MarshStream Offers Science With A Twist, Powerhouse Lorri Holt, and More This Month

The Marsh continues to offer a wide variety of new programming at 7:30pm nightly on MarshStream, its popular broadcast platform.

Offerings through November 30 include: science lessons and lectures with an unexpected twist; the highly anticipated return of MarshStream International Solo Fest's Best Performance winner Lorri Holt in Lynne Kaufman's Who Killed Sylvia Plath, an excellent Thanksgiving weekend viewing op for theater-lovers; uplifting stories from the Formerly Incarcerated Peoples Project (FIPP); spellbinding Native American folklore; an exclusive interview with literary legend Grant Faulkner; and much more (see latest schedule below).

The program launched in April and has received overwhelmingly enthusiastic response, with hundreds flocking to view and participate each night. MarshStream programming varies daily, with Monday Night MarshStream (short performances by a variety of artists), Wild Card Tuesdays (everything from book/writer discussions, sing-a-longs, Tell It On Tuesday, to Sound Healing and Restorative Yoga), Wednesday Solo Arts Heal (offering stories of health, advocacy, and inspiration), Stephanie's MarshStream on Thursday nights (interview, bantering, Q&A, and performance excerpts, moderated by Marsh founder Stephanie Weisman), plus Bingo! hosted by Josh Kornbluth, live full-length performance concert readings, archived performance streams, performance development classes, and more.

A noon series includes CJ's FitnesSing weekly singing lesson and fitness class, plus a Super Slow Weight Training and Zoomba Room. Content is offered at 7:30pm nightly, and mid-day throughout the week via Zoom, YouTube, Instagram, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and iTunes. MarshStream viewers are asked to contribute whatever they can afford. Donations can be made by joining The Marsh's membership program and via a virtual "tip jar" both on the website, with funds going to support and sustain The Marsh and its performances.

For more information, the public may visit www.themarsh.org/marshstream. NOTE: Most past shows from earlier MarshStream dates are also available on the website for viewing.

Monday Night MarshStream

7:30pm, Monday, November 16

Special Edition of Monday MarshStream featuring guests Fred Johnson and Pastor Ronnie Muniz from the Formerly Incarcerated Peoples Project (FIPP). Directed & Produced by Mark Kenward, Rebecca Fisher, and Wayne Harris with Consulting Producer Toni Weingarten.

• Fred Johnson's Success in Minor follows the significant impact that music has made on Johnson throughout his life. Sentenced to prison at age 18, Johnson joined the San Quentin Stage Band and was given the opportunity to play with a diverse ensemble, sharing the stage with legends such as Ella Fitzgerald and Sheila E - a true turning point in his life. After being paroled in 1995, Johnson became involved with Harm Reduction Coalition, a national organization that promotes the health and dignity of individual and communities impacted by drug use, eventually becoming their Director of Policy. He also served as Executive Director of harm reduction programs in New York and Atlanta. Since retiring, Johnson has focused on his music as well as acting in his two-person play Solitary Man.
• Pastor Ronnie Muniz's CEO Pastor shares Muniz's experience becoming a recognized leader in faith-based supportive services following his release from prison in 1989. Throughout the years, Muniz has worked with several high-profile organizations as a gang prevention coordinator and youth advocate, focusing on overcoming criminal and addictive thinking, anger management, life skills, and relapse prevention. He is the Founder and CEO of Saved by Grace Re-Entry Ministries, which helps formerly incarcerated youth and adults by providing services for unemployment, education, housing, and recovery.

7:30pm, Monday, November 23

Special Edition of Monday MarshStream featuring guests Al Sasser and Pamela Anne Keane from the Formerly Incarcerated Peoples Project (FIPP). Directed & Produced by Mark Kenward, Rebecca Fisher, and Wayne Harris with Consulting Producer Toni Weingarten.

• Al Sasser's Suitable Placement sheds light on education and its invaluable impact. Born in South Central Los Angeles, Sasser became involved in a subculture of gangs and criminality at age 13, which led to juvenile hall and eventually prison. At 19 years old, Sasser was sentenced to 15 years to life. His turning point came in 1989 when enrolled in school while in prison, eventually going on to earn his high school diploma and A.A. Degree in Liberal Arts. At the same time, he became a certified Paralegal and Substance Abuse Counselor. After serving 31 years, Sasser left Solano State Prison in 2013 and began his work as a Case Manager and advocate for the homeless in West Oakland. He is currently a student at San Francisco State University, with a major in Psychology and a minor in Criminal Justice.
• Pamela Anne Keane's High and Low follows Keane's past struggles with substance abuse and mental illness, which eventually led to her homelessness and involvement in criminal activity. While serving four years at the Decatur Correctional Facility in Illinois, Keane took part in the Shakespeare Corrected Program and reignited her theatrical spirit. Paroled back to California, Keane connected with Marin Shakespeare, where she performs with the Returned Citizens Theater Troupe and the Returned Citizens Improv Troupe. She works as Assistant House Manager at Women on the Way, a transitional sober living environment in San Leandro, where she counsels and supports women in recovery and on parole. Keane is currently a student at Merritt College, pursuing a substance abuse counseling license and A.A. Degree.

7:30pm, Monday, November 30

Monday MarshStream Solo Feature Special

• Hanna Rachel Gerry's Being Me is Ridiculous is based on Gerry's experience with the diagnosis of a rare disorder, and the subsequent waves it creates in her life. This work deals with the emotional and physical healing at the beginning of one's adult life, the highs and lows of our health care system, and what is ultimately preventing us from having affordable care for all. Gerry holds a Bachelor of Arts in Drama from the University of California, Irvine; a Master of Fine Arts in Dramatic Writing from California State University, Los Angeles; and is currently pursuing a second Master's in Drama Therapy at California Institute of Integral Studies. She has performed Off-Broadway and throughout the Bay Area and Los Angeles. Gerry is a proud member of the Dramatists Guild of America and Theatre Bay Area.

Wildcard Tuesdays

7:30pm, Tuesday, November 17

Joshua Raoul Brody's Beatles Sing-Along

Lovable accompanist Joshua Raoul Brody virtually recreates the event he's been hosting at venues around the Bay Area for over 10 years: Beatles karaoke night. After playing some of his favorite Beatles songs, Brody points the microphone at the camera and has audience members take over.

7:30pm, Tuesday, November 24

Tell It On Tuesday (TIOT) featuring performers TBA.

Please check themarsh.org for updates.

Solo Arts Heal

7:30pm, Wednesday, November 18 - Special guest Hai-Ting Chinn

Hosted by Gail Schickele.

Conceived and performed by mezzo-soprano Hai-Ting Chinn, Science Fair: An Opera with Experiments is a staged science show set to music, pairing luscious operatic vocals with light-hearted humor, lessons, and lectures. The performance includes demonstrations of basic scientific concepts, familiar classroom experiments, slideshows with illustrations by comic artist Maki Naro, and a wearable model of the solar system. With a libretto created from the words of scientists and teachers, Science Fair celebrates curiosities like the formation of the solar system, the structure of an atom, and the ancient legacy of DNA. Pianist Erika Switzer joins Chinn to perform original music for this performance. Chinn has performed with New York City Opera, Philip Glass/Robert Wilson, and American Symphony Orchestra; on the stages of Carnegie Hall, The Mann Center in Philadelphia, and London's West End; and at festivals including the Edinburgh, Verbier, and Festival d'Autumme, among others.

7:30pm, Wednesday, November 25 - Special guest Leland Faulkner

Hosted by Gail Schickele.

Walker Between Worlds brings traditional Native American tales and legends to life with the simple magic of unforgettable characters - from the trickster Coyote to the web weaving Grandmother Spider. Featuring discussions around Indigenous American tradition, practices, strides, and frictions, these creative tales of wonder provide entertaining lessons from the first Americans to future generations. A Native American himself, Leland Faulkner's mother was from the Bad River Band of Chippewa Indians in Odenah, Wisconsin while his father was a Shoshone Bannock from Fort Hall, Idaho. Faulkner is the former owner and artistic director of Celebration Barn Theater in Maine, and director of the award-winning fiction film The King O'Cats. He currently teaches workshops and coaches professional performers.

Stephanie's MarshStream

7:30pm, Thursday, November 19

Special guest Grant Faulkner. Hosted by Stephanie Weisman.

Stephanie's MarshStream will feature an exclusive interview and Q&A with Grant Faulkner, Executive Director of National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) and co-founder of 100 Word Story. Faulkner has published two books on writing as well as a collection of 100-word stories. His stories have appeared in dozens of literary magazines, including Tin House, The Southwest Review, and The Gettysburg Review, and he has been anthologized in collections such as Norton's New Micro: Exceptionally Short Fiction and Best Small Fictions. Faulkner's essays on creativity have been published in The New York Times, Poets & Writers, Writer's Digest, and The Writer. Faulkner serves on the National Writing Project's Writer's Council, Lit Camp's Advisory Council, and Aspen Words' Creative Council. In addition to discussing November's National Novel Writing Month, Faulkner will read an excerpt from his book and give audience members and five-minute writing prompt.

7:30pm, Thursday, November 26

No programming (taking a night off for Thanksgiving!)

Game Night

7:30pm, Fridays

BINGO! Hosted by Josh Kornbluth
Audience members are invited to play five FREE games of BINGO! with prizes for the winner of each round. There will be a different theme each week, with audiences invited to participate in a fun new contest.

Solo Performer Spotlight

Saturday, November 21 - Merle Kessler's The Important Announcer, with post performance Q&A (replay)

Merle Kessler's The Important Announcer explores the question: Are important announcements made by important announcers? If society no longer has important announcers, what happens to important announcements? Is important itself endangered? Will society impose unimportance on the past? Where will The Important Announcer go from here? How will he live? Where did he come from? Can he be saved? A longtime Bay Area writer and performer, Merle Kessler is better known to some by his alter ego, Ian Shoales. Now trapped in his own house by the twin demons of retirement and COVID-19, Kessler stews in his own bile and blames Trump.

Sunday, November 22 - Merle Kessler's The Important Announcer remains available for streaming.

7:30pm, Saturday, November 28 - Lynne Kaufman's Who Killed Sylvia Plath starring Lorri Holt, with LIVE post performance Q&A

Voted one of the two winners of the "Best Performance Award" from a field of 50+ international participants in the 2020 MarshStream International Solo Fest, leading Bay Area actor Lorri Holt will return for encore performances of Lynne Kaufman's Who Killed Sylvia Plath. Met with popular and critical acclaim, this popular work follows poet Sylvia Plath as she returns to her burial place in West Yorkshire, England to view the fourth replacement of her tombstone. The previous ones have been defaced by feminists who chiseled off her married name, claiming it was Ted Hughes who caused Sylvia Plath's death. Did Hughes kill Plath? Was her suicide at age 30 a "good career move"? Would she do it again? And what does it say to us today? Playwright Lynne Kaufman is the author of 20 full-length plays that have been produced in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Washington D.C., and Louisville at such theatres as Magic Theatre, Actors Theatre of Louisville, TheatreWorks Silicon Valley, and many more. Two of Kaufman's works, Acid Test and Two Minds, have premiered at The Marsh. Performera??Lorri Holta??has been a leading actress in the San Francisco Bay Area for more than three decades, working with Berkeley Rep, ACT, Aurora Theatre Company, The Magic Theatre, Marin Theatre Company, SF Playhouse, and many more. She originated the role of Harper Pitt in Tony Kushner'sa??Angels in America.

5:00pm, Sunday, November 29 - Lynne Kaufman's Who Killed Sylvia Plath starring Lorri Holt, with LIVE post performance Q&A

In addition to nightly program offerings on MarshStream, The Marsh has also launched Marsh Youth Theater (MYT) MarshStream, classes offered at 4:00pm daily taught by MYT instructors. From Creative Dramatics to Storytelling, Dancing, and more, class types, instructors, and age levels vary for each class. For weekly class schedules and additional information, please visit themarsh.org/mytmarshstream.

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