Landmark West! wishes to comment on the application to the Board of Standards and Appeals for the conversion of the former First Church of Christ, Scientist (Carrère and Hastings, 1899-1903, an Individual Landmark designated in 1974) into a 39-unit residential building, requiring six waivers under the New York City Zoning Resolution and Multiple Dwelling Law.
Read our full submission to the NYC Board of Standards and Appeals here.
Preserving the best of the Upper West Side's neighborhood character and architectural heritage.
Showing posts with label Individual Landmark. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Individual Landmark. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 12, 2015
Thursday, October 11, 2012
West-Park to host U.S. premier of film "The Second Meeting"
From experimental theater productions (twice!) to concert series, to craft fairs and film screenings, West-Park's programming (all the while remaining a house of worship for its congregation) speaks to the adaptability of historic structures. The trend continues this weekend as West-Park hosts a screening of the film The Second Meeting.
Here's more from our neighbors at West-Park ...
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NEW YORK, NY (September 24, 2012) – The advanced screening of a new documentary by Optimistic Film, The Second Meeting, will debut in New York City at West-Park Presbyterian Church on Saturday, October 13, 2012, at 7pm. Immediately following, there will be a panel discussion that features one of the film’s subjects, U.S. Air Force pilot Lt. Colonel Dale Zelko and the producer and director of the film, Željko Mirković. West-Park Presbyterian Church presents the film in cooperation with The Center At West-Park.
The Second Meeting follows Lt. Col Zelko’s journey back to Serbia to meet Col. Dani, 12 years after the first meeting of the pilot and missile officer who commanded the Yugoslav missile battery that shot down Zelko’s F117A Stealth fighter in 1999. “I had the remarkable opportunity to have a second chance at experiencing Serbia and her people and I will forever be deeply grateful, enriched, and blessed by it,” said Lt. Col Zelko of the experience. Lt. Col. Zelko will participate in a panel discussion and audience Q&A immediately following the screening.
The advanced screening will be the first showing in the United States of the newest film by award-winning Serbian Filmmaker Željko Mirković. Col. Dani states, “The “Second Meeting” has taken place thanks to Mr. Željko Mirković and Mr. Dale Zelko, who have understood that in this way we can give an uncommon contribution that swarms with love and understanding, and has a goal to proclaim the world peace. This is exactly “the pearl of the goodness of humanity” we have always lacked.”
The event is open to the media. Željko Mirković, Lt. Col Zelko and Col. Dani are available for interviews. Please RSVP to attend. You can RSVP on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/events/413575218704120/.
Who:
Open to the public; free will donation
What: The Second Meeting advanced screening and discussion
Where: West Park Presbyterian Church
What: The Second Meeting advanced screening and discussion
Where: West Park Presbyterian Church
165 W. 86th St (at Amsterdam Ave), NY, NY, 10024
When: Saturday, October 13, 2012, 7pm
URL: http://www.facebook.com/events/413575218704120/.
When: Saturday, October 13, 2012, 7pm
URL: http://www.facebook.com/events/413575218704120/.
For more about
Optimistic Film: http://optimisticfilm.com.
For more about West-Park Presbyterian Church: http://westparkpresbyterian.org/.
For more about The Center at West Park (http://thecentreatwestpark.wordpress.com/.
Contact: Rev. Dr. Robert L. Brashear
Email: rlbrashear@gmail.comFor more about West-Park Presbyterian Church: http://westparkpresbyterian.org/.
For more about The Center at West Park (http://thecentreatwestpark.wordpress.com/.
Contact: Rev. Dr. Robert L. Brashear
Tel.: (646) 541-3329
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
West-Park Celebrates Milestone 100 Years in the Making
Yesterday evening, the congregation of West-Park Presbyterian Church opened its doors to celebrate their 100th year! To mark the occasion, the Church hosted 100+, a benefit event looking back on the past century of growth and achievements in anticipation of the rejuvenation that has already begun!
West-Park, located on the corner of Amsterdam Avenue at West 86th Street, was alive with theatrical and acoustic musical performances, modern dance and ... an aerialist! The variety of programming during 100+ speaks to the amazing opportunity for adaptive reuse at West-Park, and the range of partners who could one day call the church "home" and its congregation "neighbors"!
Click here to learn more about how far West-Park has come (and how YOU can be a part of it!), and click here to learn about plans for the future!
Click here to learn more about how far West-Park has come (and how YOU can be a part of it!), and click here to learn about plans for the future!
Below, a few (somewhat fuzzy) iPhone photos snapped during the evening's merriment:
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| Rev. Robert Brashear welcomes friends and supporters to 100+. |
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| The beautiful stained glass inside West-Park illuminates the sanctuary. |
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| The evening began with a one-act play, chronicling the history of the church. On the left, "Wes" (that is, the church personified) explains to a construction worker his plan for the future of West-Park. |
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| In the balcony above the sanctuary, members of Times Square Playwrights perform. |
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| In the parish house, musician Amanda Christine performs. |
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| Aerialist Rachel Hsiung stuns and mesmerizes the crowd amid balloons and cupcakes aplenty. |
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
"Honor the Past, Celebrate the Future" with West-Park
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| West-Park Presbyterian Church 165 West 86th Street |
Next Monday, December 5th, the church is celebrating another major (and we mean major!) moment: its 100th Anniversary!
To mark the occasion, the leadership and congregation at West-Park are hosting "100+", a benefit event that will honor West-Park’s history of social justice advocacy, inclusivity, and support for culture and the arts, and will offer an exciting glimpse—and celebration—of the future.
Projected on the horizon for West-Park is the revitalization of the landmark building (which has received a terrific boon this fall thanks to handfuls of generous supporters of West-Park), and the founding and development of The Center at West-Park.
To learn more about the 100+ Benefit Event, click on the graphic below!
If you're unable to attend but would like to learn more about how you can support West-Park's rejuvenation, email us at landmarkwest@landmarkwest.org.
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Things are Warming Up at West-Park Presbyterian Church
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| West-Park Presbyterian Church 165 West 86th Street |
Join the leadership and congregation of West-Park, Council Member Gale Brewer, members of the city-wide preservation community, and neighbors and supporters of West-Park next Thursday, November 10th, from 6-8PM for a fundraiser to benefit the church's boiler repair/replacement fund.
Repairing or replacing the existing boiler is a major priority since, without heat, the congregation will be unable to use the church this winter, stalling efforts to revitalize the building. Attend this upcoming fundraiser to contribute to this project and to hear updates as to "next steps" in the ongoing rejuvenation of this captivating red sandstone landmark.
WHAT : Fundraiser to benefit
West-Park Presbyterian Church
WHEN : Thursday, Nov. 10th, 6-8PM
Community Members Help LW! Meet the Challenge!
In the month of October, the congregation at West-Park received a challenge grant that would match up to $25,000 of monies raised toward the much needed repair/replacement of the church's insufficient boiler. LW! reached out to its network of West-Park supporters and neighbors to inspire them to make a modest contribution -- $100, $50, whatever worked for each individual or family! -- and help toward the church's $25,000 goal. We set forth a challenge: to raise $2,500 towards the total $25,000 needed. In less than two weeks ... done!
The New York Landmarks Conservancy, who is administering the boiler fund, reported that indeed, the $25,000 goal was met (a total of $50,000 with matching funds). The boiler project is estimated at $84,000 total -- help us go the distance. Attend the November 10th fundraiser; be a part of the renewal of this community resource!
Preserving West-Park: Looking back to move forward
A 20-year community effort was thankfully rewarded on May 12, 2010, when the New York City Council affirmed the designation of the West-Park Presbyterian Church as a NYC Individual Landmark (click here to read the designation report). The victory kickstarted a new chapter in the life of West-Park.
Here's just a snapshot at some of the recent activity of LW!, the West-Park congregants, our local elected officials, and preservation colleagues, including the New York Landmarks Conservancy, Friends of West-Park, and Preservation Alumni:
Designation was only the beginning of what must continue to be a robust, sustained, community-wide effort. Full restoration of West-Park Presbyterian Church will be a major undertaking, but we must begin with manageable goals, such as the ongoing development of a strategic plan.
WHEN : Thursday, Nov. 10th, 6-8PM
WHERE : The Belnord Apartments
225 West 86th Street
RSVP required; please email semplelisa@aol.com
RSVP required; please email semplelisa@aol.com
Community Members Help LW! Meet the Challenge!
In the month of October, the congregation at West-Park received a challenge grant that would match up to $25,000 of monies raised toward the much needed repair/replacement of the church's insufficient boiler. LW! reached out to its network of West-Park supporters and neighbors to inspire them to make a modest contribution -- $100, $50, whatever worked for each individual or family! -- and help toward the church's $25,000 goal. We set forth a challenge: to raise $2,500 towards the total $25,000 needed. In less than two weeks ... done!
The New York Landmarks Conservancy, who is administering the boiler fund, reported that indeed, the $25,000 goal was met (a total of $50,000 with matching funds). The boiler project is estimated at $84,000 total -- help us go the distance. Attend the November 10th fundraiser; be a part of the renewal of this community resource!
Preserving West-Park: Looking back to move forward
A 20-year community effort was thankfully rewarded on May 12, 2010, when the New York City Council affirmed the designation of the West-Park Presbyterian Church as a NYC Individual Landmark (click here to read the designation report). The victory kickstarted a new chapter in the life of West-Park.
Here's just a snapshot at some of the recent activity of LW!, the West-Park congregants, our local elected officials, and preservation colleagues, including the New York Landmarks Conservancy, Friends of West-Park, and Preservation Alumni:
- Long-time West-Park congregant and West Sider Jim Wadsworth secured a generous $5,000 donation from the Lois G. Roy Dickerman Fund as seed money towards replacing West-Park's failing boiler. "The boiler must be in place in order to secure the development partners and renters necessary to fulfill our emerging business plan," Rev. Brashear shared. The Dickerman Fund gift--made in honor of Mr. Wadsworth's late wife, Carol--is the first dedicated donation to the boiler project.
- City Council Member Gale Brewer organized a fundraiser to collect starter funds for bricks-and-mortar restoration of West-Park. The fund, managed by the New York Landmarks Conservancy, was recently put to work with roof repairs to West-Park's sanctuary and chapel. At the same time, the Conservancy spent $10,000 from a special Rockefeller Foundation grant to initiate architectural services to establish a phased exterior restoration plan. The plan will be completed this month, with a priority to facade work that will allow the removal of the sidewalk bridge at long last. A significant step in the long process of West-Park's physical rejuvenation!
The West-Park restoration fund remains open for contributions! Checks can be made payable to "New York Landmarks Conservancy," with "WPPC" as the memo, and mailed to:
New York Landmarks Conservancy
ATTN: Peg Breen, President
1 Whitehall Street
New York, NY 10004
- Members of the West-Park congregation teamed with Preservation Alumni, the alumni organization for graduates of Columbia University's Historic Preservation Masters Program, LW!, Friends of West-Park, and the generous team of Jack Pontes Brownstone Restorations for a day-long interior clean up of the church's sanctuary. Dusting, vacuuming, buffing, scrubbing ... you name it! Dozens of volunteers turned out to put their muscles to work for the preservation of West-Park.
- LW! worked with architects and an electrician to upgrade the church's wiring and emergency exit lighting to help make it possible for the congregation to open its doors for public events, such as a holiday craft fair in December and this summer's Bridge Concert Series.
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| The all-volunteer crew celebrates the successful clean-up of West-Park in December 2010. |
Designation was only the beginning of what must continue to be a robust, sustained, community-wide effort. Full restoration of West-Park Presbyterian Church will be a major undertaking, but we must begin with manageable goals, such as the ongoing development of a strategic plan.
See you at the fundraiser!
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
West-Park to host film screening in October
Last month, LW! staffers dove head first into the mind boggling and totally engaging world of the psychological play "The Tenant", an experiential theater production by the Woodshed Collective, taking place at the landmarked West-Park Presbyterian Church.
Seeing the church filled with audience members, scampering up and down five floors of the parish house as they followed the action of the players, was truly spectacular and speaks both to the community's desire to see the church again bustling with action, and to the potential for the landmark church's adaptive reuse.
Following "The Tenant", West-Park played host to another theater troupe, the Dark Lady Players and next month the church will open its doors to the community as it hosts a two-part film screening and discussion series. These events are a terrific opportunity to meet the people behind West-Park's rebirth and to see for yourself the wonderful church interior.
The congregation of West-Park Presbyterian Church invites you ...
The Center at West-Park invites you to join us as we engage the complex subject of forgiveness through a two-part film screening and three-session discussion group series.
In Forgiveness: A Time to Love & A Time To Hate, award-winning film maker Helen Whitney elegantly and fearlessly tackles these issues in her two part documentary, offering a compelling range of intimate and powerful stories: from personal betrayal to reconciliation—global and local—in the wake of tragedy.
The Center will show part one of Whitney’s film on Tuesday, October 4, and part two on Tuesday, October 11th, both at 7:30PM. Helen Whitney will be present for Q&A at the October 11th showing.
An opportunity to address the multi-faceted topic of forgiveness in the context of community will take place on three subsequent Tuesday evenings—October 18th, 25th, and November 1st, from 7:30 to 9PM. Chaplain and spiritual retreat leader Eleanor Harrison Bregman will facilitate three small group discussions based on the film. Session one focuses on formulating our own working definitions and varied meanings of forgiveness. The “mechanics” and process of forgiveness are the themes for the second session. The final session considers the experience of seeking forgiveness, granted or withheld, including self-forgiveness.
Film showings: No advance registration or ticketing required.
Film admission: Suggested donation $10 at the door (more if you can, less if you can’t).
Discussion groups: Space is limited. Registration either at the door or in advance (preferred):
$10 for one group; $25 for all three. Go to http://forgiveness.eventzilla.net/ to register or click below.
Venue for film and discussion groups:
Seeing the church filled with audience members, scampering up and down five floors of the parish house as they followed the action of the players, was truly spectacular and speaks both to the community's desire to see the church again bustling with action, and to the potential for the landmark church's adaptive reuse.
Following "The Tenant", West-Park played host to another theater troupe, the Dark Lady Players and next month the church will open its doors to the community as it hosts a two-part film screening and discussion series. These events are a terrific opportunity to meet the people behind West-Park's rebirth and to see for yourself the wonderful church interior.
The congregation of West-Park Presbyterian Church invites you ...
The Center at West-Park invites you to join us as we engage the complex subject of forgiveness through a two-part film screening and three-session discussion group series.In Forgiveness: A Time to Love & A Time To Hate, award-winning film maker Helen Whitney elegantly and fearlessly tackles these issues in her two part documentary, offering a compelling range of intimate and powerful stories: from personal betrayal to reconciliation—global and local—in the wake of tragedy.
The Center will show part one of Whitney’s film on Tuesday, October 4, and part two on Tuesday, October 11th, both at 7:30PM. Helen Whitney will be present for Q&A at the October 11th showing.
An opportunity to address the multi-faceted topic of forgiveness in the context of community will take place on three subsequent Tuesday evenings—October 18th, 25th, and November 1st, from 7:30 to 9PM. Chaplain and spiritual retreat leader Eleanor Harrison Bregman will facilitate three small group discussions based on the film. Session one focuses on formulating our own working definitions and varied meanings of forgiveness. The “mechanics” and process of forgiveness are the themes for the second session. The final session considers the experience of seeking forgiveness, granted or withheld, including self-forgiveness.
Film showings: No advance registration or ticketing required.
Film admission: Suggested donation $10 at the door (more if you can, less if you can’t).
Discussion groups: Space is limited. Registration either at the door or in advance (preferred):
$10 for one group; $25 for all three. Go to http://forgiveness.eventzilla.net/ to register or click below.
Venue for film and discussion groups:
The Center at West Park
West Park Church, 165 West 86th Street, NYC 10024
At the corner of Amsterdam Avenue at 86th Street
212.362.4890
West Park Church, 165 West 86th Street, NYC 10024
At the corner of Amsterdam Avenue at 86th Street
212.362.4890
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Scenes from the Feast :: Celebrating life's essentials on the Upper West Side
Yesterday marked the inaugural Landmark Feast, an Upper West Side dining event like none other. Gathering with hundreds of our friends, new and old, LW! toasted and tasted on the Arthur Ross Terrace at the American Museum of Natural History as the sun set over the landmark Beresford Apartments nearby. Then, against the illuminated backdrop of the Museum's planetarium, we, along with co-sponsors Friends of Roosevelt Park and our evening's hosts Outstanding in the Field, dined on the epicurean creations of some of the West Side's most talented chefs. This was Landmark Feast!
From the event's launch at 4PM until the last guest departed the Terrace, LW's Cristiana Peña and a host of event attendees documented the festivities via Twitter. Sharing pictures and musings alike, their tweeting opened Landmark Feast to all who followed the #LandmarkFeast hashtag. Below are photos of the evening shared by participating chefs (Damian Sansonetti of Bar Boulud and Johnny Iuzzini of Jean-Georges), fellow West Side neighborhood organizations (Columbus Avenue BID), event supporters (67 Wine & Spirits), and more. Enjoy! And if you have more photos to share, send them in to cristianapena@landmarkwest.org. We'll add them to the album!
From the event's launch at 4PM until the last guest departed the Terrace, LW's Cristiana Peña and a host of event attendees documented the festivities via Twitter. Sharing pictures and musings alike, their tweeting opened Landmark Feast to all who followed the #LandmarkFeast hashtag. Below are photos of the evening shared by participating chefs (Damian Sansonetti of Bar Boulud and Johnny Iuzzini of Jean-Georges), fellow West Side neighborhood organizations (Columbus Avenue BID), event supporters (67 Wine & Spirits), and more. Enjoy! And if you have more photos to share, send them in to cristianapena@landmarkwest.org. We'll add them to the album!
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| "Getting ready for tonight's event with Landmark West and Outstanding in the Field" via @DSansonetti |
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| Outside the Museum's Powerhouse, site of our pre-dinner cocktails and tastings via @UntappedAlley and @untappedcities |
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| The planetarium beside the Arthur Ross Terrace as backdrop for Landmark Feast via @UntappedAlley and @untappedcities |
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| "Looks amazing; this picture doesn't do it justice" via @eecookiesny |
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| Inside the Museum's Powerhouse, where guests enjoy the cocktails and seasonal samplings via @UntappedAlley and @untappedcities |
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| via @wkoellhoffer |
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| “Recipe serving up jersey corn soup with crab and New York cheddar muffins" via @melissa_ful of @67Wine |
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| "It's heirlooms galore! Tuscan Panzanella Salad from Cesca Enoteca" via @NewTasteUWS |
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| “The all-star local spirits for cocktails at Landmark Feast!” via @melissa_ful of @67Wine |
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| Heirloom tomato frozen custard with sweet corn syrup from Shake Shack via @westsiderag |
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| Nice Matin serves lamb sausage via @westsiderag |
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| “Incredible how this works for cocktail hour: Tortellini in Brodo by Caffe Storico - New-York Historical Society" via @melissa_ful of @67Wine |
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| "If Mondrian made pancetta; @Gastroarte is rockin'!" via @NewTasteUWS |
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| Gastroarte's Chef Jesus Nuñez via @westsiderag |
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| "What 62 lbs of avocado look like; about to be Guacamole en Molcajete" via @NewTasteUWS |
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| "You thought it couldn't get any better? Pumpkin whoopie pie dipped in dark Godiva" via @eecookiesny |
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| 300 guests + 1 long table = Landmark Feast magic via @UntappedAlley and @untappedcities |
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| "Getting ready for tonites event with Landmark West and Outstanding in the Field" via @DSansonetti |
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| "Pre-dinner excitement. Love how we can 'walk-through' the outdoor kitchen" via @melissa_ful of @67Wine |
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| "Dinner placement. Lovely sage" via @melissa_ful of @67Wine |
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| "Landmark Feast with 67 Wine and Fox Run Vineyards" via @1Grl2WneGlasses |
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| Behind the scenes in the outdoor kitchen: "Plate up, Dovetail" via @DSansonetti |
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| "Unbelievable night! Can't wait until next year" via @billtelepan |
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| Bar Boulud lamb dinner via @DSansonetti |
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| "Dry Riesling 2010 pairing perfectly with salad Nicoise" via @1Grl2WneGlasses |
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| Jean-Georges pastry chef Johnny Iuzzini's creations await delivery to the dinner table via @Johnny_Iuzzini |
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Shakespearean Theater Comes to Life at West-Park
Last week, we wrote about the Woodshed Collective's run of "The Tenant" at West-Park Presbyterian Church. The LW! staff is excitedly looking forward to experiencing this site-specific production for ourselves at this evening's show -- stay tuned for our musings in the coming days!
There are still plenty of opportunities to take in experiential theater on the West Side post-Woodshed, thanks to West-Park! The church and its congregation continue the long history of supporting the theater and providing a venue for artistic expression with the Dark Lady Players' production of "Shakespeare's Gospel Parodies". As with "The Tenant", this show is free to the public! So read on to learn more about the troupe, the show and dates to mark on your calendar!
From the Dark Lady Players
Beginning August 24th West Park is hosting the Woodshed Collective for their sold out, site-specific production of The Tenant which runs on Wednesdays-Saturday. In parallel West-Park is also hosting the experimental theater group the Dark Lady Players for their production of Shakespeare’s Gospel Parodies; A Medieval Mystery Tour. The production uses the sets that Woodshed has built and runs from 11 to 25 September, at 4:00 Sunday and 7:00 Monday-Tuesday. Tickets are free and available at the door on a first come first served basis.
West Park has a long association with Shakespeare, having previously been the home of the Riverside Shakespeare Company, having a 50 seat balcony theater dedicated by Joe Papp, and being the home of the 'Shakespeare Center,’ and the 'Shakespeare Project’ in the 1980s. It was where the Royal Shakespeare company did their first US residency. More recently it has been the venue for Shakespeare performances by the York Shakespeare company taking advantage of the building’s unique acoustics.
The Dark Lady Players perform the allegorical levels of Shakespeare’s plays showing that plays these are religious parodies. The Shakespeare plays contain 14 resurrections, 12 Apocalypses, 5 Virgin Mary Allegories, 3,000 additional religious references, a variety of Christ figures and were written using 14 different translations of the Bible. And yet none of the plays end in Paradise. Why do the Marys (Juliet, Ophelia, Desdemona) die before giving birth to the savior? Why are the Messiah figures (Laertes, Shylock, Bottom/Pyramus) defeated? These parodies resemble those in Jewish/Marrano literature and suggest that the author of the plays may not have been William Shakespeare but England’s only Jewish poet of the time.This was the subject of a cover article last summer in Reform Judaism magazine.
Shakespeare’s Gospel Parodies is a tour of key events from the life of Jesus as represented in parody in the plays, all based on reputable scholarship. The audience will walk from one scene to another around the building, under the guidance of docents, as if the scenes were living speaking pictures in a museum. The director is Jenny Greeman, the dramaturg John Hudson. After the performance on Sunday 18 September there will be a talkback with West Side clergy to discuss some of the implications. The production is partially funded by the Alliance of Resident Theaters-NY Nancy Quinn Fund. For more details visit www.facebook.com/darkladyplayers or email Darkladyplayers@aol.com
West-Park Presbyterian Church
Hosts NYC’s Experimental Shakespeare Company
Hosts NYC’s Experimental Shakespeare Company
Beginning August 24th West Park is hosting the Woodshed Collective for their sold out, site-specific production of The Tenant which runs on Wednesdays-Saturday. In parallel West-Park is also hosting the experimental theater group the Dark Lady Players for their production of Shakespeare’s Gospel Parodies; A Medieval Mystery Tour. The production uses the sets that Woodshed has built and runs from 11 to 25 September, at 4:00 Sunday and 7:00 Monday-Tuesday. Tickets are free and available at the door on a first come first served basis.
West Park has a long association with Shakespeare, having previously been the home of the Riverside Shakespeare Company, having a 50 seat balcony theater dedicated by Joe Papp, and being the home of the 'Shakespeare Center,’ and the 'Shakespeare Project’ in the 1980s. It was where the Royal Shakespeare company did their first US residency. More recently it has been the venue for Shakespeare performances by the York Shakespeare company taking advantage of the building’s unique acoustics.
The Dark Lady Players perform the allegorical levels of Shakespeare’s plays showing that plays these are religious parodies. The Shakespeare plays contain 14 resurrections, 12 Apocalypses, 5 Virgin Mary Allegories, 3,000 additional religious references, a variety of Christ figures and were written using 14 different translations of the Bible. And yet none of the plays end in Paradise. Why do the Marys (Juliet, Ophelia, Desdemona) die before giving birth to the savior? Why are the Messiah figures (Laertes, Shylock, Bottom/Pyramus) defeated? These parodies resemble those in Jewish/Marrano literature and suggest that the author of the plays may not have been William Shakespeare but England’s only Jewish poet of the time.This was the subject of a cover article last summer in Reform Judaism magazine.
Shakespeare’s Gospel Parodies is a tour of key events from the life of Jesus as represented in parody in the plays, all based on reputable scholarship. The audience will walk from one scene to another around the building, under the guidance of docents, as if the scenes were living speaking pictures in a museum. The director is Jenny Greeman, the dramaturg John Hudson. After the performance on Sunday 18 September there will be a talkback with West Side clergy to discuss some of the implications. The production is partially funded by the Alliance of Resident Theaters-NY Nancy Quinn Fund. For more details visit www.facebook.com/darkladyplayers or email Darkladyplayers@aol.com
Thursday, August 18, 2011
West-Park Takes Center Stage in Upcoming Theater Production
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| West-Park Presbyterian Church |
Starting next Wednesday, August 24th, West-Park Presbyterian Church* will make its acting debut!
The landmark church will play host to "The Tenant", a site-specific performance produced by theater company Woodshed Collective. But don't relegate West-Park to that of mere scenery. As we learned via Alexis Soloski's recent New York Times article, West-Park "is a character in the show, it's a collaborator, it gets a seat at the table."
Interviews with the cast and crew of Woodshed Collective reveal the process of staging this theatrical experience, in which no less than eight separate plays slowly weave themselves together across five different floors of the West-Park parish house.
As Soloski writes, "Creating site-specific theater poses challenges: securing spaces, making them safe for audiences, adapting sound and lighting equipment to fit untraditional environments." Luckily for the Collective, volunteer manpower and donated clean-up services, as well as LANDMARK WEST!-sponsored electrical updates, have taken place in the past year, helping to ready West-Park for precisely this kind of inspired adaptive reuse (more below).
West-Park has donated use of the space to Woodshed Collective for the run of "The Tenant". Rev. Robert Brashear, in an interview with the West Side Spirit, noted that "... the work that Woodshed is doing helps us further down the [restorative] path. We'll have the benefit of significat parts of our restoration accomplished." West-Park has a long history supporting theatrical expression, having long been home to both Riverside Shakespeare and Frog and Peach Theater Companies. Now, thanks to Woodshed Collect, West-Park takes center stage! For regular updates by Rev. Brashear, visit the West-Park Press blog.
Read on for more information about Woodshed Collective's production of "The Tenant", as well as a recap of progress since the designation of West-Park!
* West-Park Presbyterian Church is located on Amsterdam Avenue at West 86th Street. Architect Leopold Eidlitz designed the original chapel in 1884, followed by architect Henry F. Kilburn's church addition in 1890.
Woodshed Collective presents "The Tenant" at West-Park
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| Members of the Woodshed Collective, rehearsing in the West-Park parish house. Image: New York Times. |
"I grew up in New York, and I have a sort of essential curiosity about what's going on in the apartment next to you," co-artistic director of Woodshed Collective Teddy Bergman (far left in the above photo) recently told the West Side Spirit. "The story kind of illustrates the sort of breakdown of the modular society in this building, and all the flaws inherent in it ...That story, to me, is a very exciting one to tell in an installation context. When we're asking people to walk around and look and explore, it's a fun mirror to hold up to the organism of the audience."
From Woodshed Collective:
Set in Paris and inspired by Roland Topor's book, which was famously adapted into a film by Roman Polanski, The Tenant is a thrilling, haunting, and grotesquely hilarious investigation into the relationship between who we are and where we live. When Monsieur Trelkovsky rents a room recently vacated by a woman who fell from her window, he soon finds his world changing in bizarre ways. Haunted by images of the previous tenant's apparent suicide and terrorized by his new neighbors, Trelkovsky begins a slow decent into paranoia and delirium. Learn more!
"The Tenant" will unfold in the Parish House of the West-Park Presbyterian Church, 165 West 86th Street (northeast corner of Amsterdam Avenue, entrance on West 86th Street). Thanks to press and old-fashioned word of mouth, the current run of shows through September 17th have already sold out! With the overwhelming popularity of the production (FREE to the public, with reservations!), we certainly hope the run will be extended! Email Woodshed Collective to show your support for additional shows!
From Woodshed Collective:
Set in Paris and inspired by Roland Topor's book, which was famously adapted into a film by Roman Polanski, The Tenant is a thrilling, haunting, and grotesquely hilarious investigation into the relationship between who we are and where we live. When Monsieur Trelkovsky rents a room recently vacated by a woman who fell from her window, he soon finds his world changing in bizarre ways. Haunted by images of the previous tenant's apparent suicide and terrorized by his new neighbors, Trelkovsky begins a slow decent into paranoia and delirium. Learn more!
"The Tenant" will unfold in the Parish House of the West-Park Presbyterian Church, 165 West 86th Street (northeast corner of Amsterdam Avenue, entrance on West 86th Street). Thanks to press and old-fashioned word of mouth, the current run of shows through September 17th have already sold out! With the overwhelming popularity of the production (FREE to the public, with reservations!), we certainly hope the run will be extended! Email Woodshed Collective to show your support for additional shows!
Preserving West-Park: Looking Back to Move Forward
A 20-year community effort was thankfully rewarded on May 12, 2010, when the New York City Council affirmed the designation of the West-Park Presbyterian Church* as a NYC Individual Landmark (click here to read the designation report). The victory kickstarted a new chapter in the life of West-Park.
Here's just a snapshot at some of the recent activity of LW!, the West-Park congregants, our local elected officials, and preservation colleagues, including the New York Landmarks Conservancy, Friends of West-Park, and Preservation Alumni:
Here's just a snapshot at some of the recent activity of LW!, the West-Park congregants, our local elected officials, and preservation colleagues, including the New York Landmarks Conservancy, Friends of West-Park, and Preservation Alumni:
- Long-time West-Park congregant and West Sider Jim Wadsworth secured a generous $5,000 donation from the Lois G. Roy Dickerman Fund as seed money towards replacing West-Park's failing boiler. "The boiler must be in place in order to secure the development partners and renters necessary to fulfill our emerging business plan," Rev. Brashear shared. Funding for this project has been estimated at around $42,500 and the Dickerman Fund gift--made in honor of Mr. Wadsworth's late wife, Carol--is the first dedicated donation.
- City Council Member Gale Brewer organized a fundraiser to collect starter funds for bricks-and-mortar restoration of West-Park. The fund, managed by the New York Landmarks Conservancy, was recently put to work with roof repairs to West-Park's sanctuary and chapel. At the same time, the Conservancy spent $10,000 from a special Rockefeller Foundation grant to initiate architectural services to establish a phased exterior restoration plan. The plan will be completed this month, with a priority to facade work that will allow the removal of the sidewalk bridge at long last. A significant step in the long process of West-Park's physical rejuvenation!
The West-Park restoration fund remains open for contributions! Checks can be made payable to "New York Landmarks Conservancy," with "WPPC" as the memo, and mailed to:
New York Landmarks Conservancy
ATTN: Peg Breen, President
1 Whitehall Street
New York, NY 10044
- Members of the West-Park congregation teamed with Preservation Alumni, the alumni organization for graduates of Columbia University's Historic Preservation Masters Program, LANDMARK WEST!, Friends of West-Park, and the generous team of Jack Pontes Brownstone Restorations for a day-long interior clean up of the church's sanctuary. Dusting, vacuuming, buffing, scrubbing ... you name it! Dozens of volunteers turned out to put their muscles to work for the preservation of West-Park.
- LANDMARK WEST! worked with architects and an electrician to upgrade the church's wiring and emergency exit lighting to help make it possible for the congregation to open its doors for public events, such as a holiday craft fair in December and this summer's Bridge Concert Series.
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| The all-volunteer crew celebrates the successful clean-up of West-Park in December 2010. |
Designation was only the beginning of what must continue to be a robust, sustained, community-wide effort. Full restoration of West-Park Presbyterian Church will be a major undertaking, but we must begin with manageable goals, such as the ongoing development of a strategic plan.
Woodshed Collective's production of "The Tenant" is a wonderful opportunity to see the changes that have already taken place at West-park for yourself! We'll see you at the show!
Friday, August 12, 2011
Playtime in Central Park :: Row, row, row your boat
If it weren't for the outline of the distinguished Beresford Apartments on the horizon, you'd swear this photo was snapped in the wilds of upstate New York!
LW's Cristiana Peña and intern Kate Gilmore snapped this photo, of boaters gliding across The Lake, on return from a site visit to the Cherry Hill Concourse (read more here ... and oh, is there more ...).
LW's Cristiana Peña and intern Kate Gilmore snapped this photo, of boaters gliding across The Lake, on return from a site visit to the Cherry Hill Concourse (read more here ... and oh, is there more ...).
A relaxing visual note to take us into the weekend. Add to that today's post by West Side Rag, encouraging readers to jump on our photo series bandwagon, and we're of the opinion that this day just can't get any better. Loving summer in the city ... and especially on the Upper West Side!
Send in your photos -- past, present, you name it! -- and show us your moments at play in Central Park!
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Heavenly Voices, Inspiring Instruments Celebrate West-Park's Congregation
The congregation of the Upper West Side's newest Individual Landmark--the West-Park Presbyterian Church on Amsterdam Avenue at West 86th Street--just turned 100!
It was this time of year, back in 1911, that the West and Park Presbyterian Churches--then two separate bodies--came together as one unified congregation. To commemorate the occasion, West-Park hosted the Bridge Concert Series this past weekend (more here!). An eclectic mix of musical styles came together in support of West-Park, as did members of the community.
LW! staffers attended the first two concerts in the series. First, on Thursday, June 16th, was Bridge to Possibilities. Featuring a talented group of singer-songwriters, their voices filled the sanctuary of the church (spruced up and ready for public events in large part thanks to the Winter 2011 clean-up organized by the congregation, Preservation Alumni, LANDMARK WEST!, Friends of West-Park, and other generous friends). A fantastic kick-off to the four-day long concert event!
The following evening, Friday, June 17th, brought flavor and flair to the Upper West Side. Bridge to Fusion, the second concert, featured both a world-renowned tango pianist and an acclaimed tango harmonica player. Argentinian pianist Octavio Brunetti spoke of West-Park as being "one of the most beautiful places for music in the city". Coming from a Latin Grammy-winner, that's saying something!
Last weekend's series was heralded by the congregation of West-Park as the first of many such public programs to celebrate their 100th year. Stay tuned for updates on more events here and on the church's blog, the West-Park Press.
It was this time of year, back in 1911, that the West and Park Presbyterian Churches--then two separate bodies--came together as one unified congregation. To commemorate the occasion, West-Park hosted the Bridge Concert Series this past weekend (more here!). An eclectic mix of musical styles came together in support of West-Park, as did members of the community.
LW! staffers attended the first two concerts in the series. First, on Thursday, June 16th, was Bridge to Possibilities. Featuring a talented group of singer-songwriters, their voices filled the sanctuary of the church (spruced up and ready for public events in large part thanks to the Winter 2011 clean-up organized by the congregation, Preservation Alumni, LANDMARK WEST!, Friends of West-Park, and other generous friends). A fantastic kick-off to the four-day long concert event!
The following evening, Friday, June 17th, brought flavor and flair to the Upper West Side. Bridge to Fusion, the second concert, featured both a world-renowned tango pianist and an acclaimed tango harmonica player. Argentinian pianist Octavio Brunetti spoke of West-Park as being "one of the most beautiful places for music in the city". Coming from a Latin Grammy-winner, that's saying something!
Last weekend's series was heralded by the congregation of West-Park as the first of many such public programs to celebrate their 100th year. Stay tuned for updates on more events here and on the church's blog, the West-Park Press.
For more on how you can support the bricks-and-mortar restoration of West-Park, click here!
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