June-July 2010: Was accepted into the very first New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) Artists as Entrepreneurs Boot Camp, funded by Mayor Bloomberg and the NYC Economic Development Corporation. Met tons of amazing artists and arts management folk; I hope this program is continued so more NYC artists can benefit!
June-August: Facilitated an open, bilingual Theatre of the Oppressed series of workshops uptown at the Inwood YM/YWHA with the People's Theatre Project and my fabulous co-facilitator, Mino Lora!
August 13: I wrapped a solo-show writing class with the Sadie Nash Leadership Project Summer Institute. 15 young women from public NYC high schools all wrote their own one-woman shows about important social issues!
August 17-21: Facilitated a Theatre of the Oppressed class and directed three Forum Theatre plays for Eileen Fisher's new Leadership Institute, at her headquarters in Irvington (Westchester County). We'll even used discarded Eileen Fisher clothes for costume and set pieces!
August 18: Rehearsals with homeless men's Forum Theatre group at Jan Hus Homeless Outreach continue; we're preparing for the first show on October 20th on the Upper East Side. Stay tuned--the story we're staging is amazing and poignant.
August 30-31: Worked with NYCDOE teachers at Manhattan Academy for Arts and Language to give Professional Development in preparation for a drama/English Language Learners integration that will take place in the 2010-11 school year.
September 30-October 3: Presented a Theatre of the Oppressed workshop at the Performing the World conference in Midtown! !
December 4-22: Attended the Jana Sanskriti International Theatre of the Oppressed Festival in Calcutta, India! Julian Boal was in attendance, as well as many other TO colleagues from around the world. Learned so much from my peers in India!
December 23: Received a $5,000 award for my Theatre of the Oppressed work from the Eileen Fisher Foundation. Much gratitude!
Performing News
August 4-8, 2010: I performed in Give Us Bread, as Rivka, with The Anthropologists at the Berkshire Fringe. Theatre critic Gail Burns "was particularly captivated by Rubin." Here's her review: http://gailsez.org/2010/08/give-us-bread/
October 20: Performance of Forum Theatre play It Could Happen to You at the Jan Hus Church on the Upper East Side. We were sold out for our premiere performance!
Nov 8-Feb 6: Jan Hus Homeless Theatre Troupe embarks on a tour of New York City, visiting neighborhoods such as Red Hook, Crown Heights and the Upper West Side, performing for churches and synagogues as well as community centers and theatre audiences. We were also invited to present part of the Forum play at a media event held by the Hunger Action Network of New York State.
February 10-16, 2011: the Action Theatre group will present three Forum plays around immigration issues in Spanish and English at several venues in Uptown Manhattan.
