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Event
Song of Myself
A celebration of the poetry of Walt Whitman, the afterlife of great art, and the virtue of the spoken word, SONG OF MYSELF: THE WORDS OF WALT WHITMAN is an immersive theatrical experience written and performed by Matthew Aughenbaugh. This enthralling solo performance is required seeing for anyone who loves poetry, history and the intersection of the two. A Q&A moderated by Graham Fawcett, acclaimed poetry lecturer, writer, BBC broadcaster, translator and teacher, will follow immediately after the performance.
An American poet, essayist and journalist, Whitman is often called the father of free verse. Born on Long Island in 1819, his family moved to Brooklyn when he was four years old. As an adult, in addition to writing poems, he worked as a journalist, a teacher, a clerk and a printer. During the Civil War, he was an army nurse. In 1855, Whitman published his masterpiece Leaves of Grass, a work of startling sensuality, insight and openness. A controversial work for its expression of sexuality and homosexuality, it is now considered one of the greatest works of American literature.
Like many, Aughenbaugh first discovered Walt Whitman in high school and began a lifelong fascination with the poet. I was inspired to create a theater piece using only original text as a way to share my passion for our greatest American poet, writes Aughenbaugh.
Matthew Aughenbaugh has been acting for over twenty years in performances ranging from Shakespeare to Musical Theater having trained at The Baltimore School for the Arts, The Boston Conservatory and Emerson College where he studied with world-renowned voice teacher Kristin Linkletter. Most recently he was seen as Malvolio in Twelfth Night and Snout the Tinker in Midsummer Nights Dream for New Place Players in Brooklyn, New York. Having taken some time away from the stage to help build a school for orphans in Tanzania and teach English in Bangkok, Thailand, he has returned to New York to pursue his first love, the theater.
Graham Fawcett tours England giving his poetry lecture-performances-with-readings Seven Olympians (including Dickinson) and World Poets on the life and work of individual poets from Homer to Heaney, among them Whitman, Lorca, Auden and Dylan Thomas. He presents illustrated lectures on poetry and artfrom Homer to the present dayand on Dantes Divine Comedy (The Book You Always Meant To Read). BBC Radio Drama commissioned his verse translation of Dantes La Vita Nuova. He taught the world poetry canon in English and translation for many years for Londons Poetry School and Italian-English translation at Goldsmiths College. He has interviewed poets in the US including Gunn, Rich, Milosz, Kinnell and Hass, for BBC Radio 3, where he has broadcast for 25 years on literature, music and Italy.
When: Friday, June 24th at 8PM Where: The Old Stone House (limited seating) 336 Third Street, between Fourth and Fifth Avenues Brooklyn, NY 11215 (718) 768-3195 Transportation: F or R train to Fourth Avenue, R train to Union Street. Tickets: $15 in advance, $20 at the door. Ticket includes wine and refreshments. Reservations: TK
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LocationThe Old Stone House (View)
336 3rd Street
Brooklyn, NY 11215
United States
Categories
Kid Friendly: No |
Dog Friendly: No |
Non-Smoking: Yes! |
Wheelchair Accessible: No |
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