This is a printer-friendly version of an article from Zip06.com.
09/11/2024 08:30 AMOn Saturday, Oct. 5, Nellie Kurtzman will be helping to bring the community the chance to come out and enjoy The GreenStage Experience at The Place—a fun, informative, and all-ages-friendly showcase of eclectic live performances highlighting the tremendous work and mission of GreenStage Guilford Live Arts.
Nellie has been an avid supporter of the biennial GreenStage Guilford Live Arts festival since first encountering it during its last iteration in 2023.
“When I happened upon it, I couldn’t believe it. I thought it was amazing that the shoreline had a festival featuring five days of such diverse entertainment. I saw Ukrainian singing, I saw comedy, I saw ballet—there was just so much going on. I was floored,” says Nellie.
According to the non-profit organization’s website, since first offering performances in 2017, GreenStage Guilford Live Arts has commissioned 11 new works in music, dance, and drama; put on 125 live shows; sponsored 42 workshops and master classes for more than 700 students of all ages; and has drawn some 12,000 people to downtown Guilford, resulting in an estimated $1.4 million positive impact on the local economy.
One of the first thoughts for Nellie, who has been a resident of Brooklyn, New York and recently purchased a home in Guilford, was that she didn’t want to wait another two years to experience the fun and fascination of GreenStage Guilford Live Arts, which will present its next full performance festival in September 2025.
That’s why, with help from GreenStage board members and volunteers, Nellie is presenting The GreenStage Experience at The Place on Oct. 5 from 5 to 8 p.m. The event’s live entertainment is free and open to the public at The Place Restaurant located at 901 Boston Post Road in Guilford. The restaurant will be offering its regular grill menu for guests to enjoy (BYOB and sides). GreenStage is also developing other great events which will be taking place periodically in the run-up to the 2025 biennial event.
The promotional materials for The GreenStage Experience at The Place pretty much say all you need to know about what’s happening on Oct. 5.
“Come enjoy an evening of live entertainment by local favorites and artists from around the East Coast and learn more about GreenStage’s plans for 2024 and 2025. Put your rump on a stump, savor the delicious grilled food of Guilford’s unique The Place Restaurant, and be part of the GreenStage experience.”
The variety of acts will provide performances to pack in an eclectic night of entertainment in just three hours.
“Because it’s a taste of what we have to offer, they are short acts. You will see all of them within three hours, and you’ll also learn about GreenStage,” says Nellie.
The performers are the Caribbean Vibe Steel Drum Band; Laura Clapp, a Guilford singer-songwriter and recording artist; The Conn Artists, a fun-for-all Guilford-based a cappella vocal ensemble; John Wesley Dankwa, a noted performer and ethnographer who specializes in the traditional drumming of West Africa, especially Ghana; noted performer Ranendra Kumar Das, a native of Bangladesh who has studied Western and Indian classical music, with the tabla drum as his primary instrument; SJD Squared—Jim and Steve DePasque, father-son singer-songwriter-guitarists from the shoreline; and Kate Wolff, a Philadelphia-based comedian.
“We’re trying to drum up awareness for GreenStage Guilford, which is why we have three drummers in the program,” says Nellie. “John Wesley Dankwa will be closing the show. He specializes in the traditional drumming of West Africa, in particular Ghana, and I think that’s going to be a great way to close the event—hopefully we’ll get some people drumming on the tables at The Place!”
One of the reasons why Nellie wanted to pull together this extravaganza of entertainment is to help raise awareness about GreenStage Guilford Live Arts. At the 2023 festival gala, she met Peter Hawes, the GreenStage board chair and executive director, who is one of the dynamic members of this all-volunteer group.
“I said, ‘Hi, how can I get involved?’” says Nellie. “Peter is force, and the fact that he does this on a volunteer basis is just phenomenal. Through our talking, what I kept saying to him was more people should know about it. And so, we came up with this event.”
There are GreenStage board members working with Nellie and Hawes on this project, including Barbara Shulman, who is directing community outreach; and Charlie Dear, who is also a well-known member of The Conn Artists.
“We still need more volunteers to help out at the event,” Nellie notes. “We welcome anyone. All they have to do is email me, and I will happily sign people up. If you can volunteer, please do. If you can’t, please come see the show because you don’t know what you’re missing.”
Nellie can be emailed at: nellie.kurtzman@greenstageguilford.org.
Nellie thanks brothers Gary Knowles and Vaughn Knowles, proprietors of The Place, for opening up their unique venue to this event.
“They were so accommodating and lovely about the whole idea,” says Nellie. “Hopefully, we will bring them a burst of people coming out to enjoy this evening. Weather permitting, it will be under the stars. Weather not permitting, it will be under the tent.”
Nellie’s professional experience includes her early career work with theater, film, and TV in New York City. Nellie has been involved in children’s publishing for over 20 years. She puts her visionary leadership to work as the vice president of marketing and publicity for HarperCollins Children’s Books.
Since becoming a Guilford resident in 2021, Nellie has been doing her utmost to get involved with her new community.
“My experience in moving to this town has been so incredible. I just love it here. I can’t say enough good about Guilford,” says Nellie.
In addition to her passion for theater and the arts, Nellie is passionate about animals. She serves on the board of Brooklyn-based Badass Animal Rescue, which adopts to the Tri-State area.
Nellie hopes that The GreenStage Experience at The Place will help to raise awareness, build excitement, and gather more community involvement for an amazing and impactful organization which supports the performing arts and artists.
“Just in my limited time, I’ve found it so rewarding to get involved with GreenStage Guilford. I’ve met incredible people,” says Nellie.
Learn more about GreenStage Guilford at: greenstageguilford.org.