Tag Archives: Washington Heights

UP Theater Company: “Bread of Life”

March 26 through April 12
7:00 PM Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays
2:00 PM Saturdays

Northern Manhattan’s UP Theater Company celebrates its 15th Season with the world premiere of “Bread of Life” by Frank Pagliaro, directed by Leslie Kincaid Burby.

We may know the story of St. Peter, but what about the family he left behind? “Bread of Life” tells the original story of a family in Bethsaida, fractured by the Messianic message of a mysterious carpenter from Nazareth, and the fallout of fanaticism.

30 AD. The midst of Roman occupation. A mysterious messiah roams ancient Galilee. His startling message leads a father away from home, leaving his wife and son to deal with a tragic upheaval. “Bread of Life” examines the costs of religious radicalism in the context of political oppression and domestic discipline.

Featuring:

Jesse Castellanos*, Laura Fois*, Cameron Mark Russell, Miguel Reis, Nikaury Rodriguez*.

*Member of Actors’ Equity Association

Scenic Design: Scott Aronow

Lighting Design: Shane Hennessy

Costume Design: Kimberley Windbiel

Sound Design: David Margolin Lawson

Production Stage Manager: Clove Lee

Rehearsal Stage Manager: Sky Trela

Sugar Hill: Ivalas Quartet

Ivalas Quartet

Just in time for spring break! The Schneider Concerts and Sugar Hill Children’s Museum join together to bring you the Ivalas Quartet.

With music from Mendelssohn to the movies, this free 1-hour-long concert is designed to get young children on their feet, using their voices, and their imaginations to get engaged with chamber music.

Part of the Schneider Concerts spring season featuring the series’ inaugural curating/performing ensemble, the Ivalas Quartet in a wide variety of programs. Supported by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council and made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.

Friday, April 18th
2:00pm

YM & YWHA: Nani Vazana Live!

With a ship’s-horn power voice & irresistible stage presence, Nani writes new songs in the endangered Ladino language, a dialect of Spanish spoken by Jews of the Spanish diaspora for centuries. Her fascinating migration mix seeps into her songwriting, fusing the sounds of the marketplace with Flamenco drama. Nani learned Ladino from her Moroccan grandmother in hiding, as her father forbade them to speak Ladino at home.

Winner Eurovision for Minority Languages 2024, her music was documented for the Library of Congress in 2023

Concert will be followed by light refreshments

Word Up Recirculation: Rent Party

Saturday, May 31, 2025 – 6:00pm to 8:00pm
RECIRCULATION A project of Word Up
876 Riverside Drive (near 160th St.)
New York, NY 10032

register

“The lights are low, the music sweet / It’s just the place for friends to meet,” at the Recirculation Rent Party!

Join the Word Up collective for an evening of music, food, and drinks to celebrate our community space and raise money to cover the rent (it’s too damn high)! In the spirit of the Harlem Renaissance rent parties, pay a $10-20 sliding scale ticket to enter to help Recirculation raise $3,300. Can’t make it? You can donate online! All ages are welcome. All must register ahead of time. No walk-ins allowed.

Why now for a party? We plan to renew our lease! After careful consideration, we’ve decided to put whatever energy we can into ensuring that this large community space continues to serve as a vital gathering space for our neighbors, whatever their needs for the space may be. At Recirculation, we host weekly events, meetings, and workshops, on top of selling low-cost books and records. It’s a space to meet friends and create something new. To make sure we’re still here in 2026, please donate to our rent party fund! Learn more about Recirculation at WordUpBooks.com/Recirculation

Free food and refreshments will be available, along with music by local DJs , trivia games, and giveaways!

Buy your tickets at WithFriends.co/WordUp

Word Up Recirculation: Flare Fighters Fest Writing Workshop with Bridgett M. Davis

Thursday, May 29, 2025 – 7:00pm to 8:30pm
RECIRCULATION A project of Word Up
876 Riverside Drive (near 160th St.)
New York, NY 10032

register

In recognition of Lupus Awareness Month, Flare Fighters Fest presents a book reading and writing workshop with author and filmmaker Bridgett M. Davis. Her newly released book, Love, Rita: An American Story of Sisterhood, Joy, Loss, and Legacy, is a tribute to her sister Rita, whose life was cut short by lupus when she was forty-four. Love, Rita chronicles Bridgett and Rita’s bond and sisterhood while exploring the persistent effects of racism in the lives of Black women. The author will read excerpts from her book and lead attendees in a reflective writing workshop.

Bridgett M. Davis (pronounced Brih-jet) is the author of the memoir, Love, Rita, published by Harper Books in spring 2025. Her first memoir, The World According To Fannie Davis: My Mother’s Life In The Detroit Numbers, was a New York Times Editors’ Choice and a Best Book of 2019 by Kirkus Reviews, BuzzFeed, NBC News and Parade Magazine, and featured as a clue on the quiz show Jeopardy! The upcoming film adaptation will be produced by Plan B Entertainment and released by Searchlight Pictures. She is the author of two novels, Into the Go-Slow, named a Best Book of 2014 by The San Francisco Chronicle, and Shifting Through Neutral, shortlisted for the Zora Neale Hurston/Richard Wright Legacy Award. Davis is Professor Emerita in the Department of Journalism and the Writing Professions at Baruch College and the CUNY Graduate Center, where she taught creative, narrative and film writing. Her essays have appeared most recently in The New York Times,  the LA Times and The Washington Post, among other publications. A graduate of Spelman College and Columbia Journalism School, she lives in Brooklyn with her family.

Flare Fighters Fest (dba Flare Fighters) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization at the intersection of arts and creative expression, holistic wellness and movement, and community. Founded in 2024, Flare Fighters is proudly based in the heart of New York City, Harlem. Our signature event, Flare Fighters Fest, is held annually in New York City each fall, bringing together individuals, artists, and advocates for a weekend of education, movement, curated networking, and community-building—all while celebrating the healing power of the arts. Follow us @flarefightersfest for more information about Flare Fighters Fest 2025 and other upcoming events.

This event is a $5 suggested donation ticket with 50 max attendees. Please register in advance.

In compliance with Word Up Community Safety guidelines, all attendees are encouraged to stay masked at all time.

Recirculation, a project of Word Up Community Bookshop, is located at 876 Riverside Drive (near 160th St.) in Washington Heights, NYC. You can take the 1 train to 157th St., A/C train to 163rd St., and the M4 and M5 to Broadway and 159/160th.