WHITMAN ON WALLS! (WoW!) HARLEM Comes To Riverbank State Park

On Sunday, May 5 at 6:30p.m., experience Compagnia de'Colombari's Whitman on Walls! (WoW!) Harlem at Denny Farrell Riverbank State Park inside the Robert Frederick Smith Center for Performing Arts (679 Riverside Drive at 145th Street in Harlem).

Presented by Compagnia de' Colombari in partnership with New Heritage Theatre Group, Harlem Arts Alliance, Harlem Bomb Shelter, The City College of New York, Impact Repertory Theatre and JAZZMOBILE. The event is FREE and open to the public; RSVP HERE.

Envisioned as a “slam poetry reading meets movie screening,” WoW! Harlem features poets and artists, including Quincy Troupe, Alano Baez (aka Not4Prophet), Michelle Y. Valladares, Jose Perez with Paul Wellington on flute, Luther D. Isler (aka THE ARTIST ANUBIS), Marquet Young (aka Markie Imani), Peter Gomez, and Nila Andrea Gomez, responding to Whitman's “Song of Myself,” a “barbaric yawp” celebrating freedom, inclusion, and democracy. This event also features special guests Walter Giorgis-Blessant and his Italian students from Bronx School of Science: Nora Cassetta, Matteo Iraldo, Eva Russo, and Maria Savin.

In 2020, working with Whitman's iconic poem, Colombari created seven short films with actors and musicians from around the globe, bringing Whitman's words to life in startling and beautiful new ways. In 2021, Colombari intermixed the films with live responses from local poets and performers to create Whitman on Walls! (aka WoW!). WoW! Harlem continues Colombari's initiative to tour Whitman on Walls! through all 50 states in the USA by 2026, the 250th anniversary of The Declaration of Independence. All poems from WoW! are collected and shared in an anthology. Volume I was published in September 2022, and Volume II will be published in December 2023.

Artistic Director Karin Coonrod explains, “Whitman on Walls! (WoW!) relishes the convergence of Whitman's prophetic words as embodied in a series of short films with the live presence of poets responding in their own words. Whitman was inspired by the infinite variety, so we made our own theatrical ‘Declaration of Interdependence.' The times demanded it, and we heeded the call!”

Of this collaboration between Colombari and iconic Harlem institutions and artists, New Heritage Theatre Group's Daniel Koa Beaty declares, “In Harlem's heartbeat, echoes of resilience ring. Where history's fight inspires dreams taking wing. Through streets alive with rhythm and rhyme. Hope dances freely, defying space and time. In every corner, a story to behold, Harlem's spirit, unbroken, forever bold.”

Compagnia de' Colombari's 20th Anniversary Season programs are made possible in part by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature, the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA), The Eucalyptus Foundation, and support from other funders and donors.

Whitman on Walls! (WoW!) Harlem Poets & Performers

Quincy Troupe is an award-winning author of 21 books, including 12 volumes of poetry and three children's books, and professor emeritus from the University of California, San Diego. He is enormously proud of the many students now at the forefront of American Literature, whom he has taught in his Third World literature and creative writing courses for over three decades, including in the graduate writing program at Columbia University. Troupe has inspired new poets in writing workshops and artist residency programs throughout the United States and abroad. He often performs his poetry in collaborations and special guest appearances with notable jazz musicians. As the author of the definitive work Miles: The Autobiography, Miles Davis with Quincy Troupe, he is the go-to authority on the life and works of legendary musician Miles Davis. One of Troupe's lectures, titled From Kind of Blue to Bitches Brew, discusses the music Miles Davis played and composed from 1958 to 1972. Troupe's diverse creative writing lectures cover literary trends and the cultural, economic, political and social events that shape the African American creative voice. The newest collection of Quincy Troupe's poetry, Duende Poems, 1966, was published on January 18, 2022, from Seven Stories Press (New York).

Alano P. Baez (aka Prophet aka Not4Prophet) is a musician, songwriter, singer, MC, playwright, director, actor, and poet. His first collection of poetry, Last of the Po Ricans y Otros Afro Artifacts, was published in 2014. He (as Not4Prophet) has released several music records. Alano has had four plays performed in prestigious festivals, two of which won awards in 2018 and 2021. His fifth play, Langston Used, will be produced at the Downtown Urban Arts Festival in June 2024.

Michelle Y. Valladares is a poet, educator and filmmaker. She is the author of Nortada, the North Wind (Global City Press) and several chapbooks. Her writing has appeared in Asterix Journal, Upstreet Journal, Clockhouse, the Literary Review, Sixers Review, North American Review, Fulcrum and The Women's Review of Books. She has been anthologized in Language for a New Century: Contemporary Poetry from the Middle East, Asia & Beyond, and The HarperCollins Book of English Poetry by Indians. Her honors include a Pushcart Prize Nomination, and her poem “CUNY Writers Reading Against Austerity” was published in PSCuny's Clarion. She has completed a second manuscript of poems, First Map of the New World and is currently working on a nonfiction book, Searching for Tara. As a film producer of three independent films, Valladares received the Best Producer Award from the Independent Documentary Association. She is the director of the MFA Program in Creative Writing at the City College of New York in Harlem and an Assistant Professor in English.

Luther D. Isler (aka THE ARTIST ANUBIS) is a spoken word artist, cultural curator, playwright, and community cultivator. He founded Harlem Bomb Shelter: Spoken Word Open Mic & Showcase in Harlem in 2012 to provide a stage for amateur and professional performers and a safe space for people to express their human experiences. In 2017, Anubis produced a weekend run of his original theatrical poetry play, “What Would You Do?” at the Anne L. Bernstein Theatre. In 2021, The Artist Anubis published his first poetry anthology, "My People Burn and Other Visions.” Artist Anubis joined the historic Harlem Writers Guild and continues to use the spoken word as a curator and artist to develop future artists and leaders and speak life into the world. He received an AUDELCO Award for his “Special Achievements” throughout the years as he keeps the multi-faceted Harlem literary legacy alive.

Marquet Young, poetically known as Markie Imani, was born and raised in The Bronx, NYC. She is a poet, bartender, and beginner herbalist. Markie has been writing poetry all her life and recently entered the world of spoken word poetry, performing at various open mics and showcases throughout the city. Last year, she joined the amazing Harlem Bomb Shelter, where I became a part of Bomb Squad 302, the official poetry collective of Harlem Bomb Shelter.

José A. Pérez is a poet, actor, foster-care reform/abolitionist advocate, and educator. A native New Yorker, he grew up in Queens as a systems-impacted person in foster homes, group homes, and other juvenile institutions. For Pérez, the arts are synonymous with freedom and fostering spaces where relationships are forged through a shared love of unfettered expression. While incarcerated, Pérez earned an AA from Bard College, a BS from Nyack College through HudsonLink, and an MPS from the New York Theological Seminary. He has facilitated theater and poetry workshops, including the Harvest Moon Poetry Collective with Beat poet Janine Pommy Vega, and hosted poets like Naomi Shihab Nye and Amiri Baraka. As an actor, Pérez performed at the Bushwick Starr Theater in "QUINCE" (One Whale's Tale, 2022) and "QUINCE en La Plaza" at Lincoln Center. He has also been a servant leader as an alternatives-to-violence facilitator, working with gang-involved youth at the Center for Alternatives Sentencing and Employment Services as a community Benefits Project Supervisor. Pérez is Project Manager of YouthNPower: Transforming Care for the Children's Defense Fund. He is excited to co-lead One Whale's Tale's newest initiative, "I Wish I Knew How," a creative arts and healing workshop series for formerly incarcerated individuals.

Paul Wellington found his purpose through the crucible of adversity. His vision is as clear and profound as the notes that resonate from his bamboo flute: to alleviate the burdens of anxiety and depression, to bring solace to restless minds, and to offer healing to wounded souls. Paul's journey began in the shadows of incarceration when he was eighteen. Yet, within the confines of those walls, he encountered Steve Gorn, a master of the bansuri bamboo flute. Under Gorn's tutelage, Paul found a mentor and a pathway to personal transformation. Through the marriage of flute melodies and the introspective practice of meditation, Paul traversed the labyrinth of his trauma and emerged with a profound understanding of human suffering. Guided by this newfound purpose, Paul settled in Brooklyn, the epicenter of artistic expression. He formed Redemption Flute LLC as a testament to the power of transformation, second chances, and a commitment to healing, manifested through myriad creative avenues. Paul Wellington's flute resonates not only with melodies of redemption but with the promise of healing and renewal.

Peter A. Gomez (he/him/his) is a writer, actor, poet, storyteller, and songwriter. Born in Harlem and raised in Washington Heights. Despite early success on stage and as a performer, Peter faced challenges in his adolescence, succumbing to peer pressure and street life, resulting in brushes with the law. While confronting a significant prison sentence, Peter experienced an awakening that reignited his passion for the arts. During his incarceration, Peter immersed himself in creative endeavors through the Rehabilitation through the Arts program, participating in productions and workshops on storytelling, public speaking, improvisation, and music. He earned a degree from Bard College and joined the debate team. Upon his release in February 2024, Peter recommitted himself to using his artistic talents as a force for social change, advocating for social justice, mental health, and climate change. 

Nila Andrea Gomez (she/her/hers) thrives in the vibrant performing arts world. As an active participant in the People's Theatre Project (PTP) academy, she collaborates with immigrant communities, using theater to promote justice and equality. Nila's involvement in PTP fuels her creativity and deepens her understanding of the world around her. At the Broadway Performing Arts Center, Nila hones her skills in Hip Hop, Jazz, and Lyrical dance, adding versatility to her artistic expression. She is also an alumna of the Tada! Youth Theater and the Piped Piper Children's Theatre of NYC. Currently navigating the 6th grade, Nila finds joy in acting, dancing, and singing. She cherishes live performances and precious moments with her loved ones, including furry companions.

About Compagnia de' Colombari:

Compagnia de' Colombari is an international collective of performing artists, generating theater in surprising places that springs from the vision of director Karin Coonrod. Colombari intentionally clashes cultures, traditions and art forms to bring fresh interpretations to the written word. It is founded on the twin principles that the magic of great theater can happen anywhere and be accessible to everyone. Compagnia de' Colombari was born in Orvieto, Italy, in 2004, when the company re-imagined medieval mystery plays and performed them in the streets and piazzas. Having revitalized the theater tradition during Orvieto's annual Corpus Christi Festival, Colombari launched a parallel theatrical experience in its New York City home base called Strangers & Other Angels. Since 2008, the company created and performed More Or Less I Am (from Whitman's "Song of Myself"), Everything That Rises Must Converge (from Flannery O'Connor's short story), The World Is Round Is Round Is Round (based on Gertrude Stein's story); Andras Visky's Giulia; Monteverdi's Orfeo; Karin Coonrod's texts&beheadings/ElizabethR; Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice in Venice, Italy; WoW! (Whitman on Walls!) a hybrid of the More Or Less I Am films with local active poets reciting their work around the country and worldwide, King Lear, debuting in 2024, Il Mostro Turchino (The Blue Monster, by Carlo Gozzi), in development in Venice, Italy for a 2026 premiere.

About Karin Coonrod:

Karin Coonrod is a director, writer, and teacher whose work has been presented across the US and worldwide. The New York Times calls her ”a theater artist of far-reaching inventiveness”…using a “style that deconstructs to construct.” Works include Whitman on Walls! (touring 2021-2026); The Merchant of Venice in the Jewish Ghetto in Venice (IT), a high-security men's prison in Padova (IT) and on tour in the US (2016-2018); Babette's Feast in Portland, Maine and Off-Broadway (2018); texts&beheadings/ElizabethR at the Folger Theater in Washington DC, BAM/Next Wave Fest and a women's prison (2015-2017). Other productions include Shakespeare's Henry VI