience will react to the play in the same way that the characters react to nearly everything: “Wow. That’s about all I can say. Wow.”

If you go: “Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse” by Kevin Henkes, adapted for the stage by Kevin Kling, Fridays 7 p.m., Saturdays 3 p.m.and 7 p.m., Sundays 3 p.m. and 5:30 p.m., October 23 to November 8, at the Monroe Center for the Arts, 720 Monroe Street, Hoboken. $12 for students, $20 for adults. Tickets are half price for both performances on Halloween. For more information, call 201-208-7809 or visit www.milesquaretheatre.org.

Monroe, Hoboken, Children, Theater…

Godfrey — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 16:54:47 +0000

The Theater at Monroe Center is now a hub of creative theatrical energy. The Hoboken Children’s Theater is now officially a part of the growing theater scene at The Monroe Center for Performing Arts. They join another illustrious theater company from Hoboken, The Mile Square Theater.
Chase Leyner started the Hoboken Children’s Theater in August 2003. Leyner is a fantastic actress and a great dancer. She received her acting training with Sanford Meisner, William Alderson, Estelle Parsons and Sam Schacht. Leyner also trained with The New Jersey Ballet, L’Academie de Danse de Monte Carlo and Skidmore College.
In 2009, she received The Showtime Award from The Park Theatre for her work with children and for creating the Hoboken Children’s Theater.
Members of the Hoboken Children’s Theater Company have made startling achievements with the solid grounding that they have received. Here are a few of the numerous achievements. Maddy Novak is presently appearing as Billy Elliot on Broadway, Carson Harold had a great role in a short film, screened at The Columbia Film Festival and Samantha Alicandri was accepted into the prestigious Broadway Artists Alliance summer program
The Hoboken Children’s Theater is comprised of kids 8-18.
The company performs mainly musicals.

Contact information, Tel: 646 339 8485

Website: www.hobokenchildrenstheater.com

Fire Walking At Monroe Center

Angelina Redpath — Tue, 05 May 2009 17:09:02 +0000

Saturday, May 30, 6pm-10pm

FEAR Into Action– The FireWalk Experience

Spend an evening learning how to let go of your limiting beliefs. Learn how to turn FEAR into Action. We all experience fear from time to time. Wouldn’t it be great to use FEAR to take Action, instead of being stopped by it. This Seminar will teach you how. You can watch, or participate. $ 99.00, please register at www.CORE-Remedy.com/events Your money back if you are not completely satisfied. No questions asked.

Part of this Event will take place in ‘THE MAC’, The theater at Monroe Center. The Fire Walking will take place on the grounds of Monroe Center.

Call Larry at 201-388-6491 with questions

The Buzz Is On At Monroe Center

Godfrey — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 17:32:10 +0000

The next year is going to be a cultural filled one at The Monroe Center For Performing Arts. From Music to Theater and Comedy, Opera Singers, Classical Music Events, Rock and Pop Performances, the list goes on…

The Monroe Center has a fantastic new Theater on the Second Floor, Hoboken’s Mile Square Theater will be performing a number of plays there and so will Chase Leyner.

Down in Shades the beat goes on. DJ George will be spinning at Shades, January 3rd. Purple Haze Prooductions will be strutting their stuff down in Shades January 9th and on January 10th, Tariq Shaw will be producing “Flash Back” a Rock n Pop music concert that will take you down the heady lanes of the 60s through the 90s. And there is much, much more. Comedy Central from New York City who are now calling The Monroe Center Home will be performing regularly at Shades next year. For further details go to www.monroecenter.com and check out the Events page. 2009 is gonna be a great year at The Monroe Center, come see what the buzz is all about. Come get involved.

Halloween Bash at Shades

Godfrey — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 18:36:59 +0000

Halloween Night, 31st October. Julio Fernandez of Spryo Gyra with his band Cat Lingo will be rocking at Shades restaurant and Bar. The concert begins at 8pm. Ends when all souls go home. There are a number of musical acts that will also be playing in Shades that night. Admission is Free. Parking is Free.

For more information Call: 201 795 3767 Ext: 218

They’re he-e-e-re UFO Festival comes to Jersey City next weekend

Art — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 15:34:30 +0000

The Jersey City Reporter

Sunday, October 12, 2008
By Ricardo Kaulessar
Reporter staff writer

Email to a friendPost a CommentPrinter-friendly

Does the terms UFO and alien abduction get your heart racing with excitement? Do you feel like you’re the only one among your family and friends who thinks there are other beings besides humans in the universe?

Then the second Annual Culture of Contact UFO Festival happening next

weekend (Oct. 16 -18) at the Landmark Loew’s Theatre in Jersey City is the place to be.

It is the first year that the festival

is taking place at the Loew’s. Last year, it was held in Manhattan.

The festival will feature experts discussing UFOs and alien abductions, as

well as movies, music and art with an UFO theme. Among the festival

highlights will be the appearance of William J. Birnes, star of the

History Channel series UFO Hunters, and a screening of the

1953 film version of H.G. Wells’ War of the Worlds

(also made into a movie in 2006 by Steven Spielberg) about an

alien invasion of Earth.

In conjunction with the events at the Loew’s, there was an

art exhibition at the Monroe Center for the Arts in Hoboken this weekend (Oct. 10-11).

Culture of Contact formed last year out of a loosely-knit

group of “experiencers” of alien contact who were living

in New Jersey and New York. They came together to create

an annual multimedia festival-like conference in New York City.

Jeremy Vaeni, one of the organizers of the festival, talked last week

about the event.

“I think it is important because as people who believe in these sorts of

things, we are out of place,” Vaeni said. “I think one of the things is to

show that people in positions of power are experiencing alien contact.”

Also participating in the festival will be Jersey City artist Melissa Reed,

who says many of her works were influenced by her experiences with alien life.

“Waking up to the infinite possibility that exists beyond everyday life is

vitally important,” Reed said.

Saw UFO in Vermont

Vaeni, a writer based in Queens, said this festival is an opportunity f

or people like him who have either witnessed aliens or UFOs.

A Massachusetts native, Vaeni recalls at the age of 14 a family trip to

Vermont to visit his grandparents. He said he had a unique encounter.

“I look out among the fields and mountains and I see this object

that’s luminescent green and it’s spinning in one direction at the

top and in another direction on the bottom,” Vaeni said.

“When [my family] gets to our grandparents’ house, we

expect to be laughed at when we tell what happened. But instead

they confirm they had similar sightings, and on their coffee table was the

Time-Life book, “Mysteries of the Unknown.”

Vaeni also said this year’s festival theme is “Mythology Is Reality,”

where there will be discussions on how myths and folklore in ancient

history may be more than just stories, but are actual accounts of

extraterrestrial life forms visiting this planet.

“When archeologists look at the building of the pyramids in ancient

Egypt, they come across accounts where it tells that the gods came down

and gave us the knowledge to build the pyramids,” Vaeni said. “But there

is a belief that it may have been aliens, and we want to explore that further.”

SIDEBAR

Culture of Contact schedule

The Culture of Contact Festival will be held at the Landmark Loew’s Theater,

54 Journal Square, Jersey City. Details, directions and tickets can be found

at www.cultureofcontact.com.
The schedule of events is as follows:

Thursday, Oct. 16:

6:30 p.m. - Jeremy Vaeni, Melissa Reed, and William J. Birnes
7 p.m. - “In Search of The Future” documentary screening.

Intro w/Director Andrew Cameron Bailey & Producer Connie

Baxter Marlow
9 p.m. - Q&A w/ Bailey & Marlow

Friday, Oct. 17:

Noon-5 p.m. - “Experiencer” and Native American chat circles.

Pat Marcatillio’s UFO Museum. Explore your own brain using

Masahiro Kahata’s brain tech inventions and your mind with Raymond

Strano’s perception-altering musical device. (Attractions run all day Saturday)
6 p.m. - Jeremy Vaeni introduces Washington lobbyist

Stephen Bassett, who talks about possible government disclosure of alien presence.
7 p.m. - Native American band Ghosthorse performs.
8 p.m. - Tiokasin Ghosthorse gives keynote address for the festival.
9 p.m. - William J. Birnes introduces “War of The Worlds” screening.
9:15 p.m. - “War of The Worlds” screening.

Saturday, Oct. 18:

10:30 a.m. - Michael Mannion & Trish Corbett
11:30 a.m. - Richard Dolan
12:30 p.m. - Giorgio Tsoukalos
1:30 p.m. - Lunch break and/or screening of documentary on

Combustive Motor Corp. w/director Chris Noble
2:30 p.m. - Peter Robbins
3:30 p.m. - David Biedny
4:30 p.m. - Farah Yurdozu
5:30 p.m. - Dinner break and/or sneak peek screening of

“The Hidden Hand” documentary w/Director James Carman
6:30 p.m. - Keynote addresses by Dr. Gregory L. Matloff and C. Bangs from NASA
7:30 p.m. - Speaker roundtable with surprise guest
8:30 p.m. - William J. Birnes
9:30 p.m. - “The Silent But Deadly Truthvolution of Truth,”

a comedy film premiere w/director Jeremy Vaeni

Sunday, Oct. 19:

Noon-4 p.m. - Culture of Contact Festival after-party

at the Monroe Arts Center in Hoboken.

Comments on this story can be sent to rkaulessar@hudsonreporter.com

An Extra Terrestrial Buzz At Monroe Center

Godfrey — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 22:34:22 +0000

Monroe Center is at the center of a creative buzz right now. Good things are happening here. Mile Square Theater has transformed Our Art Gallery into a Broadway stage where The Bard of Avon, William Shakespeare’s The Comedy of Errors plays Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm and Sundays at 5pm. Comedy of Errors began on September 26 and will play out its last performance on October 12.

Mile Square Director, Chris O’Conner says, “It’s great to call the Monroe Center home. From now on all our productions will be held here.

The play is so exceptional that it caught the eye of the New York Times. The Times raved, “This production of Comedy of Errors” is infused with a 1940s ethos from the costumes to the jazzy musical interludes.”

Those wanting to see this exceptional production should call Reservations: 201 208 7809

It’s a “Pay What You Will” production with a suggested donation of $ 20. Additional information is listed on the Mile Square Website: www.milesquaretheatre.org

On October 10^th ‘The Myth Is Reality’ Art exhibition opens on the second floor. This is something that you have to see to believe. These artists swear that they all have had contact with Extra Terrestrial beings. Their paintings are of those strange alien encounters. There will be lectures, photographs and exhibits. Very, very intriguing and interesting, and all in multi- color.

Comedy Central has finally crossed the Hudson River and come to New Jersy. Soul Joel Productions now perform regularly at Shades of Hoboken, our restaurant on the first floor. Comedians from Comedy Central, HBO, MTV, XM Radio and Sirius Radio bring their classy rip-roaring to Shades.

In our second Art Gallery, Salute to Women Artists in America will soon begin a month long exhibition at the end of October.

And of course The Hoboken Artists Studio Tour is scheduled for the 19^th of October. It is the biggest studio tour of the year. At The Monroe Center we have many, many more exciting Events planned. Stay tuned. Come share these experiences.

Monroe Center’s Wolfman-WANTED

Angelina Redpath — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 16:23:36 +0000

‘WANTED’
A New Recording by Guitarist Wolfgang Schalk who has his studio at The Monroe Center:
Wolfgang Schalk: guitar
Geoffrey Keezer: piano
Dave Carpenter: bass
Marvin “Smitty” Smith: drums
Recorded at Encore/Paramount Studios, Los Angeles, CA
“Schalk creates impressive structures for improvisation, and he fits each and every structure with a hip, catchy melody. If other musicians pick up on these tunes, every single one of them has the potential to become a jazz standard.” –Marc Meyers, All About Jazz
A guitarist with not only impeccable chops but one who plays with deep soulfulness and feeling, Wolfgang Schalk delivers his freshest recording to date with Wanted, further proving his artistic abilities while providing music that is relevant and thoroughly engaging. Recalling the sounds of esteemed fret-board masters Wes Montgomery, George Benson, Pat Martino and Pat Metheny, Schalk expands on the tradition by providing enjoyable and dynamic music witnessed on his previous recordings: Space Messengers (2005, Universal/Emarcy) and Rainbows in the Night (2002, West East Music).
Now Schalk returns with Wanted, a recording that represents new vigor and change influenced by his experience and bi-coastal residencies of New York and Los Angeles as Schalk fondly states, “My music is inspired by the combination and experience of the East and West.” This artful blend of hard swinging and cool vibes is articulated through an outstanding quartet of veteran musicians that includes pianist Geoffrey Keezer, late bassist Dave Carpenter, and drummer Marvin “Smitty” Smith.
The extremely tight band delivers eight new Schalk compositions that encompass a variety of textures and moods. Tunes like the bopping title song and “W 46″ (dedicated to Wes Montgomery) with their scorching tempos and solos; the Latin-tinged rhythms on the beautiful ballad “A New Something” and the soothing “What Makes Me Think” (both showing Schalk’s distinctive acoustic guitar prowess); and the poignant “And Harry Said Goodbye” (dedicated in memory of European master guitarist, Harry Pepl).
Every track on Wanted exposes Schalk’s consummate skill and thoughtfulness as one of today’s authentic jazz guitarists.

Visit website | Visit MySpace page | PurchaseWolfgang Schalk at All About Jazz.
Upcoming events for Wolfgang Schalk:

The Master Lays His Sitar Down

Angelina Redpath — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 15:23:03 +0000

Sitar Maestro Ravi Shanker recently gave his last public concert in London. He would have liked to play on but his eighty eight- year- old body is not willing to cooperate. “It comes down to the fact,” said a friend of Shanker, “that his spirit is willing to play on but his body will not let that happen.”

The man who taught George Harrison of The Beatles the sitar, and inspired Brian Jones of The Rolling Stones and myriad other Western musicians to learn the Sitar, now wants a little down time away from constant travel and the bright lights. So great was his influence on Western music culture that the organizers of the now legendary Woodstock Festival, held in 1969, asked him to play at the three-day concert in Upstate New York.

Ravi Shankar’s Western connections however were not confined to only music. He had a nine- year- old affair with a dancer, Sue Jones, the result of which was a stunning talented child named Geethali Norah Jones Shankar. Geethali later shortened her name to Nora Jones. Norah Jones was the big winner at the 45th Annual Grammy Awards, personally taking five awards in her first-ever Grammy appearance, including the coveted album of the year award for ‘Come Away With Me.’

Ravi Shanker’s oldest daughter, born from his Indian wife, is Anoushka Shankar, who today is a talented and famous Sitar player

Ravi Shankar is credited with adding percussion (tabla) to Sitar and this changed the face of Indian music around the world.
His daughter Anoushka Shankar says, “He added the bass string that is quite common now. He created the modern notation system for Indian music. The tabla player was never really an important factor until my father made percussion a central part. A lot of what people now consider Indian music can be traced back to him.”

And so, the curtain has come down partially on a legendary musician. Will he ever perform in public again? No one can answer that question but Ravi Shankar; however, he has two talented daughters who have been blessed with his musical genes. One lives in America the other in India. Ravi Shankar leaves the stage, leaving behind a great legacy and two great musicians to carry on his revolution in both the East and West. The raga of Shankar is not over.

Hopefully in the future, the Shankar girls will record a duet album. Talk about the East meeting West, it will be a near perfect collobration. Nora Jones possesses soft shades of Jazz while Anoushka Shankar is pure Indian Classical. Coming together musically, to create a fusion that will ignite and burn brightly will not be easy. However, one has to remember that the gene pool from which these girls were created is legendary and deep. Anything is possible. They are after all, The Shankar Girls.