Join us in helping animals and supporting the good work of Maple Farm Sanctuary on Monday, October 22nd when Compassion Arts Festival 2018 kicks off the week of presentations with our much anticipated opening event. An inspiring evening of music and theater, our benefit concert begins with an ensemble program of songs from a new play The Rattle & the Thunder and then continues with a feature presentation of our special guest, NY composer/musician Michael Harren, performing his multi-media theatre piece The Animal Show, accompanied by string quartet.
Tickets are $20 in advance; $25 at the door. General seating. 100% of proceeds from ticket sales go to benefit Maple Farm Sanctuary, a safe haven and home for rescued animals in Mendon, MA.
Purchase Tickets Here
About the Concert:
The Rattle & the Thunder is a music narrative about transformation and reconciliation. Written by singer-songwriter Ellie Sarty, this program features a sampling of pieces from the play, interwoven with other selected writings, reframed in music and spoken word. The Rattle & the Thunder’s jazz and contemporary folk / rock influenced songs are threaded together with excerpts of stories, experiences, and insights found in writings by true life individuals, whose lives, reflections, and works explore the complex paradox of what it means to be a human animal seeking real peace. Performed by an ensemble of musicians, singers, and spoken word artists, the program takes the audience into a multi-arts tapestry, to journey briefly into the power of example of others (human and non-human animals) who have been a candle in illuminating a path of respect and equality with the life we share the planet with. (For bios see Presenters page.)
The Animal Show is a highly acclaimed multi-media theatre work from NY based composer, musician, performing artist and activist Michael Harren. Blending humor with candor and poignant reflection, Michael Harren’s thought-provoking and deeply moving one-person show combines elements of classical composition with experimental electronics (in the genre of artists such as Laurie Anderson, Peter Gabriel, and Eno) in combination with storytelling and personal narrative, to create a distinctly unique and inspiring performance through which we are compelled to look differently at our relationships with other animals and ourselves. The piece is performed by Michael on piano with electronic soundscapes and a string quartet. The Animal Show was created during Michael Harren’s artist’s residency at Tamerlaine Farm Sanctuary in New Jersey. Since then, The Animal Show has been performed across the US in a national tour 2016-2017 and at NYC’s Dixon Theater, Symphony Space and in special guest musical performance programs at numerous events. A CD of music from the show The Animal Album and a book about the project The Animal Book were recently released and are available at www.michaelharren.com.