Across the board local businesses are hurting from the recession, but perhaps local non-profit organizations are feeling the impact more acutely. With the government contributing very little to their budgets, many local organizations are primarily funded by individual donors or corporations. Kristina Lange, of the Animal Rescue Fund of the Hamptons, said that although the volume of donations has remained the same, the amount donated has substantially declined. Bay Street Theatre, which relies on a combination of donations and grants, recently learned that grant money they were expecting from the New York State Council on the Arts had been put on hold, as Governor Paterson cuts down the state budget. Both ARF and Bay Street Theatre reduced their annual operating budgets by six and fifteen percent, respectively.

Although Fighting Chance, a free-of-charge counseling and resource center for East End cancer patients, has a ‘rainy day fund’ of $80,000, they have trimmed their budget, instead of tapping into these funds. The organization cut their expenses, primarily by reducing their advertising expenditure, and is operating on an “austerity budget for 2009,” said Duncan Darrow, founder of Fighting Chance.

Anticipating a shortfall in donations, many local non-profit organizations also trimmed their already lean budgets for this year. Kristina Lange reported that ARF implemented a hiring freeze, and subsequently reorganized their staff.

In addition, the non-profit cut down on community programs. Last year, ARF offered spay and neutering clinics for pet owners, as well as pet micro-chipping. These programs were cut from the budget.

Even with these setbacks ARF was still able to provide their key services, like a dog agility and obedience school, pet therapy, a pet bereavement support group and, of course, their kennel for animals up for adoption.

Despite the fact that ARF reduced their programs, Bay Street Theatre found ways to increase their programming without breaking the bank. On inauguration day the theater’s doors were open to the public for a free screening of the day’s festivities. The theater will televise the Oscar celebrations on Sunday, February 22, which will also be free to the public. During these screenings, Bay Street operates a concession stand, which helps defray the cost of keeping the theater open.

“For us to put on a full blown Equity show is outrageously expensive,” said general manager Tracey Mitchell. “We recognize that people don’t have a lot of cash. This is one way we can provide something free to the community.”

The new programs at Bay Street include a children’s theater camp, “Cabaret at the Bay” evenings and “Saturday Morning Picture Show” screenings of classic family films. The children’s theater camp will run in accordance with the school breaks during February and April. Mitchell said the camp was created to lend a helping hand to working parents.

As the economy continues to take a downturn, almost every local non-profit organization has noticed an increase in community demand for their services. ARF reported a 26 percent increase in pet adoption from 2007 to 2008, as nearly 731 dogs and cats were adopted last year.

“I attribute this in part to people finding comfort in animals. It feels good to rescue an animal from a shelter,” said Lange. ARF is noticing higher rates of pet abandonment and the non-profit is also housing more puppies than usually.

Darrow, founder of Fighting Chance, said that nearly half of the cancer patients on the East End contact the organization.

“Patients are now looking at the stress of a cancer diagnosis, coupled with the stress of surviving the recession,” said Darrow. “Most of these people are not highly affluent, and some of them are losing their jobs. Even in the best of times, chemotherapy and radiation treatments are stressful.”

Darrow added that Fighting Chance has established various programs to help these people. The organization offers a “Help-at-Home” neighborhood fund, which awards cash grants of up to $500 for existing patients. Darrow said these funds are often used to repair the patient’s car, since they often have to receive treatment once a day for a number of weeks. Fighting Chance also arranges for cancer patient transportation to treatment centers, with the help of Twin Forks Limo company.

These non-profit organizations remain an integral part of the community, but some non-profit staff wonder if they will be able to outlast the recession. Of ARF, Lange said “we have been around since 1974 and we have never felt anything like this.”

 

Above: Sag Harbor resident Carol Wesnofsky with Richu, a Peckinese she adopted last year at the Animal Rescue Fund of the Hamptons. 

 

Popularity: 11% [?]

By Marianna Levine

Hugs awaited friends and neighbors as they entered Bay Street Theater on Tuesday morning for a live screening of the Inauguration of America’s 44^th President. People couldn’t wipe the smiles off their faces as they scanned the capacity crowd within the theater that included several families with children. At one point the audience chuckled as a toddler danced joyously on stage in front of the screen, perhaps wishing to join in her unselfconscious dance of joy. For the most part people sat transfixed in their seats, at least those who were lucky enough to get a seat, watching with awe the crowds gathered on the Mall as well as the procession of VIPs on screen leading up to the moment Barack Obama came out onto the front steps of the Capitol to take the oath of office. The crowd stood up and cheered as the almost President Obama’s image appeared on screen.

Bay Street Theater directors Sybil Christopher and Murphy Davis said they decided to host the presidential debates, Election Day results, and the inauguration because they wanted to serve the community. They really wanted local residents to see the theater as a community center, and to use it as such.

And besides Ms. Christopher said, “it’s really theater. It’s superb!” On a personal level Mr. Davis said viewing the democratic process had reinforced for him, “that we can be a great country.” Ms. Christopher added that she had actually attended Martin Luther King Junior’s “I have a Dream Speech” in 1963, and that the election of Barack Obama really symbolizes how far we’ve come.

 

In the audience was at least one other person who had heard Mr. King’s famous speech in person. Pamela Harris, a Southampton resident was a ten-year-old child when she walked the Poor People’s March on Washington in 1963. She sat with tears in her eyes as she watched the live coverage.

“I am beside myself here. I can’t believe this is happening in my lifetime,” said Ms. Harris. “When I was a child there were people in America who were being killed because they had the audacity to go out and vote. When I was growing up in this country there were no black people on TV. If one came on it was such an event we’d call people to let them know.”

Her friend Rita White, of Southampton said, “I really see this as a new beginning. A positive beginning that brings everyone together in American and in the world. My cousins in Germany told me I had to vote for Obama!”

White recalled being a child in Brooklyn with a German mother during World War II, and being stoned in the street because of their heritage, despite the fact they were American. She said it was most important to her that people didn’t continue to judge each other by their differences, and that this president symbolized this promise for the future.

Michel Mazuret, originally from France but currently an East Hampton resident, said he had to come to Bay Street to watch this event with a crowd because, “this is an exciting moment. All of Europe is having a big party today. Everybody over there is watching and listening. We need this big change for the planet.”

Audience members sitting around him nodded in agreement, as they watched yet more people pour into the theater. At one point there was a line of people waiting to get in, and theater management opened up the rehearsal space at the top and pushed some chairs together so more people could fit in safely.

As Obama took the oath of office several people wept and held on to the person seated next to them, as he finally became the president, the crowd stood up and, roared its approval for at least a minute. People were screaming and shouting with joy. His greatly anticipated inaugural speech silenced the crowd as they nodded approvingly to the President’s statement that “our common humanity will reveal itself” and that “we’ve chosen hope over fear.” Occasionally breaking out into applause or words of assent.

After his speech the audience stood and joined together in a heart-felt national anthem. With continuing smiles, and hugs of farewell many people left after that. However several people lingered in the afterglow of the jubilant proceedings.

Katharine Battle, a community activist and Sag Harbor resident, commented, “How good it was to have a president who is articulate. Especially one who could articulate the specific issues of our generation.”

Liz Oldak, a Pierson Sophomore who attended the viewing with her parents, would certainly agree with Ms. Battle. She said originally she wasn’t that involved with the presidential election, but once she heard that the then Senator Obama was proposing to have a Secretary of Technology she got more involved because she felt this candidate really understood what was important in the present and the future. She also said her parents had almost nightly discussions with her about Presidents Obama’s historic significance.

 

Popularity: 7% [?]

Stony Brook Southampton

Bay Street Co-Founders Create New Programs at Stony Brook

Stony Brook Southampton’s MFA in Writing and Literature Program announced two new initiatives for 2009: a Playwriting Conference as part of the Southampton Writers Conference, and the Young American Writers Project, an interdisciplinary writing program for middle and high school students.
The Playwriting Conference will be directed by Stephen Hamilton and Emma Walton Hamilton, co-founders of the Bay Street Theatre. The conference will run concurrently with the Children’s Literature, Southampton Writers, and Screenwriting conferences, in three sessions from July 8 to August 2. Established and emerging playwrights will have the opportunity to develop their work in a collaborative setting with professional actors, directors and members of the Ensemble Studio Theatre. Three graduate credits are available to eligible students in each conference.
“When Stony Brook acquired the Southampton campus, we promised to build real strength in the arts,” Robert Reeves, director of the MFA in Writing and Literature program said. “We are proud to be able to carry out that mandate by broadening our programs. We are also thrilled that Emma and Steve accepted our invitation to become the newest members of the MFA program.”
For seventeen years, Stephen Hamilton served as the Theatre’s Executive Director and produced over 50 productions. Emma Walton Hamilton is a theater professional and arts educator, as well as a best-selling author and editor. Until 2008 she was Director of Education and Programming for Young Audiences, and spearheaded the Young Playwrights Program in area schools.
In addition to the new Playwriting Conference, Stony Brook Southampton’s will also establish the Young American Writers Project (YAWP). The inaugural YAWP program, focusing on playwriting, will be offered to middle schoolers in the spring of 2009. The YAWP curriculum calls for teaching artists to visit designated classrooms twice weekly during a two-month period, guiding students to create and develop their own plays. One play from each participating class will be produced at Stony Brook Southampton’s Avram Theater in April of 2009. Among participating schools in the inaugural YAWP program for 2009 are: Bridgehampton, Sag Harbor, Shelter Island, and Eastport South Manor.

Schools
Inaug. Invite

Several local students will attend the inauguration of Barack Obama on Tuesday, January 20 in Washington, D.C. Jocelin Kalish of Bridgehampton was invited to attend by the University Presidential Inaugural Conference. Kalish is an alumni of the National Youth Leadership Forum and was the valedictorian of Bridgehampton High School last year. Fellow Bridgehampton graduate, Eddie Gholson is working for Ultimate Staffing and will help chaperone a group of children around D.C. and accompany them to the inauguration ceremony for the company. Ross tenth grade students Spencer Kuzon and Devon Leaver will also be in attendance. Kuzon and Leaver will participate in the Presidential Youth Inaugural Conference from Saturday, January 17 to Wednesday, January 21. This five-day program provides students with a deeper understanding of the electoral process and its history, as well as the traditions surrounding the presidential inauguration.

Harbor Committee
“Mary E” Sails Elsewhere for Home

After months of dialogue between the owners of the “Mary E” schooner and the village Harbor Committee board, the board has finally decided to deny the owners request to permanently dock the schooner on Long Wharf. Although, the decision ultimately lies with the Sag Harbor Village Board of Trustees, the Harbor Committee agreed to draft a letter to the board recommending the denial of the owners request. During a committee meeting on Monday, January 12, Harbor Committee Chairman Bruce Tait cited the owners lack of a comprehensive plan for upland support for the “Mary E” as the primary reason for the refusal of their petition. The owners of the “Mary E” sought to run a charter sailing business from the boat. Tait said at a previous meeting that parking would need to be provided for charter clients.
Sag Harbor Village Board of Trustees member, Ed Deyermond swung by the meeting to treat the committee members to an update on the Keyspan/National Grid remediation project in the village. Deyermond said there wasn’t much to report as the project is on somewhat of a hiatus due to a delay in the shipment of equipment, specifically a tent.

East Hampton
Farmers Market

The Peconic Land Trust is requesting proposals for usage of the
farmland adjacent to the Amagansett Farmers Market located on Main
Street, Amagansett. The farmland consists of 5.7 acres of conserved
land that the Trust anticipates leasing in early 2009 with the idea
of integrating the produce into the Amagansett Farmer’s Market.
Interested parties are asked to submit a letter of interest to Pam
Greene, the Director of Stewardship, by February 1. A formal proposal
will be requested from those submissions. The formal proposal will
require a business plan and land use plan for the farm. For more
information call 283-3195.

SH Rotary Club
Inter. Grants

Kevin Luss, President of the Southampton Rotary Club has announced that Rotary International (RI) has approved a matching grant application, submitted by Southampton Rotary and the Rotary Club of Guntur (India). The approved matching grant, sponsored by the Southampton, Northport and Riverhead Rotary Clubs, will be used to finance the purchase of equipment that is critical in the medical mission being undertaken by International Surgical Mission Support, a group of local doctors who will be traveling to the NRI General Hospital, located in Andhra Pradesh, India.
During their short stay in India, the doctors will conduct several hundred medical screenings and life saving surgical procedures and will leave the newly purchased equipment with the local medical center.
Southampton Rotary will coordinate the project internationally, while the Rotary Club of Guntur will coordinate on a local level. The total grant budget for this project is equivalent to $62,000.

SHDC
New Dem. Chair

The Southampton Town Democratic Committee has unanimously elected Gordon Herr to succeed retiring Chairman Mike Anthony.
Anthony assured the committee that he was not leaving and would still play a significant role in the Democratic Party. He added that working with Gordon Herr for the past few years gave him full confidence that his efforts would be built upon for even greater Southampton Town Democratic Party achievements in the future.

Suffolk County
New EPA Chair

Legislator Jay Schneiderman has been named chair of the County’s
Environment, Planning and Agriculture Committee (EPA) by presiding
Officer William Lindsay for the second year in a row. Schneiderman
has a background in science education and has been involved with
numerous environmental initiatives including land preservation and
water quality protection. Schneiderman currently has a bill pending
before the EPA committee that would establish a county-wide setback
from wetlands for fertilizer application. “Nitrogen and phosphorus
from fertilizers are contributing to nutrient overload in our bays
and harbors,” claims Schneiderman, “this is causing algal blooms that
are devastating shellfish populations and other marine life.”
Schneiderman believes the new law will be adopted earlier this year.

Popularity: 10% [?]

by Raphael Odell Shapiro

 Caroline’s. The Improv. The Laugh Factory. Bay Street? For five summers now the Bay Street Theatre on the Long Wharf in Sag Harbor has transformed itself into a comedy club a few nights a week. The theater has brought in major stand-up acts from around the country to perform on their stage at 11 p.m. on weekends, after their Mainstage performances, or on Monday nights at 8 p.m., a traditionally “dark” night.

The comedians are often bemused (or befuddled) by their backdrops. Naturally, the Mainstage sets remain up for the Comedy Club acts, often leading to some degree of hilarious incongruity. Lewis Black, a famously enraged comic often featured on “The Daily Show with John Stewart,” once delivered jokes from King Charlemagne’s throne on the set of “Pippin.” This summer, comedian Greg Proops was confused by the revolving set of “Beyond Therapy,” which he said looked like it might have been designed by Escher.

This weekend marks the end of Bay Street’s summer season. Three comics will round out the Comedy Club lineup, and will have to contend with the Harlem apartment set of “Ain’t Misbehavin’.”

First to perform will be Jeffrey Ross. Ross is a regular at the Friar’s Club “roasts,” and was dubbed by New York Magazine the “Meanest Man in Comedy.” He is a co-host on ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live.” Possibly most impressive on Ross’s resume, however, is his role as filmmaker.

In the fall of 2003, Ross was invited by friend Drew Carey to join him on a USO tour to Iraq. Ross brought along his newly purchased camcorder, and realized quickly into his five day trip that the footage he was capturing could be more important than just a home movie. In 2005 he released and edited a movie entitled “Patriot Act: A Jeffrey Ross Home Movie,” an honest documentary of the state of American occupation, but with still comedic commentary from Ross and the other comics on the tour. The film was screened at the Hamptons International Film Festival. Ross will be at Bay Street this Saturday, August 30 at 11 p.m.

Next will be Jamie Kennedy, who is well known for his television series “The Jamie Kennedy Experiment,” and for such films as “Malibu’s Most Wanted” and “Kickin’ It Old Skool.” He has been on tour for three weeks, promoting the DVD release of his documentary, called “Heckler,” which will come out September 9. Kennedy spoke to the Express from Iowa, where he had played a show the night before. As he roamed the streets in search of an open food vendor, he described his stand up act.

“I do characters from my show, impressions, stories from my life…you know like the first time I had sex,” he explained. “And funny things that happen to me in Hollywood.”

Kennedy went on to talk about the difficulties of stand up comedy, and the misconceptions thereof.

“It’s an indefinable thing, you know? To make someone laugh. Most people watch and think, oh, that’s not so hard,” he said. “But it’s like, I watch the Olympic gymnastics and say yeah, I can bend down and touch my toes, but I can’t do a flip.”

“I like to mix it up in my shows though. I mean in Iowa, there’s no food after five o’clock but the crowds like to have fun.” He continued, “If people want to come to have a good time, they will.” Kennedy will take the Bay Street stage on Sunday, August 31 at 11 p.m.

The final act is Brian Posehn, who has most recently been seen on Comedy Central’s show “The Sarah Silverman Program,” as well as numerous sitcoms such as “Seinfeld,” “Everbody Loves Raymond” and “Friends.” He will perform on Monday, September 1 at 8 p.m.

All Comedy Club tickets are $50. For more information call the Bay Street box office at 725-9500 or visit the website at www.baystreet.org.

 

Popularity: 9% [?]

Had enough with exclusive summer parties on the East End? Well this month the Bay Street Theatre is throwing a party that everyone is invited to. “Ain’t Misbehavin’,” which opened last Saturday, offers theatergoers a chance to step off Long Wharf and into a different time and place.

Harlem, an apartment on the corner of 134^th Street and Lenox Avenue. The 1930s. Two ceiling fans make lazy patterns on the wood paneled floor and posters hang around the theater advertising, “Rent Party Tonight!” The lights dim to reveal a solitary radio, from which pipes the voice of Thomas “Fats” Waller, his mother’s 250-pound baby boy, the prolific jazz pianist and composer whose music is featured in the show.

The cast members begin to filter onto the stage, clucking and braying and exchanging various niceties. Pianist “Slim” (really William Foster McDaniel) sits down and begins hammering away at the ivories, opening with the titular song. McDaniel is the beating heart and soul of the musical, playing and conducting without any sheet music. With his back to the crowd, the “Y” of his suspenders in full view at center stage, like an affirmative answer to the question “Are you enjoying yourself?”

Although director and choreographer Marcia Milgrom Dodge’s concept of the show differs somewhat from the original 1978 Broadway version in that she tried to add more of a plotline, “Ain’t Misbehavin’” is still in essence a musical revue. Running like a greatest hits album, where one song ends another begins, the applause barely dying down before McDaniel counts out the next tune with his feet.

The five main performers, two men and three women, carry on with each other as old friends might. Though fickle in their romantic endeavors, the men have a whole lot of love to give around. Sweets, the role based on Fats Waller played wonderfully by James Alexander, woos Queenie (Q. Smith) with a sumptuous rendition of “Honeysuckle Rose.”

King (Jim Weaver, also the associate director and choreographer) meanwhile pursues Cherry (Monica Patton) in “How Ya Baby,’ their legs swinging like metronomes in a sensual courtship dance. Weaver’s King is reminiscent of Cab Calloway, zoot suit and all, striding and swinging across the Bay Street stage.

The ensemble numbers are strong throughout the show. “Handful of Keys,” with its fun vocal arrangement and whimsical choreography is certainly an act one highlight. But for some reason, the first act lacked a certain spark. Although the performances were strong and the band was cooking, when the act closed with “The Joint is Jumpin’,” really it was anything but.

Dodge said she wanted her audiences to wish they could be invited to the party onstage. While that sentiment was present, watching the first act of “Ain’t Misbehavin’” very much felt like sitting in the corner of a party of strangers: not an awful time, but not the best either. The flaw could very well be in the structure of the musical, the lack of cohesion and plotline.

The second act felt like a different show. It began with a strong ensemble number, “Spreadin’ Rhythm Around,” when the five characters dispose of the policemen who had come to break up their party by showing them a good time.

Act two has powerful solo numbers as well in quick succession. King sings “The Viper’s Drag,” as he dances around the theater and interacts with the audience. Queenie belts out the ballad “Mean to Me,” and Sweets then breaks the mood with “Your Feet’s Too Big.” Queenie and Ruby (Aurelia Williams), bursting with attitude, sing the hilarious duet “Find Out What They Like.”

The show ends on a more serious note, the ensemble singing together the song “Black and Blue,” made famous by Louis Armstrong. After a night of dancing, flirting and general silliness, the lyrics addressing racism and bigotry are particularly poignant.

The cast, who for the whole production were very interactive, break apart in the last number. Connected only by five-part harmony, they look out to the audience in separate pools of light.

“Ain’t Misbehavin’” is a fun escape, a veritable time machine of music and dance. It’s worth a trip to Bay Street, if for the second act alone. As Fats Waller said himself time and time again, “One never knows, do one?”

 

Popularity: 3% [?]