Saint Stephen's Class Trip to Cornelia Street Cafe

Sister Adrianne trying to come up with a "fun but educational" class trip has decided to take her Saint Stephen of Hungary's 4th grade to Cornelia Street Cafe tonight to see the "City Stories: Stoops to Nuts" storytelling show.

Mister Varga will drive the kids down on the school bus and Mrs. Otis and Mrs. Varga have volunteered as chaperones. All students bringing their 4th grade report cards showing a 90 average get in free, all others pay $7 with one free Mission soda or adult drink if you sport facial hair.

Sister Adrianne picked a winner. It's a great show with terrific tellers and songsmiths including Nicole Ferraro, Don Piper, Francesca Rizzo, Edward Rogers & Nicholas Zaharakos. Tommy Pryor will host the show then immediately return to his seat on the bus for the trip back to the school or suffer Sister Adrianne's consequences.

Tonight: City Stories: Stoops to Nuts @ Cornelia Street Cafe @ 6pm

Located at 29 Cornelia Street (between Bleecker & West 4th Street, just west of 6th Avenue).

ps don't forget today is Flag Day!

Friendly Ghosts

This past September, I toured St. Stephen of Hungary's grammar school and church with Principal Katherine Peck. In several locations during the walk I had out of body experiences where I clearly saw full classrooms from the 1960s, nuns, priests, brothers, teachers and custodians moving around, telling us what to do, but mostly what not to do. I could've touched them. I'm a little weird, I liked school, loved playing but school was home, felt like I belonged, learned a lot about junk and life.

Last Friday, I was one of three judges in a Saint Stephen's Student Speech Contest in the school's auditorium. There were eight contestants and they were all amazing. Education is flying high at Saint Stephen's. I had a ball.

The speech contest was in the auditorium space where from 6 to 14 years old, I was in plays, watched movies, I was in the audience, got thrown out a few times. Followed President Kennedy's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports Program. I still hate Jumping Jacks. Hung out in Mr. Varga's office, stuck uneatable sandwiches under the lunchroom tables so I could get an empty tray through the nun's careful you must eat everything inspection. Became part of Troop 654 Boy Scouts, sung in Hungarian, played tackle football, field hockey, whiffle ball, and Johnny on the Pony (when the nuns weren't looking). Kissed a girl at a dance in early March 1969. The song playing was a slow one, "Season of the Witch."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAzTnsSgs2s&feature=related

I'm happy Saint Stephen's is still part of my life.

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Procession of Ghouls ~ St. John the Divine

Friday night, the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine celebrated their annual Halloween Extravaganza. First, we watched a silent screening of The Cabinet of Doctor Caligari with deep spooky organ music playing all the way through.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhHi-G3A8-Y&feature=related

After the film, the Procession of Ghouls down the main aisle. This flipped me out, demonic images in a church, Satyrs dancing seductively, swaying the audience like Edward G. Robinson as Dathan swayed the Ten Commandants crowd into worshiping false idols while Charlton Heston as Moses tried to work out a deal with a burning bush.

The costumes are brilliant and remind me of Julie Taymor's amazing work in The Lion King and her artistic puppetry in Epcot at Disney World

If I was 10 years old witnessing the Procession of Ghouls, my Saint Stephen's altar boy brain would have had a conniption. I loved it, I'm going back next year.