Walden, a story-theatre style musical adaptation of Thoreau's best seller, featuring his work on the underground railroad and his star-crossed romance will be performed as a stage reading today, Monday, October 7th at The Gym at Judson Memorial Church. Book and Lyrics for Walden are written by Katherine Brann Fredricks and the music is composed by Bert Draesel. Brian Maschka directs a cast of eleven including Drew Aber, Cole Burden, Tyrone Davis, Jr, Susannah Jones, Lisa CM Lamothe, Rob Langeder, Heather Lundstedt, Ronnie Nelson, Doug Shapiro, Thalia St. Hubert and Stephanie Umoh.
The Mayor orders his daughter out of Walden Woods, to keep her out of the arms of rabble-rousing jailbird, Henry Thoreau. Yet more than young lovers sneak through the huckleberries. Love and freedom conflict in this musical adaptation of Thoreau's best- seller, featuring his work on the underground railroad.
From the Playwright: "We often think of human rights and the environment as separate issues, but Thoreau combined them in his observation of living ecosystems. Both Martin Luther King, Jr. and Gandhi credited Thoreau with inventing non-violent civil disobedience, and Thoreau worked actively on the underground railroad. Walden has evolved from a collection of art songs, to a musical drama about the conflict that arises when a man takes a moral stand that his friends and neighbors find uncomfortable, impractical and illegal."
Walden was presented for six performances at the Planet Connections Theatre Festivity in the
Robert Moss Theater this past summer. Co-Producers: Katherine Fredricks & Bert Draesel; Director:
Brian Maschka; Musical Director & Additional Arrangements:
J. Oconer Navarro.
The stage reading presentation will take place on Monday, October 7th 2013 at 7:00P at The Gym at Judson; 243 Thompson Street. Admission is free and it is open to the public. The runtime for Walden is approximately 90 minutes, no intermission.
Katherine Brann Fredricks (book and lyrics), has had her work performed in regional theatre, off-off Broadway in New York, and on Cinemax. She is certified as a meditation & yoga instructor with the Chopra Center.
Bert Draesel (composer) attended the BMI Theater Workshop under
Lehman Engel, and received his MFA from the NYU Bert's musicals Bouncing Back and Everyman were produced by Triangle Theater; Meteor Girl was produced at La Mama; Troubadour, a story of St. Francis, has received 3 separate off-off Broadway productions; Max and the Truffle Pig, was produced at NYMF. His short musical Fancy Nancy was part of a national tour for TheatreWorksUSA. Bert's religious music, Rejoice and Celebration (recorded on Scepter Records) and Now Hymns for Children are published by E. B. Marks Co.
Brian Maschka (director) As Artistic Director for All Out Arts, he produced Fresh Fruit Festival 2012 including his direction of "8" The Play. Directing credits include Barely There for Crest Theatre, Santaland Diaries at Florida Repertory, The Life & The Spitfire Grill at The Station, Tallish Tales for MITF, Under the Rug at Gallery Players and many shows with Gender Offenders. He has worked at
Playwrights Horizons, Play Company,
Daryl Roth and DR2 Theaters,
The Acting Company, The Zipper, The Mint, Barrington Stage, Weston Playhouse,
Syracuse Stage and the Krannert Center. Education: Saint Mary's University of Minnesota and California Institute of the Arts.
J. Oconer Navarro (musical director, additional arrangements) NYC: Adding Machine (Lortel, Obie, Outer Critics Circle Awards); The House of Blue Leaves, This One Girl's Story (Best Orchestrations Nomination, NYMF 2011), We The People, Whida Peru, CAP21,
Lincoln Center Theater, three National Tours for TheatreworksUSA. Regional: Barrington Stage, Hangar Theatre, The Kennedy Center, Two River Theater, TheatreWorks - Palo Alto,
Westport Country Playhouse. Select B'way Music Dep't: The Apple Tree, Avenue Q, Curtains, Mary Poppins, Next to Normal. Recognition as writer:
American Theatre Wing Jonathan Larson Grant,
Margo Lion Award,
Frederick Loewe Foundation Grant. MFA, Faculty: NYU. Proud Member: ASCAP, Local 802 AFM, The
Dramatists Guild of America.
joconernavarro.com
The Gym at Judson; 234 Thompson Street;
http://judson.org/the-gym.
