January 2011 has turned out to be the most creative month of my life . It feels like harvest time in terms of projects that I've either created and pitched last year, or folks interested in my participation in their events, and lastly the flow of inspiration that has stemmed from being so busy dancing with the spirits of creation.
I started this month on the 3rd rehearsing my verse play: A block of Time pt1: Pigfoot Mary Says Goodbye To The Harlem Renaissance. Last summer I saw a notice for submissions for plays that referenced the time period of that fertile age of cultural magnificence in the 1920's of Harlem , New York. My submission idea ( which was accepted) is not what I ultimately ended up doing. Initially I was going to group together a series of monologues that had the common theme of characters encounters with real icons from the Negro , Mecca". I was then going to plug those stories into a larger play called "A Block Of Time" after the festival was over. In December, while having a conversation with my dear friend the actress Benja K, a light bulb went off in my head about what the piece was missing; It needed a central character who the men could relate to. Benja , once told me the story of the entrepreneur Pigfoot Mary who made a small fortune selling pigs feet and other eats on the street corner of 135th and Leonox Avenue in Harlem during...... The Harlem Renaissance! Voila! The added bonus was/is being in a show with my friend too. I started out writing Ms Mary in a rhyming cadence. This led me to dismantle all of the previous monologues, and rewrite them in verse too. Details of where you can see this:
| The Metropolitan Playhouse (212) 995 8410 for reservations www.metropolitanplayhouse.org 220 E 4th Street Between avenues a and B New York, NY | |
| Written by Daniel Carlton* Performed by Daniel Carlton* ,and Benja K* as Pigfoot Mary Is today Pigfoot Mary's last day selling her eats on the streets of Harlem in the 1920's? Who are Hot Fingers The Piano Player, The Garveyite, Crispus The Numbers Runner, and General Wilson the street veteran? How do Langston Hughes, Paul Laurence Dunbar, A'lia Walker, Countee Cullen Zora Neale Hurston, and many more Harlem renaissance figures fit into their lives? All told in Verse! Starring Daniel Carlton* and Benja K* Added bonus voiceovers featuring Harrison Lee, Queen Esther, Cornelius Bates , Bruce Hawkins and Genovis Albright - All for only $18 or use your Equity card* $10 for youth under 18 *Appear courtesy of Actor's Equity Dates: Jan-19th ,25th, 28th , 7 PM except Jan 30th at 4pm Harvest 2 : The Schomberg Center For Research in Black Culture NYC I am directing a children's play called " The Dream Inn that will be performed as part of Langston Hugues's birthday celebration , This play is a collection of Mr Hughes poetry that I have woven into a narrative about the Great Migration into Harlem in it's early days. I am also presenting a work in progress of a documentary that I am filming called " Langston in Harlem" This is based on a series of interviews that I am doing with a variety of Harlem folks about the way that they view him, his impact on their lives, and lastly a creative piece of his that they remember well enough to recite. Harvest 3 : I am participating in an event called Medicine Men at the Dwyer Cultural Center in Harlem  I have written , and will perform two pieces for this_I'm really going out on a limb for one of the pieces called "Bury Me Pretty" come see what I mean Harvest 4 www.youtube.comThe Gala Evening on January 24, 2011 at Aaron Davis Hall 138 Convent Avenue (West 135th Street and Convent Avenue) New York, NY 10031 For information call 212-491-2206 or visit schomburgcenter.org The anniversary celebration will feature the premiere of a multimedia performing arts work. Directed by the amazing George Faison . I am one of the narrators at this event that has some SERIOUS star power up on the stage too. No name dropping of course but-some of these folks-I've dreamed of working with Feb- ( I'm aiming to release my book of poetry "Harlem Haikus and afro bits" on Amazon's Kindle e reader platform More to come! Tell me about your harvests too-ok -and thanks! | |
