New York Live Arts to Present Urban Word's JOURNAL TO JOURNEY: FLAW(ED) LESS, 12/18-19

New York Live Arts presents Urban Word's Journal to Journey: Flaw(ed) Less, a four-month program that culminates in a showcase performance of new solo works created by young poets, December 18 & 19 at 8:00pm.

These works by young poets navigate a path through hurt and hope on a journey towards self. Equipped with pen as compass and journal as road map, they discover that life is full of moments that will carry them as far and deep as they are willing to go. Poets work with Writing Mentor Carvens Lissaint and Director Monica L. Williams in association with Creative Legacy Projects and Hi-Arts. Flaw(ed) Less features performers Sore Agjabe, Kristina Gramlich, Maya Osbourne, Lyssa Saunders, Crystal Valentine and Mahlaney Wislon.

Performances will take place in New York Live Arts' Theater. Tickets are $7 for general admission and $5 for students. Tickets may be purchased online at newyorklivearts/season by phone at 212-924-0077 and in person at the box office. Box office hours are Monday to Friday from 1 to 9pm, and Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 9pm.

About the Artists:

Carvens Lissaint is a Haitian-American award-winning performance artist/teaching artist who has been gracing stages and classrooms around the United States, United Kingdom and The Caribbean. Accolades include the 2011 Nuyorican Grand Slam Champion (Ranked Second in the nation at the Adult National Poetry Competition), the 2007 Knicks Grand Slam Champion, 2008 Newark New Jersey Youth team, 2009 New Jersey (Slam Global) Grand Slam Champion, 2009 Robert Redford Speak Green Grand Slam Champion, 2009 Urban Word NYC team. He was the coach of the 2010 NYU Poetry Slam team and Co-coach of the 2010 Urban Word slam team that won the Brave New Voices International Poetry Slam.

Lissaint has also been named one of The Root's Top 30 performance poets. He has performed at TEDYouth, on Broadway at The New Amsterdam Theater, Off Broadway Hip Hop Theater Festival at the Ohio Theater, the 2010 Sundance Film Festival in Utah, The United States Green Build Council in Arizona and the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. Most recently, he was featured on the second and third seasons of the hit television series "Verses and Flow" on TV1. He is a part of the touring cast of Words Become Flesh, a play written and directed by Marc Bamuthi Joseph and has opened for the likes of John Leguzizamo, Elle Varner, Luke James and Jill Scott.

Monica L Williams is often called the "Poets Director." For over 12 years she has created three-dimensional presentations from the page to the stage on Broadway, Off-Broadway, at historical institutions such as The World Famous Apollo to International powerhouses such as Brooklyn Academy of Music to the mother-ship, Nuyorican Poets Cafe. As Artistic Director for BAM Poetry for eight years, Ms. Williams staged work by many poet/performers including Marc Bamuthi Joseph, Suheir Hammad, Lemon Anderson, Zora Howard and Will Power. Other Directing credits include Wisdom of the Cypher by Toni Blackman (National Black Arts Festival), Game On by Felice Belle (John F Kennedy Center for the Arts), and History of the Word by Ben Snyder (National Tour). Her upcoming performance piece, Together/Far Apart #LoveHustle, will be featured at 651ARTs in March 2015. She is an associate member of the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers and Founder/CEO of Creative Legacy Projects. She is super excited and humbled for an opportunity to get free with the Urban Word creative superwomen!

About Urban Word - Founded in 1999, Urban Word (UW) is at the forefront of the youth spoken word, poetry and hip-hip movements in New York City. Urban Word NYC offers a comprehensive roster of programs during the school day and afterschool hours and conducts diverse programmatic offerings in the areas of creative writing, journalism, college prep, literature and hip-hop. UW presents local and national youth poetry slams, festivals, readings, open mics and more. In 2001-12 Urban Word worked with over 15,000 New York City teens and its partner programs across the United States.

Believing in free self-expression -- matured in an enhanced critical literacy environment -- Urban Word looks to improve self-confidence and strengthen educational achievement for NYC's youth. By design, and through the promotion of active literacy, critical thought, and positive social dialogue across boundaries (of age, race, class, gender, culture, and sexuality), their programs enhance critical thinking skills and leadership and ignite youth to commit to personal growth and learning, ultimately leading to heightened school performance and greater interest in pursuing higher education.

About Hi-ARTS - The mission of Hi-ARTS (formerly known solely as the Hip-Hop Theater Festival) is to support Hip-Hop as a vibrant urban art and culture movement by nurturing the creation of innovative work within the Hip-Hop aesthetic; presenting and touring artists whose work addresses the socio-political issues relevant to the Hip-Hop generation; and serving young, urban communities through outreach and education. For almost fifteen years, Hi-ARTS has consistently broken new ground, elevating both Hip-Hop and Theater by empowering artists to develop bold new works, while creating a lasting and positive impact on urban communities.

ABOUT NEW YORK LIVE ARTS - New York Live Arts is an internationally recognized destination for innovative movement-based artistry offering audiences access to art and artists notable for their conceptual rigor, formal experimentation and active engagement with the social, political and cultural currents of our times. At the center of this identity is Bill T. Jones, Artistic Director, a world-renowned choreographer, dancer, theater director and writer.

We commission, produce and present performances in our 20,000 square foot home, which includes a 184-seat theater and two 1,200 square foot studios that can be combined into one large studio. New York Live Arts serves as home base for the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company, provides an extensive range of participatory programs for adults and young people and supports the continuing professional development of artists.

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