Category Archives: Play

Amy Bloom, The Fire This Time: A James Baldwin Tribute, Part 1, 11 February 2015 – Video

Recorded at the Lensic Theater in Santa Fe, New Mexico on February 11, 2015.

Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced. — James Baldwin

James Baldwin (1924-1987) the great American novelist, poet, essayist, playwright, and social critic is celebrated in an evening of readings by poets and writers Amy Bloom, Nikky Finney, Randall Kenan, and Kevin Young.

This event was part of the Lannan Literary series.

In this episode, the readings are introduced by Kevin Young and then followed by Amy Bloom. This video is part one of five. Supplementary episodes from this event may be found here.

You may learn more about this event on the Lannan website; you may also view the additional video recordings and listen to the audio of this event there.

Additional Photos of the Event Available on Flickr.

The Fire This Time: A James Baldwin Tribute, 11 February 2015 – Audio

Recorded at the Lensic Theater in Santa Fe, New Mexico on February 11, 2015.

The Fire This Time: A James Baldwin Tribute

Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced. — James Baldwin

James Baldwin (1924-1987) the great American novelist, poet, essayist, playwright, and social critic is celebrated in an evening of readings by poets and writers Amy Bloom, Nikky Finney, Randall Kenan, and Kevin Young.

This event was part of the Lannan Literary series.

You may learn more about this event on the Lannan website; you may also view the video recordings of this event there.

Additional Photos of the Event Available on Flickr.

Michael Lawler Performs The Fever, 11 May 2014 – Video

Recorded at the Lannan Foundation in Santa Fe, New Mexico on May 11, 2014.

Actor Mike Lawler performed Wallace Shawn’s The Fever, a 90-minute monologue about a person who becomes ill while struggling to find morality in the face of an unjust society.

Michael Lawler’s many theatrical credits include The Importance of Being Earnest, To Kill a Mockingbird, Two Gentlemen of Verona, A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Arizona Theatre Company); Our Town, Noises Off, Company, Will Rogers Follies, Cabaret (ariZoni Award), Beauty and the Beast, Gypsy (Phoenix Theatre); A Christmas Carol, Burning in the Night- A Hobo’s Song (World Premiere, Theater Works); Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (Actors Theatre); The Fever (Theatre In My Basement); Talley’s Folly (Canyon Moon Theatre); and Last Night of Ballyhoo, The Immigrant, Vilna’s Got a Golem (Arizona Jewish Theatre Co.).

Television credits include a co-leading role in the BBC mini-series Spies, Lies, and the Superbomb as well as the Lifetime mini-series Maneater. Michael was a visiting instructor of theatre at Fort Lewis College in Durango, CO where he directed productions of Our Town and Fortinbras. He is thrilled to be a member of Phoenix Theatre’s Partners That Heal, bringing story theatre and entertainment to children at Phoenix Children’s Hospital.

You may listen to the audio of this performance on the Lannan Podcast site or get further information on the Lannan Foundation site.

Michael Lawler Performs The Fever, 11 May 2014 – Audio

Recorded at the Lannan Foundation in Santa Fe, New Mexico on May 11, 2014.

Michael Lawler

Actor Mike Lawler performed Wallace Shawn’s The Fever, a 90-minute monologue about a person who becomes ill while struggling to find morality in the face of an unjust society.

Michael Lawler’s many theatrical credits include The Importance of Being Earnest, To Kill a Mockingbird, Two Gentlemen of Verona, A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Arizona Theatre Company); Our Town, Noises Off, Company, Will Rogers Follies, Cabaret (ariZoni Award), Beauty and the Beast, Gypsy (Phoenix Theatre); A Christmas Carol, Burning in the Night- A Hobo’s Song (World Premiere, Theater Works); Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (Actors Theatre); The Fever (Theatre In My Basement); Talley’s Folly (Canyon Moon Theatre); and Last Night of Ballyhoo, The Immigrant, Vilna’s Got a Golem (Arizona Jewish Theatre Co.).

Television credits include a co-leading role in the BBC mini-series Spies, Lies, and the Superbomb as well as the Lifetime mini-series Maneater. Michael was a visiting instructor of theatre at Fort Lewis College in Durango, CO where he directed productions of Our Town and Fortinbras. He is thrilled to be a member of Phoenix Theatre’s Partners That Heal, bringing story theatre and entertainment to children at Phoenix Children’s Hospital.

You may see the video of this performance on the Lannan Podcast site or get further information on the Lannan Foundation site.

David Mills performs Dreamweaver: The Works of Langston Hughes, 27 February 2013 – Audio

Recorded at the Lensic Theater in Santa Fe, New Mexico on February 27, 2013.

David Mills performs Dreamweaver

Celebrate Harlem Renaissance writer Langston Hughes–affectionately known as Shakespeare in Harlem–in this one-person-dramatic rendition of Hughes’ poems and short stories. Actor and writer David Mills’ performance takes the audience on an odyssey spanning five decades—from the 1920s through the 1960s — of Hughes’ writings, where Mills portrays Hughes’ notable characters, such as Madam Alberta K. Johnson and Jessie B. Simple. Mills has worked professionally in the dramatic and literary communities for more than a decade. For three years, he lived in Langston Hughes’ landmark home where he was inspired to create his tribute.

This event was part of the Lannan Literary series.

David Mills is an actor and writer. He has worked professionally in the dramatic and literary communities for more than a decade. For three years, he lived in Langston Hughes’ landmark home where he was inspired to create his tribute.

Additional photos of this event are available on Flickr.

You may learn more about this event on the Lannan website; you may also view the video recording of this event there.

David Mills performs Dreamweaver: The Works of Langston Hughes, 27 February 2013 – Video

Recorded at the Lensic Theater in Santa Fe, New Mexico on February 27, 2013.

[ video no longer available ]

Celebrate Harlem Renaissance writer Langston Hughes—affectionately known as Shakespeare in Harlem—in this one-person-dramatic rendition of Hughes’ poems and short stories. Actor and writer David Mills’ performance takes the audience on an odyssey spanning five decades—from the 1920s through the 1960s — of Hughes’ writings, where Mills portrays Hughes’ notable characters, such as Madam Alberta K. Johnson and Jessie B. Simple. Mills has worked professionally in the dramatic and literary communities for more than a decade. For three years, he lived in Langston Hughes’ landmark home where he was inspired to create his tribute.

This event was part of the Lannan Literary series.

Additional photos of this event are available on Flickr.

You may learn more about this event on the Lannan website; you may also listen to audio recordings of this event there.

Brian Jones with Anthony Arnove, Performance, 22 February 2012 – Audio

Recorded at the Lensic Theater in Santa Fe, New Mexico on 22 February, 2012.

Brian Jones with Anthony Arnove

Zinn grew up in Brooklyn in a working-class, immigrant household. At 18 he became a shipyard worker and then flew bomber missions during World War II. These experiences helped shape his opposition to war and his passion for history. After attending college under the GI Bill and earning a PhD in history from Columbia, he taught at Spelman College, where he became active in the civil rights movement. After being fired by the college for his support for student protesters, Zinn became a professor of Political Science at Boston University, where he taught until his retirement in 1988.

Additional photos of this event are available on Flickr.

You may learn more about this event on the Lannan website

Brian Jones with Anthony Arnove, Performance, 22 February 2012 – Video

Recorded at the Lensic Theater in Santa Fe, New Mexico on February 22, 2012.

Brian Jones is a teacher, actor and activist. His commentary and writings have appeared on MSNBC and GritTV and in The Huffington Post and the International Socialist Review. Jones is featured in the new film The Inconvenient Truth Behind Waiting for Superman. He also has lent his voice to several audiobooks, including Wallace Shawn’s Essays and Noam Chomsky’s Hopes and Prospects. He lives in New York City and teaches in the public school system there.

Howard Zinn (August 24, 1922 – January 27, 2010) was a historian, playwright, and activist. His classic book, A People’s History of the United States, has been called “a brilliant and moving history of the American people from the point of view of those who have been exploited politically and economically and whose plight has been largely omitted from most histories.”

Zinn grew up in Brooklyn in a working-class, immigrant household. At 18 he became a shipyard worker and then flew bomber missions during World War II. These experiences helped shape his opposition to war and his passion for history. After attending college under the GI Bill and earning a PhD in history from Columbia, he taught at Spelman College, where he became active in the civil rights movement. After being fired by the college for his support for student protesters, Zinn became a professor of Political Science at Boston University, where he taught until his retirement in 1988.

Zinn was the author of many books, including an autobiography, You Can’t Be Neutral on a Moving Train and Passionate Declarations: Essays on War and Justice. He received a Lannan Literary Award for Nonfiction and the Eugene V. Debs award for his writing and political activism.

Additional photos of this event are available on Flickr.

You may learn more about this event on the Lannan website; you may also listen to audio recordings of this event there.