News From the Carver
By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor —
Like so many arts organization, the Carver Community Cultural Center, one of San Antonio’s most prominent performing arts presenters, had to cancel most of its 2020 shows, with the hope of rescheduling them for the spring of 2021. But faced with continuing concerns about COVID-19, the center’s management opted for another wave of cancellations.
“It was disappointing to have to cancel the shows the first time, but to have to postpone them again, was really difficult, disappointing for everyone – the patrons, the artists and for us here. But we are deeply concerned about the wellbeing of all the stakeholders, so this is really the most responsible thing to do,” explained executive director Cassandra Parker-Nowicki.
The last live performance at the center took place on February 16, 2020, just before the “shelter in place” recommendations were issued. The show was A Capella Live, which the director described as “fantastic. We had such a good time.”
The 2021 spring season cancellations involved ten shows, including the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance; The New Orleans brass band, The Soul Rebels; the Hiplet Ballerinas, DeeDee Bridgewater, The Divas of Eastwood, and others. All have been rescheduled however.
“We are committed to the artists involved,” said Parker-Nowicki. “We know that this has been extremely difficult for the artists. A lot of them have not even be able to get together to rehearse, some of them actually contracted COVID, some had to take other jobs since they had no income. All tours were canceled, travel was difficult.”
Still, the Carver stage will not be completely dark and empty this spring. Three shows, originally scheduled for the Little Craver, will be moved to the larger Jo Long Theater in the main building, which is able to provide safe-distancing conditions for both performers and audiences. Only about 50 people will be in the audience and all three events involve San Antonio artists. A fourth show, the San Antonio Guitar Trio, is no longer on that list because two of the members contracted COVID and were unable to prepare for their concert.
The three shows coming up are: Bad Mama Jama Remix, Unforgettable: A Tribute to Nat King Cole, and J-Darius, a style-melding San Antonio music artist.
First up on March 20th is Bad Mama, conceived by San Antonio’s current poet laureate, Andrea “Vocab” Sanderson, who is probably the most active and generous poet laureate the city has had so far. The show was originally scheduled for March 28, 2020. Through music, monologue, poetry and modern dance, the performers – including Sanderson – “are reconstructing their own brand of femininity,” says the promotional announcement. Joining Sanderson are Glo Armmer, Naomi Sumthin2Say, Yvette Hardin, Tausha “Sings” Jackson, Ami Nah Dece, Tamara Adira, Lisa “Secret” Martinez, and D.J. Ms. Eclectic. This is the second installment of the trilogy of shows that Sanderson envisioned, noted Parker-Nowicki, who described the performances as a look at specific periods in American life as reflected by the music of each. “It’s really a celebration of womanhood and what it means to be a woman, but done through music, spoken word and art,” she said.
With ten performers on stage, Parker-Nowicki is glad that the performance was moved to the larger theater, allowing for a safer environment for the stage performers.
On April 10, San Antonio’s popular crooner/actor/playwright, Jose Ruben de Leon, and his music partners, bassist George Prado and pianist Aaron Prado, will perform the songs of the great Nat King Cole in the appropriately titled show: Unforgettable. And J-Darius, who is hailed as one “of the hottest emerging voices of the neo-soul and R&B music scenes,” will take the stage on April 17.
One production from the main season that has not be cancelled but will happen virtually, Eleven Reflections on September, is on the schedule for May 1. Inspired by the poems of Andrea Assaf, who also directed the production, the show features an all-female Near Eastern music ensemble, including opera singer Lubana Al Quntar, violinist Eylem Basaldi and percussionist April Centrone. Originally planned for May 16 of last year, the piece deals with the Arab-American experience, war, terror, and “the constant quiet rain of death amidst beauty that each autumn brings in the post 9/11 world.” It is explained that the annual falling of leaves is used as a metaphor for the fallen soldiers and civilians.
Assaf is the Carver’s artist-in-resident for this year who could not actually come to San Antonio in person, but has held a series of online interactive, participatory sessions with guest artists and interested participants who signed up for each program.
A similar meet-n-greet series of online sessions is in the works right now, said Parker Nowicki. Each will be an opportunity to get acquainted with an artist who was originally supposed to appear in one of the main-stage shows of the season. Though the artists may offer samples of their work, these sessions will not be performance-centered.
“Everyone wants to return to having performances and doing shows. It definitely feels good to know that it is happening again,” said the executive director. “We live-streamed a few things during this past year, but it will be nice to have actual people in the audience again.”
The Carver, which is part of the city’s Convention and Sports Facilities Department, has not suffered quite the same financial disaster as independent arts entities, and it has also been helped by the Carver Development Board which was able to secure some federal funds to support its employees and the Carver’s educational program. In addition, both individuals and corporations have increased their donations, said Parker-Nowicki. At this point, she is looking forward to welcoming people back into the theater and the Carver Lobby Gallery where the fun and beautiful exhibition, The Glorious Way She Moves – Black Venus, by painter Barbara Felix