Bill Cosby is Dead? A Musical Comedy Tribute to the Man behind the Icon

Passing the Torch Through the Arts

and The Howland playwrights lab

Present a Preview for a February 2012 Tour

Bill Cosby is Dead?

 A Musical Comedy Tribute to the Man behind the Icon

Written by Michael Monasterial 

What if you were in bed with your wife and a news report flashes on your TV screen that you are dead? Then calls flood in with condolences. This really happened to Mr Cosby, one of my childhood heroes. “I asked Camille. Honey, do I look alive to you? ” This is the premise for our Musical Theater homage to a genius: his comedy, his personal relationships, trials, successes and failures. All framed by the biggest hits of the 50’s, 60’s, 70’s, 80’s 90’s to add historical perspective.    THIS STAGED READING Stars: Evelyn Clarke, Stephen M Jones and Lerone Simon

November 12, 2011 at 8pm  The Howland Cultural Center  477 Main St Beacon

Admission is Free

2 June Events with Passing the Torch! June 11th and June 22nd

Wednesday June 22nd at 6pm at the Miller Middle School in Lake Katrine, NY

Passing the Torch Through the Arts and Kathleen Fancher of the Miller Middle School in Kingston NY with funding from the Duchess County Arts Council has fused arts into the social studies curriculum and will present a program of Greek Mythology and Improvisational acting.

                      “Greek Mythology and Improv”

A group of newly trained Miller School 6^th graders and Michael Monasterial of Passing the Torch will perform 4 classic Greek Myths and two generated by the students themselves.

This program was devised as a way to excite students and engage them into the material by making it challenging and fun and as the nature of Improv acting suggests you have to be “totally present” and in the moment, which was the entire point of the exercise.

The Students learned some other vital skills, like public speaking: posture, positioning, projection and audience engagement and also totally immersed themselves in the material, but mostly they had a lot of fun in an academic pursuit, (for some of them it was the first time).

So join us for what we are sure will be a program of surprises, fun  and somebody might actually learn something. It is Free admission and the room number will be posted the evening of the performance at the Miller school.

For more information please call 845-901-6820

Or email us passingthetorchthroughtheArts@gmail.com   

Also coming in June…

 Saturday June 11^th
Second Saturday Theater
Howland Cultural Center in Beacon NY.

The Howland Cultural Center and Passing the Torch Through the Arts present

“Works in Progress”

an Actors/playwrights lab that performs staged readings

This month we are presenting drafts of two new works for our Fall season. To be presented at 8pm.

Richard Pryor: Uncensored Genius”And“My name is Paul Robeson”

*These are first drafts of works and it is part of our process to encourage audience feedback and participation.

                           

We are still looking for all level of actors to read these works and for other lab projects so actors please come ready to join in.

  Our lab starts at 6:00pm and is $5.00 for writers.

  Our performance starts at 8:00pm and is $10.00 for the general public.

845-901-6820

Come Catch the Fire of Inspiration!

May: Religion and Politics. Two plays that are dinner party taboos.

This is our Bard show last week

we rocked Fisher hall for "Tears for Haiti". we are still the Hudson Valley's only multicultural, multigenerational, professional educational Theater company!

                                               

                                         Saturday May 14th at the Howland Cultural Center

                                    (6:00pm to 9:00 pm) at 477 Main street  Beacon NY 12508

OUR Playwright/Actors lab is Free this month, for all of you to come in try us out..kick the tires and take us for a spin.

There are two subjects you’re not supposed to bring up at a dinner party, they are:

                                                                        Religion and Politics

and our three play reading offer first drafts in May and are primarily about …

“Obama: What have we done?” by Michael Monasterial

 Two top magazine writers from across political fence must collaborate to write a balanced biography of our President. They use hypothetical scenarios and text from actual speeches to uncover the Real man behind the smoke screen.

“Time Bomb: J Edgar Hoover and Malcom X” by Michael Monasterial

In 1963, the United States was on the verge of Civil War. A war over the most volatile issue facing America: Civil rights and Race. These two men had a confrontation of philosophies that could only end one way…explosion.

The third play we are opening as we begin our 2011 season is a 20 minute preview of

“Toussant L’Overture: The Fire that never dies!” by Michael Monasterial

In 1792, a revolution started that would pit a small slave island nation against the three world supers: England, Spain and France. When the people of Haiti won their Independence the man that led them to victory was kidnapped to the Swiss Alps and tortured to death after he was lured in by a peace treaty. His name and his story can never be forgotten.

The Hand-to-Mouth Players Are now accepting manuscripts for their 20th Annual Award Winning One-Act

The Hand-to-Mouth Players are now accepting manuscripts for their 20th Annual Award Winning One-Act Playwright/Director's Workshop. 


Submission Deadline: April 30th, 2011

Manuscripts accepted for:
· One-Act plays
· No more than 25 minutes in length
· Minimal staging and sets
· Casts of 5 or less preferred
· Play must be previously unpublished*
· * for details contact Elaine at Elaine.Sinacore@htmplayers.com

Submission Guidelines:
· Submit manuscript by e-mail or snail-mail, to addresses below.
· $15 submission fee for each snail-mailed play, $20 submission fee for each e-mailed play
· Send check payable to HTM Players, to the P.O. Box shown below. Include Author and Title on the check. Plays will NOT be considered until the check is received.
· Include a title page with the following information: Name, Address, Phone number, E-mail Address, Approx. length of play (in minutes). Please include title and page number on every page.
· DO NOT put author’s name on any page other than title page. The plays will be read anonymously.

Manuscripts will NOT be returned and critiques will not be given on those plays not chosen for the workshop.

Selected plays will be performed in September 2011 in Buchanan/Montrose, NY. Up to 5 plays will be performed.

Adjudication:
A representative from the Theatre Association of New York State (TANYS) will adjudicate the last performance. Feedback will be given to the playwrights, directors, actors, and the individual productions. Audience members will also participate with anonymous comment sheets. One play may be selected to perform at the TANYS Festival in November, 2011. www.tanys.org

E-mail Manuscript to:
PDW2011@htmplayers.com

Mail manuscript/check to:
HTM Playwright / Director's Workshop
P.O. Box 163
Montrose, NY 10548

For Questions contact: Gary Simon, Artistic Liaison (914) 734-8486
E-mail: Gary.Simon@htmplayers.com

The First Lab had over 60 people in it...Now, for April we have

Saturday April 9^th Second Saturday Theater at the Howland Cultural center in Beacon NY.

Passing the Torch Through the Arts present

“Works in Progress” an Actors/writers lab that performs staged readings

Last Month’s “Works in Progress” was a great success Deidra Dowling’s “The Dray Horse” and Anna Mione’s “The Tea Party” was a big hit, great crowd and great comments.

 We were so proud to present these two Hudson Valley treasures. Also to our fine performers: Pat, Jean Moss and Judy Memsner. We applaud your fine work.

The Lab is catching on. We are attracting many new and established writers and local actors to our events and encourage them to come, and to bring acting projects as well as original writing material to share with our group and to perform at our staged events.

This Month is April and our theme is the Jewish Family in Honor of Passover. April 1^st 1933 was the day that Hitler officially boycotted Jewish owned business and began his public policies that led to the atrocities against the Jews. We also offer a World War 2 Love story to balance the readings.

(Selected scenes from) Lost in Yonkers, Neil Simon’s Pulitzer Prize winning work will be read. The play examines a family struggling to survive in the not too distant past. It is breathtaking in its humanity.

Anna Mione’s “Between the Sheets”, this play is about a wartime romance in the life of a famous WW II photographer and is based on actual events.     

We are still looking for all level of actors to read these works and for other lab projects so actors please come ready to join in.

  Our lab starts at 6:00pm and is $5.00 for writers.

  Our performance starts at 8:00pm and is $10.00 for the general public.

for information visit

www.passingthetorchthroughthearts.com

845-901-6820

                          Come Catch the Fire of Inspiration!

The lab in march was just warming up, at 6pm we had 8 people by 9:30 we had 60  and all this excitement over theater...who knew

Have you always wanted to write a play? Have you always wanted to Act?

    “Works in Progress”

 The New Playwright/Actor workshop at the Howland

If you are an Aspiring actor, a local professional, or just someone that is curious about the art form. If you are a published playwright, or an absolute beginner and interested in writing for the stage. Maybe you’re just a local theater artist that wants to network and keep up with the pulse of the Beacon theater scene… this monthly lab has something for you!

 

The second Saturday of every month Passing the Torch will present the Hudson Valley’s best up and coming playwrights as they develop their works for future productions. Great local actors will read these works. It makes a great evening of compelling entertainment.

There will be a wide variety of plays from Dramas to Musicals, and the selection will be based on the theme of the Month. March is St Patty’s Day and International Woman’s Month so we showcase two local woman playwrights presenting their work.

Anna Mione’s “The Tea Party”

A unique look at history from a modern perspective about and then including Abigail Adams.

Deidra Dowling’s “The Dray Horse”

A family drama, set in Ireland, is about a young man that is sold into service by his impoverished family.

*Be part of the Creative process as the audience is invited to offer helpful and positive critique to give the writer some perspective. The lab schedule will be the same every month:

 6 to 8pm the lab portion where playwrights and actors are given time to  present a manageable portion of their work that is in development to get some feedback and perhaps some insight from another artists point of view.

8 to 9:30pm will be performances with more completed works and established playwrights and seasoned actors. This offers the aspiring artists something to strive for and to see firsthand what how far the art form can be elevated.

Saturday March 12^th   The Howland Cultural Center  477 main st Beacon NY 12508

               $5.00 for the Lab. $10.00 for the reading. $12.00 for both.

                  (this is to pay our performers and keep the Howland’s lights on)

 For Information contact the Howland, or PassingtheTorchThroughtheArts@gmail.com 845-901-6820

                                      Come Catch the Fire of Inspiration!

Come see where it all began !

Sam Cooke and The Rosendale theater

What a match it will be

the Rock-Gospel/Theater event of the year!

Come see this great play where it all started.

The Rosendale Theatre  Collective  will host Passing the Torch Through the Arts  on Saturday February 26^th  at 8pm in the Rosendale Theater with a Fundraising Event … Our Annual Luminary awards and the premiere of Michael Monasterials now fully completed and ready for New York Rock/Gospel play, "Sam, Where You Been Baby?" 

New songs, New scenes, New cast…the final touches are done…come see what a year of touring has done to this great show.  

                            

Opening the show that night…The Readnex, The Kingston Mass Community Choir with Dennis Washington and representatives of the best Hudson valley Choirs. Introducing our new star, Wendell Anderson, famed soul singer of Hues Corporation’s hit song “Rock the boat”, makes his Passing the Torch debut.

 The 4^th annual Luminary Awards  presented by Congressman Maurice Hinchey, Assemblyman Kevin Cahill, and Terry Leroy of the Hatians people support project and will include a Gospel performance with representatives of the best Hudson Valley Choirs followed by a command performance of a play that has the critics buzzing “Sam, Where you been Baby?”  The performance will be streamed on the World Wide Web and then aired on four local cable stations.

About the Award : The Luminary awards are presented annually to people who inspire us to keep forging ahead with our cause of greater understanding of our history and culture from every American, thereby understanding America herself.  We focus on inspiring our youth and people of all ages through innovative, educational, challenging and entertaining programming to expand their horizons.                                                                        

Our awards cover the areas of Education, Public Service, and greater awareness  of our planet through arts and in their sphere of influence.  Our Honorees are people who still care, and that is why Passing the Torch Through the Arts exists.

We strive for excellence since we aim to lead by example just like our honorees.  Committed never means resting with mediocrity, and it must never rest.  For the cause of our future, our youth and our art, is the future of America and humanity as a whole.

Our honorees come from an era where people cared and weren’t afraid to take an unpopular stand with their voices, their art and their personal philosophies, and that is why we are proud to applaud them publically. These men and women are the torchbearers we all look to in this new millennium.

 The 2011 honorees include: Mr. AJ William-Myers of SUNY New Paltz, Dennis Washington of Boys and Girls Club, Ms. Greer Smith of Transart, The Rednex Poetry Squad, and Mr.Victor Melendez of Clearwater.

  

 About the Play: The reviewers hail Sam Cooke Where You Been Baby? as: "Riveting", "Spellbinding", "The best performance and cast north of Broadway",  “A Must See!” : Theater Beat, Times Herald record, Hudson Valley Press. For more reviews and clips of the show go to www.passingthetorchthroughthearts.com

From Rosendale to Woodstock to Beacon, audiences keep coming back for more.  This story of the life of Sam Cooke has been presented to large houses and standing ovations and is still being developed for a NYC tour in Spring 2011.   So come enjoy this masterpiece as it is honed and crafted to perfection by a multi-talented cast and crew. New Cast Members, New Songs, New Scenes!

Passing the Torch Through the Arts present an original historical play by Michael Monasterial entitled,   “ Sam: Where You Been Baby?”

It's educational theater at its finest with this new musical production. This American pop fable illuminates the life and musical genius of a true original. The pop singer who wrote, performed and produced 24 Billboard hits over his 8 years at the top of the charts was also a pioneer in the Civil Rights movement and an inventor of musical styles that are still incorporated in pop and gospel music 50 years later.
Sam Cooke's early years in Mississippi, his rise to fame and his demons that ultimately lead to his untimely demise are explored in this drama, but it is well seasoned with humor, pathos and most of all great, great music.

Sam Cooke is directed by Candi Sterling and the production stage manager is Patricia Gallio, with music by Bruce Berky and choreography by Abby Lappen. It stars Sabrina Kershaw, Lucinda Carr, Stephen M. Jones, Evelyn Clarke, Dennis Washington and Wendell Anderson as Sam Cooke.
 There is a suggested donation of $20.00 per ticket, seniors $15 and $15 in advance. As always, all students (ages 11 to 21) are free when accompanied by an adult. For information call 845-901-6820.

Come catch the Fire of Inspiration!

If you can only attend one African American History event this year...it should be this one!

The Musical event of the year!
(click here to view the poster)

The Howland Cultural Center will host Passing the Torch Through the Arts on Saturday February 12th at 8pm at 477 Main Street, Beacon NY 12508 with a Fundraising Event … It is the premiere of Michael Monasterials’ now fully completed and ready for New York Rock/Gospel play, "Sam, Where You Been Baby?" . Introducing our new star, Wendell Anderson, famed soul singer of Hues Corporation’s hit song “Rock the boat”, makes his Passing the Torch debut.

New songs, New scenes, New cast…the final touches are done…come see what a year of touring has done to this great show.

Also a musical tribute to Three generations of African American Artists…
60’s … Sam Cooke; 70’s… R&B singer Wendell Anderson classics from that era; 80’s …( 9 Year old) Maya Monasterial makes her Hudson Valley professional Theater debut in a tribute to Whitney Houstons’ “The Greatest Love”.

About the Play: The reviewers hail Sam Cooke Where You Been Baby? as: "Riveting", "Spellbinding", "The best performance and cast north of Broadway", “A Must See!” : Theater Beat, Times Herald record, Hudson Valley Press. For more reviews and clips of the show go to www.passingthetorchthroughthearts.com

From Rosendale to Woodstock to Beacon, audiences keep coming back for more. This story of the life of Sam Cooke has been presented to large houses and standing ovations and is still being developed for a NYC tour in Spring 2011. So come enjoy this masterpiece as it is honed and crafted to perfection by a multi-talented cast and crew. New Cast Members, New Songs, New Scenes!

Passing the Torch Through the Arts present an original historical play by Michael Monasterial entitled,
Sam Cooke: Where You Been Baby?

It's educational theater at its finest with this new musical production. This American pop fable illuminates the life and musical genius of a true original. The pop singer who wrote, performed and produced 24 Billboard hits over his 8 years at the top of the charts was also a pioneer in the Civil Rights movement and an inventor of musical styles that are still incorporated in pop and gospel music 50 years later.
Sam Cooke's early years in Mississippi, his rise to fame and his demons that ultimately lead to his untimely demise are explored in this drama, but it is well seasoned with humor, pathos and most of all great, great music.

Sam Cooke is directed by Candi Sterling and the production stage manager is Patricia Gallio, with music by Bruce Berky and choreography by Abby Lappen. It stars Sabrina Kershaw, Lucinda Carr, Stephen M. Jones, Evelyn Clarke, Dennis Washington and Michael Monasterial as Sam Cooke.

There is a suggested donation of $20.00 per ticket, seniors $15 and $15 in advance. As always, all students (ages 11 to 21) are free when accompanied by an adult. For information call 845-901-6820.

Come catch the Fire of Inspiration!