Shakespearean "Slam-Bash" Raises Money, Has Fun With The Bard

Art-Farm brought another successful night of iambic pentameter to Middletown with their "Shakespeare Slam and Elizabethan Masked Bash" fundraiser at Kidcity Saturday night.

The audience saw everything from serious performances of soliloquies from Hamlet and Henry the V, to more whimsical treatments of scenes from The Tempest and A MidSummer Night's Dream, to a bluesy sonnet and a sing-along version of Cole Porter's "Brush Up Your Shakespeare".  Others skipped the Bard's more well-known speeches to provide Shakespearean anagrams, Shakespearean insults, and a piece entitled "To Bird Or Not To Bird", complete with bird calls and a live flute soundtrack.

It was a fun night.

  

WNPR's Chion Wolf returned to host the event again this year, and her comfortable charm kept things moving right along.  Beer and wine flowed, snacks were passed around, and a live band played, quietly, in the bar area.  The performers weren't the only ones who spent time on wardrobe; many attendees wore festive outfits and masks.

Between the performers' sponsors and the paid tickets, a fair chunk of change was raised to support Art-Farm's planned July performance of Much Ado About Nothing at Middlesex Community College.

Last Chance -- a great evening for SHAKESPEARE!

There is ONE FINAL PERFORMANCE of ARTFARM's Shakespeare's Argument -- tonight at 7 pm in the grove at Middlesex Community College.
Tom Callinan will be playing music at 6 pm.
It will be a beautiful evening, and it is a great show.
Pay if you can -- $20 suggested donation
Please come join us -- you will be so happy with yourself that you did!
Photo by Bill DeKine shows Ken O'Brien (AEA) and Marcella Trowbridge as the Macbeths in Shakespeare's Argument.

Four more chances to see Shakespeare's Argument

You have just four more chances to catch ARTFARM's unique 2011 production "Shakespeare's Argument" in the cool and breezy Grove at Middlesex Community College.
Performances are Thursday through Sunday at 7 pm, with fabulous live music starting every night at 6 pm. So arrive early, bring a picnic, and cool off to professional music and Shakespeare.

Audiences for the first weekend were extremely enthusiastic. Here are a few of the comments that have come into our inbox this week:

"Once again, you put on a phenomenal show! I loved it – my favorite so far."

"Thank you for putting something so awesome into the world. We all really loved it and were so glad we went."

"What a wonderful time I had. It was brilliant, you were brilliant, everyone was brilliant! It was funny and enjoyable. Thank you for a great evening!"

"I was SO impressed with your actor's range last night. From The Professor to Hamlet, all wonderfully done. Men, women, old, modern, all good roles, sterling-ly-well acted. Kudos."

"Trowbridge and Company weave their spell, asking
Is it the words?
Is it the actors?
Is it the music?
Is it The Master?
We wonder: Is it the minimalist set? Is it the night? Is it the place? Is it the time?
It is all of the above.
Radically simple, spun with imagination and wit, the magic of Shakespeare's Argument: You've got to see it!"

So don't take our word for it, but listen to those enthusiastic audience members! Music at 6 pm. Shakespeare's Argument at 7 pm. Outdoors at Middlesex Community College. Pay if you can -- $20 suggested donation.
Photo by Bill DeKine shows Ken O'Brien (*AEA) and Marcella Trowbridge in Shakespeare's Argument.

A Beautiful Evening For Shakespeare

It’s a beautiful evening for Shakespeare!

And eight evenings of fabulous live music and professional Shakespeare in the Grove begin tonight at Middlesex Community College with ARTFARM’s Tenth Anniversary Production.

Shakespeare's Argument, ARTFARM's original Shakespeare in the Grove 2011 production, is turning out to be one of the most exciting shows that we have ever worked on. A breakneck ninety minute journey through the best of Shakespeare's comedies, histories and tragedies driven by four fabulous actors -- Marcella Trowbridge, Annie DiMartino, Ken O'Brien and Jesse Gabbard. Dazzling kinetic set by David Schulz and a veritable costume parade created by designer Christian Milik. All supported by a powerful musical score performed live by the ARTFARM Orchestra under the baton of Joseph Getter. The production is directed by ARTFARM Artistic Director Marcella Trowbridge.

This will be like nothing you have ever seen.

Eighty percent Shakespeare, twenty percent Argument as a Producer, a Professor, an Actor and a Groundling debate what makes Shakespeare so great. Along the way new light is shed on A Midsummer Night's Dream, Henry V, Romeo & Juliet, Much Ado About Nothing, Measure for Measure, Macbeth and much more. Some of you may even get the chance to be onstage performing in Julius Caesar, and the play culminates in a riveting swordfight between Hamlet and Laertes created by our combat master David Chandler.

And it all starts TODAY!! So plan your picnic, invite your friends and make your way to the Grove early and often. Shakespeare's Argument starts at 7 pm sharp on July 14 - 17 and 21 - 24 in the Grove at Middlesex Community College, 100 Training Hill Road, Middletown. Admission is pay if you can, with a $20 suggested donation. There is an indoor location in case of rain. And the pre-show music starts every night at 6 pm.

Opening the impressive roster of musical acts for 2011 is Sirius Coyote, a well-known local trio which offers a unique take on original and traditional music of the Americas with a strong environmental message. Arrive by 6 to secure a good spot for your blanket or lawn chair and miss neither a note nor a word.

Here is the schedule of musicians for the two week run (more details on individual musicians at www.art-farm.org):

July 14: Sirius Coyote
July 15: Phil Rosenthal
July 16: Chuck Costa
July 17: Lorena Garay
July 21: They Might Be Gypsies
July 22: Nancy Tucker
July 23: The BC3
July 24: Tom Callinan

And every evening (as long as it lasts) we will be selling ice cream from Cold Stone Creamery.

This production is co-sponsored by the Humanities and Arts Division at Middlesex Community College (clearly one of the most enlightened Community Colleges in the State), and is supported by the Middletown Commission on the Arts, Pratt & Whitney, the Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism, our Shakespeare Slam participants and sponsors, and by the generosity of our individual donors and donations from audience members. ARTFARM is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization which cultivates high-quality theater with a commitment to simple living, environmental sustainability and social justice.

And 2011 is ARTFARM's TENTH BIRTHDAY, so come join us in the Grove for Shakespeare's Argument!

Questions? Call (860) 346-4390 or email info@art-farm.org. Website: www.art-farm.org.

Rehearsal photo above shows Marcella Trowbridge and Jess Gabbard as Hamlet and Laertes. Photo by Ben Jordan.

ARTFARM to kick off MCA’s Artswalk July 8 - 10

Riverview Plaza on Main Street in Middletown will be buzzing with life all weekend as the local theater company ARTFARM kicks off the Middletown Commission on the Arts’ ArtsWalk. The company, in preparation for its upcoming two week run of Shakespeare’s Argument, will be animating the courtyard between Amici’s and the Police Station with music, Shakespeare, circus and fun activities for young and old.

ArtsWalk, the brainchild of Middletown Arts Commission Chair Lee Godburn, is intended to make every weekend on Middletown’s Main Street rich with the Arts. Riverview Plaza is located in the heart of Middletown’s restaurant district.

ARTFARM will be in front of Coldstone Creamery at Riverview Plaza 6 – 9 pm Friday, July 8; 1 – 9 pm on Saturday, July 9; and 1 – 6 pm on Sunday, July 10. Throughout the weekend the public are invited to learn circus skills, watch video of previous ARTFARM Shakespeare and circus productions, listen to music, engage in interactive Shakespeare trivia games, enjoy Shakespeare stories with ARTFARM actresses Jackie Coleman and Joni Weisfeld, and dress up in festive costumes to have their photos taken.

Several special events will take place throughout the weekend, and families are encouraged to plan their visits around these events:

Friday, July 8: ARTFARM circus artists Joel Melendez and Heidi Kirchofer will be performing circus on the streets from 6 to 8 pm, followed by Shakespeare stories with Joni Weisfeld at 8 pm.

Saturday, July 9: ARTFARM circus performer Meg Berritta will be stilting from 6:30 – 7:30 pm.

Sunday, July 10: Shakespeare stories with Jackie Coleman from 3 – 4 pm.

ARTFARM’s Shakespeare in the Grove 2011 production of Shakespeare’s Argument will take place July 14 – 17 and 21 – 24 at Middlesex Community College. Live music starts at 6 pm each evening and the seventy minute play begins at 7 pm. ARTFARM is a non-profit professional theater company, founded in 2001, which cultivates high-quality theater with a commitment to simple living, environmental sustainability and social justice.

ARTFARM’s participation in ArtsWalk is made possible by a generous grant from the Middletown Commission on the Arts. For more information about this weekend and ARTFARM’s Shakespeare in the Grove, call (860) 346-4390, email info@art-farm.org or scroll to www.art-farm.org.

Photos show ARTFARM Ensemble actresses Joni Weisfeld and Jackie Coleman in last summer's production of "As You Like It" (photo by Bill DeKine) and Joel Melendez in ARTFARM's "Circus for a Fragile Planet Submerged" (photo by Heidi Kirchofer).

Eat for Art

Be among the FIRST to support

ARTFARM's Shakespeare in the Grove 2010 production of

As You Like It

by enjoying GREAT FOOD at Middletown's

It's Only Natural Restaurant!

Starting TUESDAY, JANUARY 5

and every Tuesday through July 2010

10% of sales will benefit ARTFARM!

Lunch and dinner!

Come early and often!

Many thanks to Renana, Mark and everyone at
It's Only Natural Restaurant!

We hope to see you this Tuesday to help kick off this ongoing

FEAST of GENEROSITY.

ARTFARM and ION -- world-class, local and unique.

It's Only Natural Restaurant

386 Main Street (Main Street Market)

Middletown

(860) 346-9210

www.ionrestaurant.com

Open from 11am to 9 pm.
Thanks!--

ARTFARM

119 Highland Ave.

Middletown, CT 06457

860.346.4390

www.art-farm.org

Cultivating high quality theater with a commitment to simple living, environmental sustainability and social justice.

A Rainy Shrew

The rain, which held off all day, came down in sheets as the audience arrived for Thursday's performance of ArtFarm's Taming of the Shrew, relegating the performance to the completely drama-less confines of the all-purpose room in the Middlesex Community College library.

Once the actors hit the boards (or in this case, the industrial carpet), the all-purpose room was transformed into 15th century Italy, as the Shakespeare in the Grove players made the audience forget they were sitting in a room designed for utility and not for drama.

ArtFarm's unique take on Shakespeare's comedy was so physical that one could imagine it was closer to the WWF, then the Globe Theater. The animalistic representation of characters, led by the wild feline growls of Marcella Trowbridge's Kate, made the Italiantate romance a curious menagerie of primates, felines and fowl.

The show was opened with a magical performance debut by the duo of Rani Arbo and Mark Erelli. Both strong performers in their own right, Arbo and Erelli presented duets crafted from their own songbooks, and borrowed from country classics and folk traditionals.

The Taming of the Shrew will be presented Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings at Middlesex Community College, beginning at 6 PM.

ArtFarm Taming of the Shrew Final Performances This Week

ARTFARM is very excited about its upcomin second weekend of The Taming of the Shrew.Don't miss this great event! There are shows Thursday through Sunday. Musical headliners start at 6 pm, and the show starts at 7.
On July 23, Rani Arbo of Daisy Mayhem and folk musician Mark Erelli will open the second weekend with their unique traditional and original sound on fiddle, bass and voice. Joe Fonda and Mike Mussilami will perform classic and contemporary jazz on Friday, July 24. Dennis Waring and Friends will bring their imaginative approach to world music to the stage on July 25. The Shakespeare in the Grove finale on July 26 will feature Latin musician and political activist Carlos Hernandez Chavez.
Of course, the main event is the evening's performance of The Taming of the Shrew. Here are some pictures from last weekend's performances. Come check it out for yourself!

Spencer and Sparks at the Buttonwood - Catch them Sunday 7/19 before Shakespeare in The Grove

A short clip of Melissa Spencer and Tim Sparks from the Saturday night performance at the Buttonwood Tree. Great harmonies! Catch them on Sunday 7/19 before the Art-Farm's Shakespeare in The Grove at Middlesex Community College.

Eye on the Air, July 17

Eye on the Air, WESU, 881.FM




Guests

Ruthann "Rae" Johnson, candidate for mayor of Middletown in the Realistic Balance Party and Dic Wheeler from ArtFarm and Shakespeare in the Grove.

Shakespare in the Grove: Taming of the Shrew

(Photo: Pearse Pinch. Actress Jackie Coleman as Bianca and actor Ken O'Brien as Lucentio.)

ARTFARM’s Free Shakespeare in the Grove 2009 presents The Taming of the Shrew

July 16 – 19 and 23 – 26 at Middlesex Community College, Middletown, CT

Contact: Dic Wheeler, (860) 346-4390, dic@art-farm.org

ARTFARM’s Shakespeare in the Grove 2009 presents The Taming of the Shrew at 7 pm on July 16 – 19 and 23 – 26, 2009 at Middlesex Community College, 100 Training Hill Road, Middletown, CT. Free professional outdoor Shakespeare preceded by live music starting at 6 pm. Bring a picnic and enjoy great entertainment in a stunning location overlooking the Connecticut River Valley.

A family-oriented EcoFestival precedes the Sunday performances from 4 – 6:30 pm on July 19 & 26.

Suggested donation $20.

For info contact (860) 346-4390 or info@art-farm.org. Website www.art-farm.org

Grand Sonnet Slam

The Sonnet Slam Tuesday at KidCity to benefit ArtFarm and the Shakespeare in the Grove series raised more than $4,000 for the summertime drama series.

In a congratulatory note to slammers from ArtFarm founders and directors Dic Wheeler and Marcella Trowbridge, they wrote:

Thank you all so much for committing your time, talent and imagination to supporting Shakespeare in the Grove through this wild event. I think everyone had a really good time and we seem to have raised well over $4000!
And the food was great, Al Terzi was terrific, Toby Belch approved of the beer, all the food preppers and servers and other volunteers were fantastic and best of all every Sonneteer was memorable, unique and just lovely.

Sonnet Slam A Poetic Success For ArtFarm

It was one of those rare magical nights in Middletown.

On a make-shift stage in the foyer of Kidcity, actors of all stripes recited some of the 154 Shakespearean sonnets in an effort to raise money for ArtFarm.

The event, held at Kidcity, was devised to raise money for the summertime production of The Taming of the Shrew during the annual Shakespeare in the Grove performance in July. The first Sonnet Slam was a huge success, with dozens of supporters, twenty amateur and professional readers, and WFSB's Al Terzi as host.

Terzi was funny and charming as a succession of readers took Shakespeare through his paces. There was puppet Shakespeare, pirate Shakespeare, flip chart Shakespeare and lovely, costumed dramatic Shakespeare.

There were delectable snacks, and enough beer and wine to make Shakespeare seem eternally hip. Because he is.

Sonnet Slam to Benefit ArtFarm's Shakespeare in the Grove on June 9

Originally scheduled for June 10, but changed to June 9 at 7 PM at Kidcity, so as not to conflict with Main Street Cruise Night, ArtFarm is hosting its very first Sonnet Slam, and there are a number of ways to get involved.

From ArtFarm

The Sonnet Slam is a Shakespeare Poetry Slam & Performance Event celebrating the 400th Anniversary of the first publication of Shakespeare's Sonnets. Performers from age 14 through adult professionals will each bring their art to one of Willie's 154 sonnets, and in the process they will raise money for this summer's Shakespeare in the Grove production of The Taming of the Shrew. Soloists or groups are encouraged. Singing, dance, circus sonnets – it’s all acceptable. Entertain us! There will be no judging, but there will be great prizes for the performers who get the highest total sponsorships.

This will take place as part of an Elizabethan Bash!, a great party with period music, photo opportunities with the Bard himself, food and drink and a host of other Shakespeare oriented activities.

The event starts at 7 pm on June 10 at Kidcity, 119 Washington Street in Middletown, but there are a number of ways in which you can get involved:

1) PERFORM A SONNET and recruit generous folks to sponsor you in this effort. Sponsorships are in multiples of 14 (the number of lines in a sonnet). Sponsors can pledge $1 per line ($14), $2 per line ($28) or any multiple of 14 ($10 per line is $140; $100 per line is $1400 -- you get it). Guidelines and sponsor pledge forms are attached to this email, or available at www.art-farm.org .

2) SPONSOR A PERFORMER for as little as $14. Free Shakespeare in the Grove is at risk this summer as corporate, foundation and city support has been hard to come by. Support a local performer and support ARTFARM all in one donation -- you can donate at www.art-farm.org .

3) ATTEND THE EVENT! Come see the Sonnet Slam and party with the Bard and his friends. Tickets are only (you guessed it) $14!

4) VOLUNTEER! We need help on the night of the event, and help organizing it between now and then -- soliciting prizes or donations of food from local restaurants, coordinating various aspects of the event, preparing an hors d'oeuvre or dessert, etc. GET ON BOARD!!!!

Contact us at info@art-farm.org, or just pick up the phone and call (860) 346-4390. However you choose to get involved, it's going to be a ton of fun, because that's the way we like it!!! A poster seeking performers, Shakespeare Sonnet Slam guidelines and Sponsor Pledge Forms are attached to this email. Please help to spread the word!