WEBVTT 00:00:06:46 --> 00:00:08:46 Hello, and welcome everybody. 00:00:12:00 --> 00:00:15:34 I am Madeline Cohen, Education Director and Director of the 00:00:15:42 --> 00:00:20:41 All Write! Program. All Write! is always a special occasion, 00:00:20:41 --> 00:00:23:53 but today is extra special because it is All Write's 00:00:24:01 --> 00:00:27:14 25th Anniversary. 00:00:31:33 --> 00:00:34:52 For 25 years Symphony Space has been thrilled to present 00:00:34:52 --> 00:00:38:13 original stories and poems by students like you 00:00:38:18 --> 00:00:42:19 performed by wonderful actors like the ones here tonight. 00:00:43:10 --> 00:00:46:58 It has meant so much to me and everyone here to be able to 00:00:46:58 --> 00:00:50:26 bring together students and teachers from all around 00:00:50:26 --> 00:00:54:49 New York City to share the creativity, the honesty, 00:00:54:57 --> 00:01:00:24 the beauty, the laughter, the tears in your stories and poems. 00:01:00:42 --> 00:01:03:52 The All Write Committee and I have been honored to read 00:01:03:52 --> 00:01:08:22 every single story and poem submitted every year 00:01:09:28 --> 00:01:14:24 and we've been honored to get to know something about so many 00:01:14:27 --> 00:01:17:25 so many interesting lives, so many different backgrounds 00:01:17:25 --> 00:01:18:52 and so many unique imaginations. 00:01:18:52 --> 00:01:22:03 We loved reading them and wish we could present all of them 00:01:23:11 --> 00:01:27:48 but then we would be here until 7 o'clock tomorrow morning. 00:01:29:27 --> 00:01:36:06 So - we had to make a choice, and it was hard. 00:01:36:47 --> 00:01:42:10 I'm so excited tonight to present stories and poems by you 00:01:42:10 --> 00:01:44:39 read by our wonderful actors. 00:01:44:40 --> 00:01:47:39 This is a night we all look forward to at Symphony Space 00:01:47:46 --> 00:01:52:37 all year. We received over 150 stories and poems 00:01:52:53 --> 00:01:57:01 from classes all around the city, and it was so tough 00:01:57:10 --> 00:02:00:00 choosing the 34 that we will perform tonight 00:02:01:55 --> 00:02:07:43 I said to the actors, these 34 fantastic stories are not 00:02:08:06 --> 00:02:12:07 necessarily the 34 best stories. There were so many great stories 00:02:12:52 --> 00:02:17:50 so we had to make decisions about how to get serious stories 00:02:17:52 --> 00:02:22:01 funny stories, stories from this school, stories from that school 00:02:22:01 --> 00:02:25:14 it's a really hard job but one we love to do because we get to 00:02:25:14 --> 00:02:27:00 read all of them 00:02:28:12 --> 00:02:32:13 I want to thank the teachers for all the hard work they did 00:02:32:22 --> 00:02:34:22 overseeing and submitting the writing because I know 00:02:34:24 --> 00:02:36:24 it's a huge job. Thank you teachers. 00:02:42:22 --> 00:02:44:59 I think you are going to really enjoy hearing these stories 00:02:44:59 --> 00:02:49:43 and poems. Some are funny, some are sad, serious, angry, scary, 00:02:49:44 --> 00:02:54:06 you name it. Some are long, some are short, some might remind you 00:02:54:15 --> 00:02:56:43 of the postcards you may have seen in class or the stories 00:02:56:52 --> 00:03:00:32 and poems that were read here in February if you were here in 00:03:00:33 --> 00:03:05:33 February. Those stories were called Agouti, Abandoned Farm 00:03:05:33 --> 00:03:12:04 House, Vision Out of the Corner of One Eye, Homage to my Hips 00:03:12:06 --> 00:03:18:16 Indian Education, Still Life With the Accent, and The Bells. 00:03:18:24 --> 00:03:22:04 Some of your stories are based on real life, some are 00:03:22:05 --> 00:03:25:02 completely made up. All are wonderful. 00:03:25:11 --> 00:03:31:14 So, before we sit back and listen to the fantastic stories 00:03:31:15 --> 00:03:33:15 and poems written by you and your peers, 00:03:33:23 --> 00:03:37:10 I'm going to ask you to turn off all cell phones, or anything 00:03:37:26 --> 00:03:41:56 else that makes noise or light. So, if you brought your blender 00:03:41:57 --> 00:03:45:53 or your motorcycle, please turn it completely off 00:03:45:53 --> 00:03:50:52 and, of course your cell phones - I mean OFF. No texting 00:03:51:07 --> 00:03:55:15 no nothing because we're listening to stories tonight. 00:03:55:17 --> 00:03:57:17 Please don't take any pictures 00:03:57:18 --> 00:04:00:36 until the end of the show. The actors will stay on stage 00:04:00:42 --> 00:04:04:16 during the bows. You can take pictures then and if you shoot 00:04:04:19 --> 00:04:07:30 a picture, a photo with a flash it's very distracting. 00:04:07:39 --> 00:04:12:16 At the end of the show, the ushers will be handing out 00:04:12:25 --> 00:04:16:48 a booklet, one per person, with the names of everybody who 00:04:16:56 --> 00:04:19:27 submitted any stories or poems. 00:04:19:27 --> 00:04:23:32 So tonight we have five fantastic actors 00:04:25:20 --> 00:04:29:20 Nathan Hinton began his professional career at the 00:04:29:20 --> 00:04:32:06 Public Theater and most recently performed with the 00:04:32:06 --> 00:04:35:03 Mosaic Theater Company in Washington D.C. 00:04:35:03 --> 00:04:36:58 Let's welcome Nathan. 00:04:37:08 --> 00:04:39:39 [Applause] 00:04:39:44 --> 00:04:43:07 We are thrilled that Dylan Carusona is back with us 00:04:43:12 --> 00:04:48:03 since February. He just appeared in a play called Mangled Beams 00:04:48:03 --> 00:04:51:21 produced by American Indian Artists Inc. 00:04:51:21 --> 00:04:53:16 [Applause] 00:04:53:16 --> 00:04:55:37 Sonia Manzano is known to millions as Maria on 00:04:55:52 --> 00:05:01:31 on Sesame Street, a character she played from 1971 to 2015. 00:05:01:35 --> 00:05:04:27 [Applause] She is also an author. 00:05:05:14 --> 00:05:09:30 Crystal Dickinson is an actress of stage and screen. She returns 00:05:09:44 --> 00:05:12:31 to All Write! after recently appearing in The Low Road 00:05:12:31 --> 00:05:14:31 at the Public Theater. 00:05:14:46 --> 00:05:18:09 [Applause] 00:05:18:45 --> 00:05:21:32 And you will remember Dawn Akemi Saito from our 00:05:21:32 --> 00:05:25:10 February performance. She is an actress, writer, 00:05:25:10 --> 00:05:30:59 movement artist, and director. [Applause] 00:05:31:04 --> 00:05:34:58 You can read more about our wonderful cast in your program. 00:05:35:14 --> 00:05:40:21 Before I say another word, I am going to apologize in advance. 00:05:40:33 --> 00:05:44:17 I'm going to do my best, but I know I am going to mispronounce 00:05:44:23 --> 00:05:47:25 some names. So if I mispronounce your name, just tell me later 00:05:47:34 --> 00:05:49:34 how to do it. 00:05:49:38 --> 00:05:51:38 But now we are in for a wonderful evening of stories and 00:05:51:53 --> 00:05:53:53 poems, so let's get started. 00:05:54:29 --> 00:05:58:13 Every one here has memories of home, whether home is up the 00:05:58:28 --> 00:06:02:22 street or across the ocean. Many of you wrote about where you 00:06:02:28 --> 00:06:04:59 were from and brought your experience to life with 00:06:05:04 --> 00:06:09:09 your words. Let's welcome Sonia Monzano to the mic to read 00:06:09:24 --> 00:06:12:37 Where I'm From by Nancy Bentancourth. 00:06:13:13 --> 00:06:15:13 [Applause] 00:06:16:52 --> 00:06:18:52 Where I'm From 00:06:18:55 --> 00:06:20:54 I'm from South America, 00:06:20:54 --> 00:06:23:43 Cali, Colombia, a beautiful country. 00:06:23:49 --> 00:06:26:17 My country has many traditions 00:06:26:37 --> 00:06:29:47 like eating delicious food, especially at holidays 00:06:30:14 --> 00:06:32:49 My whole family makes different dishes. 00:06:33:09 --> 00:06:39:07 Bandeja has arroz, frijoles, carne asada, huevos 00:06:39:12 --> 00:06:43:25 platoon maduro, aquacate and this is a wonderful plate. 00:06:43:45 --> 00:06:46:48 My family sings loudly at Midnight Mass 00:06:46:54 --> 00:06:48:54 on the 24th of December. 00:06:49:14 --> 00:06:54:02 I am from Mama and Papa and feeling very happy. 00:06:54:07 --> 00:06:59:58 I am from Colombia and I am from laughter and this story. 00:07:00:44 --> 00:07:06:23 [Applause]