Photo Flash: The Coffeehouse Meets the Cabaret as POETRY/CABARET: SEASONED!

"I don't know what the hell that was, but I f*$&ing loved it!"

--recent Poetry/Cabaret audience member

In this "variety salon," a multi-genre evening of emotional whiplash, the coffeehouse meets the cabaret as "Poetry/Cabaret" (Time Out NY-recommended) once again brings together poets and performers in a face-paced night of stimulating variations on a theme. The second episode of the season, "SEASONED", billed as a "non-holiday holiday" show, explores a wide range of experiences associated with this time of year-Feeling spicy? Seen it all? Been through a few things? (Too) full of holiday cheer? Curator and host Thomas March (Aftermath) and the cast explored these and more, in song, poetry, comedy, and story. In addition to the host's comic monologue, the show featured poetry from Tyler Mills and Thoughtress; comedy from Ashley Gavin; and music from Molly Pope and Kat Liz Kramer. Drew Wutke was on keys as musical director.

Throughout the evening, the audience was treated to special guest performances (Jonathan Chang, Jordan Ho, Hector Lionel, Jerome Ellison Murphy, Daniel Nolen and others ) from A Good Mixer, a dramatic visual and poetry hybrid developed by Thomas March and painter Valerie Mendelson. Based on a cocktails guide that came out in 1933, the year Prohibition ended, the project presents "portraits" of cocktails alongside poems imagining the personae of the people who are drinking them-their public "party" selves as well as the thoughts they keep hidden from others. Longing, lust, regret, jealousy-and many more seasoned and seasonal feelings from this piece likened to a "boozier, more urbane Spoon River Anthology."

Photo Credit: Christine Fischer