this week in lectures, signings, panel discussions, workshops, and Q&As

AN EVENING OF NEW YORK SONGS AND STORIES WITH SUZANNE VEGA: LIVE AT THE BLUE NOTE

Who: Suzanne Vega, Gerry Leonard, Jeff Allen, Jason Hart
What: Two livestreamed concerts
Where: Blue Note Jazz Club online
When: Wednesday, October 7, 9:00, and Thursday, October 8, $24, 3:00
Why: Beloved singer-songwriter Suzanne Vega might have been born in California, but she is a true New Yorker, raised in Spanish Harlem. She is celebrating the release of her live album, An Evening of New York Songs and Stories, with two shows that will be livestreamed from the Blue Note in Greenwich Village, where she will perform the full record with guitarist Gerry Leonard, bassist Jeff Allen, and keyboardist Jason Hart. On October 7, the show will begin at 9:00 for US audiences, while the October 8 show will start at 3:00 for overseas fans, although you can watch either or both concerts no matter where you are. The record, which was released on her label, Amanuensis/Cooking Vinyl, on September 11, features sixteen songs from throughout her career, focusing on New York City as a theme, including “Marlene on the Wall,” “Ludlow Street,” “Freeze Tag,” “Tom’s Diner,” “Luka,” “New York Is My Destination,” and “New York Is a Woman” in addition to a cover of Lou Reed’s “Walk on the Wild Side.” (Ten years ago, Dutch DJ Ben Liebrand did a mashup of Reed’s underground classic with “Tom’s Diner,” which you can listen to here.) Vega, who has also written her own one-woman biomusical, Carson McCullers Talks About Love, has been a fun presence on social media during the pandemic, doing interviews (she discussed her part in the New Group production of Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice here) and playing songs and telling stories from her home (check out her Greenwich Village Folk Festival set here), so this full-band show is a don’t-miss opportunity to not just hang out with a New York treasure but fall in love with her, and the city, all over again.

LESSONS IN SURVIVAL

Who: Kyle Beltran, Dan Butler, Helen Cespedes, Kalyne Coleman, Crystal Dickinson, Brandon J. Dirden, Ricardy Fabre, Yonatan Gebeyehu, Marin Ireland, Peter Mark Kendall, Nicole Lewis, Nana Mensah, Joe Morton, Deirdre O’Connell, Keith Randolph Smith, Ryan Spahn, Chris Stack, Myra Lucretia Taylor, TL Thompson, Nicole Villamil, Victoria Villier, Reggie D. White
What: Historic talks put into contemporary context
Where: Vineyard Theatre
When: October 6 – November 1, community conversations free, others $5-$9 per person per event, All Access Pass $60
Why: Conceived by Marin Ireland, Peter Mark Kendall, Tyler Thomas, and Reggie D. White, the Vineyard Theatre’s “Lessons in Survival” features a group of actors dubbed the Commissary reenacting historic speeches, interviews, and conversations from activists and artists during revolutionary times. Episodes such as “Survival Is Not a One Time Decision,” “I’m Trying to Make You See Something,” and “When You Say Revolution . . . What Do You Mean?” will be performed by Kyle Beltran, Dan Butler, Helen Cespedes, Crystal Dickinson, Brandon J. Dirden, Nicole Lewis, Joe Morton, Deirdre O’Connell, and Keith Randolph Smith, presenting the words of Nina Simone, Lorraine Hansberry, James Baldwin, Angela Davis, Fannie Lou Hamer, Maya Angelou, Toni Morrison, Nikki Giovanni, and others, directed by Tyler Thomas, with video design and editing by Josiah Davis and music by Daniel Kluger. Performances take place Tuesday and Wednesday nights at 8:30, with ticketed open rehearsals on Thursday nights and free Sunday afternoon community talks that can be viewed over YouTube and Facebook Live. To get ready, you can watch a discussion about the series here.

Tuesday, October 6, 8:30
“Survival Is Not a One Time Decision,” words by Nina Simone, Lorraine Hansberry, and Audre Lorde/Blanche Cook, with Nicole Lewis, Kalyne Coleman, Myra Lucretia Taylor, and Deirdre O’Connell

Wednesday, October 7, 8:30
“I’m Trying to Make You See Something,” words by James Baldwin/Dick Cavett, and Paul Weiss, followed by live tweeting about the vice presidential debate, with Ricardy Fabre, Chris Stack, and Dan Butler

Thursday, October 8, 8:30
Live Open Rehearsal, words by Ruby Dee and Ossie Davis and others, with Crystal Dickinson, Brandon J. Dirden, and Victoria Villier

Sunday, October 11, 5:30
Live Community Conversation, free

Tuesday, October 13, 8:30
“When You Say Revolution . . . What Do You Mean?,” words by Angela Davis, Georgia Gilmore, and Fannie Lou Hamer, with Nicole Lewis, Ricardy Fabre, Crystal Dickinson, and Helen Cespedes

Thursday, October 15, 8:30
Live Open Rehearsal, words by Bobby Seale, Bobby Seale/Bob Costas, and Ericka Huggins/Angela Davis/JoNina Abron/Barbara Rogers, with April Matthis, Reggie D. White, Sevrin Anne Mason, Adam Chanler-Berat, Brandon J. Dirden, Kristolyn Lloyd, Clarissa Marie Ligon, Nicole Lewis, and director Tyler Thomas

Sunday, October 18
Live Community Conversation, free, 5:30

“The Old Leadership Is Dead,” words by Bayard Rustin, with Kyle Beltran, Yonatan Gebeyehu, and TL Thompson, 8:30

Tuesday, October 20, 8:30
“Something Is Beginning to Crack,” words by Maya Angelou/Mavis Nicholson and James Baldwin/Mavis Nicholson, with Myra Lucretia Taylor, Marin Ireland, Joe Morton, and Deirdre O’Connell

Wednesday, October 21, 8:30
“This Country’s My Problem and Your Problem,” words by Toni Morrison and Charlie Rose, James Baldwin and R. H. Darden, with Dan Butler, Yonatan Gebeyehu, Nana Mensah, and Ryan Spahn

Thursday, October 22, 8:30
Live Open Rehearsal, words by Muhammad Ali/Nikki Giovanni, Joan Baez, Pete Seeger, and more, with TL Thompson, Jennifer Ikeda, Crystal Dickinson, Nicole Villamil, Peter Mark Kendall, Peter Gerety, and director Tyler Thomas

Sunday, October 25
Live Community Conversation, free, 5:30

“This Country’s My Problem and Your Problem,” words by Toni Morrison/Charlie Rose, James Baldwin, and R. H. Darden, with Dan Butler, Yonatan Gebeyehu, Nana Mensah, and Ryan Spahn, 8:30

Tuesday, October 27, 8:30
“Lie to Me,” words by James Baldwin/Nikki Giovanni, with Kalyne Coleman, Crystal Dickinson, and Reggie White

Thursday, October 29, 8:30
Live Open Rehearsal, with words by Lucille Clifton/Sonia Sanchez, Sarah Keys Evans, John Lewis, and Paul Robeson, with Keith Randolph Smith and others

Sunday, November 1
Live Community Conversation, free, 5:30

“To Teach Is a Revolutionary Act,” words by James Baldwin/Nikki Giovanni, with Kyle Beltran, Nana Mensah, Kalyne Coleman, and Joe Morton, 8:30

LAS AVENTURAS DE JUAN PLANCHARD ONLINE PREVIEW WITH LIVE Q&A

Who: Edgar Ramírez, Moisés Kaufman, Jonathan Jakubowicz, Daniela Bascopé, Elba Escobar, María Gabriela de Farias, Rafael De La Fuente, Christian McGaffney, Iván Tamayo, Franklin Virguez, Amanda-Lynn Williams
What: Livestreamed performance of selections from new play and Q&A
Where: YouTube and Zoom
When: Tuesday, October 6, free with RSVP, 7:00
Why: New York City’s Tectonic Theater Project and Florida’s Miami New Drama are teaming up to present the world premiere of select scenes from Tectonic founder and artistic director Moisés Kaufman’s first Spanish-language play, Las Aventuras de Juan Planchard. Written and directed by the Caracas-born Kaufman (33 Variations, The Laramie Project), the work is based on the novel by Venezuelan author and filmmaker Jonathan Jakubowicz that became a rallying cry for the anti-Maduro movement. “I’ve witnessed my native country devastated by the Bolivarian Revolution. Chavez, Maduro, and their amoral cronies and henchmen have bankrupted one of the richest countries in the world, and brought about famine, disease, and scarcity of basic goods,” Kaufman said in a statement. “I’ve been eager to write a play about the situation there but couldn’t do it because I’ve been gone for twenty-five years. But then I read Jonathan’s novel and I knew I’d found the story I wanted to tell. This play wouldn’t be allowed to be performed in Venezuela today — but the online preview will allow Venezuelans to see it; in fact, all of Latin America will be able to see it, and that fills me with great joy.” The play features Daniela Bascopé, Elba Escobar, María Gabriela de Farias, Rafael De La Fuente, Iván Tamayo, Franklin Virguez, Amanda-Lynn Williams, and Christian McGaffney as the title character.

“If you multiply the money made by Al Capone by the money made by Pablo Escobar and adjust for inflation, you would still be nowhere near the amount of cash that has been stolen by Hugo Chavez and Nicolas Maduro,” Jakubowicz added. “They have undoubtedly performed the biggest robbery of all time, and it’s all been done in the name of socialism. The Adventures of Juan Planchard is an inside look at how this mafia operates. I wrote it as a desperate attempt to reach my fellow Venezuelans, and never dreamed that it would become an international bestseller. It also never crossed my mind that one of my all-time heroes, Moisés Kaufman, would end up adapting it for the stage. When I saw the first reading of his play, I was blown away. And I know that fans of the novel, and those who have never read it, will be both physically and intellectually seduced by Juan Planchard, his adventure, and his immense moral dilemma.” Following the prerecorded performance on YouTube, Kaufman, Jakubowicz, and Miami New Drama artistic director Michel Hausman will participate in a live Zoom Q&A. The fully staged show is scheduled to be performed in person, with an audience, at the Colony Theater in summer 2021 if regulations allow.

OTHELLO 2020

Who: Grantham Coleman, Franchelle Stewart Dorn, Jennifer Ikeda, Harry Lennix, Patrick Page, Madeline Sayet, Jessika D. Williams, David Sterling Brown, Erika Lin, Ayanna Thompson, more
What: Performances and discussions surrounding Shakespeare’s Othello
Where: Red Bull Theater livestream
When: October 5, 7, 12, 15, 19, 22, 26, 28, free with RSVP
Why: One of the most remarkable aspects of William Shakespeare’s plays is how relevant they remain today, as companies infuse the histories, comedies, and tragedies with contemporary relevance. Red Bull Theater, one of the most active troupes during the pandemic lockdown, will take on the Bard’s The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice with “Othello 2020,” a series of special programs that explore the work’s lasting impact as it continues to thrill and challenge audiences around the world. “All of us at Red Bull are excited to deepen our exploration and understanding of the intersection of race and classical theater,” artistic director Jesse Berger said in a statement. “This October, with Shakespeare’s Othello as our launching point, we invite audiences to take a deep dive into these issues as we examine them from a variety of perspectives over the course of four key projects. Together, we’ll ask, ‘What does Othello mean for us in 2020’?” The initiative begins October 5 with the RemakaBULL Podversation “Exploring Iago” with Patrick Page, who will perform one of Iago’s most important speeches (“Thus do I ever make my fool my purse: / For I mine own gained knowledge should profane, / If I would time expend with such a snipe. / But for my sport and profit. I hate the Moor”), then talk about it with associate artistic director Nathan Winkelstein; Page played Iago opposite Avery Brooks’s Othello in 2005 at the Shakespeare Theatre Company.

On Wednesday afternoons at 2:00, the free webinar “Exploring Othello in 2020” consists of salon seminars examining the work in the context of racial justice and the BLM movement, featuring BIPOC voices, moderated by Shakespeare scholar Ayanna Thompson; each week will feature readings, by Keith Hamilton Cobb (American Moor), Franchelle Stewart Dorn (’Tis Pity She’s a Whore), Jennifer Ikeda (Women Beware Women), Anchuli Felicia King (White Pearl), Harry Lennix (Radio Golf), Madeline Sayet (Where We Belong), and Jessika D. Williams, who is currently portraying Othello at the American Shakespeare Center in Virginia. On October 12 at 7:30, Cobb will deliver a live benefit reading of his one-man show, American Moor, in which he auditions for a white director, followed on October 15 at 7:30 by a Bull Session with scholar Erika Lin, original director Kim Weild, and members of the company. On October 19, Red Bull teams up with the American Shakespeare Center for a benefit reading of King’s Keene, which takes place at at a Shakespeare conference, directed by Ethan McSweeny and starring Grantham Coleman, followed October 22 at 7:30 by a Bull Session with scholar David Sterling Brown and members of the company, moderated by Anne G. Morgan. All events are free with advance RSVP.

KEEN AFTER HOURS

Who: Kate Baldwin, Marsha Mason, John-Andrew Morrison, Jasminn Johnson, Pearl Cleage, Kate Cortesi, finkle, James Anthony Tyler, Melissa Li, Kit Yan
What: Weekly interactive discussions about theater
Where: Keen Company website, Facebook page and YouTube channel
When: Monday nights at 6:30, free
Why: New York’s Keen Company recently announced that its twenty-first season will include five world premiere audio plays as they adapt to the pandemic lockdown. In the meantime, the off Broadway troupe, which has staged such works as The Good Thief by Conor McPherson, The Breadwinner by W. Somerset Maugham, Beasley’s Christmas Party by Booth Tarkington, Painting Churches by Tina Howe, and Boy by Anna Ziegler with such actors as Brian d’Arcy James, Keir Dullea, Matt McGrath, John Cullum, Kathleen Chalfant, and the always amazing Thomas Jay Ryan, has begun “Keen After Hours,” free, live discussions taking place every Monday night at 6:30. The series kicked off September 21 with George Salazar (Tick, Tick . . . Boom!) speaking with marketing manager Billy Recce, managing producer Ashley DiGiorgi, and artistic director Jonathan Silverstein, followed the next week with Brenda Pressley (Surely Goodness and Mercy). The program continues October 5 with Kate Baldwin (John & Jen), October 12 with the “Hear/Now” launch party with 2020-21 season playwrights Pearl Cleage (Blues for an Alabama Sky), Kate Cortesi, finkle, James Anthony Tyler, and Melissa Li & Kit Yan, October 19 with Marsha Mason (I Never Sang for My Father), and October 26 with John-Andrew Morrison and Jasminn Johnson (Blues for an Alabama Sky).

43rd ASIAN AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

AAIFF43
October 1-11, films $10 per person, $15 per household, Gold Pass $150, live events pay-what-you-wish
www.aaiff.org

The forty-third annual Asian American International Film Festival runs online October 1-11, consisting of full-length films, shorts, documentaries, anime, Q&As, panel discussions, master classes, and more. Every day features three hours of pay-what-you-wish live programming, including postscreening Q&As for which you do not have to have seen the film. Tickets for films are $10 per person and $15 per household and can be viewed at any time during the festival, which kicks off with special presentations of Ramona S. Diaz’s A Thousand Cuts, about fearless Filipino journalist Maria Ressa, and Andrew Ahn’s Driveways, followed by a Q&A with the director and stars Hong Chau and Lucas Jaye. Below are only some of the livestream highlights.

Thursday, October 1
The 2020 72 Hour Shootout: Top Ten Selection, 8:30

Filipino Filmmakers Roundtable, 7:00

Friday, October 2
Game Night! Designing for Games Roundtable, Part 1, with GJ Lee, Goutham Dindukurthi, and Jenny Windom, 9:30

Saturday, October 3
Online Distribution for Shorts, with Jason Sondhi, Maegan Houang, Nirav Bhakta, Gayatri Bajpai, SJ Son & Woody Fu, 6:30

Sunday, October 4
Impact Producing, with Pulkit Datta, Cecilia Mejia, Suzan Beraza, Megan Vandervort, and Sahar Driver, 12:30

TikTok and the Storytelling Revolution, 6:30

Monday, October 5
Documentary Panel: Navigating Cultural Communities and Identities, 7:30

Tuesday, October 6
Anti-Racism: Storytelling in Education and Awareness (Pt. 1), 7:30

Wednesday, October 7
Anti-Racism: Online Activism Campaigns (Pt. 2), 7:30

Game Night! Designing for Games Roundtable, Part 2, 9:00

Friday, October 9
Comedy Night, 9:00

Saturday, October 10
Masterclass with Ramona Diaz, 12:30

Music Night Out, 7:00

SHAKESPEARE EVERYWHERE

Who: F. Murray Abraham, Angela Bassett, Annette Bening, Biko’s Manna and Family, Jonathan Cake, Merle Dandridge, Keith David, Dame Judi Dench, Maureen Dowd, Ralph Fiennes, Gideon Firl, Amadou Kouyate, Harry Lennix, Norm Lewis, Dame Helen Mirren, Joe Morton, Antonio Parker Quintet, Nova Y. Payton, Nancy Robinette, Kalen Robinson, Mary Michelle Schaefer, Liev Schreiber, Russell Thomas, Courtney B. Vance, Simon Godwin, more
What: Shakespeare Theatre Company online gala
Where: Shakespeare Theatre Company
When: Saturday, October 3, free with RSVP, 7:00
Why: William Shakespeare knew a thing or two about being quarantined during a health crisis. So it’s more than apt that the Shakespeare Theatre Company’s annual gala this year will be taking place virtually, with theaters closed. The DC company’s popular fundraiser goes virtual on October 3 at 7:00, featuring an all-star roster performing and discussing the Bard, including F. Murray Abraham, Angela Bassett, Jonathan Cake, Merle Dandridge, Dame Judi Dench, Maureen Dowd, Ralph Fiennes, Harry Lennix, Norm Lewis, Dame Helen Mirren, Kalen Robinson, Liev Schreiber, Russell Thomas, Courtney B. Vance, the cast of The Amen Corner, and artistic director Simon Godwin, among others; the event is codirected by LeeAnet Noble and Alan Paul. Admission is free, but donations will be accepted; there is also a preshow virtual cocktail reception and a silent auction, where you can bid on art, food and wine, trips to Ireland, Greece, and other countries, costumes and props, and sponsoring an episode of Shakespeare Hour Live!