Symphonics Live!

whats up fam....steve sapp....universes...bowery poetry club......baby baby baby....let me tell you....Universes performed at Symphonics for the first time....well known NY performance event......it was cool hanging out before the event with Bob Holman...poetry wizard....owner of the Bowery Poetry Club and old friend....somebody who has seen us grow up in this poetry thing......He kinda reminded me of the long way we have come....How I just wanted to be able to read a poem and have sombody like Bob even hear it. Now here we are kicking it like old jazz musicians at a club talking bout the old days and the new days.....As far as the hit...(we call our performances "hits". This one was fun.....didn't have nothing to prove...good energy and working out some new stuff......damn I love it when we're working. Its not always like this...different hits have different feelings....but this one was fun...Big up to Sean Randall for keeping a good vibe in the room....none of that posing shit......anytime he gives us a call if we can make it work...we'll be there...... Peace

The Denver Project - 1st Draft

Steve Sapp here,

Just back from Denver , here to give you the blow by blow on one of our latest work, "The Denver Project" .

Mildred and I were commissioned by Curious Theatre to write a play about the homeless issue in Denver. This is a great opportunity for us to tackle an issue so important to the Denver community, so I've been going back and forth, meeting with people who are working on this issue, officials and homeless people who are attempting to get off the streets.
Its been real heavy diving into this subject, but I'm also not fooled. I'm looking at it from the outside, able to go to a bed and sleep after the interviews, so we are trying to do the work in an honest and sincere way. I've also been helping to develop a group of actors who can handle all the things we'll need them to do.

The poetry, the music, you know the Universes way. I have to say its been cool working with people who have been open to exploring how we work and at the same time bring what they have to the table.

I feel good about this piece because we have great support from Curious Theater as well as a great director, Dee Covington. She understands what we do and how to translate that to the actors. She has been the driving force for this project, arranging a first draft reading at a transitional housing facility and then having a talkback with the residents so we can have feedback.

We'll keep you posted on the progress.

Damn, we love this shit....

Universes 10th Anniversary Collage

This was a video we showed during our 10th Anniversary last year (2006). Well, we just turned 11 :)

Hey there people, Steven Sapp here from Universes, I don't know if anybody is reading this stuff, but hey, it's here. We just got finished doing a lecture/performance at our interns' (Tiffany Okafor) performance class which is held at Julliard (administered by University of North Carolina), so we can say we taught at Julliard, at least for the day. It was cool giving them a little background on the company and sharing a little about what we know about this theater game. Always good to connect with young and hungry students. Gamal wasn't there but the three of us held it down to the fullest. It never ceases to amaze me how far this poetry/theater/music thing has taken us, and still takes us.

After the class we went to eat Hummus and other green and leafy things at 'Nanoosh'. A Mediterranean spot on Broadway and 60 something, in preparation for our African/European tour with Jazz at Lincoln Center.

We finally found out where we are going. Its looks like were going to Morocco/Tunisia/Turkey/Kenya/London.

We are so amped about this. We've been to Chile, but it wasn't as long a trip. We're ready to represent the way we always try to do, so if you are reading this, send out a little prayer for us, every little bit helps.

Until next time

Peace

UNIVERSES in LA - Luckman Theater

Hi Fam,

Here we are in smoggy but wonderfully sunny California (we luv it here) on our third day of a four day Live from the Edge performance set of hits, and we write to report that so far it's been great.

Our energy had pulled us through performances in spite of some problematic sound equipment and space sound issues but in general, the staff and crew of the Luckman theater have been great.

The lighting for this show has been warm and inviting and the hospitality has been nothing less than hospitable.

We are traveling with Quest, Paola and Tiffany, who has never been to LA, so we did the tourist thing yesterday and walked through Hollywood. Quest got himself a blue bear from build a bear workshop as his Hollywood souvenir and Tiffany got some great shots of herself with a very weird genie and a nearly "nekid" roman soldier.

We then took a scenic drive to the Santa Monica Pier and quickly turned around to work through Cali traffic and make it back in time for call. We then proceeded to rip it on stage and after the performance, came back to the hotel for a home cooked meal at Denny's :).

We have been staying at the Hilton Garden Inn in Montebello (a golf resort) and although we have not yet tried our skills at golf, we have witnessed the skilled and the skill-less from our bedroom window. This morning a female golfer, fully equipped with pink golf balls, held up a line of golf carts filled with eager middle aged golf outfitted men, in a bumper to bumper parade of anxiety, as she swung and swung and laughed and laughed, 'cause it's all good and she was here to have a good time, not taking the sport too seriously with her pink golf balls. Loved it ;).

We don't know what today will bring but we will hip you too it tomorrow.

Peace, Love and Hair Grease to all

'Till the next.

UNIVERSES - Steven, Gamal, Ninja, Mildred

(Blog by: Mildred

Images by: Tiffany)