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To View Peformance Photos Click Here  Art on the Beltline Sat., Nov. 5 @ 3 p.m. Atlanta, Georgia Free and Open to the Public The performance site is located off Memorial Drive on the section of the Beltline behind the H. Harper Station Restaurant at 904 Memorial Drive, Atlanta, 30316 Water Is Life: Hidden Springs, Atlanta Produced by Gateway Performance Productions Conceived, Written  and Directed by Sandra Hughes Masks Designed and Crafted by Michael Hickey Bowls Designed by Sandra Hughes and Crafted by Michael Hickey The Performance Meer-ah - Storyteller and Singer: Hilda Willis Pre-History - An Awakening "Spirit of the Springs " Choreographed  and Performed by Jerilynn Bedingfield with Hilda Willis "The Critters Gather" Choreographed and Performed by Allen Pittman with Hilda Willis "The Flowers"  Dancing Flowers for Peace with Hilda Willis Directors:  Lesly Fredman, Noel Marts, Lori Teague Choreographed by   Darlene Carra, Marie Carrera, Nurah ...

Sandra Hughes directs   Ghost of the Living , a play written by Zafirah Matthews - a young playwright from the Bronx, NY. The play premieres at the Alliance Black Box Theatre at the Woodruff Arts Center in Atlanta on Saturday, November 5th at 7 pm as part of the 3rd Annual Young Voices With New Visions Short Play Fest. To purchase tickets choose the Evening Showcase by clicking here . Elizabeth Hirsch-Tauber  , a film, television and stage actor, portrays Elizabeth. Elizabeth is a 15 year old girl who lives alone with her single father. Her mother, April, passed away when Elizabeth was 11 years old. No one know how she died, or even if she died. ... Zarfirah Matthews Playwright Ghost of the Living The cast also features adult actors Matt Bartholomew, Veanna Black, Jackie Costello, Michael Hickey, Lynn Hesse and Marissa Octavia Boyd as well as youth actors Michael Iluma and Destiny Jackson. Briana Adams is the stage manager. The production is co-produ...

Please join us! Date  Sat. Aug. 27, 2011 Time  8:40 p.m. Performance "Voices" and "In Amsterdam" excepts from "The Warrior Tree" The story of the performers' spontaneous artistic response to a terrorist  attack during an International Festival in Amsterdam Written by Sandra Hughes. Performed by Sandra Hughes, Michael Hickey Venue The Large Gallery Location American Friends Service Committee, Georgia Peace Center, 60 Walton Street, NW, Downtown Atlanta - 3 short blocks from the Five Points MARTA Station, Parking available on the street and at parking lots along Cone Street A Windows and Mirrors Exhibit Event Followed by: Reflections on War and Peace: A Performance Museum Saturday, August 27 at 9:00 pm until Midnight The performance evening will feature artists from multiple disciplines and connects to themes in the Windows and Mirrors exhibit. We challenge artists to consider and construct work around the social and cultural ways we conceive of war an...

To View Performance Photos Click Here . Water is Life: Hidden Springs, Atlanta is an outdoor site performance designed, written and directed by Sandra Hughes. The production features drama, dance, masks, mime, music and visual art to celebrate the times when Atlanta’s now hidden natural springs were visible and usable - before , during and after the American Civil War. This year marks the beginning of the 150th anniversary of the American Civil War. Hidden Springs premieres on Saturday, November 5 at 3 p.m. for Atlanta’s 2011 Art on the Beltline. The performance site is located off Memorial Drive on the section of the Beltline behind the H. Harper Station Restaurant at 904 Memorial Drive, Atlanta, 30316. The performance is free and open to the public. To view the program for the performance click here . A number of specific natural springs in Atlanta inspired the creation of this production –  the spring beneath The Mask Center (located on the ground floor of the Little...

Atlanta’s Art on the Beltline has selected sixty-six visual and performing art pieces to present along the 22-mile loop of proposed transit and urban green space. Water Is Life – Hidden Springs, Atlanta   (the performance piece I proposed) is included as part of this three month event which is now in its second year. *** One Saturday morning I join a number of the other artists to walk part of the Beltline to locate sites for our outdoor projects. Early into the hike a fellah walks up beside me and says, “Hi, Sandy”. “Hi.” "You’re from Erie,” says he. “I am,” says I. I look him over carefully and decide I don’t know him. He certainly seems to know me. *** Presque Isle, Erie PA - Oct. 2010   Photo: Sandra Hughes   Usually, only family  members and long time friends call me Sandy. Occasionally,  someone says it intuitively which I always appreciate because I actually prefer Sandy to Sandra. I adopted the use of my full, formal, first name some...

It’s summer. The land is green with short grasses and oak trees. The earth when revealed by erosion and building construction is red clay. Gone is the drought that left us nearly waterless. Our steamy five-month summers have returned and the air is familiar with heat and humidity. The recent Fourth of July Independence Day holiday was marked by thunderstorms that dampened fireworks displays and outdoor barbeques. Nearby street and place names such as Druid Hills and Ponce de Leon (or “Ponce” as locals call it) are not mere labels bestowed by the whimsy of developers. They're part of the history, people and places that have repeatedly captured the attention of the world. Margaret Mitchell wove the burning of Atlanta and the heroic and iconic substance of the American Civil War  into her book Gone with the Wind. Ken Burns made the events of this conflict palpable in his series for Public Television. Our country’s legacy of slavery birthed a civil rights ...

To View Performance Photos Click Here .   Water is Life Part 1 Hidden Springs   Atlanta Spirit of the Springs Inspiration Two major influences, history and healing, inspired the creation of Hidden Springs - an original, outdoor, site specific performance work. In September 2000 I became the Artistic Director of The MASK Center - located on the ground floor of The Little Five Points Community Center in Atlanta. During renovation into an exhibit, studio and performing venue Joe Shifalo, the then building manager, told me the space was directly above a spring that had once been part of a field hospital that treated injured soldiers during The Civil War. I think of this often as I work and create in the space. This historic reality has been aching to express itself artistically for over a decade and especially now as 2011 begins the 150th anniversary of The Civil War. Water to Heal During the summer of 2009 with support from Alternate ROOTS and the Ford Foundation I returned...

Allen Pittman with Students @ The Mask Center Photo: Mitch Birnbaum Allen Pittman Martial Arts Workshops Wednesday, March 23 Session One 7-8 pm Wisdom of the Body for Men and Women 1. - The essential history of the path of humanity to adulthood  - infant movements and animal movements to standing human. 2. - Basic Egyptian Yoga Session Two   8-9 pm Amazon Dance for Women Only 3.- Archetypal Movements and Speaking Phrases "All three sections … together represent the path of the human being into our present time." Allen Pittman Location The Mask Center Little Five Points Community Center 1083 Austin Avenue Ground Floor Atlanta, Georgia 30307 Free Parking No Set Fee Donations Encouraged   I Information sandra@masktheatre.org 404 222 9262

Jerilynnn Bedingfield Photo: Sandra Hughes Jerilynn Bedingfield is a principal performer with Gateway Performance Productions. She currently portrays the character Honey Bee in the company's new touring productions - Honeybees Are Important! for family audiences and the school version of this production.   Jerilynn's an international and national performer for Gateway whose passion for gardening makes her uniquely qualified to understand and portray the character of Honey Bee and to offer garden related workshops and residencies in conjunction with these performances.   Jerilynn says, Let's learn basic skills to help design a pollinator's garden to attract the beneficial insects that are important to our environment. Let's build a pollinator's garden and learn about good soil quality and compost as we prepare the soil to plant plants that attract the pollinators. Then let's  plant a variety of mostly ...

Honeybees are Important! written and directed by Sandra Hughes was performed by Gateway Performance Productions in Atlanta, Georgia on February 25th. The production was  presented  by Young Audiences at the Woodruff Arts Center.  Principal performer and master gardener  Jerilynn Bedingfield portrays an Italian Honey Bee. Italian honeybees are favorites of  beekeepers in the USA.  Honey Bee is in trouble! Comic characters from the Italian Commedia del' Arte Theatre - Michael Hickey as Arlequino and Sandra Hughes as Columbina - are determined to do everything they can to help Honey Bee stay healthy and able to pollinate to keep all the delicious, nutritious foods she makes possible in their diet... Photos: Bunny Vrooman ... and in their beloved chicken Sylvia's diet as well. Sylvia is portrayed by Fieldtrip- a particularly gentle chicken who lives at Oakhurst Community Garden in Decatur, Geor...

The Johnson Party is ramping up to perform their 3rd monthly Gospel Hour on Sunday March 13th, 5:00pm. Come on down to The Mask Center located in the Little 5 Points Community Center at the corner of Euclid and Austin Avenues in Inman Park, (1083 Austin Ave, Atlanta, GA 30307) for Atlanta's very first non-sectarian non-traditional gospel hour of eclectic wanderlust music. You can sing along if you’d like or just listen and stomp your feet at this Sunday alternative (or adjunct to) traditional church going. The 7-piece ensemble will be playing upbeat tunes with spiritual themes. Listeners can expect to hear folk, reggae, Appalachian spirituals, 70's soul, pop, rock and roll, original music and more. The show is free to all, but donations are encouraged for the host location, The Mask Center. Featuring:  Tom Spach (Bass, Vocals), Kerry Lance (Vocals, Percussion), John Hill (Electric Guitar, Mandotar, Sitarar, Banjitar, Vocals), Justin Duff (Sax, Vocals, Guitar), Erik Johnson (Gu...

photo: Mitch Birnbaum Martial Arts Training   Allen Pittman Friday, Feb 25   Session 1: 7-8 pm Wisdom of the Body for Men and Women 1. - Experience the essential history of the path of humanity to adulthood as taught in religion and philosophy - infant movements and animal movements to standing human. 2. - Basic Egyptian Yoga Session 2:   8-9 pm Amazon Dance for Women Only 3.-  Amazon Dance, Archetypal Movements and Speaking Phrases  "All three sections; … together represent the path of the human being into our present time." Allen Pittman Amazon Dance Photos  Location: The Mask Center, Little Five Points Community Center, 1083 Austin Avenue, Ground Floor, Atlanta, Georgia 30307 Free Parking Free Sessions Donations Accepted Information: sandra@masktheatre.org 404 222 9262

  Amazon Dance Theatre - Development  Workshop Gateway Performance Productions - The MASK Center Allen Pittman in Collaboration with Jerilynn Bedingfield, Gwyneth Bragdon, Lynn Hesse, Sandra Hughes Photos: Mitch Birnbaum World Class Martial Arts Instructor Allen Pittman met with Theatre and Dance Artists at The MASK  Center in Atlanta, Georgia on January 22 & 23, 2011 to workshop his performance design based on the Amazon form he's developed, nine feminine archetypes and the enneagram. The Greek Goddess Athena Gwyneth Bragdon Magdalene, The Initiatior L. Gwyneth Bragdon R. Lynn Hesse Sword Strategy C. Sandra Hughes - L. Allen Pittman - R. Lynn Hesse, Gwyneth Bragdon The Initiator - Variation L. Allen Pittman - R. Gwyneth Bragdon 

Erik Johnson, Tom Spach and other members of the the Johnson Party have generously offered to do a gospel music fundraiser for Gateway Performance Productions' venue - The MASK Center - on Sunday, December 5th. This event fits perfectly with Gateway's goal to expand music programming in support of our emerging 21st Century Art Space. Please help get the word out to others -especially those who may not yet associate music events with The MASK Center. Below are the details from Erik. Join the Johnson Party on Sunday, December 5th at 5:00pm at The Mask Center located in The Little 5 Points Community Center at the corner of Euclid and Austin Avenues in Inman Park, (1083 Austin Ave, Atlanta, GA 30307 ) for Atlanta's very first non-sectarian gospel hour of eclectic wanderlust music. Please bring your voice to sing or just your ears to this sunday alternative (or adjunct to) traditional church-going. The 6 piece ensemble will be playing tunes that cut across the American songbook...

The 13th Sector Pathways on a Living Planet Episode 1 , The Prologue A Spoken Word Drama Written by Sandra Hughes The prologue to The 13th Sector was performed, produced by Gateway Performance Productions and presented by the Academy Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia on November 29, 2009. It's the prelude to a longer work performed in episodes and was inspired by my experiences as a workshop facilitator and participant at the Findhorn Foundation in Scotland. The play explores the notion of positive global transformation and an imagined future in the context of the environment and a worldwide reconnection with nature through the creation of an enlightened association of global gardeners who strive to heal the planet. The script is available to read at my literary arts profile and you can also view production art created by Michael Hickey .

Many thanks to those of you attended the the Benefit Concert for Gateway Performance Productions on August 23rd at Callanwolde Fine Arts Center in Atlanta made possible by the considerable and delightful talents of Celebrity Impersonators Margie Mangham as Minnie Pearl, Melody Knighton as Dolly Parton, Craig A. Meyer as Elton John and Harold Schulz as Young Elvis with solid backup from the music trio The Blue Suedes. Melody and I made a surprise appearance as Lucy and Ethel! With the help of our wonderful Benefit Committee Co-chairs Tom Spach & Bunny Vrooman, our Board Chair Chris Moser and a host of incredible supporters and volunteers- a wonderful time was had by all! Curtain call with Celebrity Impersonators and Gateway co-founders Michael Hickey & Sandra Hughes P hoto: Michael Birbaum. Melody Knighton & Sandra Hughes as Lucy & Ethel

"Frida and Diego in 4" -a tribute to Mexican visual artists Frida Kahlo & Diego Rivera - is a dance theatre piece choreographed and directed by Sandra Hughes, performed by Jerilynn Bedingfield and Michael Hickey to original music by Tom Spach in hand-carved masks created by Mr. Hickey. It previews on Sat., May 30th as part of the Southern Order of Storytellers Spring Story Fest. The performance begins at 7:30 p.m. at the Academy Theatre in Atlanta. "Frida and Diego in 4" then premieres in Denmark on June 18th at the Aeroe International Maskfestival . The Journey to "Frida & Diego in 4" What emerged during rehearsals for "Frida & Diego in 4" lead to the creation of a piece about Frida's essential passions - her art and Diego Rivera. It lasts a 4 little over minutes. The journey to these handful of minutes took years. Photo: Sandra Hughes Performer: Jerilynn Bedingfield Frida Kahlo said there were two great accidents in her life....

Noel Marts and Lesly Fredman, co-directors of The Dancing Flowers for Peace, perform at the Academy Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia for Women's History Month, March 15, 2009. Photo: Michael Birnbaum

This summer I'll provide arts programming for a Kid's Yoga and Art camp at Stillness Yoga in Marietta, GA located at the corner of Roswell Road and Old Canton. The dates are: June 1 - 5 July 13 - 17 August 3 - 7 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Call 770-337-9335 for more details There are only two lasting bequests we can hope to give our children. One is roots; the other, wings. Hodding

Here are photo images of Michael Hickey and I in my new play Coyote and the Bees at the Chat tahoochee Nature Center in Roswell, Georgia on Saturday, July 5th. Honeybees are currently dying all over our planet. In the play when the coyotes fin d out about this they are determined to find a way to help the honeybees. Coyote and the Bees is a perfect show for youth and family audiences. It's now available to tour nationally and interna tion ally. Please contact Gateway Performance Productions in Atlanta for more information: email: gatewaypp@masktheatre.org phone: 404 222 9262 or fax: 404 222 9680. Photos by: Michael Birnbaum