Jersey City Theater Center Packs Up Borderless Series with Diverse Showcase

Music, spoken-word, poetry, dance and other performances exploring the Borderless theme will be featured in The BOX, a curated showcase concluding one of the most thought-provoking series presented by Jersey City Theater Center (JCTC).

The BOX - named for the 'black box' theater at Merseles Studios -wraps up Borderless with an evening of music, spoken-word, poetry readings, dance and other performances. Borderless, which opened February 3rd , featured an art show in the gallery at Merseles Studios - plus an array of often controversial evenings that included theater, one-woman shows, dance performances and readings - all exploring the personal and social impact of 21st century globalization.

"Our Borderless series has had an amazing turnout from the community," said Olga Levina, Artistic Director, JCTC. "The audiences were as diverse as the artists we presented and the submissions for The BOX followed the same pattern. It's amazing to see our local poets, spoken-word artists, musicians and other performers respond with such quality material. The BOX has become a very special JCTC event, and with so many local artists creating work that fit into the theme shows that Borderless really touched a common nerve."

JCTC solicited submissions for The BOX, through notices in Back Stage and other publications, as well as entertainment & theater blogs and social media. A panel, including members of JCTC's Creative Board, reviewed all the submission using as a criteria artistic excellence, originality and how effectively the work reflected the Borderless theme. The evening was arranged and curated by Dan Pieraccini, Production Coordinator, JCTC.

and Host for the Borderless BOX is Anthony Wills Jr., an actor, writer, singer, visual artist and performance artist. Wills has performed all over the country and has worked with Susan Sarandon, Philip Glass, and Tony nominee Marla Schaffe.

Fans of the Jersey City and New York City music scene will delight in the fact that The BOX features a rare solo performance by Sylvana Joyce, of Sylvana Joyce & The Moments, one of the most popular and critcally acclaimed local bands. Other performers include: Kenny Jarwosky, Terry Haman, Athena Toledo, Alexandria Tava, Chrissy Roberts, Nerissa Tutiven, Frank Ippolito. RescuePoetix, Alex Pergament, and Julie & Makeda.

"The BOX is always exciting to put together," said Pieraccini. "The performers look forward to topics and the visual artists are always amazed at how their work can inform expressions of other local creatives. It's exciting to see new folk bringing their work to Merseles alongside a few veteran Boxers. Borderless suggests -or better, insists - that we blur some logistical lines, try some new parlor tricks with the format, and experiment with the experience while still delivering a motley troupe of troubadours, poets and performers who have come to define the evening with curious, evocative, and soul-stirring productions."

The BOX & Borderless Art Show/Gallery Closing

March 24th
6:30pm - 10:00pm Artist Reception
7:30pm - The BOX performances begin
($5 suggested donation)

Funding for Borderless and The BOX was made possible by generous support from the Hudson County Office of Cultural & Heritage Affairs/Tourism Development, Thomas A. DeGise, Hudson County Executive and the Hudson County Board of Chosen Freeholders and the New Jersey State Council on the Arts.

Borderless and The BOX was also made possible through the generosity of Ben LoPiccolo Development Group, JCTC's Board of Directors, private donors and local Jersey City businesses.

Jersey City Theater Center, Inc. (JCTC) manages programming at Merseles Studios and the adjacent White Eagle Hall, currently under construction. JCTC is a nonprofit, 501c3 arts organization committed to presenting innovative and progressive performing & visual arts as well as educational arts programs that embrace the multicultural identity and preserve the rich history of Jersey City, bringing its community closer together and enhancing its quality of life. jctcenter.org

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