Performing at The Set NYC

I want to talk about my experiences with The Set NYC. http://www.thesetnyc.com/ and https://www.facebook.com/setnyc/

I’m not sure quite how Pim Shih, who runs it, found me, but he asked me to come do a monologue for him at the Lovecraft Bar at 50 Avenue B in Manhattan.  I’m always looking for opportunities to perform, so I went.  I’ve now gone there four or five times to perform.  I really like it.

This is an exceptionally nice bar.  They don’t blast loud music. They can even play classical as ambient music.  There are 2 cozy performance spaces in the basement.  There aren’t a lot of TV screens showing sports all over the place.  The food is excellent — gourmet stuff.  I actually don’t drink alcohol, so I look for the food, myself.

Avenue B used to be a  scary place when I was younger, but it’s trendy now — lots of young people.  Not a scary feeling place at all — tho I scared someone.  I'll just tell the story briefly now.

My last monologue was Vincent Price’s Rap from Michael Jackson’s thriller.  I have this on SoundCloud as well: https://soundcloud.com/anne-barschall/thriller-rap I wore all black: dress, hoodie, boots.  I carried a walking stick with a curved top.  

A man started when he saw me afterwards, walking on the street, and told me I looked like the grim reaper. That made me laugh, which kind of destroyed the illusion I think. I took down the hood. It’s summer after all.

I’ve found out since that first show that Pim Shih is a deeply religious man who wants to end homelessness in NYC.  He gives some money from each show to charities benefitting homelessness.  One such charity is http://www.fotvm.org/  It’s a small charity, but hopefully growing.  They’ve so far helped 4 people.

None of these shows earns a huge amount of money for charity, but, since Pim does them often, it adds up.  

The last show I did was on July 9.  Pim tries to group genres together.  He had music acts in one room and short films in another room.  I think he goofed in asking me to perform July 9, because it wasn’t a monologue night.  Still, I did my monologue at the end of the short films show.

It was really cool getting to watch other people’s short films.  All these budding filmmakers got to network with each other.  Same with the musicians in the other room.  I also got a new FB friend who liked my monologue.

I just want to recommend that performers try out their new stuff at this place.  Are you practicing a monologue that you want to do for an audience?  Have you written a new song or set of songs that you want to perform?  Do you have a new short film that you want to be able to show to a small, supportive group?  Do you want to benefit charity at the same time?  

You won’t get paid, but it will be a fun evening in a nice place.  Also, I’m supposed to do another monologue there on July 21.  I’ve always fantasized of being Puck in Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream, but I’m unlikely to be cast in that role I think — but I could do one of his monologues, if I get time to memorize it before then.