Touring a Vision of the South Bronx – “The Provenance of Beauty” by Foundry Theater

At the urging and direction of Karen I drove down to the city Saturday (10/24/09) to attend this event, “The Provenance of Beauty” by Foundry Theater. It proved to be interesting as a performance piece though at times too tendentious in content.1

Click here for a video provided by the Foundry Theatre.

Karen will go on this tour next Saturday. Her comments will probably add more to the conversation.

But, Karen and I will get our own tour at some point in the near future given by John Gilstrap, Sr., a retired FDNY Captain.  I bumped into John Sr. at Andrea and John’s house on 121st Street when I stopped by after my theater adventure. Once I got started telling John Sr about my afternoon on a bus in the South Bronx he reminded me that he had spent most of his career in the fire department  in a station that covered the exact territory in the South Bronx, Mott Haven and Hunts Point, that was the subject of this theater piece.

Unlike the rules of no photography during the theater bus tour, I will get to take pictures from Captain John’s car. And, I think that we will take digital recorder along…….

Keep an eye out here for more on the South Bronx as suggested by the view of a fireman who watched the South Bronx burn down, rebuild, burn down, and rebuild during his tenure.

  1. You can read Charles Isherwood’s review in the New York Times here or a review by  JOE DZIEMIANOWICZ AND NICOLE CARTER in the Daily News []

Noah Graduates to Middle School at Trinity

Noah's 4th Grade class at Trinity, NYC6/9/9

Grandson Noah Gilstrap graduated into the Middle School at Trinity in NYC.

A telling point for me was the symbolic transition from the Lower School environment in which the students gave hugs to the Headmistress as they came up on the stage and crossed to greet the Headmistress of the Middle School with a handshake.

John, Andrea, Noah, and Nyla at Noah's Graduation, TrinityNoah and Nyla