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    Showing posts with label Cornelia Street Cafe. Show all posts
    Showing posts with label Cornelia Street Cafe. Show all posts
  1. Keeping it Positive!

    Wednesday, November 18, 2020


     



    Wow!  People were dancing in the streets for days!!! 



    My friend Jessica Nooney



    I’ve even seen an increase in my neighborhood peeps wearing masks.  Connected?  I don’t know.




     

    My buddy set up my laptop.  It didn’t go totally smoothly because of many technical things that are beyond my ability to re-tell.  For the first time, I was able to attend the Wednesday night poetry workshop where everyone was able to see and hear me as I see and hear them.  That was fun.  However, I did have to put on a shirt, look decent, etc.  J  I was also able to fully participate in a poetry festival this past Sunday.

     

    My secret angel made this all possible.  The laptop with a webcam and mic was a gift that boosts me into this era.  Amazing.  One never knows where blessings will come from next.  This person wants to remain anonymous.  Whatever he wants in that regard is fine with me.  I’ll just say he is from the writing community.  My jaw is still hanging.  Oh, in case anyone’s thoughts went there, no, he’s not trying to sleep with me.  He is happily and committedly partnered up.  He’s seen me at poetry readings where I read my stuff, he’s been to a few comedy shows where I performed, he’s heard some memoir pieces of mine, he reads my blogs and knew I lived without certain things, and he wanted to help.  He really stepped me into this era.  I have often said in previous blogs that I so appreciate the angels on Earth who remind me of certain things… like God/dess hasn’t forgotten me.

     

    As evil as the human race can be, it is also magically humane.  I’ve seen both and experienced both.  Both amaze me.

     

    And since this is a comedy-related blog, I will share something that made me feel good in that part of my life.  On 12/21/2018, a week and some days before Cornelia Street Café had to close, I was in a variety show there, produced by Kathryn Adisman, where I did comedy.  Kathryn recently came across a review by Sarah Dowson in the West View News.  We were not aware that there was a reviewer in the place.  This is what Ms. Dowson wrote (I am mentioned in the third paragraph):

     

    Villagers Speak as Cornelia Street Café Curtain Comes Down

    02/04/2019

    Ghost City Cabaret

     

    Friday night, December 21, 2018, 50 or so poetry and Cornelia Street Café lovers turned to the light for winter solstice and a final evening at the café, due to close in several days. Years ago, when I wrote poetry regularly, I attended and read at open mics at the Cornelia Street Café. It was a wonderful space for people to gather, express opinions and make friends. In her introduction to this solstice evening, Ghost City Cabaret’s Katherine Adisman (“K”), verbalized the concerns of many in attendance about the closings of reasonably-priced gathering spaces in Manhattan.

     

    Once inside after a wait in the bar/restaurant at street level, and finding a seat downstairs, I passed two tiny gender-neutral restrooms at right angles to each other, painted red. I remembered these, as well as the long, narrow room with tables and chairs and a bar at its entrance. Sitting comfortably was easier if one were small or thin. The cement walls were blue, and a red curtain hung behind the stage in front.

     

    A capacity audience of about 50 filled the room. Several writers/performers gave presentations. My favorites: Mindy Matijasevic’s “Comedy for Grown Folks” and drummer Fred Simpson’s musical offerings entitled “Kindness” and “Goodbye, CSC” a tribute to the café. Su Polo gave an outstanding performance of her essay, “A Walk into Christmas” about a possibly lonely pre-holiday evening, walking her dog uptown from 27th Street to Rockefeller Center, and being suddenly surrounded by carolers (her dog in the center of their circle) and then being invited to sing carols: a festive, inclusive evening after all.

     

    After an intermission, open mic performers raced the clock to give everyone a chance to perform, as the café was hosting another event shortly. Ghost City Cabaret has been at Cornelia St. Café for four years. It will revive, K said. “To be continued … in another dimension” the evening’s flyer assured.

     

    — Sarah Dowson

     

     


     

    Much love to CGG-M ❤❤❤

    Mindy Matijasevic

     

     

     

     

     


  2. Comedy, Poetry, 110 Vaginas

    Monday, October 15, 2018













    Those of you who find it easier to get to a comedy show in Brooklyn than 
    most other boroughs, I will be doing a guest spot in the Laugh-tober Comedy Show at the Eastville Comedy Club this Friday evening, 7pm.




    If poetry is more your thing, I am one of the readers in the 4 Horse 
    Poetry Reading curated by Bob Quatrone on Saturday, November 17th at 6pm at the Cornelia Street Café on Cornelia Street in the Village.  Only ten bucks which includes a drink.  The line-up is typically one of which I am proud to be a part.


    If vagina is more your thing, either as an owner or an admirer, mine is one 
    of the 110 vagina portraits in this exhibition on Saturday, December 8th from 4 to 8pm at 40 Ludlow Street.  Photos by Alexandra Jacoby.  And it is free! 

    https://www.eventbrite.com/e/normal-is-diverse-how-you-are-is-how-youre-supposed-to-be-tickets-50572670218





    The normal is diverse exhibition takes place on Saturday, 08-Dec-2018 from 4-8pm at Ludlow Studios, 40 Ludlow Street, NYC 10002.

    It's free, but space is limited. RSVP to reserve your space.

    There is more to share, but for now I’ll leave it on the note of 110 vaginas.




  3. In Turmoil at the Moment

    Saturday, September 29, 2018













    If you read my last blog entry, you know I actually had concern about taking time off from the day job to have an acting job.  Well, after 18 years (first part time, then part time with some amount of benefits, and finally full time with benefits), I was kicked to the curb.  I am glad I chose to take the time for the acting gig.


    Since I am here as a performer (acting and comedy), I don’t want to reveal my age, but losing health benefits now is quite frightening.


    The circumstances of me getting let go is deep and inevitable once I had 
    my third director.  It is book length.  It may appear as a series of columns on my years in adult education. 


    So at the moment I am unemployed.  Haven’t yet received an 
    unemployment check. 


    Once they revealed themselves as a program that would get rid of our 
    counselor who helped so many people in such significant ways, I knew I was next.  I saw what was valued and what wasn’t.  Many laughed when I said I was next.  Many thought I was simply wrong and paranoid.  But what they don’t realize is I grew up under the threat of being put in the foster care system.  My gut knows when I’m going to be tossed. 


    When it happened, staff was shocked, jaws hanging, and some speechless.


    Students are bewildered.  Some are truly heartbroken.  Several refuse to 
    return to that program.  The saddest part is some have given up on school altogether.  It must trigger their PTSD.  The people who made them feel good are gone; the ones they have a hard time with are upgraded.  So much of what goes on in the current government echoes in that program.  Deceit is a big one.  Several people told me to fight it.  I do not want to work with people who don’t want me.  The sad part is the students who, in my mind, I worked for, DO want me.  Some just don’t get it at all even after I tell them I was let go.  They respond with, “So are you coming back to teach?”  Those are the ones who needed a person like me as their teacher and a counselor like the one we had as a person to talk to.


    The Bronx community who benefited from our program lost a lot.


    I personally am in financial fear. 


    I recently played a homeless woman in a short film.  It is scarily 
    convincing.  The director was super thrilled.  I’m a bit creeped out.





    So if you were thinking about coming to Sunday’s Divorced Divas of 
    Comedy show, please do.  I need every dollar I could get.  Thank you.  








  4. Line-up!

    Sunday, September 2, 2018












    Readers, I have lots to share and wrote a good chunk of it, minimized it 
    without saving it, and then during the rainstorms, had power outages and lost it all.  I got discouraged but will try to recapture it all.

    In the meantime, I wanted to announce what I’m doing in case it appeals to you.

    Thursday, September 6th at 6pm – Leah Yerpe, an artist who 
    photographed and drew me four years ago, is exhibiting at Anna Zorina 
    Gallery  which is free to the public.  Her drawing of me is called “Echo.”  Here’s a sneak peek part of it.






    On Thursday, September 13th at 7pm, I’m on the line-up at Otto’s 
    Shrunken Head, which is a free comedy show. 





    On Friday, September 14th at 6pm, I’ll be sharing poetry at Bob 
    Quatrone’s 4 Horse Poetry Reading at Cornelia Street Café.  Cornelia Street between West 4th and Bleecker Streets. Ten bucks includes a drink.  Great deal.  Lots of thought-provoking and feeling-evoking poetry.  Good people.  Always a worthwhile time.


    On Saturday, September 15th 7-10pm, I’ll be doing comedy at N.A.M.A.’s 
    “She Reads” – 107 West 130th Street.  Come support this long-time cultural institution. 




    And on Sunday, September 30th at 6pm, is my show, The Divorced Divas 
    of Comedy show at Cornelia Street Café.  This show is excellent!  $10 cover and $10 minimum.  The food is excellent as are the drinks.  It’s a win-win.  Mark your calendars.



















  5. Well, folks, no plumber has shown up yet.  We can take bets on how long 
    the bathroom ceiling will stay up there.


    Additionally I recently saw a rat in the lobby!  I screamed and ran out of 
    the building.  I went to the store, and when I came back, I was afraid to go into the building.  I waited for someone else to go in with.


    I was soooo freaked out that I texted my ex about it.  I told him I 
    thought he and our son would be amused.  My ex did used to save me from bugs and rodents.  He often said I was going to give him a heart attack.  I just couldn’t help myself.  I wasn’t trying to give him a heart attack.


    It’s been like that.  When I told a neighbor, he said that there are a lot of rats in the building now.  I’m freaking.  I am fuckin’ freaking.


    Changing the channel, a man found my info as an actress on a website 
    where my subscription ran out.  He managed to contact me anyway, and I’m cast in a project that will be marketed to show runners who might find it worthwhile to pitch to TV networks.  I haven’t had an acting gig in a while, so I agreed to it.  Plus now it is easier to take time off from work than during the fall when we have classes.


    I won ten bucks on a five-dollar scratch off ticket.  I also played Quick 
    Draw.  I put a dollar on seven numbers.  Five of them came out.  I won twenty bucks on that.  I am grateful.  That money helps me get through another day or two, but I need a big win.  I really do.


    After the film shoot, the next day I am going to my friend Barbara's in New Jersey again for a couple of days.  She has a pool and a wonderfully fun-loving spirit.  For me, it feels like adult summer camp.  I am so glad I am getting to go again this summer.  Another friend of ours will be there for most of the time also.  So much fun.



     




              








    Those of you interested in the comedy line-up, I’ll be one of nine comics 
    performing on Aaron Smith’s Funny Underground Comedy show at Broadway Comedy Club on 8/31 at 7pm.  Seating at 6:45.  Ten bucks cover and 2 drink minimum.


    Sunday, September 30th at 6pm (seating at 5:45pm), my Divorced Divas 
    of Comedy show will be happening again at Cornelia Street Café on Cornelia Street in the Village.  $10 cover and $10 minimum (food and/or drink).  Guaranteed laughter. 


    I already miss my Frida who is no longer my co-worker.  She is an amazing 
    person, and a huge loss now that our students won’t have her available to them.  She’s now also a loss to much of the staff.  Though underpaid, she wouldn’t have left on her own accord.  The wonderful thing is she is going to work at helping the traumatized children that the Orange One had yanked from their parents.  Maybe that is the bigger plan, but I’m in tears at losing our Frida.    



       














    Love you, Frida!  May God be with you, my dear, as you try to ease the 
    trauma that the Orange a-hole Nazi humanoid caused these children and their parents.























  6. The return of the Divorced Divas of Comedy show was a hit!  I am proud, yes I am.  I was also thrilled that the audience included four poetry friends, four co-workers, and three other friends of mine.  Heart-warming.  Others had guests as well.  Plus the owner sat and watched the whole show.  Each comic had the room going.


    Lucky for me, my friends took photos.  Here we were in action.  I informed the room of my penis-free zone.
























    Debbie shared how to prepare for a third husband search.




    Ken Watter, funniest tax accountant in DC, has a plan for his retirement that involves some non-traditional ideas.
























    Missy's family misunderstood the purpose of her facial scrubber.  Rhonda once wanted to be a nun until a Sister at St. Virgin in the Bushes changed her course.  


    All mixed together was a hilarious time.  In the photo below, Robin Hirsch, owner of the Cornelia Street Cafe, cozies up to the comics and lets everyone know how much he enjoyed us.  




    Those of you who couldn’t get to the show on 7/22, there will hopefully be 
    future opportunities there.  I’d also like to bring the Divorced Divas of Comedy show to some place in the Bronx.  That’s my home borough.  I really should find venues in every borough for this show. 


    The “Divas” rotate to some degree.  One of the ones in the 7/22 show is 
    from Delaware, and another is from Washington, DC.  They traveled to NYC to do the show which was a treat. 


    There’s a lot of stress involved in producing, however, there’s much 
    gratification as well.  I decide the line-up.  I love my taste.  I can easily invite friends and co-workers, confident they will enjoy the show.  Plus the comics typically walk away saying, "It really was a good show."  

    A few nights later, I was in someone else's show.  One big difference is my focus is mainly on my own performance, what to wear, and getting there on time.  Everything else is someone else's stress.  I enjoyed performing under a lighter load.  There's good stuff about both situations.

    Behind the scenes:  At my job, there is a funding shortage.  Most people's security is not secure.  The uncertainty of life.  It is unnerving for sure.

    I am expecting the plumber tomorrow morning to deal with a leak that has been going on for a while.  I have tomorrow off from work. 

    See, behind the scenes, life ain't so glamorous.  Not until someone comes along, sees me doing my thing, and says, "I want that woman in my TV show!" (or something equivalent).  

    With that change in finances, I'd be able to make a donation to the program I currently work for, leave, always have toilet paper, tissues, and towel paper at the same time, pay all debts, help my son, help others, have a real choice of doctors, and move to an easier place to live.  So fun to fantasize.  And my fantasy didn't even get to luxuries.  Not having to worry about survival is a luxury.