Gitana Productions Press Releases

Gitana Productions' Faces of Love concert on March 2 to feature Al-Andalus Ensemble

Tue, 15 Jan 2013

A Celebration of the Arab-Jewish and Christian music traditions of the historic Al-Andalus in the West-End of St. Louis

“A delightful proposition of exquisite music” -El Pais, Madrid, Spain

ST. LOUIS, MO – Gitana Productions, Inc.'s 15th annual Faces of Love Concert on March 2 at Union Avenue Christian Church will feature the award-winning international Al-Andalus Ensemble, a talented group of musicians from around the world that recreates the spirit of the historical Al-Andalus. Their concerts celebrate the Arab-Jewish music traditions with an innovative mix of jazz, contemporary and classical rhythms. The ensemble was awarded the JPFolks Award for the “Best World Music Song” in 2009.

It may be hard to imagine a period when Jews and Arabs got along, but that's exactly what they did from 800-1400 B.C.E., in the historical Al-Andalus period. In Spain and North Africa, Jews, Christians and Muslims collaborated on arts and sciences to create one of the world's most advanced societies.

Gitana will strategically bring this performance to the central corridor of St. Louis City at Union Avenue Christian Church (Home of the Union Avenue Opera) located at 733 Union Blvd. near Delmar on Saturday, March 2 at 7:00 PM. The goal is to attract a diversity of St. Louisans from the region and to further demonstrate the power of music in creating cross-cultural engagement.

According to Cecilia Nadal, Executive Director of Gitana, “The Faces of Love Concert is an annual event that brings outstanding international artists to St. Louis and is intended to stretch our cultural understanding and appreciation. Union Avenue Christian Church is a great venue that helps us reach a community of people from varying ethnic, cultural and economic backgrounds.”

Led by oudist (a pear-shaped Middle Eastern stringed instrument) Tarik Banzi and Julia Banzi (flamenco guitar), the Al-Andalus Ensemble is internationally known for a creative fusion that etches a fine line between the exquisite and raw, the passionate and powerful while treating the listener to a confluence of the East and the West.

Tarik Banzi traces his roots back to Al-Andalus, Spain. He was born to one of the old Andalusian families in Tetuan, Morocco and grew up immersed in the Andalusian musical tradition. He has collaborated with flamenco and jazz masters such as Paco de Lucia, Manolo Sanlucar, Enrique Morente and Jorge Pardo.

Julia Banzi lived in Spain for over a decade where she specialized in flamenco and established herself as one of the very few female flamenco guitarists worldwide. In Andalusia she accompanied notable dance instructors such as Ciro and La Tate & Manolete, and studied with some of Spain’s finest guitarists including Manolo Sanlucar, Isidro Muñoz, David Serva, Felipe Maya and Juan Maya ‘Marote’. Her passion for flamenco led her to explore its roots in an academic context and she completed her doctorate in Ethnomusicology at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

They will be joined by Razgui Boujemaa, (ney, kamanja, voice, percussion) and Emily Miles (voice). Boujemaa Razgui hails from Marrakech, Morocco, where he studied the Ney with local masters. He made his first public appearance as flutist with the Marrakech Orchestra of Modern Music and went on to play in different groups accompanying national singers of Morocco. Emily is one of Portland’s upcoming young singers. She grew up in Seattle and studied in the Canary Islands, Cuba and the Dominican Republic. She graduated from Lewis & Clark College completing research on the Cuban hip-hop movement and music of the Farm Worker Movement.

Michael Castro, a published poet and translator will open the show with a special presentation. He is a Professor Emeritus of Communications at Lindenwood University. who is of Sephardic Jewish descent. He has hosted several literary radio programs and is the co-founder of the literary organization and magazine River Styx, in continuous operation since 1975. Castro is the recipient of two awards for lifetime achievement: The Warrior Poet Award from Word in Motion, and The Guardian Angel of St. Louis Poetry Award from River Styx.

Rabbi James Stone Goodman will accompany Michael as a vocalist and musician. He serves Congregation Neve Shalom in St. Louis, Missouri, and is from Detroit, Michigan.A writer and musician, Stone integrates story, poetry, and music in an incantational art form. He has produced six CDs, the most recent “Eight Nights.”

Gitana Productions (www.gitana-inc.org) is a not-for-profit arts and education organization which is dedicated to increasing cross-cultural awareness and collaboration in St. Louis through arts and education. Gitana events present a rarely seen diversity of international and local arts performing an array of traditional and innovative artistic expressions. The company sponsors concerts, theatre productions and dance performances that are often preceded by educational events.

As an example, Gitana brought the McPeakes, an Irish ensemble from Belfast, to St. Louis and also held a “sharing session between Irish and African Americans” at the Scott Joplin Center with music, dance, poetry and testimonials.

Gitana also developed the first community arts program in Missouri targeting at-risk immigrant/refugee and local youth. Global Education through the Arts promotes intercultural understanding, teamwork and leadership through the arts while reducing delinquency.

Gitana is supported by the Missouri Arts Council and the Regional Arts Commission.

CONCERT SIDEBARD INFORMATION
What: Faces of Love Concert featuring AL_ANDALUS
When: Saturday, March 2
Where: Union Avenue Christian Church, 733 Union Blvd. (near Delmar Blvd.)
Cost: $25 Regular $20 Students/Seniors
For additional information: 314-721-6556 or visit www.gitana-inc.org
Ticket Locations: Tickets may be purchased at the door or at Café Natasha, 3200 South Grand Blvd, St. Louis City; or Mystic Valley, 7241 Manchester Road, Maplewood

MEDIA INTERVIEWS
• Interviews possible with artists, Gitana Producer and experts on the historic Al-Andalus period when Jews, Arabs and Christians flourished in their collaboration and contributions to the arts and science.
• Educational event access about the extraordinary relationships between Jew, Arabs and Christians during this “age of enlightment” in Southern Spain.
• More information on the Al-Andalus Ensemble at www.andalus.com.

PNC and Webster University Leaders to Speak at Cross-Cultural Engagement Conference October 11

Mon, 08 Oct 2012

PNC Regional President Rick Sems and Webster University President Dr. Elizabeth Stroble to Speak at St. Louis Cross-Cultural Engagement Conference

ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI – Rick Sems, regional president for St. Louis and Southern Illinois at PNC Financial Services Group, and Dr. Elizabeth (Beth) J. Stroble, President of Webster University, will speak at the opening session (October 11, 8 a.m.) of “Cross-Cultural Engagement: Building a Diverse and Dynamic Community,” a conference for St. Louis arts and nonprofit organizations to be held at Webster University on October 11 and 12.

PNC and the Monsanto Fund are sponsors of the conference, which will help non-profit arts, social services, education and community organizations develop strategies and tools to effectively engage new and underserved communities, develop lasting cross-cultural relationships and improve their own internal diversity. Visit www.stlcross-culturalengagement.org for conference details.

Sems is active in the local nonprofit world as a member of the board of directors for Maryville University, United Way of Greater St. Louis, International Institute, Parents as Teachers and Operation Food Search. PNC has been an important funder and supporter of the arts in the region.

Since her arrival at Webster University in 2009, Dr. Stroble has advanced the university’s global excellence; launched and exceeded goals in the public phase of a $55 million capital campaign; strengthened academic programs and student services; and developed leadership among faculty, staff and administrators.

The Monsanto Fund works to substantially and meaningfully improve the lives of people around the world, with a focus on strengthening both farming communities and the communities where we live and work.

About the Conference (www.stlcross-culturalengagement.org)
“Cross-Cultural Engagement: Building a Diverse and Dynamic Community” will be held October 11 and 12 at Webster University in Webster Groves. Registration is $45 and includes lunch; scholarships are available. The conference will give members of non-profit arts, social services, education and community organizations the strategies and tools they need to effectively engage new and underserved communities, develop lasting cross-cultural relationships and improve their own internal diversity. Videos on the conference are available at stlcross-culturalengagement.org/conference-videos/.

About Gitana Productions (www.gitana-inc.org)
Gitana Productions, Inc. is a not-for-profit arts and education organization dedicated to increasing cross-cultural awareness and collaboration by bringing international music, dance and drama to the St. Louis community. Gitana events present a rarely seen diversity of international and local artists exhibiting an array of traditional and innovative artistic expressions. Gitana also developed Global Education through the Arts, a community project that uses the arts to promote intercultural competence among economically challenged youth living in South and North St. Louis city. For more information, visit www.gitana-inc.org or call Gitana Productions at (314) 721-6556.

About the Regional Arts Commission (www.art-stl.com)
The Regional Arts Commission (RAC) is at the forefront of efforts to transform St. Louis into a more vibrant, creative and economically thriving community through elevating the vitality, value and visibility of the arts. Formed in 1985, the commission is the largest annual funder of the arts in the region and has awarded over 5800 grants totaling more than $76 million. Directed by a board of 15 commissioners appointed by the chief executives of St. Louis City and County, RAC advocates respect, inclusion and appreciation of the diverse cultures of all individuals. In 2012 it awarded 186 grants totaling more than $2.9 million to the area’s arts organizations, consortiums and cultural programs. RAC is located at 6128 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, Mo., 63112 (314) 863-5811 www.art-stl.com. RAC produces the most comprehensive cultural calendar in the region, www.artszipper.com, Facebook: Regional Arts Commission and Twitter: RACStLouis.

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Media Contact
Mary Schanuel
mschanuel@synergy-pr.com
314.961.9772

Cross-Cultural Engagement conference at Webster University October 11 and 12 challenges St. Louis to diversify

Wed, 03 Oct 2012

Workshops offer nonprofits the tools to diversify both internally and through community engagement

ST. LOUIS, MO – Gitana Productions, Inc. and the Regional Arts Commission (RAC) are presenting “Cross-Cultural Engagement: Building a Diverse and Dynamic Community,” a conference for arts and nonprofit organizations, at Webster University on October 11 and 12. Cost for the two-day conference is just $45 and scholarships are available. Registration is available online at www.stlcross-culturalengagement.org.

The conference will help non-profit arts, social services, education and community organizations develop strategies and tools to effectively engage new and underserved communities, develop lasting cross-cultural relationships and improve their own internal diversity.

“RAC considers diversity and cross-cultural engagement very important to the cultural vitality of our region,” said Jill McGuire, executive director of RAC, which provides financial, technical and other support for St. Louis arts organizations.

Howard J. Ross, one of the nation’s leading diversity training consultants, will deliver the keynote address. Ross is an expert on diversity, leadership, and organizational change, the author of ReInventing Diversity: Transforming Organizational Community to
Strengthen People, Purpose, and Performance and a regular guest on National Public Radio. Visit www.reinventingdiversity.com/ for more information.

The performance ensemble Urban Bush Women Leadership Institute of New York, which uses cultural expression as a catalyst for social change, will lead their exciting experiential workshop "Entering, Building and Exiting Community." Modeled after a successful three-month engagement in New Orleans, the workshop uses theater games, writing and movement exercises as experiential learning tools. Participants learn how to become aware of the values, leadership and history of a community; put those values into action in community building; and ensure that everyone involved in community building feels recognized and can identify what they learned from the experience. Visit www.urbanbushwomen.org for more information.

“Organizations will get the tools they need to go beyond simply meeting diversity goals and learn how to develop true relationships with diverse groups, for long-term results,” said Cecilia Nadal, executive director of Gitana Productions, a nonprofit arts organization that has used music, dance and drama to engage and collaborate with diverse ethnic groups since 1997.

Cross-Cultural Engagement Conference sessions include:
• How Immigration is Changing the Face of St. Louis and America
• Interpersonal Skills in Cross-Cultural Engagement
• “Cultural Paella: A Taste of Hispanic Diversity – wonderful & satisfying!”
• Local Models of Cross Cultural Engagement
• Accessing Possibilities, Expanding Horizons: Identifying Pathways for Engagement with Communities of People with Disabilities
• More than One-Dimensional: Explore Asian Diversity in St. Louis
• Race, Class and Racism: The Dinosaurs We Choose Not to See in St. Louis
• Changing the Complexion: Diversity and Inclusion in the Arts
• Finding Common Ground in Our Diversity to Enrich St. Louis

A poverty simulation will help participants understand the day-to-day reality of poverty in the lives of low-income families, single parents, people with disabilities, senior citizens on Social Security and others. Each “family” in the workshop will provide for food, shelter and other necessities during four 15-minute “weeks.” The exercise is not a game but a simulation that allows participants to view poverty from different angles and to discuss the potential for change within local communities.

“Gitana has learned over the past 15 years that we need to go beyond traditional diversity goals, beyond counting faces at events, and toward truly engaging with others. Cross-cultural engagement means that we take the time to learn about people who are very different from us, invite their input and feedback, and build long-term, authentic relationships,” said Nadal. “When you have that kind of two-way agenda setting and communications, the benefits accrue to all groups in an equitable way. Projects tend to be more creative, and those involved develop true ownership.”

Gitana and RAC are collaborating with the leaders of more than 75 organizations, representing a wide array of ethnic groups and cultures. Steering committee members include the Diversity Awareness Partnership, the International Institute, Webster University, Monsanto, Grand Center Inc., St. Louis University, Harris-Stowe University, Focus St. Louis and many others (see list at www.synergy-pr.com/press/GitanaProductions/24/1207/0).

About the Conference (www.stlcross-culturalengagement.org)
“Cross-Cultural Engagement: Building a Diverse and Dynamic Community” will be held October 11 and 12 at Webster University in Webster Groves. Registration is $45 and includes lunch; scholarships are available. The conference will give members of non-profit arts, social services, education and community organizations the strategies and tools they need to effectively engage new and underserved communities, develop lasting cross-cultural relationships and improve their own internal diversity. Videos about the conference are available at http://stlcross-culturalengagement.org/conference-videos/.

About Gitana Productions (www.gitana-inc.org)
Gitana Productions, Inc. is a not-for-profit arts and education organization dedicated to increasing cross-cultural awareness and collaboration by bringing international music, dance and drama to the St. Louis community. Gitana events present a rarely seen diversity of international and local artists exhibiting an array of traditional and innovative artistic expressions. Gitana also developed Global Education through the Arts, a community project that uses the arts to promote intercultural competence among economically challenged youth living in South and North St. Louis city. For more information, visit www.gitana-inc.org or call Gitana Productions at (314) 721-6556.

About the Regional Arts Commission (www.art-stl.com)
The Regional Arts Commission (RAC) is at the forefront of efforts to transform St. Louis into a more vibrant, creative and economically thriving community through elevating the vitality, value and visibility of the arts. Formed in 1985, the commission is the largest annual funder of the arts in the region and has awarded over 5800 grants totaling more than $76 million. Directed by a board of 15 commissioners appointed by the chief executives of St. Louis City and County, RAC advocates respect, inclusion and appreciation of the diverse cultures of all individuals. In 2012 it awarded 186 grants totaling more than $2.9 million to the area’s arts organizations, consortiums and cultural programs. RAC is located at 6128 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, Mo., 63112 (314) 863-5811 www.art-stl.com. RAC produces the most comprehensive cultural calendar in the region, www.artszipper.com, Facebook: Regional Arts Commission and Twitter: RACStLouis.

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Links
Conference - www.stlcross-culturalengagement.org
Regional Arts Commission - www.art-stl.com
Gitana - www.gitana-inc.org
Howard Ross - www.reinventingdiversity.com
Urban Bush Women - www.urbanbushwomen.org

Media Contact
Mary Schanuel
mschanuel@synergy-pr.com
314.961.9772

Celebration of Oneness Kicks Off Cross-Cultural Engagement Campaign

Tue, 02 Oct 2012

ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI – Hundreds of people attended the Celebration of Oneness in Grand Center last Saturday, enjoying music, dance, art demonstrations and a Holi Festival of Colors that transformed the crowd into a joyous rainbow.

The celebration kicked off Gitana Productions’ St. Louis Cross-Cultural Engagement campaign, which will culminate in the conference “Cross-Cultural Engagement: Building a Diverse and Dynamic Community” at Webster University on October 11 and 12. Cost is $45 and registration is available online at www.stlcross-culturalengagement.org.

What: “Cross-Cultural Engagement: Building a Diverse and Dynamic Community”
Who: Conference for nonprofit arts and community organizations
When: Thursday, October 11 and Friday, October 12
Where: Webster University
Cost: $45 - register at www.stlcross-culturalengagement.org

Gitana Productions and the Regional Arts Council (RAC) are sponsoring the conference to help non-profit arts, social services, education and community organizations develop strategies and tools to effectively engage new and underserved communities, develop lasting cross-cultural relationships and improve their own internal diversity.

Gitana Productions, Inc. is a not-for-profit arts and education organization dedicated to increasing cross-cultural awareness and collaboration by bringing international music, dance and drama to the St. Louis community. Gitana events present a rarely seen diversity of international and local artists exhibiting an array of traditional and innovative artistic expressions. Gitana also developed Global Education through the Arts, a community project that uses the arts to promote intercultural competence among economically challenged youth living in South and North St. Louis city. For more information, visit www.gitana-inc.org or contact Gitana Productions at info@gitana-inc.org or (314) 721-6556.

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Media Contact
Mary Schanuel
mschanuel@synergy-pr.com
314.961.9772

Colorful festival in Grand Center September 22 will celebrate diversity, kick off St. Louis Cross-Cultural Engagement Campaign

Tue, 28 Aug 2012

ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI – A sea of diverse faces, brilliant colored powders, personal stories and ethnic performances will unify an unusual multi-cultural gathering when Gitana Productions kicks off its St. Louis Cross-Cultural Engagement campaign with “Celebration of Oneness” on Saturday, September 22, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Held at Strauss Park across from the Fox Theatre in Grand Center, the Celebration of Oneness event will include an authentic Holi Festival of Colors. People from diverse ethnic, cultural, religious, disability and age groups will cover each other with red, magenta, pink, green and blue powders, turning the crowd into a rainbow of colors.

"The Celebration of Oneness will bring together people who rarely interact, even in diversity circles," said Cecilia Nadal, executive director of Gitana Productions. "Various ethnic groups will be represented, yes, but also the 15% of Missourians who are disabled. New and emerging cultures such as immigrant groups. Those who are unemployed or needy. Old and young, straight and gay, people with different abilities and beliefs.”

“This is a unique opportunity for the public to hear their stories and learn about the importance of cross-cultural engagement," Nadal said.

In addition to the festival of colors, the event will feature personal stories, artists, musicians and community leaders representing various St. Louis cultures and communities. Individuals are asked to send their personal stories of cross-cultural engagement to info@gitana-inc.org in advance of the event. Some of those also will be shared on-stage. Participants should dress casually, preferably in white or light clothing that can be covered with the nontoxic washable color powders, and bring towels to cover their car seats.

“The Celebration of Oneness is a call to action for unity, harmony and inclusion, particularly for those who are underserved or new to this country. The event will include people who are the ‘colors’ that make up St. Louis but who don’t often come together,” said Cecilia Nadal, executive director of Gitana Productions. “We will joyfully celebrate our harmony and oneness.”

The celebration introduces Gitana’s St. Louis Cross-Cultural Engagement campaign which will culminate in a conference for arts and nonprofit organizations “Cross-Cultural Engagement: Building a Diverse and Dynamic Community.” The conference will be held at Webster University on October 11 and 12. Cost is $45 and registration is available online at www.stlcross-culturalengagement.org.

Sponsored by Gitana and the Regional Arts Council (RAC), the conference will help non-profit arts, social services, education and community organizations develop strategies and tools to effectively engage new and underserved communities, develop lasting cross-cultural relationships and improve their own internal diversity. Gitana and RAC are collaborating with the leaders of more than 75 organizations, representing a wide array of ethnic groups and cultures.

CONFERENCE SIDEBAR INFORMATION
What: “Cross-Cultural Engagement: Building a Diverse and Dynamic Community”
Who: Conference for nonprofit arts and community organizations
When: Thursday, October 11 and Friday, October 12
Where: Webster University
Cost: $45 - register at www.stlcross-culturalengagement.org

About Gitana Productions (www.gitana-inc.org)
Gitana Productions, Inc. is a not-for-profit arts and education organization dedicated to increasing cross-cultural awareness and collaboration by bringing international music, dance and drama to the St. Louis community. Gitana events present a rarely seen diversity of international and local artists exhibiting an array of traditional and innovative artistic expressions. Gitana also developed Global Education through the Arts, a community project that uses the arts to promote intercultural competence among economically challenged youth living in South and North St. Louis city. For more information, visit www.gitana-inc.org or contact Gitana Productions at info@gitana-inc.org or (314) 721-6556.

About the Regional Arts Commission (www.art-stl.com)
The Regional Arts Commission (RAC) is at the forefront of efforts to transform St. Louis into a more vibrant, creative and economically thriving community through elevating the vitality, value and visibility of the arts. Formed in 1985, the commission is the largest annual funder of the arts in the region and has awarded over 5800 grants totaling more than $76 million. Directed by a board of 15 commissioners appointed by the chief executives of St. Louis City and County, RAC advocates respect, inclusion and appreciation of the diverse cultures of all individuals. In 2012 it awarded 186 grants totaling more than $2.9 million to the area’s arts organizations, consortiums and cultural programs. RAC is located at 6128 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, Mo., 63112 (314) 863-5811www.art-stl.com. RAC produces the most comprehensive cultural calendar in the region, www.artszipper.com, Facebook: Regional Arts Commission and Twitter: RACStLouis.

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Media Contact
Mary Schanuel
mschanuel@synergy-pr.com
314.961.9772

Cross-Cultural Engagement Conference Videos

Tue, 14 Aug 2012

Additional conference videos

Cross-Cultural Engagement Steering Committee

Thu, 02 Aug 2012

CROSS-CULTURAL ENGAGEMENT STEERING COMMITTEE
stlcross-culturalengagement.org

Batya Abramson-Goldstein - Executive Director, Jewish Community Relations Council
Gina Alvarez - VSA-Missouri
Dr. Bahar Bastani - Professor IM-Nephrology, Saint Louis University
Yvonne Berry - Community Resilience and Diversity Manager, American Red Cross
Virginia Braxs - Lecturer of Spanish, Washington University/Hispanic Arts Council
Reena Hajat Carroll - Executive Director, Diversity Awareness Partnership
Dail Chambers - Artist, Yeyo Arts Collective
Lisa Harper Chang - Manager of Community Engagement, The Pulitzer Foundation for the Arts
Denise DeCou -  Executive Director, ALIVE
Kim Eberlein - Women’s Group on Race Relations
Darnel Frost - Chair, City of Kirkwood Human Rights Commission
Mariaimee Gonzalez - Director of Clinical Studies, Webster University
Beverly Hacker - Co-Executive Director, KDHX
Linda Harris - Division Operating Officer, Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis
Jessica Hentoff - Executive/Artistic Director, Circus Harmony
Tim Hercules J.D., M.LB. - Director Student Educational Services, International Services, St. Louis University
Nicole Hollway - General Manager, The St. Louis Beacon
Cynthia Jones - Branch Manager, St. Louis Public Library Carpenter Branch
Ira Jones - President, First Civilizations
Almetta “Cookie” Jordan - Missouri State Parks - Scott Joplin House
Unitey Kull - Director of Programs and Audience Development, Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis
Jong Bum Kwon - Cultural Anthropology PhD, Webster University
Suzanne LeLaurin LCSW - Senior Vice-President for Individuals and Families International Institute
Steven Ley - Web and Media consultant with KDHX Community Media - Student of Organizational Psychology at Washington University
Joan Lipkin - Artistic Director, That Uppity Theatre Company
Maria Maldonado - Vice Chair Board of Directors, Casa de Salud
Deborah Mashibini - Former director of VSA of Missouri
Mary McHugh - Public Relations Consultant
Boo McLoughlin - Craft Alliance
Michelle McClure - Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs, Harris-Stowe State University
Cileia Miranda-Yuen - President and Owner, Genway International/Belas Artes
Sheroo Mukhtiar - Executive Director, Springboard
Janice Nesser-Chu - National Women’s Caucus for Art, Florissant Valley Community College
Carol North - Artistic Director, Metro Theatre Company
Gloria Overton - President, Gitana Productions, Inc.
Vanetta Rogers - Gitana Productions, Inc.
Yaniel Sargeant - Student Ambassador, Washington University
Marilyn Sheperd - Vice President for Development, Grand Center, Inc.
Joan Suarez - Executive Director, Missouri Immigrant and Refugee Advocates
Jaime Torres - Treasurer, Midwest Association of Latin American Studies - International Education Consultant
Lauren Waters - Student Ambassador, Washington University School of Social Work
Stefani Weeden-Smith - Art Therapist, Washington University in St. Louis
Eileen Wolfington - Casa de Salud
Francis Yueh - St. Louis Chinese American News
John G. Baugh - Professor of Psychology, Washington University
Heather Beal-Himes - Touring Manager, St. Louis Black Repertory Company
Philip Boehm - Artistic Director, Upstream Theatre Company
Curtis Cassel - Architect, TRI Architects
Pat Cox - Co-Founder, Women’s Group on Race Relations
Tim Eby - Executive Director, KWMU
Renee Franklin - Director of Community Partnerships, St. Louis Art Museum
Haniny Hillberg - The Hispanic Festival, Inc.
Ron Himes - Producing Director, St. Louis Black Repertory Company
Jim Kirchherr - KETC/The Nine Network
Steven Ley - Web and Media consultant, KDHX Community Media
David Martineau - Program Director, National Conference of Community and Justice
Tim O’Leary - Executive Director, Opera Theatre of St. Louis
Valerie Patton - Executive Director, St. Louis Business Diversity Initiative RCGA
Kelly Pollock - Executive Director, Center of Creative Arts (COCA)
Adolphus Pruitt - President, NAACP - St. Louis City Branch
Felicia Pulliam - Development Director, FOCUS St. Louis
Jennifer Scheessele - Compliance and Diversity Manager, Monsanto
Montague Simmons - Chair, Organization for Black Struggle
Jay Sridhar - Board of Directors, Gitana Productions, Inc.
Peg Weathers - Assistant Vice-President for Community Relations, St. Louis University
May Yueh - St. Louis Chinese American News

Gitana Productions launches St. Louis Cross-Cultural Engagement Initiative to encourage regional growth and development

Mon, 16 Jul 2012

Gitana Partners on Conference with Regional Arts Commission

ST. LOUIS, MO – Gitana Productions has launched “St. Louis Cross-Cultural Engagement,” an ongoing initiative to educate the St. Louis arts and nonprofit community on cross-cultural engagement as a key strategy for equitable regional growth and development.

As the first major focus of the initiative, Gitana is partnering with the Regional Arts Commission (RAC) to present “Cross-Cultural Engagement: Building a Diverse and Dynamic Community,” a conference at Webster University in Webster Groves on October 11 and 12 (www.stlcross-culturalengagement.org).

“We’re honored that RAC has the vision and strength of leadership to support this conference and our shared goals of greater diversity and inclusion for the St. Louis community,” said Cecilia Nadal, executive director of Gitana Productions, a nonprofit arts organization that has used music, dance and drama to engage and collaborate with diverse ethnic groups since 1997.

Jill McGuire, executive director of RAC, explained, “RAC considers diversity and the idea of cross-cultural engagement very important to the cultural vitality of our region. This conference is a great fit for RAC, Gitana, Webster University, the Diversity Awareness Partnership and other community partners. We’ve also enlisted the help of many diverse organizations to serve on a steering committee to help organize and promote this significant event.“

According to Nadal, cross-cultural engagement differs from traditional diversity outreach in its intentional focus on developing lasting relationships among diverse people and organizations, with the goal of achieving long-term results.

“Gitana has learned over the past 15 years that we need to go beyond traditional diversity goals, beyond counting faces at events, and toward truly engaging with others. Cross-cultural engagement means that we take the time to learn about people who are very different from us, invite their input and feedback, and build long-term, authentic relationships,” said Nadal. “When you have that kind of two-way agenda setting and communications, the benefits accrue to all groups in an equitable way. Projects tend to be more creative, and those involved develop true ownership.”

Cross-cultural engagement offers the highest probability of success when reaching out to groups that are isolated or lack access to the arts or community services, according to Nadal. This action-oriented strategy is vital to the St. Louis region from every vantage point -- social, economic, educational and community building.

Leaders of more than 75 organizations, representing a wide array of ethnic groups and cultures, are participating in a steering committee to support the initiative and the conference. Steering committee members include representatives of the Diversity Awareness Partnership, International Institute, Webster University, Monsanto, Grand Center Inc., St. Louis University, Harris-Stowe University, Focus St. Louis and many others (see list).

The conference will feature a keynote address by leading diversity, leadership and organizational change expert Howard J. Ross, and an experiential workshop by the nationally recognized dance and education group Urban Bush Women. Sessions will focus on community building, the rich cultural tapestry of immigrants in St. Louis, interpersonal skills for navigating cultural differences among ethnic groups, Hispanic diversity, and models of successful cross-cultural engagement programs. A poverty simulation will help participants understand the day-to-day reality of single parents, people with disabilities, senior citizens, immigrants and others living in poverty.

To kick off the initiative, Gitana is inviting the public to share stories of relationships they’ve developed with others who are very different from themselves by submitting essays, poems, photographs or videos to info@Gitana-Inc.org by August 10. Stories will be highlighted at an event in Grand Center in August. More details are at “Tell Us Your Story” www.stlcross-culturalengagement.org.

About the Conference (www.stlcross-culturalengagement.org)
“Cross-Cultural Engagement: Building a Diverse and Dynamic Community” will be held October 11 and 12 at Webster University in Webster Groves. Registration is $45 and includes lunch; scholarships are available. The conference will give members of non-profit arts, social services, education and community organizations the strategies and tools they need to effectively engage new and underserved communities, develop lasting cross-cultural relationships and improve their own internal diversity. Visit www.stlcross-culturalengagement.org and view our videos at stlcross-culturalengagement.org/conference-videos.

About Gitana Productions (www.gitana-inc.org)
Gitana Productions, Inc. is a not-for-profit arts and education organization dedicated to increasing cross-cultural awareness and collaboration by bringing international music, dance and drama to the St. Louis community. Gitana events present a rarely seen diversity of international and local artists exhibiting an array of traditional and innovative artistic expressions. Gitana also developed Global Education through the Arts, a community project that uses the arts to promote intercultural competence among economically challenged youth living in South and North St. Louis city. For more information, visit www.gitana-inc.org or call Gitana Productions at (314) 721-6556.

About the Regional Arts Commission (www.art-stl.com)
Founded in 1985, the Regional Arts Commission (RAC) is a cultural catalyst in the St. Louis area, providing financial, technical and other support for arts organizations. Directed by a board of 15 commissioners appointed by the chief executives of St. Louis City and County, RAC is a pivotal force in the continuing development and marketing of the arts in the region. Since 1985, RAC has awarded more than 5800 grants totaling more than $76 million. In 2012 the Commission awarded 186 grants totaling more than $2.9 million to support nonprofit arts and cultural organizations, consortiums and programs. RAC is located at 6128 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, Mo., 63112 (314) 863-5811 www.art-stl.com. RAC produces the most comprehensive cultural calendar in the region, www.artszipper.com. Facebook: Regional Arts Commission Twitter: RACStLouis

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Media Contact
Mary Schanuel
mschanuel@synergy-pr.com
314.961.9772

Gitana Productions names Francis and May Yueh as 11th Annual �Extraordinary Ordinary Persons of the Year�

Tue, 08 May 2012

ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI – Gitana Productions has named Francis and May Yueh of Clayton to receive their prestigious 11th annual “Extraordinary/Ordinary Persons of the Year Award.” The couple will be honored on Friday, May 11 during the opening night of “Muddy River,” an original dance theatre performance by Gitana Productions that explores such iconic St. Louis racial events and issues.

Gitana Productions works to increase cross-cultural awareness in the St. Louis region through international music, dance and drama. “Muddy River” runs May 11 and through May 19, 8 p.m., at Cardinal Rigali Center, 20 Archbishop May Drive at Laclede Station Road.

“Francis and May have generously supported Gitana Productions since 2000, when they promoted our event at Powell Symphony Hall featuring the China National Orchestra,” said Cecilia Nadal, executive director of Gitana Productions. “They help Gitana engage with the Asian community in St. Louis on an ongoing basis and are like family to us.”

Francis and May immigrated to the United States from Taiwan in 1986. Francis earned a Master in Computer Science from the University of Illinois in 1988. He is chief editor of the St. Louis Chinese American News and an employee of Wells Fargo Bank. Francis serves as a commissioner of the Missouri Botanical Garden Subdistrict Commission and serves on numerous boards. He works with St. Louis City, St. Louis County,

International Institute, the World Trade Center, and various local Chinese and American companies and organizations to increase awareness, visibility and credibility of Chinese-Americans in the St. Louis region.

May Wu, is an educator, entrepreneur and dedicated community service worker. She is owner and director of the St. Louis Chinese American News. After graduated from National Chung-Hsing University in Taiwan, May established a kindergarten in Taiwan to fulfill her late mother’s wish. She also taught Chinese at Sin-Ming High School in Taiwan for five years. Prior to her role at the St. Louis Chinese American News, she was an administrator at the St. Louis Chinese Cultural Center of Taiwan, Republic of China. May has received numerous awards for her editorial and community work.

Francis and May have been married for thirty years and have one son, Rich, who is a PhD student at University of Arizona.

“Muddy River,” a collaboration of St. Louis playwright Lou Robinson and director/choreographer Vivian Anderson-Watt, contrasts the human qualities that unite us – love, acceptance, empathy, hope – with iconic racial events in St. Louis history.

One dramatic dance segment in “Muddy River” exposes the “spectacular domination celebration” of the 1904 World’s Fair Living Displays, where African pygmy families and a thousand Filipino natives were caged and exhibited as “primitives” in makeshift ‘natural’ environments.

Another dance depicts the 1917 East St. Louis race riots, during which white rioters burned the city and shot African American residents as they fled the flames. In one poignant scene, a mother and her four children escape the violence on a hastily built raft, only to fight the mighty Mississippi River for their lives.

Tickets are $15 and $12 for students and seniors and may be reserved at www.gitana-inc.org/muddytickets.htm or by contacting info@gitana-inc.org or 314-721-6556. Special rates are available for groups of 15 or more.

Gitana Productions, Inc. is a not-for-profit arts and education organization dedicated to increasing cross-cultural awareness and collaboration by bringing international music, dance and drama to the St. Louis community. Gitana events present a rarely seen diversity of international and local artists exhibiting an array of traditional and innovative artistic expressions. For more information, visit www.gitana-inc.org or call Gitana Productions at (314) 721-6556.

Gitana is supported by the Regional Arts Commission, Missouri Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts.

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Media Contact
Mary Schanuel
mschanuel@synergy-pr.com
314.961.9772

Gitana Productions� Muddy River dance theatre explores iconic St. Louis racial events and issues

Wed, 02 May 2012

ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI – Muddy River, an original dance theatre performance by Gitana Productions that explores such iconic St. Louis racial events and issues as the the 1904 World’s Fair Living Displays and the 1917 East St. Louis race riots, opens May 11 and runs through May 19 at Cardinal Rigali Center, 20 Archbishop May Drive at Laclede Station Road. Performances are on Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m.

A collaboration of St. Louis playwright Lou Robinson and director/choreographer Vivian Anderson-Watt, Muddy River contrasts the human qualities that unite us – love, acceptance, empathy, hope – with iconic racial events in St. Louis history.

One dramatic dance segment in Muddy River exposes the “spectacular domination celebration” of the 1904 World’s Fair Living Displays, where African pygmy families and a thousand Filipino natives were caged and exhibited as “primitives” in makeshift ‘natural’ environments.

Another dance depicts the 1917 East St. Louis race riots, during which white rioters burned the city and shot African American residents as they fled the flames. In one poignant scene, a mother and her four children escape the violence on a hastily built raft, only to fight the mighty Mississippi River for their lives.

Other dance scenes explore the Rubik’s Cube of color-coded maps that once dictated where people of color could buy property in St. Louis; a “catwalk” of characters who have struggled throughout history to establish positive identities; pants-sagging modern day ethnic styles; and the insult of racial profiling. The performance culminates in a rainstorm-induced ritual cleansing that unites the diverse ethnic groups and exposes their original core humanity.

“Muddy River is a departure from the complicated lens of words. By using movement and music, we expose the raw realities of action and behavior,” said Cecilia Nadal, executive director of Gitana Productions. “Our intention is to penetrate consciousness in a powerful and dynamic way, to open the audience to a different way of seeing and understanding. And despite the painful issues that challenge us, hope is never lost.”

Local musicians RAVEN WOLF C. FELTON JENNINGS, Michael Nelson and Scott Shepard provided original music for Muddy River.

Muddy River runs May 11 through May 19 at Cardinal Rigali Center, 20 Archbishop May Drive at Laclede Station Road. Performances are on Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. For ticket information, visit www.gitana-inc.org. Tickets are $15 and $12 for students and seniors. Special rates are available for groups of 15 or more. Tickets may be reserved at www.gitana-inc.org/muddytickets.htm or by contacting info@gitana-inc.org or 314-721-6556.

The Regional Arts Commission and the Missouri Arts Council have provided funding to support Gitana Productions events.

Gitana Productions, Inc. is a not-for-profit arts and education organization dedicated to increasing cross-cultural awareness and collaboration by bringing international music, dance and drama to the St. Louis community. Gitana events present a rarely seen diversity of international and local artists exhibiting an array of traditional and innovative artistic expressions. For more information, visit www.gitana-inc.org or call Gitana Productions at (314) 721-6556.

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Lou Robinson (playwright) is a three-time winner of the E. Desmond Lee Playwriting Competition and was awarded the “2000 Playwright of the Year” by the Missouri Association of Playwrights. Robinson is a poet, author, health educator, instructor and the owner of Sangoma Heritage Media LLC, a company dedicated to history, health, and cultural edutainment. She is pursuing a doctorate in American Studies at Saint Louis University with broad areas of interest including African American/American history and culture, progressive era race riots and civil rights, commemoration, and contemporary race relations.

Vivian Anderson-Watt (director/choreographer) served as the St. Louis Black Rep resident choreographer, tour company director, and director of Arts in Education program for 23 years. She has trained with Katherine Dunham, PG. Wren, Orania Simms, Gary Hubler, Archie Savage and Norman Davis, and has performed or choreographed more than 37 productions. Anderson-Watt received a Kevin Kline nomination for Best Choreography for her work with Historyonics Theater. She has worked with Gitana as choreographer and actor since 1997, and is the dance coordinator/ instructor for Gitana’s Global Education through the Arts program for immigrant and African American youth.

Justin Barisonek (set and light designer) received his MFA in Scenic Design from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music in 2010. His design work has earned multiple Cincinnati Acclaim Awards, a Peggy Ezekiel Award for Outstanding Achievement, and a Cincinnati Entertainment Award nomination. Justin was production designer for the Style Network's "Too Fat for 15: the Obesity Crisis," a recent town hall-style event in St. Louis that was recorded and nationally broadcast.

RAVEN WOLF C. FELTON JENNINGS is a healing sound recording artist whose “Spiritual Jazz” CD was released last fall on Pug Dog Records. He performed in the original play "Eye On The Sparrow: The World Within St. Louis" written by Lee Paton Chiles and produced by Gitana Productions. RAVEN WOLF plays saxaphone, orchestral flute, native style wooden flutes, djembe, electric bass and piano, and is a singer/songwriter, music producer and private music instructor.

Baba Michael Nelson leads the percussion-heavy jazz and world music group Sworn to the Drum. The group bills themselves as a "musical salute to the drum" and plays improvisational jazz infused with a variety of world drumming. Nelson plays trumpet, flügelhorn, conch shells, and assorted percussion including the bata drum.

Scott Shepard is a classical pianist with a Bachelor of Arts in Music, a Masters of Arts in Mass Communication and a PhD in Counseling. He wrote the stage musical "The Journey" performed in Toledo, Ohio, and his "The Power of Hope" was choreographed by a French choreographer and performed in Kampala, Uganda. Shepard has worked as a counselor to people dealing with chronic illnesses, grief and substance abuse; has published six books; and wrote "Who's In Charge?" a six-part series for Public Television.

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Caption (Photo 2)
(l to r) Vivian Anderson-Watt (director/choreographer), Lou Robinson (playwright) and Cecilia Nadal (producer, executive director Gitana Productions)

Media Contact
Mary Schanuel
mschanuel@synergy-pr.com
314.961.9772

Local musicians selected to provide music for original play Muddy River

Thu, 12 Apr 2012

ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI – Gitana Productions has selected local musicians RAVEN WOLF C. FELTON JENNINGS, Michael Nelson and Scott Shepard to provide original music for the Muddy River, an original dance theatre performance by Gitana Productions that explores iconic St. Louis racial events and issues.

Muddy River runs May 11 through May 19 at Cardinal Rigali Center, 20 Archbishop May Drive at Laclede Station Road. Performances are on Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. For ticket information, visit www.gitana-inc.org.

RAVEN WOLF C. FELTON JENNINGS is a healing sound recording artist whose “Spiritual Jazz” CD was released last fall on Pug Dog Records. He performed in the original play "Eye On The Sparrow: The World Within St. Louis" written by Lee Paton Chiles and produced by Gitana Productions. RAVEN WOLF plays saxaphone, orchestral flute, native style wooden flutes, djembe, electric bass and piano, and is a singer/songwriter, music producer and private music instructor.

Baba Michael Nelson leads the percussion-heavy jazz and world music group Sworn to the Drum. The group bills themselves as a "musical salute to the drum" and plays improvisational jazz infused with a variety of world drumming. Nelson plays trumpet, flügelhorn, conch shells, and assorted percussion including the bata drum.

Scott Shepard is a classical pianist with a Bachelor of Arts in Music, a Masters of Arts in Mass Communication and a PhD in Counseling. He wrote the stage musical "The Journey" performed in Toledo, Ohio, and his "The Power of Hope" was choreographed by a French choreographer and performed in Kampala, Uganda. Shepard has worked as a counselor to people dealing with chronic illnesses, grief and substance abuse; has published six books; and wrote "Who's In Charge?" a six-part series for Public Television.

The Regional Arts Commission and the Missouri Arts Council have provided funding to support Gitana Productions events.

Gitana Productions, Inc. is a not-for-profit arts and education organization dedicated to increasing cross-cultural awareness and collaboration by bringing international music, dance and drama to the St. Louis community. Gitana events present a rarely seen diversity of international and local artists exhibiting an array of traditional and innovative artistic expressions. For more information, visit www.gitana-inc.org or call Gitana Productions at (314) 721-6556.

# # #

Media Contact
Mary Schanuel
mschanuel@synergy-pr.com
314.961.9772

Gitana Productions' Muddy River dance theatre explores iconic St. Louis racial events and issues

Wed, 29 Feb 2012

ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI – Muddy River, an original dance theatre performance by Gitana Productions that explores iconic St. Louis racial events and issues, opens May 11 and runs through May 19 at Cardinal Rigali Center, 20 Archbishop May Drive at Laclede Station Road. Performances are on Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. For ticket information, visit www.gitana-inc.org.

A collaboration of St. Louis playwright Lou Robinson and director/choreographer Vivian Anderson-Watt, Muddy River contrasts the human qualities that unite us – love, acceptance, empathy, hope – with iconic racial events in St. Louis history.

One dramatic dance segment in Muddy River exposes the “spectacular domination celebration” of the 1904 World’s Fair Living Displays, where African pygmy families and a thousand Filipino natives were caged and exhibited as “primitives” in makeshift ‘natural’ environments.

Another dance depicts the 1917 East St. Louis race riots, during which white rioters burned the city and shot African American residents as they fled the flames. In one poignant scene, a mother and her four children escape the violence on a hastily built raft, only to fight the mighty Mississippi River for their lives.

Other dance scenes explore the Rubik’s Cube of color-coded maps that once dictated where people of color could buy property in St. Louis; a “catwalk” of characters who have struggled throughout history to establish positive identities; pants-sagging modern day ethnic styles; and the insult of racial profiling. The performance culminates in a rainstorm-induced ritual cleansing that unites the diverse ethnic groups and exposes their original core humanity.

“Muddy River is a departure from the complicated lens of words. By using movement and music, we expose the raw realities of action and behavior,” said Cecilia Nadal, executive director of Gitana Productions. “Our intention is to penetrate consciousness in a powerful and dynamic way, to open the audience to a different way of seeing and understanding. And despite the painful issues that challenge us, hope is never lost.”

Tickets are $15 and $12 for students and seniors. Special rates are available for groups of 15 or more. Tickets may be reserved at www.gitana-inc.org or by contacting info@gitana-inc.org or 314-721-6556.

Preview Performance
A free one-hour preview and discussion of Muddy River will take place on Monday, April 23, 12 noon, at the University of Missouri-St. Louis (UMSL), in coordination with the UMSL Center for the Humanities. Playwright Lou Robinson, choreographer Vivian Watt and producer Cecilia Nadal will lead the discussion in the JC Penny Building, One University Blvd., on the UMSL campus.

Lou Robinson (playwright) is a three-time winner of the E. Desmond Lee Playwriting Competition and was awarded the “2000 Playwright of the Year” by the Missouri Association of Playwrights. Robinson is a poet, author, health educator, instructor and the owner of Sangoma Heritage Media LLC, a company dedicated to history, health, and cultural edutainment. She is pursuing a doctorate in American Studies at Saint Louis University with broad areas of interest including African American/American history and culture, progressive era race riots and civil rights, commemoration, and contemporary race relations.

Vivian Anderson-Watt (director/choreographer) served as the St. Louis Black Rep resident choreographer, tour company director, and director of Arts in Education program for 23 years. She has trained with Katherine Dunham, PG. Wren, Orania Simms, Gary Hubler, Archie Savage and Norman Davis, and has performed or choreographed more than 37 productions. Anderson-Watt received a Kevin Kline nomination for Best Choreography for her work with Historyonics Theater. She has worked with Gitana as choreographer and actor since 1997, and is the dance coordinator/ instructor for Gitana’s Global Education through the Arts program for immigrant and African American youth.

Justin Barisonek (set and light designer) received his MFA in Scenic Design from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music in 2010. His design work has earned multiple Cincinnati Acclaim Awards, a Peggy Ezekiel Award for Outstanding Achievement, and a Cincinnati Entertainment Award nomination. Justin was production designer for the Style Network's "Too Fat for 15: the Obesity Crisis," a recent town hall-style event in St. Louis that was recorded and nationally broadcast.

The Regional Arts Commission and the Missouri Arts Council have provided funding to support Gitana Productions events.

Gitana Productions, Inc. is a not-for-profit arts and education organization dedicated to increasing cross-cultural awareness and collaboration by bringing international music, dance and drama to the St. Louis community. Gitana events present a rarely seen diversity of international and local artists exhibiting an array of traditional and innovative artistic expressions. For more information, visit www.gitana-inc.org or call Gitana Productions at (314) 721-6556.

# # #

Media Contact
Mary Schanuel
mschanuel@synergy-pr.com
314.961.9772

Original play �Inalienable Rights: From Pearl Harbor To 9/11� opens September 9, Panel Discussion September 11

Thu, 25 Aug 2011

Panel Discussion Bios
Actor Bios

ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI – “Inalienable Rights: From Pearl Harbor To 9/11,” an original play written by Lee Patton Chiles and produced by Gitana Productions, explores the two major attacks on American soil – sixty years apart – that created the greatest national emergencies in our history. The play opens on September 9 and runs through September 25 at the Regional Arts Commission in the University City Loop. Performances are at 7:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and at 3:00 p.m. on Sundays.

A panel discussion will follow the matinee performance at 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, September 11, the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center. The panelists include Wendy Roll, president of the St. Louis Chapter of the Japanese American Citizens League; City of St. Louis Alderman Terry Kennedy; and Abbas Ali and Nasreen Bibi, members of the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR-St. Louis). Wendy Roll is the daughter of Japanese American parents who were placed into a U.S. internment camp after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Reena Hajat Carroll, MSW, executive director of the Diversity Awareness Partnership, will moderate the panel.

“As we mark the 10th anniversary of 9/11, we want to explore the meaning of citizenship, how far we’re willing to limit the rights of our citizens in times of national emergency, and the ways that fear can prejudice everyone against people who look like ‘the other’,” said Cecilia Nadal, executive director of Gitana Productions.

After Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor, 70,000 U.S. born citizens of Japanese decent were rounded up and held in Internment Camps. After 9/11, Arab Americans and others who appeared to be of Middle Eastern descent but who were U.S. citizens also were racially profiled and often became “persons of interest,” their rights seriously curtailed.

“Both groups suffered from looking like the enemy,” said Nadal. “We know that fear leads to actions that may be in conflict with our most cherished principles.”

The play “Inalienable Rights: From Pearl Harbor To 9/11” is the first in a series of events by Gitana Productions called “In Search of America.” Gitana’s 2011-2012 season aims to provoke audience emotions, reactions and conscious decisions to pursue life, liberty and justice for all, rather than life based on fear and complacency.

“We are living at a time when it is critical to reflect on what it means to be American, both within and outside of ourselves,” said Nadal.

Lead actors include Ahmed Hassan as Neamet and Sheri Gonzalez as Toyo. Hassan grew up in St. Louis and was a part of several theatre productions at St. Louis Country Day School and at the Kansas City Repertory Theatre. He took a hiatus from theatre during medical school and residency in Chicago and is returning to the stage in a production and a role dear to his heart. Gonzalez is a St. Louis native who graduated from Webster University where she participated in theatrical productions including the student-produced short play festival "Surfacing" and two productions of "The Vagina Monologues."

Performances run September 9 through September 25, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 3:00 p.m. The free panel discussion is on Sunday, September 11, 4:30 p.m.

Tickets for the play are $20, seniors 65+ and students $18, and are available at www.gitana-inc.org. Special rates for groups of 15 or more also are available. Individuals who are unemployed may call Gitana to reserve seats which are available for whatever price they can afford. Doors will open one hour before show time for refreshments and seating will be available 30 minutes before the show. Tickets are available at www.gitana-inc.org/rightstickets.htm or by calling (314) 721-6556.

The Regional Arts Commission and the Missouri Arts Council have provided funding to support Gitana Productions events.

Gitana Productions, Inc. is a not-for-profit arts and education organization dedicated to increasing cross-cultural awareness and collaboration by bringing international music, dance and drama to the St. Louis community. Gitana events present a rarely seen diversity of international and local artists exhibiting an array of traditional and innovative artistic expressions. For more information, visit www.gitana-inc.org or call Gitana Productions at (314) 721-6556.

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Media Contact
Sabrina Jahja or
Cecilia Nadal
Gitana Productions
(314) 721-6556
info@gitana-inc.org

Actors - �Inalienable Rights: From Pearl Harbor To 9/11�

Thu, 25 Aug 2011

Ahmed Hassan (as Neamet) is thrilled to be back in St. Louis and a part of the St. Louis theatre community. Ahmed grew up in St. Louis and was a part of several theatre productions at St. Louis Country Day School, including the lead in “The Elephant Man” and “Dracula.” He also was active in theatre during college, taking part in Kansas City Repertory Theatre productions of “Young Goodman Brown,” “Titus Andronicus” and “The Elephant Man.” Though he took a hiatus from theatre during medical school and residency in Chicago, he is delighted to return to the stage in a production and a role that is dear to his heart.

Sheri Gonzalez (as Toyo) is a St. Louis native who graduated from Webster University in 2008 with a Bachelors Degree in Studio Art and a double minor in History and Sociology. While at Webster, Sheri participated in a number of theatrical productions, including the student-produced short play festival "Surfacing" and two productions of "The Vagina Monologues." Her paintings recently were displayed in "The Monster Mash Art Bash" at The Koken Art Factory and she continues to produce artwork independently, focusing on a variety of themes from social issues to spirituality. Sheri is humbled by the opportunity to be a part of this production.

David Wassilak (as Gideon et al) has performed with Stray Dog Theatre as Michael in "Dark Matters," Metro Theatre Company as Father in "The Giver," The New Jewish Theatre as Montague/Apothecary in "Romeo and Juliet," St. Louis Actors' Studio as Wang in "The Good Person of Setzuan," The Orange Girls as Walter in "An American Daughter," Muddy Waters Theatre as Proctor in "The Crucible," St. Louis Shakespeare as Midas in "Metamorphoses," The Midnight Company as Jesse in "The Ballad of Jesse James," The New Theatre as Arthur in "Psychopathia Sexualis," Orthwein Theatre Company as Tom Joad in "The Grapes of Wrath," and roles at The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Theatre Project Company and others.

LA Williams (as Darren et al) appears in numerous television commercials and print ads as well as theatre houses throughout the St. Louis area. LA possesses a Masters Degree in Public Administration/Policy Analysis and a bachelor’s degree in Political Science. In addition, LA has an education in Broadcast Journalist. This, ex-politician, got his start as host of the cable talk show. Later, he advanced to appearing various television projects, such as the Sci-Fi channel’s original movie “The Black Hole” with Judd Nelson and Kristi Swanson; the Discovery Channels series entitled; The New Detective Series; an independent film, and recently taped a sitcom pilot.

Maria Anaya (as Imelda), Esmeralda Garcia-Gomez (as Essie) and Daniel Johnson are students at Gitana’s Global Education through the Arts Program, a community arts program that increases artistic skills and nurtures cross-cultural acceptance and understanding through drama, dance and global education. This is Daniel’s fourth play with Gitana!

TECHNICAL AND ARTISTIC CREW
Tim Poertner (Set /Light Design) is Technical Director and associate professor of scenic and lighting design at Lindenwood University. Recent St. Louis design work includes scenery and lighting for Shooting Star Productions’ "Jesus Christ Superstar;" Gitana Productions’ "Eye On the Sparrow: The World Within St. Louis;" and scenery design for ACT Inc’s Abie’s "Irish Rose" and "The Cassilis Engagement." Tim has received three Kevin Kline Award nominations: scenic and lighting design for Gitana’s "Complacency of Silence: Darfur" and scenic design for Hot City’s "Last Days of Judas Iscariot."

Jennifer ‘JC’ Krajicek (Costume Designer) is the current Costume Shop Supervisor for St. Louis Black Repertory Company and just completed her third season as Head of Wardrobe for Opera Theatre of Saint Louis. JC holds a BFA from Webster University’s Conservatory of Theatre Arts in Costume Design and Hair and Makeup Design. She has designed for companies such as St. Louis Black Repertory Co., The Actor’s Studio, SWIC, Mustard Seed Theatre, Fontebonne University, Muddy Waters Theatre, Insight Theatre Company, Paul Mitchell-The School, Whitfield School, MICDS and Clayton High School. To date JC has earned three Kevin Kline Award nominations for Outstanding Costume Design. She recently started her own company, JC Darlynn Designs-Custom Costumes, Uniforms and Apparel, and has designed commercially for Bacardi and Budweiser. She also works freelance as a costume designer and makeup artist.

Jordan Leigh Smith (Stage Manager) is happy to be back for her second show with Gitana. Earlier this year, she was the stage manager for Gitana's "Faultlines." Other recent technical credits have included "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" and "Urinetown: The Musical" at Lindenwood University, where she is pursuing a degree in Stage Management/Technical Theater.

Michael B. Perkins (Sound Designer) designed sound for Gitana's "Faultlines" and "Eye on the Sparrow." He also designed "Mass Appeal" at Dramatic License Productions. He has designed sound for The New Jewish Theater, Mustard Seed Theater, NonProphet Theater Company and West End Players Guild. Michael is a freelance graphic designer and video producer. michaelbperkins.com

August Russell (Assistant to the Stage Manager) is a former student with Gitana’s "Living the Dream" tour and assisted the stage manager as an intern in "Faultlines." August loves music, enjoying life and God.

�Inalienable Rights� Panel Discussion Bios

Tue, 02 Aug 2011

Panelist Bios
“Inalienable Rights” Panel Discussion
News Release

When: Sunday, September 11, 4:30 p.m. (following the 3:00 p.m. performance) -- the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center.

Wendy Roll is President of the St. Louis Chapter of the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL). She has been honored to serve the Japanese American community in this position for the past eleven years. The JACL is the nation’s oldest civil right organization and focuses on efforts such as education and hate crime awareness. Roll is the daughter of World War II Japanese American Internees and a third-generation Japanese American. She is active in her church and is a member of the St. Louis Coalition of Asian Pacific Americans, which promotes networking with Asians and other minority groups in the St. Louis area. Roll works as software engineer, is married and has two teenage daughters.

Terry Kennedy has been a member of the St. Louis City Board of Alderman since 1989, representing the 18th Ward in the Central West End. He currently is chair of the Aldermanic Black Caucus and has championed civil rights for more than 25 years. Kennedy has sponsored and passed more than 200 pieces of legislation related to civil rights, health care, public safety and housing development.

Abbas Ali is President of the Muslim Student Association at Meramec Community College, currently studying for pre-med. He moved to the United States with his family after the September 11th attacks. When he arrived, he didn't speak or comprehend English but learned it while at school and growing up. He is dedicated to educating the community about the true meaning of Islam, and he represents Islamic values in his life.

Nasreen Bibi is a high school student who arrived in the United States after September 11th. She wears the Hijab (religious covering) that Muslim women also wear. She has an a very unique story and perspective about her life coming to a post 9/11 United States and wearing the Hijab at school. Making friends, dealing with others’ questions and learning the language while trying to live a normal life all were challenges this young lady has faced and is still going through today.

Media Contact for CAIR-St. Louis
Faizan Syed is Executive Director of CAIR-St. Louis. He recently graduated from Drake University in Des Moines Iowa. He spent his first two years studying Astronomy, Physics and Math but switched to Politics the last two years. He recently became the Executive Director of CAIR-St. Louis and has been working to fulfill CAIR's mission to enhance understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding. He was born in Lahore Pakistan and moved to the U.S. at the age of four. He grew up in Kirkwood Missouri where he lives today.

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Media Contact
Mary Schanuel
mschanuel@synergy-pr.com
314.961.9772

Original play �Inalienable Rights: From Pearl Harbor To 911� opens September 9

Wed, 13 Jul 2011

ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI – “Inalienable Rights: From Pearl Harbor To 911,” an original play written by Lee Patton Chiles and produced by Gitana Productions, explores the two major attacks on American soil, 60 years apart, that created the greatest national emergencies in our history. The play opens on September 9 and runs through September 25 at the Regional Arts Commission in the University City Loop.

“As we mark the 10th anniversary of the 911 terrorist attacks, we want to explore the meaning of citizenship, how far we’re willing to limit the rights of our citizens in times of national emergency, and the ways that fear can prejudice everyone against people who look like ‘the other’,” said Cecilia Nadal, executive director of Gitana Productions, whose four previous theatrical productions, also written by Chiles, have been nominated for eight prestigious Kevin Kline Awards.

After Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor, 70,000 U.S. born citizens of Japanese descent were rounded up and held in Internment Camps. Likewise after the September 22, 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, Arab Americans and others who appeared to be of Middle Eastern descent but who were U.S. citizens also were racially profiled and often became “persons of interest,” their rights seriously curtailed.

“Both groups suffered from looking like the enemy,” said Nadal. “We know that fear leads to actions that may be in conflict with our most cherished principles.”

The play “Inalienable Rights: From Pearl Harbor To 911” is the first in a series of events by Gitana Productions called “In Search of America.” Gitana’s 2011-2012 season aims to provoke audience emotions, reactions and conscious decisions to pursue life, liberty and justice for all, rather than life based on fear and complacency.

“We are living at a time when it is critical that we reflect on what it means to be American, both within and outside of ourselves,” said Nadal.

Performances run September 9 through September 25, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 3:00 p.m. Tickets are $20, seniors 65+ and students $18, and are available at www.gitana-inc.org. Special rates for groups of 15 or more also are available. Individuals who are unemployed may call Gitana to reserve seats that are available for whatever price they can afford. Doors will open one hour before show time for refreshments and seating will be available 30 minutes before the show.

The Regional Arts Commission and the Missouri Arts Council have provided funding to support Gitana Productions events.

Gitana Productions, Inc. is a not-for-profit arts and education organization dedicated to increasing cross-cultural awareness and collaboration by bringing international music, dance and drama to the St. Louis community. Gitana events present a rarely seen diversity of international and local artists exhibiting an array of traditional and innovative artistic expressions. For more information, visit www.gitana-inc.org or call Gitana Productions at (314) 721-6556.

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Media Contact
Mary Schanuel
mschanuel@synergy-pr.com
314.961.9772

Gitana Productions names 10th Annual �Extraordinary Ordinary Person of the Year�

Wed, 04 May 2011

ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI – Gitana Productions has named Rameshwar Das, a priest at the Hindu Temple of St. Louis, to receive their prestigious 10th annual “Extraordinary/Ordinary Person of the Year Award.” Rameshwar Das will be honored May 20 during the opening night performance of FAULTLINES, a new original play by Lee Patton Chiles. FAULTLINES focuses on domestic violence of women, particularly in the South Asian immigrant community, and runs through June 5 at the Cardinal Rigali Center, 20 Archbishop May Drive at Laclede Station Road.

Gitana Productions works to increase cross-cultural awareness in the St. Louis region through international music, dance and drama. Gitana’s 2011 Extraordinary/Ordinary Person of the Year Award honors a volunteer who reaches across racial, cultural and religious lines to support victims of domestic violence.

“Rameshwar Das is the humblest of men with less than most financially, yet he is always there to help with cases of domestic violence,” said Cecilia Nadal, executive director of Gitana Productions. “He works hand-in-hand with SAWERAA, a nonprofit organization that helps South Asian women who are victims of domestic violence. Rameshwar Das helps abused families from both a spiritual and therapeutic standpoint. He is an important example to our community, speaking up on behalf of women and children.”

Rameshwar Das currently lives with his wife Bainti Devi at the Hindu Temple after a fire destroyed their home. Several years ago, the couple learned of a severe case of parental abuse and brought the parents to stay in their home. Rameshwar Das gently helped them through the crisis and when they insisted on returning to India with dignity, he gave them money for the trip.

In the U.S., one of every four women experiences domestic violence in her lifetime. The numbers are much higher for South Asian women. This year, several Gitana events will focus on domestic violence in St. Louis’ South Asian community (immigrants from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Maldives.

Forty-five to fifty percent of South Asian women, both in the U.S. and in their homelands, are victims of domestic violence, according to SAWERAA, a local organization that empowers South Asian women. And among those Indian women who are abused, 70 percent have attempted suicide.

The problem in the South Asian community is well hidden because victims rarely seek help, are unaware of services available to them and are uncertain about their rights. Culturally, many South Asian women fear bringing shame to their family names or undue attention to themselves as new Americans.

FAULTLINES, which runs May 20 through June 5 at Cardinal Regali Center in St. Louis, follows a new bride as she leaves India, comes to America and becomes a victim of domestic abuse. Isolated and alone with a husband she barely knows, she becomes trapped between the world she knew and her new homeland. Gitana’s three previous theatrical productions, also written by Chiles, have been nominated for seven prestigious Kevin Kline Awards.

Gitana Productions, Inc. is a not-for-profit arts and education organization dedicated to increasing cross-cultural awareness and collaboration by bringing international music, dance and drama to the St. Louis community. Gitana events present a rarely seen diversity of international and local artists exhibiting an array of traditional and innovative artistic expressions. For more information, visit www.gitana-inc.org or call Gitana Productions at (314) 721-6556.

Gitana is supported by the Regional Arts Commission, Missouri Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts.

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Media Contact
Mary Schanuel
mschanuel@synergy-pr.com
314.961.9772

New original play FAULTLINES by Gitana Productions opens May 20

Mon, 25 Apr 2011

ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI – The new original play FAULTLINES, written by Lee Patton Chiles and produced by Gitana Productions, examines issues of domestic violence and abuse of women, particularly those in the South Asian immigrant community. The play opens May 20 and runs through June 5 at the Cardinal Rigali Center, 20 Archbishop May Drive at Laclede Station Road.

Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 p.m. and Sunday matinees at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $20, seniors and students are $18; special rates are available for groups of 15 or more. Tickets may be reserved at www.gitana-inc.org or by contacting Gitana at gitanaproductionsinc@gmail.com or 314-721-6556.

FAULTLINES follows the newly married Indian woman Niragha as she leaves India and comes to America to begin her married life. Isolated and alone with a husband she barely knows, Niragha becomes the victim of verbal and physical abuse. She finds herself trapped between the world she once knew and her new homeland.

“The reality and pain of domestic violence against women truly is a global problem,” said Cecilia Nadal, executive director of Gitana. “Many South Asian women in America face stresses like isolation and a cultural tolerance for domestic violence, which can fuel a fire of abuse. But those are stresses that many women today face. At Gitana, we use the arts to help our audiences learn about themselves through the lenses of others like Niragha.”

The performance on Saturday, May 21 will be hosted by KMOV-TV co-anchor Jasmine Huda, who will present Gitana’s "Extraordinary Person of the Year Award" to an outstanding volunteer who works with domestic violence issues.

Statistics from South Asian domestic violence organizations in the U.S. show that one in five South Asian families in America experience domestic violence at some time. Women between the ages of 20 and 34 endure the highest rate of domestic violence, which can range from physical, verbal, emotional, sexual and economic abuse. For more information on free and confidential multilingual services and referrals, visit SAWERAA of St. Louis at www.saweraa.org .

The Regional Arts Commission and the Missouri Arts Council have provided funding to support Gitana Productions events.

Gitana Productions, Inc. is a not-for-profit arts and education organization dedicated to increasing cross-cultural awareness and collaboration by bringing international music, dance and drama to the St. Louis community. Gitana events present a rarely seen diversity of international and local artists exhibiting an array of traditional and innovative artistic expressions. For more information, visit www.gitana-inc.org or call Gitana Productions at (314) 721-6556.

# # #

Media Contact
Mary Schanuel
mschanuel@synergy-pr.com
314.961.9772

Irish fusion music group McPEAKE in St. Louis on March 11

Thu, 17 Feb 2011

ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI – Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day just a wee bit early with McPEAKE, one of Ireland's best-known musical families, featuring a distinctive blend of Irish traditional, folk, acoustic and contemporary music. Gitana Productions is bringing McPEAKE to the Union Avenue Christian Church (Home of the Union Avenue Opera) on Friday, March 11, 2011.

“Faces of Love from Ireland: McPEAKE” sponsored by Gitana Productions premieres on March 11, 7:30 p.m. at the Union Avenue Christian Church (Home of the Union Avenue Opera) at 733 Union Blvd. Tickets are $15, $12 for seniors and students, special rates for groups of 15 or more. For tickets, visit www.gitana-inc.org, call 314-721-6556 or email gitana@stlouis.missouri.org. Tickets also will be available at the door.

McPEAKE fuses original Celtic compositions with contemporary rhythms and styles to create their own unique sound that is an experience for the ears and soul. McPEAKE members have performed alongside such prestigious artists as John Lennon, Joan Baez, Pete Seeger, Van Morrison, Bob Dylan, The Chieftains, Bono of U2, Riverdance and more.

Francis McPeake IV, the fourth generation of this world-famous musical dynasty, is one of the few authentic uilleann pipers in the world today. Uilleann pipes are the characteristic national bagpipe of Ireland, distinguished from other forms of bagpipes by their sweet tone and wide range of notes.

REVIEWS
“The McPeakes have been a musical force, resource, and national treasure for nearly a hundred years. Belfast Telegraph

''The McPeake Family is one of Belfast's unsung treasures. They have rubbed shoulders with the greats of the music world including John Lennon, Joan Baez, Pete Seeger, Van Morrison and Bob Dylan. Theatre Director John Botteley of the Grand Opera House.

The Regional Arts Commission and the Missouri Arts Council have provided funding to support Gitana Productions events.

Gitana Productions, Inc. is a not-for-profit arts and education organization dedicated to increasing cross-cultural awareness and collaboration by bringing international music, dance and drama to the St. Louis community. Gitana events present a rarely seen diversity of international and local artists exhibiting an array of traditional and innovative artistic expressions. For more information, visit www.gitana-inc.org or call Gitana Productions at (314) 721-6556.

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Music Samples

The Flying Carpet

"Living the Dream" will tour St. Louis region in February 2011

Thu, 03 Feb 2011

Written by Lee Patton Chiles with Choreography by Vivian Watt

Dr. Martin Luther King provided us with practical nonviolence principles which apply to the family, schools, community and to the globe. Using drama, dance and music, Gitana's S2G performers -- comprised of a multicultural team of youth -- will bring the thought provoking 45-minute play "Living the Dream" to these locations in February:

St. Louis City Juvenile Detention Center
Saturday, February 5, 1:30 p.m.
920 N Vandeventer Ave, St. Louis, MO 63108
(Enter on Enright Side)

Beauvois Manor
Saturday, February 12, 2:30 p.m.
3625 Magnolia

Herbert Hoover Boys & Girls Club
Tuesday, February 15, 6:00 p.m.
East Middle School Unit
1865 Dunn Rd, St. Louis, MO 63138

Herbert Hoover Boys Club
Tuesday, February 22, 6:00
4317 Vista Ave. St. Louis, MO 63110

St. Louis County Juvenile Detention Center
Thursday, February 24, 7:30 p.m.
501 S. Brentwood, Clayton 63105

Carpenter Branch Library
Saturday, February 26, 1:30pm
3309 S. Grand 63118

Gitana Productions seeks nominations of domestic violence volunteers for 11th annual �Extraordinary Ordinary Person Award�

Wed, 26 Jan 2011

ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI – Gitana Productions is seeking nominations of volunteers who reach across racial, cultural and religious lines to support victims of domestic violence for their prestigious 11th annual “Extraordinary/Ordinary Person of the Year Award.” Nominations will be accepted through April 15, 2011.

Gitana Productions works to increase cross-cultural awareness in the St. Louis region through international music, dance and drama. Gitana will present the 2011 “Extraordinary/Ordinary Person of the Year Award” at the opening night of “Faultlines,” an original play by Lee Patton Chiles.

“Faultlines,” which runs May 20 through June 5 at Cardinal Regali Center in St. Louis, follows a new bride as she leaves India, comes to America and becomes a victim of domestic abuse. Isolated and alone with a husband she barely knows, she becomes trapped between the world she knew and her new homeland. Gitana’s three previous theatrical productions, also written by Chiles, have been nominated for seven Kevin Kline Awards.

In the U.S., one of every four women experiences domestic violence in her lifetime, and the numbers are much higher for South Asian women. This year, several Gitana events will focus on domestic violence in St. Louis’ South Asian community (immigrants from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Maldives). Forty-five to fifty percent of South Asian women, both in the U.S. and in their homelands, are victims of domestic violence, according to SAWERAA, a local organization that empowers South Asian women. And among those who are abused, 70 percent have attempted suicide.

The problem in the South Asian community is well hidden because victims rarely seek help, are unaware of services available to them and are uncertain about their rights. Culturally, many South Asian women fear bringing shame to their family names or undue attention to themselves as new Americans.

Nominations for the “Extraordinary/Ordinary Person of the Year Award” should include a one-page essay describing how the candidate voluntarily reaches across ethnic and religious lines, and why he or she should receive the award. Please include contact information for the nominee and the person making the nomination. Nomination essays may be emailed to gitana@stlouis.missouri.org or mailed to Gitana Productions, PO Box 300322, St. Louis, MO, 63130. Deadline for entry is April 15, 2011.

Gitana Productions, Inc. is a not-for-profit arts and education organization dedicated to increasing cross-cultural awareness and collaboration by bringing international music, dance and drama to the St. Louis community. Gitana events present a rarely seen diversity of international and local artists exhibiting an array of traditional and innovative artistic expressions. For more information, visit www.gitana-inc.org or call Gitana Productions at (314) 721-6556.

# # #

Media Contact
Mary Schanuel
mschanuel@synergy-pr.com

Exploring Our Tangled Roots: The St. Louis Irish and African American Experience

Mon, 24 Jan 2011

ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI – If your last name is Kelly, Walker, Murphy, Sullivan, Murray or Moore, you very likely have an Irish heritage. You may be surprised to learn you are in good company with African Americans Mohammed Ali, Alex Haley, Alice Walker, Jimi Hendrix, Rosa Parks, Billie Holiday and Henry Louis Gates, who also share strong Irish connections.

Many St. Louisans who are African American or Irish are aware of such rich shared experiences in their family history. Gitana Productions wants to hear those stories and share them with others at their “Faces Of Love From Ireland” concert featuring McPEAKE on March 11, 2011 at the Union Avenue Christian Church at 733 Union Blvd. The deadline to submit stories is February 28, 2011.

Last year, Mohammed Ali traveled to Ennis, Ireland, the birthplace of his great grandfather Abe Grady. Many townspeople came out to greet the champion with love and pride, proud that this international personality was the great grandson of one of their own. Mohammed Ali was moved to tears by their genuine welcome, and his story has warmed the hearts of many around the world

In 2000, Gitana Productions honored St. Louisan Michael Dalton with the “Extraordinary Person of the Year for Deeds beyond Race” award. For more than 20 years, Dalton, an Irish American, united Black Catholics in St. Louis City and White Catholics from the county in friendship and collaboration.

Dalton had been inspired at a young age by an African American man who worked with his family and helped him understand that the heart was more important than beauty. Embarrassed by acne and often bullied by his schoolmates, the young Dalton welcomed this counsel and said it healed his soul. Dalton’s Irish father also had experienced the negative effects of prejudice and despised it, teaching his children to be tolerant. Dalton never forgot these lessons and decided to make it his life’s commitment to bring Whites and Blacks together in acceptance. When he died, he left a legacy of goodwill between Blacks and Whites on both sides of the Mississippi River.

To submit your story, email Gitana Productions at gitana@stlouis.missouri.org or call 314-721-6556 by February 12, 2011. Select stories will be displayed at Gitana’s “Faces Of Love From Ireland” concert featuring McPEAKE, one of Ireland’s most famous musical families. The concert will take place on March 11, 2011 at Union Avenue Christian Church, 733 Union Blvd. Stories will also tour various sites in St. Louis including local libraries and schools.

Gitana Productions, Inc. is a not-for-profit arts and education organization dedicated to increasing cross-cultural awareness and collaboration by bringing international music, dance and drama to the St. Louis community. Gitana events present a rarely seen diversity of international and local artists exhibiting an array of traditional and innovative artistic expressions. For more information, visit www.gitana-inc.org or call Gitana Productions at (314) 721-6556.

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Media Contact
Mary Schanuel
mschanuel@synergy-pr.com
314.961.9772

�Untouchable Voices� original play October 31 gives voice to social injustice in India

Mon, 25 Oct 2010

Creative team behind "Untouchable Voices"

ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI – “Untouchable Voices,” an original play presented by Gitana Productions, gives voice to the unheard stories of the Dalit or “Untouchable” people of Rajasthan, India. The play will be performed on Sunday, October 31, 1:00 p.m. at Christ Church Cathedral, 1210 Locust; and 7:30 p.m. at the Regional Arts Commission, 6128 Delmar.

More than 250 million worldwide suffer from caste discrimination, segregated by birth into a caste system that deems them impure, less than human. Although the situation of many Indian “Untouchables” has improved in many ways, especially in rural areas, millions are still relegated to dangerous, unsanitary and demeaning jobs, live in slums without access to basic healthcare or nutrition, and risk being publicly humiliated, beaten, raped, even enslaved through human trafficking.

“Anna Procter of Australia and singer-songwriter Tabea Manglesdorf of Germany lived among the Dalit in India,” said Cecilia Nadal, executive director of Gitana Productions. “They have woven their experiences and interviews into “Untouchable Voices” using monologues, songs and music to create a piece of art that amplifies the Dalits’ voices.

Procter and Mangelsdorf lived among the Dalit in India, and have woven their experiences and interviews into monologues, songs and music to create a piece of art that amplifies the Dalits’ voices. Live music includes two violins, a cello, double bass, flute, piano and drums.

There is no admission charge to the play but donations are suggested. Proceeds support the work of Gitana Productions, a not-for-profit arts and education organization that increases cross-cultural awareness and collaboration by bringing international music, dance and drama to the St. Louis community.

For details, visit www.gitana-inc.org or call Gitana Productions at (314) 721-6556.

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Media Contact
Mary Schanuel
mschanuel@synergy-pr.com
314.961.9772

Creative team behind "The Untouchables"

Mon, 25 Oct 2010

Creative team behind "Untouchable Voices"
view news release

Anna Procter (Playwright/Actress)
Anna has always looked to theater as a powerful and heartfelt medium for sparking change and understanding in the world around her. As a dedicated actress with a lively and compassionate spirit, she has moved audiences with her honest and heartfelt performances in a wide range of roles. Over the last four years Anna has delighted audiences in many parts including Marian in Robin Hood, Beatrice in Much ado About Nothing, Grusha in Caucasian Chalk Circle, Charlene in Hot and Throbbing, and Charlotte in Moon Over Buffalo. She was twice selected for the Irene Ryan Nomination for her performances of Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing and Grusha in Caucasian Chalk Circle.

This summer she was head of the Theater Program at Adventure Unlimited Summer Camp in Buena Vista, CO. In this program for lower and middle school children she directed The Lion The Witch and the Wardrobe and The Valiant. Anna has also directed one-acts including The Man who couldn’t Dance and a self-composed work, Windows.

Anna has relished a range of professional training in voice, movement, alignment, dance and stage combat including two weeks work with top movement, voice and combat instructors at the Globe Theater in London, UK.

Born in Aldershot, England Anna moved to Australia in 1992 where she grew up in an artistic household on a small farm. She graduated Phi Alpha Eta from Principia College (Elsah, IL, USA) with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theater. From a very young age Anna has constantly traveled widely around the world. She has lived with several indigenous communities and volunteered in reforestation and housing reconstruction projects. These journeys have opened her heart to the beautiful diversity and underlying connectedness of humanity and focused her art to serve as an active agent to challenge social, political, and spiritual limitations in consciousness.

Her recent travels lead her to India for three and a half months which inspired the first piece that she has written collaboratively with singer-songwriter Tabea Magelsdorf. Anna is now on the road performing Untouchable Voices full time. She hopes that this performance will be the beginning of a series of interdisciplinary art works that give voice to communities around the world whose stories have not been heard.

This chance to collaborate with Gitana productions in their mission toward global healing through the arts is a gift for Anna and Tabea as activists, artists and human beings.

Tabea Mangelsdorf (Composer/Singer/Actress)
What vocalist and songwriter Tabea Mangelsdorf communicates with her music can be lyrical or funky but it is always soulful and honest. To her, music has the power to reach people in their most vulnerable place, and to heal the world.

As a young girl Tabea never knew of the voice inside her. She learned to play the piano for many years and soon started improvising her own compositions. When in 2004 someone discovered her voice, she was asked to give a concert at a large regional ball in Potsdam, Germany. Inspiring and touching many of her listeners with her clear, soothing, yet awakening voice, Tabea has since been performing contemporary and classical music around Germany and the United States.

Growing up in Germany and traveling the world, Tabea was exposed to a diversity of music and cultures, which now explains her strong passion for social justice and music. After receiving her German Abitur, she completed her Bachelors degree in the liberal arts and classical voice performance at Principia College in Illinois, USA. Besides giving jazz and pop concerts, she has performed in student directed plays, sung as Jezebel and the angles in Mendelssohn's Elijah and given two full length classical voice recitals. For the past seven years she has led bands and more recently directed acappella groups as well as vocal percussion and improvisation workshops. She has performed and composed with renowned German film-score composer and pianist Fabian Klebig and collaborated with singer-songwriter Janet Irvine from England.

After spending three months traveling in India in 2009, she wrote the songs for a social activist play on the Indian untouchables. Having performed their original piece Untouchable Voices for College audiences, Anna Procter and Tabea Mangelsdorf have decided to share the stories with a wider audience in order to raise awareness and compassion toward untouchables, women, and fellow humanity. At the moment the two women are touring Untouchable Voices in the Mid-West and New England until they both continue their studies at the graduate level.

Cecilia Nadal (Artistic Producer)
Since 1997 Cecilia has provided the strategic vision for Gitana's creative endeavors including music, dance and drama selection. In this role she has provided leadership in the initial concept development for such projects as the China National Orchestra, the Faces of Love Series including music and dance from Brazil, Peru, Morocco and the U.S.A. She envisioned the need for a play on Darfur and on the "human sparrows" in our society and left the artistry and details to the immense talent of Lee Patton Chiles, long-time friend and creative partner. Cecilia is both sociologist and artist integrating her social analytical abilities with a passion for cross-cultural understanding through the arts.

For Untouchable Voices Cecilia is very happy to say that Anna and Tabea captured her attention with their passion for service and desire to make a difference through their abundant artistic talent. Their generosity to help support Gitana is heartwarming at a time when we need it most but also as they are striving themselves to carry the message of the Dalit to others. Our collaboration is testimony that all things are possible when there is a common bond of love for all mankind and dedication to promote global healing.

Musicians
Blake Hansen - violin
Marla Hansen - violin
Ashley Alarcon - flute
Duncan Wilder - drum
Hillary Austin - guitar
Holly Barber - double bass
Rickie Griffin - cello

Kalapriya Indian Dancers to premiere in St. Louis October 9

Tue, 14 Sep 2010

ST. LOUIS, MO – Gitana Productions will present the first-ever St. Louis performance of the Chicago-based “Kalapriya Indian Dancers” on Saturday, October 9, 2010, from 8:00 p.m. at the West Hills Community Church, 13250 South Outer 40 Road in Town and Country in West St. Louis County.

“Prepare to be dazzled by the incredible beauty and talent of this well-known dance group,” said Cecilia Nadal, executive director of Gitana Productions, a not-for-profit arts, and education group that nurtures global healing in the St. Louis community through music, dance, and drama.

“Every culture creates music and dance that uniquely expresses the themes and topics of that culture,” Nadal said. “Kalapriya, under the direction of artistic director and dancer Pranita Jain, takes what is essentially Indian and weaves in and out of cultures touched by the Indian Diaspora.”

The performance reflects Gitana’s commitment to global awareness through an outstanding and authentic Indian dance ensemble that specializes in Bharata Natyam – an ancient dance form that uses stylized hand gestures, theatrical facial expressions, intricate footwork and complicated rhythms and counter rhythms to visualize poetry, mythology, and universal themes. For details, visit www.kalapriya.org.

Pop star Shakira was trained by Pranita Jain and incorporated her new dance skills in MTV’s 2006 Music Awards in New York City. Indian Abroad noted, “Jain’s performance was among the highlights of Indian culture at the Winter Olympics.”

The Kalapriya performance will launch Gitana’s “2010-11 Faces of Love Series” including an original play by Lee Patton Chiles called FaultLines that deals with the hidden problem of domestic violence in South Asian families

Tickets for the dance performance are $15 for adults, $12 for seniors over 65 and students with ID. Discounts are available for groups of 15 or more. For tickets or more information, call Gitana Productions at (314) 721-6556. Tickets also will be available at Screenz Computer Center, 6680 Delmar in the Loop and at the door. Reservations are recommended.

The Regional Arts Commission, Missouri Arts Council, Midwest Arts Alliance, Boeing Employees Charitable Trust, and the National Endowment have provided funding to support Gitana Productions events.

Gitana Productions, Inc. is a not-for-profit arts and education organization dedicated to increasing cross-cultural awareness and collaboration by bringing international music, dance, and drama to the St. Louis community. Gitana events present a rarely seen diversity of international and local artists exhibiting an array of traditional and innovative artistic expressions. For more information, visit www.gitana-inc.org or call Gitana Productions at (314) 721-6556.

# # #

Media Contact
Mary Schanuel
mschanuel@synergy-pr.com
314.961.9772
www.synergy-pr.com

Concert to Unite Immigrant & African American Communities

Wed, 18 Aug 2010

WHAT: Amherst Park Concert for Unity
A peace concert in the Hodiamont neighborhood, where a 15-year-old boy from Eritrea (Africa) recently was killed in a drive-by shooting. The boy was a cousin of an immigrant teen involved in Gitana Production’s “Global Education through the Arts” program.

Because of frequent violence in this neighborhood, the immigrants from Africa, Mexico and the Middle East who live in the apartments across from Amherst Park often isolate themselves from the rest of the community.

Prior to the event, Gitana Productions will go house to house with messages of love and tolerance, inviting the immigrant and local African American communities to attend this event.

WHEN: Sunday, August 29 - 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.

WHERE: Amherst Park
Hodiamont and Julian

WHO: Sponsored by Gitana Productions with the support of 22nd Ward Alderman Jeffrey Boyd

Performing Artists & Community Leaders (all performing pro bono)
• Sworn to the Drum Afro Jazz Ensemble
• Ruth Latchison Nichols - Gospel Singer and Actor
• Michael Castro - Poet
• Grupo Inspiracion- Mexican Music and Dance
• St. Louis Cultural Flamenco Society
• Disciples of Grace - St. Paul AME Youth Group
• Thomasina Clarke - Singer
• Project St. Louis
• Reverend Alvin L. Smith - St. Paul AME Church, the oldest African American church west of the Mississippi
• Reverend Lamar Goldman – Christ Southern Mission Baptist Church

PURPOSE:
• To engage African Americans and immigrants in a celebration of music as a common ground for relationship-building and cultural understanding.
• To call for collaboration and communication across cultures, to reduce violence and promote peace in the neighborhood.
• To involve children in the arts.

Gitana Productions, Inc. is a not-for-profit arts and education organization that increases cross-cultural awareness and collaboration by bringing international music, dance and drama to the St. Louis community. Visit www.gitana-inc.org or call Gitana Productions at (314) 721-6556.

Gitana�s �Eye On The Sparrow: The World Within St. Louis� explores the 'human sparrows' among us

Sat, 15 May 2010

High resolution photos below
ST. LOUIS, MO –The upcoming original play “Eye On The Sparrow: The World Within St. Louis” explores the “human sparrows” among us, the many extraordinary yet ordinary people who enrich our lives, according to producer Cecilia Nadal of Gitana Productions. “Eye On The Sparrow” is the third original play presented by Gitana Productions, a St. Louis not-for-profit arts and education group that nurtures global healing through music, dance and drama.

The play “Eye On The Sparrow” by award-winning playwright Lee Patton Chiles is based on the actual stories of several St. Louisans from diverse backgrounds and takes place in the setting of a Metro bus. The play will be presented from May 21 through June 6, 2010 at the St. Louis University Theatre at Xavier Hall, 3733 West Pine Mall. Performances are 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, 2:30 p.m. on Sundays. Tickets are $15; seniors (65+) and students $12.

A limited number of free tickets are available for people who are regular Metro riders. For details, call (314) 721-6556.

“Our neighborhoods are filled with sparrows, so common that we hardly notice them,” said Nadal, executive director of Gitana Productions. “St. Louis also is full of human ‘sparrows’ – ordinary people who are hardly noticed but who meet the challenges of life with dignity, humor and fierce courage.”

“Eye On The Sparrow” follows the daily travels of Harper, a woman who falls from the grace of a good job, marriage and home to become one among the sparrows. Set within the St. Louis public transportation system, Harper’s life becomes intertwined with the lives of the heroic ordinary people she meets on the bus. Through their everyday struggles, fights and kindnesses, these urban philosophers teach Harper how to begin her life anew.

Special guests in the performance include the vibrant St. Louis gospel singer Sister Ruth Ann Latchison-Nichols and RAVEN WOLF C. FELTON JENNINGS II, a healing sound recording artist with Pug Dog Records who performs spiritual jazz in the St. Louis tradition.

Sister Ruth Ann Latchison-Nichols is well known not only for her world-class voice but also for her amazing inner strength and inspiration to others, having experienced tragedy in her own life. After being attacked by a gang at 15, she was told she would never have a child and was a drug addict for years. She eventually went cold turkey and later had a daughter. But two years ago, her 11-year-old daughter Esther Ruth was killed by a drunken driver. Ruth is now dedicated to providing her ministry to youth and to others experiencing tragedy and pain.

RAVEN WOLF C. FELTON JENNINGS II performs solo jazz, drums, Native American flute and his Magical Mystical Meditation Concerts and Healing Drum Spiriting Concerts throughout the Midwest. He has been performing for more than 17 years and is often seen playing saxophone on Delmar in the University City Loop and at the Historic Soulard Farmer’s Market.

For tickets and special group rates, call (314) 721-6556 or email gitana@stlouis.missouri.org. Tickets also are available at Cafe Natasha, 3200 S. Grand; Screenz, 6680 Delmar; Macro Sun, 1310 Washington or 6273 Delmar; and the Living Insights Center, 6361 Clayton Rd.

Gitana Productions has been nominated for six Kevin Kline Awards for their first two original plays, “Complacency of Silence: Darfur” in 2008 and “My Heart is Always Shaking” in 2009.

Gitana Productions, Inc. is a not-for-profit arts and education organization dedicated to increasing cross-cultural awareness and collaboration by bringing international music, dance, and drama to the St. Louis community. Gitana events present a rarely seen diversity of international and local artists exhibiting an array of traditional and innovative artistic expressions. For more information, visit www.gitana-inc.org or call Gitana Productions at (314) 721-6556.

# # #

Media Contact:
Mary Schanuel
mschanuel@synergy-pr.com
Synergy Group
314.961.9772
www.synergy-pr.com

High Resolution Photos
Click on photos to open high res images, then right click high res image to download - Photo credit ©Tony Schanuel 2010

"Eye On The Sparrow" Cast & Crew

Sat, 15 May 2010

Lee Patton Chiles (Playwright/Director) is an accomplished playwright, director, actor, and educator. She is the former Artistic Director of Historyonics Theatre Company, where her play, Dancing on Air: The Katherine Dunham Story, was nominated for the Kevin Kline Award for Outstanding New Play. Patton has maintained an association with Gitana Productions with roles ranging from Artistic Director to Playwright and Drama instructor in the Global Education through the Arts program. Patton wrote Complacency of Silence: Darfur for Gitana in 2008 to incredible audience reviews and a second Kevin Kline nomination for Outstanding New Play. Patton has an MFA in theater and currently teaches at St. Louis University and Washington University.

Thomasina Clarke (Carla)
Thomasina juggles several passions at the same time. She is the mother of two really great sons and the daughter of one exceptional 96-year-old mother. Educator by day, Thomasina works on her clothing concepts until sleep or some other duty calls. Thomasina has crossed paths with Lee Patton Chiles over many years and was the 2008 Kevin Kline nominee for “Best Supporting Actress” in Gitana’s production of COMPLACENCY OF SILENCE: DARFUR.

Ruth Latchison-Nichols (Angel)
In her over 40-year singing career, Ruth has collaborated with such greats as: G. Taft Getty’s in “Believe I’ll Testify”, “Testify”, “J.C.’s Redemption” and “My Soul Looks Back In Wonder”, where she played gospel great Mahalia Jackson, a character she has depicted numerous times in her career; Robert Ray and the In Unison Chorus during their Gospel Christmas Production at the fabulous Powell; David Peaston, Ronald Winans and Shirley Murdoch while touring nationally in the gospel stage production of “Be Careful What You Pray For”; and for nine years has performed with Reverend Michael O’Hara and Robert White Johnson in the gospel stage production of “The Isle of Dreams”, formerly known as “The Revelation”. Ruth has freely revealed her life story of tragedy and victory from gang rape, drug addiction and the loss of her only child as a means of reaching out to at risk youth.

RAVEN WOLF C. FELTON JENNINGS II (playing himself)
RAVEN WOLF is a healing sound recording artist with PUG DOG RECORDS, LLC. A well-loved street performer in the University City Loop and downtown St. Louis, he has performed ‘Spiritual Jazz’ in the St. Louis tradition for more than 13 years. RAVEN WOLF is well known for his Magical Mystical Meditation Concerts, Healing Drum Spiriting Concerts and Full Moon Ceremonies atop Cahokia Monk’s Mound. He also teaches Native American flute, drums and saxophone lessons for students of all ages. RAVEN WOLF is a practicing Reiki Master of the Usui Shiki Ryoho natural system of healing and a Master Teacher in the Sekhem-Seichim-Reiki VII Method of Universal Healing.

Healy Rodman (Harper Lessing)
A sophomore at Saint Louis University, Healy is thrilled to play Mahira with Gitana Productions in My Heart Is Always Shaking. She is a secondary education and English double major with a minor in theater, which keeps her busy enough! She is also a very active member of SLU's Rainbow Alliance, and appeared in UNA's annual production of The Vagina Monologues. Healy could previously be seen on the SLU stage as Danielle in Language of Angels, Ismene in Antigone, and currently as a God in Good Person of Sezuan with Saint Louis Actors' Studio.

L.A. Williams (Skip, Dickens, Alphonsus)
L.A. has appeared in numerous television commercials and theater venues in St. Louis. He holds a Masters degree in Public Administration and Policy Analysis and aspired to be a politician. He tested his performance chops as founder and host of the cable talk show host of “John Q Public with L.A. Williams.” Later he appeared in television projects, such as the Sci-Fi channel’s original movie “The Black Hole” with Judd Nelson and Kristi Swanson. L.A. Williams has many projects on the horizon, including the forthcoming feature film, “Shadowland,” which was recently showcased in the Tivoli Theater.

William Ketterer (Cab Driver, Eddie, Chris)
A biology student at Saint Louis University, William is delighted to explore the creative dimensions of character development and acting. He is grateful to be working with Lee Patton Chiles and Gitana Productions in his first major acting performance.

Chelsea Russell (Cranky Lady on bus, Ms. Sally)
Chelsea, a freshman at Fontbonne University, is thrilled to be apart of the Gitana family. She has been active in Saint Louis theatre since the age of five performing in community and professional theatre at COCA, The MUNY, Opera Theatre of St. Louis, and throughout the region. She was last seen onstage as Ophelia in Fontbonne's production of Fortinbras. She would like to thank Ms. Cecilia and Ms. Patton for this wonderful opportunity.

S2G Performers (Members of Gitana’s Global Education Program)
Danielle Johnson (Gabrielle, Keyanna, dancer and singer)
Janelle Johnson (Azalee, bus driver)
Darren Jackson (CD Salesman/Passenger/Dancer)
Daniel Johnson (Dancer/Passenger)
Samere Shewole (Dancer/Passenger
Michel Mayouba (Dancer/Passenger)
Tory Paige (Understudy)
Presnard Dorlus (Understudy)
Radzul Dorlus (Understudy)
Choreography/Dance Teacher- Aparna Kalyanaraman
Drama Instructor-Lee Patton Chiles
Cultural Diversity/Leadership Instructor-Cecilia Nadal

Set and Light Designer- Tim Poertner
Tim is currently a professor at Lindenwood University in lighting and scenery design. He did the same at the University of Missouri-St. Louis for five years while working actively with a wide variety of theater and dance companies such as Hot City Theater and Gitana Productions. Tim was nominated for outstanding set design by the Kevin Kline Awards for The Last Days of Julius Iscariot and Complacency of Silence: Darfur with each company.

Costume Designer-Michele Siler
Michele returns to Gitana Productions after designing costumes for last year’s My Heart is Always Shaking. Recent St. Louis credits include Woyzeck, Aerwacol,The Concert, The Polish Eggman and Marija’s Pictures for Upstream Theater, The Odyssey, Othello, Antony and Cleopatra, Troilus and Cressida and The Winter’s Tale for St. Louis Shakespeare, Conversations with My Father, Sabina, Kindertransport, Broadway Bound, The Merchant of Venice for New Jewish Theatre, A Man for All Seasons for St. Louis Actor’s Studio and Dancing on Air: The Kathryn Dunham Story and Eagle and Child for Historyonics Theatre, where Michele designed five seasons of historical theatre.

Sound Design- Michael Perkins
Stage Manager, Yolanda Curry
Choreography/Dance Teacher- Aparna Kalyanaraman

Gitana offers Metro riders a limited number of complimentary tickets for �Eye On The Sparrow: The World Within St. Louis�

Fri, 14 May 2010

Performance photos below
ST. LOUIS, MO – Gitana Productions is offering Metro bus and train riders a limited number of complimentary tickets for the play “Eye On The Sparrow: The World Within St. Louis,” which opens May 21 at St. Louis University Theatre.

Sponsored by Gitana Productions and written by Kevin Kline award-winning playwright Lee Patton Chiles, “Eye On The Sparrow: The World Within St. Louis” is set on a St. Louis Metro bus and explores the heroic stories of ordinary people. Metro riders should call (314) 721-6556 or email gitana@stlouis.missouri.org for ticket information.

“If you’ve ever been touched or inspired by someone of humble background, you must see this play,” said producer Cecilia Nadal of Gitana Productions, a St. Louis not-for-profit arts and education group that nurtures global healing through music, dance and drama. “Eye On The Sparrow explores the “human sparrows” among us, the many extraordinary yet ordinary people who enrich our lives.”

“Eye On The Sparrow” will be presented from May 21 thru June 6, 2010 at the St. Louis University Theatre at Xavier Hall, 3733 West Pine Mall. Performances are 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, 2:30 p.m. on Sundays. Tickets are $15; seniors (65+) and students $12. Call (314) 721-6556 or email gitana@stlouis.missouri.org for more information.

“Eye On The Sparrow” follows Harper, a woman who falls from the grace of a good job with a company car, a marriage and a home to become one among the sparrows. Set within the St. Louis public transportation system, Harper’s life becomes intertwined with the lives of the heroic ordinary people she meets on the bus. Through their everyday struggles, fights and kindnesses, these urban philosophers teach Harper how to begin her life anew.

For tickets and special group rates, call (314) 721-6556 or email gitana@stlouis.missouri.org. Tickets also are available at Cafe Natasha, 3200 S. Grand; Screenz, 6680 Delmar; Macro Sun, 1310 Washington or 6273 Delmar; and the Living Insights Center, 6361 Clayton Rd.

Gitana Productions has been nominated for six Kevin Kline Awards for their first two original plays, “Complacency of Silence: Darfur” in 2008 and “My Heart is Always Shaking” in 2009.

Gitana Productions, Inc. is a not-for-profit arts and education organization dedicated to increasing cross-cultural awareness and collaboration by bringing international music, dance, and drama to the St. Louis community. Gitana events present a rarely seen diversity of international and local artists exhibiting an array of traditional and innovative artistic expressions. For more information, visit www.gitana-inc.org or call Gitana Productions at (314) 721-6556.

# # #

Media Contact:
Mary Schanuel
Synergy Group
mschanuel@synergy-pr.com
(314) 961-9772

Local �sparrows� and photographers honored in Gitana Production photography/essay competition

Mon, 10 May 2010

Winning photos to be exhibited at “Eye On the Sparrow: The World Within St. Louis" opening May 21

Click to view and download high res images

First Place - by Nancy Finke of north St. Louis County

Second Place - by Jessica Hentoff of Florissant

Third place - by Dennis O'Malley of Webster Groves and Cindy Matejcic of southwest St. Louis County

Winning essays

ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI – Three local photographers and an essayist captured the “sparrows among us” for their prize-winning photo/essays in the Gitana Productions “Eye On The Sparrow - The World Within St. Louis” photography competition. The winners were announced this week and will be exhibited at “Eye On the Sparrow: The World Within St. Louis,” an original play by Gitana Productions which opens May 21.

The first place photo/essay by Nancy Finke of north St. Louis County featured Bonnie and Oliver Grueninger, a Florissant couple in their 70s who rise with the roosters each day to prepare their horses and ponies for youth therapeutic horsemanship sessions.

Three teenagers who have been circus performers since they were babies were the subjects of a second-place winning photo/essay by their mother Jessica Hentoff of Florissant, who described them as “three sparrows who inspire me.”

The third place photo/essay by Dennis O’Malley of Webster Groves and Cindy Matejcic of southwest St. Louis County featured their friend, 55-year-old Geri Heidepriem, who lives just a mile from Cindy. They describe her as “a sparrow who soars” despite a series of debilitating illnesses.

The black-and-white juried photography competition “Eye On The Sparrow: The World Within St. Louis” brings attention to the many extraordinary yet ordinary people who enrich our lives in the St. Louis region, according to Cecilia Nadal, executive director of Gitana Productions, a not-for-profit arts and education group that nurtures global healing in the St. Louis community through music, dance and drama.

The winning photographs and stories will be exhibited in the lobby during performances of “Eye On the Sparrow: The World Within St. Louis,” an original play by Gitana Productions which opens May 21 at St. Louis University Theatre. Written by award-winning playwright Lee Patton Chiles, the play is set on a Metro bus and is based on the actual stories of several St. Louisans from diverse backgrounds.

“I’ve been blessed to see all the little behind-the-scenes details that riders, their families and volunteers don’t get to see,” Nancy Finke said of the Grueningers, who have devoted the past 25 years of their life and savings to run Jamestown New Horizons, a therapeutic horsemanship program for children with disabilities. “”Their wealth of patience, knowledge and compassion is unsurpassed, and they make everyone feel they are part of their family.” Fink volunteers at New Horizons and has made photography her hobby since college.

Jessic Hentoff’s three children have grown up in the public eye as circus performers. They teach circus skills to other children and perform at the City Museum with the St. Louis Arches. They also have served as peace ambassadors through Circus Harmony’s “Peace Through Pyramids” collaboration with the Jewish/Arab Galilee Circus in Israel.

“These formidable young people personify Circus Harmony’s mission to defy gravity, soar with confidence and leap over social barriers,” said Hentoff, a retired circus performer who runs Circus Harmony, a St. Louis-based circus school and social circus program.

Geri Heidepriem, the subject of Dennis O’Malley’s photo and Cindy Matejcic’s essay, inspires others with her love, generosity of spirit and her good humor, despite terminal cancer, diabetes, fibromyalgia and a stroke.

“She has met every setback with determination, fortitude and grace,” said Matejcic, who has known Heidepriem since they played softball together as teenagers in Affton. “Despite her physical struggles, limitations and pain, she is always giving to others, letting people know she’s thinking of them.” Matejcic is an avid gardener, wife and mother who is passionate about people who try to make a difference in the world. O’Malley, who photographed Heidepriem, built his first darkroom at the age of 14 and has been a full-time professional photographer for more than 20 years.

The play “Eye On the Sparrow: The World Within St. Louis” will be performed at St. Louis University Theatre from May 21 through June 6, 2010. Performances are 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, 2:30 p.m. on Sundays. Tickets are $15; seniors (65+) and students $12. A limited number of free tickets are available for people who are regular Metro riders. For details, call (314) 721-6556.

For tickets and special group rates, call (314) 721-6556 or email gitana@stlouis.missouri.org. Tickets also are available at Cafe Natasha, 3200 S. Grand; Screenz, 6680 Delmar; Macro Sun, 1310 Washington or 6273 Delmar; and the Living Insights Center, 6361 Clayton Rd.

Gitana Productions, Inc. is a not-for-profit arts and education organization dedicated to increasing cross-cultural awareness and collaboration by bringing international music, dance, and drama to the St. Louis community. Gitana events present a rarely seen diversity of international and local artists exhibiting an array of traditional and innovative artistic expressions. For more information, visit www.gitana-inc.org or call Gitana Productions at (314) 721-6556.

# # #

Media Contact:
Mary Schanuel
mschanuel@synergy-pr.com
314.961.9772

Photography/Essay Winners

Mon, 10 May 2010

news release

FIRST PLACE
Compassion of Bonnie and Oliver Grueninger

Seeing the smile and hearing the laughter from a boy sitting in his wheelchair while Oliver brings over carrots in a tub and Bonnie walks up with Jubilee, is what inspires me each time I visit Bonnie and Oliver Grueninger. They have devoted the past 25 years of their life and life savings to found and run Jamestown New Horizons, a therapeutic horseback riding program for children with disabilities in Florissant, Missouri. It is all the little things behind the scenes that riders, their families and volunteers are not aware of, that I’ve been blessed to see and makes me realize what an even greater sacrifice they give every day to these children, horses and volunteers.

The rooster crows, they are ready to begin the day. Tilly, their Doberman pinscher accompanies Bonnie to the far end of the pasture to rid vines on the fence so the horses do not get caught in them. While walking, they check the pasture for anything that could harm the horses. Oliver heads to the stable, greeting the horses as he gives them their feed and hay, making sure each one responds and looks as they should. After opening the gate to the pasture, Oliver opens each stall and these beautiful creatures kick up their heels, galloping to the pasture where they play and rest before working with the children that evening.

Bonnie heads back to the house and into the office to perform the innumerable duties that keep her occupied, and away from giving her beloved horses the attention she knows they deserve. Around noon, Oliver comes from the stable to see what to fix for their lunch. Yes, he is the man of the house but chores are shared equally by this couple that has been married 48 years.

The afternoon flies by and soon the driveway bell rings signifying that volunteers are coming followed by parents and children for their lesson. Even though the children receive physical and occupational therapy and social skills to name a few, they do not realize it since this environment is different from the cold, sterile setting of a clinic. Here, they feel warm sun, see geese at the pond, a raccoon and her babies among the trees, all as they sit tall on their horses riding around the arena.

Even after the last session ends at 8:30 pm Bonnie and Oliver’s day isn’t done. They chat with volunteers regarding the sessions and then finally turn off the lights in the indoor riding arena and stable and walk to the house. They sit, review and make notes about the riders and tack for the following week.
Their wealth of patience, knowledge, compassion is unsurpassed. And they have a way of making each rider, their family and the volunteers feel that they now are part of their family – whether they have been coming 25 years or 2 years like me.

And did I mention they are in their seventies and have more energy than the Energizer Bunny!
Photo and Essay by Nancy Finke of north St. Louis County

SECOND PLACE
Three Sparrows in My Nest

I have thee sparrows that inspire me--- my three children: Elliana, Keaton and Kellin Hentoff-Killian. We live in Florissant and work at Circus Harmony which is located inside of City Museum in downtown St. Louis but teaches and performs throughout the St. Louis metropolitan area.

Parents who do work they love often hope their children will follow in their footsteps. Teachers hope their students will surpass them. Elliana, Keaton and Kellin are not only my children but they are also my students. I am honored that they have all chosen to follow in my footsteps and I’m inspired by the integrity and passion they each bring to their work.

My name is Jessica Hentoff and I am a retired circus performer who runs Circus Harmony, a circus school and social circus program here in St. Louis. Like most women in the circus, I’ve just always had my children by my side as I did my work. They have each, in their own way, embraced this work as their own. As I watch Elliana, Keaton and Kellin make their own contributions to circus, to the St. Louis community and beyond, it inspires me to do more and better myself.

As members of Circus Harmony, these circus siblings have grown up very much in the public eye. They teach and perform at City Museum and throughout the St. Louis metropolitan area. They have also served as circus peace ambassadors through Circus Harmony’s Peace Through Pyramids collaboration with the Jewish/Arab Galilee Circus in Israel. With their work, these three formidable young people personify Circus Harmony’s mission to “defy gravity, soar with confidence, and leap over social barriers all at the same time.”

Elliana (18) started working in the circus ring when she was just two weeks old because I went back to work and took her with me. She did her first trick at 6 months old --- standing in the hand of Giovanni Zoppe, otherwise known as Nino the Clown. At two, she was performing with the St. Louis Arches, the youth circus troupe I coached. Now, she is a senior member of that troupe.

Elliana has stood on the back of galloping horses, done splits on tight wires, flown on the flying trapeze and much more. Her aerial duet has performed at the internationally renowned Spoleto Arts Festival. It makes me very proud to watch her practice and perform. Her dedication and focus are inspirational in themselves.

What really touches my heart and makes Elliana my hero is her desire to pass it on to others. This year, she started taking American Sign Language. When I asked her why, she told me she wanted to teach circus to deaf children. She does not remember that when she was one year old, she used to sit and play on a blanket while I taught circus to children at the Gallaudet School for the Deaf. At least, she doesn’t consciously remember this.

Elliana has been an assistant teacher at Circus Harmony for several years. This year, she has become one of the lead teachers. She teaches all the adult aerial classes and also goes into schools and community centers throughout St. Louis to each circus arts to children. She does an amazing job. She is patient, kind, strict and fair. Children love her. They learn from her. And she is also wise enough to learn from each of them.

My daughter is also my hero because she is so eloquent in what she does. In an essay she wrote about her life, Elliana said: I want to be able to communicate and teach no matter what kind of barrier there may be. I want to take that barrier down and share my knowledge and love of circus with any one who wants to learn. I want to be able to use my experiences and up-bringing to cross over different lines and make it so even if you are deaf or in a wheel chair or live in the poorest neighborhood you can still present yourself in the circus ring and be proud of who you are and what you can do.

Keaton (15) entered the circus ring as soon as he could crawl. He always wanted to be part of the show. When he was just two, he happily and responsibly served as the assistant for both my dog and parrot shows--- handing me props and helping with the animals. He has always been the most willing and able worker at any circus-related task. He has grown into an accomplished performer. Keaton’s skills run the gamut from tumbling and juggling to trapeze and unicycling. If it is a circus act, he can do it.

Keaton is also an excellent and compassionate teacher. His empathetic nature makes him a teacher that students of all ages and backgrounds trust and work well with. He has a special knack for helping children overcome fears. It is wonderful to watch him get a child to try something they thought they could not do and see Keaton share in their joy as his young charges succeed in places they didn’t think they could.

The concept of fairness is very important to Keaton. He will often champion a child who he thinks is not being treated fairly. He is intensely aware of social justice issues locally and internationally. When he was 13, Keaton single handedly raised over $1500 to help the people of Darfur.

This young man is a natural leader and uses this ability to serve his team mates. As part of the circus troupe, the St. Louis Arches, Keaton is the one the troupe turns to when they need to put together an act or an entire show. He inspires his team mates and students to work harder and do more. Keaton is my hero because he not only works hard to perform well himself but also helps lead others to do so.

Kellin (13) is the artist, the non-conformist, the boy in his own world with his rubber chickens and his duct tape. He was fascinated with juggling and juggling props from an early age and used to line up props and pretend to be doing an act. Unlike his siblings, Kellin was not interested in performing until he could do tricks that he thought were worthwhile.

At the age of 6, he approached me to ask if he could present a solo show in our circus ring at City Museum. “You don’t have a show,” I said. But he did. Kellin had put together a small juggling show of his own. He was the first of many future youth circus showcase performers. He won a national juggling contest with his original chef juggling act when he was 10 years old. At age 12, Kellin was responsible for the first student produced show. Students as old as 18 signed up to be directed by him in this original production.

Kellin is a creator--- from building things with food and stacking lawn furniture into sculptures as a toddler, to stop-action Lego movies and life-sized duct tape dummies as a pre-teen. He has created innovative juggling acts, an array of duct tape fashions and armies of creatures made from recycled materials. He sees things in his mind and makes them real. Everything he does is one-of-a-kind.

Kellin’s concentration and creativity inspire me. He is and has always been his own person. Because he is so solid in himself, he is the first to befriend new students at the circus. Kellin is admired by children, teens and adults for who he is and how he is in the world, in addition to what he creates. Kellin is my hero because I think it is amazing to find someone so true to themselves at so young an age.
Photo and Essay by Jessica Hentoff of Florissant

THIRD PLACE
Geri Heidepriem - "A Sparrow Who Soared"

My friend Geri's nickname is "bird." She got the nickname years ago, when we were teens and played softball together. She was petite and fast; she could run like the wind. Everyone loved her.

Today, at 55, she is still petite, but not quite so fast. Wheelchair-bound, she is paralyzed on the right side. Everyone still loves her, but with a love deepened and enriched by her extraordinary passion for life.

Geri has taught me, and those around her, lessons we'll never forget. The first is her steadfast courage in adversity. Ten years ago, she was diagnosed with Mylodysplasia, a terminal form of cancer of the blood. She was given three or four years to live. She has defied the odds -- fighting with everything she has. Because of the cancer, she subsequently developed other kinds of illnesses and complications, such as insulin-dependent diabetes and fibromyalgia. Then, making matters worse, she had a stroke. No one knew if she would make it or not. She was in the ICU for months. That was followed by months of therapy.

Geri has learned to use her left hand and tries to do everything she can by herself. But of course, her husband, Randy has to help her with a lot of things. He is another sparrow. True love is an amazing thing to watch. Many people stricken with one debilitating illness after another would give up. Not Geri. She has met every setback with determination, fortitude -- and, most of all, grace.

I would say Geri, "Why are you always in a good mood?" With a smile, always with a smile, she would say, “Do you think anyone would want to be around me if I was angry and crabby all the time?”

Everyone who worked at St. John’s therapy loved her. And the patients just had a ball with her. She was always making them laugh, and she could hardly talk! Day by day, her love of life has inspired us. But even that does not capture all that makes her special. Despite her physical struggles, limitations and pain, Geri is always giving to the people she loves.

I remember when I was going through my divorce. Every Wednesday she would come up with some excuse for me to come by at dinner time, knowing my daughter would be with her dad and I would be alone. Her friendship and presence were a source of strength as I went through a difficult time.

As physically challenging as it is for her, she does her best to let people know she's thinking of them, in small ways as well. She writes cards from her computer. It may take her hours to do one, but she stays at it and doesn’t give up. Before the stroke she was somewhat ambulatory. She came over and watched my mom who was suffering with heart disease. They were quite a pair. People would laugh and say, “Whose watching who?”

When another friend became a diabetic, she spent hours writing down and explaining to her what she should eat, when, substitutes, etc. It really picked her up and helped my friend realize that diabetes isn’t a death sentence.

She is always the first to laugh at herself. She fell through the seat on the commode and couldn’t get out. She yelled “Randy, I am in a pickle!” At Christmas we all got an ornament shaped like a pickle. Not just for me, but for all of Geri’s friends, family and acquaintances, it has been our pleasure to have her in our life as long as we have. And I hope it will stay that way for a long time to come. Here’s to Geri, our sparrow of St. Louis.
Photo by Dennis O’Malley of Webster Groves
Essay by Cindy Matejcic of south St. Louis County

Photography Competition Call for Entries �Eye On The Sparrow: The World Within St. Louis�

Tue, 16 Feb 2010

ST. LOUIS, MO – Gitana Productions is calling for entries to their black-and-white juried photography competition “Eye On The Sparrow: The World Within St. Louis” which will bring attention to the many extraordinary yet ordinary people who enrich our lives in the St. Louis region. Entries are due March 31, 2010, and winning photographs will be part of a juried exhibit that tours the St. Louis region in 2010. For entry details, visit www.gitana-inc.org.

“All of us have a hero, someone whose work or deeds make the St. Louis community better and who inspire us to be better,” said Cecilia Nadal, executive director of Gitana Productions, a not-for-profit arts and education group that nurtures global healing in the St. Louis community through music, dance and drama.

“Some heroes are like sparrows, people of simple means and humble backgrounds. An unsung and perhaps unlikely hero might be the friendly bus driver, a caretaker, someone from a different culture or even a homeless person who encourages others. We hope to capture their images and stories in this exhibit.”

Gitana will produce an original play “Eye On the Sparrow: The World Within St. Louis” based on the actual stories of several St. Louisans from diverse backgrounds. Written by award-winning playwright Lee Patton Chiles, the play will be performed at St. Louis University from May 21 thru June 6, 2010. Both the play and the photography competition are intended to engage the community in recognizing the beauty within and the contribution of the “sparrows” among us, Nadal said.

Each photograph submitted to the competition must be accompanied by a 500-word description of the person in the photo, including contact information, details on why they are a “sparrow” and their neighborhood. Images submitted without a narrative will not be considered. Entry details are available at www.gitana-inc.org.

Gitana Productions, Inc. is a not-for-profit arts and education organization dedicated to increasing cross-cultural awareness and collaboration by bringing international music, dance, and drama to the St. Louis community. Gitana events present a rarely seen diversity of international and local artists exhibiting an array of traditional and innovative artistic expressions. For more information, visit www.gitana-inc.org or call Gitana Productions at (314) 721-6556.

# # #

Media Contact:
Mary Schanuel
mschanuel@synergy-pr.com
Synergy Group
314.961.9772
www.synergy-pr.com

First "St. Louis Festival of World Sacred Music" Coming to St. Louis

Thu, 01 Oct 2009

Click to view and download high res images.

Ustad Imrat Kahn, India's foremost sitar and surbahar musician, taught George Harrison of The Beatles.

John Two-Hawks of the Lakota Nation, flutist, singer and musician

Brother Seamus Byrne, Irish composer and performer

Prajwal Ratna Vajracharya, Buddhist dancer

Click to view performance schedule.

Scroll to view and download photos of sacred music instruments

ST. LOUIS, MO – Gitana Productions will present the first “St. Louis Festival of World Sacred Music” on Saturday, October 17, 2009, from noon to 8:00 p.m. at the Union Avenue Christian Church, home of the Union Avenue Opera, at 733 Union Blvd., St. Louis.

“Prepare to be moved by the incredible music of these wonderfully gifted artists,” said Cecilia Nadal, executive director of Gitana Productions, a not-for-profit arts and education group that nurtures global healing in the St. Louis community through music, dance and drama.

“Every culture creates music that is sacred, music that expresses universal emotions,” Nadal said. “The Festival of World Sacred Music reflects our commitment to global healing, by bringing together international and local musicians who represent diverse spiritual and religious interests."

Guest artists include world-renowned musicians:
Ustad Imrat Khan is India’s foremost sitar and surbahar (bass sitar) musician and teacher, whose many students have included George Harrison of The Beatles and Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones. Surbahar players are rare today, and Imrat is the world’s leading exponent of the art. Khan spends a portion of each year teaching classical Indian music and instructing sitar students at Washington University in St. Louis.

John Two-Hawks of the Lakota nation is an indigenous flutist, singer and musician whose Platinum Award-winning work has been featured in dozens of movies, CDs and videos. Two-Hawks has traveled throughout the world as a performer. He plays dozens of instruments, but is best known as a virtuoso player of the Native American flute.

Brother Seamus Byrne is an international composer and performer of Celtic Christian music that is deeply inspiring and soul-nourishing. Born in Ireland, he lives a contemplative lifestyle with the Servants of Love monastic community near the Wicklow mountains. His plays traditional Irish flute, whistles and Bodhrán, and his melodic “old style” vocals are soothing and deeply inspiring. He has a passion for the Celtic spirit of the people who lived in Ireland from 500 to 1,000 AD. The primitive, ancient wisdom of that era comes across in his style of singing and musicianship, which is enthralling and uplifting.

Prajwal Ratna Vajracharya practices a sacred Buddhist dance that, for hundreds of years, has been virtually unknown outside the circles of those who perform it. This ancient ritual dance dates back more than 1,000 years and is a religious discipline of the priests of Kathmandu, who perform the dance as part of their esoteric meditation practices, ceremonies and rituals.

Alerica Anderson is a gospel singer, songwriter, composer, producer and director. He began playing in churches at the age of twelve, studied jazz and music performance at the University of Missouri-Columbia, and directed the university’s gospel choir. He has performed with both secular and gospel artists including Edwin Hawkins, Walter Hawkins, David Peaston, and Celine Dion.

Other musicians include vocalist Margaret Waddell, who will perform 12th century Benedictine chants; vocalist Iya Ashabi, who will perform a Yoruba-derived African musical ceremony; and harpist Amy Camie, who will provide a musical and lyrical interpretation of the Mesopotamian myth of Nanna and Ningal with her ensemble.

Tickets for the full-day festival are $15 for adults, $12 for seniors over 65 and students with ID, $8 for children 12 and under. Discounts are available for groups of 15 or more. For tickets or more information, call Gitana Productions at (314) 721-6556. Tickets also will be available at Screenz Computer Center, 6680 Delmar in the Loop; the Living Insights Center at 6361 Clayton Rd.; and the Everest Café and Bar at 4145 Manchester Avenue, where restaurant patrons can purchase discounted tickets beginning September 1, 2009.

The Regional Arts Commission, Missouri Arts Council, Midwest Arts Alliance, Boeing Employees Charitable Trust and the National Endowment have provided funding to support Gitana Productions events.

Gitana Productions, Inc. is a not-for-profit arts and education organization dedicated to increasing cross-cultural awareness and collaboration by bringing international music, dance and drama to the St. Louis community. Gitana events present a rarely seen diversity of international and local artists exhibiting an array of traditional and innovative artistic expressions. For more information, visit www.gitana-inc.org or call Gitana Productions at (314) 721-6556.

SACRED MUSIC INSTRUMENTS
A display of sacred music instruments will be provided during the Festival by the Living Insights Center of St. Louis.

Click to view/download high res images.

Australian Aboriginal didgeridoo	Tibetan Buddhist conch shell horn	Indian harmonium Hindu & Sufi Muslim	Jewish shofar

Media Contact:
Mary Schanuel
mschanuel@synergy-pr.com
Synergy Group • 7915 Big Bend Blvd. • St. Louis, MO 63119
314.961.9772 • 314.961.9782 (fax)
www.synergy-pr.com

Performance Schedule - St. Louis Festival of World Sacred Music

Thu, 01 Oct 2009

St. Louis Festival of World Sacred Music
Gitana Productions, Inc.
Saturday, October 17, 2009 - Noon to 8 p.m.

Doors open for food, drinks and vendors at 11 a.m.
Noon - Amy Camie – harp interpretation of Mesopotamian myth
1 p.m. - Margaret Waddell - 12th century Benedictine chants
2 p.m. - Prajwal Ratna Vajracharva - sacred Buddhist dance
3 p.m. - Alerica Anderson - gospel music singer
4 p.m. - Iya Ashabi - Yoruba-derived African musical ceremony
5 p.m. - John Two-Hawks - Platinum Award-winning indigenous flutist, singer and musician
6 p.m. - Brother Seamus Byrne - international composer and performer of Celtic Christian music
7 p.m. - Imrat Khan - India’s foremost sitar musician

The Living Insights Center will display World Sacred Instruments throughout the day.

Ticket price allows you to participate in the Festival all day.

Original Play Dramatizes Journey from Afghanistan to St. Louis

Fri, 24 Apr 2009

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Emily Guck, Erica D'Souza and Rahim Sidqui

Erica D'Souza, Erna Becic and Emily Guck

Amira Georges, Healy Rodman and Ghazala Fouladi

Roxane McWilliams

Rahim Siqui, Erna Becic, Amira Georges and Erica D'Souza

Rahim Sidqui, Erna Becic, Amira Georges and Erica D'Souza

ST. LOUIS, MO – A startling production about the journey of refugee women from Afghanistan to St. Louis debuts at St. Louis University Theatre on May 22, 2009 with nine performances through June 7. Gitana Production Inc. will present “My Heart is Always Shaking: Afghan Women Refugees in St. Louis,” based on an original script by Lee Patton Chiles that follows the journey of Afghan women as they escape the Taliban and begin to build a new life in St. Louis.

The journey from Afghanistan to St. Louis is long and difficult, yet nearly 1,500 Afghans and 6,000 Iranians have settled here. Gitana Productions, Inc. will bring this journey to life through “My Heart is Always Shaking.” The performance is part of Gitana’s eleventh annual “Faces of Love” program, which focuses on a different culture each year.

“When we set out to understand another culture, we need to experience it as wholly as possible, using different mediums,” said Cecilia Nadal, producer of Gitana Productions, Inc. “Last year, we explored Persian culture through music, poetry and the Persian cuisine. Through drama, we’ll learn about the hardships and challenges of Afghan women who have made the long and transforming journey from one culture to another.”

Chiles, an acclaimed St. Louis playwright, interviewed two-dozen Afghan women who escaped the Taliban and traveled to St. Louis. The women’s stories are woven together to display a clearer picture of what war in Afghanistan means to women who have experienced a life of oppression. It is a story of courage, humor, sorrow and resilience.

“When I was talking with one woman, I noticed her hands were shaking and I asked if she was afraid,” Chiles said. “She told me, ‘Yes. Even here. My heart is always shaking.’ And that told me so much about her and about the journey she is on. I think this is the kind of story that helps us all grow as people and grow in our understanding of humanity.”

The cast stars several actors who are immigrants from counties including Iran, Oman and Bosnia. Vivian Watt is choreographing the production with set and light design by Kevin Kline Awards-nominated Tim Poertner. Michele Friedman Siler will provide costume design.

“My Heart is Always Shaking” runs May 22 through June 7 at St. Louis University Theatre, 3733 West Pine Mall, with performances on Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $15 for adults, $12 for seniors 65 and older, $10 for students with a valid ID and $8 for children 10 and under. Group discounts are available for groups of 15 or more.

Tickets are available at Screenz, 6680 Delmar Blvd. in University City or by calling 314-721-6556. Patrons of Sameems Afghan Restaurant, 3191 S. Grand Blvd. and Café Natasha at 3200 S. Grand Blvd. can purchase tickets at a special discount. Tickets also will be available at the door.

The Regional Arts Commission, the Missouri Arts Council, The National Endowment for the Arts and the Boeing Employees Charitable Trust have provided funding to support the “Faces of Love From Afghanistan” events.

Gitana Productions, Inc. is a not-for-profit arts and education organization dedicated to increasing cross-cultural awareness and collaboration by bringing international music, dance and drama to the St. Louis community. Gitana events present a rarely seen diversity of international and local artists exhibiting an array of traditional and innovative artistic expressions. For more information, visit www.gitana-inc.org or call Gitana Productions at (314) 721-6556.

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Media Contact: Maggie Rhynes
Synergy Group • 7915 Big Bend Blvd. • St. Louis, MO 63119
314.961.9772 • 314.961.9782 (fax)
www.synergy-pr.com

Gitana Productions Names Afghan immigrant as 2009 Extraordinary Ordinary Person of the Year

Mon, 20 Apr 2009

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Aziza Seddiqui, Gitana Production's 2009 Extraordinary Ordinary Person of the Year

ST. LOUIS, MO – Aziza Seddiqui, 28, of St. Louis has been named Gitana Productions’ 2009 “Deeds Beyond Race: Extraordinary Ordinary Person of the Year.” This is the ninth year for the award, which this year focuses on an ordinary citizen who has bridged the gap between Afghan refugees and immigrants and the broader St. Louis community.

Since immigrating to the St. Louis area in 2007, Seddiqui has worked with St. Louis-based Bi-Lingual International Assistant Services (BIAS), an organization that aids immigrants and refugees in connecting with services to learn English, establish a life in the area and prepare for naturalization tests.

“Aziza makes herself available 24/7 to help her community and clients, providing an amazing service for individuals in St. Louis. She is a source of trust and vital information, particularly for Afghani women refugees,” said Cecilia Nadal, executive producer of Gitana Productions. “Aziza draws on her own experiences as an Afghan immigrant and her abilities to make her clients feel welcomed and to help them work through trauma.”

“The majority of Afghan women refugees have never attended school and are illiterate. We are impressed that Aziza used her education to help those less fortunate than herself in a self-sacrificing way,” said Nadal. “For Afghan women to obtain an education and become literate in English is imperative but very difficult. Aziza makes sure opportunities are available to them and that they are successful.”

Seddiqui will be honored during the opening night performance of the upcoming play “My Heart is Always Shaking: Afghan Women Refugees in St. Louis,” on May 22, 2009 at St. Louis University Theatre. The play is an original production, written by Lee Patton Chiles that follows two women and their families as they escape the Taliban and arrive in St. Louis. The story follows their first year in America, as they struggle to leave behind an oppressive society and maintain their identity in a free one.

The majority of Seddiqui’s work with BIAS includes helping Afghan, Nepali, Pakistani and other foreign individuals find assistance to prepare for naturalization. In the past year, Seddiqui has tutored 35 individuals. Twenty-seven of them have attained citizenship.

Seddiqui understands the challenges that refugee and immigrant women must face. “Most of the refugee or immigrant women are from warring countries. Their biggest problem is education,” she said. “They had no opportunity to get an education during war time, which makes their lives more difficult when they come to developed countries like the United States. They often face great depression and anxiety problems as well.”

Julie Ostropolsky is the president and CEO of BIAS and nominated Aziza for the award.

“For the Afghan immigrants we serve, Aziza is the link between Afghanistan and St. Louis,” Ostropolski said. “She bridges the cultural gap and gives a voice to Afghan women who may not be able to speak for themselves, whether that is because they don’t speak the language, have a physical disability or are bound by cultural norms.”

Seddiqui also helps obtain homecare for elderly refugees and medical services for those who require it.

“The Afghan women trust her,” said Ostropolski. “They often request that she be their interpreter even when others are available. She goes out of her way to assist them, accompanies them to doctor appointments and has helped some through domestic violence or other abuse situations.”

Seddiqui came to the United States from Afghanistan in 2007 to accept a Medal of Honor from President George Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, as part of the International Woman of Courage Award she received in recognition of her work in women’s rights in Afghanistan.

Seven months pregnant and fearing her life would be endangered if she returned to Afghanistan, Seddiqui settled in St. Louis, the same city her grandmother had come to in 2000. Seddiqui holds a Master’s degree in Social Work, has a background in human rights and is fluent in five languages. She is currently working on a book regarding her experiences and women’s rights in Afghanistan.

Gitana event bridges the gap
“My Heart Keeps Shaking” is the highlight of Gitana’s 2009 “Faces of Love” series, which focuses on a different culture each year. Last year’s play, “Complacency of Silence: Darfur,” was Gitana’s first dramatic production and received five Kevin Kline Awards nominations.

This year’s story is one of courage, humor, sorrow and resilience that will give the audience a new perspective on the lives of women in Afghanistan.

“My Heart is Always Shaking” runs May 22 through June 7 at St. Louis University Theatre, 3733 West Pine Mall, with performances on Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $15 for adults, $12 for seniors 65 and older, $10 for students with a valid ID and $8 for children 10 and under. Group discounts are available for groups of 15 or more.

The Regional Arts Commission, the Missouri Arts Council, The National Endowment for the Arts and the Boeing Employees Charitable Trust have provided funding to support the “Faces of Love From Iran and Afghanistan” events.

Gitana Productions, Inc. is a not-for-profit arts and education organization dedicated to increasing cross-cultural awareness and collaboration by bringing international music, dance and drama to the St. Louis community. Gitana is funded by the Missouri Arts Council, Regional Arts Commission, the Monsanto Fund and the Boeing Employee’s Charitable Trust. Gitana events present a rarely seen diversity of international and local artists exhibiting an array of traditional and innovative artistic expressions. Gitana Production’s first theatrical production was nominated for five Kevin Kline Awards. For more information, visit www.gitana-inc.org or call Gitana Productions at (314) 721-6556.

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Media Contact: Maggie Rhynes
Synergy Group • 7915 Big Bend Blvd. • St. Louis, MO 63119
314.961.9772 • 314.961.9782 (fax)
www.synergy-pr.com

Gitana Productions Seeks Nominations for �Extraordinary/Ordinary Person of the Year� Award

Thu, 12 Mar 2009

ST. LOUIS, MO – Gitana Productions, Inc. is seeking nominations for the prestigious, eighth annual “Deeds Beyond Race: Extraordinary/Ordinary Person of the Year” award, which will honor ordinary citizens who have bridged connections between Afghan or Iranian immigrants and the broader St. Louis community.

The St. Louis region plays home to more than 1,500 Afghan and 6,000 Iranian immigrants who have left their home countries to build a new life in metropolitan St. Louis. Gitana Productions is working to raise awareness, understanding and appreciation of the Afghan and Iranian cultures through its annual “Faces of Love” program, which focuses on a different culture or region each year.

The “Extraordinary/Ordinary Person of the Year” will be honored at a performance of “My Heart Is Always Shaking: Afghan Women Refugees in St. Louis,” an original play by St. Louis playwright Lee Patton Chiles. The production will run May 22 through June 7 at St. Louis University Theater and is the highlight of the “Faces of Love” series. Gitana’s first theatrical production, last year’s “Complacency of Silence: Darfur,” (also written by Chiles) is nominated for five Kevin Kline Awards.

“There are people within our city who work constantly, through their daily actions, to bridge the divides of race, culture and religion,” said Cecilia Nadal, executive director of Gitana Productions. “We want to honor these people because their actions are leading us toward a more global, more peaceful St. Louis. Gitana is committed to showing the value of global awareness through the arts and local humanitarianism.”

Nominations should include a one-page essay describing how the candidate voluntarily reaches across ethnic and religious lines with good deeds and why he/she should receive the award. Nomination essays may be emailed to gitana@stlouis.missouri.org or sent to Gitana Productions, PO Box 300280, St. Louis, MO, 63130. Visit www.gitana-inc.org. Deadline for entry is March 30, 2009.

Gitana Productions, Inc. is a not-for-profit arts and education organization dedicated to increasing cross-cultural awareness and collaboration by bringing international music, dance and drama to the St. Louis community. Gitana is funded by the Missouri Arts Council, Regional Arts Commission, the Monsanto Fund and the Boeing Employee’s Charitable Trust. Gitana events present a rarely seen diversity of international and local artists exhibiting an array of traditional and innovative artistic expressions. Gitana Production’s first theatrical production has been nominated for five Kevin Kline Awards. For more information, visit www.gitana-inc.org or call Gitana Productions at (314) 721-6556.

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Contact: Maggie Rhynes
Synergy Group • 7915 Big Bend Blvd. • St. Louis, MO 63119
314.961.9772 • 314.961.9782 (fax)
www.synergy-pr.com

South Side students from all cultures sought for Gitana Production�s free �Global Education through the Arts� program

Fri, 20 Feb 2009

ST. LOUIS, MO – Gitana Productions, Inc., a well-known arts organization that produces theater, music and dance events, is reaching out to youth from all cultures in the South City area for the second season of “Global Education Through the Arts.” The free 16-week, intercultural after-school program for youth ages 12 to 18 will give youth the opportunity to be involved in a film, participate in a professional production and tour St. Louis. Registration is February 28 at 10 a.m. at the St. Louis Public Library’s Carpenter Branch, 3309 South Grand Blvd. Students in last year’s program performed in Gitana’s Kevin Kline Awards nominated production “Complacency of Silence: Darfur.”

“We bring students out of their usual environments and introduce them to a variety of cultures,’ said Cecila Nadal, executive director of Gitana Productions. “They’ll have an opportunity to develop leadership skills and perform onstage.

Twenty-Five students will be accepted in this year’s first 16-week session. Students of all ethnic backgrounds and cultures are encouraged to enroll. Workshops will be held on Wednesdays from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. and on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. with lunch provided. Transportation assistance is available to those who qualify. For more information or to register, call 314-721-6556.

Seven different countries are represented in the program and everyone is welcome. Hispanic, Bosnian, Vietnamese and Afghani youth are especially encouraged to apply for the upcoming session.

“Global Education Through the Arts” promotes intercultural competence among economically challenged local and new immigrant youth living in South St. Louis city. The program will involve 25 ethnically diverse youth in dance, poetry, drama and cultural diversity training to cultivate social skills, team building, cross-cultural communication and conflict resolution. Professional actors and dancers will instruct and mentor the students.

“For a lot of these students, ‘Global Education Through the Arts’ is exactly the kind of exposure and experience they need to be accepted into the college or university they dream about,” said Nadal. “This program allows them to interact with students of so many different backgrounds. They learn to relate to people outside of their own neighborhoods, they learn how to express themselves and how to lead. These skills are priceless and a key step in helping them compete in a global economy.”

Opportunities abound for students who excel in the program. Some will help produce and even appear in Gitana’s upcoming, original theatrical production “My Heart is Always Shaking: Afghan Women Refugees in St. Louis.” Others will have the chance to appear in an upcoming film or tour with S2G Performers, a touring youth group that travels throughout the city of St. Louis offering a music, dance and drama presentation on citizenship and culture. S2G represents the students’ journey, Southside to global.

“Many local and immigrant students have had exceedingly difficult life experiences,” Nadal said. “Learning to express themselves through dance, song or any type of performance can be very therapeutic. And discovering that they have a talent that will help them achieve their goals is a great confidence booster and motivator.”

Monsanto Fund has awarded a $15,000 grant to Gitana Productions to fund the program which allows “Global Education Through the Arts” to be offered to students at no cost. Additional funders include the Regional Arts Commission, Missouri Arts Council, St. Louis Philanthropic, the Arts and Education Council of St. Louis and Boeing Employee’s Charitable Trust.

Gitana Productions, Inc. is a not-for-profit arts and education organization dedicated to increasing cross-cultural awareness and collaboration by bringing international music, dance and drama to the St. Louis community. Since 1997 Gitana events present a rarely seen diversity of international and local artists exhibiting an array of traditional and innovative artistic expressions. Gitana Production’s first theatrical production has been nominated for five Kevin Kline Awards. For more information, visit www.gitana-inc.org or call Gitana Productions at (314) 721-6556.

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Media Contact: Maggie Rhynes
Synergy Group • 7915 Big Bend Blvd. • St. Louis, MO 63119
314.961.9772 • 314.961.9782 (fax)
www.synergy-pr.com

Gitana Productions, Inc. receives $20K in local grants for �Global Education through the Arts� and new internship program

Tue, 20 Jan 2009

ST. LOUIS, MO – The Monsanto Fund and the Arts and Education Council/Boeing Collaborative have awarded $20,000 in grants to Gitana Productions Inc. of St. Louis. The Monsanto Fund grant provides $15,000 and the Boeing Employees Charitable Trust/Arts and Education Council grant provides $5,000.

This is the second consecutive year that Gitana Productions has received the Monsanto Fund grant. The award will continue to fund Gitana’s “Global Education through the Arts,” an after-school program which brings together youth, ages 12 to 17, from diverse cultures within South St. Louis City. The program teaches students to share, accept and celebrate their cultural traits and differences through music, poetry, drama and art. Participants also develop leadership skills aimed at making them competitive in a global economy.

Funding from the Monsanto grant allows Gitana to provide the program at no cost to the parents or youth. “Global Education through the Arts” begins February 28 and continues through the middle of June at St. Louis Public Library’s Carpenter Branch located at 3309 S. Grand.

“The fact that Monsanto has recognized this program two years in a row speaks volumes about their confidence in our mission and the life-changing impact that ‘Global Education through the Arts’ has on the children who participate,” said Cecilia Nadal, Executive Director of Gitana Productions, Inc. “We now serve youth from six different countries, as well as African Americans. It’s rare to see genuine cultural acceptance and understanding between these groups. Arts education at the community level provides a way to encourage involvement between the youth and their parents and the institutions that serve them. We are thankful that the Monsanto Fund recognizes the significance of this program at this time in St. Louis.”

This year, youth participating in the program will have an opportunity to participate in Gitana’s “Faces of Love,” an annual program that focuses on a different culture each year. This year’s focus is on Iran and Afghanistan, and will culminate with an original dramatic production, “My Heart Keeps Shaking: Afghan Women Refugees in St. Louis.” The play will run from May 22 through June 7 at St. Louis University Theatre. Students involved with the “Global Education through the Arts” program will participate in the production and presentation of the play.

The collaborative grant provided by the Boeing Employees Charitable Trust and the Arts and Education Council will fund the new “Cultural Ambassadors Intern Program,” which will provide arts education internships with Gitana Productions to four local minority college students. The interns will shadow Gitana’s arts education leaders and help recruit participants from their individual communities.

“These interns will have an opportunity to understand the power of arts education and how to make it work within a diverse community,” Nadal said. “They also will have a chance to connect with their own communities and neighborhoods in a new way.”

The Monsanto Fund is the philanthropic arm of the Monsanto Company. Incorporated in 1964, the Fund’s primary objective is to improve the lives of people by bridging the gap between their needs and their resources. The Monsanto Fund is focused on grant-making in four main areas: nutritional well-being through agriculture; science education, primarily on professional development for teachers; the environment, which includes conservation, protection of biodiversity, clean water and restoration of wildlife habitat; and improving the quality of life in communities where Monsanto employees live and work. Visit Monsanto Fund at http://www.monsantofund.org/asp/welcome.asp.

Since 1963, the Arts and Education Council has raised over $100 million in private funding for the arts – an important task that directly affects the quality of life of our region. With those funds, the Council annually assists approximately 80 non-profit arts and arts education organizations. Additionally, the Council provides office space, state of the art technology, rehearsal and performance space for 15 arts nonprofit organizations in the Centene Center for Arts and Education, a unique arts incubator located in Grand Center. Visit www.keeparthappening.org or call 314.289.4000 for more information.

Gitana Productions, Inc. is a not-for-profit arts and education organization dedicated to increasing cross-cultural awareness and collaboration by bringing international music, dance and drama to the St. Louis community. Gitana events present a rarely seen diversity of international and local artists exhibiting an array of traditional and innovative artistic expressions. For more information, visit www.gitana-inc.org or call Gitana Productions at (314) 721-6556.

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Media Contact: Maggie Rhynes
Synergy Group • 7915 Big Bend Blvd. • St. Louis, MO 63119
314.961.9772 • 314.961.9782 (fax)
www.synergy-pr.com

Gitana Productions, Inc. receives five Kevin Kline Awards nominations for its first theater production

Mon, 19 Jan 2009

ST. LOUIS, MO – Gitana Productions, Inc. has been nominated for five Kevin Kline Awards for its original production “Complacency of Silence: Darfur,” a play about genocide in Africa. Written by former Kevin Kline Awards winner Lee Patton Chiles, the play was the first dramatic theater production by Gitana.

“Complacency of Silence: Darfur” was nominated for Outstanding New Play or Musical, Outstanding Lighting Design (Tim Poertner), Outstanding Set Design (Tim Poertner), Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Play (Thomasina Clark) and Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Play (Joel King). The Kevin Kline Awards will be presented on March 30, 2009 at the Loretto-Hilton Center in Webster Groves. Tickets are available by calling 314-531-7529.

“We’re thrilled that the play has been recognized with such enthusiasm,” said Cecilia Nadal, executive director of Gitana Productions. “The artists and staff put every ounce of their talent into this production because they recognized the importance of bringing the message of genocide in Darfur to St. Louisians.”

Nadal sought out St. Louis playwright Lee Patton Chiles to interview refugees and aid workers from Darfur, and write a play based on real people and their personal accounts.

“Being nominated for a Kevin Kline Award for best new play is an honor in and of itself. But the fact that “Complacency of Silence: Darfur” was nominated in this category is especially humbling,” said Chiles. “The topic of genocide made it one of the most difficult plays I’ve ever researched or written. I’m so grateful that Gitana wanted to produce a show with such an urgent message.”

“The Kevin Kline Awards nominations reinforce our belief that hard work and love of the arts can make a true impact. These nominations have strengthened our commitment and motivation to continue our aid and support of the people of Darfur,” said Gloria Overton, president of the Gitana board of directors.

Each year, Gitana Productions chooses a different region or culture as the focus of its “Faces of Love” program. Typically, “Faces of Love” includes a series of events ranging from lectures and musical performances to traditional dancing and authentic cuisine. Last year, Nadal expanded Gitana’s arts education efforts to the theater stage in hopes of reaching a greater and more diverse audience with the message about Darfur.

“When we are separated by continents, theater has a great capacity to bring us together. Our mission has always been to educate people through music, dance and drama, and a play was the best medium to tell the story of Darfur,” said Nadal. “Our board of directors helped make this possible, providing a 40 percent match of volunteer time to the funding. The support of St. Louis University was also vitally important. Gitana will continue to offer multidisciplinary arts events to achieve our mission of global healing and cultural acceptance in St. Louis.”

Gitana’s 2009 “Faces of Love” program focuses on Iran and Afghanistan with a second original theatrical production written by Chiles. Last year, Gitana presented a musical and poetry performance from Iran featuring international artists Hossein Omoumi and Fatemeh Keshavarz. The upcoming play “My Heart Keeps Shaking: Afghan Women Refugees in St. Louis” will debut at St. Louis University Theatre on May 22, with nine performances through June 7. Tickets are available by calling 314-721-6556.

“This year, we will get a glimpse into the journey of female Afghan refugees as they travel from Afghanistan to St. Louis,” Chiles said. “Just like “Complacency of Silence: Darfur” this play will open our eyes to a situation we hear a lot about but rarely understand from such a personal point of view.”

The Regional Arts Commission, the Missouri Arts Council, The National Endowment for the Arts, Arts and Education Council and the Boeing Employees Charitable Trust have provided funding to support the “Faces of Love From Iran and Afghanistan” events.

Gitana Productions, Inc. is a not-for-profit arts and education organization dedicated to increasing cross-cultural awareness and collaboration by bringing international music, dance and drama to the St. Louis community. Gitana events present a rarely seen diversity of international and local artists exhibiting an array of traditional and innovative artistic expressions. For more information, visit www.gitana-inc.org or call Gitana Productions at (314) 721-6556.

# # #

Media Contact: Maggie Rhynes
Synergy Group • 7915 Big Bend Blvd. • St. Louis, MO 63119
314.961.9772 • 314.961.9782 (fax)
www.synergy-pr.com

Original play dramatizes journey from Afghanistan to St. Louis

Thu, 08 Jan 2009

ST. LOUIS, MO – A startling production about the journey of refugee women from Afghanistan to St. Louis debuts at St. Louis University Theatre on May 22, 2009 with nine performances through June 7. Gitana Production Inc. will present “My Heart is Always Shaking: Afghan Women Refugees in St. Louis,” based on an original script by Lee Patton Chiles that follows the journey of Afghan women as they escape the Taliban and begin to build a new life in St. Louis.

The journey from Afghanistan to St. Louis is long and difficult, yet nearly 1,500 Afghans and 6,000 Iranians have made the trip. Many leave behind a long tradition of farming and rural life to join a metropolitan community and start new lives. Gitana Productions, Inc. will bring this journey to life through “My Heart is Always Shaking.” The performance is the eleventh in Gitana’s annual “Faces of Love” program, which focuses on a different culture each year.

The “Faces of Love” program series began its focus on Iran and Afghanistan last fall with a celebration of Persian culture through a poetry contest and a music and poetry performance by Hossein Omoumi, a famed Persian musician, and Fatemah Keshavarz, a professor of Persian literature at Washington University. The series will be concluded with the upcoming play, “My Heart Is Always Shaking: Afghan Women Refugees in St. Louis.”

“When we set out to understand another culture we need to experience it as wholly as possible, using different mediums,” said Cecilia Nadal, producer of Gitana Productions, Inc. “Last year, we explored Persian culture through music, poetry and the Persian cuisine. Through drama, we’ll learn about the hardships and challenges of Afghan women who have made the long and transforming journey from one culture to another. Lee Patton Chiles does a beautiful job of sharing a story that began on the other side of the world but ends right here in St. Louis.”

Chiles, an acclaimed St. Louis playwright, interviewed two-dozen Afghan women who escaped the Taliban and traveled to St. Louis. The women’s stories are woven together to display a clearer picture of what war in Afghanistan means to women who have experienced a life of oppression. It is a story of courage, humor, sorrow and resilience.

“When I was talking with one woman, I noticed her hands were shaking and I asked if she was afraid,” Chiles said. “She told me, ‘Yes. Even here. My heart is always shaking.’ And that told me so much about her and about the journey she is on. I think this is the kind of story that helps us all grow as people and grow in our understanding of humanity.”

“My Heart Is Always Shaking” runs May 22 through June 7 at St. Louis University Theatre, 3733 West Pine Mall, with performances on Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $15 for adults, $12 for seniors 65 and older, $10 for students with a valid ID and $8 for children 10 and under. Group discounts are available for groups of 15 or more.

Tickets are available by calling 314-721-6556 or at Sameems Afghan Restaurant, 3191 S. Grand Ave. and Screenz, 6680 Delmar Blvd. in University City. Patrons of Sameems restaurant will receive a special ticket discount.

The Regional Arts Commission, the Missouri Arts Council, The National Endowment for the Arts and the Boeing Employees Charitable Trust have provided funding to support the “Faces of Love From Iran and Afghanistan” events.

Gitana Productions, Inc. is a not-for-profit arts and education organization dedicated to increasing cross-cultural awareness and collaboration by bringing international music, dance and drama to the St. Louis community. Gitana events present a rarely seen diversity of international and local artists exhibiting an array of traditional and innovative artistic expressions. For more information, visit www.gitana-inc.org or call Gitana Productions at (314) 721-6556.

# # #

Media Contact: Maggie Rhynes
Synergy Group • 7915 Big Bend Blvd. • St. Louis, MO 63119
314.961.9772 • 314.961.9782 (fax)
www.synergy-pr.com

�Faces of Love From Iran� Brings Persian Culture to the St. Louis Stage

Mon, 10 Nov 2008

Click to view and download high-res image

Hossein Omoumi

World-renowned Persian musician Hossein Omoumi made his St. Louis debut on October 25 at the Ethical Society of St. Louis when Gitana Production’s presented “Faces of Love from Iran: We are God’s Music.” Omoumi has received great acclaim for his talent in playing the ney, a traditional Persian reed flute.

“Faces of Love” is a series of events produced annually by Gitana. Each year, the series focuses on a different region of the world with the goal of increasing awareness of a culture through the arts. This year’s focus is on the Persian culture of Iran and Afghanistan.

“Omoumi grew up surrounded by the vivid Persian culture,” said Cecilia Nadal, executive producer of Gitana Productions, Inc. “To have a Master like Omoumi here brought a level of performance and authenticity from Persian culture which is unparalleded in St. Louis. We were able to share experiences with the people around their food, superb music and the poetry of Persia. We discovered each others culture right here in St. Louis”

Guests at the “Faces of Love” event enjoyed Persian cuisine provided by Café Natasha and the poetry of famed Persian poet Rumi presented by Dr. Fatemeh Keshavarz, a native of Iran and the chair of the Department of Asian and Near Eastern Languages and Literatures at Washington University.

“The response to the program was overwhelmingly positive,” said Nadal.
Audience member Dr. Bahar Bastani, President of the St. Louis Iranian Cultural Society said, “’Faces of Love from Iran’ was one of the best cultural events I have participated in in the past decade.”

“Faces of Love from Iran” will continue with an original theatrical production “My Heart Keeps Shaking” at St. Louis University from May 22 to June 9, 2009. The play will dramatize the experience of Afghan women refugees who have relocated to St. Louis, which currently is home to about 6,000 Iranians and 1,500 Afghans. The people of Afghanistan are related to many of the ethnic groups in neighboring Iran. Most Afghans are farmers, although a significant number followed a nomadic lifestyle before fleeing the country to become refugees in neighboring nations and abroad.

The Regional Arts Commission, the Missouri Arts Council, and the Arts and Education Council of St. Louis have provided funding to support the “Faces of Love From Iran and Afghanistan” events.

Gitana Productions, Inc. is a not-for-profit arts and education organization dedicated to increasing cross-cultural awareness and collaboration by bringing international music, dance and drama to the St. Louis community. Gitana events present a rarely seen diversity of international and local artists exhibiting an array of traditional and innovative artistic expressions. For more information, visit www.gitana-inc.org or call Gitana Productions at (314) 721-6556.

# # #

Media Contact: Maggie Rhynes
Synergy Group • 7915 Big Bend Blvd. • St. Louis, MO 63119
314.961.9772 • 314.961.9782 (fax)
www.synergy-pr.com

John MacEnulty named winner of Gitana Productions poetry contest

Fri, 24 Oct 2008

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John MacEnulty

John MacEnulty of Tower Grove was named the winner of Gitana Productions’ “The Language of the Heart,” poetry contest. MacEnulty was awarded a cash prize and presented his winning poetry to a capacity crowd during Gitana’s poetry slam on October 18. Richard Fischer of St. Louis received second place and third place went to Cathleen Callahan of St. Peters.

Local poets of diverse cultures were invited to submit original works based on specific lines of poetry by the acclaimed Persian poet Rumi. Entries were judged by St. Louis poet Michael Castro and Dr. Fatemeh Keshavarz, the chair of the Department of Asian and Near Eastern Languages and Literatures at Washington University in St. Louis. Dr. Kesharvarz, an expert on Rumi, recited Rumi’s poetry in both English and Persian. She also presented a rousing lecture about the life of the acclaimed 13th century poet.

“John’s poem stood out because it showed a deep awareness of Rumi’s beautiful and complex understanding of music, yet the poet had his own distinct voice,” said Keshavarz. “The poem speaks to the interaction between silence and voice, stillness and moving, being and becoming.”

“The Language of the Heart,” served as the opening event to Gitana’s annual Faces of Love series. This year, Faces of Love focuses on the culture of Iran and Afghanistan through events that showcase Persian poetry, music and cuisine. “Faces of Love from Iran: We Are God’s Music” took place Saturday, October 25 at the Ethical Society of St. Louis. “Faces of Love from Iran: We Are God’s Music” featured Hossein Omoumi, a world-renowned Iranian musician who has been hailed the best ney player in the world. Audience members gave excellent reviews to this premiere performance of Omoumi in St. Louis.

The final event in the series will be an original play “My Heart Keeps Shaking” at St. Louis University from May 22 to June 9, 2009.

The play will dramatize the experience of Afghan refugees and immigrants who have relocated to St. Louis, which currently is home to about 6,000 Iranians and 1,500 Afghans. The people of Afghanistan are related to many of the ethnic groups in neighboring Iran. Most Afghans are farmers, although a significant number followed a nomadic lifestyle before fleeing the country to become refugees in neighboring nations and abroad.

The Regional Arts Commission, the Missouri Arts Council, and the Arts and Education Council of St. Louis have provided funding to support the “Faces of Love From Iran and Afghanistan” events.

Gitana Productions, Inc. is a not-for-profit arts and education organization dedicated to increasing cross-cultural awareness and collaboration by bringing international music, dance and drama to the St. Louis community. Gitana events present a rarely seen diversity of international and local artists exhibiting an array of traditional and innovative artistic expressions. For more information, visit www.gitana-inc.org or call Gitana Productions at (314) 721-6556.

# # #

Media Contact: Maggie Rhynes
Synergy Group • 7915 Big Bend Blvd. • St. Louis, MO 63119
314.961.9772 • 314.961.9782 (fax)
www.synergy-pr.com

We Are God's Music - Meet the Musicians

Mon, 29 Sep 2008

Following is an introduction to each of the musicians who will perform in "Faces of Love Iran: We Are God's Music" on October 18.

Read a news release about "Faces of Love Iran: We Are God's Music"

Hossein Omoumi, ney and voice
www.omoumi.com
Hossein Omoumi, born in 1944 in Esfahân, Iran, is a renowned master of classical Persian music. He received his first musical training from his father. At age fourteen he began his own studies of the instrument. He entered the National Conservatory of Music in Tehran in 1962 to study Vocal Radif and theory under Mahmoud Karimi and Farhad Fakhreddini. Since 1968 he has continued to study the technique of playing the ney and the repertoire of the school of Esfahân with Hassan Kassâi.

Omoumi is a noted scholar and teacher of Persian music. He has taught at the National Conservatory in Tehran, the Faculty of Arts at the University of Tehran, the Center for the Preservation and Diffusion of Persian Music in Iran, the CEMO at the Sorbonne, UCLA, and the University of Washington in Seattle. He is now Maseeh Professor in Performing Arts (Classical Persian music) at UC Irvine. Dr. Omoumi is also an architect, holding an M.A from the National University of Iran and a doctorate from the University of Florence, and taught architecture at the National University of Iran for 10 years. His performance career spans more than four decades and three continents, including appearances at many of the major concert halls and festivals of Europe, the United States, and Canada. He has recorded numerous albums, and appeared on many others including the sound track to The Sweet Hereafter winner of the Grand Prix at Cannes in 1997. His research on the making of the ney (reed flute) and Persian percussion has opened up new possibilities and introduced significant innovations to the ney, tombak, dâyereh and daf.

Amir Koushkani, târ
www.koushkani.com
Amir Koushkani began his music appreciation at home when he was introduced to the classical Persian themes. At age thirteen, he began formal musical training in tar and setar, and after completing his program under the tutelage of Master Darioush Pirniakan, he became an instructor of tar at the age of nineteen at Iran’s Center for Preservation of Music. In 1991, Koushkani immigrated to Canada. He now lives in Toronto, where he continues to explore traditional music through composition and improvisation. He has also completed a Bachelor’s Degree in European modern composition at Simon Fraser University. He has composed works for theater, orchestra, solo performers, and chamber groups, including the Vancouver Ensemble Safa as well as commissions from the Pacific Baroque Ensemble, Seattle Baroque Orchestra, CBC Chamber Orchestra, and the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra.

Jessika Kenney, voice
Vocalist Jessika Kenney, born in Spokane, Washington, has studied and worked with many musicians, including the great singer-teachers Nyi Supadmi in Central Java, and Jay Clayton at Cornish College of the Arts . In 2004 she began studying with Dr. Hossein Omoumi, and has been performing in his ensemble since 2006. Her love of Persian music and poetry grows out of a search for the subtleties and spirituality of the vocal arts. Jessika has also collaborated with artists such as Eyvind Kang, Jarrad Powell, Gamelan Pacifica, and Raz Mesinai, among many others. Her recordings include "The Stonehouse Songs" (Present Sounds 2007) with composer Jarrad Powell, and "Aestuarium¨(Endless 2006). She also appeared with singer Mike Patton as soloist in the choral piece "Athlantis" by Eyvind Kang (Ipecac 2007).

Eyvind Kang, viola
Eyvind Kang has released several recordings of his compositions, including the acclaimed choral piece "Athlantis" (2007). His music has been performed by the Orchestra Teatro Communale di Bologna, the Playground Ensemble, the Coro di Camera di Modena, and other ensembles. As a violist he has performed and recorded with many great musicians, including Bill Frisell, Laurie Anderson, Amir Koushkani, and Jessika Kenney. His teachers have included the great violinists Michael White and Dr. N. Rajam of India. Since 2006 he has worked and studied with Dr. Hossein Omoumi.

Ziya Tabassian, tombak and daf
www.ziyatabassian.com
Ziya Tabassian acquired his first tombak at the age of ten. From 1994 to 2001 he studied western classical percussion with Julien Grégoire in Montreal, and completed a Bachelor’s degree in percussion interpretation at the Université de Montréal. During the winter of 2002, Ziya went back to Iran for tombak training with M. Bahman Rajabi, and in 2003, he completed a residency at the Banff Centre for the Arts, where he explored contemporary music for Persian percussion.
Ziya plays in several early, contemporary, and world music ensembles and is an active and a co-founding member of the ensemble Constantinople (www.constantinople.ca). He has performed concerts in Canada, Mexico, Europe, the U.S.A., Middle East and Hong Kong. He has also released many CDs in collaboration with his brother, Kiya Tabassian, and with Constantinople, on the ATMA label, and recorded with many others, including the Kronos Quartet, Hossein Omoumi, En Chordais, Mercan Dede, the Nouvel Ensemble Moderne and Lo’Jo. He recently released his solo CD called TOMBAK, on Ambiances Magnétiques label.

Musical and Poetic Production Brings Persian Culture to St. Louis

Thu, 11 Sep 2008

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Hossein Omoumi

Meet the musicians of "We are God's Music"

In a musical and poetic celebration of art and culture, “Faces of Love From Iran: We are God’s Music” will bring world-renowned Persian musician Hossein Omoumi to the St. Louis stage. Gitana Productions, Inc. will sponsor “Faces of Love From Iran: We are God’s Music” on Saturday, October 25, 2008 at 8 p.m. at the Ethical Society of St. Louis, 9001 Clayton Road.

A native of Isfahan, Iran, Omoumi is heralded as the best ney player in the world. The ney is a traditional Persian reed flute which Omoumi began playing as a teenager and later studied at the National Conservatory of Music in Tehran. A renowned scholar and teacher of Persian music, he has toured Europe and the United States. An ensemble of rising stars in international music will join Omoumi to present traditional Persian music.

The London Independent heralded Omoumi as “the best ney-player in the world.” The Montreal Gazette wrote “Omoumi has the kind of stage presence that demands reverence…and for good reason. Omoumi’s playing was transparent at times, breathy at others, with an astounding range of dynamics and articulation…The effect was transfixing.”

“One of the greatest ways to learn about a different culture, its people and practices, triumphs and tragedies, is through its music and poetry,” said Cecilia Nadal, executive producer of Gitana Productions, Inc. “We have such fixed ideas about the Middle East that we often don’t understand the depth and beauty of the culture in that portion of the world.”

The “Faces of Love” series is produced annually by Gitana Productions and focuses on a different region of the world each year, with the goal of bringing cultures together through art. “Faces of Love from Iran” is the 11th event in the series.

While focused on Persian music, “We are God’s Music” also celebrates Jewish culture. Omoumi and the musicians accompanying him will perform selections by composer Ostad Morteza Neydavoud, a Jewish musician raised in Iran who strongly influenced classical Persian music. Neydavoud’s Jewish background gave him a strong musical foundation that he brought to Persian culture where music was not yet encouraged. By collaborating with contemporary, living poets Neydavoud become one of the greatest songwriters ever produced in Iran. He also brought the idea of a concert for the “common people” to the Persian culture, which had previously reserved musical performances for select, upper-class audiences. Neydavoud included women in musical performances in spite of Islamic restrictions, another of his many contributions to the culture.

Poetry by the famed Persian poet Rumi will be read at the event by Fatemeh Keshavarz, a native of Iran and the chair of the Department of Asian and Near Eastern Languages and Literatures at Washington University in St. Louis. Keshavarz has authored several books including one on the poetry of Rumi, who was born in what is present day Afghanistan. Rumi is considered one of the greatest poets, philosophers and scholars of the Islamic civilization, and 800 years after his birth, is the world’s best-selling poet.

Keshavarz spoke at the UN General Assembly in May 2007 on the broader implications of cultural education for world peace. She also was featured in an hour-long episode of the National Public Radio show “Speaking of Faith.” The episode, “The Ecstatic Faith of Rumi,” received the Peabody Award in April 2008. Keshavarz was most recently awarded the 2008 Hershel Walker Peace & Justice Award by People’s Weekly.

Tickets to “Faces of Love Iran” are $30 for regular admission, $45 for VIP admission which includes a private reception featuring Persian cuisine. Tickets may be purchased by calling 314-721-6556 or emailing gitana@stlouis.missouri.org.

The final event in the series “Faces of Love ” will be an original play “My Heart Keeps Shaking” at St. Louis University from May 22 to June 9, 2009. The play will dramatize the experience of Afghan refugees and immigrants who have relocated to St. Louis, which currently is home to about 6,000 Iranians and 1,500 Afghans. The people of Afghanistan are related to many of the ethnic groups in neighboring Iran. Most Afghans are farmers, although a significant number followed a nomadic lifestyle before fleeing the country to become refugees in neighboring nations and abroad.

The Regional Arts Commission and the Missouri Arts Council have provided funding to support the “Faces of Love From Iran and Afghanistan” events.

Gitana Productions, Inc. is a not-for-profit arts and education organization dedicated to increasing cross-cultural awareness and collaboration by bringing international music, dance and drama to the St. Louis community. Gitana events present a rarely seen diversity of international and local artists exhibiting an array of traditional and innovative artistic expressions. For more information, visit www.gitana-inc.org or call Gitana Productions at (314) 721-6556.

# # #

Media Contact: Maggie Rhynes
Synergy Group - 7915 Big Bend Blvd. - St. Louis, MO 63119
314.961.9772 - 314.961.9782 (fax)
www.synergy-pr.com

Local St. Louis Poetry Contest Celebrates Rumi and the Language of the Heart

Thu, 14 Aug 2008

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Dr. Fatemeh Keshavarz, a Rumi scholar and

ST. LOUIS, MO – Gitana Productions invites local writers to submit original poems for “The Language of the Heart,” a poetry contest and reading based on the work of the acclaimed 13th century Persian poet Rumi. Prizes of $300, $150 and $50 will be awarded, and select poems will be featured at “The Language of the Heart” poetry reading to be held at the Regional Arts Commission on October 18, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. The contest entry fee is $10 for up to two poems, which must be submitted to Gitana Productions, PO Box 300280, St. Louis MO 63130 by October 10, 2008. There is no limit on the number of entries.

The poetry competition was inspired by the Rumi poem entitled “On Language,” which includes the following lines:

“The language of companionship is a unique one.
To reach someone through the heart is other than reaching them through words.
Besides words, allusions and arguments,
The heart knows a hundred thousand ways to speak.”

“St. Louis is a racially and ethnically divided city that can heal itself by engaging other cultures through arts and education,” said Cecilia Nadal, executive director of Gitana Productions. “In a time of seemingly endless conflicts, it’s critical that racial and cultural groups do not remain isolated. The better paradigm is to embrace our neighbors in a spirit of celebration. We believe there is no better way to learn from others than to experience their music, dance and culture.”

“The Language of the Heart” is the first in a series of events called “Faces of Love From Iran and Afghanistan” sponsored by Gitana Productions in 2008/2009. In addition to the poetry contest and reading, Gitana will feature the music and poetry of Persia in “Faces of Love from Iran,” to be held Saturday, October 25 at the Ethical Society in St. Louis. The performance includes flutist Hossein Omoumi & Ensemble, one of the world's most respected masters and innovators of the ney, the traditional reed flute of Iran. Dr. Fatemeh Keschavarz, a professor of Persian language and literature at Washington University in St. Louis, will recite poetry from Rumi along with Omoumi’s performance. Tickets and information are available at www.gitana-inc.org.

Hossein Omoumi has a stage presence that demands reverence, according to the Montreal Gazette, which reviewed his performance in Montreal, Canada last November.

“Omoumi's playing was transparent at times, breathy at others, with an astounding range of dynamics and articulation,” the Gazette reported. “His melodies spanned registers, often using two or more notes at once. He also sang - a haunting, melancholy warble that carried all the pathos of his proud tradition. The effect was transfixing.”

The final event in the series “Faces of Love ” will be an original play “My Heart Keeps Shaking” at St. Louis University from May 22 to June 9, 2009. The play will dramatize the experience of Afghan refugees and immigrants who have relocated to St. Louis, which currently is home to about 6,000 Iranians and 1,500 Afghans. The people of Afghanistan are related to many of the ethnic groups in neighboring Iran. Most Afghans are farmers, although a significant number followed a nomadic lifestyle before fleeing the country to become refugees in neighboring nations and abroad.

Judges for the poetry competition will include Dr. Fetemah Keshavarz, who was featured in 2007 on the Peabody-award winning National Public Radio series called “Speaking of Faith: The Ecstatic Faith of Rumi,” hosted by Krista Tippett from American Public Media. Her interview and poetry by Rumi can be heard at http://speakingoffaith.publicradio.org/programs/rumi/poetry.shtml.

The Regional Arts Commission and the Missouri Arts Council, Arts and Education Council of St. Louis have provided funding to support the “Faces of Love From Iran and Afghanistan” events.

Gitana Productions, Inc. is a not-for-profit arts and education organization dedicated to increasing cross-cultural awareness and collaboration by bringing international music, dance and drama to the St. Louis community. Gitana events present a rarely seen diversity of international and local artists exhibiting an array of traditional and innovative artistic expressions. For more information, visit www.gitana-inc.org or call Gitana Productions at (314) 721-6556.

Media Contact: Maggie Rhynes
Synergy Group • 7915 Big Bend Blvd. • St. Louis, MO 63119
314.961.9772 • 314.961.9782 (fax)
www.synergy-pr.com

Notes from the playwright

Thu, 15 May 2008

by L. Patton Chiles

Click photo to view and download a high-res image.

Actress and choreographer Vivian Watt performs in "Complacency of Silence: Darfur."

Cecilia Nadal, the founder of Gitana Productions, asked me to write a play about the genocide in Darfur. Many months later – more than I care to count – the play is finished and in rehearsals. What a journey between the asking and the actual production!

In researching for this play, I spoke to a doctor in Germany and exchanged emails with a doctor in England. I interviewed Brian Steidle and his sister Gretchen who produced the film The Devil Came on Horseback. I interviewed Samuel Totten, genocide expert and Daoud Hari, genocide survivor.

I corresponded with aid worker, journalist, and photographer Gina Brammucci, who spent time in Darfur doing aid worker and wrote beautiful, moving accounts of her time there. Her stories, writings, and photographs were a great source of inspiration and information.

I drove 250 miles with the producer to interview refugees in Kansas City who had actually been able to get out of Darfur. The Darfuri people there were very welcoming. They even allowed us to try on their clothing, called toubs, which are gorgeous. They helped us put on the toubs while they shared their personal tales with us. Slowly, I began to understand who they really are.

Every one of these people was passionately articulate about Darfur and generous with their time and stories. I hope there is a little bit of each of them in the play.

Having gathered all the information and stories, I felt overwhelmed. How was I going to get people to care? I believe humans are, by nature, programmed to help each other, to rescue the person in danger. However, the world we live in is so fast and so inundated with information that it takes a lot to get our attention anymore, a lot to get us to really care. The politics that led to the genocide are long and complicated and difficult to portray on stage – though they do appear.

I decided to focus on the people. I wanted the audience to get to know Darfuri people, before they became victims and statistics on the evening news. When I went back to get more information on life before the genocide, I found a love story. From that grew a family. I took all of the information I had and created composite characters who live and breathe and think and feel just like we do. Everything in the play – all of the events – are actual documented events. But they are told through the lives of this fictional family.

That is, except for Gina. Besides being an aid worker, Gina also writes beautifully and, most of the time in the play, I have let her speak for herself.

Gina’s co-worker Diego generously allowed us to use his song “The Dry Season” as one of our songs in the play, as well as a piece of his poetry. I have been very blessed to have so many people who have been in close contact with the Darfuri people contribute to this process. It has given the production a real authenticity and a personality.

The cast is exceptional: Briston Ashe; Jamie Fritz; Thomasina Clark; Joel King; Susanne Yatim; Vivian Watt and Eddie Webb. We also have Myah Maedell playing the drums.

In addition to our professional actors, we have added teens from Gitana Productions’ “Global Education through the Arts” program, which teaches African American teens and African refugee teens how to understand one another through dance and drama. Their presence on stage marks a remarkable transformation for most of them.

Despite the horrible things that happen to the characters in the play, ultimately, the play is very uplifting and, I hope, inspiring. I also hope that by seeing the performance, audience members will identify with the Darfur people and move the audience to take action.

The people I have come in contact with essentially took me to Darfur. They told me what its smells like there, what the dirt feels like. These are the everyday details you cannot read in a book or a newspaper. That has been my journey and I am excited to take the audience of “Complacency of Silence: Darfur” on that journey as well.

# # #

Media Contact: Maggie Rhynes
Synergy Group • 7915 Big Bend Blvd. • St. Louis, MO 63119
314.961.9772 • 314.961.9782 (fax)
www.synergy-pr.com

Gitana Productions Puts Human Face on Darfur Crisis With Original Play "Complacency of Silence: Darfur" by Lee Patton Chiles

Mon, 12 May 2008

ST. LOUIS, MO – Complacency of Silence: Darfur, an original theatrical play produced by Gitana Productions, Inc. of St. Louis, will use the power of

What:. “Complacency of Silence: Darfur” - an original theatrical production.

When: May 23 through June 8

Where: Saint Louis University Theatre

Who: Written by St. Louis play write Lee Patton Chiles and produced by Gitana Productions, Inc.

Why it’s worth checking out: In a country thousands of miles away, 400,000 lives have been lost to genocide and millions are displaced. The greatest help we can offer is to educate ourselves on the crisis and understand the individual and personal effects it inflicts on the people of Darfur.

Click on the photos to view and download high-res images.

"Eyelash Girl"
Gina Bramucci

"Football Days on the Jebel"
Gina Bramucci

"Nomadic Girl Sand-Dusted"
Gina Bramucci

Daoud Hari

The following photos are credited to Jerry Fowler, staff director of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum's Committee on Conscience.

Bahai, Chad. The majority of refugees in Chad have "spontaneously" settled in places like Bahai and are not in organized camps.

A malnourished girl in the MSF therapeutic feeding center, Iriba, Chad. Nutrition continues to be a problem among the refugees in Chad in spite of international assistance. The situation is worse inside Sudan, where the government is obstructing access for relief agencies.

Iridimi refugee camp, Chad. Hawa Salihdin and her children. Her father, her brother, her cousin and 30 other people were killed when the militias attacked her village. Her mother, Hadiya Ahmed, disappeared and is still missing.

Touloum refugee camp, Chad

Touloum refugee camp, Chad. This man lost his leg after being bombed by a Sudanese government aircraft.

theatre, music and dance to put a human face on the humanitarian crisis in Darfur. Gitana Productions, Inc. will present nine performances of Complacency of Silence: Darfur at the Saint Louis University Theatre, 3733 West Pine Mall in St. Louis, from May 23 through June 8, 2008. This production will be the 10th in a series of annual “Faces of Love” cultural events brought to St. Louis by Gitana Productions.

Complacency of Silence: Darfur is an original theatrical production written by St. Louis playwright Lee Patton Chiles, which dramatizes the humanitarian crisis in the Darfur region of Sudan, Africa.

The United Nations estimates that the genocide in Darfur has claimed more than 400,000 lives and displaced 2.3 million of the region’s 7 million residents. More than one million Darfuris continue to live in their villages under the constant threat of bombings, raids, murder, rape and torture.

Millions more Darfuris, mostly women and children, have fled their homes and now live in sprawling camps for the internally displaced in Darfur, and in refugee camps in neighboring Chad. There they struggle to meet basic needs: water, food, shelter and security, the most precious of all, because without it, the other basics can’t be achieved. For example, the people in the camps can no longer cultivate food to provide for their families. To simply venture outside the camp for firewood means death for the men and rape for the women.

“Complacency of Silence: Darfur will personalize this modern-day genocide,” said Cecilia Nadal, executive director of Gitana Productions. “Most of us know the Darfuri people only as statistical victims. By individualizing the stories and making them real and personal, Gitana hopes that Complacency of Silence: Darfur will inspire people to take action on behalf of their fellow men, women and children.”

The play will provide insight into the lives of the Darfuri people such as mothers struggling to feed their babies, children eager to go to school, young men and women looking towards marriage and family.

“These are remarkably courageous people who have always embraced life,” said Nadal. “They loved to dance and sing, work the land, raise their sheep and goats. They aspired to make a good life for themselves, family and community, but at a specific moment in time, without notice, their government turned them into prey.”

Playwright Patton Chiles has spent more than a year doing research for the play on Darfur, which has connected her with people all over the world including Dr. Samuel Totten, who investigated the genocide for the United Nations; Professor Ellen Ismail in Germany; Father Gabriel Nukta in Sudan; Daoud Hari from northern Darfur; and several other people who for security’s sake, asked to not be named.

Among the first people that Chiles interviewed were Brian Steidle and his sister Gretchen Steidle Wallace, authors of the book THE DEVIL CAME ON HORSEBACK, which is based on their correspondence to each other throughout Brian’s time in Darfur. The book, which exposes the ongoing tragedy in Sudan as seen through the eyes of one American witness, was made into an award-winning film in 2007.

“The research for this play has taken me places I’ve never gone before,” said Chiles. “I met several Darfur refugees here in Missouri who told me what it’s like in Darfur, how it smells, what the dirt feels like. They let me try on a toub, the gorgeous colored and patterned cloth worn by Sudanese women as their traditional outer clothing. These are details you don’t learn when you read a newspaper.”

Chiles also “met” award-winning journalist, photographer and humanitarian relief worker Gina Bramucci through a series of encounters. Bramucci had created the Temoignages Project (Temoignages is the French word for testimony) with two colleagues in 2005 and 2006 while working on her graduate degree in Darfur. The project used photos, stories and music to make the reality of the Darfur tragedy more tangible to people in distant places.

“Gina is my ‘six degrees of separation’ contact with Darfur,” said Chiles. “She has graciously and generously shared her journal entries, e-mails, thoughts and opinions, even brutally honest observations about herself and the situation in Darfur. She is a vital thread running through this play.”

Ironically, although they met through a contact on the east coast, Bramucci is a graduate of the University of Missouri - Columbia where she earned her Master of Arts in Journalism in 2006. She has worked in the humanitarian emergency relief field in northern Uganda, West Darfur and the Central African Republic.

Gitana Productions will sponsor “Faces of Darfur,” a first-ever public exhibit of Bramucci’s photojournalistic images of Darfur from the Temoignages Project at St. Louis City Hall, with an opening reception on April 27, 2008 at 4:30 p.m. The exhibit of hauntingly beautiful photographs will run through May 3.

“For me, a society is judged on how well they treat their most vulnerable people,” said Chiles, who received a 2006 Kevin Kline Award nomination for Outstanding New Play for her work on “Katherine Dunham, Dancing on Air,” produced by Historyonics Theatre Company.

“The Darfur people are so vulnerable,” said Chiles. “The people being hurt the most are not the rebels, not the government but the kids, the old women, the mothers, the little boys. You can’t be a child there.”

“In this age of live satellite video from all over the world, we cannot say ‘We didn’t know,’” said Nadal. “We cannot say ‘Never again’ and have it mean anything if we allow this to happen in Darfur. How will history judge our society – by our actions or our inactions in Darfur?”

Performances of Complacency of Silence: Darfur from May 23 through June 8 are on Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and on Sundays at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children 12 and under (parental guidance is suggested). For more information, visit www.gitana-inc.org or call Gitana at (314) 721-6556 or Metrotix at (314) 534-1111.

The Regional Arts Commission, the Missouri Arts Council, Arts and Education Council of St. Louis and the Employees Community Fund of Boeing St. Louis have donated $30,000 in grants and funding to support Complacency of Silence:Darfur.

Gitana Productions, Inc. is a not-for-profit arts and education organization dedicated to increasing cross-cultural awareness and collaboration by bringing international music, dance and drama to the St. Louis community. Gitana events present a rarely seen diversity of international and local artists exhibiting an array of traditional and innovative artistic expressions. For more information, visit www.gitana-inc.org or call Gitana Productions at (314) 721-6556.

# # #

Media Contact: Sarah Bolyard
Synergy Group • 7915 Big Bend Blvd. • St. Louis, MO 63119
314.961.9772 • 314.961.9782 (fax)
www.synergy-pr.com

Larry and Judy Kendall Backgrounder

Fri, 04 Apr 2008

Click on the photo to view and download high-res images.

Larry and Judy Kendall are the recipients of Gitana's "Extraordinary/ Ordinary Person of the Year" award.

Click here to view news release

Gitana Productions - 2008 "Extraordinary/Ordinary Person Award"

Volunteers for African Refugee and Immigrant Services
The Kendalls have been helping Africans in St. Louis for nearly five years, volunteering with the African Refugee and Immigrant Services (ARIS) which provides assistance with housing, employment, education, furniture, food and legal referrals.

ARIS’s greatest strength, according to Larry, lies in the strong personal relationships and trust established between caseworkers Sheiknur Hassan and Khadija Osman, who are former refugees, and the refugees they serve.

Both of the Kendalls are ARIS board members and Larry is secretary/treasurer. His greatest concern is the organization’s tenuous financial situation, which continually threatens continuation of the many important services ARIS provides.

The Kendalls are most closely involved with Somalia refugees in St. Louis. They make sure that home visits are made to nearly every new family, then quietly go about procuring furniture, household products and connections in the community.

Working cooperatively with the Community Education Program of St. Louis Public Schools, Larry developed and supports an after-school program for Somali teenagers to inspire a love for learning and help them develop communication, reading and writing skills. Many of the students come from countries with no written language, or where girls are not allowed to attend school.

“This program provides skills that many of the students missed in their native countries,” said Larry Kendall. “We love to see them so eager to learn and to uncover what’s on the next page.”

A classroom instructor and a strong group of university students serving as tutors provide expertise, enthusiasm and motivation for a rewarding educational environment.

The Kendalls are passionate about sharing the rich and varied African cultures with the larger community. Through ARIS, they were instrumental in creating an annual African Thanksgiving dinner, where Africans from many countries share cuisines and cultures with other Africans and with St. Louisans.

Working with Africans in St. Louis since 1995
The Kendalls became involved in Africa and Africans in 1995 as a result of their initial association with the parents of slain Fullbright Scholar Amy Biehl and the Amy Biehl Foundation Trust. The Kendalls were inspired by the Biehls, who involved people involved in their daughter’s death in an unimaginable reconciliation effort to build barriers against violence in townships near Cape Town, South Africa.

The Kendalls have hosted Amy Biehl’s mother Linda Biehl along with Ntobeko Peni and Easy Nofemela at numerous speaking events in St. Louis, providing opportunities for them to share their story of forgiveness, reconciliation and rebuilding as a provocative model of dealing with pain and injustices. Linda, Ntobeko, and Easy remain very active even though Amy’s father Peter succumbed to colon cancer in 2002.

“The Amy Biehl Foundation has given us a greater awareness about what refugees face,” said Larry Kendall. “I agree with Linda Biehl who said, ‘If you are more aware of other cultures, you can become a better citizen of your own country.’”

Larry says that South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu taught the Kendalls the meaning of “ubuntu,” described in a Beliefnet interview as “the essence of being a person.” Larry believes this philosophy ties in well with a quote by Lila Watson and a group of Aboriginal activists which states, “If you have come to help me, you are wasting your time. But, if you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work together.”

Larry is retired from Purina Mills. Judy is a language arts teacher at Mary Institute and Country Day School and plans to retire this spring. They have three children and eight grandchildren.

Gitana events bridge the gap
On April 27, 4:30 p.m., Gitana Productions will present “Faces of Darfur,” a hauntingly beautiful collection of photographs by award-winning journalist, photographer and humanitarian relief worker Gina Bramucci. The photos, many of them portraits, capture Bramucci’s relationships and interactions with the Darfuri people and shed much-needed light on the crisis in Darfur. The exhibit at St. Louis City Hall will run April 27 through May 3.

“Complacency of Silence: Darfur,” an original play by St. Louis playwright Lee Patton Chiles, dramatizes the humanitarian crisis in the Darfur region of Sudan, Africa. The play provides insight into the lives of the Darfuri people such as mothers struggling to feed their babies, children eager to go to school, and young men and women looking towards marriage and family.

Performances of “Complacency of Silence: Darfur” run from May 23 through June 8 at the Saint Louis University Theatre. Performances are on Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and on Sundays at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children 12 and under (parental guidance is suggested). For tickets, call Metrotix at (314) 534-1111 or or Gitana at (314) 721-6556, and visit www.gitana-inc.org.

Gitana Productions, Inc. is a not-for-profit arts and education organization dedicated to increasing cross-cultural awareness and collaboration by bringing international music, dance and drama to the St. Louis community. Gitana events present a rarely seen diversity of international and local artists exhibiting an array of traditional and innovative artistic expressions. For more information, visit www.gitana-inc.org or call Gitana Productions at (314) 721-6556.

# # #

Media Contact: Mary Schanuel
Synergy Group • 7915 Big Bend Blvd. • St. Louis, MO 63119
314.961.9772 • 314.961.9782 (fax)
www.synergy-pr.com

Gitana Announces �Extraordinary/Ordinary Person� Award

Fri, 04 Apr 2008

Click on the photo to view and download high-res image.

Larry and Judy Kendall are the recipients of Gitana's "Extraordinary/ Ordinary Person of the Year" award.

Click here to view Kendall backgrounder

ST. LOUIS, MO – Larry and Judy Kendall of Wildwood, Missouri have been selected by Gitana Productions to receive the 2008 “Deeds Beyond Race: Extraordinary/Ordinary Person of the Year” Award. This is the eighth year for the award, which this year focuses on ordinary citizens who have bridged the gap between local African refugees and immigrants and the broader St. Louis community.

“Larry and Judy have gone to great lengths to help Africans get settled in the St. Louis community,” said Cecilia Nadal, executive director of Gitana Productions.

“Each year, we honor people who bring different cultures together in St. Louis,” Nadal said. “This year, our upcoming original play “Complacency of Silence: Darfur” puts the spotlight on the humanitarian crisis in Darfur, Sudan. St. Louis is home to 8,000 African refugees and immigrants, so we decided to honor St. Louisans who are helping Africans here feel at home and become successful.”

Larry and Judy Kendall will be honored during the opening night performance of “Complacency of Silence: Darfur” on May 23, 2008, 8 p.m. at the Saint Louis University Theatre. “Complacency of Silence: Darfur” uses the power of theatre, music and dance to put a human face on the humanitarian crisis in Darfur.

Gitana chose to honor the Kendalls for their work with the African Refugee and Immigrant Services (ARIS), which provides assistance to Africans in St. Louis. Both Kendalls are ARIS board members and Larry is secretary/treasurer.

“We have learned and gained more from the African people than we can ever give back,” said Judy Kendall. “We hope that by receiving this award, the St. Louis area can recognize the needs and opportunities to help in our community.”

The Kendalls are most closely involved with Somalia refugees in St. Louis. They make sure that home visits are made to nearly every new family, then quietly go about procuring furniture, household products and connections in the community.

Larry also developed and supports an after-school program for Somali teenagers in the St. Louis Public Schools, to inspire a love for learning and help them develop communication, reading and writing skills. Many come from countries with no written language, and where girls are not allowed to attend school.

“This program provides skills that many of the students missed in their native countries,” said Larry Kendall. “We love to see them so eager to learn.”

Passionate about the African culture, the Kendalls created an annual African Thanksgiving dinner, where Africans from many countries share cuisines and cultures with other Africans and with St. Louisans.

The couple first became involved with Africans in 1995 through their association with the parents of Amy Biehl, who was slain in Africa. Inspired by the Biehls’ reconciliation efforts in Cape Town, South Africa, the Kendalls have hosted Amy Biehl’s mother Linda Biehl at numerous speaking engagements in St. Louis.

Gitana events bridge the gap
On April 27, 4:30 p.m., Gitana Productions will present “Faces of Darfur,” a hauntingly beautiful collection of photographs by award-winning journalist, photographer and humanitarian relief worker Gina Bramucci. The photos, many of them portraits, capture Bramucci’s relationships and interactions with the Darfuri people and shed much-needed light on the crisis in Darfur. The exhibit at St. Louis City Hall will run April 27 through May 3.

“Complacency of Silence: Darfur,” an original play by St. Louis playwright Lee Patton Chiles, dramatizes the humanitarian crisis in the Darfur region of Sudan, Africa. The play provides insight into the lives of the Darfuri people such as mothers struggling to feed their babies, children eager to go to school, and young men and women looking towards marriage and family.

Performances of “Complacency of Silence: Darfur” run from May 23 through June 8 at the Saint Louis University Theatre. Performances are on Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and on Sundays at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children 12 and under (parental guidance is suggested). For tickets, call Metrotix at (314) 534-1111 or or Gitana at (314) 721-6556, and visit www.gitana-inc.org.

The Regional Arts Commission, the Missouri Arts Council, the Arts and Education Council of St. Louis and the Employees Community Fund of Boeing St. Louis have donated $30,000 in grants and funding to support Complacency of Silence:Darfur.

Gitana Productions, Inc. is a not-for-profit arts and education organization dedicated to increasing cross-cultural awareness and collaboration by bringing international music, dance and drama to the St. Louis community. Gitana events present a rarely seen diversity of international and local artists exhibiting an array of traditional and innovative artistic expressions. For more information, visit www.gitana-inc.org or call Gitana Productions at (314) 721-6556.

# # #

Media Contact: Mary Schanuel
Synergy Group • 7915 Big Bend Blvd. • St. Louis, MO 63119
314.961.9772 • 314.961.9782 (fax)
www.synergy-pr.com

"Faces of Darfur" Photography Exhibit Focuses on Darfur Crisis

Thu, 27 Mar 2008

ST. LOUIS, MO – “Faces of Darfur,” a hauntingly beautiful collection of photographs by award-winning journalist, photographer and humanitarian

What: “Faces of Darfur” - a photo exhibit premiering in St. Louis

When: April 27 through May 3; Opening reception, 4:30 p.m. Sunday, April 27

Where: St. Louis City Hall

Who: Gitana Productions, Inc. presents the work of Gina Bramucci, an award-winning journalist, photographer and humanitarian relief worker.

Why it’s worth checking out: The exhibit makes its debut in St. Louis and includes never-before-seen photos of the people of Darfur. Many of the photos are portraits, including several of children, which put real faces with the staggering statistics of death and displacement in the Darfur region.

"Eyelash Girl"
Gina Bramucci

"Football Days on the Jebel"
Gina Bramucci

"Nomadic Girl Sand-Dusted"
Gina Bramucci

relief worker
Gina Bramucci, will be shown for the first time in a public exhibit at St. Louis City Hall from April 27 through May 3, 2008. The photos, many of them portraits, capture Bramucci's relationships and interactions with the Darfuri people.

The photo exhibit sponsored by Gitana Productions, Inc. is the second in a series of events designed to focus light on the humanitarian and human rights crisis in Darfur. The exhibit will open with a reception on Sunday, April 27, 4:30 p.m. and continue through May 3. St. Louis playwright L. Patton Chiles, who is writing an original play on Darfur for Gitana Productions, will discuss her experiences in developing the play including interviews with Gina Bramucci. Reynolds Whalen, education chair of the St. Louis Save Darfur Coalition, will provide an update on the current situation in Darfur.

“Displaying this powerful photography at St. Louis City Hall – a place of civic engagement in a city far from the atrocities of Darfur – is quite significant,” said Cecilia Nadal, executive director of Gitana Productions. “The power of art to bring advocacy and activism to this issue will be evident in the moments captured by this young aid worker.”

The photographs in the exhibit were taken by Bramucci in Darfur during 2005 and 2006, while was working on her graduate degree in journalism from the University of Missouri - Columbia. Bramucci has worked in the humanitarian emergency relief field in northern Uganda, West Darfur and the Central African Republic.

As part of her work, Bramucci and two colleagues created the Temoignages Project (Temoignages is the French word for testimony), a project that used photos, stories and music to make the reality of the Darfur tragedy more tangible to people in distant places.

“Gina offers a view of the Darfuri people that is both layered and textured,” said Nadal. “This is not a homogenized display of victims but rather a vision of fellow human beings, each with a place in their community that is now tragically disrupted.”

The United Nations estimates that the genocide in Darfur has claimed more than 400,000 lives and displaced 2.3 million of the region’s 7 million residents. More than one million Darfuris continue to live in their villages under the constant threat of bombings, raids, murder, rape and torture.

Millions more Darfuris, mostly women and children, have fled their homes and now live in sprawling camps for the internally displaced in Darfur, and in refugee camps in neighboring Chad. There they struggle to meet basic needs – to access water, cultivate food, provide for their families – and face ongoing threats to their security and wellbeing.

Bramucci became involved with Gitana Productions through playwright Patton Chiles, who has spent more than a year doing research for Complacency of Silence: Darfur, an original theatrical play produced by Gitana Productions. Nine performances of the play will be presented at the Saint Louis University Theatre, 3733 West Pine Mall in St. Louis, from May 23 through June 8, 2008.

“Gina is my ‘six degrees of separation’ contact with Darfur,” said Chiles. “She has graciously and generously shared her journal entries, e-mails, thoughts and opinions, even brutally honest observations about herself and the situation in Darfur. She is a vital thread running through this play.”

Complacency of Silence: Darfur will dramatize the humanitarian crisis in the Darfur region of Sudan, Africa through real-life stories and words actually spoken by Darfur refugees Hama, Fatima, Hawa and Khadija. The play is the 10th in a series of annual “Faces of Love” cultural events brought to St. Louis by Gitana Productions.

In November, more than 500 people attended the “Voices from Darfur: Personal Stories of a Genocide” symposium hosted by Gitana Productions featuring Darfur refugee Daoud Hari.

Nine performances of Complacency of Silence:Darfur will be held May 23 through June 8, 2008 on Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and on Sundays at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children 12 and under (parental guidance recommended). For more information, visit www.gitana-inc.org or call Gitana at (314) 721-6556 or Metrotix at (314) 534-1111.

The Regional Arts Commission, the Missouri Arts Council, the Arts and Education Council of St. Louis and the Employees Community Fund of Boeing St. Louis have donated $30,000 in grants and funding to support Complacency of Silence:Darfur.

Gitana Productions, Inc. is a not-for-profit arts and education organization dedicated to increasing cross-cultural awareness and collaboration by bringing international music, dance and drama to the St. Louis community. Gitana events present a rarely seen diversity of international and local artists exhibiting an array of traditional and innovative artistic expressions. For more information, visit www.gitana-inc.org or call Gitana Productions at (314) 721-6556.

Click here to view Gina Bramucci's "Letters from Darfur" and photos of Gina.

# # #

Media Contact: Sarah Bolyard
Synergy Group • 7915 Big Bend Blvd. • St. Louis, MO 63119
314.961.9772 • 314.961.9782 (fax)
www.synergy-pr.com

Gitana Productions Launches �Global Education Through the Arts�

Mon, 28 Jan 2008

ST. LOUIS, MO – Gitana Productions, Inc. is launching “Global Education Through the Arts,” a new intercultural after-school arts program for youth 10 to 17,

sponsored by a $15,000 grant from the Monsanto Fund. The free program will be held at the St. Louis Public Library’s Carpenter Branch, 3309 South Grand Blvd., and will begin on February 20 and continue through the end of June.

“Global Education Through the Arts” is a pilot community arts project that promotes intercultural competence among economically challenged African American and new immigrant youth. The program is targeted to students living in South St. Louis city. The 16-week after-school program will involve 30 ethnically diverse youth in dance, poetry, drama and cultural diversity training to cultivate social skills, team building, cross-cultural communication and conflict resolution.

“’Global Education Through the Arts’ is unique in that it focuses on both African American and immigrant youth at risk,” said Cecilia Nadal, president of the board of directors of Gitana Productions. “This is a community-based response which aims at creating an authentic cross cultural synergy between diverse communities in South City. The project uses the arts to bring youth together in harmony and teach important global skills for their future success. We’ll engage a broad spectrum of the community including parents, employers, educators and the faith-based community to be part of a ‘cross-cultural solution.’”

Students will keep journals of their experiences and will intern in a theatre or music performance to measure what they have learned and how well they work together with each other. Some of the students will be selected to participate on stage with professional actors in “Complacency of Silence: Darfur,” an original play produced by Gitana, with nine performances at the Saint Louis University Theatre, May 23 through June 8.

“This will be an exceptional opportunity for those in the project who do particularly well,” said Nadal.

Parents of the youth and local business and community leaders also will participate by forming a Multicultural Youth Advisory Council, which will be an active resource and filter for programming ideas and activities. The group of planners and stakeholders will include St. Louis Public Library-Carpenter Branch, the African Mutual Assistance Association of Missouri and Harmony of Life, a mental health organization serving immigrant youth.

Monsanto Fund has awarded a $15,000 grant to Gitana Productions to fund the youth program. There is no fee for students to participate and transportation support will be provided.

“Our 2006 Strategic Plan spoke to the development of an education project that would provide global skills to disadvantaged youth in St. Louis,” said Nadal. “Thanks to the Monsanto Fund, we will receive seed money of $15,000 to pilot ‘Global Education Through the Arts’ with an initial group of students, using the magic of dance, drama and cultural diversity training to teach tolerance, mutual understanding and teamwork. We hope to involve new immigrant youth from Bosnia, Somalia, Vietnam and Latin America along with local African American and Caucasian youth in South St. Louis.”

Gitana has a successful track record of sustained diversity outreach using the arts. Gitana events have brought Jews and Muslims together with music, helped dismiss myths about gypsies and Romanian culture through a festival, and brought Chinese, Taiwanese and African Americans together to share their cultures.

The Monsanto Fund is the philanthropic arm of the Monsanto Company. Incorporated in 1964, the Fund’s primary objective is to improve the lives of people by bridging the gap between their needs and their resources. The Monsanto Fund is focused on grant-making in four main areas: nutritional well-being through agriculture; science education, primarily on professional development for teachers; the environment, which includes conservation, protection of biodiversity, clean water and restoration of wildlife habitat; and improving the quality of life in communities where Monsanto employees live and work. Visit Monsanto Fund at www.monsantofund.org.

Gitana Productions, Inc. is a not-for-profit arts and education organization dedicated to increasing cross-cultural awareness and collaboration by bringing international music, dance and drama to the St. Louis community. Gitana events present a rarely seen diversity of international and local artists exhibiting an array of traditional and innovative artistic expressions. For more information, call Gitana Productions at 314-721-6556 and visit www.gitana-inc.org.

# # #

Media Contact: Sarah Bolyard
Synergy Group • 7915 Big Bend Blvd. • St. Louis, MO 63119
314.961.9772 • 314.961.9782 (fax)
www.synergy-pr.com

Gitana Productions Accepting South Side Students for �Global Education Through the Arts�

Mon, 28 Jan 2008

ST. LOUIS, MO – Gitana Productions, Inc. is accepting students from South St. Louis city neighborhoods for “Global Education Through the Arts,” a new

intercultural after-school arts program for youth 10 to 17, sponsored by a $15,000 grant from the Monsanto Fund. The free program, to be held at the St. Louis Public Library’s Carpenter Branch, 3309 South Grand Blvd., will begin on Wednesday, February 20, 2008 with an orientation and will run through the end of June. Workshops will be held on Wednesdays from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. and on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. For more information or to register, call 314-721-6556.

“South St. Louis city is at the crossroads in St. Louis where new immigrants and African American youth live and interact,” said Cecilia Nadal, president of the Gitana Productions board of directors. “Our community has the opportunity to help these youth, faced with culture shock, learn to celebrate their differences and build upon their similarities. The arts provide a wonderful means to do this particularly with the component of Global Education.”

“Global Education Through the Arts” is a pilot community arts project that promotes intercultural competence among economically challenged African American and new immigrant youth living in South St. Louis city. The 16-week after-school program will involve 30 ethnically diverse youth in dance, poetry, drama and cultural diversity training to cultivate social skills, team building, cross-cultural communication and conflict resolution.

Some of the students will be selected to participate on stage with professional actors in “Complacency of Silence: Darfur,” an original play produced by Gitana, with nine performances at the Saint Louis University Theatre, May 23 through June 8.

Parents of the youth and local business and community leaders also will participate by forming a Multicultural Youth Advisory Council, which will be an active resource and filter for programming ideas and activities. The group of planners and stakeholders will include St. Louis Public Library-Carpenter Branch, the African Mutual Assistance Association of Missouri and Harmony of Life, a mental health organization serving immigrant youth.

Monsanto Fund has awarded a $15,000 grant to Gitana Productions to fund the youth program. There is no fee for students to participate, and transportation support will be provided.

The Monsanto Fund is the philanthropic arm of the Monsanto Company. Incorporated in 1964, the Fund’s primary objective is to improve the lives of people by bridging the gap between their needs and their resources. The Monsanto Fund is focused on grant-making in four main areas: nutritional well-being through agriculture; science education, primarily on professional development for teachers; the environment, which includes conservation, protection of biodiversity, clean water and restoration of wildlife habitat; and improving the quality of life in communities where Monsanto employees live and work. Visit Monsanto Fund at www.monsantofund.org.

Gitana Productions, Inc. is a not-for-profit arts and education organization dedicated to increasing cross-cultural awareness and collaboration by bringing international music, dance and drama to the St. Louis community. Gitana events present a rarely seen diversity of international and local artists exhibiting an array of traditional and innovative artistic expressions. For more information, call Gitana Productions at 314-721-6556 and visit www.gitana-inc.org.

# # #

Media Contact: Sarah Bolyard
Synergy Group • 7915 Big Bend Blvd. • St. Louis, MO 63119
314.961.9772 • 314.961.9782 (fax)
www.synergy-pr.com

Gitana Productions Seeks Nominations for "Deeds Beyond Race: Extraordinary/Ordinary Person of the Year" Award

Mon, 17 Dec 2007

ST. LOUIS, MO – Gitana Productions is seeking nominations of ordinary citizens who have bridged connections between Africans and the broader St. Louis community for the prestigious seventh annual “Deeds Beyond Race: Extraordinary/Ordinary Person of the Year” award.

St. Louis is home to upwards of 7,000 to 8,000 Africans from Nigeria, Ethiopia, Kenya and other countries. In recent years, a large number of refugees have come to St. Louis from Somalia and Liberia.

The “Extraordinary/Ordinary Person of the Year” will be honored at “Complacency of Silence: Darfur,” an original theater performance written by St. Louis playwright Patton Chiles. The play will use actual words spoken by people involved in the Darfur crisis as well as documented stories for authenticity. Nine performances will be presented at the Saint Louis University Theatre from May 23 through June 8, 2008.

“This award recognizes the extraordinary efforts of ordinary people who bridge racial, cultural and religious divides in their day-to-day lives,” said Cecilia Nadal, president of the board of directors of Gitana Productions. “We honor people who really make a difference in our region by helping to bridge gaps that divide us. Gitana is committed to demonstrating the vital connection between global awareness and local humanitarianism.”

Nominations should include a one-page essay describing how the candidate voluntarily reaches across ethnic and religious lines with good deeds and why he/she should receive the award. Nomination essays may be sent to Gitana Productions, PO Box 300280, St. Louis, MO, 63130. Visit www.gitana-inc.org. Deadline for entry is February 28, 2008.

Previous Recipients

Ghazala Hayat, M.D., of Town & Country was selected as the Extraordinary/Ordinary Person of the Year award in 2006. Hayat has been a leader in establishing lines of communication and friendship between the Jewish and Muslim communities in St. Louis through teen and adult dialogue groups. She is active in the Interfaith Partnership and the Islamic Foundation of Greater St. Louis.

Gedlu Metaferia, founder and president of the African Mutual Assistance Association of Missouri (AMAAM), was selected as the Extraordinary/Ordinary Person of the Year award in 2004. He has served more than 15,000 people as a board member for 12 non-political and not-for-profit organizations including the National Conference for Community and Justice, Zambia Hope and Immigrant Rights Group. He has also worked with a broad range of civil rights and faith groups like Anti-Defamation League and Inter-Faith Partnership.

Jessica Hentoff, Director of the St. Louis Arches and Circus Day Foundation Program, was selected as the Extraordinary/Ordinary Person of the Year award in 2003. Hentoff was awarded for using circus skills education as a means of bringing Jewish and Muslim youth together in a spirit of love.

Dick Bylund of the Central West End was selected as the Extraordinary/Ordinary Person of the Year award in 2001. Bylund was an active volunteer with the Red Cross Disaster Action Team and the Lifeline program, which provides access to emergency help at the push of a button. As a member of the disaster action team, Bylund had handled more than 250 disaster incidents, providing support to victims of all races and socioeconomic status, and to firemen and police.

Michael Dalton of Creve Coeur was selected as Extraordinary/Ordinary Person of the Year in 2000. As executive director of the Family Services Agency of Southwestern Illinois, Dalton developed Operation Family, a volunteer program designed to establish supportive relationships between white middle-class families and black socially disadvantaged families in East St. Louis and nearby communities.

Gitana Productions, Inc. is a not-for-profit arts and education organization dedicated to increasing cross-cultural awareness and collaboration by bringing international music, dance and drama to the St. Louis community. Gitana events present a rarely seen diversity of international and local artists exhibiting an array of traditional and innovative artistic expressions. Complacency of Silence: Darfur is sponsored by the Regional Arts Commission, the Missouri Arts Council, the National Endowment for the Arts, Employees Community Fund of Boeing St. Louis and the Arts and Education Council. For more information, call Gitana Productions at 314-721-6556 and visit www.gitana-inc.org.

# # #

Media Contact: Sarah Bolyard
Synergy Group • 7915 Big Bend Blvd. • St. Louis, MO 63119
314.961.9772 • 314.961.9782 (fax)
www.synergy-pr.com

Diverse Crowd of 500 Attend "Voices from Darfur: Personal Stories of a Genocide"

Thu, 08 Nov 2007

ST. LOUIS, MO – More than 500 people attended the “Voices from Darfur: Personal Stories of a Genocide” symposium hosted by Gitana

Click on the photos to view and download high-res images.

Daoud Hari

Bahai, Chad. The majority of refugees in Chad have "spontaneously" settled in places like Bahai and are not in organized camps.

Touloum refugee camp, Chad.

Touloum refugee camp, Chad. This man lost his leg after being bombed by a Sudanese government aircraft.

Credit: Jerry Fowler, staff director of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum's Committee on Conscience

Productions in partnership with the American Friends Service Committee on November 6 at Saint Louis University.

“Daoud Hari, a refugee who spoke at the event, has visited 40 cites in the past two months, and this was the largest turnout yet,” said Cecilia Nadal, president of the board of directors of Gitana Productions. “Daoud was touched to see that so many St. Louisans care about the humanitarian crisis in Darfur.”

“This also was the most diverse audience we’ve seen in St. Louis on the issue of Darfur,” said Nadal. “The audience spanned all age and ethnic groups, and included students from local universities and high schools.”

In May, 2008, Gitana Productions will present “Complacency of Silence: Darfur,” an original theatre performance written by St. Louis playwright Patton Chiles. The play will use actual words spoken by people involved in the Darfur crisis as well as documented stories for authenticity. Nine performances will be presented at the St. Louis University Theatre from May 23 through June 8, 2008. The play is the 10th in a series of annual “Faces of Love” cultural events brought to St. Louis by Gitana Productions.

“Voices from Darfur” featured Daoud Hari and Motasim Adam, both refugees from Darfur.

Daoud told his remarkable story of escaping from his village after months of bombing by his own government. Daoud fled to neighboring Chad, where he served as an interpreter for the New York Times, the BBC and the Chicago Tribune, risking his life to bring reporters into Darfur to record the devastation of his homeland. Last summer, Daoud was arrested in Sudan on espionage charges. The United States granted Daoud refugee status last summer.

Motasim arrived in the United States in 2003 and was a founding member of the Darfur People’s Association of New York. He currently serves as President of the organization where he focuses on helping new Darfuri refugees adjust to American society, raising public awareness about the situation and encouraging humanitarian efforts in Darfur.

Gitana Productions, Inc. is a not-for-profit arts and education organization dedicated to increasing cross-cultural awareness and collaboration by bringing international music, dance and drama to the St. Louis community. Gitana events present a rarely seen diversity of international and local artists exhibiting an array of traditional and innovative artistic expressions. For more information, call Gitana Productions at 314-721-6556 and visit www.gitana-inc.org.

# # #

Media Contact: Sarah Bolyard
Synergy Group • 7915 Big Bend Blvd. • St. Louis, MO 63119
314.961.9772 • 314.961.9782 (fax)
www.synergy-pr.com

Gitana Productions Presents "Voices from Darfur: Personal Stories of a Genocide"

Thu, 25 Oct 2007

Click on the photos to view and download high-res images.

Daoud Hari

Bahai, Chad. The majority of refugees in Chad have "spontaneously" settled in places like Bahai and are not in organized camps.

Touloum refugee camp, Chad.

Touloum refugee camp, Chad. This man lost his leg after being bombed by a Sudanese government aircraft.

Credit: Jerry Fowler, staff director of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum's Committee on Conscience

ST. LOUIS, MO – Gitana Productions in partnership with the American Friends Service Committee will host “Voices from Darfur: Personal Stories of a Genocide” on Tuesday, November 6 at 6:30 p.m. in the St. Louis Room of the St. Louis University Busch Student Center, located at 20 N. Grand Blvd. Don Marsh from KWMU will be the moderator. “Voices from Darfur” is a national speaking tour organized by the Save Darfur Coalition in Washington D.C. The event is suitable for adults and children over 13.

“Our intent is to educate the public about the harsh realities of life in Darfur and to empower people to take action to help stop the genocide,” said Cecilia Nadal, president of the board of directors of Gitana Productions.

“Voices from Darfur” will feature Daoud Hari, a Dafuri refugee who will tell the remarkable story of escaping from his village after months of bombing by his own government. Daoud was forced from his home and his brother was murdered. Daoud fled to neighboring Chad, where he served as an interpreter for the New York Times, the BBC and the Chicago Tribune. He risked his life to bring reporters into Darfur to record the devastation of his homeland. Last summer, Daoud was arrested in Sudan on espionage charges. A month later, New Mexico governor Bill Richardson negotiated his release and soon after, the United States government granted Daoud refugee status.

In addition to Daoud’s presentation, “Voices from Darfur,” will include a short documentary film on the Darfur crisis. Ngoma, a local group of musicians and poets who interpret rhythms of the African diaspora, will perform. Guests also will sample a simple meal like those typically served in refugee camps.

Lori Reed, International Programs Coordinator for the St. Louis American Friends Service Committee will lead a brief discussion of “Life Over Debt Relief in Africa.”

The symposium is the first of several events hosted by Gitana Productions to bring attention to the plight of the people of Darfur, Sudan. In May, 2008, Gitana Productions will present “Complacency of Silence: Darfur,” an original theatre performance written by St. Louis playwright Patton Chiles. The play will use actual words spoken by people involved in the Darfur crisis as well as documented stories for authenticity. Nine performances will be presented at the St. Louis University Theatre from May 23 through June 8, 2008. The play is the 10th in a series of annual “Faces of Love” cultural events brought to St. Louis by Gitana Productions.

Currently, the genocide in Darfur has claimed as many as 400,000 lives. About 2.3 million Darfuris have fled their homes and become a part of Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps in Darfur. About 200,000 people are living in refugee camps in Chad. More than one million Darfuris still live in their villages under the constant threat of bombings, raids, murder, rape and torture.

Local supporters of the “Voices from Darfur” symposium include the St. Louis Save Darfur Coalition, One World, the Saint Louis University Political Science Department and the Cross-Cultural Center of Saint Louis University.

This project is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts which believes that a great nation deserves great art. The Missouri Arts Council, Regional Arts Commission and the Boeing Employees Charitable Trust also support Gitana Productions education and arts activites.

Gitana Productions, Inc. is a not-for-profit arts and education organization dedicated to increasing cross-cultural awareness and collaboration by bringing international music, dance and drama to the St. Louis community. Gitana conducts extensive outreach at the community level, developing educational programs which enhance multicultural understanding. For more information, call Gitana Productions at 314-721-6556 and visit www.gitana-inc.org.

# # #

Media Contact: Sarah Bolyard
Synergy Group • 7915 Big Bend Blvd. • St. Louis, MO 63119
314.961.9772 • 314.961.9782 (fax)
www.synergy-pr.com

$30,000 in Funding Provided for Innovative St. Louis Theatre Production "Complacency of Silence: Darfur"

Mon, 27 Aug 2007

ST. LOUIS, MO – The Regional Arts Commission, the Missouri Arts Council and the Employees Community Fund of

Click on the photos to view and download high-res images.

Bahai, Chad. The majority of refugees in Chad have "spontaneously" settled in places like Bahai and are not in organized camps.

Touloum refugee camp, Chad.

Touloum refugee camp, Chad. This man lost his leg after being bombed by a Sudanese government aircraft.

Credit: Jerry Fowler, staff director of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum's Committee on Conscience

Boeing St. Louis have donated $30,000 in grants and funding to support “Complacency of Silence: Darfur,” an original verbatim theatre performance created and produced by Gitana Productions.

“Our public and corporate sponsors are critical to helping Gitana connect diverse St. Louisans to each other and to the world community," said Cecilia Nadal, president of the board of directors of Gitana Productions, a not-for-profit St. Louis arts and education organization dedicated to cultural diversity. “Our sponsors help us address global issues such as the humanitarian crisis in Darfur through our ‘Faces of Love’ events.”

The play brings attention to the plight of Darfur, Sudan where millions of people, many of them women and children, who have been displaced and killed in what the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum calls a “genocide emergency.” Four million people are currently affected by the crisis, which has spread from Sudan into Chad and the Central African Republic. Four hundred thousand people have been killed, and the number continues to grow.

St. Louis playwright Patton Chiles is researching and writing the verbatim-style play, an innovative theatrical genre that uses the precise words of people involved in a particular event or topic. She also has incorporated documented stories told by others when the victim or refugee workers were not accessible for interviews. Patton received a 2006 Kevin Kline Award for Outstanding New Play for her work on "Katherine Dunham, Dancing on Air," produced by Historyonics.

The play is the 10th in a series of annual “Faces of Love” cultural events brought to St. Louis by Gitana Productions. “Complacency of Silence: Darfur” will be performed at the St. Louis University Theatre May 23 through June 8, 2008. Previous Gitana “Faces of Love” events have provided St. Louisans with a rare opportunity to experience ethnic diversity in music, dance and drama. with the added bonus of being part of a multicultural audience. Each year, the organization also develops new and ongoing alliances with local ethnic groups and diverse cultural organizations to provide educational outreach.

Gitana Productions, Inc. is a not-for-profit arts and education organization dedicated to increasing cross-cultural awareness and collaboration by bringing international music, dance and drama to the St. Louis community. Gitana events present a rarely seen diversity of international and local artists exhibiting an array of traditional and innovative artistic expressions. For more information, call Gitana Productions at 314-721-6556 and visit www.gitana-inc.org.

# # #

Media Contact: Mary Schanuel
Synergy Group • 7915 Big Bend Blvd. • St. Louis, MO 63119
314.961.9772 • 314.961.9782 (fax)
www.synergy-pr.com

Faces of Love Concert 2006 PSA

Thu, 28 Sep 2006

PSA Director Notes:
Gitana (pronounced “Hee-TAH-na”) Productions is a not-for-profit arts and education organization based in St. Louis.
Hassan Hakmoun is pronounced “Hah-san Hak-moon”
Rick Recht is pronounced “Rick Rekt”
Gnawa is pronounced “Guh-nawh-wa”

Start Date: Immediately End Date: October 12, 2006

:10 Second Live Read Public Service Announcement
GITANA PRODUCTIONS PRESENTS HASSAN HAKMOUN AND RICK RECHT ON OCTOBER 12TH AT 8:00 P.M. AT THE SHELDON CONCERT HALL. CALL METROTIX AT 314-534-1111.

:20 Second Live Read Public Service Announcement
GITANA PRODUCTIONS PROUDLY PRESENTS HASSAN HAKMOUN AND RICK RECHT ON OCTOBER 12TH AT 8:00 P.M. AT THE SHELDON CONCERT HALL. INTERNATIONALLY RENOWNED ARTIST HASSAN HAKMOUN WILL BLEND HIS MOROCCAN RHYTHM WITH TOP-TOURING JEWISH ROCK MUSICIAN RICK RECHT. CALL METROTIX AT 314-534-1111.

:30 Second Live Read Public Service Announcement
GITANA PRODUCTIONS PROUDLY PRESENTS THE FACES OF LOVE CONCERT 2006 OCTOBER 12TH, 8 P.M. AT THE SHELDON CONCERT HALL. INTERNATIONALLY RENOWNED ARTIST HASSAN HAKMOUN WILL BLEND HIS MOROCCAN RHYTHM WITH THE JEWISH ROCK ENERGIES OF TOP-TOURING MUSICIAN RICK RECHT. THE MYSTIC RHYTHMS OF GNAWA MUSIC AND HIGH ENERGY OF JEWISH ROCK WILL MESMERIZE ST. LOUIS. FOR TICKETS, CALL METROTIX AT 314-534-1111.

# # #

Contact: Mary Schanuel
Synergy Group - St. Louis, Mo
314.961.9772
314.961.9782 (fax)

Gitana Productions Announces Winner of �Deeds Beyond Race: Extraordinary/Ordinary Person of the Year� Award

Thu, 21 Sep 2006

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ST. LOUIS, MO – Ghazala Hayat, M.D. of Town & Country has been selected by Gitana Productions as the 2006 “Deeds Beyond Race: Extraordinary/Ordinary Person of the Year.” This year, the award, in its seventh year, focused on ordinary citizens who have bridged connections between St. Louis Muslim and Jewish communities.

"Ghazala has provided more than lip service by stepping up to the plate when the St. Louis community needed her most. It could be so easy for her to not walk through the controversies of our time, yet she chose to be a part of the solution through courage, grace and resolve,” says Cecilia Nadal, president of the board of directors of Gitana Productions, Inc. “Ghazala reflects the best of all worlds as a mother, woman, professional, Muslim and American. She has taken a leadership role in bringing Jews and Muslims together. Ghazala is a model for us all at this crucial time in the history of our country."

Dr. Hayat will be honored at Gitana’s “Faces of Love Concert 2006” on October 12, 2006, at the Sheldon Concert Hall featuring top performer of Jewish rock music Rick Recht and internationally renowned master of Gnawa music and Muslim mystic Hassan Hakmoun.

Dr. Ghalaza Hayat has been a leader in establishing lines of communication and friendship between the Jewish and Muslim communities in St. Louis through teen and adult dialogue groups. She is active in the Interfaith Partnership and the Islamic Foundation of Greater St. Louis.

“I have learned a great deal about other religions and cultures, and about my own religion,” says Dr. Hayat. “In recent times, the challenges brought on by 9/11 have been real but I believe dialogue and understanding can overcome anything.”

Dr. Hayat is a successful neurologist at Saint Louis University and has two children, 25-year-old daughter Noor, a medical student at Washington University who is working a one-year internship at Harvard, and 20-year-old son Jibraun, an economics student at Washington University.

“I am a very organized individual and everything has a time,” says Hayat. “My children are confident that they can get me at any time and my husband is very supportive.”

Dr. Hayat has held numerous leadership positions in the Islamic Foundation of Greater St. Louis; serves as Executive Director of the Pakistani Association; has authored numerous scientific articles; and is a member of the American Medical Association, a Fellow of the American Academy of Neurology, member of the American Association of Electrodiagnostic Medicine and member of the St. Louis Multiple Sclerosis Society.

"I hope those who read about my work see me as just a good neighbor,” said Dr. Hayat. “I am humbled and honored to be recognized for this work. There are many good people who are doing the same and I am here because of them as well. I have much more to accomplish.”

Philip Deitch of Tower Grove East was announced as a runner-up award winner. Deitch has created a mixed race dialogue between Jewish, Christian and Muslim cultures through his work as a member of the Jewish Community Relations Council. He also initiated and co-chaired “Words Do Hurt,” a symposium at the St. Louis Holocaust Museum focusing on eliminating divisive language in local political campaigns. He served on the National Commission on Social Action of the Religious Action Center in Washington, D.C., during the tragic time of 9/11.

“Philip has an extraordinary commitment to facilitating social change, especially across various categories of identity,” said Joan Lipkin, artistic director of the Uppity Theater. “He is interested in equal opportunity for all people.”

Gitana Productions, Inc. is a not-for-profit arts and education organization dedicated to increasing cross-cultural awareness and collaboration by bringing international music, dance and drama to the St. Louis community. Gitana events present a rarely seen diversity of international and local artists exhibiting an array of traditional and innovative artistic expressions.

The Faces of Love Concert 2006 is sponsored by the Regional Arts Commission, the Missouri Arts Council, Elsevier and the Employees Community Fund of Boeing St. Louis.

For more information, call 314-721-6556 and visit www.gitana-inc.org.

# # #

Synergy Group • 7915 Big Bend Blvd. • St. Louis, MO 63119
314.961.9772 • 314.961.9782 (fax)
www.synergy-pr.com

Faces of Love Concert 2006 Brings Harmony of Muslim and Jewish Music to St. Louis

Wed, 20 Sep 2006

view photos

ST. LOUIS, MO – Internationally renowned master of Gnawa music and Muslim mystic Hassan Hakmoun will blend his Moroccan rhythm with the Jewish rock energies of top-touring musician Rick Recht on Thursday, October 12th, 8:00 p.m. at the Faces of Love Concert 2006. The concert, sponsored by Gitana Productions, will be held at the Sheldon Concert Hall in the heart of St. Louis’ Grand Center arts district. A pre-concert reception featuring authentic Muslim and Jewish cuisine will begin at 7 p.m. for VIP ticket holders.

“Hakmoun and Recht both push the edge of their music and both reach out to make a difference in the world. What could be more moving than the innovative musical impulses of a Muslim mystic and a Jewish rocker, both of who want us all to love one another?” said Cecilia Nadal, president of the board of directors of Gitana Productions. “The mystic rhythms of Gnawa music and the high energy of Jewish rock will mesmerize St. Louisans.”

Hakmoun is a master of Gnawa music, a style of Moroccan devotional music preformed in all-night healing-trance ceremonies. He came to America in 1987 and quickly made a name for himself as a rising force in the music world. He formed a Gnawa-rock fusion band, Zahar, signed on to rock musician Peter Gabriel’s record label and began a remarkable series of collaborations with Western musicians.

Recht, born and raised in St. Louis, has become an icon for Jewish youth in the United States, elevating the medium of Jewish music as a powerful and effective tool for developing Jewish pride and identity among the masses. Recht's performance is part of his Tear Down The Walls initiative (www.teardownthewalls.org) developed with support from the Anti-Defamation League to educate teens and families about racism, discrimination and prejudice, and offer ways to create a safer and more welcoming environment for all people..

“There is great political conflict in the world today between Muslims and Jews, and few efforts are made to highlight the common ground that exists between the two,” said Nadal. “This concert will bring opportunities for harmony, collaboration and brotherly love between Muslims, Jews and the broader community.”

St. Louis is home to upwards of 75,000 Muslims, including African-Americans and immigrants from Bosnia, Africa and the Middle East. The Jewish population in St. Louis numbers 60,000 people.

Nadal, an African-American businesswoman and arts enthusiast whose cultural heritage includes French, Puerto Rican, Spanish, Cherokee and Moorish African, founded Gitana Productions in 1996. Her mission for Gitana is to foster cross-cultural awareness and appreciation by experiencing the art of another culture and engaging the community in the planning of these events. The Faces of Love Concert 2006 featuring world renowned Muslim master musician and mystic Hassan Hakmoun and top-touring Jewish Rock artist Rick Recht, is the ninth major cultural event by Gitana Productions. Earlier this year, The St. Louis Gypsy (Roma) Music Festival, presented by Gitana Productions, featured authentic Gypsy (Roma) music, dance and foods to raise awareness of the active and growing Roma communities in St. Louis.

“Gitana’s Faces of Love series presents St. Louisans with a rare opportunity to experience the combination of ethnically diverse music and dance,” said Nadal. “Each year, we form diverse alliances with local ethnic groups and cultural organizations to ensure a successful, all-inclusive event. This year we are collaborating with the Muslim and Jewish communities in St. Louis, and they are quite excited about this performance and the connections it will make among the ethnic communities and all St. Louisans.”

Gitana also sponsors the annual “Deeds Beyond Race: Extraordinary/Ordinary Person of the Year” campaign which recognizes and honors individuals who reach beyond race and culture to improve our community. This year’s winner will be honored at the Faces of Love Concert 2006.

Gitana Productions, Inc. is a not-for-profit arts and education organization dedicated to increasing cross-cultural awareness and collaboration by bringing international music, dance and drama to the St. Louis community. Gitana events present a rarely seen diversity of international and local artists exhibiting an array of traditional and innovative artistic expressions. The Faces of Love Concert 2006 is sponsored by the Regional Arts Commission, the Missouri Arts Council, Elsevier and the Employees Community Fund of Boeing St. Louis. For more information, call Gitana Productions at 314-721-6556 and visit www.gitana-inc.org.

The Faces of Love Concert 2006 featuring Hassan Hakmoun and Rick Recht will take place on October 12th, 8:00 p.m. at the Sheldon Concert Hall, 3648 Washington Boulevard. The pre-concert VIP reception featuring authentic Muslim and Jewish cuisine will begin at 7:00 p.m. Concert tickets are $30. VIP tickets are $47. Discounts for senior citizens, students and groups are available. To purchase tickets, call Metrotix at 314-534-1111.

###

Contact: Keesha Dhaene
Synergy Group
kdhaene@synergy-pr.com
314-961-9772

Faces Of Love Concert 2006 Features Hassan Hakmoun And Rick Recht

Tue, 05 Sep 2006

view photos
ST. LOUIS, MO – Gitana Productions will present the Faces of Love Concert 2006 featuring internationally renowned master of Gnawa music and Muslim mystic Hassan Hakmoun and top-touring Jewish Rock artist Rick Recht on October 12th, 8:00 p.m. at the Sheldon Concert Hall, 3648 Washington Boulevard.

Hakmoun is a master of Gnawa music, a style of Moroccan devotional music preformed in all-night healing-trance ceremonies. He will blend his Moroccan rhythm with the Jewish rock energies of Recht.

St. Louis is home to upwards of 75,000 Muslims, including African-Americans and immigrants from Bosnia, Africa and the Middle East. The Jewish population in St. Louis numbers 60,000 people.

Gitana Productions, Inc. is a not-for-profit arts and education organization dedicated to increasing cross-cultural awareness and collaboration by bringing international music, dance and drama to the St. Louis community. Gitana events present a rarely seen diversity of international and local artists exhibiting an array of traditional and innovative artistic expressions. The Faces of Love Concert 2006 is sponsored by the Regional Arts Commission, the Missouri Arts Council, Elsevier and the Employees Community Fund of Boeing St. Louis. For more information, call 314-721-6556 and visit www.gitana-inc.org.

###

Synergy Group • 7915 Big Bend Blvd. • St. Louis, MO 63119
314.961.9772 • 314.961.9782 (fax)
www.synergy-pr.com

Contact: Jennifer Korte
Synergy Group
jkorte@synergy-pr.com
314.961.9772

Cultural dinner event highlights connections between St. Louis Muslims and Jews

Fri, 25 Aug 2006

ST. LOUIS, MO – Gitana Productions will host Finding Love Through the Fire, a free dinner and cultural-awareness and education event focusing on the Muslim and Jewish cultures in St. Louis. Jewish and Muslim leaders will participate in discussion and cultural sharing at the event, which will be held on Sunday, September 17, 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at the Central Reform Congregation, 5020 Waterman. The free public event will include authentic traditional Muslim foods, entertainment, and cross-cultural sharing and dialogue. Reservations are required; call 314-721-6556 or email gitana@stlouis.missouri.org by Friday, September 8.

“We want to show St. Louis that harmony, collaboration and brotherly love can and does exist between these two communities despite the great conflicts between Muslims and Jews in the world today,” said Cecilia Nadal, president of the board of directors of Gitana Productions.

The cultural awareness event is part of a series of community activities sponsored by Gitana Productions in collaboration with the Muslim and Jewish communities in St. Louis. St. Louis is home to upwards of 75,000 Muslims, including African-Americans and immigrants from Bosnia, Africa and the Middle East. The Jewish population in St. Louis numbers about 60,000 people.

Other upcoming Gitana Productions activities include the Faces of Love Concert 2006 featuring Hassan Hakmoun and Rick Recht to take place on October 12th, 8:00 p.m. at the Sheldon Concert Hall, 3648 Washington Boulevard. To purchase tickets, visit Metrotix at www.metrotix.com or call 314-534-1111.

Gitana also sponsors the annual “Deeds Beyond Race: Extraordinary/Ordinary Person of the Year” campaign which recognizes and honors individuals who reach beyond race and culture to improve our community. This year’s winner will be honored at the Faces of Love Concert 2006.

Gitana Productions, Inc. is a not-for-profit arts and education organization dedicated to increasing cultural awareness and appreciation by bringing international music, dance and drama to the St. Louis community. Gitana events present a rarely seen diversity of international and local artists exhibiting an array of traditional and innovative artistic expressions. For information, call Gitana Productions at (314) 721-6556 and visit www.gitana-inc.org.

# # #

Synergy Group • 7915 Big Bend Blvd. • St. Louis, MO 63119
314.961.9772 • 314.961.9782 (fax)
www.synergy-pr.com

Contact: Jennifer Korte
Synergy Group
jkorte@synergy-pr.com
314-961-9772

Sponsors Support Gitana Event to Bridge St. Louis Muslim and Jewish Cultures

Mon, 07 Aug 2006

view pictures

ST. LOUIS, MO – The Regional Arts Commission, the Missouri Arts Council, Elsevier and the Employees Community Fund of Boeing St. Louis have donated approximately $14,500 in grants and funding to support the upcoming Faces of Love Concert 2006 featuring internationally renowned master of Gnawa music and Muslim mystic Hassan Hakmoun and top-touring Jewish Rock artist Rick Recht. Faces of Love Concert 2006 is the ninth major cultural event by Gitana Productions since the not-for profit organization was founded in 1997.

"The generosity of advocates and sponsors helps us raise community awareness of the significance and magnitude of diversity," said Cecilia Nadal, president of the board of directors of Gitana Productions. "The success of the Faces of Love series is entirely dependent upon support from St. Louis businesses. Without these companies, this multi-ethnic event could not happen.”

St. Louis is home to upwards of 75,000 Muslims, including African-Americans and immigrants from Bosnia, Africa and the Middle East. The Jewish population in St. Louis numbers 60,000 people.

Gitana’s Faces of Love series presents St. Louisans with a rare opportunity to experience the combination of ethnically diverse music and dance, Nadal said. Each year, the organization forms alliances with diverse local ethnic groups and cultural organizations.

“This year, we are collaborating with the Muslim and Jewish communities in St. Louis,” said Nadal. “There is great political conflict in the world today between Muslims and Jews, and few efforts are made to highlight the common ground that exists between the two. This concert will bring opportunities for harmony, collaboration and brotherly love between Muslims and Jews in St. Louis.”

The Faces of Love Concert 2006 featuring Hassan Hakmoun and Rick Recht will take place on October 12th, 8:00 p.m. at the Sheldon Concert Hall, 3648 Washington Boulevard. The pre-concert VIP reception featuring authentic Muslim and Jewish cuisine will begin at 7:00 p.m. Ticket prices are $30; VIP tickets are $47. Discounts for senior citizens, students and groups are available. To purchase tickets, call Metrotix at 314-534-1111.

Gitana Productions, Inc. is a not-for-profit arts and education organization dedicated to increasing cross-cultural awareness and collaboration by bringing international music, dance and drama to the St. Louis community. Gitana events present a rarely seen diversity of international and local artists exhibiting an array of traditional and innovative artistic expressions. For more information, call Gitana Productions at 314-721-6556 and visit www.gitana-inc.org.

# # #

Synergy Group • 7915 Big Bend Blvd. • St. Louis, MO 63119
314.961.9772 • 314.961.9782 (fax)
www.synergy-pr.com

Contact: Keesha Dhaene
Synergy Group
kdhaene@synergy-pr.com
314-961-9772

Hassan Hakmoun Biography

Thu, 03 Aug 2006

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Hassan Hakmoun web site
Hassan Hakmoun’s CD, The Gift, on Triloka Records has brought the Arabic milieu of Gnawa music to the fore.

North Africa has long been a crossroads. The Gnawa people of Morocco descend from slaves from West Africa, but they claim spiritual descent from Bilal al-Habashi, an Ethiopian who was the Prophet Mohammed's first muezzin (caller to prayer). Gnawa music’s integration of African rhythms and sensibility has been compared to the Blues and Santeria, but the Arabic context produces a unique sound.

Hassan Hakmoun has street smarts. By age four, he performed alongside snake charmers and fire-breathers on Marrakech streets. His mother is known throughout the city as a mystic healer. Her derdeba trance ceremonies are all-night affairs where hypnotic playing and chanting exorcise evil spirits. This musical form, steeped in Islamic mysticism and West African rhythms, lifts the spirit and heals the wounded with songs of praise. Out of these origins came an emissary infused with Gnawa music as well as rock and funk.

It’s not surprising how Hakmoun got to New York. In 1987, he was brought there as part of a traditional ensemble funded by the Moroccan government. He liked it so much that - without a lick of English - the twenty-something singer and sintir player evaded his traveling companions and purposely missed his flight by hiding in the airport.

The night before, he had met composer Richard Horowitz, who came to his aid with a place to stay and a gig at a Moroccan restaurant on Bleecker Street. That night established the seeds of many years to come. The unknowing diners were soon ecstatically dancing instead of eating. A New York Times writer was dining there and began the buzz that led Hakmoun to the US stage as a premier world musician on par with Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan (they were the first signed to Peter Gabriel’s Real World label). As fans lined up to praise Hakmoun, he disappeared again, this time with a waitress whose marriage soon became his legal passage to this land of dreams.

Hakmoun has resided in the US ever since. The pentatonic scale and driving rhythms of the sintir, a three-stringed long-necked African bass lute, are instantly appealing to many Western ears, and Hakmoun, has succeeded in presenting this music outside of Morocco to widespread critical acclaim. He was the only world musician invited to play Woodstock ’94, and has performed on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno and on the WOMAD ’94 tour. Hakmoun became a regular fixture in New York’s rock, jazz, and fusion scenes, and earned his following for spanning multiple genres with his spiritually charged voice and playing.

The Gift teams Hakmoun with American-born producer Fabian Alsultany. The two have tackled the landmark task of bridging Gnawa with Arabic music while maintaining a forward-looking sound. Alsultany recruited over a hundred musicians to fill out the sound with strings as is common in popular Arabic music. The CD breaks new ground with a widely popular Arabic song, "Layla Layla" (without which no Arabic wedding is complete), which is unheard of from a Gnawa musician. Hakmoun carries the healing tradition to a wider audience with the life affirming single, "This Gift," a remarkable and timely duet with Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Paula Cole, with whom he fell in love while recording this song. The two have a child together.

Rick Recht Biography

Thu, 03 Aug 2006

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Rick Recht web site
Rick Recht is the top-touring musician in Jewish music playing over 150 concerts a year in the United States and abroad. Recht is widely recognized for his appeal to youth and family audiences not only as an exceptional musician, singer/songwriter, and entertainer, but as a role model for involvement in Jewish life. He has become an icon for Jewish youth in the United States, elevating the medium of Jewish music as a powerful and effective tool for developing Jewish pride and identity among the masses.

“We’re lucky because our fan base ranges in age from little kids to adults which allows us to do all kinds of different concerts,” said Recht. “We have the opportunity to constantly change things up and do what it takes to inspire Jewish youth and adults and make them feel connected to each other and their Jewish heritage. The teen rock concerts are sweaty, loud and exciting. The little kids concerts give us a chance to be goofy, but really educational at the same time. The family concerts are a little bit of everything and the Shabbat Alive! services have their own unique, powerfully spiritual feeling. Only in the Jewish world could we experience this wonderful variety of creativity, spirituality, and interaction.”

In addition to his four top-selling Jewish albums and recently released secular album What Feels So Right, Recht has just released two new recordings, Shabbat Alive LIVE and Tear Down The Walls, plus a film also titled Shabbat Alive LIVE. The Shabbat Alive LIVE film captures Recht's nationally renowned Shabbat Alive contemporary service with over 1000 enthusiastic congregants and dozens of youth and adult participant leaders. The accompanying Shabbat Alive LIVE CD is a collection of the musical works from the film and includes songs by Rick Recht, Debbie Friedman, Julie Silver, Craig Taubman, and more. Recht’s new Jewish rock album, Tear Down The Walls, is a well-crafted, high-energy example of what his fans have come to love. The songs deal with the challenges and necessities of dismantling racism. This album is part of an initiative developed and launched by Rick Recht with support from the Anti-Defamation League to educate teens and families about racism, discrimination, and prejudice and ways to create a safer and more welcoming environment for all people.

Highlights over the last four years include performances at the NFTY National Convention, BBYO International Convention, URJ Biennial, USY International Convention, CAJE, Hillel Leaders Assembly, NAA Conference, BBYO International Staff Conference, and URJ National Preschool Director’s Conference. Recht has become a regular headliner at major national Jewish Festivals in Los Angeles, Houston, Chicago, Kansas City, and England. Over the last four summers, Recht has launched unprecedented tours playing over 70 Jewish day and overnight camps from coast to coast including Ramah, URJ, BBYO, JCC and private camps garnering a feverish following among the national Jewish youth movements unseen in previous years.

“The stage is definitely our home,” says Recht. “The energy and voices of the audiences, whether they’re little kids, teens or adults, is indescribable. That’s the magic of Jewish music - the interaction, the singing, the dancing, and the powerful community connection. For me, it’s a dream come true to create and share in this extraordinary environment on a daily basis.”

Recht’s electrifying live performances fueled by Dennis Stringfield on drums and Logan on bass guitar have captured the hearts of a generation of fans discovering the inspiration of contemporary Jewish music. Recht is known for regularly featuring local musicians, choirs, and vocal soloists on stage with the band during his concerts and religious services.

Born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, Recht developed a strong Jewish identity attending Traditional Congregation, a conservative synagogue, and later, in high school, joined NFTY, where he was deeply influenced by Jewish music. After graduating USC (Los Angeles, CA) and Music Institute (Hollywood, CA), Recht hit the road touring nationwide from LA to New York playing at clubs, colleges, and amphitheaters. Recht shared the stage with national acts such as the Guess Who, Chris Rock, America, Supertramp, Three Dog Night, the Samples, Vertical Horizon, Government Mule (Allman Brothers), and many more. After releasing two critically acclaimed secular albums, Good Thing and Reality, Recht returned to his Jewish roots with his debut Jewish album, Tov, in the Summer of 1999. His shift to Jewish music marks the birth of a unique blend of pop, radio-friendly music with Hebrew, Jewish text, and social responsibility. Recht’s songwriting combined with his trademark high-energy live show has drawn comparisons to acts such as Dave Matthews Band, Indigo Girls, Craig Taubman, and David Broza. He is the Artist in Residence at United Hebrew Congregation in St. Louis, Missouri and enjoys spending time with his wife, Elisa, three year old son, Kobi, and brand new boy Tal.

Gitana Productions Seeks Nominations for Extraordinary/Ordinary People

Thu, 27 Jul 2006

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ST. LOUIS, MO -- Gitana Productions is seeking nominations of ordinary citizens who have bridged connections between St. Louis Muslim and Jewish communities for the prestigious seventh annual “Deeds Beyond Race: Extraordinary/Ordinary Person of the Year” award.

St. Louis is home to upwards of 75,000 Muslims, including African-Americans and immigrants from Bosnia, Africa and the Middle East. The Jewish population in St. Louis numbers 60,000 people.

Nominations should include an essay up to 500 words describing how the candidate voluntarily reaches across ethnic and religious lines with good deeds and why he/she should receive the award. Nomination essays may be sent to Gitana Productions, PO Box 300280, St. Louis, MO, 63130. Applications also are available at www.gitana-inc.org. Deadline for entry is August 31, 2006.

The “Extraordinary/Ordinary Person of the Year” will be honored at Gitana’s Faces of Love Concert 2006 featuring internationally renowned master of Gnawa music and Muslim mystic Hassan Hakmoun and top-touring Jewish Rock artist Rick Recht. The concert will be October 12, 2006 at the Sheldon Concert Hall in the heart of St. Louis’ Grand Center arts district. The winner will receive an award along with gifts donated by area businesses.

“This award recognizes the extraordinary efforts of ordinary people who bridge racial, cultural and religious divides in their day-to-day lives,” said Cecilia Nadal, president of the board of directors of Gitana Productions. “We honor people who really make a difference in our region by helping to bridge gaps that divide us. Gitana is committed to demonstrating the vital connection between global awareness and local humanitarianism.”

Previous Recipients

Gedlu Metaferia, founder and president of the African Mutual Assistance Association of Missouri (AMAAM), received the Extraordinary/Ordinary Person of the Year award in 2004. He has served more than 15,000 people as a board member for 12 non-political and not-for-profit organizations including the National Conference for Community and Justice, Zambia Hope and Immigrant Rights Group. He has also worked with a broad range of civil rights and faith groups like Anti-Defamation League and Inter-Faith Partnership.

Jessica Hentoff, Director of the St. Louis Arches and Circus Day Foundation Program received the Extraordinary/Ordinary Person of the Year award in 2003. Hentoff was awarded for using circus skills education as a means of bringing Jewish and Muslim youth together in a spirit of love.

Dick Bylund of the Central West End received the Extraordinary/Ordinary Person of the Year award in 2001. Bylund is an active volunteer with the Red Cross Disaster Action Team and the Lifeline program, which provides access to emergency help at the push of a button. As a member of the disaster action team, Bylund has handled more than 250 disaster incidents, providing support to victims of all races and socioeconomic status, and to firemen and police.

Michael Dalton of Creve Coeur was Extraordinary/Ordinary Person of the Year in 2000. As executive director of the Family Services Agency of Southwestern Illinois, Dalton developed Operation Family, a volunteer program designed to establish supportive relationships between white middle-class families and black socially disadvantaged families in East St. Louis and nearby communities.

Faces of Love is the organization’s ninth major cultural event. Earlier this year, The St. Louis Gypsy (Roma) Music Festival, presented by Gitana Productions in collaboration with the Bosnian Roma and Macedonian Roma communities in St. Louis, feature authentic Gypsy (Roma) music, dance and foods to raise awareness of the active and growing Roma communities in St. Louis.

Gitana Productions, Inc. is a not-for-profit arts and education organization dedicated to increasing cross-cultural awareness and collaboration by bringing international music, dance and drama to the St. Louis community. Gitana events present a rarely seen diversity of international and local artists exhibiting an array of traditional and innovative artistic expressions. The Faces of Love Concert 2006 is sponsored by the Regional Arts Commission, the Missouri Arts Council, Elsevier and the Employees Community Fund of Boeing St. Louis. For more information, call Gitana Productions at 314-721-6556 and visit www.gitana-inc.org.

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Contact: Keesha Dhaene
Synergy Group
kdhaene@synergy-pr.com
314-961-9772