"Exit the Maven from Mott Haven" Update

"Exit the Maven from Mott Haven," a play written by Milton Polsky, co-chair of the UFT Players, will be shown on cable TV (Channel 34/Verizon, Channel 56/Time/Warner or Channel 83/ RCN) on Wednesday May 18, at 5PM.

The play won a national contest sponsored by Public Access TV and Long Island and was adapted into a television play, which is shown every year, along with other national winners. The play will be followed by a discussion with the playwright.

Open Mike Poetry Returns on September 24th

The first event of our new 2010-2011 season will take place on Friday, September 24th. Swing into Fall with an afternoon of Open-Mike Poetry. Bring original work or share your favorite poems written by others.

The event will be facilitated by Ilene Bauer and Tasha Paley.

Friday, September 24, 2010

4-6PM @ UFT Building (@50 Broadway)

Contact Milton Polsky @ polskyspen@aol.com for more information.

Want to Learn How to Write a Play? (I mean "wright" a play?)

Scene 1

(takes place at a hip coffee bar, actors are reading the latest issue of New York Teacher)

UFT Retiree A: I see Playwrighting is being taught at the Si Peagle Retirees Program this coming Fall.

UFT Retiree B: Yeah, by Milton Polsky on Fridays at 10 a.m. But why is it spelled that way?

UFT Retiree A: Because plays are not only written, they are wrought, crafted. We can take the course and find out how.

UFT Retiree B: Great. I just have to change the day I take my hang-gliding lessons.

Milton Polsky, co-chair of the UFT Players, is a prize-winning playwright, who has had a dozen plays published and over 30 produced. He is the author of You Can Write A Play, published by Applause Theatre and Cinema Books. The course will be given at the Si Beagle Learning Center @ 50 Broadway NYC. Call (212) 598-6879 for more information.

Celebration of the Arts

UFT Players board members who teach in the

Si Beagle Retirees Learning Program, led their classes in a performance at the Annual Celebration of the Arts program on March 28, 2010 at 50 Broadway.

The instructors and their courses are Dora Bardach (Flamenco Dancing); Barbara Haspel (Vocal Technique); Milton Polsky (Improv Theatre); and Elizabeth Rosen (Acting). Several of the students (and teachers) will be performing again in Wholly Mother Jones. Bravo, all!

UFT Player Lee Schwartz has Poem Published

This poem by UFT Player Lee Schwartz, (you may know her as "Julia Child" from Funny Bone) was published in the April 25th issue of The Villager.

Congratulations to the multi-talented Lee! And speaking of Poetry, join us this Friday, April 30th from 4-6PM at the UFT building at 50 Broadway for our always popular Open Mike Poetry Event!

Dear NYU

If you plan to cut down

the cherry trees on BleeckerI

I'm going tochain myself to them.

the sweet smell of bark,

the ants crawling, the birds lilting.

this is where I want to be

if the trees go; I want to go with them.

everyone needs to hold on to something larger than herself—

but not a forty story tower.

I have watched you grow,

seedling sprouts to mature trees

returning to bloom every spring.

you give a beauty of surprise to the city,

you are the surviving heiress of a less greedy time.

you are all that is left of sunny mornings and green giving,

I surrender to your strong back and perfumed air.

I am sick of broken promises left at my door.

NYU, you got it right the first time,

planting luscious greens and dancing trees.

now you want to mow them down and give us

cool slabs that block the sun,

dark caverns of streets, pyramids of hubris.

nobody can live in a tower

except a fairy tale princess

if you’re going to chop down the cherry trees

then I’m hanging on because

there will be no Village left to call Greenwich,

no Poe House, no Provincetown,

Nothing I recognize to call home,

so braid my arms around the trees.

Funny Bone ~ a Funtastic Fundraiser!

Over the three nights of performances of the recent comedy revue by the UFT Players called
Funny Bone, generous audience and cast members contributed $380 to be donated to the Parkinson's Foundation.

And, as Groucho would say, that ain't chicken feed!

Thank you to all the people who made this event possible. You know who you are!

Enjoy cast member Ilene Bauer's poem about Thursday night's audience...

The Audience

by Ilene Bauer

An audience can make a show,

At least for all the actors.

I know some folks would argue

There are more important factors.

I guess that’s true, but having been

On both sides of the stage,

To know if you’re successful,

Trust the audience to gauge.

Though humor is subjective,

If you’re not sure if you’re funny,

Check the faces in the seats

For smiles real wide and sunny.

And if you’re really lucky

And you hear explosive laughter,

You can be quite certain

You’ve achieved what you were after.

In drama, there are other signs –

A hush that you can feel;

People weeping tell you

They believe your part is real.

But if the audience is cold,

The show must still go on.

It might seem like eternity

Until they’re finally gone.

Yet soon another night rolls ‘round;

A new crowd has been seated,

And hopefully you’ll get those vibes

You’d like to have repeated.

Last night the audience was great;

They gave us all a lift.

I hope they know their laughter

Was the oh, so perfect gift.

reprinted with permission from Prime Time Rhyme

Plays Selected for 4th Annual Original Play Festival ~ Auditions Coming Up!

The producers have selected the plays to be included in this year's

Original Play Festival. The works chosen are: Welcome to the Afterlife by Ilene Bauer, A Family Affair by Lissa Joseph, Melrose by Marc Lamberg, Eddie Parker Monologues by Tasha Paley, The Water Cure by Milton Polsky, Hiring Freeze by Suzanne Lamberg and The Letter by Warren Wyss.

An audition for actors/UFT members will be held at the UFT Building (50 Broadway) on Thursday, September 24th from 4-6PM. More than 15 roles need to be cast (not including actors to read stage directions) for men and women of varying ages and ethnicities.

Contact Warren Wyss @ wwyss@nyc.rr.com or Milton Polsky @ polskyspen@aol.com for more information.

The performance of this year's Original Play Festival will take place on Thursday, October 22, 2009.