"Doing it on the Road" - a free workshop for touring artists

A free workshop for performing artists who take their work on tour across the country will be held on Friday June 5 from 4:00-6:00pm, in the TECO Theater at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, as part of the National Performance Network’s support of and service to performing artists. The workshop is being offered by the National Performance Network (NPN) in conjunction with NPN Partner Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center.

According to Karla Hartley, Shimberg Playhouse’s Artistic Director, all over the country, contemporary performing artists are going outside their local communities, bringing their art to audiences that are eager to see new and innovative theater, dance, music, spoken word, and puppetry. “Touring, a significant aspect of the contemporary performing arts world, presents artists with enormous creative and business demands,” Hartley said. “NPN is interested in sharing what it really takes to take your show on the road. And if you are already touring your work, what more can you do to make the experience more successful?” “Doing it on the Road: a Guide for Touring Performing Artists” is a free information-packed workshop, designed and presented by the NPN. “Doing it” demystifies the touring process for artists who are interested in touring, are ready and have the capacity to tour, have already toured regionally or want to expand touring their work.

NPN devotes a large part of its programming in support of touring artists. After almost 25 years as a national nonprofit arts organization, NPN is very familiar with what it takes for artists to tour their work. NPN has 61 “Partner” presenters in 41 cities across the U.S., and represents diverse cultural organizers, including artists, working to create meaningful partnerships and to provide leadership that enables the practice and public experience of the performing arts in the United States.

“Doing it on the Road” takes place in conjunction with each of the 4 NPN Partners Regional Meetings and is hosted by an NPN Partner. Attending artists will receive a syllabus of touring tips and tools at the 2-hour session. Space is limited: RSVP to 813-222-1087 if you are planning to attend; email Pam Roberts pam@npnweb.org for more information.

Picture Incomplete opens this year's Off Center Series - this weekend!

I have a special attachment to the Shimberg Playhouse. Of all five halls at TBPAC, I likely spend the second-most amount of my time in the building in that room (the first of course being my office).

The Shimberg hosts a lot of events, but my attachment is mostly to my own Jobsite Play Series as well as the Off Center Series.

Before Jobsite ever began working in the Shimberg, I watched shows in the Shimberg Playhouse (then the Off Center Theater) that I couldn't have seen anywhere else in the region.

In the 10 years I've been in Tampa I've seen gripping solo work like Danny Hoch's Jails, Hospitals and Hip Hop (my first Off Center show). I've been delighted by the female clown troupe Gams on the Lam (twice). I've had the opportunity to take workshops from the Gams and from Shawn McConneloug and Her Orchestra. There have been puppets, gay Jewish jugglers and a one man play about an artist who cut his ear off as written by Spock and performed by a USF alum. Karla Hartley has done an outstanding job bringing quality, innovative work to TBPAC year in and year out.

The importance of work like this can't be overstated. Truly, this sort of work exists no where else in the region. Like much of what we do at TBPAC, you simply won't find it anywhere else.

It's often difficult to attract an audience to unknown plays even by known local or national companies. It can be far more challenging to attract an audience to unknown work by unknown players.

To be blunt, in these difficult financial times work like this is often among the first to be put on the cutting block - despite how mission-oriented it might be. It's economics, plain and simple. It's why we're trying to make such a push for this year's series, so that's not even an option.

The first of this year's Off Center Series is this weekend. It's Picture Incomplete - a one man musical. I spoke to Karla last night, and she tells me how great the show sounds from the rehearsals they've already had in the building. Some TBPAC patrons may even remember Trent Armand Kendall from his performance in Diva Diaries a few years back. He's a driven performer who is taking time from his other gig - part of the national tour for The Color Purple - to bring his show to us in Tampa this weekend.

Not to hard sell or anything, but there is a special offer on this year's series for just $49 for all four shows available through this weekend. It's a great deal, check it out if you're interested. Trent is also offering a free workshop on Friday on the subject of creating a musical.

Female poet set to captivate TBPAC this weekend

Glenis Redmond will perform an evening of her original poetry this weekend in the intimate Shimberg Playhouse in a show titled Monumental: Soaring on the Wings of Love. The show is a tribute to those who lift us up: mothers, grandmothers, sisters, brothers and those in the world who dare to write, speak, dance and sing for us all.

“It’s the way her words draw you into a seemingly innocuous subject and singe you with the fury of intelligence scorned. It’s in another league.”– London Time Out.

Glenis is also offering a FREE workshop through the Patel Conservatory this weekend. Check out the details. You can't beat free with a beating machine.

Juggling and poetry workshops

Poetry Off the Page with Glenis Redmond

Experience poetry coming to life! Join workshop leader Glenis Redmond, performance poet and educator from North Carolina, to learn ways to use brainstorming, imagery, and layering to write powerful and effective poems. Clear and easy poetic structures and formats empower you to expand your imagination and to cross creative boundaries. This workshop is for all who wish to know and express themselves more intimately; writing experience is not necessary. Before you begin writing, you will be given prompts to guide you in expressing your own spirit and truth.

Sat., April 28 at 1:00 pm at the Patel Conservatory at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center

Call 813-222-6453 to register

Glenis Redmond's love of words has carried her across the country for thirteen years. She logs over 35,000 miles a year bringing poetry to the masses. This Road Warrior Poet though steeped in Afro-Carolinian roots, speaks a universal tongue of love, loss, celebration, sorrow and hope. Her verse uplifts family, culture, and community. Glenis is a gentle pen pusher as she encourages others to find their voice at diverse venues across the country from prisons, universities, festivals, conferences, camps, keynotes, rallies, to schools. Her poems soothe, illicit and inspire others to pick up their pen and travel their own poetic road.

Glenis is a 2005-2006 NC Literary Award recipient and a Denny C. Plattner Award winner for Outstanding Poetry, awarded by the Appalachian Heritage Journal. She has been inducted in the Mt. Xpress' Hall of Fame for Best Poet in Western North Carolina after winning for over seven years. Glenis is a national workshop leader with the Kennedy Center's Partnership in Education Program in Washington, D.C. Her work has aired on National Public Radio. She is a past winner of the Southern Fried Poetry Slam and a top ten finalist in the National Poetry Slam. Glenis' work has been published most recently in Meridians, African Voices, EMRYS, Asheville Poetry Review, 2006 Kakalak: A Journal of Carolina Poets, Appalachian Heritage and the Appalachian Journal. Her manuscript Under the Sun was short listed by Autumn House Press.

www.glenisredmondstore.com

Sara Felder (of June Bride) Juggling Class

Grades: 5-Adult

This juggling class is for people of all levels from beginner to advanced. The coordination-challenged are especially welcome. Everyone learns to do something they didn’t think they could do. Leave the silk shirt at home and get ready to sweat. Big fun.

Sat., April 28 2-4 p.m.

Call 813.222.1002 to register.

Both workshops are free to Patel Conservatory students; $5 all others