The Marsh Presents Performances on Current Social Justice Issues and More on MARSHSTREAM

As the Bay Area's shelter-in-place continues, The Marsh is offering a variety of programming at 7:30pm nightly on MarshStream, its popular broadcast platform. Offerings this month includes an evening of stories and songs focused on November 8, 2016 (the evening the United States elected Donald Trump as President) followed by a Town Hall with Don Reed, as the MarshStream community stands in solidarity to support the creation of a just society (see latest schedule below).

The program launched in April and has received overwhelmingly enthusiastic response, with hundreds flocking to view and participate each night. MarshStream programming varies daily, with Monday Night MarshStream (short performances by a variety of artists), Wild Card Tuesdays (everything from book/writer discussions, sing-a-longs, Tell It On Tuesday, to Sound Healing and Restorative Yoga), Wednesday Solo Arts Heal (offering stories of health, advocacy, and inspiration), Stephanie's MarshStream on Thursday nights (interview, bantering, Q&A, and performance excerpts with Marsh favorites, moderated by Marsh founder Stephanie Weisman), plus Bingo! hosted by Josh Kornbluth, live full-length performance concert readings, archived performance streams, performance development classes, and a noon series, including; CJ's FitnesSing, a weekly singling lesson and fitness class on Fridays, and a Super Slow Weight Training and Zoomba Room. Content is being offered at 7:30pm nightly as well as mid-day throughout the week (see schedule below) via Zoom, YouTube, Instagram, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and iTunes. MarshStream viewers are asked to contribute whatever they can afford. Donations can be made by joining The Marsh's membership program and via a virtual "tip jar" both on the website, with funds going to support and sustain The Marsh and its performances. For more information, the public may visit www.themarsh.org/marshstream. NOTE: Most past shows from earlier MarshStream dates are also available on the website for viewing.

Monday MarshStream

7:30pm, Monday, June 8
Featuring short performances by Helene Lara and Michal Victoria

Helene Lara's THE TRIP HOME: Road trips can inspire nostalgia, fantasy, and, at the moment, a longing for normalcy. Follow Lara's journey back home as she takes a jaunt down memory lane, plays Russian Roulette with the gas tank, and encounters a detour into normal existence in The Trip Home.
Michal Victoria's BARDO: Victoria's Bardo is a work in progress that attempts to tip some of our society's sacred cows with both drama and humor: the epidemic of child abuse and how it's passed through generations, our stigma towards illness, our beliefs around healing, the Shadow side of the New Age-ism, as well as one person's rise from death bed to healing (and still healing), as we travel through time and space.

Wildcard Tuesdays: "Barbara Lane's Book Friends"

7:30pm, Tuesday, June 9

Hosted by Barbara Lane. Featuring special guests Peter Stein and Susan Harloe

Barbara Lane is the San Francisco Chronicle book columnist, Copperfield's Books Director of Events, and the former JCCSF Director of Arts and Ideas. She will be joined by Peter Stein and Susan Harloe, surprising audiences with short stories and novels that may not necessarily seem suited for dramatization. Stein's artistic career as a producer and presenter spans film, theater, television, museums, and online media. During his 11 years at PBS station KQED, Stein wrote, directed, and produced a wide range of documentaries and series for national public television, garnering such prestigious honors as the Peabody Award (for his feature-length documentary The Castro) and four Emmy Awards for historical, cultural, culinary, and environmental programs. Harloe is the co-founder and co-Artistic Director of Word for Word, acting, director and spearheading Word for Word theater for the past two decades.

Solo Arts Heal

7:30pm, Wednesday, June 10

Hosted by Gail Schickele. Performed by Bob Brader
SMOKER: Bob Brader's acclaimed solo comedy, Smoker, is about his 28-year love affair with smoking. As Brader tries to break up with his first love - those "sweet Camel lights" - he realizes all the complex connections that he created through smoking: how it helped him through a turbulent childhood, created jobs, opportunities and community, and one particular connection almost too precious to let go. Both hilarious and cautionary, Smoker is pertinent for anyone who has ever experienced an addiction, substance or otherwise. After the performance, director Suzanne Bachner and hypnotherapist/solo performer Frank Oden will join to discuss how hypnotherapy helped Brader quit smoking.

Stephanie's MarshStream

7:30pm, Thursday, June 11

Hosted by Stephanie Weisman. Featuring special guest Irma Herrera

Stephanie's MarshStream will feature an interview with Irma Herrera. She was last seen at The Marsh in March 2019 for an extended run of Why Would I Mispronounce My Own Name? The show earned a Best of 2017 San Francisco Fringe Award and is always evolving with new material related to current social justice issues.

BINGO! with Josh Kornbluth

7:30pm, Fridays in May
Hosted by Josh Kornbluth
Audience members are invited to play five FREE games of BINGO! with prizes for the winner of each round. Hosted by improv, solo performer, Josh Kornbluth, this may be the most iconic, zany bingo on the planet.

Solo Performer Spotlight

7:30pm, Saturday, June 6 - LIVE*

Sunday, June 7 - Rebroadcast

Performed by Wayne Harris and Ron Jones

A MOMENT IN TIME: Performance poet and writer Ron Jones and storyteller Wayne Harris come together for an evening of stories and songs focused on November 8, 2016: the evening the United States elected Donald J. Trump as the President. Inspiring them to "get out the vote" for November 2020.
*In solidarity with the times, MarshStream will host a special post-performance of "Town Hall" with the performers and special guest, Don Reed, following Saturday's performance of "A Moment in Time."

7:30pm, Saturday, June 13 - LIVE*

Sunday, June 14 - Rebroadcast

Performed by David Hirata
A BOX WITHOUT A BOTTOM: Through monologue and magic, Hirata will excavate the mysteries and stories of magician Namigoro Sumidagawa as he brings the story of Asian America to life. In 1866, Sumidagawa became the first Japanese citizen in over 200 years to receive a passport to leave the country. As part of the "Imperial Japanese Troupe," he dazzled audiences across Victorian America with his exotic stage magic and became a media celebrity. By the time Sumidagawa returned to Japan, his prize trick had been appropriated by American magicians in yellowface and rechristened as the "J*p Box." Over a century later, Hirata unveils illusions and surprises from this Japanese American story in his latest solo show, A Box Without a Bottom.

To simulate the feeling of waiting in the lobby until a theater opens, The Marsh has created the MarshStream Studio Waiting Room. Available 30 minutes prior to each performance/event for Marsh members, and 15 minutes prior to the general public, the Waiting Room can be joined via Zoom Room where guests can mix and mingle, or viewed on YouTube live, with additional entertainment such as unique content, live music, and even prizes.

In addition to nightly program offerings on MarshStream, The Marsh has also launched Marsh Youth Theater (MYT) MarshStream, classes offered at 4:00pm daily taught by MYT instructors and resuming on June 15. From Creative Dramatics to Storytelling, Dancing, and more, class types, instructors, and age levels vary for each class. For weekly class schedules and additional information, please visit themarsh.org/mytmarshstream.

Photo Credit: Daniel D. Baumer