By 651 ARTS on May 10, 2011

This blog was submitted to 651 from Edward Glass, an audience member who attended the Live & Outspoken event where Amiri Baraka interviewed Stephen Henderson.

There are two things I will always love about New York; the uncompromising attitude of everyone who lives here and its place as the epicenter for the Performing Arts. Let it be Theater, Dance, Music or Film (not to mention the Literary and Visual Arts) and you won’t find a stronger, more dynamic and influential a community.

I love to travel and I’ve experienced art all over the world (my second favorite art destination is Barcelona, Spain), yet when you can go from hearing a great three piece Mariachi band on the subway to hearing Wynton Marsalis perform at Jazz at Lincoln Center; from seeing a spot on rendition of Van Gogh’s Starry Night carved out in colored chalk on the sidewalk in Central Park to seeing the decorative cartonnage of Kahrushere at the MET; from witnessing breakdancing in the street to experiencing Passing Strange all in the same day, you know you’re in a place where life is infused with art. The diversity and talent level of the artists in this city is nothing less than awe inspiring.

That is New York.

Now I can’t profess to be an aesthete, I often confuse my nephew’s drawings with those of Picasso, but I do know what moves me. And when I experienced Live & Outspoken:  Amiri Baraka interviews Stephen Henderson, produced by 651 ARTS, I felt New York City.

The Live & Outspoken series is a relatively new addition to 651 ARTS’ repertoire of programing. It’s billed as a performance, featuring theatrical readings, live music and dance. Yet it isn’t so much a performance as it is an opportunity to feel what it’s like to create art. Think: Larry King Live meets the early 80’s movie turned television show Fame, all in the comfort of your living room.

The Amiri Baraka interviews Stephen Henderson event was, at its core, a dialogue between two experienced artists. It felt more like a conversation between two of your relatives, the two that really like each other, both masters of their craft, who haven’t seen each other in years. Set in the charming Irondale Center in culturally historic Fort Greene, the evening began with a shared laugh (between the two) over something they were talking about backstage. They didn’t share it with us, and they didn’t have to. The booming echo from Stephen’s baritone voice said infinitely more, like an uncle who knowingly lets you eavesdrop on “grown folks” conversation; it pulled us into his confidence.

From there the conversation delved into Stephen’s acting career, darting back and forth throughout his colorful life, adding both insight and context. He shared stories about “passing” in the South and how that led to him playing a diverse selection of male roles on and off Broadway. He recounted the numerous actors that he’d met along the way and how they each had influenced his craft. But the highlight of the night was hearing him tell the tale, in all the grandeur befitting an actor of his caliber, of how he almost didn’t, but did, meet August Wilson for the very first time.

The evening was a mix of art history and entertainment, where for a few short hours I experienced life as Stephen Henderson – an artist in New York City. This was the last of this season’s Live & Outspoken series, a fitting conclusion to a wonderfully executed program.

0 Comments