Tag: 2011

Stories

• Lydia Hadfield, “What Are You Making?”
• Jeanne Haynes, “My Daddy’s Story – Making a Name for Himself at Age 8”
• Michael Katz, “Belong”
• Enzo Lombard, “Love Humiliation & Karaoke”

Music

Stuart Rosh, vocals, guitar and harmonica

Lydia Hadfield is a writer and performer with a penchant for satire. She got her start playing a ventriloquist’s dummy in a variety show, and now no one can shut her up. Lydia is currently developing her next solo work, Eye of the Storm, a weather report about a town that has been trapped inside the eye of a storm for days, weeks, months… maybe even years. 

Jeanne Haynes commemorates her 15th year with Stagebridge and—if he were still living—her Father’s 100th December birthday with “My Daddy’s Story – Making a Name for Himself at Age 8.” A holiday memory with snow falling on the tough streets of East Toledo, Ohio, a boy confronts his proud German heritage and the neighborhood bully “Snot Nose Rumsy.” Teaching storytelling is Haynes’ joy thus far with 200+ adults in Stagebridge classes and 3,000 school students.

Storyteller Michael Katz has been performing for over 20 years throughout the U.S.  He was a featured performer at the openings of both the Getty Center and the Disney Concert Hall.  His radio show Katz Pajamas has been on the air since 1984, and can be heard Saturday mornings streaming live at NPR station KCBX.org. His CD of stories, Far Away and Close to Home, received a Parents’ Choice Silver Honor Award in 2005.

Enzo Lombard had everything. Manhattan apartment, 11% body fat, boyfriend who adored him. In a few weeks it would all be gone. But a beauty appointment in Little Ukraine leads to a series of events that changes everything forever.

Stuart Rosh sings slice of life songs that harken back to the days when songwriters all spoke Yiddish (or tried to), men knew how to dress, and every lady of bearing proudly owned at least one pearl necklace.  He’s recorded four CDs (some of which contain infernal rock and roll), is working on a fifth, has written two books, and is finishing up a novel.

Stories

• Tyrone Johnson, “Tyrone “ShortLeg” Johnson and Some White Boys”
• Erica Lann-Clark, “The Goats Know the Way”
• Maria Grazia Affinito, “In Italy”

Music

The Intones: Rick Goodwin, Jeremy Goodwin, Steve Ekstrand, Terry True, Richard Trafford-Owens and Megan Armstrong

Tyrone Johnson started his performing career teaming up with a one-leg tap dancer at honky tonks in Texas in the early 30s. After a brief stay at the Jefferson County Correctional Facility, “Shortleg” (as he is known by friend and foe) started a promising career in the blues / folk genre until an unfortunate incident at the 1964 Newport Folk Festival caused him to lose favor amongst promoters. Tyrone “ShortLeg” Johnson kicked around the Oakland blues scene for awhile after that and there is some vintage TV footage of him performing on a local teen dance show, however, no other recordings or film are available. He was thought to be dead until he was seen fronting a Sammy Davis Jr. tribute band in the summer of 2011 in Dayton, Ohio. (Cast: Tyrone Johnson, Steve Ekstrand, Rick Goodwin, Jeremy Goodwin, Richard Trafford-Owen and Terry True. Director:  Mark Kenward)

Storyteller, playwright, solo performer Erica Lann-Clark lives in a house with a garden full of wild birds, including a band of orioles. She loves to work at the crossroad where the story meets the listener. She’s worked from coast to coast and overseas; told tales at major festivals like National Storytelling Festival in Tennessee and Talk Story Festival in Honolulu; led workshops for conferences, corporations, congregations; and her recent solo show, Shopping for God, ran to critical acclaim at the  Marsh Theater in San Francisco and  Berkeley.… whew!

Maria Grazia Affinito is a local equity actress. She has performed with various companies in the Bay Area and in several independent films.   A sampling of her stage credits include Helena in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (SF Shakespeare Festival), Ana in Displaced (Marin Theater Company), and Nancy in Gaslight (California Conservatory Theater).  In Italy was developed with David Ford at The Marsh.  You can see her next at Solo Sundays, Stage Werx Theatre, on March 25, 2011. 

Stories

• Inbal Kashtan, “Explain Again”
• Dana Sherry, “Peter the Great and The Hungry Dream”
• Edward Hamilton, “When did we grow old?”
• Marian Ferrante, “Sweet Betsy From Pike”
• Linda Wright, “The Yellow Bowl”

Music

Perry Dexter and friends

Ellen Kaufman, after following a 40-year career in the health care industry, is now Inbal Kashtan trying to live her dreams for as long as she can. Telling stories is one of them. A Google search yields links to prior dreams aimed for: a world where everyone matters and people have the skills for making peace. Her family is an ongoing dream come true.

Dana Sherry was once a respectable historian of Russia. Then, she turned to a life of storytelling, where she crafts stories that transform historical events into tales of wonder and horror. She also tells traditional and original fairy tales to young audiences.

From sharecropper to college professor, Edward Hamilton has had a fascinating career cooking for everyone from Fortune 500 CEOs and royalty to homeless people. Since retiring from his position as Chair of the City College of San Francisco?s Culinary Arts and Hospitality Studies Department three years ago, he’s found a new creative passion, storytelling. He weaves his life experiences spanning seven decades into touching tales.

Marian Ferrante used storytelling techniques in her speech pathology work for years before she got up regularly to tell before audiences of all ages. In 1983 she helped start Antioch’s Delta Wordweavers Story Swap which today continues to present a variety of programs throughout the community. Currently Marian is on the SAC Board, runs TimeSlips sessions, and is a Master Storyteller for Storybridge. Being a 3rd generation Californian is a hint of why she carries a passion for its stories.

An Oakland native, Linda Wright is a UC Berkeley graduate who works at two elementary schools as a Second Step guidance teacher. A wife and mother of 3 (two in college and one in high school). She leads assemblies on African American history and tells tales from around the world.

Stories

• Miriam Mills, “It Takes a Lot to Shock an Old Girl”
• Sharon Eberhardt, “Second-Hand Muse” (excerpt)
• Victoria Doggett, “Phantom Limb”
• Michael Brown, “Memories and Dreams of the Twentieth Century” (excerpt)

Music

Jeremy Rourke & Vanessa VerLee, Guitars & Vocals
Lyrically rich songs, many sung over original stop motion animated videos

Miriam Mills is grateful to have a husband who tells her: “Never let the truth interfere with a good story.” Miriam is surprised she takes the stage because sometimes she has to take 3 Pepto-Bismol and 3 Advil before she does. Most often, Miriam can be heard telling stories to visitors of all ages at the Asian Art Museum.

Sharon Eberhardt performed her play, Savage Arts, at Fringe Festivals in Regina,Saskatchewan and London Ontario, and at The Marsh, San Francisco.  Her plays have been performed by other people at The Shee Theatre, San Francisco, Playground and Best of Playground, SF, And How!, New Georges and Ensemble Studio Theatre, NYC. Second-Hand Muse is a work in progress.  

Victoria Doggett has been writing and performing in the Bay Area since 1992.  She performed “Phantom Limb” as part of the Fresno Rogue Festival last March. If you would like to see her full length piece, she will be performing at Exit Theatre on October 28th and 29th. She has worked collaboratively with The Wool Street Gang (David Caggiano, David Jacobson, Pidge Meade, Angela Neff, and Mary Samson), for the past four years, and has developed pieces with David Ford since the beginning. Phantom Limb was directed by Mark Kenward.

Michael Brown has created and performed original theater since the mid-Sixties, first in street theater in New York and New England, followed by the critically acclaimed Moving Men Theater Company of Berkeley.  In recent years his work has had staged readings at the Magic Theater and he has written and performed in several full-length productions including his current solo show, Memories and Dreams of the Twentieth Century, which received a CA$H Grant Award from Theater Bay Area.

Jeremy Rourke & Vanessa VerLee, married on stage and off, have been active in the Bay Area music scene for over a decade. Just this summer, the SFWeekly named Jeremy the “Best Musician/Animator in SF,” and  Vanessa produced and played in all day Women’s Music festival for over 500 people. They will share their story rich songs, many played along with Jeremy’s stop-motion animated videos. www.jeremyrourke.com www.vanessaverlee.com

Stories

• Safiya Martinez, “So You Can Hear Me”
• Angela Neff, “Another Picnic at the Asylum”
• Paolo Sambrano, “I Get Wet”
• Kurt Bodden “Steve Seabrook: Better Than You”

Music

Rob Reich, accordion music from around the world and beyond.

Safiya Martinez is a poet, actress, playwright and educator from New York City. Her poetry has been published in Generations Literary Magazine. Safiya has shown excepts of So You Can Hear Me as part of the Marsh Mondays, and Tell it on Tuesday performance series at the Marsh in Berkeley. This is her first foray into solo performance work. 

Angela Neff has performed in various cities in the western United States and is honored to have toured “Picnics” in the 2010 Phoenix, DC and Hollywood fringe festivals. Another Picnic at the Asylum was developed in San Francisco with playwright/director David Ford and directed by Mark Kenward and is her second play. It can be seen locally in its entirety in the San Francisco Fringe Festival this September 7–17th. www.angelaneff.com

Paolo Sambrano is a goddamn solo performer and purveyor of fine dried beef. Paolo’s debut solo show, Bi-Poseur, played to sold-out houses in the SF Bay Area and was featured in the SF Weekly and SF Chronicle. ‘I Get Wet,’ his newest piece in progress, debuted in Baltimore, MA as part of the Fitbloggin’ conference. Paolo has also spoke at the South by Southwest Interactive Conference.

Kurt Bodden has performed improv at the Edinburgh Fringe, hosted a talk show and literary events, done standup for Harvard alumni and rednecks, and done solo work at the Marsh. Recently he’s been delving into physical theater (mask, mime, clowning, and ensemble work) with Flying Actor Studio and FoolsFURY.  Tonight’s piece is a preview of a full-length show he’ll present September 9–17 at the SF Fringe Festival. kurtbodden.com.

Rob Reich is an acclaimed accordionist, pianist, and composer based in the San Francisco Bay Area. A talented instrumentalist and an inventive composer, Rob is steeped in many traditions.  In addition to being a versatile solo performer, Rob can be heard playing with many top notch ensembles. He is a member of Tin Hat, Gaucho and The Nice Guy Trio, and freelances with many other Bay Area bands.

Stories

• Kirk Waller, “Shasta Creek”
• Laura Wiley, “Panic!” (An Excerpt)
• Keith Bowers, “dummy: the story of the biggest error I ever made”
• Dhaya Lakshminarayanan, “Desperate Vegetarians in Georgia”

Music

The California Poppies: Foresta Sieck-Hill and Sarah Domenico, guitar, egg shaker, harmonica, and vocals

Kirk Waller summons all of his God-given talents and fuses them together – spoken word, rhythm, music and movement to create an unforgettable storytelling experience. He performs throughout the Bay Area and the United States. This fall he is slated to tell at the National Storytelling Festival for the first time in Jonesborough, Tennessee.

Laura Wiley has studied solo performance at the SF Marsh.  Four people affiliated with the Marsh helped her put this piece together from start to finish—Ann Randolph, Mark Kenward, David Ford and Rebecca Fisher—and she is very grateful to them. In addition to writing and acting, Laura sings, plays the flute, and paints.

Keith Bowers is arts and culture editor for SF Weekly. He is a veteran journalist, lifelong visual artist, and occasional performer. His most recent exhibit of photographs and junk sculpture was titled “Art of Death / Art of Life” at the Actual Cafe in Oakland. He co-founded an East Bay artist group known as ARTSEM. He had a brief but extremely memorable experience performing in an alternative film.

Dhaya Lakshminarayanan is a San Francisco-based stand-up comedienne, storyteller, television host, business consultant, and ubergeek. Before starting in the business of “show,” she taught “Charm School” at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology where she graduated (twice). She’s traveled to Cuba as a researcher, worked as a venture capitalist, and taught public speaking in Kathmandu, Nepal. She was the host of the Emmy-winning High School Quiz Show, on PBS’s WGBH, which premiered March 22, 2010. www.dhayacomedy.com

The California Poppies consist of two native California girls, Foresta Sieck-Hill and Sarah Domenico. Their inspired harmonic reinterpretation of old-timey, trail-o-tears classics, combined with melancholy originals, gently yet playfully lull one through a musical moment, as a path lined with their namesake just might.

Stories

• Mark Kenward, “Nantucket” (excerpt)
• Daniel Ari “I knew a woman”
• Violet Juno, “Impossible Things”  
• Marijo, “Hair: A Noir-ish Dilemma Tale”

Music

Megha/Tom deLackner, piano improvisation

Mark Kenward has written seven one-man shows. He has performed his work in over 30 cities, including 4 mainstage runs at The Marsh. He has also directed several one-person shows. Tonight he will perform an excerpt from his autobiographical novel about growing up on Nantucket Island. Tonight’s excerpt is directed by Rebecca Fisher.  markkenward.com

Daniel Ari writes poems, fiction, music and marketing copy; performs poetry, music, and the kinds of things you’re seeing tonight; and leads workshops in poetry, theater and improvisation. He lives in Richmond with his wife and daughter.

Violet Juno creates interdisciplinary performance often combining storytelling with kinetic and fragrant props, soundscapes, movement, flamboyant costumes, live video projection or an unique form of cognitive mapping. Her goal is to create a multi-sensory experience so that the artwork is not just what is happening on stage but what audience members conjure in their minds of the various strands to take with them when they leave. Juno has performed and exhibited at over 70 theaters in 30 cities in the United States, Canada and Scotland. Venues include PS122, PS1, and Museum of Modern Art in New York, Highways and LACE in Los Angeles, and Banff Centre for the Arts in Canada. 

Marijo is an actor, storyteller, arts educator, and writer, and has performed at festivals, libraries, schools, theatres, concerts, corporate conferences, birthing rooms… and funerals! She has performed for CAC’s “Governor’s Conference on Arts-In-Education”; the Exchange Place at the National Storytelling Festival in Jonesborough, TN; the Sierra, Rhode Island, and Los Angeles Storytelling Festivals; and has toured London, Germany, and Zimbabwe. A ‘Truth-Teller’ and ‘History-Keeper’, she most often uses humor in her writing and performing, while showing the importance of personal and community values as a bridge towards cultural pride and understanding.

Megha/Tom deLackner, after studying the basics of harmony and composition at Pomona College, eventually started exploring the keyboard independent of theory, at first haphazardly and only in the last dozen years achieving a sound worth listening to, weaving common songs into a tapestry of meditative music.

Stories

• Karim Scarlata, “Born Into This”
• Ruth Fraser, “A great man and a great story”
• Kurt Bodden, “Steve Seabrook: Better than You”
• Cara Lazarus, “Wanda’s Magical Garden”

Music

Kaitlin McGaw and the Mr. Right Nows: Bluesy, Soulful Singer-Songwriter, Vocals, Piano, Bass, Drums, Violin/Saxophone

Karim Scarlata is a playwright and filmmaker. His work has been performed by the San Francisco Mime Troupe, published in numerous literary journals and played at film festivals throughout the United States. He plays the role of an American immigration attorney on the Filipino television show Pusong Pinoy. He has worked with David Ford and Charlie Varon on this solo performance piece.

Born into a household rich in language, literature and oral history is it any wonder Ruth Fraser became a storyteller! For 14 years she has told stories of wit and wisdom from around the world and her own adventurous life, sharing them in gatherings large and small, including parties, conferences and the Asian Art Museum. Offering workshops and coaching she shows others that they too have stories to offer the world. www.mellowstory.com

Kurt Bodden has performed improv at the Edinburgh Fringe, hosted a talk show and literary events, done standup for Harvard alumni and rednecks, done solo work at the Marsh, and acted in normal plays.  Recently he’s been studying physical theater (mask, mime, clowning) at Flying Actor Studio in San Francisco.  Tonight’s piece is a preview of a full-length show he’ll present in September at the SF Fringe Festival.

Cara Lazarus, playwright and actor, is working on “Wanda’s Magical Garden” with David Ford at The Marsh. A love story populated with talking animals, witchery, potions, and charms, the action takes place in the Temescal neighborhood of Oakland as seen through the antics of a lesbian couple and their son, Jack. Jack, an ambitious muralist, strives to become a recognized muralist and also impress Angie, the unrequited love of his life. Cara also performs stand-up comedy and improvisation. 

Jazz, Hip Hop, Blues, Pop Rock, Children’s music; stalwart fans of these genres would have trouble finding much crossover or similarities between them, but Oakland-based singer songwriter Kaitlin McGaw does them all. Receiving comparisons to Sara Bareilles, Carole King, and Liz Phair, McGaw has a gift for finding herself in prestigious company and collaborations. Her newest project, Kaitlin McGaw and the Mr. Right Nows is showcasing her vocal and piano abilities in a bluesy pop rock outfit all over the Bay Area. www.kaitlinmcgaw.com

Stories

• Jeff Byers, “Their Double Bed”
• Safiya Martinez, “So You Can Hear Me”
• Annette Roman “Hitler’s Li’l Abomination” (Excerpt)
• David Kleinberg, “Straighten Up and Fly Right,” (excerpt from “The Voice”)

Music

Joshua Raoul Brody, pre-show ivory-tinkling

David Kleinberg is a comedian who has performed with Robin Williams, Dana Carvey, Sinbad and Richard Lewis. He was also the editor of the Sunday Datebook for 14 years during a 34-year newspaper career at the San Francisco Chronicle. He has worked on The Voice at the Marsh Theater with David Ford, Ann Randolph and Mark Kenward for the last two years. The full piece will be present at the Marsh San Francisco on May 10.

Jeff Byers tells stories at the Asian Art Museum, in classrooms from first grade to UC Berkeley graduate programs, and in various performance venues, including the San Francisco Theater Festival, The Magic Theatre, the Chicago Calling Arts Festival, Ashby Stage, and Tell It On Tuesday. He is a board member of the Storytelling Association of California.

Safiya Martinez is a poet, playwright and performer and MFA student at San Francisco State University. She has been featured at the Nuyorican Poets’ Café in New York City, and is a principal member of Girlstory, and inter-generational performing and writing collective. Safiya’s poetry has been included in Generations Literary Magazine, and is currently at work on a one-woman show about teaching high school in New York City.

Annette Roman is the author of the graphic novel 1 World Manga: Passages, a comic book about issues facing the developing world. Her performance history includes two Monday Night Marsh evenings at The Marsh Theater, San Francisco, and the role of Narrator in a high school production of Kafka’s Josephine the Mouse Singer. The latter may explain a lot. Annette’s father is a Hungarian Jewish Holocaust Survivor and her mother was in the Hitler Youth. Annette’s one-woman show, entitled Hitler’s Li’l Abomination, is a story of strife and reconciliation-not necessarily in that order. Developed with David Ford.

Joshua Raoul Brody: When asked to describe himself in one word, Mr. Brody replies “Unable to follow instructions.” www.jraoul.org