Some of the cast of Servant Stage Company’s production of ‘Little Women The Musical’ will be performing in Servant Stage Company’s Sunday Night Cabaret Series on April 27, 2025 at 7 p.m.
By Steven Brodsky
… A March Sisters Cabaret will take place at the Magic & Wonder Dinner Theater in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.
Tickets are pay-what-you-will, consistent with Servant Stage Company’s mission to make exceptional theatre experiences accessible to everyone.
Visit April 27 | A March Sisters Cabaret — Servant Stage for additional information and a link to reserve your tickets.
Posted 4-22-25
The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) has announced the recipients of the 2025 NEA National Heritage Fellowships
By Steven Brodsky
… Congratulations to the awardees.
From a National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) press release that was issued yesterday, April 17, 2025:
Washington, DC—The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2025 NEA National Heritage Fellowships, the nation’s highest honor in the folk and traditional arts. The program recognizes recipients’ artistic excellence, lifetime achievement, and contributions to our nation’s traditional arts heritage.
NEA Folk & Traditional Arts Director Leia Maahs said, “The 2025 National Heritage Fellowship awardees represent artists whose labor is often invisible in the public eye. As stewards of cultural memory, they bring us ‘home’ with dances and songs passed down from one generation to the next. They adorn everyday expressive life with artistry in manual arts, costume, and regalia that animate traditions within communities across America. The National Endowment for the Arts is honored to celebrate these accomplished artists, for their cultural knowledge, excellence towards their work, and the legacy they uphold.”
The 2025 NEA National Heritage Fellows are:
Carmen Baron, Mexican Folk Costume Maker and Dancer (Tucson, Arizona)
A trained structural and architectural designer, Carmen Baron sees the lines, colors, and proportions needed to create intricately designed custom-made costumes for young Baile Folklórico dancers throughout the state of Arizona.
Peniel Guerrier, Haitian Dancer, Drummer, and Educator (Astoria, New York)
An internationally renowned dancer and teacher, Peniel Guerrier has dedicated his life to preserving and promoting Haiti’s rich cultural heritage through dance and drumming, influenced by Haitian history and traditional Vodou practices.
Adrienne Reiko Iwanaga, Bon Odori Dancer, Teacher, and Choreographer (Saratoga, California)
Adrienne Reiko Iwanaga has preserved and revitalized the traditional Japanese folk dance of Bon Odori, sparking new interest in the art form and expanding its reach and popularity through her innovative approach and artistic contributions.
Ernie Marsh, Bit & Spur Maker and Silversmith (Lovell, Wyoming)
Characterized by high-relief engraving, engraved steel, and French Gray finishes, Ernie Marsh’s craftsmanship is instantly recognizable and known among horsemen, collectors, and fellow makers for its balance of function and beauty.
Edward Poullard, Creole Musician (Beaumont, Texas)
A third-generation Creole musician, Edward Poullard mastered various instruments throughout his musical journey and is known for teaching Creole and Cajun fiddle and accordion styles throughout the United States and Europe.
Steven Tamayo (Sicangu Lakota), Traditional Lakota Artist & Educator (Omaha, Nebraska)
Steve Tamayo has spent decades reclaiming and celebrating Lakota culture through his art, helping students deepen their knowledge of traditional activities like regalia making, drumming, and powwow dancing, which are vital to cultural preservation and unity.
Tamayo is the 2025 recipient of the Bess Lomax Hawes National Heritage Fellowship, presented in recognition of an individual who has made a significant contribution to the preservation and awareness of cultural heritage.
Ukrainian Bandurist Chorus of North America, Men’s Choral & Bandura Ensemble (Detroit, Michigan)
A musical ambassador of Ukrainian culture, music, and the bandura (a lute-harp hybrid instrument), the Ukrainian Bandurist Chorus of North America has its roots in pre-World War II Ukraine, and regularly travels for rehearsals, performances, and other community-supported events.
About the National Heritage Fellowships
NEA National Heritage Fellowship recipients are nominated by the public—often by members of their own communities—and then judged by a panel of experts in the folk and traditional arts. The panel’s recommendations are reviewed by the National Council on the Arts, which sends its recommendations to the NEA chair.
About the National Endowment for the Arts
Established by Congress, the National Endowment for the Arts is an independent federal agency that is the largest funder of the arts and arts education in communities nationwide and a catalyst of public and private support for the arts. By advancing opportunities for arts participation and practice, the NEA fosters and sustains an environment in which the arts benefit everyone in the United States. To learn more, visit arts.gov or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, X, and YouTube.
Posted 4-18-25
A New Season of Theatre Classes in Servant Stage Company’s Monday Night Drop-Ins Program is Underway
By Steven Brodsky
… Class subjects include: acting, improvisation, vocal technique, and dance.
These classes are pay-what-you-will.
From a Servant Stage Company press release issued on Febuary 14, 2025:
2025 marks the fourth year for the Monday Night Drop-Ins program. Last year’s program served 373 unique students (an 83% increase from the previous year) over the course of 64 classes, with many attending multiple classes. “It’s our goal to be a theatre home for people of all ages,” says Executive Director, Johnathan Bauer. “We want to create opportunities for those just getting started out all the way to those working on the professional level, and our Monday Night classes are a key component of that vision.”
Visit https://servantstage.org/mondays for additional information.
https://servantstage.org/
Posted 2-24-25
The responsibilities of managing a theater took a toll on William Butler Yeats
By Steven Brodsky
… and inspired Yeats to pen the poem “The Fascination of What’s Difficult” in 1912.
“The Fascination of What’s Difficult”: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/43286/the-fascination-of-whats-difficult.
W.B. Yeats received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1923 “for his always inspired poetry, which in a highly artistic form gives expression to the spirit of a whole nation.”
Posted 4-23-22