What is plaguing Haiti? Haiti’s political instability has simmered since the slaying of Jovenel Moïse, who had faced opposition protests calling for his resignation over corruption charges and claims that his five-year term had ended. With global inflation soaring, Haiti has been hit hard and is in desperate need of aid. This panel addresses the current ongoing crisis in Haiti and present sustainable measures of remedial action to be taken to ease tensions and to ward off gang violence, poverty and degradation of society in general. The panel offers policy prescriptions on how Haiti can potentially tackle these challenges.
Welcome:
Professor Sophia Murashkovsky Romma, International Human Rights Attorney, and Co-Chair, United Nations Committee of the New York City Bar
Speakers:
Dr. Jean Palerme Mathurin, Economist, PHD
Mercedes Narcisse, Council Member, New York City Council
Carrié Solages, Legislator, Nassau County Legislature
Jude Elie, President of the political platform Sove Lonè
Sandra Dieudonné, President, The Haitian American Lawyers Association of New York
Ervin Nina, International Law Attorney, Co-Chair, United Nations Committee of the New York City Bar Association
Frantz Voltaire, Director, CIDIHCA
Moderator:
Yveline Dalmacy, Attorney, Founder & President of International Caribbean Women Alliance for Empowerment, and Secretary, United Nations Committee of the New York City Bar
Sponsoring Committee:
United Nations, Sophia Murashkovsky Romma & Ervin Nina, Co-Chairs
Co-Sponsoring Committees:
Council on International Affairs, Margaret E. McGuinness, Chair
International Human Rights, Suchitra Vijayan, Chair
Inter-American Affairs, Jessenia Vazcones-Yagual, Chair
Co-Sponsoring Organization:
Haitian American Lawyers Association of New York, Inc.
International Caribbean Women Alliance for Empowerment
The Cyrus R. Vance Center for International Justice, Alexander Papachristou, Executive Director
International Law Section, National Bar Association, Barbara A. Simmons, Chair
Interview with Sophia Romma, the writer of the Korean premiere 'Port of Marina Tsvetaeva'
Let's overcome gender discrimination in theatre with women's solidarity and struggle.
'Women's gust of wind'. This year's award results of the Tony Awards, the best prize in Broadway musicals and theater, are summarized in one word. The musical 'Fun Home', which depicts the life of lesbians, won 5 gold medals, including the Best Musical Award and the Best Best Brickward, and the women also swept the main categories of the Best Director Award (Trater), the Best Stage Award (Theatrea), and the Best Costume Design Award (Musical). "Broadway's high gender discrimination barrier is gradually being broken down" is the reason why cheers broke out.
Sophia Romma, a writer who has been steadily expanding her position in the American performing arts world for more than 20 years, also smiled happily. "It's an amazing and happy change. It is proof that many women have been trying to achieve gender equality. If more people fight together, women's tomorrow will be dazzlingly bright."
Until he was reborn as a playwright, director and poet who crossed the United States and Russia, Rome had to cross the two barriers of women and immigrants. He was born in Moscow in the Cold War. In 1979, when he was 6 years old, he left for America with his family in search of a better life. He was fluent in both Russian and English, so he opened his eyes to the joy of writing early on and was fascinated by the play.
"My essence is an immigrant (émigré). Rome, who does not belong to either side and is always at a crossroads, created many works dealing with social issues such as immigration, sexuality, and gender. He is also a feminist who is natural to women's problems. 'The Past is Still Ahead', written in 2007, is a play depicting the curvy life of Russia's leading poet Marina Ivanovna Tsvetayeva, which was well received in New York and Russia. From August 28th, it was also on the domestic stage under the title 'Portrait of Marina Tsvetayeva' (troupe landscape, director Park Jung-hee). In line with this, I met Rome, who visited Korea, on Daehak-ro on August 29.
- 'Port of Marina Tsvetayeva' premiered in Korea for the first time in Asia.
"It is an honor to present this work to the audience of the world-class city of Seoul. During my stay in Seoul, I plan to watch not only the rehearsal but also this performance. I'm curious and looking forward to how Korean audiences will react to this work."
- Why was it Marina Tsvetayeva?
"Marina Tsvetayeva did not conform to the country's cultural control and tried to keep her artistic beliefs even in the midst of oppression. He was a true artist who thought about humanity, love, and freedom and expressed himself in his own way while living in an era full of sexual prejudice and discrimination. This performance seems to be more meaningful, especially due to the cultural and historical homogeneity of Russia and Korea. It is a history that was considered useless, not propaganda, not in accordance with the values presented by the state. In Russia, many writers, including Marina Tsvetayeva, were sacrificed during Stalin's period. I know that women and art have experienced similar sufferings in the midst of history in Korea."
Broadway is far to achieve gender equality, but there is hope.
The theater world needs more female manpower... Both men and women are also important.
When you dig into the problems of women and art, you can't help but encounter structural problems. Rome, which is based on Broadway in New York, emphasized that it must break the deep-rooted gender discrimination and 'glass ceiling' in the American theater industry. He is also active in theater women's organizations such as the Women's initiative at the Dramatists Guild and the League of Professional Women in Theater.
Rome said, "Women's interest in theater is so high that 70% of American theater audiences are women, but female theater people are treated unfairly in many ways." "Gender equality is an important issue not only in the performance industry but also in all fields. Women should continue to speak up about this, and change will happen," he emphasized.
- What is the level of gender equality in the American theater world?
"The level of gender equality in Broadway has steadily increased. In 2001, only 17% of American theater production was women, an increase of 22% according to recent surveys. This year's Tony Award results were meaningful. Works written, produced, and acted by women received attention, and actresses and female directors swept various major categories. However, the reality is that many women are still under-represented. The voices of female actors are relatively high, but there are no other field workers such as choreographers, stage designers, sound designers, and writers. The treatment of men and women is also different. Female theater people generally receive less funding and pay than men.
Sadly, people don't care much about this kind of problem. When we talk about gender equality, 'Men are bad!' It is sometimes misunderstood as a claim. However, gender equality is also directly related to the improvement of productivity in the theater industry. More talents and ideas can be born when men and women work in an equal proportion without being biased toward one gender."
- What kind of efforts do you think are needed to promote women's rights in the theater industry?
"The theater industry needs more women. Jobs should be given to women who are capable and need jobs. I also want to hire more women if I have the opportunity. Also, I try to reflect the voice of women as much as possible in my work and project. It is also important to realize gender parity in the theater industry. In the women's issue program of the American Playwrights Association, which I belong to, I am trying to make the number of works of female artists and male artists the same as the target of 2020.
- Mother of two children. How did you achieve a balance between work and life?
"If my parents hadn't helped me, I wouldn't have come this far. I was lucky. Especially my mother is a 'god of care'. I don't know how you are so dedicated to taking care of your children all day long (laugh). It's all thanks to my mother."
- If you have any advice you want to give to Korean female playwrights.
"It is important to have a perspective on women and women's issues. If you are a female writer, writing about these topics is something that contributes to improving women's rights. The characters and writers in the play are not separate. My love and soul are little by little in the characters I created. It was a very enjoyable and empowering experience to realize the similarities with me while writing about a great person like Marina Tsvetayeva. As my works were well received one after another, women had the same wit as men, and I gained confidence that I could write good literary works and satisfy readers and critics. You can do it too."
출처 : 여성신문(https://www.womennews.co.kr)
Cynthia Grace Robinson playwright/screenwriter/lyricist was born and raised in The Bronx, New York.
“I use my platform as a Writer to amplify the voices of characters and narratives rarely portrayed on stage and screen. I believe as storytellers we have a unique opportunity to broaden the spectrum and deepen the complexity of the stories we choose to tell.”
Cynthia’s work has been produced throughout the U.S. and internationally. She uses her platform to amplify the narratives of Black people, specifically centering Black women.
Plays include: LETTERS FROM LORETTA (Center Theatre Group Commission); THE BLACK PEARL (Coastal Carolina University Commission); FREEDOM SUMMER (NC Black Rep); DANCING ON EGGSHELLS (Billie Holiday Theatre); WHEN NIGHT FALLS (Semi-finalist, Eugene O’Neill Theater Center Playwriting Conference); PEOLA’S PASSING (New Perspectives Theatre; Festival de Teatro Alternativo, Bogotá); ASCENSION (National Black Theatre Festival/NYC Fringe); THUNDER: A MUSICAL MEMOIR (NYC Fringe); WHAT IF…? (Bishop Arts Theatre Center); BREATH(E) (Negro Ensemble Company); GOLD STAR MOTHER (EstroGenius Festival); IN THIS LIFE (Quick Silver Theater; Finalist, Rhinebeck Writer’s Retreat).
For tickets: The Black Pearl is https://ccuarts.evenue.net/events/TH
Honors include: “Not a Moment, But a Movement” Center Theatre Group Commission; Playwrights of Color Summit/Quick Silver Theatre; Rising Circle/INKTank Residency; Nominee, AUDELCO for Excellence in Black Theatre; Finalist, Samuel French OOB; Winner, Tribeca All-Access Open Stage Inaugural; Nominee, Best New Play, Independent Reviewers of New England.
Cynthia serves as Co-Director of The Fire This Time New Works Lab, and is a Member of The League of Professional Theatre Women, and The Dramatists Guild of America, Inc.
CynthiaGraceRobinson.com
Linked-In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cynthia-grace-robinson/
Instagram @CynthiagracerobinsonFacebook.com/
crobinsonwilliamsLinkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/cynthia-grace-robinson
David Donat Cattin, a member of our Advisory Council, has published an article titled “Violations of Human Rights and Available Remedies under International Law: The Case of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Mass Atrocities in Sudan.” The article also highlights key Action Points from a panel discussion held on November 15, 2024, at Cardozo Law School in New York.
Panelists are, from left to right: Ruth Delbaere, Rodney Dixon, David Donat Cattin, Justyna Gudzowska, and Jocelyn Gergen Kestenbaum – Kyle Matthews on video
photo credits to Marina Coriale, Cardozo Law School.
Action Points from a Panel Discussion held on November 15, 2024, at Cardozo Law School in New York
Two academic think tanks – the Cardozo Law Institute in Holocaust and Human Rights Studies and the Montreal Institute for Global Security –, two students’ associations – Cardozo International Law Society and NYU’s Student Association for Global Affairs (SAGA)–, four Committees of the NYC Bar Association (NYCBA), and a large human rights NGO – Avaaz – united their forces on November 15, 2024, to alert the general public about the disruptive role played by an authoritarian regime of the Persian Gulf, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), vis-à-vis its citizens and against the civilian populations of Sudan, the most underrated humanitarian disaster caused by a civil war. These groups co-sponsored a vibrant Panel Discussion hosted by Cardozo Law School in New York that can be viewed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-yxUFy-6bk .
The UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights Defenders, Prof. Mary Lawlor (Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland) outlined the shocking reality of politically motivated convictions against peaceful dissidents in the UAE, based on an extremely vague definition of terrorism that allows the imposition of life-imprisonment or the death penalty in the absence of any violent act of terrorism. On July 10, 2024, 43 human rights defenders were condemned to a jail term for the remainder of their lives in contravention of fundamental human rights.
UAE’s Human Rights Defender in Exile Dr. Ahmed Al-Nuaimi (brother of one of the 43 UAE convicted Human Rights Defenders) provided a forceful testimony on the widespread and systematic deprivations of fundamental freedoms that have been put in place by the dictatorial regime of the Emirates against him, members of his immediate family and other critical voices. The systematic persecution of pro-democracy activists under the pretense that peaceful dissidents are dangerous ‘terrorists’ should open the eyes of the International Community and the public at large: Dr. Al-Nuaimi called for action within the International Community and the global public opinion in support of the unconditional release of all political prisoners inside the UAE.
Sudanese Human Rights Activist Niemat Ahmadi (President of the Darfur Women Action Group) delivered a powerful account of the mass atrocities that are occurring, once again, in Sudan against the civilian populations after the resumption of the armed conflict on April 15, 2023, when the Rapid Support Forces (RSF, also known as “Janjaweed coalition”) launched a military campaign against the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF). Ms. Ahmadi specifically underscored the situation in Darfur, where RSF militias are targeting Darfuri African groups with genocidal conduct aimed at destroying these non-Arab groups like they were doing 20 years ago, regarding which arrest warrants had been issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC). She made an urgent call for an international intervention by the African Union (AU) and the UN to protect the civilian populations of Sudan, deliver necessary humanitarian assistance, and put an end to the impunity for mass atrocity crimes.
NYU’s Center for Global Affairs Professor Dr. David Donat Cattin (Co-Chair of the Working Group on Justice at the ICMGLT)stated that, as UN sources have been reporting, more than 10 million persons were forced to leave their homes in Sudan and are internally displaced persons or refugees, hence making Sudan the largest humanitarian disaster in the world today. The prevailing situation in Sudan stems from the essential support that the RSF has been receiving from the UAE, as also revealed by the New York Times in a pivotal investigative story published on September 21 [www.nytimes.com/2024/09/21/world/africa/uae-sudan-civil-war.html?unlocked_article_code=1.MU4.jWbU.Ch6O6NGa7P3T&smid=url-share]. It is no surprise to observe that the UAE is also systematically violating the most fundamental human rights of its citizens domestically. Dr. Donat Cattin qualified both situations in Sudan and within the UAE as “internationally wrongful acts” regarding which all States are entitled to undertake proportionate countermeasures under International Law.
Georgetown and Yale Law Professor Justyna P. Gudzowska addressed the Panel on behalf of The Sentry, highlighting that it is important ‘to follow the money’ of those who commit mass-atrocities, and to work towards effective, targeted sanctions. In respect of Sudan, she highlighted ongoing foreign interferences by Egypt, Iran, and Russia in support of the SAF, as well as the UAE sponsorship of the RSF, which is smuggling gold and other natural resources of Sudan via Dubai. Prof. Gudzowska stressed that some commanders of the RSF are already under UN Security Council sanctions, and States must be much more effective in implementing them. States and other actors must shed light on the professional enablers of mass atrocity crimes and gross human rights abuses, and take consequential action.
Barrister Rodney Dixon, KC, who litigated many high-profile cases before international courts and tribunals, described the jurisdictional avenues available to legal practitioners in assisting clients, especially victims of gross human rights abuses. In particular, he focused on the exercise of universal jurisdiction within States and the jurisdiction of the ICC, which exists today in Sudan, as essential tools to affirm the principle of Individual Criminal Responsibility. He underscored the strategic use of targeted sanctions by States as a deterrent against individuals abusing their power. Ultimately, the interconnected situations relating to the UAE and Sudan are stressing the need to bring about criminal prosecutions of the “enablers” of mass atrocity crimes, as their role as co-perpetrators should be explicitly prioritized by Prosecutorial authorities due to the gravity and causation of mass victimization.
Avaaz Legal Campaign Director Ruth Delbaere illustrated the petitions and campaigns launched by Avaaz, signed by millions of individuals in all regions of the world, on the Sudan and other human rights emergencies. While recognizing that it may be more difficult to take action in respect of the UAE, as it did not ratify the most relevant treaties on civil and political rights and on international criminal justice, Ms. Delbaere illustrated several innovative strategies to augment the level of exposure and pressure on this type of actors, drawing from Avaaz’s experience in exposing Qatar’s human rights violations in connection with the last FIFA World Cup. The recent boycott of a concert in Dubai by a famous rapper had a large media impact, and other forms of civil society action can play a reputational role and induce compliance by State authorities and decision-makers who give weight to international standing and reputation.
Economist Dr. Marcos Buscaglia, who authored the book: “Beyond the ESG Portfolio. How Wall Street Can Help Democracies Survive”, submitted enlightening observations on the automatic allocations of financial resources into the UAE that should be revisited once it becomes clear to institutional investors that attacks on democracy and systematic human rights abuses will inevitably augment the risks associated with such investments, and make them less profitable in the long-run. The intervention of Dr. Buscaglia stressed the important role that corporations and institutional investment funds may have in orienting large amounts of financial resources in orienting the behavior of oppressive regimes that want their sovereign fund(s) and State-owned companies to profit from the global financial markets.
Masterfully moderated by Prof. Jocelyn Getgen Kestenbaum (Director of the Cardozo Law Institute in Holocaust and Human Rights and the Benjamin B. Ferencz Human Rights and Atrocity Prevention Clinic), the Panel was opened by Kyle Matthews (Executive Director of the Montreal Institute for Global Security), who called on the International Community and the global media to change the prevailing narratives on the UAE as a happy hub for tourism, investment, sports, and entertainment, as it is an autocratic regime in which no prominent citizen is allowed to disagree with the Government, and to raise the level of global attention on the war in Sudan and the responsibility to protect its civilian populations. In the other opening statement, Prof. Sophia Murashkovsky Romma, Esq. (Co-Chair of the NYC Bar Association UN Committee, also representing the African Affairs, Int’l Law & Int’l Human Rights Committees) stated that the NYCBA is committed to the imperative of “Peace through the Law”, hence to support the fight against impunity for international crimes and towards the application of the law of State Responsibility to serious violations of International Law.
Panelists engaged in addressing questions from a vibrant audience on the legal remedies that are available to States and other stakeholders when addressing gross human rights violations committed by a State against its population and, at the same time, the atrocity crimes perpetrated against the civilian populations of another State, especially when such crimes are committed by militias that are armed, equipped, and financed by that State.
These are their main takeaways and Action Points from their debate:
The UAE’s recent trial and convictions for terrorism offenses of human rights defenders and intellectuals who had been demanding democratic reforms to the Government and had already spent more than 10 years in detention for treason-related charges constitute an internationally wrongful act under customary International Law and is attributable to the responsibility of the UAE. As independently verified by UN mandate-holders and reported by Special Rapporteur for Human Rights Defenders Prof. Mary Lawlor, the UAE trials and convictions to life imprisonment against 43 individuals are in direct breach of fundamental human rights such as (a) the right to life, liberty and security of person; (b) the prohibition of torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment; (c) the right to equality before the law and to non-discrimination in its application; and (d) the prohibition of arbitrary arrest or detention.
The UAE military and financial support to the RSF in Sudan has been an indispensable, strategic contribution to the eruption of the armed conflict on April 15, 2024, which brought about the largest humanitarian emergency in the world, according to UN sources in 2024. In light of the violations of the UN Security Council’s arms embargo on Sudan and considering the widespread and systematic crimes against humanity and war crimes committed by the RSF, whose leader is also under Security Council targeted sanctions, there is no doubt that the UAE sponsorship to the RSF is an internationally wrongful actunder the International Law of State Responsibility. Additionally, the direct contribution to the RSF mass-atrocity crimes gives rise to the application of the principle of Individual Criminal Responsibility to UAE military and political leaders.
Given the erga omnes nature of the obligations to respect human rights and International Humanitarian Law, all States are entitled, on behalf of the International Community as a whole, to impose countermeasures against the UAE: Such countermeasures must be aimed at inducing the cessation of the international wrongful acts, and – therefore – must be proportionate, reversible and temporary while not violating any fundamental human rights or any peremptory norms of International Law (jus cogens). Hence, States should establish domestic policies and unilateral measures by way of countermeasures, such as the targeted freezing of the assets of leaders, and their business interests, implicated in internationally wrongful acts (until such acts are ceased), and – in parallel – enforce existing multilateral sanctions, such as the UN Security Council’s arms embargo on all belligerents in Sudan.
Regarding the principle of Individual Criminal Responsibility, which applies to all forms of co-perpetration, the main avenues for accountability are:
Regarding other restrictive measures (retorsions) or policy measures aimed at responding to the human rights emergency in the UAE and the humanitarian disaster in Sudan, States and other stakeholders have several tools at their disposals, including:
Civil society campaigns concerning the systematic suppression of fundamental human rights inside the UAE and the extreme gravity of the humanitarian emergency in Sudan must raise awareness and understanding in the International Community and “change the narrative” on the UAE. To increase the costs associated with the repetition and continuation of its internationally wrongful acts – given the significance of the reputation for the Emirates, especially Dubai, as a global business and tourism hub –, emphasis should be put on the following targeted actions:
Agenda & Concept Note
Video recording of the Panel
WHERE THERE'S ART, THERE'S HOPE
Call them authoritarians, totalitarians. The wolf is at the door. You can't despair because that's what they want. Our creative community needs to realize the power it already has.
THROUGH DECEMBER 1
THEATER FOR THE NEW CITY
"ORSON'S SHADOW" BY AUSTIN PENDLETON
 |
| Patrick Hamilton as Kenneth Tynan, Brad Fryman as Orson Welles. |
To share a hit show of its Spring season with the largest possible audience, Theater for the New City presents "Orson's Shadow" by Austin Pendleton, directed by Mr. Pendleton and David Schweizer, an Off-Broadway production of Axial Theatre, Oberon Theatre Ensemble and Strindberg Rep in association with Fortify.space and Michael Howard Studios. The play, set in 1960s London, explores the complex dynamics between legendary figures Orson Welles, Laurence Olivier, and Vivien Leigh as they clash during a theater production. It delves into egos, insecurities, and the pursuit of artistic brilliance, revealing tumultuous backstage drama.
 |
| Playwright Austin Pendleton |
Originally mounted as an Equity showcase March 14-31, 2024 by TNC in association with Oberon Theatre Ensemble and Strindberg Rep, the production was praised as beautifully cast and acted, contemporary, entertaining and insightful. In this new mounting, Cady McClain succeeds Kim Taff in the role of Joan Plowright. Returning actors are: Brad Fryman as Orson Welles, Natalie Menna as Vivien Leigh, Patrick Hamilton as Kenneth Tynan, Luke Hofmaier as Sean, the Stage Manager and Ryan Tramont as Laurence Olivier.
NOVEMBER 21 TO DECEMBER 8
LA MAMA E.T.C.
CZECHOSLOVAK-AMERICAN MARIONETTE THEATRE IN
"FOWL PLAY: CONFERENCE OF THE BIRDS"
 |
| L: Cover of "The Conference of the Birds" by Peter Sís C: Dancers Emily LaRochelle and Sarazina Stein R: Director Vit Horejs as Nitpicking Bird Background illustrations by Peter Sís Photos by Jonathan Slaff |
"Fowl Play: Conference of the Birds" is an Object Theater Rock Opera by Czechoslovak-American Marionette Theatre. It dramatizes "Conference of the Birds," a 12th century Persian epic, conceived, written and directed by Vít Horejš with imagery by renowned illustrator Peter Sís and music by composer Avi Fox-Rosen.
"Conference of the Birds" is an allegorical poem by a Persian mystic, Farid ud-Din Attar of Nishapur, that explores themes of spiritual enlightenment and the journey toward union with the divine. A flock of birds of all species, led by a hoopoe (a wise bird), embarks on a quest to find their king, the mystical Simorgh. They travel through seven mystical valleys that represent stages of spiritual development. Many tire and drop out of the quest, others die of fright and homesickness. Those who endure reach the mountain to learn a profound lesson: ultimately the Simurgh is simply a reflection of their own collective souls. The divine truth they seek lies within them and their journey was a metaphor for self-discovery and spiritual awakening.
This classic tale was adapted by celebrated children’s book creator Peter Sís in "The Conference of the Birds" (Penguin, 2011), which was his first book for adults. His illustrations, as seen in that book, are being transformed into projections by Tom Lee to form the scenic design of this production. Puppets, objects and costumes are devised in the spirit of Sís's colorful illustrations, but they are built with found objects including flags, flowers, banknotes, traffic tickets, newspapers, political yard signs, sales flyers and objets d'garbage.
JANUARY 9 TO 26, 2025
THEATER FOR THE NEW CITY
"THE GIGGLING GRANNY"
Marilyn Chris performs the debut run of "The Giggling Granny," a solo play written for her by Marsha Lee Sheiness about the serial killer Nanny Doss, who murdered five husbands in Alabama, North Carolina, Kansas and Oklahoma between 1927 and 1954. A true story about the most mesmerizing, innocent and likable serial killer (looking for true love) that you're ever going to meet. Directed by Jim Semmelman.
 |
| Marilyn Chris as serial killer Nanny Doss. Photo by Jonathan Slaff. |
Ms. Chris is well known for her 18 years on ABC's “One Life To Live” playing Wanda Webb Wolek, for which she received the best supporting actress Award from The TV Magazine Writers and Editors. Her Broadway appearances include “Brighton Beach Memoirs” (as Aunt Kate), "Lenny" (as Sally) and “The Birthday Party" (directed by Alan Schneider). She played Naomi, the paranoid mother of Allen Ginsberg, in "Kaddish," directed by Robert Kalfin, winning an Obie Award, Drama Desk Award, Outer Critics Circle Award and Variety Critics Poll for her performance.
JANUARY 10 TO 19, 2025
THEATER FOR THE NEW CITY
50TH ANNUAL THUNDERBIRD AMERICAN INDIAN DANCERS' POW-WOW AND DANCE CONCERT
 |
| L: Carlos Ponce-Eagle Feather (Mayan) and Alan Brown (Delaware/Dutch). Photo by Tatiana Ronderos. C: Marie McKinney (Cherokee/Seminole) performs Hoop Dance. Photo by Jonathan Slaff. R: Louis Mofsie (Hopi/Winnibago), Photo by Farnaz Taherimotlagh. |
A Pow-Wow is more than just a spectator event: it is a joyous reunion for native peoples nationwide and an opportunity for the non-Indian community to voyage into the philosophy and beauty of Native culture. Traditionally a gathering and sharing of events, Pow-Wows have come to include spectacular dance competitions, exhibitions, and enjoyment of traditional foods.There will be dances, stories and traditional music from Native Peoples of the Northeast, Southwest and Great Plains regions. The event has become a treasured New York tradition for celebrating our diversity by honoring the culture of our first Americans. TNC donates all proceeds from the event to college scholarship funds for Native American students. Throughout the performance, all elements are explained in depth through detailed introductions by the troupe's Director and Emcee Louis Mofsie (Hopi/Winnebago).
JANUARY 23 TO FEBRUARY 9
EAST VILLAGE BASEMENT, 321 E. 9TH STREET
YARA ARTS GROUP IN "SLAP!"
 |
| "Slap" in developmental stagimg at Bowery Poetry Club. L-R: Susan Hwang, Bob Holman, Julian Kytasty. |
An hour-long theatre musical-cabaret interrogating the totally true but outrageous life and journey of David Burliuk, the father Futuris, who is performed by Bob Holman, founder of the Bowery Poetry Club and the poet most often connected with the oral tradition, spoken word, hip hop and poetry slams.
The play is composed of poems and historical facts. Singer-songwriter Susan Hwang portrays an accordion-playing Scythian Ice Princess. Julian Kytasty, a traditional epic singer and bandura player, sings their story. Created and performed by Bob Holman, Susan Hwang and Julian Kytasty; directed by Virlana Tkacz, Artistic Director of Yara Arts Group.
What defined David Burliuk’s life was his constant desire to slap the face of public taste, to see the ancient past in the future and to sharpen our perception to break through linear thinking. The show ends on an upbeat with the “Radio Manifesto” which futurist Burliuk proclaimed in New York in 1926.
JANUARY 30 TO FEBRUARY 16
TEATRO CIRCULO, 64 EAST 4TH STREET
"BODAS DE BLOOD," A BILINGUAL ADAPTATION OF "BLOOD WEDDING" BY FEDERICO GARCIA LORCA
 |
First Maria Ensemble, in collaboration with Cambalache Theatre Company, presents "Bodas de Blood," a bilingual adaptation of "Blood Wedding" (Bodas de Sangre) by Federico García Lorca. Celeste Moratti directs. Translated by Michael Dewell and Carmen Zapata. Performed by an international company with actors from Argentina, Italy, Poland, Colombia, Venezuela, Armenia, the Netherlands and the USA with live music by two Italian musicians, Francesco Santalucia and Papaceccio. This is the third production at Teatro Circulo for First Maria Ensemble, which has hitherto presented all-Shakespeare. It is led by Celeste Moratti, an Italian-born actress who, before founding this company, was best known for both realistic and surrealistic leading roles in the "Pathological Theater" productions of Dario D'Ambrosi. Her vision is informed by her work at La MaMa and The Living Theater. Cambalache Theatre Company was founded this year by two Argentine actresses, Carmen Ezcurra and Cecilia Wisky, who named their troupe after the famous tango "Cambalache"!
Congratulations to our clients for their honors in this year's AUDELCO Awards, which were bestowed November 18.
 |
| Top: "The World According to Micki Grant," Reginald L. Wilson in "Scrambled Eggs." Below: "Unentitled," "Zooman and the Sign" |
BEST LIGHTING
Melody A. Beal | Zooman and the Sign | Negro Ensemble Company
BEST SET DESIGN
Chris Cumberbatch & Angel Smith | Unentitled| Negro Ensemble Company
BEST SOUND DESIGN
Twan Howard | Zooman and the Sign | Negro Ensemble Company
BEST DIRECTOR OF A MUSICAL
Nora Cole | The World According to Micki Grant | New Federal Theatre
FEATURED ACTOR IN A PLAY
Reginald L. Wilson | Zooman and the Sign| Negro Ensemble Company
OUTSTANDING ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCE
Telling Tales out of School | Richarda Abrams, June Ballinger, Petronia Paley, Elizabeth Van Dyke | New Federal Theatre
LEAD ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
Brian Davis | The World According to Micki Grant| New Federal Theatre
LEAD ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL (4) awards
Matelyn Alicia, April Armstrong, Patrice Bell | The World According to Micki Grant| New Federal Theatre
LEAD ACTOR IN A PLAY
Reginald L. Wilson | Scrambled Eggs
BEST REVIVAL OF A PLAY
Unentitled | Negro Ensemble Company
SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Reginald L. Wilson
 |
| "Telling Tales Out of School" |
For a complete list of this year's AUDELCO awards, go here.
INTRODUCING: THE VILLAGE STAR-REVUE
For the past 14 years George Fiala has been publishing a monthly community news paper in Red Hook, Brooklyn. This month, he introduced a Greenwich Village paper. The Village Star-Revue is based on The Villlager, a paper of which he was General Manager for five years beginning in 1978 when he was right out of college.
 |
At this point, it's a monthly print newspaper distributed free of charge in the finest apartment buildings, supermarkets, pizza shops, theaters and local shops in both the East and West Village. Coverage will include local government including community boards and local schools, as well as local theater, music, dance and art. Also: interviews with interesting personalities and the issues of the day, including land use, regulations and culture at-large.
He's looking for writers and sales people. Freelance writing rates start at $100 a story and up, ad commissions are 25%. Interested? Call or write George Fiala at gbrook8344@gmail.com or (917) 652-9128.
PLAYWRIGHT SOPHIA MURASHKOVSKY ROMMA ORGANIZES HER SECOND PROGRAM ON HOLOCAUST AND GLOBAL ANTISEMITISM AT NYC BAR ASSOCIATION
 |
| Sophia Murashkovsky Romma |
Playwright Sophia Murashkovsky Romma is also an international human rights attorney and her plays often sound off against antisemitism. Last year, she organized and led a lunchtime panel on global antisemitism at the New York City Bar Association, 42 West 44th Street, featuring experts, Holocaust survivors and advocates who battle Holocaust denial. This year, on May 9, she returned with a second panel, "The Sound of the Siren: Heeding the Warning Signs of Intolerance, Racism and new forms of Antisemitism." Clear headed legal/historical syntheses were presented on developments in global antisemitism since the October 7 attacks in Israel, historical revisionism in Russia's propaganda efforts in Ukraine, and the accelerant effect of social media.
 |
| Panelists and audience of "The Sound of the Siren: Heeding the Warning Signs of Intolerance, Racism and new forms of Antisemitism" at New York City Bar Association. |
These meetings are significant in that they bring attention to how legislation and levers of government are being used to reassert nationalism and ethnic identity worldwide. Astoundingly, some European countries are adopting legislation repudiating their countries' complicity with the Nazis and participation in the Holocaust. Daniel E. Karson, a lawyer and business risk consultant, traced how laws of this type were introduced in nine European countries from 2011 to 2023, stopping only with Russian's invasion of Ukraine, when smaller countries and former Soviet satellites suddenly had something more important to worry about than expunging their historical guilt.
One of the afternoon's most chilling presentations was a talk by South African born lawyer Trevor Norwitz, a partner at Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz in NYC, portraying the International Court of Justice as an international institution having its legitimacy and credibility undermined by anti-Israel hate.
Panelists included lawyers, diplomats, scholars and Holocaust survivors. It's worth taking the time to watch this video recording of the affair. Go here.
BINGING ON BOB McANDREW SCREENPLAYS
First I was binging on news articles about Chinese expansionism. Then I got my nose out of the blatts and rented "Shadow Magic," written by Bob McAndrew and directed by Ann Hu (Sony pictures, 2001). Its story revolves around the introduction of Western cinema to China. The protagonist, a Chinese photographer, partners with a British businessman to bring the first motion pictures to Beijing. With them, he wins the heart of the daughter of a Chinese opera star and the favor of the Dowager Empress. The drama and romance movie earned McAndrew a Golden Horse Award at the Taiwan Film Festival and was an official selection at Sundance. It's streaming on Prime Video and free on PlutoTV, Freevee and four others.
 |
In the film, the Chinese characters experience both fascination and skepticism towards foreign innovation. Today, the roles are often reversed, with China exporting its technological and economic might abroad, including in the U.S. Audiences might draw parallels between historical Western expansionism into China and the current era, where China is asserting its own version of "soft power" through media, technology, and international investments.
With that one under my belt, I binged on several of McAndrew's unproduced screenplays, which he kindly shared with me. In "Long-Lost Love," a man travels across country to find his high school sweetheart. "Stand Up Man" is a gritty tale of redemption, chronicling a Puerto Rican boxer's electrifying comeback. What are you reading?
The Council of Organizations (COO) extends our gratitude to you and your organization, Garden of the Avant-Garde, for participating in the "Road To The Summit: Council of Organizations" forum that was held on July 15, 2024. Your presentation and remarks were invaluable to a greater understanding of the aim of the United Nations' Summit of the Future, the Pact for the Future document, and the work of our civil society organizations. Our joining together for the forum exemplified our commitment to collaborations and partnerships as designated in SDG #17.
We look forward to the next steps leading to the Summit, as many of our organizations have planned forums, dialogues, and presentations prior to the Summit , during the Action Days, during the Summit, and after the Summit. We urge you to continue to share your information with our organizations so that we can continue to support your programs and goals.
Gender-based violence, or threats, abuse, or harm to a person on the basis of sex and/or gender, is a pervasive problem throughout the world – but there are many ways to combat it.
At an event co-hosted by the New York State Bar Association and the Milan Bar Association, international experts delved into the difficulties in combating gender-based violence, and legal strategies and tools to aid victims and survivors.
Federica Dell’Orto, attorney at Federica Dell’Orto Law Firm, moderated the event. Many speakers discussed how changes to Italy’s laws have impacted proceedings in domestic violence cases, including protection orders and court appearances by victims.
Technology Brings New Dangers
Sophia Murashkovsky Romma, playwright and professor of Legal Writing at Touro Law, said that gender-based violence has been aided and amplified by the internet.
“Technology has transformed many items of gender-based violence into something that can be perpetrated across distance without physical contact and beyond borders, using anonymous profiles to amplify the victim’s harm,” she said.
Romma said that laws regarding cybercrimes, hate speech, and violence against women must be updated and enforced to reflect this reality. In fact, courts and laws should be more sensitive to the trauma of victims.
Vulnerable People Are Often Victims
Romma also discussed how sexual violence and human trafficking increases in times of conflict and war, including Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“Domestic violence does not begin and end in the domestic sphere,” said Judith Wood, immigration lawyer at the Law Office of Judith Wood. “It is systemic, it is in the society, and the society condones domestic violence, and so a woman might be a victim of domestic violence, and then somehow not become a victim. She liberates herself, leaves the situation, and therefore she’s no longer a victim. But the society in which she escapes to is not necessarily welcoming. In fact, it can be quite punitive against the woman who escapes from domestic violence. And moving on to when she actually gets to the United States and files for asylum, the situation can become even more traumatic.”
Wood discussed cases in immigration court where judges doubted her clients’ accounts of violence and denied their asylum claims as a result.
“It’s not limited to a domestic household,” she said. “It’s throughout the system. And when a woman finds herself in immigration court – which is basically where I practice – and the judge basically throws salt on the wound by finding that he doesn’t believe her, despite the fact that she suffered horrific violence.”
Author Consolee Nishimwe shared her story of surviving gender-based violence during the 1994 Rwandan Genocide, and expressed gratitude that so many legal professionals are helping victims and survivors.
“I really appreciate all of you,” she said. “And the work you do to make sure that you are speaking, you are working on behalf of so many survivors. It’s really important. That’s why I’m really honored to be part of this conference. And I was so moved by each and every one of you, by your remarks and the work you have been doing. Whenever I see a survivor, whenever I’m in the community of survivors, I always remind them there are people who care. There are people who are fighting every day to make sure that our voices are heard.”
The program was sponsored by the New York State Bar Association’s International Section, its Italy Chapter, and the Women in Law Section.
Other speakers included:
By Rebecca Melnitsky
Can a human rights defender, an academic or a lawyer demanding national reforms be treated "as if" he or she was a terrorist?
The case of 84 dissidents to the United Arab Emirates Government indicates that this shocking reality may be materializing soon, with the imminent risk of convictions to irremediable penalties like life-imprisonment or the death penalty. This is one the findings that emerged from a vibrant Panel Discussion with legal practitioners, scholars, NGOs and think tanks that I had the honor to organize and moderate at NYU SPS Center for Global Affairs on May 30 focusing on "Counterterrorism, Human Rights and the Independence of Judges".
Co-sponsored by the New York City Bar Association Committees on International Human Rights and United Nations, and its Independence of Lawyers and Judges Task Force, as well as the Student Association in Global Affairs (SAGA), engaging panelists included Senior Judge Delissa Ridgway (American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative), Michael Page (Human Rights Watch), Kyle Matthews, Olajumoke (Jumo) Ayandele, Ph.D. , and Rodney Dixon KC (Temple Garden Chambers). Opened by NYU-CGA Dean Carolyn Kissane and introduced by remarks of NYCBA Co-Chairs Christopher Pioch, Ramya Jawahar Kudekallu, and Sophia Romma, Ph.D., Esq., the Panel benefitted from introductory remarks of NYU Law Prof. Meg Satterthwaite, UN Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Lawyers and Judges who co-signed a powerful communication addressed to the UAE calling for the respect of human rights of all persons accused or detained on the basis of extremely broad and undefined terrorist offenses.
The video of the Panel and a detailed summary of its proceedings have been published on this webpage by the Montreal Institute For Genocide and Human Rights Studies: https://lnkd.in/dRcwp-fS
