Chelsea Now

YOUR WEEKLY COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER SERVING CHELSEA, HUDSON YARDS & HELL’S KITCHEN

Youth Group Seeks Return to Community Center

BY DUSICA SUE MALESEVIC Anthony Rebolledo wouldn’t miss a week of the youth program that was taking place at the Fulton Houses Community Center.

The 15-year-old, who has lived in the Fulton Houses his entire life, started participating in Young Life — an international nonprofit Christian ministry that provides programming for youth — around four years ago.

He heard about it through his friends, and he liked the way the program brought kids in the neighborhood together, as well Continued on page 4

Tenants Fight Back in State Supreme Court

BY EILEEN STUKANE The tenant harassment at 264 and 266 W. 25th St. continues unabated, as a gas leak caused the NYC Fire Department and Con Edison to shut and seal gas pipes at 264 on Nov. 7. Also this month, a tenant’s intercom and phone lines were severed. As reported in Chelsea Now (Oct. 21, 2015), The Sabet Group, which owns the buildings, did not institute a Tenant Protection Plan as it went about demolishing 10 apartments in the five-story building of 17 apartments at 264 W. 25th St., and also Continued on page 6

Earthalujah!

Reverend Billy and the Stop Shopping Choir take their message from the streets to the Joe’s Pub stage. See page 18.

Photo by Scott Stiffler

Local electeds, the Parks Department and Friends of 20th Street Park announced on Nov. 8 that there was enough funding to build a $5.8 million park between Sixth and Seventh Aves.

W. 20th Going Green: City to Build New Park

BY ZACH WILLIAMS The city Parks Department announced $4.3 million dollars in new funding on Sun., Nov. 8 to construct a new park at 140 W. 20th St., between Sixth and Seventh Aves.

Since 2010, a group of local residents has been advocating for a green space on what was once a parking lot and building used by the Department of Sanitation. They lobbied the city to designate the .23acre space as parkland, raised $500,000 in private funding, and received $1 million through last year’s Participatory Budgeting process. Along the way, they’ve learned that with persistence, the wheels of bureaucracy can turn.

© CHELSEA NOW 2015 | NYC COMMUNITY MEDIA, LLC, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

“Twentieth Street Park is a story of green space with real grassroots,” said Matt Weiss, a founding member of Friends of 20th Street Park, at an on-site Nov. 8 press conference attended by over 100 neighborhood residents, as well as elected and city officials who praised the Friends’ efforts and pledged their continued support.

“We all know that Chelsea is an amazing neighborhood that is experiencing growth at virtually every turn,” Weiss noted. “However, one area that has not kept pace with this growth is green space.”

Chelsea may have the High Line, but the area roughly

Continued on page 12 VOLUME VOLUME 07, ISSUE 07, 37 ISSUE | NOVEMBER 22 | JULY 12 16 - 18, 22, 2015

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BY ZACH WILLIAMS Cleanup work has slowed down at the site of an Oct. 20 fire at a W. 17th St. building following resident complaints about how 24/7 street closure between Seventh and Eighth Aves. sparked a traffic surge two blocks south.

The developer of a condominium project at 221 W. 17th St. agreed on Nov. 5 to limit the closure from 8 a.m. to noon. This reduction could extend the work into early December, but will lower the influx of traffic to W. 15th St. in combination with other new measures taken by city agencies, said Councilmember Corey Johnson.

Johnson organized the Nov. 5 meeting between the developer, residents, the NYPD, and the city departments of buildings (DOB), transportation (DOT) and sanitation, that resulted in the change. When work does occur, the DOT will deploy signs instructing drivers to use W. 14th St. to move westbound. The NYPD also agreed to focus on illegal truck traffic on W. 15th St. that often exacerbates the traffic flow on the narrow crosstown street.

Sanitation workers will assist the developer in removing debris from the site so it does not pile up too much, Johnson said in an email. Residents will also be spared the effects of DOB permits allowing work around the clock, he added.

“Night-time construction has caused significant disturbance for the neighbors, many of whom have school-age children,” he said. “After the meeting I expressed my concern about this directly to [DOB] Commissioner Chandler and I requested that work be limited to reasonable hours, which I anticipate will happen shortly.”

The situation on W. 17th St. was noticeably different on the afternoon of Nov. 9. Traffic moved along the street

with relative ease between Seventh and Eighth Aves., with a construction worker directing traffic with an orange flag.

A spokesperson for the DOB said in an email that work would likely conclude before Dec. 10. But some street closure is required in order for workers to use a crane to clean heavy debris.

The future of the damaged building remains at the discretion of the owner, since a post-fire inspection determined that it was not in danger of collapse, the spokesperson said.

But not everyone among the few dozen residents who came to the Nov. 5 meeting, held at the Rubin Museum of Art (150 W. 17 St. btw. Sixth & Seventh Aves.), left the meeting satisfied. Stanely Bulbach, president of the West 15th Street 100 and 200 Block Association, said in an email to Chelsea Now that the developer exerted too much control at the meeting and adequate notice was not given to residents of the surrounding neighborhood.

Only about eight residents from W.15th St. attended the meeting with a few days’ notice he said. In a neighborhood where city agencies encourage development by accommodating late night construction and traffic detours, he added that he does not have “great expectations” about the overall traffic situation on his block moving forward, he added.

“Even after this nightmare is past, there will still be the DOT permits for cranes to block West 17th Street whenever something has to be hoisted to the roof,” he said. “For the years during the reconstruction of the Walker [Telephone] Building, DOT left it up to the developers to close West 17th whenever they wished, and DOT permitted developers to be responsible for the detour signage, which developers rarely removed or updated.” .com

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November 12 - 18, 2015

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Young Life, Hudson Guild Differ Over Program’s Effectiveness

Photo by Miguel Acevedo

Photo by Chris Forte

Young Life participants, near their former gathering place at Fulton Houses Community Center.

Young Life rewards local kids for achievement, but Hudson Guild says the program itself failed to “productively engage young people in groups.”

Continued from page 1 as the opportunity to learn about God. “We had a lot of space and a pool table,” said Rebolledo in a phone interview.

Recently, however, the program

has taken place outside or at churches because it is no longer allowed to use the space at Fulton Houses Community Center. For two nights each week, Young Life was running their program there.

“We come into neighborhoods and provide faith-based mentoring style programs for kids, for high school

STEVE MCCURRY: INDIA

November 18, 2015–April 4, 2016 150 WEST 17TH STREET NEW YORK, NEW YORK 10011 RUBINMUSEUM.ORG Steve McCurry (American, b. 1950); Boy in Mid-Flight, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, 2007; © Steve McCurry

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November 12 - 18, 2015

and middle school kids particularly,” explained Chris Mills, Young Life’s Chelsea area director for over four years, in a phone interview.

In the summer of 2012, before Hurricane Sandy hit, Mills and the organization’s staff had meet several kids and their parents from the Fulton Houses through basketball tournaments and other neighborhood initiatives, he said. In the aftermath of the storm, Young Life helped out and served the community, said Mills.

Miguel Acevedo, president of the Fulton Houses Tenants Association, approached Young Life after Sandy, to provide a weekly youth program for both middle and high schoolers, said Mills.

The program, which started in spring 2013, was run in the Tenant Association’s offices — but it quickly outgrew the space.

In a phone interview, Acevedo said it was a “positive program,” and “you can’t have twenty, thirty teenagers in a small office.”

Mills said he approached Hudson Guild to see if they could utilize space at the Fulton Houses Community Center.

“They were gracious to us and gave us space there to do our programming,” Mills said. “We told them what our needs were and what we were doing. They donated [what] they call the game room. Basically, a room with a pool table, and it [had] enough seating for how many kids we had.”

Starting the fall of 2014, Young Life had two nights at the center.

On Mondays, those in middle school

would meet for Wyldlife Club, and on Thursdays, the Young Life Club for those in high school would meet.

Both ran from 6 to 8 p.m. Mills said about 25 kids participated in each program, noting that one of the taglines for the club is “a party with a purpose.”

“We really want to provide a fun, safe environment for kids to come,” he said.

The free program provides dinner for participants. They play games, participate in skits, and, at the end, discuss a story from the Bible and how it relates to their lives, said Mills.

“We’re also very adamant [that] everyone can find a place in Young Life,” he said. “You don’t have to be a Christian to come to our program.

We want them to be a part of what we’re doing. At the end of the day, we want kids lives to be better.”

In the early part of June, Hudson Guild informed Mills that they would no longer be able to use the space.

Hudson Guild had let them use the space for free, which Mills called a “big gift.”

Initially, Mills said he was told they couldn’t use the space because the kids were rowdy and out of control.

“At that point it was about [the] kids’ behavior and [we] did not receive any information about the lack of supervision or leadership of the program,” he said.

Ken Jockers, executive director of Hudson Guild, disputes this.

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Giving Beleaguered Tenants a ‘Supreme’ Option Continued from page 1

Courtesy Steven Cincotta

A sheet of plywood across the fire door prevents inspectors from gaining access, but also blocks the fire exit for the Jeanne D’Arc Residence on W. 24th St.

began working on several of the 15 apartments in the five-story building next door at 266. Since demolition began, a worker fell through the bedroom ceiling of a tenant who was continuing to live in her home. Other tenants had to confront infestations of insects that included bedbugs, and leaks that led to flooding.

Last month, the NYC Department of Buildings (DOB) issued a partial Stop Work Order due to plumbing issues which remains active, and the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (HMH) issued a full Stop Work Order due to serious exposure of lead dust to the tenants. The landlord reportedly complied with HMH requirements, thereby lifting the Stop Work Order.

Since our Oct. 21 article, Steven Cincotta, a tenant at 266 W. 25th St., reports that there have been more DOB inspections — but the underlying construction has never stopped. He wrote in an email to Chelsea Now: “Unless DOB is willing to enter the apartments it claims it cannot get access to, things will never be better for the citizens.”

Residents have filed over 30 complaints to the DOB. When inspectors arrive, however, they are unable to gain access B:8.75” to apartments under construction. As tenants have told us, an alleged T:8.75” lookout stationed in front of the buildings alerts

workers inside to halt construction, lock doors, and prevent inspections.

Tenants have made DOB inspectors aware of a back way into the buildings to avoid notice. From the Jeanne D’Arc Residence at 253 W. 24th St., inspectors can walk through a fire exit door that opens into the backyard of 264 W. 25th, and enter the building. However, The Sabet Group recently blockaded the fire door with a door-sized sheet of plywood to prevent inspectors from gaining access.

This barricade also blocks the fire exit for the women residents, which is a NYC Fire Department violation, although one has yet to be issued.

FIGHTING BACK IN SUPREME COURT At the end of last month, Cincotta filed an injunction in the NY State Supreme Court, asking for a “Temporary Restraining Order forthwith enjoining any construction work from being performed at 264 West Twenty-Fifth Street, New York, NY.” Named in the injunction were The Sabet Group, Signature Bank, and the NYC DOB. The date for the defending parties to return to court is Nov. 18.

Cincotta has been helped by the offices of NY State Assemblymember Richard Gottfried, Councilmember Corey Johnson, and most recently, NY State Senator Brad Hoylman, who is planning to introduce legisla-

Continued on page 15

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CB4 Committees Stand Against Pier 62 Beer Garden

BY SEAN EGAN Residents of Chelsea and Hell’s Kitchen came out in full force on Thurs., Nov. 5, to the of Community Board 4 (CB4) Waterfront, Parks & Environment (WPE) subcommittee meeting. There was only one item on the agenda that night, but it was enough to draw a crowd of around 50 with strong opinions about the proposed 200-seat Pier 62 Beer Garden, to be built in Hudson River Park. The controversial business has been the focus of extensive debates in the community recently — including frequently in the pages of this paper, via talking points and letters to the editor.

Many are opposed to the assumed ruckus the beer garden would bring to this currently serene area of the park (particularly because of a children’s carousel nearby), while others are looking forward to a place to grab a bite and a drink at a family-friendly establishment by the water. Some are simply ideologically opposed to the privatization of parks, and using public parkland for commercial enterprises.

In preparation for the likely heated discussion to follow, Delores Rubin, First Vice Chair of CB4 and the Co-Chair of the committee, began the evening cautiously, by earnestly appealing to the crowd to “remind everyone we’re all neighbors and volunteers.”

Rubin also noted that the CB4 offices had been receiving letters on the topic, and the opinion was firmly — but relatively evenly — divided.

Before the public comments session began, Rubin took the time to lay out the situation in a broad strokes timeline.

Back in 2012, when the Hudson River Park Trust (HRPT) was looking to make improvements to the park and increase revenue, a survey revealed that a top request from visitors was to have more food and beverage options at the park. In 2013 (when the makeup of CB4 was different, she noted), HRPT came before the board to inform them they were going to start a Request for Proposals (RFP) for a beer garden on Pier 62. At the time, Rubin recalled, there was no opposition and “the mood was favorable.” As the HRPT was simply letting CB4 know of their intention to put out RFPs, with no concrete plan in place, the board wrote no letter.

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Rubin noted that everything going on was truly above the board, and not the fault of Merchants or HRPT, saying simply, “Sentiments change, moods change. That’s something to keep in mind.” Indeed, throughout the evening, it was made clear that Merchants was a respected and ideal operator — no one held anything against them, specifically, just the idea of the garden.

She then read a letter drafted by Madelyn Wils, President and CEO of HRPT, to explain their position. Wils described the proposed beer garden as a “family-friendly park amenity.” She also noted its benefits, including making Don’t wait for an emergency – there are free and the park safer after dark and drawing low cost options that may be available to you. in more people, while reminding those present about the many concessions Call for a free consultation with our LGBT affirming the operator has already made through staff and see what you qualify for! working with the board.

Shortly thereafter the public was allowed to comment, and dozens took advantage of the opportunity to take the mic, with both sides getting ample time to present their arguments.

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Rhymes With Crazy THE WEST SIDE’S COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER

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November 12 - 18, 2015

Microbes Deserve Major Respect

BY LENORE SKENAZY It’s time for a microbes’ rights movement.

Too long have we reviled the misunderstood microbe as an evil to be sprayed, slathered, or scrubbed away.

Too long have we demeaned this vast and variegated group with hateful terms like “bug” and “germ.” Too long have we ignored the contributions made by this mighty if microscopic clan, subjecting it to the horrors of microbicide.

It is time to say, “We’re sorry.”

That is basically what the fascinating new exhibit at the American Museum of Natural History is doing. “The Secret World Inside You” is a paean to the literally trillions of microbes that live on and in each of us, from the depths of our belly buttons to the moist and teeming twists of our intestines, where they are busily digesting our food and, quite possibly, determining our mood.

More on that later.

Until recently, says genomic scientist Robert DeSalle, co-curator of the exhibit, most people thought of microbes only in terms of illness.

“I don’t like the word ‘germ,’ because it harkens back to the old way of looking at health: ‘Let’s kill them to make us healthy,’ ” he said.

Today, researchers are realizing we let a few bad apples influence our outlook.

“There are so few bad bacteria in our bodies relative to the good ones that it gives all microbes a bad rap,” said DeSalle. “I think, actually, they should be patted on the back, because without them, we would be a very sick organism.”

Sick for lack of germs? Yes indeed.

Mice bred to have guts completely bereft of bacteria — sterile — “are much happier when you put some microbes into them,” DeSalle said. It is normal for us

all to be crawling with microscopic critters.

Many of those critters are on display at the museum, magnified a zillion times — and just be glad they’re normally microscopic. But here’s the latest: Scientists are starting to think of them sort of like genes. We each have our own “microbiome,” a set of microbes that lives on and in us. No two person’s microbiomes are the same, and our microbiomes change depending on what we eat, where we live, and even our age.

Most significantly, they change when we take antibiotics. These kill off a whole lot of microbes, some bad, but many good. It can take a long time for them to grow back, and not all of them will. It’s sort of like re-planting a garden after a nuclear attack. That’s why doctors are trying to prescribe antibiotics more sparingly these days.

We’re not at all sure what the different microbes do yet (there can be 100–200 different microbial species in just your mouth), but scientists are beginning to suspect that they play a big role — not just in sickness, body odor and tooth decay, but in fighting off disease.

You have probably heard by now (if only because it is so weird) of “fecal transplants.” That is, taking the fecal matter from someone healthy and transplanting it into the gut of someone sick. People suffering from Clostridium difficile, an illness of the stomach and intestines, have been cured when they received someone else’s stool.

How come? Apparently, some of those germs that gross us out actually conquer the illness. Score one for the germs!

What could be stranger than a fecal transplant? How about the idea that some microbes — or some constellation of them — could actually be responsible for how we behave?

The exhibit discusses an experiment involving two breeds of mice. The “anxious” breed lingered several minutes before leaping off a platform to explore a new space. The impulsive breed lingered just a few seconds. When scientists exchanged their gut microbes — just the stuff swishing around in their intestines — guess what? The anxious group jumped off a minute earlier, and the impulsive mice now waited a minute longer.

The mice did not receive new organs or new genes or new training. Just some new germs.

So next time you’re squeamish about holding the subway pole, or you’re reaching for antibacterial goop and it isn’t because you’re about to perform surgery, remember: Most germs are our friends.

Er...most microbes are our friends, I mean.

Old habits die hard.

Lenore Skenazy is host of the reality show “World’s Worst Mom” on the Discovery Life Channel. She is also a public speaker who authored the book, and founded the blog, Free-Range Kids (freerangekids.com). “The Secret World Inside You” is on view at the American Museum of Natural History (Central Park West at 79th St.) through Aug. 16, 2016. For tickets ($22, $12.50 for ages 2-12, $17 for seniors/students), visit amnh.org.

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POLICE BLOTTER HOMICIDE: Local McDonald’s under fire following shooting

CRIMINAL POSSESSION: Cabbie’s tip leads to felony arrests

CRIMINAL MISCHIEF: Rat involved in cookie theft

PETIT LARCENY: Criminal decision of double-digit discount

Police say that a Nov. 9 triple shooting outside of Penn Station arose from an earlier argument at a McDonald’s franchise at 490 Eighth Ave. (btw. W. 34th & W. 35th Sts.). Shortly after 6 a.m. that morning, police responded outside a nearby subway entrance.

A 43-year-old man was pronounced dead at the scene. Two others were hospitalized for injuries. The search for the shooter and two other involved assailants remains ongoing, according to police. In the meantime, elected officials called on the owner of the McDonald’s franchise to meet with them to discuss how to improve safety at the location, according to a Nov. 9 letter sent by Councilmember Corey Johnson, State Senator Brad Hoylman and other elected officials.

A white pet rat was involved in the reported theft of a $1 cookie on Sun., Nov. 8. The heist followed an argument between the rat’s owner and an employee of a pizzeria at 100 Eighth Ave. (btw. W. 14th & W. 15th Sts.).

The customer wanted two $1 cookies while only paying for one. He enforced his bartering style by kicking the front door’s glass, then leaving. A police report did not state whether the rat was present at the incident, but the 31-year-old employee described the suspect and rodent to police, who have not made any arrest yet.

THE 10th PRECINCT Located at 230 W. 20th St. (btw. Seventh & Eighth Aves.).

Commander: Deputy Inspector Michele Irizarry. Main number: 212-741-8211. Community Affairs: 212-741-8226. Crime Prevention: 212-741-8226.

Domestic Violence: 212-7418216. Youth Officer: 212-7418211. Auxiliary Coordinator: 212-924-3377. Detective Squad: 212-741-8245. The Community Council meets on the last Wed. of the month, 7 p.m., at the 10th Precinct or other locations to be announced. The next meeting is Nov. 25 (subject to change because of Thanksgiving).

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Police recovered a firearm after a cab driver gave them an early morning tip on Sun., Nov. 8. The driver picked up two men (ages 25 and 28) at W. 17th St. and 10th Ave., and began taking them to Connecticut. Sometime shortly after 3:30 a.m., he saw the two men coddling a pistol. He stopped his car at the intersection of W. 28th St. and 10th Ave. and told his passengers to get out. A police report did not state whether they paid for the ride, but the 54-year-old cabbie did the younger men no favors when he called 911 and told police about the gun. The two suspects were still at the intersection when police arrived. Two knives were in the possession of the two men. They were both arrested for felony possession of a firearm.

A 30-something man had a simple strategy to save $25. On Sat., Nov. 7, he walked into a Duane Reade at 315 W. 23rd St. (btw. Eighth & Ninth Aves.), grabbed some blue tape and a padlock, and exited the store at about 7:30 a.m., police said.

GRAND LARCENY: Not the prison type of stripes

The whistle was gone when a 73-year-old referee called foul on a group of teenagers who he thinks stole his stuff at Chelsea Park. He told police that on Fri., Nov. 6, he stowed a duffle bag by a soccer goal post near the intersection of W. 28th St. and Ninth Ave. But the bag was gone when he went to retrieve it at about 4 p.m. A group of teen girls was in the area when he left the bag, the victim told police. No arrests have been made. The $450 digital camera and $700 tablet computer were the most valuable lost objects.

Whoever took it also got a full set of referee gear (including flag and a whistle), as well as an electric iron and a raincoat.

—ZACH WILLIAMS

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Chelsea Debates Controversial HRP Beer Garden Continued from page 7 beer garden, noting how crowded the park and waterfront already are.

Anthony Borelli, a Chelsea resident and member of the HRPT, spoke in favor of the beer garden, saying it would draw him and his friends to the park, and that he would enjoy bringing his dog there. Others in agreement with Borelli commented that the park area was underdeveloped.

“One man’s underutilized is another’s sanctuary,” commented Pamela Wolff, a longtime Chelsea resident and public member of CB4.

Miguel Acevedo, President of Fulton Houses, touched on a nerve when he expressed frustration over the potential of disrupting the children’s play area and privatizing parks. “Most of my residents here will not be able to afford a beer in that beer garden, I guarantee you,” he added.

After some deliberation, the WPE came to the decision that they would draft a letter to the Business Licenses & Permits (BLP) committee stating that they are totally opposed to the beer garden, but also included a list of stipulations if it were to go through — including making sure it remains family-friendly at all hours and has prominent signage for public seating.

Merchants would be appealing to BLP in a few days’ time to recommend them for a full liquor license.

The BLP meeting of Tues., Nov. 10 was a similar hotbed of activity — though the mood of the room was far less welcoming to Merchants than the mixed reception they received earlier in the week. Frank Holozubiec, the Co-Chair of BLP, reminded the crowd that his committee only makes recommendations to the full board and the

Photos by Sean Egan

A group of Chelsea residents lined up to speak their minds on the proposed Pier 62 beer garden.

Diane Nichols had some choice words for the HRPT’s decision to put a beer garden in the park.

State Liquor Authority (SLA).

At the top of the evening, Richard Cohn, the Chief Operating Officer of Merchants Hospitality (who was also present at the Nov. 5 meeting), was given the chance to present his case to the assembled members of the community and BLP members.

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November 12 - 18, 2015

Cohn noted that Merchants has enjoyed a lot of support from the Chelsea community since first opening a restaurant in the neighborhood in 1993.

He expressed his hope to increase park attendance with the garden, and make it active at all times of day.

He also cataloged many of the concessions Merchants has made at the request of the board — notably by doing away with bleacher seating, reducing their capacity from 300 to 200, adding giant chess and checkers sets and complimentary wi-fi, and allowing for public seating without an obligation to purchase food or drink. In addition, he described his desire to co-partner with the carousel, by perhaps offering promotional discounts for patrons of the garden. He stated to the board that he wanted a full liquor license simply because “not everyone likes beer.”

“I think at the end of the day, you’ll find this to be an amenity to the community,” he concluded.

Richard Cohn of Merchants appealed to BLP, in hopes that they would support their bid for a full liquor license.

Over 20 people got up to speak afterward — and there were many familiar faces from the WPE meeting who came to speak out against the park.

Diane Nichols, a 35-year Chelsea resident, was particularly incensed, when describing her opposition to the forthcoming “rowdy restaurant.”

“I’m so absolutely upset that the HRPT went and betrayed us in the dark of the night,” she chastised, both literally and figuratively pointing her finger at the Trust, to rapturous applause from the assembled.

A representative of State Assemblymember Richard Gottfried was present to read a statement against the beer garden. “This is not an appropriate location for a commercial establishment of this kind and size,” the statement read, urging BLP to oppose Merchants’ application.

By the end of meeting, after some discussion with Cohn and a rep from HRPT who was present, BLP unanimously denied to recommend Merchants for a liquor license — but included a list of stipulations they would want if they were to grant them a license.

Holozubiec noted, however, that unless the proposed beer garden was in violation of the 500-feet rule (which takes into consideration an establishment’s proximity to others with full liquor licenses), SLA was likely to grant the license.

The subject of the beer garden will be raised again at the next full board meeting of CB4, which will take place on Wed., Dec. 2, at the Fulton Center Auditorium (119 Ninth Ave., btw. W. 17th & W. 18th Sts.). .com

Jacob a. Riis Revealing New York’s Other Half Inequality remains a fact of life in America. A century later, this New York master’s photos still explode with outrage.

“heart - rending retrospective ” – The New York Times

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.com

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Photo by Zach Williams

Councilmember Corey Johnson (at podium) led local elected officials in lobbying Parks Department Commissioner Mitchell Silver (far left) to fund a new park. Far right is Assemblymember Richard Gottfried. To the right of Silver are State Senator Brad Hoylman and Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney.

Matt Weiss and Sally Greenspan are founding grassroots campaign for a new local park.

At Long Last Grass: 20th Street Park Gets Its

Courtesy Friends of 20th Street Park

There were over 100 in attendance, when a circle of friends gathered at the future home of their neighborhood park.

Continued from page 1 between Fifth and Seventh Aves. has the lowest proportion of green space relative to developed land in Manhattan, according to the Parks Department. A new park would help ameliorate that situation locally, while also furthering a city initiative to have 85 percent of city residents live within walking distance

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November 12 - 18, 2015

of a park by 2030. The neighborhood ranks 58th out of 59 city community districts for the prevalence of parks, according to the department.

Now that the project has enough cash, a three-year process of environmental review, design, procurement and construction begins. Public meetings slated for next spring will help determine the site’s design, and the scope of its function. The Parks

Department, on average, takes 29 to 48 months to complete a capital project from start to finish.

But a few more years of work does not daunt supporters, who say that the project has already survived various ups and downs over the past five years.

“It’s always an evolving process with different issues coming up,” said Sally Greenspan, a founding member

Enough with the baby steps! It won’t be long the W. 20th St. Park.

of Friends of 20th Street Park, in an interview just moments after the Nov 8 announcement. “Staying with it is hard. We all have other priorities as well. We all have jobs and we all have families, and this takes time.”

In the last year, they’ve lobbied their fellow residents and elected officials to support turning the site into a park rather than affordable housing.

Councilmember Corey Johnson said .com

Photo by Zach Williams

g members of Friends of 20th Street Park, a

s Green Light Photo by Scott Stiffler

Some kids from the neighborhood held signs, some said “Hi!” to those giving speeches, others kicked up gravel — and they’ll all grow up with a nearby park.

Courtesy NYC Parks Courtesy Friends of 20th Street Park

g before this cutie is able to go for a walk in

during his Nov. 8 remarks that a commitment from Mayor Bill de Blasio will resolve this issue by constructing 220 units of affordable housing at a site at 495 Eleventh Ave. (btw. W. 40th & W. 41st Sts.).

“This is a solution that had evaded us for a long time, which made it difficult for this project to move forward,” he said. “At this spot, future generations of New Yorkers will con.com

Last gasp for a local gap: The purple square represents a future W. 20th St. park. The surrounding white indicates our current shameful status (58th out of 59 in city community districts for the prevalence of parks).

nect with nature, connect with their neighbors, play, eat lunch, relax, fall in love, fall out of love…It began with a group of dedicated New Yorkers who saw a cause and didn’t stop until they achieved a new park for our neighborhood.”

Those residents rallied State Senator Brad Hoylman, Assemblymember Dick Gottfried and Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney to the cause.

Parks Commissioner Mitchell Silver said at the press conference that the officials and residents made it readily apparent how much they wanted to prioritize the W. 20th St. park project.

“The creation of this park is a great example of what can happen when a group of people come up with a great idea, and have the persistence to keep working on it, even if it takes

years, like this did, to see it through,” Gottfried said.

Greenspan told Chelsea Now that advocating for a new park has already given her the sense of community that the park can eventually provide.

Historically, churches and synagogues were forums where residents engaged, she said. But in the last few years, she grew to understand how the campaign for a new park could bring a community together.

She did not know Weiss five years ago nor many of the other neighbors who would join together to form Friends of 20th Street Park. As the project progressed, she began realizing that she would not have to wait for the benefits of the park to become apparent, especially in the lines at local supermarkets.

“People would say, ‘Hi Sally.’ I had never seen these people before. I never knew any of my neighbors because we all lived in our little apartments, and then came out and we knew the people who lived next door and that was it,” she recalled, then anticipted the day when “we will all be sitting in this park and the children will be playing and we will all know each other.”

For more info on the park, visit 20thstreetpark.org.

November 12 - 18, 2015

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.com

Anti Tenant-Blacklist Bill Languishes Continued from page 6 tion in Albany that would, according to a statement from his office: “codify a tenant’s clear right to bring suit in State Supreme Court to 1) compel a building owner to grant unfettered access to the building to DOB, and 2) direct the Department to inspect alleged violations at the premises.”

As Hoylman says: “Tenants like Steven Cincotta may not have standing to compel DOB to do its job.

Our legislation would give them that standing and mandate that DOB pursue and expect access.” He continues, “If DOB is not going to do its job, we should allow tenants to have access to court standing and compel DOB to do its job.” This legislation is in the early stages of development, and will be introduced in the NY State Legislature in January 2016.

“We need this to correct in Supreme Court, not Housing Court,” says Hoylman, “Also keeping it in Supreme Court has a side benefit of keeping tenants off the so-called blacklist.”

HOUSING COURT’S TENANT BLACKLIST Legitimate issues can bring a landlord to seek justice in regard to nonpaying or disruptive tenants in Housing Court. Until 2012, the names of tenants that are specified by landlords appeared in the Housing Court’s database. On the

flip side, tenants who sought justice in Housing Court due to landlord harassment were also listed on the database, even if they were victorious in their cases.

Hundreds of Tenant Screening Bureaus (TSB) collect and sell consumer rental histories — from the Housing Court’s (HC) database — to landlords. No matter whether a tenant was justified or not in bringing a case to HC, once a name is in the HC database, a person can have a great deal of difficulty being approved for a new apartment. Landlords shun those on the list.

Under political pressure, in March 2012 the NY State Office of Court Administration (OCA), which was providing names and addresses to TSBs, announced that to prevent blacklisting, names and addresses would no longer appear. OCA, however, continues to feed TSBs with index numbers of new cases, and tenants’ names — unless tenants have filed under “John Doe” or initials — can be acquired through a public access computer.

In January 2015 Councilmember Benjamin Kallos spearheaded the “Anti Tenant-Blacklist” bill, which he introduced to the City Council.

This bill would allow a tenant who felt discriminated against to file a complaint with the NYC Commission on Human Rights. Violations would be issued to landlords if complaints were justified.

This bill was approved by the

MANTA SPA C

FOCUSING ON MAN TO MAN MASSAGE

File photo courtesy The Villager

June 3, 2015: State Senator Brad Hoylman is arrested in Albany for protesting for the extension of rent regulation and the reform of the rent laws.

Legislation he plans to introduce in early 2016 would “codify a tenant’s clear right to bring suit in State Supreme Court.”

Council in March 2015, but there rent to the luxury market. It’s a factor is no word on whether or not it will of market economics, and the market, become law. As Hoylman says, “It’s a as has been said, has no morals. What distressing fact of daily life for a lot has been happening to tenants across of tenants that their landlords1 want MX_COMMED_LeslieLohman.pdf 10/21/2015 Chelsea 2:09:50 PM and the entire West Side is to force them out, so they can then immoral.”

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LOIS RAKOFF, COMMUNITY DIRECTOR OF THE POE ROOM, AND NYU ANNOUNCE

Photos by Chris Forte

Skits and games are among the activities at Young Life, whose program requires room to move.

Supervision Concerns Cited in Denial of Youth Group Space Continued from page 4 “Our concern was not about the young people,” said Jockers in a phone interview. “We work with young people every day. We know that young people are energetic and full of energy. Our concern was the program’s ability to productively engage young people in groups.”

Later, Mills said the language switched in order to reflect that it was not necessarily the kids’ behavior, as much as a lack of leadership.

He said Jockers has not seen the program in action.

Jockers said Young Life could not use the space because “we did not think that the program had sufficient structure or supervision to adequately engage young people.”

He did not answer whether he went to check out the program himself.

Jockers did say, “Based on the information that I received, I made the decision. If the assertion is that I haven’t seen the program in action, my response to that is that for more than a hundred years, Hudson Guild

has been running multiple programs all around the neighborhood. We operate out of nearly twenty locations running dozens of programs and serving thousands of people every year.”

He added, “Chris Mills’ program is not a program of Hudson Guild.

They’re an organization that wanted to use space in the facilities that we run and we made the determination that it wasn’t a good fit for us. We’re not saying they shouldn’t run their program…They asked us for space in a building that we’re responsible for and we said no.”

Mills said people who run the program have three months of training, take a test at the end to make sure procedures and policies are understood, undergo a background check, and must provide two letters of recommendation.

They are looking for another space, but the search is diffi cult because Chelsea is expensive, Mills said later in an email.

“I’m really not trying to fight [Hudson Guild]. I’m trying to fight for the kids,” said Mills. “At the end of the day, I want us to be back in the space working alongside Hudson Guild.”

OPEN CALL TRYOUTS FOR REFLECTIONS OF EDGAR ALLAN POE Creative individuals of all ages are encouraged to audition for the chance to illuminate the life and legacy of Edgar Allan Poe through mediums such as dance, drama, music, painting, sculpture, readings, performances, or other forms of expression.

Submissions will be accepted on a rolling basis until Friday, November 13. Contact Nichole Huff at the Office of Government and Community Affairs at nichole.huff@nyu.edu or 212-9982325.

And save the date for “Reflections of Edgar Allan Poe,” on Friday, December 4, 2015 at 6:00 pm at the NYU School of Law, Furman Hall, 245 Sullivan Street, Room 216 (between West 3rd and Washington Square South). RSVP today at www.nyu.edu/nyu-in-nyc or 212-998-2400.

Community members and NYU come together and partner on the Poe Room event each fall and spring.

.com

November 12 - 18, 2015

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ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT Give ’Em That Earth Time Religion

Reverend Billy and Choir appeal to our better nature

Photo by Erik McGregor

When Rev. Billy, the 30-member Stop Shopping Choir and a three-piece band set up shop, Joe’s Pub overflows with earthy activism.

BY SCOTT STIFFLER The charismatic scourge of consumerism has an idea he wants to sell you on.

“Earth justice and human justice are, and need, to be the same thing,” asserts the man on the other end of the phone, who announces himself in the guise of a Bible salesman offering Old Testament brimstone and New Covenant wisdom that you can’t afford to ignore.

Empowered by righteous anger, prankster activism and a young daughter set to inherit this profit-before-people world, Reverend Billy brings his ministry — without invitation and sometimes resulting in jail time — to chain stores, bank lobbies, and corporate offices. You’ll also find him on picket lines, in protest marches, and at sites of environmental despoliation. His message varies (workers are suffering, species are disappearing, toxins are polluting, consumers are overspending), but his method is the same: aggressive

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satire and strength in numbers.

Beginning on November 15, Reverend Billy brings his deadly serious, laugh-out-loud brand of street theatre to the great indoors. That the six-week run takes place during the height of gift-giving season is no mere coincidence.

Although its mission continues to evolve, The Church of Stop Shopping is still firmly rooted in the notion that most folly visited upon this planet stems from mankind’s unchecked appetite for disposable pleasures. With a 30-member choir and a guitar/drum/ keyboard combo filling the Joe’s Pub stage up to its brim, Reverend Billy’s 70-minute Sunday service (seen by this publication in previews) effectively distills the essence of his many causes.

“Our hot experiment,” says Reverend Billy, “puts out the idea that the issues we embrace integrate and become a simple human value in our fabulous worship. I have this incredible wave of punk gospel blowing through

me. To be on stage with activists who sing, and singers who risk arrest, is a revelation.”

That risk is real, every time the Church takes their crusade against avarice and injustice into the public sphere.

Stop Shopping Choir members — who recently retired their trademark robes in favor of extinction-themed honeybee chic — have been arrested “many times over the past fifteen years,” according to Church spokesperson Marnie Glickman, and have been subject to bodily harm more times than they care to count.

A member of the Choir met the business end of a Doorbuster stampede back in 2008 during a group pilgrimage to the Valley Stream, NJ Walmart, where they attempted to reason with the mob. Bargain-hunters didn’t get the joke, which is tough to do when you’re laser-focused on a mission.

Happily, the Church doesn’t have a problem finding humor amidst chaos (which is downright infectious if you’re

the right audience).

In 2014, over two dozen Church members found themselves in Ferguson, MO Walmart and Target stores — without incident, this time, but joined by “young African Americans,” recalls Reverend Billy, who were “shouting ‘Hands Up, Don’t Shop.’ So we affirmed our decades-long fetish not only against consumerism, but what we call ‘Consumerracism.’ ” From the minimum wage, to the revolving door between business and government, to the toxic glyphosates “banned in most European countries but still being sprayed here in our great liberal town,” to police forces meeting protesters while dressed in military-grade gear, Reverend Billy says we “keep finding consumerism is always there, in a big way.”

In the Reverend’s slogan-packed proselytizing, as well as in songs like “We Are The 99%,” all of these topics were given

Continued on page 23 .com

Fall Into Festival Mode

More good stuff on deck than there are leaves on the ground

Courtesy Jay Michaels Arts & Entertainment

Photo by Sean Shapiro

No tall tales, just real life — when 6’ 1” former pro b-baller Terri Mateer’s “A Kind Shot” holds court at MITF: Fall.

Stripped bare: “Flyer Guy” dissects David Lawson’s days as a Times Square promo man — part of Nov. 20-22’s SOLOCOM.

BY SCOTT STIFFLER

Whether working every angle on the court or navigating the field of life, former pro basketball player Terri Mateer has taken plenty of hits — but that hasn’t diminished her drive to score. Performed with an athlete’s grace and confidence (but none of the indulgent swagger), the 6’ 1” Mateer’s “A Kind Shot” (Nov. 17, 21, 22) has plenty of insider anecdotes and famous names that will appeal to fans of street, college and pro sports. Besides her experience in these worlds, Vermont-raised Mateer also worked as a model, a stripper, and a designer. Raised by a single hippie mom and an African American surrogate father, and mentored by numerous others, she credits them with giving her the fortitude to confront sexual abuse and harassment. “The point of my story,” Mateer says, “is to inspire people to look out for each other.”

MITF: Fall performances take place through Nov. 22, at the Workshop Theater’s Jewel Theater (312 W. 36 St. btw. Eighth & Ninth Aves., fourth floor). For tickets and info on all shows, ($20), visit midtownfestival.org.

MITF: FALL We had mid-summer weather for most of last week — so why not have an autumnal version of the annual July/August Midtown International Theater Festival? This desperate stab at linkage is probably not what led founder John Chatterton to cook up “MITF: Fall.” A more likely inspiration is the yearround bumper crop of applicants, whose forceful personalities are more than enough to compensate for the fest’s no-frills staging. Those who make the cut are rewarded with free rehearsal space, a three-performance run, and the chance to exit the fest with a lifetime calling card to the rest of the world: the fact that you’ve performed in the heart of Manhattan, before rising sea levels from years of mid-70s November temps render it navigable only by canoe. We don’t know when that scenario will play itself out, but these performances are destined to take place over the next few weeks: Accounts from family members and soldier’s letters — from the American Revolution to Afghanistan — are enacted by Douglas Taurel, in “The American Soldier,” with particular focus on the challenges veterans face upon re-entry to civilian life (Nov. 18, 20, 22). In playwright Cameron Fife’s dark comedy “Killing Diaz,” five close friends conspire to commit the titular murder, in an extreme but effective attempt to avoid an awkward conversation (Nov. 18, 20, 21). .com

SOLOCOM Ah, the moment of birth: a little messy and sometimes accompanied by swear words, it is — for those of us not doing the grunt work — our one shot to say we were there at the start of something big. And so it goes at SOLOCOM, the world’s “only world premiere solo comedy festival.” Presented by the Peoples Improv Theater, at their always-packed E. 24th St.

base and their recently reclaimed loft space on W. 29th St., this year’s three-day fest will present never-before-seen works of sketch, storytelling, standup, physical comedy, music, multi-media, improv, cabaret, and clowning. With 120 offerings, numbers aren’t its only strength. Brevity (shows range from 15-60 minutes) keeps things moving at a brisk clip, and gives the artists plenty of room to develop their newborn into a bigger, stronger work with long legs.

For example: British comedian Maggie Gallant grew up with parents whose idea of style was an itchy knit swimsuit, and whose ideal present for her 11th birthday was a leather briefcase. Convinced she wasn’t part of this odd brood, Gallant got a shock when she looked up the family tree. “A Fate Worse Than French” has her confronting the shocking truth, and dealing with its aftermath (Nov. 22). Closer to home, “Flyer Guy” is a collection of David Lawson’s strange and possibly traumatic stories, from three years spent eking out a living as one of those poor souls tasked with convincing Times Square tourists to take their flyers (Nov. 20).

In “Dammit, Jim! I’m a Comedienne, Not a Doctor!,” Canada’s Polly Esther tells of how a casual virgin viewing of “Star Trek: The Next Generation” plunged her into a two-year voyage through every cinematic and TV permutation of Gene Roddenberry’s universe, culminating in her trip to a Las Vegas convention (Nov. 21). Thinking man’s boylesque

Continued on page 20 November 12 - 18, 2015

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Autumn Fest Harvest Time Continued from page 19 entertainer and sex toy test drive blogger Lucas Brooks — sweet and tart and occasionally baring more than his soul in Feb. 2015’s cautionary STD tale “Cootie Catcher” — comes to SOLCOM with another tasty venture. “I Am My Own Cast Party” is a blur of cattle call auditions and artistic oddities, through which Brooks totally crushes on that cocky little heartbreaker known as the American stage (Nov. 21).

SOLOCOM happens Fri., Nov. 20th through Sun., Nov. 22nd at The People’s Improv Theater (aka The PIT, at 123 E. 24 St. Park Ave. & Lexington) and The PIT Loft (154 W. 29th St. btw.

Sixth & Seventh Aves.). For tickets ($25 festival pass, $10 single tickets), visit ThePIT-nyc.com/solocom.

DOC NYC Social justice struggles and curtain-peeling looks at show business (both geo and local) distinguish this year’s installment of America’s largest documentary festival. From a roster of over 200 films, many of the directors and their subjects will be in attendance.

The fest opens with filmmaker Jon Alpert and HBO Documentary Films head Sheila Nevins in conversation, after the world premiere of Alpert’s short film “Mariela Castro’s March: Cuban’s LGBT Revolution.” Also on opening night, director Barbara Kopple (Oscar winner for the influential 1976 coal mining labor strike doc “Harlan County, USA”) is on hand along with Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, for the US premiere of “Miss Sharon Jones!”

On Nov. 16, director Michiel Thomas is in attendance for the NYC premiere of “Game Face,” about the public lives of a transgender Mixed

Martial Artist and a gay college basketball player. Shot at NYC’s Joe’s Pub, David Kornfield’s “The Red Umbrella Diaries” has monologues from seven sex workers (Nov. 16). Director Adam Sjöberg is expected to appear on Nov. 15 and 17 for “I Am Sun Mu,” about a former North Korean propaganda artist who applies those skills to satirical pop art. Brooklyn-based and Chelsea-born Hillevi Loven makes her directorial debut with “Deep Run,” in which a teen trans man comes of age in deeply evangelical North Carolina.

Executive producer Susan Sarandon joins Loven for at Q&A at the Nov. 17 screening, with subject Cole Ray Davis also in attendance for the Nov. 14 NYC premiere.

“Daddy Don’t Go” (Nov. 14) is Emily Abt’s two-year look at four low-income fathers. Executive produced by Omar Epps and Malik Yoba, it’s a positive if not always uplifting look at the daily challenges faced by young men dedicated to raising their children. While “Daddy” offers a new image of the American family, Peter Flynn’s “The Dying of the Light” (Nov. 18,) is equally concerned with preserving the old ways. Focusing on career film projectionists in the New York area who continue to unspool celluloid in an age of digital domination, “Light” also provides a ray of hope, by charting the effort to restore over 100 projectors needed for 70mm screenings of Quentin Tarantino’s “The Hateful Eight.”

DOC NYC happens Nov. 12–19 at the IFC Center (323 Sixth Ave. at W. Third St.), the SVA Theatre (333 W. 23rd St. btw. Eighth & Ninth Aves.) and Bow Tie Chelsea Cinemas (260 W. 23rd St., btw. Seventh & Eighth Aves.).

For tickets ($17, $15 for seniors/children), visit docnyc.net.

Courtesy Wintersong Tashlin, Winter Wind Photography

Stop draggin’ his heart around! Lucas Brooks flirts with theater, in SOLOCOM’s “I Am My Own Cast Party.

Photo courtesy of the filmmakers

Brooklyn-based, Chelsea-born filmmaker Hillevi Loven’s “Deep Run” screens Nov. 14 and 17 as part of DOC NYC.

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November 12 - 18, 2015

Photo courtesy of the filmmakers

“Daddy Don’t Go,” Emily Abt’s two-year look at four low-income fathers, screens Nov. 14 at DOC NYC. .com

The Existential Dread of a Clown Brilliant, bleak ‘Entertainment’ wanders out west

BY SEAN EGAN Rick Alverson’s brilliant new feature, “Entertainment,” is an emotionally overwhelming sensory experience, which will leave those who can handle its unflinching bleakness dazed, confused, shaken and depressed. And Alverson wouldn’t have it any other way.

“We’ve been taught for three quarters of a century in the United States and in American popular cinema to read our films in a traditional literary, narrative style, and essentially we’re looking to unpack that experience,” Alverson says. “What movies seem to bring, the potential of them is sort of in this tonal, temporal experience. The intellect being stimulated and activated and engaged could be a wonderful by-product of that, but you know, I think that it mostly is engaged when the experience doesn’t fit neatly into those prescribed categories; when the intellect isn’t just an arbiter of and a reader of the film, and has to wrestle with what the content is, and what the form is.”

The film’s “plot,” as it were, concerns a character known simply as the Comedian. Played by Gregg Turkington (who co-wrote with Alverson and alt-comedy mainstay Tim Heidecker), the Comedian cuts a prickly but tragic figure, marching through the desert on a tour of dead-end clubs and dive bars. When not performing, he skulks around in near-silence visiting underwhelming tourist traps, and leaves his estranged daughter daily voicemails that go unanswered.

Onstage, however, he springs to life, wearing an oversized tux and cradling drinks, delivering material (as incredibly dated as it is blue) in a nasal whine, with stilted timing that all but guarantees audience confusion and/or hostility. It’s a riff on Neil Hamburger, Turkington’s longtime anti-comedy performance art standup persona that Alverson and co. expand upon here.

Juxtaposing the Comedian’s ill-received performances and his miserable personal life allows the protagonist to slowly unravel, and creates the mounting existential dread that provides the thrust of the film’s narrative.

“Even more than sympathy, I think it’s a character that’s pitiable, which I think, as audiences, is something that’s even more attractive to us, because it allows us to elevate ourselves in relation to this person,” Alverson comments on the decision .com

Courtesy Magnolia Pictures

Gregg Turkington as the Comedian, in a position of stark isolation — his natural habitat.

to work from the Hamburger archetype and explore his off-stage identity.

Almost as significant a character as the Comedian is the barren, oppressive sprawl of the western desert itself.

Alverson admits to using motifs from American popular cinema as “raw materials” to shape the film’s structure, from the “stereotype of the spiritual journey in the desert, to the unlimited potential of the west,” and also notes his “obsessions and interests” that worked their way into the movie.

“One of them is an American utopian bent — you know, this idea of the unlimited potential of things,” the director reveals. “And I’m obsessed with the idea that that’s the source of a lot of, if not all our global problems, is the outsourcing of this dream, that can’t expire, that has no limits or edges. You know, when the world is full of limitations, and limitations are beautiful and necessary.”

As a deconstruction of the utopian myth of the west, it plays on the tropes of road movies admirably — and it’s clear its uncompromising, iconoclastic style shares some DNA with ’70s-era American independent cinema. “Five Easy Pieces” is even directly namechecked, though with its dream-like segues, emphasizing of sound and music over dialogue, and expressive use of color, it calls to mind another Bob Rafelson joint — the psychedelic fever dream/Monkees vehicle, “Head.”

Overall, the formal mastery on display creates an uneasy, immersive atmosphere of quasi-hallucinatory isolation.

“Dialogue is not a narrative driver in any of my movies, and it won’t be, largely because I have this aversion to this

unpacking and reading of the thing, and being essentially pulled by the author,” Alverson explains.

“The intention was to deal with that totally formally as opposed to narratively,” he continues. “I think that the thing was made to be slippery. It starts off very naturalistic, and you do lead it like a traditional narrative, and everything becomes apparent. It’s very one-dimensional and very simple and standard, about the journey and this sort of thing.

But then it becomes slippery and harder to actually wrestle out a compact meaning or experience of the thing, so that it becomes more surreal.”

Indeed, trying to pull out a succinct lesson from the movie is difficult. A cousin played by John C. Reilly seems to be a warning against compromising or commercializing art, and a crass clown (Tye Sheridan) on tour with the Comedian is a stand-in for the empty, debased entertainment people regularly consume. For his part, Alverson sees

Action Changes Things

the film as something of a “welcome swan song to the white, European, male dominant culture that we’ve had for centuries,” and hopes the film makes its audience consider the impact entertainment has on them and the world at large.

“We outsource this concept of limitless American potential, and the attainable American dream for all of the population, which is absolutely impossible. So, you know, I think that in our entertainment and our media, is a tool by which that narrative is facilitated,” Alverson explains. “If we don’t think every time we turn on a show on Netflix, or television, or click on a story on a page that it’s not promoting or selling something, whether it’s a concept, or an ideology, or goods, then we’re kidding ourselves.”

Alverson’s view isn’t entirely nihilistic however, as he recognizes there’s “the promise of art as something that’s distinct from disposable entertainment” — though as a caveat, he believes art should “upset and animate and have some sort of constructive potential.”

“Entertainment” upsets and challenges both its audience and its characters in the best of ways. Throughout the film the Comedian repeatedly brays the question “Why?” as a setup to his hackneyed jokes, becoming something of an obnoxious catchphrase. But as things progress, the phrase starts to sound less like a joke, and more like a desperate plea for anything to make sense in his life — and a cue for viewers to question what they’re watching. And like the God of his film, Alverson offers no easy answers to this inquisition.

“I’ve taken this approach to not so

Continued on page 23

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November 12 - 18, 2015

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Preaching ‘Punk Gospel’ at Joe’s Pub and Beyond Continued from page 18 stage time at Joe’s Pub, along with a chance to declare victory on at least one front. The Nov. 8 preview came on the heels of Obama’s Keystone decision. Proof, Billy noted, that “Earth Culture stopped the pipeline.”

That made for a nice segue to the upbeat “Gratitude Song,” a golden oldie Church hymn that canonizes activist saints, willing martyrs, and innocent victims — but the majority of selections land on the side of active struggle rather than cautious optimism. “Get home safe” and “run for your life” are alternately hushed and urgent refrains in two early selections, causing Reverend Billy to note, “Even when the dogs don’t bark, they can bite your ass.”

“Make that anger righteous, not Photo by Erik McGregor reckless,” a Choir member shouts. Good Reverend Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping take a message as advice when Reverend Billy asks us to big as Times Square and squeeze it onto the intimate Joe’s Pub stage, ponder both sides of the protest line: Sundays through Dec. 20.

“Two institutions with pavement between us,” he says. “We’ve got to fill that pave“Reverend Billy & The Stop Shopping Choir: ment with bacteria and birds and nature.”

The Earth Wants YOU!” plays through Dec. 20, With the Choir clapping, music thumping, and Sundays at 2 p.m. (doors open at 1:30 p.m.), at Reverend Billy giving every syllable in “Earth-a-lu-jah!” Joe’s Pub (425 Lafayette St. btw. Astor Pl. & E. its own sense of end times urgency, you don’t know Fourth St.). For tickets ($15, plus $12 food or whether to tap your toes or change the world. This is two-drink minimum), visit joespub.publictheater. one church service puts you back on the street con- org or call 212-967-7555. Get info on Church vinced that life is at its best when we strive to do both, activities, and their new “Resist Extinction” preferably at the same time. album, at revbilly.com.

‘Entertainment’ an Unflinching, Overwhelming Experience Continued from page 21 much talk about the content of the thing, because I think there’s this imbalance where all we talk about is content. You read ninety percent of criticism of movies, everybody just says, ‘This is what something’s about,’ ” Alverson claims. “Well what did you see and hear? That’s the experience. It’s a little frightening because there’s something happening there that people seem to be unaware of, that’s what they’re seeing and hearing — the actual physical experience of the thing.”

Courtesy Magnolia Pictures

John C. Reilly (right) tries to shift Gregg Turkington’s Comedian to the mainstream.

“Entertainment” runs 102 min.

Opens Nov. 13 at Landmark Sunshine Cinema (143 E. Houston St. btw. First & Second Aves.) and On Demand. For tickets and info, visit landmarktheatres. com/new-york-city. .com

November 12 - 18, 2015

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November 12 - 18, 2015

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