There’s nothing like a little creativity when it comes to exploring hidden venues all around us. Whether it’s a grassy hill at Union Ship Canal Commons or under a stone bridge at Delaware Park, inspiration abounds in the most unlikely of places. During the months of June, July and August, grassroots activist and Ujima Theater have teamed up to create a musical and theatrical series called Art in The Ruins. The Ruins are found at Canalside, and have been preserved and safeguarded in order to allow for just this type of production. While boats sail out in the harbor and people congregate on the patio of the Liberty Hound, others will find performance art within a short stone’s throw. I’m happy to see that this production series takes place on Sundays and Mondays. Here’s the scoop from Mark Goldman:
Within a few feet of that “sacred spot” where the Commercial Slip once joined the Erie Canal, sit “The Ruins Of Canalside”, a special place which we believe will soon become the most interesting, intimate and romantic venue for the performing arts in our area. It will be a place where artists of all kinds will want to perform and to which audiences from every segment of our community will be drawn. (see attached for an imagined view of “The Ruins”.) Drawn by the incredible appeal of the site and by our desire to bring to Canalside the high quality music, dance and performing arts this community wants and deserves, we, working with the Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation, have programmed an 13 date schedule of events that will occur most every Sunday and Monday late afternoon and evening from Monday June 25th through Monday August 20th. All performances except where noted begin at 7:30 pm.
Sundays are devoted to theater and performance art; Mondays to music.
Sunday’s theatre/performance programs consist of:
June 25: Healing Hands: A Ujima Theater Production
July 8th: Canalside Comedy with the Eclectic Improv Company
July 22nd: Bread and Onions: An original musical play by Joey Giambra
about the Italian-American experience on Buffalo’s waterfront.
July 29th: Blanche Dubois in the Ruins: A Torn Space Theater Production
August 12: Paulo Iacona’s Buffalo Ballroom Theater
August 19th: Michele Costa’s Figueron Puppet Theater (start time 6pm)
Monday’s music programs consist of:
July 2nd: Harder Bop: A post-modern bop sextet featuring original
contemporary classical music.
July 9th: The Genkin Philharmonic featuring the leading musicians
from the UB music department
July 16th: Tiffany Nicely and Rhythmic Landscapes
July 23rd: Boppin’ at the Ruins: the Bobby Militello Sextet.
July 30th: El Grupo Variedad: La Musica Traditional de Puerto Rico.
August 6th: Babik: Gypsy Jazz in the style of Django Reinhardt
August 20th: Rhythmic Landscapes: A percussion journey
One of the season’s highlights at the Theater at the Ruins is a two day performance by internationally known New York City based dancer/choreographer Mikeda Thomas on Sat and Sun August 18th and 19th. Ms. Thomas will be spending time in Buffalo over the summer working with local dance and music groups, creating a site specific dance program dealing with Harriet Tubman’s escape across the Niagara River.
What is most exciting about this program is that it represents a collaboration between local arts promoters and NYS in the creation of a sophisticated cultural program on a fabulous site which will become, after this summer, an exciting venue for small, stimulating arts programs.