The Steinbeck Institute of Arts and Culture Announces Its Fall Performance Schedule

Top Quote Just Announced: An exciting fall schedule of performances and several events due to the generosity of its presenting sponsor the Sally Hughes Church Foundation! End Quote
  • Salinas, CA (1888PressRelease) August 17, 2011 - The Steinbeck Institute of Arts and Culture, located at 940 N. Main Street (formerly known as Sherwood Hall), is a place for the Salinas community to experience a spirit of collaboration, share resources, and unify in a sustainable and respectful physical space. Under the direction of the National Steinbeck Center, The Steinbeck Institute of Arts and Culture aims to unite the community by providing a space and opportunity to experience arts, culture, and entertainment.

    National Steinbeck Center Executive Director Colleen Bailey announced today that the Institute will launch several events this fall due to the generosity of its presenting sponsor the Sally Hughes Church Foundation (board members: Anne C. Leach, President; W.B. Lindley, Vice President;
    Harry D. Wardwell, Secretary; Ross Merrill, Treasurer). As Bailey believes, "Art is essential to the social and spiritual nourishing of our lives. Music, song, dance, film, books, and visual arts are important to the health of our nation. The Steinbeck Institute of Arts and Culture will use these events to create a genuine sense of community."

    This fall's Performance Schedule is:
    • Wednesday, September 21 with writer and activist Luis Rodriguez
    • Saturday, November 12 with Italian tenor Pasquale Esposito
    • Wednesday, November 16 with State Street Ballet's production of The Jungle Book

    All events will take place at the Steinbeck Institute for Arts and Culture at Sherwood Hall.
    Luis Rodriguez
    Opening performance by Poetic Justice, a theatre group of formerly incarcerated actors
    Wednesday, September 21, 2011 at 7pm
    Members: $10/Non-members: $15
    Students with ID: $7
    For tickets call: 831.775.4726 or at www.steinbeck.org.
    http://www.luisjrodriguez.com/

    Pasquale Esposito, Italian tenor in concert
    Opening performance by local singer Leticia Candelaria
    Saturday, November 12, 2011 at 7:30pm
    Ticket prices: $100 VIP includes reception at 6:30-7:30pm; 40% of these tickets support the Onyx Fund for Women (www.theonyxfund.com)
    $45 non-members
    $35 members
    $25 students, military, educator, senior with ID
    $25 groups of 12 or more
    For tickets call: 831-775-4739
    http://www.pasqualeesposito.com/

    The Jungle Book, a ballet performed by State Street Ballet, based on the book by Rudyard Kipling, original music composed by Milan Svododa, and choreography by Rodney Gustafson.
    Wednesday, November 16, 2011 at 7pm
    Members: $30/Non-members: $40
    Students ages 4-16 with ID: $12
    For tickets call: 831.775.4726 or at www.steinbeck.org.
    Groups of 10 are welcome and will receive a discount.
    http://www.statestreetballet.com/

    Luis J. Rodriguez is convinced that a writer can change the world. Through education and the power of words Rodriguez saw his own way out of poverty and despair in the barrio of East LA. Successfully breaking free from the years of violence and desperation he spent as an active gang member, he has achieved success as an award-winning poet. He was sure the streets would haunt him no more - until his 15-year-old son joined a gang. Rodriguez responded by telling his own story in the bestselling books Always Running: La Vida Loca, Gang Days in L.A., a fearless memoir that explores the lure of gang life and cautions against the hopelessness and destruction it engenders. His other books include Hearts and Hands: Creating Community in Violent Times and It Doesn't Have to Be This Way: A Barrio Story. His sequel to Always Running will be released this October and is titled, It Calls You Back: A Writer's Odyssey through Love, Addictions, Recovery, and Healing and describes the challenges in his life as husband and father as he tries to leave his criminal past completely behind. Rodriguez writes that "art is the heart's explosion on the world. There is probably no more powerful force for change in this uncertain and crisis-ridden world than young people and their art. It is the consciousness of the world breaking away from the strangle grip of an archaic social order."
    *
    World-famous Italian Tenor Pasquale Esposito will perform a concert comprising many Italian, Spanish, and English standards arranged uniquely for him. The program will include some of Pasquale's original compositions accompanied by stunning choreography.

    Pasquale Esposito was born and raised in Naples, Italy, the youngest of five children. Pasquale developed his love for music at a young age and further honed his skills singing in the church choir. It was at that early age that he noticed the miracles of music and that no matter how young or old, rich or poor, they all shared an affinity for music. He realized that music was the tie that binds us all and is the true universal language. He studied at San Jose State University's School of Music under the direction of Joseph Frank. This fall, Pasquale will release his sixth full-length CD titled Time-Il Tempo and is proud to present its west coast debut at the Steinbeck Institute for Art and Culture.
    *
    A ballet based on The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling with original music composed by Milan Svododa, the leading Czech composer and recorded by the Symphony Orchestra of the National Theater in Prague, with choreography by Rodney Gustafson. The Jungle Book is performed by the State Street Ballet of Santa Barbara, a professional company of 20 dancers and Fresno Dance Theater.

    Founded in 1994 as a nonprofit organization, State Street Ballet is a vibrant, innovative professional dance company known for combining the rigors and timeless beauty of classical technique with updated looks, special effects, and digital technology. The company produces original works that captivate today's diverse audiences and remains dedicated to promoting original dance through public performances and educational outreach. The company tours domestically and internationally, and State Street Ballet's original touring productions also include Cinderella and The Nutcracker.

    The Steinbeck Institute of Arts and Culture is administered by The National Steinbeck Center.

    Background on the National Steinbeck Center
    The National Steinbeck Center is located in Salinas, California, the birthplace of John Steinbeck. The National Steinbeck Center is a museum and cultural institution whose mission is "to tell the story of John Steinbeck's rich legacy, and to present, create and explore stories of the human condition." The Center offers three visitor experiences: the John Steinbeck Exhibition Hall, which houses seven themed theaters with film clips and interactive exhibits from the Nobel prize-winning author's works, the Rabobank Agriculture Museum, which explores the stories of the Salinas Valley "from field to fork," and changing art and cultural exhibits and a variety of educational and public programs.

    For more information, please visit the National Steinbeck Center's website at www.steinbeck.org. For more information on upcoming events or purchase tickets call (831) 775-4726

    Press Contact: Marci Bracco (831) 747-7455
    Program Contact: Colleen Bailey (831) 775-4724

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