Culture Shock Festival

Friends of the High Line present Culture Shock, a free arts festival on April 23 from 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM.  This annual Spring opening event is a "joyous, one-of-a-kind celebration" with diverse performances by local artists representing a wide variety of genres.

The program of music, dance, poetry, comedy and storytelling includes a bilingual (English and American Sign Language) performance inspired by the First through Third Grade students at my school (PS347).

The stories were developed during the Winter Workshop with artistic director and creative powerhouse Kim Weild and a group of teaching artists - I was honored to be among them.  The High Line performance at 2:30 PM celebrates children, language, culture, diversity and imagination.

I am thrilled to have an opportunity to perform in this piece - How the I Becomes the We - as a modern day, slightly manic Mr. Rogers guiding a young (and not-so-young) audience into the realm of possibility through creative storytelling.

An exciting, added bonus is that a companion book will also be available for purchase at the event!  It joyously documents the journey from idea to story and encourages children to dream.

Consider this an invitation to join us on the High Line and if you do, please take a moment to say hello.

How The I Becomes the We

Cover Art: Olivia McGiff

Kim Weild, artistic director of Our Voices, pulled off an admirable accomplishment in orchestrating the completion of How the I Becomes the We under the constraints of an incredibly tight timeline.

The book is an eclectic collection of artwork, photography and children's writing designed to promote storytelling through writing, drawing and conversation. The components of narrative stories (e.g. setting, character and plot) are addressed individually, guiding children into the creative realm one sentence at a time. This structure is quite helpful for young children because narrative writing is the most challenging form of writing in lower elementary school.

The How the I Becomes the We project originated with Broadway Books First Class. I originally invited Kim to visit following her work as Associate Director on Amazing Grace the Musical. Her visionary leanings led to a three-day generative storytelling workshop developed in collaboration with a group of teaching artists (myself included).

Afterwards, Kim contacted designers and artists to illustrate the children's words and bring new dimension to their ideas.

Oni is depicted on the left signing while I am on the right holding a book

Illustration by Leontine Greenberg

How the I Becomes the We then morphed into a performance piece/children's show under Kim's direction.  It was performed in American Sign Language on The High Line as part of the Culture Shock Festival.

I was honored to take part in this project with such a talented group of performers (even though the long days of teaching and rehearsal left me exhausted and sick).

The Wolf Family on The High Line with Onudeah (Oni) Nicolarakis, Gary Wellbrock, Siena Rafter, John McGinty and Jon Riddleberger

Photo Credit: Nina Wurtzel

In the end I am left in awe of the creative, can-do spirit of the indefatigable Kim Weild who continues to push forward in her vision of equal access and opportunity.

I realize how lucky I am that for a brief time we got to walk hand-in-hand on that quest.  

Story Time in American Sign Language

Photo Credit: Keren Messer

"WHO'S THAT TRIPPING OVER MY BRIDGE?" roared the Troll

Every so often I find myself benefiting from the kindness of providence, wherein she allows most of the elements of my happy place to converge. This happened on the morning of July 28, 2018 as an exquisite blend of friendship, children's books, American Sign Language (ASL), and teaching came together on The High Line.

The High Line is a beautiful garden trail that spans 1.45 miles of the old elevated railway tracks on Manhattan's West Side. This public park often offers exciting cultural events and family programs to build community, support the Arts, and inspire the imagination.

I'd heard people talk about it over the years but it seemed more of a distant fantasy land than a real place. It was "somewhere over there" (motioning westward), a conjecture I wasn't sure I was buying. But, it exists! And I am fortunate that I find myself woven into its magical tapestry.

My first experience performing on the High Line was during the Culture Shock Festival in 2016.  An homage to that endeavor can be found in the artwork for the poster promoting Sing! It's a Family Festival (my likeness is sitting cross-legged between the letters N and G above the word SING with Oni and Mylo beside me).

I was contacted by the good folks in the programming department to create a story telling event in ASL for young children. As I fashion myself a somewhat hyper, modern day Mister Rogers I jumped at the opportunity. I enlisted my friend and former team teacher, Oni, to join me in the 30-minute program.

We used the story of The Three Billy Goats Gruff to teach some basic signs, showcase elements of ASL that must be conveyed through repeated movement and emphasis (e.g., the difference between how each of the Billy Goats Gruff eats), and show how to incorporate sound and vibration into ASL story telling.

Photo Credit: Rachel Watkinson

"First the youngest Billy Goat Gruff decided to cross the bridge."

We began by reading the Paul Galdone version of the story and followed it up by welcoming audience members to participate in the action. Our adorable family of hungry goats and the unwelcoming troll had no problems using their new sign language skills to reenact the tale.

Afterwards, we all bowed together with arms raised and hands waiving in applause for a job well done.

UPDATE: I did not know it at the time but we got a mention in The New York Times with an article entitled 8 Things to Do With Your Kids in N.Y.C. This Weekend!