HartBeat Ensemble’s New Youth Play Institute is an 8-week professional internship in acting, playwriting, theater design or stage management. Applicants must be between 16 and 19 years old.

For more information or to schedule an audition/interview for fall 2012 session contact us by:
Twitter: @hartbeatensembl
Facebook.com/ypihartbeat
Phone: 860-548-9144 ext 112

Email: hartbeat.info@hartbeatensemble.org.

Four years ago last May, I was at an event with many good folks who are involved in ending or combatting homelessness in Connecticut. I met a person who was talking about the plight of young women brought to the USA with prospects for working to send money home, only to discover they had been sold into a sex trafficking business, which is thriving in CT.

This person spoke of a network working to help these women escape. I can’t go into details here. However, one outcome was to propose an idea to Hartbeat Ensemble (of which I am a member) to address the sex and worker slave trade for our next New Play.

I began researching international sex trafficking and thinking of a play that would involve puppets, movement and the audience as participants: the theater space would represent the holding place where they awaited their fate.

I did research on and off for two years, and then in May, 2011, I met Ray Bechard, author of the Berlin Turnpike: A True Story of Human Trafficking In America.

I am so grateful to Naomi Gallagher who told me about his book signing at a restaurant on the pike. Read his book. It is haunting. It is too real, interesting, vivid and the most important piece of Connecticut’s dark history I think that has been written.

After this interview, we had a focus for our next play: the rampant human sexual exploitation in our neighborhood. I was shocked to learn the first ever pimps incarcerated for domestic trafficking under the international laws were Hartford icut based.

In the Summer of 2011, with Ray as a resource and much additional research, the writing of Project: Turnpike began. Cindy Martinez, another ensemble member, is now lead writer with Steve Ginsberg at the helm as director.

We had a week in February with actors for script development, and another three days next week. This will culminate in a reading at Capital Community College on Wednesday, April 25th at 7:30.

I hope you join us there to see the very first public reading of our new work.

HartBeat will perform a staged reading of their newest play in development, Project: Turnpike at 7:30pm on Wednesday, April 25th at Capitol Community College. Free for students, $5 for the public.

Based on the 2007 landmark federal trial of United States vs. Dennis Paris, which took place here in Hartford, Project: Turnpike presents 72 hours in the life of four exploited sex workers in a motel room on the Berlin Turnpike.  In addition to personal interviews with people affected by the industry, HartBeat is working with Raymond Bechard, author of The Berlin Turnpike, in order to create this new play.

Bechard explains, “With a long and sordid history, the Berlin Turnpike serves as a metaphor for the landscape in which human trafficking, commercial sexual exploitation, and all forms of prostitution have existed in the US for centuries while continuing to flourish today.”

This is first of two staged readings HartBeat will perform of Project: Turnpike as part of its New Play Institute. Support for the New Play Institute is provided by the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving.

The line-up includes Beat City Beauties, Mixashawn, Sea Tea Improv, Jeff Zinn, Chion Wolf, HartBeat Ensemble, Kali Quinn of GUTWorks, and others to be announced. The evening will invoke the energy, spirit and laughter we can all use to help Tate kick this cancer’s ass.

Join us after the performances for dessert and beverages. Admission is free-will donation, no one turned away for lack of funds, and all proceeds go directly to Tate to help him cover his medical expenses.

“Channel Chasers” tells the story of “Fox in the Box”,  a TV Master & Fairy Remote Godmother who narrates the story of 3 teen characters struggling with issues of body image, peers and their future. Arguing over which TV show to watch, the teens get trapped in their own favorite shows: “My Life In Song,” a musical reality show; “Swords at the Round Table,” a fantasy show; and “Don’t Say A Word” a gossipy teen drama show.

YPI is supported by the J. Walton Bissell Foundation and the Fund for Greater Hartford.

Funding for Arts in the Park is provided by the City of Hartford Arts & Heritage Jobs Grant Program.

Gifts and pledges as of 1/18/12

Anonymous
Stephen & Maggie Adair
Marla Adelsberger
Jack Anderson
Julia Baldini
Anne Banks
Joseph Barber
Lisa Barnes
Jill Barrett
JoAnne Bauer
Erik Beach
Eva Bermudez
Brian Berry* & Stacie Turner
William Breetz
Lois Bromson
Linda Bronstein
Haines Brown
Valerie Bryan
Victoria Carmona
Anthony Cherolis
Thomas Chopp
Timothy Cole in honor of Ben Cole
Robert & Linda Coollick
Rand and Mary Cooper
Chris Corcoran
Ricardo Cruz
Kathy Crystal
Monique Daley
Barbara Davis
Kevin Donovan*
Desrey Downer
Andrea Dyrness
Shirley Dudley
Duste Dunn
William Durso
Patricia Edge
Lynn Ferrari
Ellison Findly
Ruth Fitzgerald
Gail Fresia
Howard Gadlin & Brenda Hanning
Tracy & John Gale
Colleen Gant
Jill Giles
Judy Gordon
Terry Greiss
Dan Haar
Bettina Hansen, in honor of Natalie Hansen
LaResse Harvey
Lisa Hathaway
Robert Hoffnung
Brittany Joiner
Karen Kessler
Alexander & Betty Ann Krayeske
Holly Krayeske
Ken Krayeske & Wildaliz Bermudez
Ana Lachelier
Susan Lennon & Robert Merritt
Nolan Langweil & Shannon Lesley
Cornell & Terry Lewis
Colman Long & Elsie Vazquez-Long
Suzanne Lord & Frank Hopgood
Nancy Macy & Bob Painter
Jane Macy-Painter
Brendan Mahoney*
Carolyn and Laura Maloney-Hastillo
Leta Marks
Josh Michtom
Brian Mills
Drew & Cheryl Mitchell
Darrel Moellendorf & Bonnie Friedmann
Jean & David Molodetz
Mondo Bizarro
Patricia Moran
Sandra Morgan
Mary Lee Morrison & William B. Upholt
John Murphy
John Nelson* & Chris Larson Nelson
Tomas Nenortas
Eliot Nerenberg & Amy Jaffe
Georgiana Newson
Tokuji Okamoto
Caitlynne Palmieri
Lynn & Dave Parker
John Passalacqua & Marye Gail Harrison
Julia Pistell
Leslie Prado
Maryanne Preli
Shannon Raider
Helen Raisz*
Kennard Ray
Kathleen Riley
Matt Ritter
Jaimee Roberts
Deborah Rogala
Judith Rosenbaum
Eric Rosenblatt
Janet Rosenblatt
Leon & Lucy Rosenblatt
Laura & Dave Rozza
Leonard & Nadia Santarsiero
John & Linnea Sarantopoulos
Jennifer* & Eelco Scholte
Mary Sherwin & Hank Murray
Tom Smart
Elvy Stepinoff & Dennis Otlowski
Janelle & Tim Stevens
Rachel Taylor
Sally & Allan Taylor
John & Ellen Thomas
Lynn Thomas
Joan Twiggs
Madeline Vasquez
Carol Vinick & Tom Connolly
Martha Vinick
Leese Walker
Debra Walsh & Carol Walter
George Weiss Associates
Nick Wolf
Hyacinth Yennie
Leslie Zamer

*Denotes HartBeat Board Member

Come learn about the work of HartBeat Ensemble, and how we create original plays based on stories from Greater Hartford. HartBeat members Julia Rosenblatt and Cindy Martinez will also perform excerpts of spoken word poetry/songs from HartBeat’s latest show, “Flipside.”

Thursday, December 1st, 7pm:
Nancy Macy & Robert Painter, Hartford

Friday, December 9th, 7pm:
Ken Krayeske & Wildaliz Bermudez, Hartford

Thursday, December 15th, 7pm:
Sally and Allan Taylor, Hartford

Contact Maureen at (860) 548-9144 or maureen.welch@hartbeatensemble.org to if you are interested in attending a HartBeat House Party.

One day I was called in to the nurses office at Hartford High. One of the practitioners named Ruth asked me, “Jonathan, what are your plans after you graduate?” My response was “Ruth, I want to be become an actor.” Then she pulled out a small flier from her cabinet for HartBeat’s Youth Play Institute.

She asked me to go audition, however, dealing with Asperger Syndrome I was dead against it. Yeah I want to become an actor, but I wasn’t sure about auditioning for a role so early. So I told Ruth that I am not sure about this, she asked me why and I stated my reason was my shyness and how I can’t overcome it and my Asperger Syndrome. So she took my hand and escorted me to the auditioning room. The whole time we were walking, I wanted to leave. Ruth opened the door and there I saw Cindy. She took Cindy aside and told her about me.

While Cindy was putting all of the potential actors through obstacles, my hands were shaking and sweaty. I was nervous, I wanted to go home! So I told Cindy that I needed to go. When I walked home, I felt a sense of relief because I wasn’t nervous anymore, but I felt really bad. I kept doubting myself saying “I can’t do this”, “I can’t do this.” I thought the whole thing was behind me. However, that night the house phone rings. It was Cindy, right before I left the auditions, she gave me other options that I could do, so I choose to become a sound producer.

I was shocked that she wanted me to come by, as I wasn’t expecting a phone call because of my early departure from the audition. When I arrived at the first class, I met the crew, I saw some new faces and some faces I saw during the audition. I was just sitting and minding my own business, not interacting with anyone. Then Cindy and Nora led us through several “games” that would help us learn to act.

I have to admit, I really didn’t like it at all. I was nervous that I had to interact with anybody. The next time we all met, everything began to change. I started liking the games we played, I began to understand about acting and for the first time I started to interact with kids around my age. From this time forward, I always wanted to perform first. Before YPI I would have never done that. I began to like acting and showing up all the time. When it came down to script writing, I seemed to really like it. I wrote some rough drafts that I believed could help our play. When I revealed them to Cindy, I was told that it had to be accepted by group. I was like damn, I am not sure anyone would like them! After a fast-read, the group really liked my scenes and wanted them to be in the play. I was happy that they liked my material and that it would be performed.

When it was opening night, my heart was jumping. Backstage, the group and I came together and threw our hands up in the air. When it was time to perform, I was shaking like crazy, I was looking out to see how the first scene was going, while my friend Jessica was right next to me. I told her “We Can Do This!”

The lights goes off, its now scene two. As the lights goes up, I was so scared but the adrenalin started to kick in. After the show was over, I felt extremely proud of myself, I felt that I could do anything that I set my mind too. I was just happy. I was being complimented from left to right. My mom really liked it and so did my nephews. I went home happy and proud of myself. The next day was the last time that the group would see each other. We watched our performance and ate cake, we were laughing at each other and ourselves. We became a strong family. When I left, I knew that this is what I want to do. Never again will I say, “I Can’t Do This!” because the impossible is always possible, “We Can Do This!”

Without you, we will not be able to continue our work in 2012. We can tell our youth programs are having a huge effect, Jonathan’s story is just one example. Please give today so more students like Jonathan have a chance to find their confident voice through theater.