Primary Stages Announces an Encore Presentation of THE NIGHT WATCHER and ESPAfest Spring 2021

PRIMARY STAGES has announced an encore presentation of The Night Watcher by Obie Award winner and Tony Award nominee Charlayne Woodard (In Real Life), which was previously streamed in November 2020. The Night Watcher will be available to stream for free from February 17-28, 2021. Primary Stages has also announced that ESPAfest Spring 2021 will take place from February 8-13, 2021.

The Night Watcher

Presented in association with Dasha Epstein

Written and Performed by Obie Award winner and Tony Award nominee Charlayne Woodard

February 17-28, 2021

Originally presented in Primary Stages' 2009/2010 Season at 59E59, The Night Watcher is an auto-biographical, one-woman play by actress-playwright Charlayne Woodard. Simultaneously a best friend, advisor, confidant and sage to the many young people who call her "Auntie," Charlayne Woodard is childless only by biological standards. Told with penetrating grace and candor, Woodard beautifully weaves together stories of the ordinary and extraordinary ways she has mentored the children in her life. Declared "thoughtful, vivid, entertaining, and poignant" in its original run, The Night Watcher is an intimate look at the various definitions of parenthood.

Tickets to The Night Watcher are free but advance registration is required. To register and for more information please visit www.59e59.org/shows/show-detail/the-night-watcher-encore-viewing.

ESPAfest Spring 2021

February 8-13, 2021

Primary Stages is opening their virtual doors to all those in the ever-growing ESPA community for a week of exciting collaborations and networking opportunities with artists in all stages of their careers. For more information, please visit www.primarystages.org/espa/our-community/espafest.

Solo Train

Monday February 8 at 8PM EST

Free admission

What's more exciting in the theater than a performer baring it all? Solo Train is an evening of new work by Solo Performers from the Primary Stages Einhorn School of Performing Arts (ESPA), who've been guided by renowned actress and Emmy Award-winning writer Judy Gold. Inspired by stories from their own life, each writer/performer has honed their performance to its most essential elements. Some stories are hilarious. Some stories are moving. Each story is bracingly fresh.

Performers include Heidi Armbruster, Laurie Braun, Beth Broun, Amy Crossman, Sam Given, Nan Hoffman, John Mudd, Gail Payne and Nicole Soul.

Please RSVP at espafest-solo-train-2021.eventbrite.com. A Zoom link will be sent prior to the performance.

Intro to Dramatic Writing with Mêlisa Annis

Tuesday February 9 at 12PM EST

Free admission

What is dramatic writing? And what are the tools you need to get started, and keep going? Led by writer, director and dramaturg Mêlisa Annis, you will demystify the art form together.

Please RSVP at zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0vfu6gpjouG9b3Ig0PsNWI9jCtDra_mql3. A Zoom link will be sent prior to the workshop.

Alexander Technique: How to De-Stress on Zoom with Karen Braga

Tuesday February 9 at 2PM EST

Free admission

Join Alexander Technique for Performance Teacher Karen Braga for a workshop on how to de-stress on Zoom. Whether you're online for meetings, auditions, or acting classes, learn how to sit for optimum comfort, use breath to release tension, and practice simple exercises to energize and rejuvenate.

Please RSVP at zoom.us/meeting/register/tJEufuqsrzMuHNwF95l4nDxZVEknUqtBNvnm. A Zoom link will be sent prior to the workshop.

Seeing Between the Lines: The Night Watcher

Tuesday February 9 at 6PM EST

Free admission

For Primary Stages' upcoming Encore Virtual Presentation of Charlayne Woodard's The Night Watcher, participants in this workshop will read the script in advance of class and then delve into the text with Primary Stages Associate Artistic Director Erin Daley. The workshop will give an exciting perspective and insight into the play, whether participants have seen it previously or if they plan to watch the upcoming encore presentation. Participants will be able to incorporate dramaturgical practice into their work as a writer, actor or director.

Please RSVP at zoom.us/meeting/register/tJwud-6przMvHtMkAEy99p4VxOf-Mjv-R-uK. A Zoom link will be sent prior to the workshop.

From "Why" to Website: Website Building for Artists with Kimberly Immanuel

Wednesday February 10 at 5PM EST

Free admission

Get inspired to think outside the screen while designing a website. For folx looking to create their website from scratch and those wanting to give their site or brand a refresh, actor and website designer Kimberly Immanuel's approach to designing an artist's website will empower you to create and design a website that accurately represents, expresses and celebrates who you really are!

Please RSVP at zoom.us/meeting/register/tJYrf-qspjsuHNTfEmgJUhtHSXdk7BiW6V-n. A Zoom link will be sent prior to the workshop.

RECESS with Zachary Fine

Wednesday February 10 at 7PM EST

Free admission

Founded by artists Zachary Fine and Arielle Yoder, RECESS optimizes teamwork, sharpens focus and fosters creativity by integrating play into the workday through a series of games customized for teams and uniquely designed for the online workplace. In this workshop, Zack will demonstrate how to invigorate any virtual space with joy, curiosity and fun. This workshop is for anyone wanting to enliven their company, team, rehearsal room or family Zoom.

Please RSVP at zoom.us/meeting/register/tJEsc-6prTopH9QiOTF282iO14TM_ZgM0lXb. A Zoom link will be sent prior to the workshop.

How to Heal: A Discussion with Chesney Snow and Sharon Washington

Thursday February 11 at 5PM EST

Free admission

This discussion between artists Chesney Snow and Sharon Washington, and Primary Stages Associate Artistic Director Erin Daley will explore the role of artists in this extraordinary moment and our responsibility to avoid complacency and cultivate active motion. Join us as we imagine a better, more empathetic future and discover what we as artists have to say - and what we need to listen to.

Please RSVP at zoom.us/meeting/register/tJYvcemhrzwuE9BxPYnI1Al8MOkz45PcfGkW. A Zoom link will be sent prior to the conversation.

DETENTION #51: Words Have Power

Friday February 12 & Saturday February 13 at 7PM EST

Free admission

"At their best...words...can inspire. At their worst, they can incite." - President Joe Biden on January 6, 2021

As we've seen throughout history-and even these past weeks-words have immense power. They have the potential to instill great wisdom and insight, or incite violence depending on where the emphasis is placed. For this Detention, Primary Stages asked their artists to think about the power of words-both the greatest tool for hope and the greatest weapon of fear-and create a piece about the power of words and the implications on those that choose to wield them.

This special virtual edition of Detention is a challenging opportunity for writers to create material for a specific person, for actors to receive and perform a monologue or scene written especially for them, and for directors to rehearse, film, and edit a virtual performance.

Writers for Detention #51 include Caroline Aaron, Danielle Alonzo, Ally Betker, Richard Castle, Erik Champney, Victoria Clare, Erik Corona, Dawn Kalani Cowle, Diane Davis, Isabella Dawis, Avery Deutsch, Antonio Devers, Annie Dinerman, Meghan Duffy, Lisa Wagner Erickson, Erin Fagan, Darci Faye, Mickey Fortune, Gabrielle Fox, Rick Fromberg, Leah Griff, Catherine Higgins-Moore, Molly Horan, Bill Hyatt, Ben Kawaller, Jenifer Margaret Kelly, Jeffrey James Keyes, Elliot Kreloff, Sarah Krohn, Veda Kumarjiguda, Kathy Gail MacGowan, Daphne Macy, Kimberly Marcelino, Wally Marzano-Lesnevich, Caty Morrison, Peter Pasco, Jonathan Kim Phillips, Jerry Polner, Devin Dearing Preston, Nicole Reinert, Helen Rynaski, Deborah Sansone, March Schrader, Carey Seward, Katherine Shelton, Jeff Smith, Donnie Tuel, Brady Walsh, Jerrica D. White, Rebecca Whitehurst, Michael Zaiontz and Mia Zuckerkandel.

Actors for Detention #51 include Brandt Adams, Lluvia Almanza, Danielle Alonzo, Jade Anderson, Flo Ankah, Nathaniel Ansbach, Heidi Armbruster, Tamar Barbash, Gracie Belt, Kari Buckley, Kendall Cafaro, Veronica Cooper, Emily Cordes, Erik Corona, Antonio Devers, Mike Dreyden Figueroa, Yelena Friedman, Jessica Greenwald, Leah Griff, Kristen Hasty, Rachel Lynn Jackson, Nicole Kasprzyk, Elliot Kreloff, Justin P. Lopez, Daphne Macy, Katerina Madson, Ash Marinaccio, Caroline May, Pip Merrick, Haneen Arafat Murphy, Peter Pasco, Gail Payne, Marc Pierre, Peggy J. Scott, Amy Shaffner, Griffin Stanton-Ameisen, Thanh Ta, Sara Thigpen, Rosemary Tross, Thomas Vorsteg, Rebecca Whitehurst, Ronan Wolfe, Michael Zaiontz and Clint Zugel.

Directors for Detention #51 include Kenzie Caplan, David Charles, Dan Chen, Maisa Chiang, Savannah Core, Amy Crossman, Mickey Fortune, Jesica Garrou, Jessalyn Gerbholz, Thomas Grenier, Kevaughn Harvey, Nicki Heskin, Catherine Higgins-Moore, Emmett Murphy, Aleesha Nash, Kevin Ray, Jenna Rossman, Lenys Sama, Deborah Sansone, David F.M. Vaughn, Dina Vovsi, Andrew Willis-Woodward, Jessie Winograd and Mia Zuckerkandel.

Please RSVP for Friday February 12 at espafest-2021-detention-friday.eventbrite.com and for Saturday February 13 at espafest-2021-detention-saturday.eventbrite.com. A Zoom link will be sent prior to the performance.

To post a comment, you must register and login.