SWAN DAY (SUPPORT WOMEN ARTISTS NOW)!

In honor of SWAN Day and World Theatre Day, NPTC will present a Concert Reading of THE CONVENT OF PLEASURE by Margaret Cavendish, directed by Melody Brooks.   A special playbill provides some insight into Restoration Theatre conventions, and a more in-depth look at women's writing at the time.  After the show, we'll have a brief discussion with the artists and special guests.

SATURDAY, MARCH 27, 2010; 7:00PM

NPTC, 456 W. 37TH STREET (AT 10TH AVENUE)

TICKETS: $10; $5 FOR STUDENTS W/ID

Featuring:  Bill Blechingberg, Dina Cataldi, Sherece Donalds, Amanda Johnson, Mikaela Lynn Johnson, Yoshiro Kono, Anthony Lalor, Kim Sullivan

ABOUT THE PLAY

Lady Happy has just come into a large inheritance, and all the bachelors—young and old—are scheming for her hand.  But she removes herself from the marriage market to found a convent.  Not to retire in religious contemplation, but to retire from the company of MEN.  Her convent has no access—not a window or grate for men to penetrate…but inside is a life of luxury and bounty for the virgins and widows who join her (no married women in this convent either!)  Fine linens, plush furnishings, the lastest fashions, and the most succulent foods support the pursuit of Pleasure, while the ladies engage in music and theatrical revels to express their deep content.  Will this Utopian idyll survive the outward pressure of Patriarchy?  When a foreign Princess joins the convent and becomes Lady Happy’s “lover”, the picture seems complete and the experiment justified.  But there is a serpent in this garden and paradise is again in danger!

With The Convent of Pleasure we offer one of the first female playwrights in the English-speaking world.  Margaret Cavendish, Duchess of Newcastle-upon-Tyne (1623 – 1673), was a poet, philosopher, writer of prose romances, essayist, and playwright, publishing under her own name at a time when most women writers published anonymously. Her writing addressed a number of topics, including gender, power, manners, scientific method, and animal protection. Her romance, The Blazing World, is one of the earliest examples of science fiction.  Cavendish was the only seventeenth century woman to publish numerous books on natural philosophy.

About SWAN Day:

SWAN Day/Support Women Artists Now Day is a new international holiday that celebrates women artists.  It is an annual event taking place on the last Saturday of March (Women’s History Month) and the surrounding weeks.  By focusing attention on the work of women artists, SWAN Day helps people imagine what the world might be like if women’s art and perspectives were fully integrated into all of our lives. People celebrate this new holiday by participating in SWAN Day events and by making donations to their favorite women artists. The long term goal of SWAN Day is to inspire communities around the world to find new ways to recognize and support women artists as a basic element of civic planning. There were over 170 SWAN Day 2009 events in 12 countries. 

SPECIAL OFFER AT BORDERS BOOKSTORES!

In recognition of Candledancing: The Voice of Juilian of Norwich, a new play by Coni Ciongoli-Koepfinger Theater lovers and rights activists invited to enjoy a discount at Borders while raising funds for SWAN Day!  On Saturday, March 27, 2010, bring the attached coupon to your local Borders store and save 10% on your entire purchase.  For every dollar you spend on March 27, Borders will donate 10% to support SWAN day. 203209SWANCoupon

Ms. Koepfinger has graciously donated the proceeds from the sale of Candledancing directly to NPTC!

Candledancing: The Voice of Julian of Norwich was recently released by Tate Publishing. It is also available on audio book, with the enchanting score and haunting requiem commissioned by one of London’s finest classical composers, Robert Hugill. A brilliant piece of drama in two acts, Candledancing captures the essence of medieval theology within a modern scenario. It challenges the imaginary gender boundaries created by organized religion by bringing the voice of a Medievel mystic as a response to the present-day issues of spirituality, sexual discrimination and psycho-linguistics. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette calls the work “a well-developed, lyrical, important play.  Koepfinger has a mission here that’s clear and sincere.” The book will be featured at Borders New York City locations on March 27.