Chelsea Now

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

City Addresses Film/TV Industry Gender Disparity

BY STEVE BARNES When it comes to the worlds of film and television, New York City has “the richest talent base in the country,” noted Julie Menin, Commissioner of the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment (MOME).

But making sure that talent base accounts for all of the city’s resiMOME continued on p. 6

‘Occupy’ Artist’s Initiative Powered

by People

BY NICOLE JAVORSKY Wen Chang noticed a structure with miniature cardboard paintings set up beside art supplies when she was walking along the High Line earlier this year. The materials were there for David Everitt-Carlson’s initiative called iThinkOutsideMyBox. As her two-year-old son created a painting, Chang learned about the THINK OUTSIDE continued on p. 7

TAYLOR AT TEN

Eryc Taylor Dance celebrates a decade of dynamic output. See page 21.

Courtesy Mike Weiss Gallery

A photo from September shows the sidewalk closed on both sides of the street.

WEISS DECISION Gallery Shuts Its Doors Following Disruptive Development

BY DENNIS LYNCH Mike Weiss closed his eponymous Chelsea gallery earlier this month, following a drawn-out ordeal with a demolition operation next door at the soon-to-be Fitzroy luxury condominiums — a process he said drove away potential customers and caused material damages to his gallery and artwork.

The decision to end his 13-year presence on W. 24th St. comes after Weiss claimed $7.5 million in damages in a civil suit against JDS Development Group and Largo Investments, which are in charge of the project at 514 W. 24th St. (btw. 10th & 11th Aves.). Weiss claimed material damages consistently occurred during demolition —

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including cracked walls caused by the vibration of heavy equipment, dust damage to artwork, and water damage caused by an oft-improperly attended fire hydrant in front of the gallery that was used by the demolition crew.

Weiss also claimed that excessive noise made it difficult to conduct business with prospective clients, and dust kept people away and endangered his employees.

A barrier around his gallery door, debris outside, and construction equipment parked outside also discouraged foot traffic, he said, causing a dramatic drop in walk-ins.

“I can’t tell you how many weeks people said ‘I can’t WEISS continued on p. 2 VOLUME 08, ISSUE 42 | OCTOBER 20 - 26, 2016

Lasting Damage: Condo Construction Complicates

Courtesy Mike Weiss Gallery

Courtesy Mike Weiss Gallery

The quiet after the storm: The scene outside the now-closed Mike Weiss Gallery on October 18.

Weiss’s gallery is visible at the center of the frame in this photo dated February 2016.

WEISS continued from p. 1

be here, its too loud,’ or that it smells like something weird — we saw a 90 percent drop in traffic to our gallery,” Weiss said. “And it’s not just the money problems. You can’t hear yourself on the phone; employees are unhappy. The artists have been very supportive, but it’s very difficult.”

Weiss had seven years left on his lease at the space and has not decided whether or not he will re-open the gallery somewhere else, or sell privately instead. He ended his tenure at 520 W. 24th St. on Oct. 8, with “Where Do We Dump The Bodies?” — an aptly titled exhibition of Dan Schein’s paintings. Weiss said he had an easier time dealing with damage from Hurricane

Sandy than the damage he claimed in the suit — most of the damages were paid for out of pocket, and some through his insurance. In all, Largo Investments and JDS paid to move a security camera they blocked during demolition, for a sign to hang on scaffolding outside, and for water damage once — although Weiss said water consistently got into the gallery.

In August, he put the suit on hold because of mounting legal fees. The development team strongly refuted Weiss’s claims in the suit, calling it “frivolous.”

“The Fitzroy has not been issued any violations by the Department of Buildings related to the numerous WEISS continued on p. 3

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October 20 - 26, 2016

.com

Conditions at Nearby Gallery

Keep your home, family & finances above water Courtesy Mike Weiss Gallery

From Mike Weiss Gallery’s final exhibition (“Where Do We Dump The Bodies?”), Dan Schein’s “The Keepers of the Everlasting Fickle Flame of Disdain and Abysmal Landscape” (2016, oil on canvas, 72 x 98 in.).

WEISS continued from p. 2

baseless complaints from the Mike Weiss Gallery. Additionally, the frivolous injunction filed by the gallery was withdrawn,” an Oct. 14 email statement to Chelsea Now said. “The partnership behind The Fitzroy has a long history developing and building successful projects that enhance their neighborhoods with minimal impact to their immediate surroundings... JDS Development Group & Largo Investments do not take their responsibilities as good neighbors lightly...”

Weiss filed dozens of complaints through 311 and a handful to the Department of Buildings regarding the operation. He also appealed to City Councilmember Corey Johnson’s office and the mayor’s office, but said he received little to no support from them. Johnson’s staff has been in touch with Weiss since news broke of the gallery’s closure, to help him navigate potentially helpful state resources.

In January, the Fitzroy partnership’s insurance company hired an independent adjustor to determine damages at the gallery. The adjustor found the demolition company — headquartered at the same address as both the construction company and the LLC that owns the Fitzroy property — “created the condition, did not take the proper measures to protect their work and the neighboring prop.com

erty,” and was liable for damages.

Weiss estimated his damages totaled around $100,000 at that time.

The Department of Buildings has issued 10 violations on the job at the Fitzroy since September of last year. Two are still open, although it is unclear if any of those were related to Weiss’s complaints. Records show two were because a safety manager was absent at the time of inspection.

Other violations include improper storage of compressed gas, inaccessible temporary pedestrian walkways, and a failure to provide plans for mechanical demolition.

Ironically, the partnership cited West Chelsea’s “world-renown [sic] art galleries” as part of what makes the neighborhood “one of Manhattan’s most vibrant,” on the building’s website (fitzroy.nyc). Luckily for future Fitzroy residents, Mike Weiss Gallery is the only gallery on W. 24th St. to shut down because of the demolition and construction. So far it’s been more a nuisance rather than an existential threat to the others on the street, according to gallery employees and owners who spoke with us.

“We’ve gotten used to it — for people who work or visit, it becomes part of life,” an employee of a gallery on the north side of the street said.

“Traffic is still the same, if there’s any place that can remain prosperous, it’s 24th Street.”

WEISS continued on p. 10 October 20 - 26, 2016

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Jay Kallio, Activist to the End, Dead at 61

BY ANDY HUMM Jay Kallio, who died Sept. 30 at age 61 in New York, was an activist’s activist on the front lines of the grassroots LGBT movement and other social justice causes for more than 40 years.

Kallio came to New York as a homeless lesbian — Joy Kallio — who quickly found herself at the center of Lesbian Feminist Liberation (LFL) in the early post-Stonewall movement of the 1970s. Kallio finished life, after a titanic battle with multiple cancers, as Jay Kallio, a transgender man who put himself at the barricades wherever there was injustice against almost anyone. Within the past couple of months, despite excruciating pain, Kallio went to Washington to march with Gays Against Guns, to Pennsylvania to canvas for Hillary Clinton, and to Syracuse to table for Compassion & Choices — a group that advocates for terminally ill people — drumming up support for the Medical Aid in Dying Act in Albany.

He was only stopped by a tumor on his spine that paralyzed him from the waist down and, ultimately, ended his life. He was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2008, but that diagnosis was withheld from him at first, a situation compounded by a transphobic surgeon who wanted to send him to a psychiatrist instead of healing him, something he spoke about on HuffPost Live.

Joy transitioned to Jay at age 50 in 2006, getting hormone treatments but never seeking gender confirmation surgery.

“I accept my body as I was born,” he told ABC News.

Coming to New York City in the early ’70s after being fired from a job with Outward Bound upstate for being lesbian, Kallio met Eleanor Cooper at the Firehouse at 99 Wooster St. in Soho, the city’s first gay and lesbian community center.

Cooper was a leader in LFL and later of the Coalition for Lesbian and Gay Rights that passed New York City’s gay rights bill in 1986. Kallio became LFL’s program coordinator. The couple were together for almost 36 years, including Cooper’s many later years in a nursing home. They were married in Cooper’s hospital room in 2008 by the Reverend Pat Bumgardner, pastor of the Metropolitan Community Church of New York, because Cooper

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October 20 - 26, 2016

Photo via Facebook.com

Jay Kallio, 1955-2016.

was unable to travel outside New York State to legally marry.

Veteran gay activist Tom Smith, Kallio’s longtime friend, said, “After Eleanor died, Jay was very involved in Physicians for Single Payer and the right-to-die movement. Jay was really good at deciding what issues and goals he wanted to work on, and they were realistic” — including organizing a demonstration to get access to immunotherapy that brought Jay back from the brink of death earlier this year. “He worked on doable things — usually on someone else’s behalf.”

Breast cancer was not the only cancer Kallio was forced to confront.

“This damn lung cancer that is now killing me is because of that toxic smoke we first responders breathed for so many months” after the 2001 World Trade Center attacks, Kallio posted on Facebook this past Sept.

11.

Kallio was a die-hard Hillary Clinton supporter, first against Barack Obama in 2008 and then against Bernie Sanders this year. His activism included a stint as a board member of the Stonewall Democratic Club of New York City.

Kallio was born in Rahway, New Jersey, on August 17, 1955 and was abandoned by his biological father at age two. His mother then married Bob Kallio of Edison, New Jersey, and Joy was given his name (though the biological father never consented to Bob adopting Joy as he wanted to).

Bob Kallio remembers Joy coming out while still at J.P. Stevens High School in Edison and said Joy “was brilliant, with a photographic mem-

Photo via Facebook.com

Jay Kallio in this year’s LGBT Pride March, as he suffered from the cancer to which he succumbed on Sept. 30.

ory.” Half-brother Bill Kallio said Joy “had perfect SAT scores.”

Joy’s early jobs included work as a lighting designer Off-Off-Broadway and in a printing business for six years. Joy trained in teaching Shiatsu massage but had her back broken in a demonstration where too much pressure was applied, Bob Kallio said — one of many health problems that would plague Jay’s life.

Bob Kallio said he, Joy, and her brothers “all worked in the Edison first aid squad,” a commitment that Joy carried over to working in the Emergency Medical Services in New York and as an auxiliary police officer for a time.

“I want people to remember how caring Jay was, how devoted” to his causes he was, Bob said.

Kallio produced a concert with Sweet Honey in the Rock and Holly Near in the early 1970s, “when women’s music was in great need of support, as a benefit concert for Lesbian Feminist Liberation,” Jay wrote. “I am proud to have be a small part of the support for women’s culture with the many programs and concerts I produced in our efforts to create community, at a time when lesbian feminists were stigmatized and reviled, and there was no safe place for us to congregate, except for mafia bars.”

Kallio is survived by Bob and Bill Kallio, as well as half-brother Bob, and a legion of friends and comrades.

Bertis Shankle-Reyes, the manager of volunteers and outreach at SAGE (Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders), which Jay belonged to, posted on Facebook, “Jay’s spirit should be at SAGE today. The [death] notice is posted on the wall and everyone who walks by has something nice to say about him. He will be so missed.”

In August, Kallio posted a quote from youth advocate Josh Shipp: “You either get bitter or you get better. You either take what has been dealt to you and allow it to make you a better person or you allow it to tear you down. The choice does not belong to fate, it belongs to you.” To that quote, Jay added, “The choice I always make is very clear to me! I’m very lucky because it seems to come easy for me, no problems!”

May we all have such optimism in our final days.

Poet and theater artist Bonnie Rose Marcus met Jay in July of 2015 “in my role as ‘death doula,’ a friendly visitor who would accompany Jay through to his death,” she wrote in an email. “As we spent time together, we became very close and grew to love each other deepKALLIO continued on p. 23 .com

DAYTIME HALLOWEEN FUN FOR CHILDREN…OF THE NIGHT!

BY SCOTT STIFFLER With its witches’ brew of decorations, destination events and pricey costume purchases, Halloween has become a multi-billion-dollar Frankenstein’s monster whose out-of-control spending rivals that of the ho-hoho holidays set to take center stage come November 1.

If you’re bedeviled by the current state of affairs, make a pact to celebrate this season of frights by clearing the cobwebs of consumerism and getting a death grip on its true spirit: kids in costumes roaming the land, harvesting candy, and having a good time. Here are some local events sure to send the little devils home dead tired and possessed by scary good memories.

HAUNTED HIGH LINE

Photo by Liz Ligon

Want to really scare the kids? Tell them your weekend plans include subjecting them to an afternoon-long history lesson — then watch their screams of terror turn into sighs of relief, as they realize that boring tales of old are nowhere to be found at this annual costume-encouraged tribute to High Line neighborhood’s industrial past.

In the immersive, walk-through “Ghost Tunnel” experience, help an old-time cowboy find his horse, Cyclone (from 1850-1941, the West Side Cowboys protected pedestrians from the freight trains that ran down the middle of “Death Avenue,” aka 10th Ave.). At the Chelsea Market Passage section, make your own protest

Ghosts of the past haunt the High Line, at an Oct. 29 event that pays tribute to the wild, wild West Side’s industrial roots.

HALLOWEEN FUN continued on p. 13

CATHEDRAL HIGH SCHOOL

St. Peter’s Chelsea Presents:

NOSFERATU A HALLOWEEN SILENT MOVIE EVENT Suggested Minimum Donation $15/person Proceeds go to the Fund for the Restoration of St. Peter’s

JOIN US TO LEARN MORE Sunday October 23, 2016 12-3pm (last tour at 2:30PM)

350 East 56th Street, NYC

Medical Gateways Program Law Program Business Program STEM Curriculum We have a 100% graduation rate and a Class of 2016 who earned over $25 million in college scholarships and grants.

www.cathedralhs.org | 212.688.1545 | TACHS #202 .com

To be accompanied on keyboard by special guest

JOEL FORRESTER Joel is a jazz pianist (bop, boogie-woogie, stride). He is also a composer with nearly 2000 published works, the best known of which is the theme-song to NPR’s FRESH AIR. He works in New York clubs with his trio and as a soloist. The PARIS FREE VOICE called him “the world’s foremost improvising accompanist to silent film.” In New York, he’s played for films at the International Center for Photography, Film Forum, Anthology Film Archives, and the Gershwin Hotel; in Paris, at the Louvre, the Musée d’Orsay, and the Centre Pompidou.

EVERGREEN BOOKS has published both a compilation of his tunes and—just this month!— Forrester’s satirical re-imagining of a Norse myth: “An Adventure in the REAL Life of Thor.” To be placed on his mailing list, write to joelforrester@hotmail.com.

OCTOBER 31st, 8PM, ST. PETER’S CHELSEA 346 W. 20th St., New York, NY 10001 | www.stpeterschelsea.org October 20 - 26, 2016

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Supplier Diversity

How to Grow an LGBT-owned Business Enterprise

NYC Initiatives Fund Projects for Women in Film

co-hosted by The Manhattan Chamber of Commerce and The National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC)

Courtesy Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment

The MOME Women’s Fund for Film and Theatre will provide $5 million in cash grants over the next five years.

If you’re like many LGBT owned businesses or corporate buyers, you may never have heard of supplier diversity for LGBT businesses. Major corporations in America have procurement programs in place for LGBT businesses, similar to the well-known programs for minority and women-owned businesses.

Please join us for this free educational and networking event. You will learn about emerging procurement initiatives for LGBT businesses during a panel discussion with representatives of NGLCC, an LGBT certified business enterprise (LGBTBE) owner, and two corporate procurement professionals. You will also have a chance to ask questions and then network over food and wine with panelists and guests.

Presentation by Jeremy Youett, Senior Events Marketing Manager and Microsoft GLEAM New York Board Lead (GLBT+ Advisory Committee) on Microsoft’s LGBT diversity initiatives.

Wednesday, October 26, 6pm - 8pm Microsoft Conference Room Central Park West 6501 11 Times Square 6th Floor (8th Ave. between 42nd and 41st Sts.) Register in advance: http://bit.ly/2ddcj7g

212 473 7875 • manhattancc.org/lgbt 6

October 20 - 26, 2016

MOME continued from p. 1

dents remains a problem. According to MOME, several studies have indicated that women — along with people of color, those with disabilities and LGBT individuals — are underrepresented both in front of and behind the camera. One of those studies, done by the University of Southern California’s Annenberg School for Journalism and Communication, found what it called “an inclusion crisis” in the industry.

Not only were just 15.2% of directors across film, television and digital series female, that low level of representation also extended to writers (28.9%), series creators (22.6%), and even actors (with just 33.5% of speaking roles taken by women).

“It’s incredibly discouraging that while women comprise 52 percent of the city’s population, less than 10 percent of the top-grossing films are directed by women,” Menin said.

Menin’s office is taking action to address that state of affairs.

MOME has announced a series of initiatives directed at expanding the number of women working in all aspects of the film and television industry. From helping filmmakers find funding for their projects to encouraging budding

screenwriters to providing a platform for women to showcase their work, these programs are aimed at raising the profile of women in the city’s entertainment industry, which according to MOME, brings $9 billion into the city’s economy annually.

Two of those initiatives are directed specifically at getting female filmmakers the money they need to get the cameras rolling. The first of those, the MOME Women’s Fund for Film and Theatre, will provide $5 million in cash grants over the next five years to “support film and theater projects by, for or about women.” MOME says that those funds will be dispersed at what it calls “strategic moments” during the course of the selected projects, providing the assistance needed to complete them.

The other takes the idea of speed dating and brings it into the sphere of film finance. In a “speed funding” event for 50 filmmakers, participating filmmakers and producers will have the opportunity to meet with venture capital firms, angel investors and other funders. To qualify for participation in the event, filmmakers will have to be part of a team with a least one member MOME continued on p. 15 .com

Photos by Nicole Javorsky

While Wen Chang’s childhood friends work on their paintings, David EverittCarlson prepares more cardboard squares.

The iThinkOutsideMyBox display features a dose of optimism.

Public Art Project’s Activist Roots Expand Beyond the Box THINK OUTSIDE continued from p. 1

project and the man behind it.

By 6:30 p.m. most nights, EverittCarlson has supplies ready for people passing by the W. 22nd St. area of the High Line to create their own artwork, which they can take home or add to the project’s collection.

Chang’s toddler son is one of over 20,000 participants in Everitt-Carlson’s project. Yet, iThinkOutsideMyBox started out as a solo endeavor in Zuccotti Park five years ago during the Occupy Wall Street movement. EverittCarlson had plopped himself inside of a cardboard box that he found in the park and started painting the panels.

“In the beginning, it was about me doing stuff,” he said. “It was about my artistic ego.”

In Sept. 2011, he returned to New York City from Vietnam, where he had

worked in the advertising industry. He didn’t have a job lined up, and the stock market had just crashed. Experiencing unemployment during the economic downfall is what drew Everitt-Carlson to Zuccotti Park to participate in Occupy.

He had been interested in art for as long as he could remember, so painting signs was a natural fit for him within the movement.

Then, while he was sitting in his cardboard box making brushstrokes, a young girl came over to ask him if she could paint too. She ended up making a peace sign, and became the first participant in his project. Soon enough, others in the park also joined in the creativity.

“The more I kept working, the more people wanted to join in,” he said.

According to Everitt-Carlson, the project started as a “protest vehicle” — a way to draw attention to the Occupy movement and spread its message. By

the time the leaves started changing colors the next year, he moved the initiative to the High Line. This time, instead of focusing on bringing awareness to Occupy (and himself), the project would be centered solely on the vision and creativity of other people.

When Everitt-Carlson was a creative director for advertising agencies, the job

often required him to impose his vision on the tasks performed by others. “You need to give direction and flat out tell people what to do,” he said, in reference to the ad business.

Now, working on a public arts project, Everitt-Carlson has to take a step back.

THINK OUTSIDE continued on p. 15

How a child learns to learn will impact his or her life forever.

City and Country School Keeping the progress in progressive education. Two-Year-Olds – 8th Grade

Open House: Thursday, November 17, 6:00 - 8:00pm 146 West 13th Street, New York, NY 10011 Tel: 212.242.7802 David Everitt-Carlson’s display, set up along the High Line, notes the project’s roots in the Occupy Wall Street Movement.

.com

www.cityandcountry.org October 20 - 26, 2016

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Talking Point

Time to Stop Spinning Our Wheels on Bike Safety

BY FRANK MEADE You probably don’t know Claudia Apicella by name, but you’ve almost certainly seen her going about life here in Chelsea, or as a model in various print media.

There’s a world of difference between the Real McCoy and a cheap imitation, and she is certainly the former. Claudia’s a lively, intelligent woman “of a certain age” who has memories of being sheltered as a small child in the London Underground during the Blitz, though you’d not guess it to see her. She speaks at least four languages with native-fluency and is more widely traveled than some commercial pilots. She sings in her church choir every Sunday and is better read than most Americans. In short, she’s the kind of person who makes this neighborhood, the city, our country and the world a better, more interesting place. She’s unique and you can tell by her bearing that she’s of the stoic “Keep Calm and Carry On” generation.

As a naturalized American citizen, Claudia cares deeply about her adopted country and believes strongly in its laws, customs and traditions. She maintains the constant British tenet of civility and holds that the social contract obliges each of us to submit to laws so the rights of all may be preserved.

At 10:45 a.m. on Wed., Aug. 3, 2016,

she met someone whose concept of the social contract is that his own desires and comfort far surpass the dignity of all others. Claudia was on her way to an urgent medical appointment and waited for the green light to walk within the crosswalk from east to west on the south side of W. 23rd St. and Seventh Ave., when she was struck by a bicyclist speeding northbound in the middle of southbound Seventh Ave. This individual did not stop.

After more than two weeks in hospital, she entered a physical therapy rehab facility for over a month. She is now at home where she is expected to remain incapacitated for the foreseeable future, as her broken bones are treated during home visits by her rehab and care providers, and medical attention is provided for her previous diagnosis. Claudia is now one more in the growing list of victims of incivility and criminality in our lives. In that way, there is nothing notable about her. We’ve all (bicycle enthusiasts included) had conversations centered around “I was almost killed by a bike when…”

Bicyclists are mandated to follow the same vehicle and traffic laws as are motor vehicle operators — but in an area as densely packed as Chelsea, it’s virtually impossible for the police to chase offenders who are on two wheels.

Bikes are more maneuverable and can easily put more people at risk by escap-

ing police through traffic without regard for anyone or anything other than their hubristic selves while taking the time to make a crude gesture. While there simply aren’t enough police to permanently assign officers to catching these violators while maintaining sufficient presence to respond to 911 calls and other requests for assistance, their efforts have been documented on Eighth Ave. in the vicinity of Penn South where summonses are handed out frequently.

There is a very finite number of police officers to go around. If you want enough cops on the streets to effectively control the problem, write to your electeds. That’s the only way you’ll get enough enforcement, since the politicians control the NYPD budget, hiring and other issues.

Enforcement is only one part of the solution. Social pressure is critical and those who disobey traffic laws should be shamed by other cyclists, motor vehicle operators and pedestrians. Cyclists who would not run a red light while behind the wheel of a car have no compunction against doing so on a twowheeled vehicle.

Those responsible for placing Citibikes on our streets chose a sturdy, heavy bike with required lights and warning devices rather than the lightweight racers favored by

most. Obviously, the lighter the bike, the faster it’s able to go, and the rider is tempted to take speed to its limit, without fear of control or ability — the same as do many 17-year-olds with a new driver license. Perhaps a requirement that two-wheeled vehicles in the city cannot be capable of exceeding a certain speed, and cannot be less than a given weight should be instated — which will render them less likely to achieve dangerous speeds, although even “slow” speeds can be deadly.

Consideration also must be given to the laws of physics, which dictate that it’s difficult for a cyclist to stop quickly on a speeding bike without fear of falling or valuating over the handlebars. It’s much different than slamming on the brakes while driving a motor vehicle.

Claudia didn’t deserve what she got.

Political “leadership” has to stop delivering platitudes, and start talking seriously about the issues their constituents face daily. It has to be much more than applauding Vision Zero, joining neighborhood demonstrations, and other press conference-worthy sound bites and photo opportunities.

Amsterdam, Berlin, Brussels, Sarajevo, Tirana and Vienna, among many others, can do it. Why can’t New York?

Until that happens, you’re as much at risk as this lovely lady.

Letters to the Editor Stand Up for Our Neighborhood Stores Access Info to Help Treat Stuttering To The Editor: Attention all elected officials! The time has come to get commercial rent regulations at the top of the agenda!

The newest reason? The art supply store on W. 27th St. across from FIT. This longtime tenant is about to close its doors. The reason? Its rent of $3,000 a month is about to escalate to (hold your breath) $30,000 a month!

Sound familiar? How long will neighborhoods lose the stores they have long patronized — and at prices inflated by the outrageous amounts now demanded by commercial landlords.

Time to call a halt to the rapidly rising cost of everything for sale in neighborhoods around the city in order to fill the already full pockets of the real estate industry.

Gloria Sukenick NOTE: The Chelsea Reform Democratic Club will sponsor a free public forum: “The Death (& Rebirth?) of NYC’s Mom-and-Pops.” Thurs., Oct. 20, 7-9pm at the Hudson Guild Elliott Center (441 W. 26th St., btw.

Ninth & 10 Aves.). Visit crdcnyc.org for more info.

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To The Editor: October 22nd is International Stuttering Awareness Day. Did you know that, worldwide, 70 million (more than the population of France!) stutter?

For nearly 70 years, the Stuttering Foundation has offered free information about stuttering and its treatment. To mark this year’s Awareness Day, we’ve compiled information for all ages from speech-language pathologists around the world who specialize in the treatment of stuttering. This invaluable info can be found at StutteringHelp.org.

We hope to reach everyone with accurate and informed information about stuttering.

Jane Fraser, president The Stuttering Foundation

Trump Unfit to Lead To The Editor: With Election Day right around the corner, I can’t help but think about all that is at stake this year. Working people know that the path to prosperity starts with

electing candidates who support a raising-wages agenda.

We have the opportunity to win equal pay, paid leave, fair scheduling and higher wages. These are just some of the reasons why Donald Trump is the wrong choice for America. Donald Trump has bragged about benefiting from the housing crash that left millions of Americans without a home.

Trump has a history of not paying workers at his properties. He has profited from the trade deals he speaks against. He outsources jobs at his own companies. He even boasts that not paying taxes makes him smart.

We can’t risk electing a candidate who puts his profits ahead of the needs of working families.

R. Ryce-Paul E-mail letters, not longer than 250 words in length, to Scott@ChelseaNow.com or mail to Chelsea Now, Letters to the Editor, NYC Community Media, One Metrotech North, 10th Floor, Brooklyn, NY 11201.

Please include phone number for confirmation purposes. Chelsea Now reserves the right to edit letters for space, grammar, clarity and libel. Chelsea Now does not publish anonymous letters. .com

POLICE BLOTTER THE WEST SIDE’S COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER

Publisher

Jennifer Goodstein

Editor Scott Stiffler

Editorial Assistant Sean Egan

Art Director Michael Shirey

PETIT LARCENY: Dove delinquent While he was able to slip away without his reputation soiled, no amount of scrubbing will be able to wash the guilt off of a man who shoplifted from a Rite Aid on Fri., Oct. 14. At around 9:20am that morning, the man entered the store (188 Ninth Ave., at W. 22nd St.), removed items from the isle, and put them in a white plastic bag. He proceeded to leave the store without paying. Upon inspection, it appears the man stole 17 bottles

Graphic Designer Cristina Alcine

Contributors

Lincoln Anderson Stephanie Buhmann Jackson Chen Sean Egan Dennis Lynch Dusica Sue Malesevic Winnie McCroy Puma Perl Paul Schindler Trav S.D. Eileen Stukane

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THE 10th PRECINCT Located at 230 W. 20th St. (btw.

Seventh & Eighth Aves.). Commander: Capt. Paul Lanot. Main number: 212741-8211. Community Affairs: 212741-8226. Crime Prevention: 212-7418226. Domestic Violence: 212-7418216. Youth Officer: 212-741-8211.

Auxiliary Coordinator: 212-924-3377.

Detective Squad: 212-741-8245. The Community Council meets on the last Wed. of the month, 7pm, at the 10th Precinct or other locations to be announced.

of Dove body wash (of varying sizes), totaling $152.53 worth of pilfered merchandise.

According to the 34-year-old employee who filed the report, video evidence is available of the incident, so the slippery criminal may be forced to come clean after all.

PETIT LARCENY: Pastry patsy After reportedly spending time at a nightclub, a woman made her way to Chelsea Deli and Bakery (254 Eighth Ave., at W. 23rd St.) in the early morning hours of Sat., Oct. 15. After arriving, though, she made herself perhaps a little bit too comfortable, and fell fast asleep. When she woke up, at around 7:30am and tried to look for her phone, she discovered that it was missing, as was her pink batterycharging case — together valued at $700.

The 48-year-old woman could not say for certain where the phone might be, and believes that it was taken without her permission or authority during her slumber.

For its part, the restaurant does have cameras, but video evidence was unavailable at the time of the report’s filing.

CRIMINAL MISCHIEF: Value heel THE 13th PRECINCT Located at 230 E. 21st St. (btw. Second & Third Aves.). Deputy Inspector: Brendan Timoney. Call 212-4777411. Community Affairs: 212-4777427. Crime Prevention: 212-4777427. Domestic Violence: 212-4773863. Youth Officer: 212-477-7411.

Auxiliary Coordinator: 212-477-4380.

Detective Squad: 212-477-7444. The Community Council meets on the third Tues. of the month, 6:30pm, at the 13th Precinct.

No Happy Meal could put a smile on the face of one supersized troublemaker in the

CASH FOR GUNS $100 cash will be given (no questions asked) for each handgun, assault weapon or sawed-off shotgun, up to a maximum payment of $300. Guns are accepted at any Police Precinct, PSA or Transit District.

early morning hours of Sun., Oct. 16. At around 1:30am, he entered a McDonald’s at 335 Eighth Ave. (btw. W. 26th & W. 27th Sts.) and began to harass the customers, who were probably just looking to eat their late-night Big Macs. When the staff, who were most certainly not lovin’ his behavior, kindly asked the man to leave their establishment, he replied with a string of curses, and then, naturally, started spitting at them. When he finally did leave, the man expressed his displeasure by taking the signs outside of the restaurant and hurling them at the window, breaking the signs. At this point, the authorities, having responded to a call, arrived to arrest the 28-year-old Queens man.

LEAVING THE SCENE OF PROPERTY DAMAGE: Double door destruction They say when it rains, it pours — and in the case of one unfortunate Queens man, the raindrops happened to take the form of two different automobiles. At about 10:40pm on Sat., Oct. 15, while driving near W. 34th St. & 12th Ave., the 21-yearold was struck by a vehicle on the passenger’s side of his car. Due to the force of that initial collision, however, he was pushed into the path of a second vehicle, which struck his car on the driver’s side. Though the driver was apparently uninjured, he was rightly miffed when both vehicles drove off from the scene of the accident without exchanging any information. While he was able to get the license plate number of the Nisan Altima that hit the driver’s side, he wasn’t able to recall the initial car’s make, model, or color, let alone license plate number.

—SEAN EGAN

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not be liable for slight changes or typographical errors that do not lessen the value of an advertisement. The publisher’s liability for other errors or omissions in connection with an advertisement is strictly limited to publication of the advertisement in any subsequent issue.

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WEISS continued from p. 3

Irene Cassina, owner of Cassina Projects (508 W. 24th St., directly next to the demolition project), said it only caused a dip in traffic “a few days here and there,” but that equipment or barriers never blocked her entrance. A block away, the reconstruction of a sidewalk in front of Nancy Margolis Gallery (523 W. 25th St., btw. 10th & 11th Aves.) slowed down business, but the owner has so far weathered the storm.

“We did realize we weren’t having as much traffic,” Margolis said.

“At one point there was a dumpster parked right out front sort of blocking us, but we spoke to them and they moved it. You pay a lot of money to be here because there is a lot of foot traffic, but its not going to shut me down.”

Construction seems to “disrupt” the flow of walking traffic around the neighborhood, according to Scotto Mycklebust — a longtime Greenwich Village resident, Chelseabased studio artist, and founder/producer of West Chelsea Artists Open Studios (westchelseaartists.com) and

the High Line Open Studios (highlineopenstudios.org). He spoke of a construction project on 10th Ave. that required a large crane to be parked on the street.

“It definitely makes you more cautious. Before, you felt like you can walk around freely from gallery to gallery; it’s definitely disrupted that, no question about that,” Mycklebust said.

But it is hard to quantify its tangible effect on the local art scene, which has shrunk in recent years anyways, Mycklebust noted. His most recent open studio event featured about a third of the artists he had when he first got involved in 2011. He pinned that on rising rents, which he doesn’t think will level any time soon, especially when a certain mega-project up the street is finished.

“At least four galleries left, including three ‘blue chip’ galleries — it’s a combination of new buildings being built, construction, increased rent,” he said. “Once they get Hudson Yards finished that’ll bring 10,000 new workers and that will have a huge effect on rents in the neighborhood.”

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HALLOWEEN FUN continued from p. 5

sign for a cause worth caring about, after a 1930s mother and her child talk about the civic actions that helped inspire the High Line’s creation. Then, find out what it was like to work at the Nabisco factory (where millions of Oreos and biscuits were once made), and experiment with ice while hearing a frozen-in-time, firsthand account of what life was like at a really cool nearby refrigerator building (where produce and diary products were kept). There will also be free face painting, a scavenger hunt, story time with DJ Natalie, a “Whoop Dee Doo” Variety Show, and a dance adventure with the movers and shakers from PS 3!

Free. Sat., Oct. 29, 11am–3pm on the High Line (enter at W. 14th St. & 10th Ave.). This rain or shine event for children and their caregivers (who are highly encouraged to show up in costume!) has limited capacity. To ensure a faster check-in process, RSVP via thehighline.org.

BROOKFIELD PLACE HALLOWEEN PARTY There’s no trick to enjoying this family-focused, “fang-tastic” afternoon of fun, where every kid is treated like a star — as they take their turn strutting down a Costume Catwalk, after which they’ll be interviewed on the red carpet. Surrounded by a soaring Winter Garden filled with spooktacular decorations, puppets, and stilt walkers, MC and DJ duo Mr. Marc and Mikey Palms will spin tunes for a dance party where you’re free to freak out. Rockin’ retro Maker Movement teacher Mario Marchese introduces kids to the art of using creativity, imagination, and inventiveness to come up with unbelievable feats of magic. A slimy experiment led by Carmello the Science Fellow lets you get your hands dirty (or at least really icky), and a ghoulish GIF booth highlights the horrifically fun possibilities of being tech-savvy.

Free. Sat., Oct. 29, 12–3pm at Battery Park City’s Brookfield Place (bordered by West St., the Hudson River, Vesey & Liberty Sts.). Visit artsbrookfield.com/ Halloween.

IT’S MY “SPOOKY” PARK DAY Kids will really dig this chance to get their hands dirty, when Chelsea’s Clement Clarke Moore Park (the place with those cool, water-spouting seal fountains) hosts this Saturday morning event grounded in fun straight from the good earth. Decorate pumpkins that you can take home, and plant bulbs that you’ll see flower in the spring.

Sat., Oct. 22, 10am–12:30pm, at W. 22nd St. & 10th Ave.; magic show starts at noon. To volunteer, or for more info, email FriendsOfSealPark@gmail.com.

PUMPKIN PARTY IN HUDSON PARK Kids ages 4-10 can sip cider, dip into a complementary treat bag, and give their pumpkins a ghoulish expression without goring it (there’s no carving involved at this tyke-safe decorating event). .com

Free. Thurs., Oct. 27, 4–6pm, at the concession kiosk in Hudson Park (near the 35th St. playground, midblock btw. 10th & 11th Aves.). Visit hudsonyardshellskitchenalliance.org.

HUDSON RIVER PARK’S HALLOWEEN KIDZ KARNIVAL Pier 26 is transformed into “Halloween Central,” for this special afternoon designed for ages 2-8. There will be rides, treats, face painting, magic shows, and a tall tale or two from the Story Pirates, in which the audience becomes an important part of the fast-paced narrative.

Many of the activities are free, some are $2. Sun., Oct. 30, 12–5pm at Hudson River Park’s Pier 26 (at N. Moore St.). Visit hudsonriverpark.org.

THE TOMPKINS SQUARE HALLOWEEN DOG PARADE Be it devil, superhero, or mustard-dripping, bun-dwelling hot dog, there’s no such thing as a canine companion whose cuteness factor doesn’t increase tenfold when they’re dressed up in costume and paraded around — and there’s no better showcase for that sort of thing than this iconic annual event, which has been strutting its stuff in Tompkins Square Park for 187 dog years (that’s 26 for us humans). Every preening pooch is a winner, of course, but the competition is fierce among their bipedal owners/costume designers, who will play the role of pageant parent to the hilt, when a noontime runway competition crowns Best In Show (thousands in prizes will be awarded to also-rans and raffle winners).

Sat., Oct. 22, 12–3pm in the Tompkins Square Park (500 E. Ninth St. btw. Aves. A & B). Suggested donation: $5. Visit tompkinssquaredogrun.com.

SPOOKY SCAVENGER HUNTS & FAMILY FUN AT HALLOWEEN AT THE INTREPID MUSEUM Just the name itself inspires a world of possible costume choices — but the fact that the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum’s “Star Trek: The Starfleet Academy Experience” closes its doors for good on Halloween opens up an entire universe of alter ego options. From Oct. 29–31, costume-clad visitors to the Intrepid will receive $10 off their full-price admission ticket — including tickets to the “Trek” pavilion exhibit, whose interactive elements include a phaser firing range, a transporter room beam-up, and the chance to sit in the captain’s chair, on the bridge of the “Next Generation” Enterprise. Inside the museum, kids in costume get to go on a free trick-or-treat scavenger hunt (Sun., Oct. 30, 10am–2pm). That same day, at 1pm, museum members can decorate fall-themed cookies on the mess deck, then screen 1984’s “Ghostbusters” in the Museum’s Lutnick Theater (2:30pm; registration required by Oct. 23).

At the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum (Pier 86, at W. 46th St. & 12th Ave.). Admission to the museum is $24 ($19 for ages 7-17,$12 for ages 3-6, free for children under 3; $20 for seniors & college students; separate admission for “Trek” exhibit;). Visit intrepidmuseum. org/Startrek.aspx.

Courtesy NYC Parks Dept.

Sharpies, yes. Sharp knives, no — at Hudson Park’s Oct. 27 carve-less Pumpkin Party.

Courtesy artsbrookfield.com

Slimy science experiments and DIY magic are among the fang-tastic offerings at the Oct. 29 Brookfield Place Halloween Party.

Courtesy The Villager

Cute pooches strut in their finest Halloween couture, at Oct. 22’s Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade.

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THINK OUTSIDE continued from p. 7

“Here, I had to learn how to walk away. The more open I made it, the better work was created. When there is no theme, the themes come to us,” he said. “What inspires me the most is the freedom with which people create.

I wouldn’t think of all of these things.”

When he brought iThinkOutsideMyBox to the High Line, 500 paintings were made within the first season.

“After that, it just snowballed,” he said.

In August 2016, when Chang returned to the High Line with two of her childhood friends from Taiwan, Everitt-Carlson was sitting cross-legged and barefoot on a mat at the same spot of the High Line.

Chang told him about her prior visit, and Everitt-Carlson tried to remember the painting her son made. He saves all of the paintings created by High Line goers and posts a portion of them on the project’s blog, Facebook page and Instagram account.

“He did more abstract art,” she said of her toddler, laughing.

Since Chang is a creative arts therapist, Everitt-Carlson asked her if she knew why the most popular subject matter for his participants to paint was the human eye.

“Maybe because it’s the window to the soul?” he suggested.

She smiled and said, “Sounds good to me.”

I first met Everitt-Carlson in the fall of 2015 while walking along the High Line. He asked me if I wanted to paint, and I accepted the invitation. Almost a

MOME continued from p. 6

claiming New York City residency. They will also need a finalized script of at least 60 minutes in length, either written by women or addressing women’s issues, and must be registered with the Writers Guild of America, East as well as having a director and producer committed to the project.

Another initiative targets screenwriters. A screenwriting competition will give its two winners the chance to have their scripts produced as pilots on NYC Media’s Channel 25. One of those pilots will then be produced as an episodic series on the channel, reaching a potential audience of 18 million viewers.

Channel 25 is also part of another MOME project that has raising the profile of women in the media as its .com

year later, I returned to write this story.

As I watched Chang’s friends paint their cardboard squares, I remembered how special it felt to stumble upon the iThinkOutsideMyBox setup and spontaneously take the opportunity to paint anything I wanted.

Though I originally expected that someone involved with Occupy would be more focused on economic justice, Everitt-Carlson seemed most engaged when discussing the current phase of iThinkOutsideMyBox, where people passing by him can slow down their pace and take time to paint.

Everitt-Carlson said that he has also brought the iThinkOutsideMyBox project to business executives at companies so he can earn some income, and they can also think outside of their boxes to perform better in their jobs.

When this detail surprised me, I asked about whether or not working with business was at odds with the project’s roots in Occupy Wall Street — a movement focused on illuminating economic inequality.

He said, “There’s no tension because I’ve been there. I’ve had their jobs. I don’t draw a line between the two.”

On the structure showcasing the work of past High Line goers, there were two cardboard panels perpendicular to each other. One panel had “A Better World” written on it; and the other read, “Is Just Around the Corner!”

Visit David Everitt-Carlson on the High Line at W. 22nd St., starting at 6:30 p.m. daily, to paint a cardboard square. More information can be found at iThinkOutsideMyBox.com.

goal. Two new documentary programs on the channel will focus exclusively on women. “The Vanguard: Women in Media” will feature such media pioneers as TV anchor and reporter Connie Chung, former New York Times editor Jill Abramson, and Essence Magazine editor Vanessa Deluca, as well as telling the stories of emerging media figures. “Her Big Idea” has as its focus the works of women entrepreneurs, including the founders of Sarabeth’s, BarkBox, Fishs Eddy and more.

And as the last of the five initiatives, a new report, “Women in the Director’s Chair: The MOME Report on Fairness in the Film Industry,” will examine the comparative paths that male and female directors take as they progress in their careers.

Menin said she has received a pos-

Photos by Nicole Javorsky

High Line goers pause to look at the structure displaying artwork made by previous visitors to the elevated park.

Wen Chang snaps a photo of her friend holding the painting she created.

itive response from leaders in all of the city’s boroughs. Queens Borough President Melinda Katz praised the initiative as “an innovative effort to help boost opportunities for women both in front of and behind the camera.”

As these initiatives roll out, Menin noted, MOME will be reaching out to women across the city to make sure they know about them, as well as all of the other services MOME provides.

One of those, the “Made in NY” PA Training Program, offers the chance to learn the ropes as a production assistant, yet another way to enter the media industry.

For more information on the new initiative, the “Made in NY” program or any of MOME’s other offerings, go to nyc.gov/mome.

Courtesy Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment

Julie Menin, Commissioner of the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment.

October 20 - 26, 2016

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Community News Group would like to thank the Sponsors and Supporters of last week’s Pink Newspapers Their participation helped raise breast cancer awareness in New York MAJOR SP ONSOR

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October 20 - 26, 2016

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Horror Hounds, Theater Freaks & Club Creeps Downtown’s hallow-weirdest happenings

people will have a great time.”

Oct. 21–27 at Cinema Village (22 E. 12th St., btw. University Pl. & Fifth Ave.). Visit fearnyc.com for info.

BY SEAN EGAN It can be a hellish task to choose from the sheer variety of Halloween events in that vast and twisted underworld known as Downtown Manhattan, so we’ve handpicked some of the best ways to go about the deadly serious business at hand.

THE ALCHEMIST COOKBOOK

VAMPIRE MASQUERADE It’s not easy describing exactly what “Vampire Masquerade” is — and that’s because this immersive, free-form “happening” (as creator Michael Alan describes it) won’t really exist until it happens, naturally. “There’s a whole lot of things that it’s not,” said Alan, an artist and musician born and raised in New York City. “I don’t see a lot of fine art things around Halloween that are very scary, or even a little scary,” he elaborated. “I really wanted to give people an authentic New York horror show from the arts culture.”

While the exact specifics of how the happening will shake down are abstract, what we do know in advance is that it will involve fine art created by Alan and collaborators spanning multiple mediums, from painting, sculpture, image/video projection, and experimental music, to performance (Alan’s been fleshing out a cast of characters for the evening). And with audience participation greatly encouraged and the requirement to unplug for the happening’s duration (photography and phone use aren’t allowed), “Vampire Masquerade” seems poised to be the kind of strange, fun, had-to-be-there Halloween experience that could only happen in New York.

Oct. 22, 7pm–midnight, at Teatro IATI (64 E. Fourth St., btw. Second Ave. & Bowery). Visit michaelalan.com for more info.

FEARnyc FILM FESTIVAL This year sees the inaugural edition of FEARnyc — billed as New York’s biggest horror film festival — featuring dozens of screenings of new features and old favorites. “We wanted to give the audience really a tour through the horror world, and represent all of the various .com

Courtesy Webster Hall

Some of the gory party-goers at Webster Hell, Webster Hall’s after party for the world-famous Village Halloween Parade.

subgenres,” said festival founder John Capo. “We really wanted to present variety.” The repertory slate attests to this, featuring a showing of “The Exorcist” with a live séance, John Carpenter’s “Halloween” paired with an in-theater party, and screenings of tons of classics (including “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari” and “Psycho”).

“For the new films it was about, ‘What are the most exciting new films people haven’t seen that they’re gonna be talking about tomorrow?’ ” Capo

revealed, of the lineup that includes “Dead Awake” by “Final Destination” creator Jeffery Reddick, and a remake of “Blood Feast.” The merits of these films will be weighed by a panel that includes jurors like Kate Siegel, the star/co-writer of the tightly wound thriller “Hush,” and Robert Eggers, director of “The Witch.”

“If you like horror films, there’s no better opportunity this year to see so many of them on the big screen,” Capo asserted.

“It’s an incredible experience to see these films in a theater full of fans, so I think

Luckily, homebodies need not leave their couches to check out some new, adventurous horror cinema; they just need to queue up Joel Potrykus’ latest feature “The Alchemist Cookbook.”

Mixing an uneasy blend of dark comedy, intimate character study, and horror, “Alchemist” tells the story of Sean, a loner living off-the-grid in a trailer in the woods, who spends his days mixing chemicals in a ramshackle kitchen lab, and poring over a mysterious book full of Latin incantation and eerie illustrations.

His only companions are his cat Kasper, and his supply-bringing friend Cortes — and, well, whatever evil force might be causing the threatening whispers and roars on the wind. As the film progresses things alternate between shaggy, offbeat humor and slowly mounting psychological terror, never letting on what’s coming next. This confident balancing of moods is the film’s greatest strength — it’s unsettling and entertaining in equal measure, making it a thoroughly original must-watch for genre fans.

Best of all, it can be yours right now — as Potrykus released the film on Oct. 7 on a “pay-what-you-want” model using BitTorrent. Chances are, though, “Alchemist” will linger with you, and you’ll end up wanting to pay more for the peek into Potrykus’ distinct cinematic world.

Visit thealchemistcookbook.oscilloscope.net.

BLOOD MANOR Nothing says Halloween quite like a good, solid haunted house — and Blood Manor is nothing if not a triedand-true, time-tested scare shack. A perennial favorite of this paper, Blood Manor has been operating for years downtown, consistently and thoroughly providing scares for visitors.

HALLOWEEN continued on p. 18 October 20 - 26, 2016

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Courtesy the artist

Courtesy the filmmakers

A mask that will be featured in artist/musician Michael Alan’s horror-themed happening “Vampire Masquerade.”

In “Dry Blood” (just one of over 65 screenings happening at FEARnyc), a supernatural mystery interrupts one man’s attempts to sober up.

HALLOWEEN continued from p. 17

Guided through in groups, the attraction provides visitors with a (pardon the pun) killer lineup of different themed rooms — and with the variety on display, at least one is guaranteed to strike a nerve. Highlights of previous years include a grimy meat locker, a mad scientist’s lab complete with vivisected gorilla, and a neon-soaked zombie strip club (the Manor’s campy sense of humor is also a plus). Real thrill-seekers should take note of the special “lights out” nights the Manor offers, upping the ante by leaving victims (er, visitors) to stumble around in the dark.

Through Nov. 5, at 163 Varick St. (btw. Charlton & Vandam Sts.).Visit bloodmanor.com.

THEATER FOR THE NEW CITY VILLAGE HALLOWEEN COSTUME BALL For those who want to raise the curtain on Halloween in style, look no further than the Theater for the New City’s Village Halloween Costume Ball. Now in its 40th year, the ball (which requires participants to be in costume or don formal wear) finds the theater’s premises transformed into a Halloween wonderland, packed to the gills with artists and activities for those who attend. Starting with outdoor festivities and progressing inside as the night goes on, attendees will be treated to cabaret acts, big bands, dancers, numerology readings, and the “House of Horrors” maze. And naturally, food and drink will be available for purchase at the “Witches’ Cauldron,” ensuring you have enough

energy to party through till the Monsters and Miracles Costume Parade, where participants have a chance to win prizes for their getups.

Oct. 31, at Theater for the New City (155 First Ave., btw. E. Ninth & E. 10th Sts.). Visit theaterforthenewcity.net for info.

THE 43rd ANNUAL VILLAGE HALLOWEEN PARADE/ WEBSTER HELL The Village Halloween Parade, NYC’s pre-eminent Halloween event, has been thrilling people for years — 43 to be exact — as tens of thousands of costumed New Yorkers march up Sixth Ave., from Spring to 16th Sts., creating a spooky spectacle. Anyone and everyone decked out in a costume is invited to par-

ticipate in the parade (whose entertainment also includes bands, dancers, and giant puppets) with no prior registration needed, making for a truly unique New York community experience.

And if you aren’t all Halloween’d out after marching in the parade, you’d do well to head on over to Webster Hall’s annual parade after party. The event, fittingly titled “Webster Hell,” allows visitors the chance to dance into the wee hours of the night and compete for costume prizes, culminating in the climactic annual “virgin sacrifice,” in which the “Demon Queen” hoists a randomly chosen virgin over the crowd in order to spill her blood.

Oct. 31 at Webster Hall (125 E. 11th St., btw. Third & Fourth Aves.). Visit halloween-nyc.com and websterhall.com/ halloween.

Courtesy Oscilloscope Laboratories

Photo by Jonathan Slaff

In “The Alchemist Cookbook,” Sean skulks through the woods, where demonic forces may or may not lurk.

Satiate your theatrical urges, at the Theater for the New City’s 40th Annual Village Halloween Costume Ball.

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October 20 - 26, 2016

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Queen of Harlem Renaissance is Subject of ‘Zora’

Holder’s play praises Hurston’s pioneering

BY TRAV S.D. The year 2016 saw the 125th birthday of trailblazing African American writer, folklorist, and anthropologist Zora Neale Hurston (1891-1960). To mark the occasion, the New Federal Theatre is reviving their 1998 production of Laurence Holder’s “Zora Neale Hurston: A Theatrical Biography.”

Sometimes known as the “Queen of the Harlem Renaissance,” Hurston had a life and a career that were extraordinary by any standard. Raised in Eatonville, Florida, America’s first town to be incorporated and governed entirely by African Americans, Hurston went on to study at Howard University and later Barnard College. While at Barnard, she was tapped by anthropologist Franz Boas to collect material on the folk culture of African Americans, a lifelong project that would come to embrace a study of the people of the Caribbean as well.

Said Woodie King Jr., artistic director of the New Federal Theatre and director of the upcoming play, “She was a pioneer of promoting the folkways of AfricanAmericans that had been unheard up until that time. She went into the South and collected tons of stories. She studied folk music and blues songs, she spoke with people on chain gangs, in prison, in lumber camps, at fishing holes, on front porches. It all had an impact on her.”

Hurston had already begun publishing her fiction prior to this folklore fieldwork, becoming one of the key players in the Harlem Renaissance by the mid1920s alongside such figures as Langston Hughes. Her subsequent studies of folk culture would come to enrich her short stories, novels and non-fiction works of a decade later to a marked degree, giving them a distinct, authentic flavor. Her principle works were written during the Great Depression: the novels “Jonah’s Gourd Vine” (1934), “Their Eyes Were Watching God” (1937, her best-known work), and “Moses, Man of the Mountain” (1939), and the non-fiction works “Mules and Men” (1935) and “Tell My Horse” (1938). In the 1940s there followed a memoir “Dust Tracks on a Road” (1942), and one last published novel “Seraph on the Sewanee” (1948).

Over the years she also wrote plays, poetry, short stories, articles, and opinion pieces. In later years she fell out of favor.

The fact that she wrote in phonetically rendered black dialect (an outgrowth .com

Photo by Martha Swope

Elizabeth Van Dyke in “Zora Neale Hurston: A Theatrical Biography.”

of her anthropological fieldwork) alienated her from many black readers and intellectuals (including novelist Richard Wright), as did the fact that she was an outspoken political conservative. In 1948 she was framed by Florida authorities, who accused of her molesting a 10-year-old boy, a crime of which she was manifestly innocent, having been in Honduras at the time. This incident finished her career as a public figure.

Hurston spent her remaining 12 years both penniless and obscure.

According to playwright Holder, Hurston’s famously go-it-alone personality contributed to this isolation. “She didn’t really like authority, and being a woman, she was constantly being upbraided by men, being told to stay in the kitchen and so forth. She rebelled against it. She knew who she was and was quick to remind everyone. But,” he added admiringly, “she was one bad-ass bitch! She told Langston Hughes and Richard Wright where to go. And these

were all guys who were helping her out!

She castigated [scholar] Alain [LeRoy] Locke, and he was the one who helped her get into Barnard. So she didn’t really belong to anyone. She was a loner.”

In 1973, Hurston’s unmarked grave was located by the young writer Alice Walker, who collaborated with others to

erect a headstone, and led the rehabilitation and popularization of Hurston’s place in American literary history, beginning with a 1975 article in Ms. Magazine entitled “In Search of Zora Neale Hurston” (later anthologized as “Looking for ZORA continued on p. 20

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Photo by Jonathan Slaff

Laurence Holder at Harlem Besame Restaurant, for a site-specific March 2016 performance of his play, “Sugar Ray.”

ZORA continued from p. 19

Zora”). With renewed interest by the public, Hurston’s works were republished, re-evaluated and celebrated, and are now considered classics. “Their Eyes Were Watching God” was made into a 2005 TV movie by Oprah Winfrey and Quincy Jones, starring Halle Berry.

“Their Eyes Were Watching God” is the same book that inspired playwright Laurence Holder’s decades-long engagement with Hurston. “When I read that book I was floored — floored!” he said.

According to Holder, he immediately began working on an adaptation that was being workshopped in 1979 when a call from Hurston’s estate shut it down. “That’s when I started writing a biographical play,” says Holder. This became “Zora,” which starred a then-unknown Phylicia Rashad and was presented in 1981 on a double-bill that also included Holder’s biographical play about Malcolm X entitled “When the

Photo by Martha Holmes

Elizabeth Van Dyke and Joseph Lewis Edwards in the 1998 “Zora” production.

Chickens Came Home to Roost” — starring a then-unknown Denzel Washington (now, there’s a night of theatre I wish I could go back in time to see!).

In total, Holder has written five theatrical works about Hurston. In 1998, his “Zora Neale Hurston” was presented as a co-production of the American Place Theatre and Woodie King, Jr.’s National Black Touring Circuit, starring Elizabeth Van Dyke, who had directed “Zora” back in 1981. The play is a two-hander; all the men in Hurston’s life were played

by Joseph Lewis Edwards. Both actors are returning for the present revival.

For her portrayal of Hurston in the original production, Van Dyke won an AUDELCO Award for Best Actress.

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October 20 - 26, 2016

In the 18 years since that last production, America has seen the election of its first black president, and the appointments of its first black attorney general, and two black secretaries of state, including the first black female in that position. Oprah Winfrey became the world’s first black female billionaire.

At the same time, America has continued to deal with issues of racial division, most markedly in the area of unfair practices in law enforcement and the criminal justice system. What does a figure like Hurston have to tell us today?

Said King, “It would be amazing for me to know that this show would help audiences discover a figure who was present at the Harlem Renaissance,

through the Great Depression, through World War II, through the beginning of the Cold War, who wrote about all this, who gave us that vast canvas, that history. The story of Zora Neale Hurston really is a large part of the story of African Americans in the 20th century.”

Through Nov. 20. Thurs., Fri. & Sat. at 8pm; Sat. & Sun. at 2:30pm. At the Castillo Theatre (543 W. 42nd St., btw.

10th & 11th Aves.). For tickets ($40; $30 for students/seniors; $25 for groups of 10 or more), visit castillo.org or call 212-941-1234. Visit newfederaltheatre. com. A Scholar’s Panel will be held immediately following the 2:30pm Oct. 30 performance.

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Just Do Art

BY SCOTT STIFFLER

MAH JONGG IN JEWISH AND CHINESE HERITAGE Although the precise details of its Qing Dynasty origins will be forever shrouded in mystery (or at least intense debate), there’s nothing open to interpretation about the enduring appeal of Mah Jongg — a draw-and-discard game whose most popular variation (four players sitting around a table) has been part of the social fabric of America’s Chinese and Jewish communities since making its stateside debut in 1920. Co-sponsored by the Museum of Jewish Heritage and the China Institute, this event will delve into the history, meaning, and tradition of Mah Jongg. Panelist Gregg Swain (co-author of “Mah Jongg: The Art of the Game”) will pay tribute to the craftsmanship of those lost-to-history designers who created the game’s first tiles — while Melissa Martens Yaverbaum, from the Council of American Jewish Museums, speaks to Mah Jongg’s past and present impact on popular culture.

Wed., Oct. 26, 7pm, at the Museum of Jewish Heritage – A Living Memorial to the Holocaust (36 Battery Pl., at West St. & 1st Pl.). For tickets ($12 general, $10 for MJH and China Institute members), call 646-437-4202 or visit mjhnyc. org. Also visit mahjonggtheartofthegame. com and chinainstitute.org.

ERYC TAYLOR DANCE: THE 10-YEAR ANNIVERSARY PERFORMANCES A full decade after its debut performance, the prodigious output, collaborative nature, and nurturing instinct of this prolific company is still in lock step with its founding mission: “advance appreciation of dance by creating and presenting original performances, conducting master classes and workshops, and awarding grants to aspiring choreographers.” Not content to rest on its laurels, this anniversary performance from Eryc Taylor Dance will feature seven world-premiere choreographic works — each with its own stand-alone narrative, choreographed by Taylor and company members, and performed over the course of 60 requisitely tight and dynamic minutes by the quartet of Nicole Baker, Chris Bell, Graham Cole, and Jacob Kruty.

The selections include “Grand Duet,” an Eryc Taylor/Timothy Pattersonchoreographed dance featuring Cole and Baker; the Bell-danced “#1 Fan,” which he choreographed, based on his original story. The quartet performs “Song for Cello & Piano,” directed by Taylor to an original composition by author/ composer Daniel Tobias; and “Dances on Wood,” another quartet work choreographed to an original score by renowned composer and longtime Chelsea Hotel resident Gerald Busby.

Fri., Oct. 21 & Sat., Oct. 22, 8pm, at Martha Graham Center of Contemporary Dance (55 Bethune St., at Washington St.). For tickets ($30; $20 for students & seniors), call 858-401-2456 or visit eryctaylordance.com.

“NICE T!TS!” — A RECONSTRUCTIVE COMEDY Breast Cancer Awareness Month is the appropriately scheduled time for writer/ performer Amy Marcs to present an encore run of this multi-character solo comedy about how breast cancer changed her view of femininity, self-confidence, and mortality.

“I have a family history of this disease,” she told this publication prior to the 2015 run of her show. As a teenager, Marcs saw her 51-year-old mother die from the disease. Years later, she responded to her own diagnosis (and, ultimately, a double mastectomy) with “an unbelievable gut instinct that I had the emotional strength to go through this.” Determined to get back what she lost (metaphor and spoiler alert!), “Nice T!ts!” is a frank, funny, sharp, wry, and, at times, unabashedly sad look back at her “quest to find the perfect set of boobs,” and the emotionally complicated aftermath of achieving that goal.

Mon., Oct. 24 and Thurs., Oct. 27, 8pm, at The PIT Loft (154 W. 29th St., btw. Sixth & Seventh Aves.). For tickets ($10-$20), visit thepit-nyc. com. Aritst info at amymarcs.com.

Photo by Juan Felipe Rangel

Amy Marcs’ tart and smart comedy about breast cancer plays at The PIT Loft through Oct. 27.

Photo by Trevor Messersmith

Tale of the tile: “Mah Jongg in Jewish and Chinese Heritage” pays tribute to the game’s impact on American popular culture.

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Photo by Maria Panina

There is only one, and it’s turning 10: Eryc Taylor Dance celebrates decade #1 with a seven-premiere program, Oct. 21 & 22.

October 20 - 26, 2016

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KALLIO continued from p. 4

ly. Jay was one of the most generous people I’ve known, always concerned about everyone else — a kind word for everyone… Jay loved life and he loved people, and his greatest wish was to help in any way he could to make people feel worthy and loved. I had the great honor to be with Jay at his dying, and as challenging as that was, he was not alone as he died… Jay was a great Warrior Bodhisattva and I’m sure he will continue his work on behalf of others, as his grand journey continues.”

Gwynne Reese, who met Jay in the early ’90s, wrote, “We recognized each other as family. We came together to host group meetings designed for individuals to share about what had ‘worked’ in their challenging lives, what had got people through the traumas, where they found meaning that inspired them to continue their lives.”

Reese wrote she was “honored” by their friendship and that in addition to what others have said in praise of Jay, “I would add his tender caring and love for all forms of life from his precious cats Minou and then Mia, to

little squirrels and birds and insects and plants… Jay saw all of us as beings of light doing our best here on earth for a limited term. He was the bravest and most courageous person I know and would not have hesitated to put his life on the line to prevent harm to another.”

Kevin Hertzog, a founder of Gays Against Guns, wrote on Facebook that Kallio rode with him to Washington for the group’s August demonstration.

“I’d only ever met him once before… so I started asking him questions which he seemed happy to answer,” Hertzog recalled. “He told us about being chased out of the home he was raised in, in Edison, New Jersey, by the KKK who had burned a cross on his parents’ lawn because he’d become friends with some black kids at the high school.

And he told us about how he’d been so severely beaten because he was presenting as a butch lesbian (at the time) that he almost didn’t recover from his injuries and, in fact, could never drive a car because his sight was damaged during the beatings.

He told us that he’d started the les-

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bian political organization that was responsible for getting the ‘L’ put before the ‘G’ in ‘LGBT.’ And he told us about an entire lifetime of getting fired from jobs because his activism would get discovered at his workplace. But he never expressed what I

could construe as anger or remorse; only gratitude and what seemed to me like astonishment that he was still alive, in spite of his health challenges. I’ve rarely met someone who has inspired me so much. He was a treasure.”

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