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The Annual Bloomsday Festival (Press Release)
(Philadelphia) - The international Bloomsday Festival returns to Center City Philadelphia on Sunday, June 16, celebrating the literary genius of James Joyce and his groundbreaking novel Ulysses. Celebrated around the world since 1954, the Rosenbach has made Philadelphia the North American destination for the event for over 30 years. An all-day affair featuring a public reading, live music, and local vendors in the heart of Center City, Bloomsday 2024 promises an unforgettable experience for Philadelphia's book lovers, history lovers, and music lovers alike. Register for free admission at www.rosenbach.org or at 215-732-1600.
The centerpiece of the Bloomsday Festival is a public reading of James Joyce's masterpiece, where passionate readers bring the novel to life with their heartfelt interpretations. This literary journey through the streets of Dublin, as depicted in Ulysses, offers a unique opportunity to immerse oneself in the rich tapestry of Joyce's words and characters. Some of this year's readers include Senator Nikil Saval, Nik Quaife, Head of Cultural Affairs for the Irish Consulate, Representative Ben Waxman, Senator Vince Hughes, Fergus Carey, and local artists Tom Teti, KC MacMillan, Leonard Haas, Kirsten Quinn, and many more.
"The Rosenbach is proud to be the home of Joyce's original manuscript for Ulysses, a source of controversy and adoration since its creation," says Kelsey Scouten Bates, the Rosenbach's John C. Haas Director. "Joyce's manuscript has been a jewel in our collection for 100 years, and welcoming the public to our Delancey Place home for this celebration is an event we look forward to all year." Lenore Steiner, who sponsors the annual Bloomsday Festival with her husband Perry Lerner, echoes this sentiment. “I am once again thrilled to participate in the Rosenbach’s ‘event of the year.’ A wonderful Philadelphia tradition, it has grown more festive over the years, but the power of Joyce’s words remain at the heart of the day.”
In addition to public readings, the Bloomsday Festival will feature live music performances by local artists Eamon Kelly, John McGillian, and Gabriel Rebolla. From traditional Irish tunes to contemporary melodies, the musical lineup promises to delight audiences of all ages.
The Rosenbach is also pleased to welcome several local food vendors and community partners to Bloomsday 2024. Philly favorites Federal Donuts and Many Hands Coffee will be on hand to serve the masses, and Attic Brewing Company returns as a Bloomsday event partner with a custom Bloomsday brew that attendees can enjoy in the Rosenbach’s beer garden. We are also proud to welcome our community partners The Science History Institute, The Free Library Foundation, The Free Library of Philadelphia, Inis Nua Theatre Company, Bindlestiff Books, The Head & Hand Books, and For the Love of Used Books.
The Bloomsday Festival is open to everyone with free admission for all attendees. Whether you're a seasoned Joyce enthusiast or a newcomer curious about his works, the festival welcomes you to join in this celebration of literature, music, and community spirit.
"We're thrilled to bring the Bloomsday Festival back for another year of literary and cultural celebration," says Edward G. Pettit, the Rosenbach's Sunstein Senior Manager of Public Programs. "This event is a testament to the enduring legacy of James Joyce and the vibrant arts scene in our community. The Rosenbach is pleased to invite everyone to come together, enjoy great literature, music, food, and create lasting memories."
The Bloomsday Festival will take place on Sunday, June 16, 11:00 am to 8:00 pm, on Delancey Place in Center City. The Festival will occupy Delancey Place between 20th and 21st Streets. For more information and to register to attend, visit www.rosenbach.org.
The Bloomsday Festival will also livestream on the Rosenbach’s youtube channel at www.youtube.com/@RosenbachMuseum . Subscribe to get notifications.
History
James Joyce (1882-1941) has been called the greatest 20th-century novelist writing in English. Ulysses is his masterpiece. The manuscript of Ulysses is among the premier treasures of the Rosenbach Museum & Library. Our founder, Dr. ASW Rosenbach owned a first edition of the novel—the banned book had been smuggled into the country for him in 1922. He purchased the manuscript at the auction of lawyer John Quinn’s collection in 1924. (Quinn had defended Joyce and his publishers against obscenity charges under the Comstock laws in 1920.) The Rosenbach celebrates the Joycean tradition annually on Bloomsday, June 16. Bloomsday, the only international holiday in recognition of a work of art, brings scholars, devotees, and the general public together on Delancey Place for a day of dramatic readings from the novel.
Mission
The Rosenbach Museum & Library is a community that engages with and celebrates the art of the written word using our collection of rare books and manuscripts.
Bloomsday Sponsors
The Consulate General of Ireland’s Emigrant Support Programme, Lenore H. Steiner and Perry A. Lerner, The Philadelphia Rare Book Fair, South Jersey Celtic Society
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Emmy Award Nomination (Press Release)
(Philadelphia) - In the Field; Conceiving Satire: The Making of This Is The Week That Is, a special documentary commissioned by American Theatre Wing to document the creative process behind 1812 Productions’ hit political satire This Is The Week That Is has been nominated for a Mid-Atlantic Emmy Award for Arts Program/Special. Filmed over the course of three months in 2018, In the Field; Conceiving Satire: The Making of This Is The Week That Is followed the cast and creative team of This Is The Week That Is from their initial roundtable conversations through a fully realized production, exploring the show’s history and the role of theatre and comedy in American politics.
Heather Hitchens, President and CEO of American Theatre Wing, says of the nomination, “Working with 1812 Productions and exploring their work in theatre through this Arts Special reinforces our mission to showcase the power of theatre and encourage empathy through storytelling. We are emboldened by this honor and by working again with 1812 Productions and the Philadelphia community.”
Inspired by the 1960s British television satire That Was The Week That Was, and created by 1812 Productions' Producing Artistic Director Jennifer Childs, This Is The Week That Is has been a staple of the Philadelphia theatre season for the past 13 years. Featuring a script that changes nightly, improvised comedy, musical parodies, and a versatile cast of Philadelphia performers, This Is The Week That Is continues its mission to "Tell the truth and make it funny," an edict given by comedy legend Mort Sahl. Ms. Childs adds, "In its history, This Is The Week That Is has evolved from being a stand-alone production to an annual tradition that brings much needed laughter to Philadelphia audiences. It was an honor to have that process recognized by the American Theatre Wing and to collaborate with them on this documentary—this further recognition is really exciting!”
The project was filmed by Capture, a Philadelphia-based video production firm led by Jorge Cousineau. Cousineau is also an award-winning lighting, scenic, and video designer whose work has been featured in This Is The Week That Is for many years. "Having been given the opportunity to document the making of our own work enabled us to explore layers of the process that we might have been unaware of otherwise. In some sense it expanded our horizons by opening ourselves to an outsider’s perspective,” said Cousineau. “It’s an incredible honor to see this work reach this level of recognition."
The 2019 Mid-Atlantic Regional Emmy Awards will be presented Saturday, September 28, 2019, at the Wyndham Grand Downtown in Pittsburgh.
In the Field; Conceiving Satire: The Making of This Is The Week That Is is available on 1812 Productions' website HERE and on American Theatre Wing's Vimeo channel HERE.
This Is The Week That Is will return to the stage November 29, 2019 thru January 5, 2020 starring Philadelphia artists Justin Jain, Sean Close, Tanaquil Márquez, Dave Jadico, Brett Robinson, and Pax Ressler. This new production will be directed by Jennifer Childs and Dan O’Neil with a scenic design by Lance Kniskern, lighting design by Maria Shaplin, costumes by Jillian Keys, and video and sound by Jorge Cousineau. This Is The Week That Is is part of The June and Steve Wolfson Family Foundation Series and welcomes honorary producer Terry Graboyes.
About 1812 Productions
1812 Productions was founded in 1997 and is the only professional theater company in the country dedicated to comedy. 1812 Productions is the recipient of an honorary citation from the City of Philadelphia for outstanding work and commitment to the Philadelphia arts community. In 2010 and 2016, they were among a select group of regional theatre companies to receive a National Theatre Company grant from the American Theatre Wing, founder of the Tony Awards. Their education program, 1812 Outreach, has received multiple nominations and has twice been awarded the Barrymore Award for Excellence in Theatre Education and Community Service. 1812 Productions' mission is to produce theatrical works of comedy and comedic works of theatre that explore and celebrate our sense of community, our history, and our humanity.
About American Theatre Wing
One hundred years ago, on the eve of America’s entry into World War I, seven suffragists—all women of the theatre—came together to form The Stage Women’s War Relief. A century later, the spirit and vision behind the founding of American Theatre Wing remains a touchstone for all we do. The Wing continues to champion bravery, with a focus on developing the next generation of brave artists. The Wing advances the future of American Theatre by celebrating excellence and nurturing the next generation: on stage, behind the scenes, and in the audience. We envision an American Theatre that is as vital, multi-faceted, and diverse as the American people.
The Wing’s programs span the nation to invest in the growth and evolution of American Theatre. We provide theatre education opportunities for underserved students through the Andrew Lloyd Webber Initiative, develop the next generation of theatre professionals through the SpringboardNYC and Theatre Intern Network programs, incubate innovative theatre across the country through the National Theatre Company Grants, foster the song of American Theatre through the Jonathan Larson® Grants, and illuminate the creative process through the Emmy-nominated “Working in the Theatre” documentary series. In addition to founding the Tony Awards® which are co-presented with The Broadway League, the American Theatre Wing co-presents the Obie Awards®, Off Broadway’s Highest Honor, with The Village Voice.
Visitors to AmericanTheatreWing.org can gain inspiration and insight into the artistic process through the Wing’s extensive media collection, and learn more about its programming for students, aspiring and working professionals, and audiences. Follow the Wing on Twitter and Instagram @TheWing, and on Facebook.com/TheAmericanTheatreWing.
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Supporter Email Update
Hello Friends,
We hope you've been out enjoying the beautiful weather this week. We have a weekend of sold-out programming here at the Rosenbach and are looking forward to many more events as we get closer to Bloomsday! (Have you registered for Bloomsday yet? This annual celebration of James Joyce's Ulysses is free to all and you can sign up HERE!)
May is Member Appreciation Month at the Rosenbach, and we're pleased to share a refreshed selection of benefits and rewards for our wonderful membership community. Join us as a new member by June 30 and receive 10% off (add promo code SPRING24 at check out)! Get all the details and become a member HERE!
On May 16, we're pleased to welcome you to The Gratz Family in Philadelphia, the fourth addition to our Early Hebrew Books Behind the Bookcase series. In 1776, Michael Gratz was one of only 1,000 Jews within the colonial population of 2.5 million. This tour examines artifacts of the Gratz family of Philadelphia and asks how they learned the ways of this new world and made it their home. Join us for this fascinating conversation and experience items from the Rosenbach collection! Space is limited—book your spot HERE.
On May 17, join us for A Great Gatsby Party in the Garden! Costumes are encouraged while we enjoy time outdoors together in the Rosenbach's garden. We'll also hear from Dr. Mary Burke, author of Race, Politics, and Irish America: A Gothic History, as she discusses her research exploring F. Scott Fitzgerald’s timeless novel. This event is hosted by the Young Friends of the Rosenbach, and all are welcome! Read more and book your spot HERE.
Finally, on March 20, the Rosenbach visited the Kelly House in East Falls with a program titled “An Evening with American Royalty: The Cultural Memories of the Kellys of Philadelphia and the Kennedys of Boston.” At the event, Dr. Mary Burke discussed the Irish American immigrant experience, and how Grace Kelly’s life in the public eye opened the door for the rise of the Kennedys as America’s First Family just a few years later. It was tremendous evening and set the stage for a new collaboration between the Rosenbach, the Kelly House, and the Princess Grace Irish Library in Monaco. Read this note HERE from our own Dr. Alexander Lawrence Ames to discover more about this growing relationship, and watch a video of our conversation with Dr. Burke HERE.
We're looking forward to seeing you at one of our many programs soon. As always, if you have any questions about our programs, you can reach us at info@rosenbach.org or 215-732-1600.
-The Rosenbach Museum & Library Staff
I Will Not Go Gently (Musical Comedy Press Release)
(Philadelphia) - A rock ‘n’ roll queen returns for her crown in I Will Not Go Gently, a world premiere comedy written and performed by Jennifer Childs. This play with music tells the story of fictional ‘80s rock icon Sierra Mist and the spirit of rebellion embodied in her music. Sierra has gone from top of the charts to middle-aged obscurity, leaving behind a legion of fans for whom her songs were the anthems of their adolescence.
I Will Not Go Gently opens at a rehearsal for Sierra’s comeback tour. It’s been 30 years since she topped the charts with her sexually charged debut track Jack in My Box and Sierra wants to get back in the spotlight. We soon meet Abby, Sierra’s number one fan, who spent her youth idolizing the free-spirited rock star but who is now a mother living in suburbia, hosting a nightly podcast, and trying to find the right yoga class. We meet Abby’s daughter Tabitha, a tech-obsessed teen, self-confident, and self-assured that she’ll never turn out like her mother. When Abby hears of Sierra’s comeback tour, she’s ready to rock once more, but finds she may be looking for a rush that only exists in her memory. Sierra hits the road with her catalogue of classics, encountering nothing but roadblocks from journalists, business managers, and younger musicians who are all doubtful about this middle-aged woman in black leather and combat boots—an LP rocker going for broke in an iTunes world.
As Sierra’s tour grinds on, we join Abby at her high school reunion, where we meet her friends—more of the parents, professionals, and suburbanites who, in their youth, worshipped at Sierra’s feet. We meet Abby’s grandmother, who’s over the hill and over the nonsense of being anybody’s Nana. We meet another faded star, Daphne Thundergrass, who turned one season as a 1970s TV superhero into a lifetime career as a self-help guru. I Will Not Go Gently holds aloft a cast of characters who are in the middle of their lives. Some are kicking and screaming, some are asking for directions, and some are questioning every life choice, fighting the world and their own self-doubt as they each try for a comeback of their own. Throughout the story, Sierra Mist’s music is their soundtrack.
To create the show’s soundtrack, Jennifer Childs partnered with Barrymore Award-winning sound designer and composer Christopher Colucci. Together they dove into their own musical memories, drawing inspiration from musicians like Liz Phair, Patti Smith, Ramones, and Joan Jett to create a soundtrack that would propel the story of I Will Not Go Gently, as well as stand on its own as a greatest hits package from Jen Childs’ fictional rock heroine. Colucci says of their collaboration, "Jen's original impulse was to be thinking about Liz Phair and I got really excited about that as, when I started making music years ago, I was influenced by her as well—that kind of artful, punk, lo-fi energy. Then she threw Joan Jett into the mix and we were off. This is the first time I've ever written music in this style, but it brings me back to my days of doing live gigs and it's super exciting to be playing it again."
All of the songs soundtracked or performed live in I Will Not Go Gently will be available on 1812Productions' first-ever album release, I Will Not Go Gently: The Soundtrack, available for purchase on CD at each performance, and available for download on iTunes, Amazon.com, and CDBaby. The CD release will include liner notes with full lyrics and personal notes on each track by Jennifer Childs. Songs will be available for preview mid-April on 1812 Productions’ website, www.1812productions.org, and social media pages. The album will be available for download on April 21st.
Barrymore Award-winner Harriet Power returns to 1812 to take the director’s seat for I Will Not Go Gently after a six-month workshop and development process, working one on one with Jennifer Childs. I Will Not Go Gently also welcomes the powerful design team of Lance Kniskern (set designer), Jorge Cousineau (video designer), Shelley Hicklin (lighting designer), and Rosemarie McKelvey (costume designer). These four artists have worked collaboratively on more than a dozen 1812 Productions shows and have once again brought their talents to bear on a production that ranges in aesthetic from rock concert to suburban living room, from backstage tour to high school cafeteria.
Written in sections, character by character and song by song, over the course of a year, I Will Not Go Gently brings the much maligned, and surprisingly revolutionary, process of aging to the stage in a group of voices that are deadly sincere and unstoppably hopeful. On her inspiration for I Will Not Go Gently, Childs says, “I remember watching American Idol one night and the rap group Salt-n-Pepa was performing as a part of a throwback '80s Night.' I was a huge fan of theirs growing up and was shocked when they came on screen looking like middle-aged women. Not that they shouldn’t look like middle aged women, as they certainly are, but in that brief moment they no longer aligned with this powerful memory I have of them. I had this split-second thought, 'Oh my goodness, if they are old, then I must be old.' That was my first step into the creation of the Sierra Mist character.” Childs continues, “Finding myself at the doorstep of middle age really surprised me. I had all these assumptions about who I'd be, how together my life would be, and how I'd handle the aging process with wit and grace. None of these assumptions turned out to be true. The truth is far more complicated, richer, juicier. I think so often that popular comedy about aging is simplified—reduced to jokes about Viagra or sagging cleavage. I listen to friends who are in this middle time of their lives and they speak alternately about feeling more powerful than ever, more confused than ever, more creative than ever and more invisible than ever. I Will Not Go Gently explores that place of liminality.”
I Will Not Go Gently will be performed from April 21st through May 15th at Plays and Players Theatre, 1714 Delancey Street in Center City. Opening night will be Wednesday, April 27th at 7:00pm. Tickets range from $28-$42 and are available at 215-592-9560 or at www.1812productions.org. I Will Not Go Gently welcomes honorary producers Sharon and Jeff Weiss. I Will Not Go Gently is produced as part of The Phoebe and Otto Premiere Series with support from The Wyncote Foundation. Additional production support has been provided by The Charlotte Cushman Foundation, The Independence Foundation, and Pat's King of Steaks. I Will Not Go Gently also welcomes media sponsor Where Magazine.
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Social Media Post (History & Community Partnership)
As we look forward to the opening of the Philadelphia Rare Book Fair, we're thinking on the many unexpected connections we share with our fellow book collectors and bibliophiles.
The Philadelphia Rare Book Fair makes its home this year at the 23rd Street Armory, which is also home to The First Troop Philadelphia City Cavalry. The First Troop was a volunteer cavalry troop organized in defense of the colonies. Today, the Troop stands as the oldest mounted military unit, and likely the oldest military unit of any kind, to have served the Republic without interruption. Joseph Gratz, whose portrait hangs with many others of the Gratz family in the Rosenbach's historic home, was a member of The First Troop during the War of 1812.
The Gratz and Rosenbach families became linked in the early 19th century through the then-common practice of adult adoption. One of Joseph's brothers, Simon, was adopted by near relatives of the Rosenbach brothers' mother, Isabella Polock Rosenbach, to help ensure the legacy of a family that had no heir.
A seemingly tenuous relationship by today's customs, Simon's adoption bonded both families in ways practical and affectionate— a feeling honored by the Rosenbach brothers until their deaths. Indeed, Simon's burial plot in Center City rests between members of both families.
We hope to see you this weekend at The Philadelphia Rare Book Fair, and we invite you to come see the Gratz family portraits on your next visit to the Rosenbach.
#rarebooks #bookfair #familymatters #rm|signatureprograms #americanhistory #portraits #23rdstreetarmory #thefirsttroop