Wouldn’t it be great if we could populate a map with all of the stories that we have heard about and experienced over the years while living in a particular Buffalo neighborhood? Maybe you grew up on a street where Fingy Conners once shook somebody down, or in close proximity to where the Green Lightning sculpture once stood (and the fun story behind it). Or where the Italian Festival originally got its start? Or you maybe you lived near a haunted house or next to someone who became famous?
All of these neighborhood stories can now be populated on a promotional website called Clybourne Park – a project co-developed by Scott Behrend, Artistic Director at Road Less Traveled Productions (RLTP). The intention was to create a site that would capture video accounts of great Buffalo neighborhood stories, such as the one that you see here delivered by former Buffalo Mayor Anthony Masiello:
When you visit the Clybourne Park site, you can either add your own video account of something that you experienced while living in a Buffalo neighborhood (thus adding a red house to the map), or you can click on one of the existing red houses and watch a video clip of someone else recounting a story such as the one you see above.
Ultimately this is an intricate exercise designed to draw attention to the upcoming production of RLTP’s upcoming play… Clybourne Park. What a great way to promote a show and the city of Buffalo at the same time!