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  • Virtual Tuesday Night Book Club: Joan Didion’s Play It as It Lays

    Join us for Tuesday Night Book Club! Hosted by Monmouth University’s Ken Womack and Michael Thomas, each month we’ll explore a different novel. All you have to do is Zoom in and join the discussion!

    This month’s novel is Joan Didion’s PLAY IT AS IT LAYS. A ruthless dissection of American life in the late 1960s, Joan Didion’s Play It as It Lays captures the mood of an entire generation, the ennui of contemporary society reflected in spare prose that blisters and haunts the reader. Set in a place beyond good and evil—literally in Hollywood, Las Vegas, and the barren wastes of the Mojave Desert, but figuratively in the landscape of an arid soul—it remains more than three decades after its original publication a profoundly disturbing novel, riveting in its exploration of a woman and a society in crisis and stunning in the still-startling intensity of its prose.

    When you register you will be provided the meeting link to join the conversation. CLICK HERE for more information on how to use zoom

  • VIRTUAL Tuesday Night Book Club: Colm Tóibín’s Brooklyn

    Join us for Tuesday Night Book Club! Hosted by Monmouth University’s Ken Womack and Michael Thomas, each month we’ll explore a different novel. All you have to do is Zoom in and join the discussion!

    Our first selection is Colm Toibin’s celebrated Brooklyn (2009). In the novel, Eilis Lacey comes of age in small-town Ireland in the hard years following World War Two. When an Irish priest from Brooklyn offers to sponsor Eilis in America, she decides she must go, leaving her fragile mother and her charismatic sister behind. Eilis finds work in a department store on Fulton Street, and when she least expects it, finds love. Tony, who loves the Dodgers and his big Italian family, slowly wins her over with patient charm. But just as Eilis begins to fall in love, devastating news from Ireland threatens the promise of her future.

    When you register you will be provided the meeting link to join the conversation. CLICK HERE for more information on how to use zoom

  • The Beatles’ Let It Be – Record Club, Virtual Edition

    In accordance with University and CDC guidelines we have decided to continue with Record Club in virtual format using the ZOOM app. When you register you will be provided the meeting link to join the conversation. Click here for more information on how to use zoom.

    It’s just like book club but with albums! With new advances in technology, the way we consume music through our devices, apps and on demand streaming services like Pandora, Spotify and iTunes is making the idea of the “album” as an art form extinct. Get together with other music enthusiasts on Tuesday nights to discuss some of the greatest records of all-time! Listen to the album beforehand and then come prepared to discuss. This event will feature The Beatles’ Let It Be.

    Free and open to the public, but registration is required.

  • CANCELLED: Colin Hay – Waiting For My Real Life

    What happens after you reach the top? From international number one singles to obscurity and addiction to the simple song of salvation, follow the inner journey of a singer–songwriter reborn by singing his truth. Colin Hay – Waiting For My Real Life is the inspiring story of Colin Hay, an acclaimed solo artist and former Men At Work frontman, and his personal and artistic journey from dizzying heights to staggering lows to finding salvation through song. We follow the surprisingly swift rise to superstardom of his band Men At Work, to that band’s equally surprising demise, to his long, slow climb back to relevance and resonance. Ultimately, commitment to his craft and the development of a truly one-of-a-kind stage show set Colin on the path that leads to a deeply satisfying solo career – one that is still ascending. With sold-out shows, critically acclaimed albums and a word-of-mouth reputation for providing one of the finest nights out a music fan could ask for, Colin finds himself at the top of his abilities and is just getting started.

    Colin Hay- Waiting For My Real Life weaves its story around intimate footage from Colin’s successful 2013 world tour. It features interviews with close family and friends as well as celebrity admirers Hugh Jackman, Mick Fleetwood, Zach Braff, Sia Furler and many others reflecting on the impact of this powerhouse singer on their lives and work – giving a glimpse into the heart of one of the most successful songwriters of the 20th century.

  • POSTPONED – Word is Bond

    Exclusive Screening and Conversation with Director Sacha Jenkins and Grammy Winning Artist, Che “Rhymefest” Smith

    Word Is Bond, a documentary exploring the transformational power and many layers of poetic hip-hop lyrics, featuring insights from world-renowned hip-hop artists like Nas and J Cole. 

     

  • Banished

    Banished: A family on the sex offender registry follows the story of one family as they take us through the criminal proceedings and the changes they must go through when preparing for the registry. Banished is an oral history and storytelling project documenting the harms of the sex offender registry, told in three parts. The contained works are co-written by Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg, a staff writer for The Appeal, and coLAB Arts producing director, Dan Swern. It was developed with support from the New Jersey Council for the Humanities. The project’s scholar-in-residence is Laura Cohen, Distinguished Clinical Professor of Law, Justice Virginia Long Scholar, and Director, Criminal and Youth Justice Clinic at Rutgers Law School.

    The play also features interviews with Elizabeth Letourneau, Director of the Moore Center for the Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse at Johns Hopkins University, and Patty Wetterling, national children’s safety advocate whose son’s disappearance led to the Jacob Wetterling Crimes Against Children and Sexually Violent Offender Registration Act.

    Banished is Co-Sponsored by: New Jersey Office of the Public Defender, NeighborCorps Re-Entry Services, National Religious Campaign Against Torture in New Jersey, Town Clock Community Development Corporation, Brady Project of Middlesex County, Anti-Poverty Network of New Jersey

    Featuring:
    Nancy Boykin*, Robert Carr*, Helen Farmer*, Meridith C Grundei*, Aaliyah Habeeb*, Dave Seamon

    *Appearing courtesy of Actors Equity Association

    A facilitated discussion on restorative justice & the impact of the sex offender registry will follow the performance at 7:30.

    Panelists Include:
    Fletcher Duddy, Deputy Public Defender and Director of the Special Hearings Unit for the NJ Office of the Public Defender
    Michael C. Woyce, Assistant Deputy Public Defender, Special Hearings Unit-Asbury Park, NJ Office of the Public Defender
    Deanna Shoemaker (moderator), Associate Professor, Communication & Performance Studies, Graduate Director, MA in Communication, and Advisor, CommWorks: Students Committed to Performance at Monmouth University

    This performance is approved for 1 General Social Work CE Credit*.

    More information at: http://www.colab-arts.org/

    Co-sponsored by the Monmouth University Center for the Arts, CommWorks, the Department of Criminal Justice, the Department of Political Science and Sociology, the Department of Communication, the Helen McMurray Bennett Endowment for Social Ethics, the MU Honors School, the School of Social Work, and the NJ Alternatives to Violence Project.

  • POSTPONED – Cyrano de Bergerac

    James McAvoy (X-Men, Atonement) returns to the stage in an inventive new adaptation of Cyrano de Bergerac, broadcast live to theatres from the London’s West End.

    Fierce with a pen and notorious in combat, Cyrano almost has it all – if only he could win the heart of his true love Roxane. There’s just one big problem: he has a nose as huge as his heart. Will a society engulfed by narcissism get the better of Cyrano – or can his mastery of language set Roxane’s world alight?

    Edmond Rostand’s masterwork is adapted by Martin Crimp and directed by Jamie Lloyd (Betrayal). This classic play will be brought to life with linguistic ingenuity to celebrate Cyrano’s powerful and resonant resistance against overwhelming odds.

  • Closed: Access and Opportunity, Diversity & Inclusion

    Acts of injustice, bias, and disrespect, against groups and individuals, continue to play out across our nation. This juried exhibition will feature works that define what it means to be a good citizen in a global context, a person appreciative of all cultures and committed to fairness with respect and equality for all. By looking broadly at access and opportunity for all members of society regardless of age, disability, ethnicity, gender identity, national origin, race, religious affiliation, or sexual orientation we can help everyone recognize, appreciate, and respect difference.

    Participating Artists include:

    Joan Appel
    Brandin Barón
    Amy Block
    Janet Braun-Reinitz
    Lindsay Brennan
    Kelly Burke
    Monica Camin
    Bonnie Carlson Diana
    Marina Carreira
    Ashley Carroll
    Jacob Clayton
    Linda Rae Coughlin
    Rosemary Fineberg
    Sandra Frankel
    Linda Friedman Schmidt
    Zach Horn
    Rusty Leffel
    Jonathan Lessuck
    Jacqueline Madara-Campbell
    Rashna Madon
    Rosemary Meza-DesPlas
    Maria Morales
    Andrea Phox
    John Piccoli
    Robert Selby
    Alice Sims-Gunzenhauser
    Sandy Taylor
    Nettie Thomas
    Hui Tian
    Emily Tironi
    Shoaib Wazir
    David Weed
    Guta Galli and Aaron Wilder

  • POSTPONED – Frida – Viva La Vida

    Frida – Viva La Vida is a cinematic documentary event film that highlights the two sides of Frida Kahlo’s spirit: a revolutionary pioneering artist of contemporary feminism, and on the other, a human being tormented by agony and love.

    With Asia Argento as narrator, the two faces of the artist will be revealed, by pursuing a common thread consisting of Frida’s own words: letters, diaries and private confessions. The documentary film event will alternate interviews with historical documents, captivating reconstructions and Frida Kahlo’s own paintings, kept in some of the most amazing museums in Mexico.

  • POSTPONED – The Ladies of Laughter

    The Ladies of Laughter Funny & Fabulous Tour includes winners and the best talent from its national competition. What started out as an annual videotape comedy competition over 20 years ago in New York to honor a fellow women in comedy who helped so many women get their start, has established itself as the CAREERBUILDER FOR WOMEN IN COMEDY.

    Since its inaugural year when the contest went “live” in a YWCA in New Jersey, The Ladies of Laughter contest has visited legendary venues including legendary theaters, Caesars and even Madison Square Garden.  Past participants include Amy Schumer, Tammy Pescatelli and “Big Bang Theory” star, Melissa Rauch, among countless others. This show will include:

    Robin Fox
    Winner of the 2012 Ladies of Laughter Competition held at Gotham Comedy Club, NYC, New Jersey Stand-Up Comedian, Robin Fox spent 17 years as a full-time mom and dieting. Then one day, Robin gave up dieting and decided to make her life long dream of being a comedian a reality. Today she is happier than she can ever remember and will never look back! Original and funny, she talks from her heart about the frustrations of suburban living, marriage, and raising a family. No longer is she willing to just be the funniest mom on her New Jersey cul-de-sac. This New Jersey mom is now a regular on the comedy scene playing at the top clubs in NYC and surrounding areas.Robin rose through the comedy ranks very quickly and has been a finalist at several prestigious comedy contests and festivals including Philly’s “Funniest Comedian” contest, and Baltimore’s “Funniest.” She was a runner up at “The Laugh Off” at Caroline’s in NYC. She also has been seen at the NJ Comedy Festival and at the NY Underground Comedy Festival. Robin can be heard on XM and Sirius satellite radio and has been a guest numerous times on the “Joey Reynolds Show” on WOR coast to coast. Robin has been on We Entertainment television and on Lifetime TV. Robin was a “Hot Topic” of Conversation on ABC’s “The View.”

    Leighann Lord
    Smart, sexy, savvy, and funny, Leighann Lord’s “heads up humor” is stand-up comedy at it’s finest. Inspired by the brilliance of George Carlin, the smooth jazz style of Franklyn Ajaye, and the elegance of Rita Rudner, Leighann has crafted her own unique brand of Thinking Cap Comedy. It’s no wonder she received the NYC Black Comedy Award for “The Most Thought Provoking Black Female Comic.” And for two consecutive years, Leighann was Harlem Week’s official comedian. (The only other comedian in Harlem Week’s history to earn that distinction was Richard Pryor.) Leighann has performed around the world. In London she appeared at The Comedy Store, and on the BBC show Blouse and Skirt (think Politically Incorrect meets BET). In The Netherlands, she was a guest on the popular late night talk show Raymann is Late! and The Comedy Factory. A festival favorite, Leighann has been featured in the Trinidad, Montreal, Winnipeg, Halifax, Boston, Detroit and NYC Underground Comedy Festivals. She also entertained U.S. troops stationed in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia during Operation Enduring Freedom, as well as troops helping the Haitian earthquake relief effort (Operation Unified Response)

    Erin Maguire
    Erin Maguire is a NYC based stand-up comic, actor, writer, and emcee. Her stand-up was recently featured on Gotham Comedy Live for the Oculus/NextVR Network. She also recently wrote for the Comedy Central Roast of Alec Baldwin. Erin has appeared at the Lucille Ball Comedy Festival, among some of comedy’s greats. She has also been featured at Women in Comedy Festival, Laugh Your Asheville Off, Boston Comedy Festival, and Woodstock Comedy Festival. Erin has frequently worked for ESPN and the Game Show Network. Her comedy advice podcast, Dear Pod, charted in Apple’s top 100 comedy pods in America within two months of its debut. Stay tuned for live pod shows, coming in 2020! Any night of the week, you can catch her at clubs throughout NYC, or angrily tweeting about the state of public transit.

    For more information go to ladiesoflaughter.org