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The Veterans Memorial Chapel at Snug Harbor in Staten Island was filled to capacity to celebrate the life of Ben Jacobs on Saturday, September 27, 2008.
The program was a variety of songs, poetry, storytelling and music performed by various artists. Beth Gorrie began the program by welcoming us and relating a story Ben's mother told her. Larry Marshall sang "Feelin' Good" (from the musical The Roar of the Greasepaint, the Smell of the Crowd). Bobaloo Basey, Joan Moore, and a fellow musician presented a delightful rendition of the children's song "You Can't Make a Turtle Come Out." Ben's own children — son, Abraham, age 12 and daughter, Winsome, age 7 — were one of the highlights of the program. With some help from Christine Campbell, they told and performed one of Ben's signature stories — a revised version of "The Tailor," entitled "Ben's Overcoat."
Other performances included "A Letter to Ben," written by Ben's wife, Diane, and read by Laura Jean Watters; "Sea of Dreams," a musical piece composed and performed by Peter Yourke; and Pablo Neruda's "Love Sonnet LXXXIX," read by Jonathan Bricklin. Nicki Lauren came up to the stage holding an apple and told the audience that Ben sang this song while bobbing for apples! She placed the apple on the piano and sang "My Man." And Jeanine Otis movingly sang "His Eye is on the Sparrow."
But this was not the end of the celebration.
Lead by the Staten Island Pipers, the audience marched to the Unitarian Church of Staten Island and proceeded to the Memorial Garden there. In the garden, Reverend Susan Karlson gave a blessing and libation was blessed and poured by Abike Jotayo–Anderson representing The African Folk Heritage Circle and by Joy Kelly Smith representing The New York Storytelling Center. When the libation was poured, Ben's ashes were placed in the garden. The crowd sang "Ise Oluwa" (Yoruba for "God's creation cannot be destroyed") as members of the family, guests and friends sprinkled dirt on Ben's ashes. Everyone was then invited into the church to view an exhibit of Ben's life and accomplishments including many photos and news articles as well as a screening of portions of Ben's performances. There was also a meal served at the church.
In the program for the celebration was a poem by Ben written in December 1997:
They call me a joking man
Making fun of the things I can
But the jokes mask things I fear;
Some people think you're weak if you care.
But I'm not afraid to offer you a smile
I'm bigger, older, no longer a child.
Artistic, a father, an inner city dweller,
A husband, a citizen, and a storyteller.
July 9th 2008:
The Storytelling Center held a Midsummer Night's Swap at Manhattan Plaza on July 9th, 2008. What a great time we had! 14 stories were told — ranging from personal to fable to folk to fairy tales. Personal stories included a father appearing as a spirit, the exploits of a British Colonel, and traveling with a close and interesting friend. Folk, fable and fairy tales included "The Smiling Woman," "The 3 Sillies," "The Barking Mouse," "Wolf and Little Daughter," "Half Blanket," "The Truth about Truth," "The God of Losing Control," and "The Wrymouth Family." We were also treated to a rendition of "Frankie" (of "Frankie and Johnny," based on actual facts!).
It was the 10th anniversary of the monthly Manhattan Plaza Swap, and there was even a cake!
The event was hosted by Margaret Dawson (former Center Board Member and Organizer/Host of the Manhattan Plaza Swaps), who started off the festivities by lighting a candle and later blew the candle out as part of a story and to mark the end of the evening.
This swap was co–hosted by Joy Kelly Smith of the Storytelling Center.
The swaps at Manhattan Plaza are held regularly in the Ellington Room on the second Wednesday of the month at 7:30 and are open to all. The Storytelling Center was delighted to be part of their 10th anniversary celebration.
Most of the cast of CelebrateStory 2008, from left to right:
Len Cabral, Olivier Bernier, Melissa Heckler,
Diane Wolkstein, Joan Henry, Bill Harley, and Elisabeth Ellis. (Photo: Ari Ress.)
June 23rd, 2008:
We all had a wonderful time at CelebrateStory 2008 in Central Park on June 22nd. And so we send our thanks to everyone who made it so wonderful! That includes all eight of our tellers — Olivier Bernier, James Braley, Len Cabral, Elisabeth Ellis, Bill Harley, Melissa Heckler, Joan Henry, and Diane Wolkstein — as well as all the volunteers, and everyone who merely came to Central Park for a grand day of stories — rain and shine! If you were there, you helped make it happen! And we thank you!
Tracy Wright and Bobaloo Basey (on guitar) serenade the audience.
Our annual dessert party had old and new friends of the Center turning out to tell, sing, and stuff ourselves with delicious chocolate cake and sangria. Held at longtime board member Marilyn Iarusso's loft — ecstatically filled with folk figurines and masks from Asia, Latin America, Africa and Europe — the party drew laughing storytellers on one of the hottest days of the year.
Kirsten Cruzen at the dessert table.
The June 8 event was dedicated to our beloved former board member Ben Jacobs, who is seriously ill and being cared for in a nursing home. Joy Kelly told us about meeting Ben for the first time and being struck by his extreme handsomeness. Bobaloo Basey and his wife Tracy Wright started things off with a rousing and funny traditional English song about a woman who robs the men who are trying to abduct her for sex. Ron O'Reilly told a funny and pithy tale about a woman seeking therapy, Diane Wolkstein told a beautiful story of how to find contentment in marriage, and Marilyn astounded all of us with a wonderful "gross—out" children's story about the Boogeywoman who likes to eat children's snot and ear wax.
Many other people told great stories. All of us listened, ate homemade chocolate chip cookies, acted silly beyond belief and… thought of Ben.
Diane Wolkstein offers a story about learning to be content.
Left to right: Robin Bady, Peninnah Schram, and Jean Hale.
April 21st, 2008:
92nd Street Y — Buttenwieser Library
1395 Lexington Avenue (2nd Floor), New York City
Thursday, April 3, 2008, from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m.
The Storytelling Center hosted a fabulous swap on April 3rd at the 92nd Street Y, organized by Jean Hale and hosted by Peninnah Schram and Robin Bady. More than forty people came to tell and listen to stories… as wonderful and varied as New York itself.
The Colorado sisters perform before the 92nd Street Y audience.
To name a few:
Margaret Dawson told Hans Christian Andersen's story of a very proud tea pot who learned life's lessons; Elvira and Hortensia Colorado brought us deeply moving survival stories from women in Chiapas, Mexico; Regina Ress took us on a journey through a river and up and mountain in Costa Rica to bring the story of 9/11 to the Cabecar tribe; Donna Minkowitz had us laughing with her about a time she thought she was "educating" a Pakistani–NY taxi driver; and Mike Seliger regaled us with a funny — and painful — poem about the recently resigned ex–governor of New York.
The Center will be hosting more swaps, in a variety of neighborhoods and boroughs of NYC, in the coming months. Check back at the website for details!
Left to right: Donna Minkowitz, Regina Ress, Margaret Dawson, and Mike Seliger.
January 22nd, 2008:
Regina Ress and Diego Carvajal.
Members of the storytelling community joined with the Storytelling Center at Price Waterhouse Cooper in midtown Manhattan on December 15, 2007 to entertain and delight listeners at a Christmas party organized by the Partnership for the Homeless.
This was the first year that we were asked to participate in this holiday party for families served by the Partnership. Robin Bady organized the storytelling sessions and Jimena Salinas assisted and kept the tellers lined up and ready to go. Thirteen tellers, new and seasoned, locals and not, all contributed stories in fifteen minute blocks. I was one of the new tellers at the event, and it was a great opportunity to try out two of my stories with an audience. We tellers competed with music, clowns, food, and general party chaos… not to mention the arrival of Santa Claus! Nonetheless, it was a joy to watch the children's faces as they listened within the storytelling cocoon set up for the event.
Thelma Thomas.
During the event, the weatherman "Mr. G," from WPIX–TV (a CW Network station), a co–sponsor of the event, commented with regret that he considered storytelling to be a dying art. The storytellers could all happily refute this idea with personal stories. Personally, I felt the role we played in this event speaks to the vibrancy and place that storytelling still occupies in our society. And I was glad to be one of many to show up and make our presence known.
The Partnership for the Homeless has asked us to return next year because they received so much positive feedback from parents and kids at the party. The Storytelling Center extends its thanks to the following tellers: Eileen Palley, Dianne Carr, Kirsten Cruzen, Kapila Love, Sarah Northshield, Mike Seliger, Diego Carvajal, Jean Hale, Thelma Thomas, Bob Reiser, Tammy Hall, Regina Ress, and Margaret Dawson. And, of course, to all the great story listeners who found their way into our circle.
Kirsten Cruzen.
Some of the Storytellers and Story–listeners at the Partnership for the Homeless Chrismas Party, December 15, 2007.
Please remember: if you have some storytelling gigs coming up — or know of some quality storytelling–centric websites we should be hyperlinking — please let us know so we can list them here!
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