A network and resources for the Princeton arts community
Luke Cissell '02 releases the third video from his Nightside album. Shot in Manhattan's Chinatown, the cinematic "Karen Black's Blonde Wig" was inspired by classic thrillers and suspense films of the 60s and 70s.
Facebook URL: http://fb.watch/2HI1W5lY6a/
Instagram URL: http://www.instagram.com/tv/CJWTZ1rlcI4
Other Website: http://youtu.be/wKxDgWOD2MY
In the latest installment of my "Darjeeling Journal" column for Catapult, I explore how a saddle rug I inherited from my Tibetan great-grandfather keeps him--and a vanished Tibet--alive for me (https://bit.ly/3myGV6j).
December marked the 30th anniversary of the death of the great Reinaldo Arenas. Read my New Yorker interview with Arenas (https://bit.ly/3atEr6I) and see my Paris Review essay about Arenas, writers in exile, and Havana (https://bit.ly/3r9uhhP). Also see my piece in the HuffPost: "On Exile and the Longing for Home: Cuban Writer Reinaldo Arenas" (https://bit.ly/2Kpfzm1).
Other Website: http://www.anntashislater.com
The Wilson Family -- including Cliff Wilson '80, Hannah Wilson Rebrovick '11, Brad McKnight Wilson '13, and Maeli Goren '15 -- has released an album of Beatles songs. "Meet the Weatles" was released on December 5 and includes some very faithful reproductions of Lennon-McCartney classics, as well as some creative reimaginings of their songs. It is available on Spotify, Apple Music and other music streaming services.
A companion web site includes liner notes, anecdotes, photos and Beatles trivia. Visit www.hbts.com.
Other Website: http://www.hbts.com
A GRAMMY® first-round entry for Best Arrangement (Instrumental or A Capella), "Up On The Roof" by Luke Cissell '02 is an instrumental (violin/viola) cover of the Carole King / Gerry Goffin song first recorded by The Drifters in the early sixties. The accompanying video was named a winner in the Goffin King Foundation ISO Booth competition.
Website: https://lukecissell.bandcamp.com/
Facebook: http://fb.watch/1Ww87UZBod/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/lukecissell/status/1315302143725891585?s=21
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/tv/CAN_GgeJwmN/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Kaitlyn Hay is participating in the 38th Annual Central Park Arsenal Gallery Wreath Interpretations exhibit, sponsored and organized by the New York City Parks Department.
Event Date: December 1, 2020
Website: https://www.nycgovparks.org/
In "Montaigne, My Father, and the Art of Living," an essay in Catapult Culture/Books, I explore what I learned from my father--and Montaigne--about how to live well.
In other news, my interview with Oxford professor Clare Harris, "Beyond Shangri-la," appears in the Winter 2020 issue of Tricycle magazine. We discussed Harris’s work on Tibet and photography, and how Tibetans are taking control of the camera.
It was an honor to speak with alum Dr. Anita Gupta on her Health Logic podcast about my experience of serious illness. I read from "Traveling in Bardo," my AGNI essay about the illness and how it related to my Tibetan family history; we then talked about ways the patient perspective can impact the COVID-19 crisis as well as future directions in health care.
Montaigne, My Father, and the Art of Living Essay: https://bit.ly/3foH9e8
Beyond Shangri-la Essay: https://bit.ly/3lXha0a
Health Logic Podcast: https://apple.co/2HnmWZK
AGNI Essay: https://bit.ly/3pQYp0E
Other Website: http://www.anntashislater.com
Apple TV Plus has unveiled its newest children’s programs, including “Stillwater,” an animated series based on the Scholastic book series “Zen Shorts” by Jon J. Muth.
Produced by Gaumont and Scholastic Entertainment, the series centers on three siblings who have a wise panda, Stillwater, for a next-door neighbor. The show will premiere globally with the first six episodes available on the streaming service on Dec. 4.
Through stories and humor, Stillwater the panda helps provide “children a deeper understanding of their feelings, as well as mindfulness tools that help them face their own day-to-day challenges,” according to Apple TV Plus. The wise panda also “brings newfound fun and adventure for the three, opening their eyes to the quiet wonders of the world around them, and guiding them to their place within it.”
I was lucky to work on this incredible series and write episodes that will be in the next drop!
Other Website: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zz1GkcvkT1g
Incubated by Octopus Theatricals, and stewarded by Ronee Penoi 07', Adam Hyndman '12, and Sophie Blumberg, Producer Hub is a one-stop center for theater makers across our community that are looking for a whole host of services and resources.
The mission of Producer Hub is to provide an online resource that showcases and supports the wide variety of producing models that exist in the world of live performance through shared business and educational resources and networking. Producer Hub will offer a range of services to support the work of those independent producers, theatre makers, and organizations who are looking to engage with our community. The program offerings of the Producer Hub were developed based on market research, and consist of the following arms: Shared Business Resources, a Library of Practical Resources, Educational Resources, Networking, Mentorship, and EDI/Social Justice training.
To access information, resources, and events visit:
Website: www.producerhub.org
The Industry Standard Group, the first completely BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) commercial theatre investment and production organization, is proud to announce the launch of their new company today. Focusing on increasing the presence of BIPOC investors and producers in the field, The Industry Standard Group is breaking new ground by expanding the access and opportunities granted to BIPOC communities within the industry.
The founding members of the groundbreaking group are Rashad V. Chambers, Miranda Gohh, Adam Hyndman '12, Toni R. Isreal, Rob Laqui, Sammy Lopez, Ronee Penoi '07, and Cynthia J. Tong.
As the first of its kind, The Industry Standard Group’s (TISG) mission is to give existing and potential BIPOC investors, producers, artists and theater makers opportunities to participate in the financing and producing of projects, and to promote and invest in work that reflects the diversity of its membership. Therefore, fostering more equitable, diverse, and inclusionary representation in the commercial industry of the arts & entertainment.
The Industry Standard group believes that the current make-up of commercial producing and investment isn’t reflective of the diversity in projects being produced due to systemic denial to access. The group’s aim is to amplify their presence in major projects through various media, including Broadway and other commercial theater ventures.
For more information, please visit our website.
Website: www.TheIndustryStandardGroup.com
Nora Gross, PhD recently produced two short documentary films connected to her ongoing research and current book project about the secondary impacts of urban gun violence. The first film, Our Philadelphia, made in collaboration with several youth, explores the way the deaths of friends impacts Black adolescent boys and young men. It can be viewed on YouTube. The second film, Club With No Name, tells the story of three Black mothers of gun violence victims their efforts to turn their pain into purpose. The film will screen on Facebook Live on December 4th at 7pm followed by a community conversation. More information about both films can be found at http://www.noragross.com/film.
Website: http://www.noragross.com/film.
Our Philadelphia: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPmz6DYnzMg&feature=youtu.be
Club With No Name: https://www.facebook.com/WomenOfValor74
I've launched a new podcast called Writerly Bites. The podcast aims to give quick, bite-sized tips for making your creative writing and your writing life better. New episodes appear every Tuesday, and we're searchable on Apple Podcasts. I'll interview fellow authors to get their favorite tips, too. Your ratings and reviews on Apple Podcasts are much appreciated to help the podcast grow!
Randy Hobler, an RPCV from Libya 1968—1969, has released a highly-praised book, 101 Arabian Tales: How We All Persevered in Peace Corps Libya. It is remarkable in that he interviewed 101 of his fellow RPCVs in depth for the book. Former Ambassador to the Comoros and Cameroon Niels Marquardt (who was a volunteer in Zaire and Rwanda) wrote: “Randy Hobler has written the best memoir of a Peace Corps experience that I have ever read. His amazingly detailed book instantly grips the reader by putting Libya in its properly rich and unique historical perspective.” The book is available on Amazon in paperback and Kindle form.
Website: https://www.101arabiantales.com
Other Website: https://www.facebook.com/groups/3587631417914624
Prospect’s VISION Series is a new initiative launched in 2020, to continue the company's mission of creating and presenting original musical theater works, while public gatherings are on pause. Three original short films were released in October 2020 - now streaming on our YouTube Channel or viewable at www.ProspectTheater.org. THE BAND AT THE END OF THE WORLD, LADY LAWYER LOCKWOOD RIDES HER TRICYCLE and UNRAVELL'D.
Location/Venue Address: 520 8th Ave, Ste 307, New York, NY 10018 US
Ticket Website: http://www.ProspectTheater.org
Other Website: http://www.YouTube.com/ProspectTheaterCo
Alissa Hsu Lynch '90 was recently appointed to the Board of Trustees of American Ballet Theatre--America's National Ballet Company. Alissa earned her A.B. in English and spent countless hours during her undergraduate years dancing with Expressions Dance Company and at 185 Nassau with the Theater and Dance Department. She now lives in the Seattle area and works for Google leading MedTech Solutions for Google Cloud. In recent years, she's enjoyed visiting campus to watch her youngest son Liam Lynch '21 perform with DiSiac Dance Company.
https://thriveglobal.com/stories/alissa-hsu-lynch-full-circle-ballet-to-business-and-back-to-ballet/
I have a new piece, "How a Tibetan Turquoise Pendant Keeps Me Close to Home," in the "Darjeeling Journal" series of my Catapult column. It's about the meaning of home and continuity between generations. (https://bit.ly/3jtH5KO)
And on October 26, I gave a talk--"What Our Family Histories Can Teach Us About Ourselves"--sponsored by Princeton Women in Media and Technology and hosted by Caroline Coleman '86. I discussed my journey from Princeton to Darjeeling to Tokyo, how I reconnected with my Tibetan roots, and how we can explore our family histories. (https://bit.ly/2Tq6Gty)
Other Website: http://www.anntashislater.com
Best friends and collaborators Roger Q. Mason '08 and Lovell Holder '09 are thrilled to announce the launch of their new podcast "Sister Roger's Gayborhood!" Join Roger and Lovell as they sit down with some of the most influential LGBT folx from across every industry, learning how their guests' queer identities and connections to community have informed and guided their careers, goals, and professional lives. Guests include actor Garrett Clayton and drag icon Miss Peppermint - and don't miss out on appearances from fellow Princetonians Heather Rae Martin '08, Jordan Kisner '09, and Alex Bisignano '09. https://sister-rogers-gayborho.captivate.fm/
Other Website: http://sister-rogers-gayborho.captivate.fm/
Slime Queen is Julie Chen '17, a Brooklyn poet/writer who started making pop music on her laptop in May 2020. Her 10-track debut album, SLIME SEASON 2020, is out now on SoundCloud (https://soundcloud.com/sssslimequeen/sets/slime-season-2020), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/album/3yqBXTqTabhRkwf8nEELPB?si=FVTeZ_nCTUyEXh3hRISfLg), and other major platforms.
The album features excruciatingly honest lyrics à la Lorde over electronic sounds and hooks influenced by Charli XCX, PC Music, and K-pop. It was a true labor of love with other alumni collaborators: Josh Chen '14, Michelle Navis '17, Joy Li '17, and Simon Wu '17, who photographed the album art and designed the lyrics zine (https://juliechen.neocities.org/slime_season_2020_zine.pdf). Keep up with Slime Queen's burgeoning pop career on SoundCloud and Instagram @sssslimequeen.
Instagram URL: http://instagram.com/sssslimequeen
Other Website: http://soundcloud.com/sssslimequeen/sets/slime-season-2020
Stress got you down during these challenging times? Then check out my book, "Don’t Mess with Stress™--A Simple Guide to Managing Stress, Optimizing Health, and Making the World a Better Place," available now for Pre-Order on Amazon and being released in e-book and paperback on November 17th!
What happens when three eighteen-month-old babies plot, scheme, and intrigue against each other? Funny, sharp, and beautifully rendered in a new full-color edition, Mark Lerer's satirical graphic novel, based on an inspiration by Andrew Coe, doesn't simply bemoan the tragedy of all wars-- it shows how the damn things get started in the first place.
Available as "The Little General in Full Color" on amazon.com.
For the Yale Cabaret’s historic entirely socially distanced 53rd season, the Cab Company (Co-Artistic Director Maeli Goren, ‘15) will produce 15 groundbreaking works of theater that attempt to answer the essential question: what does it mean for theater to be “live,” now? The season also features several ongoing live projects including the food-centric Cab Potluck series and Spark Factory, workshops in innovative theatrical technologies. We encourage bold explorations of new media and works that remind us how theater can connect us in a time of separation. The only limits are our imaginations!
Alongside the live season, we look forward to featuring installations, visual art, film works, sound compositions, and other pre-existing or pre-recorded works of art in the new virtual Cab Gallery throughout the season. Any artist is welcome to submit work for this space.
In all that we do and make this year, we are committed to leading with actions for justice and liberation. Visit our website to view our commitments to the Black Lives Matter movement and our dedication to centering Black joy, artistry, and storytelling as well as uplifting the voices of Indigenous artists and other artists of color.
Ticket Website: http://cabaret-tickets.yale.edu/events
Facebook: http://facebook.com/yalecabaret/
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/yalecabaret/
Other Website: www.yalecabaret.org
Princeton Arts Alumni creates a network and resources for those in the arts as creators, managers, patrons, and enthusiasts. Subscribe to our monthly news and learn about art being made by alumni from Princeton University around the world.