A social worker is surrounded by immigrants with citizenship applications. L-R: Cheryl Gadsdon, Terry Lee King, Michael David Gordon, Emily Pezzella. Photo by Jonathan Slaff.
The legendary Crystal Field will be touring New York City boroughs with “The Socialization of a Social Worker,” starting 8/3 through 9/15. Her unmissable street theater, a yearly staple of the New York City arts calendar, began in the 1960s and blends social commentary, vaudeville, and a touch of the prophetic. Featuring an elaborate set with trap doors, giant puppets, and a massive running screen, this visually stunning spectacle adds a genre-bending mix of musical styles: Bossa Nova, Hip Hop, and classical Cantata, which further enhance the play’s dynamism—perfect for the outdoors, totally family friendly, and 100 percent free. Her new musical’s central character is a beleaguered social worker named Beatrice, who is a testament to the power of human compassion and who maintains an unwavering belief in a better tomorrow.
Field, a seminal part of the American Stage, began writing street theater in 1968 as a member of Theater of the Living Arts in Philadelphia. She wrote and performed her own outdoor dramatic pieces against the Vietnam War and also curated and performed many poetry programs for the Philadelphia Public Schools. There she found tremendous enthusiasm and comprehension on the part of poor and minority students for both modern and classical poetry when presented in a context of relevancy to current issues. She realized that for poetry to find its true audience, the bonds of authoritarian criticism must and can be transcended. Her earliest New York street productions were playlets written in Philadelphia and performed on the flatbed truck of Bread and Puppet Theater in Central Park. Peter Schumann, director of that troupe, was her first NY artistic supporter.
In 1971, Ms. Field, who has an associate’s degree in Dance from Juilliard and a BA in Philosophy from Hunter College, became a protégé of Robert Nichols, founder of the Judson Poets Theater in Manhattan, and of Peter Schuman, founder of Bread and Puppet Theater. In an interesting historic note “The Expressway” by Robert Nichols, directed by Crystal Field (a Street theater satire about Robert Moses’ plan for a throughway to run across Little Italy from the West Side Highway to the FDR Drive) was actually the first production of Joseph Papp’s New York Shakespeare Festival. Nichols wrote street theater plays for TNC in its early years, but as time went on, wrote scenarios and only the first lines of songs, leaving Field to “fill in the blanks.” When Nichols announced his retirement to Vermont in 1975, he urged Field to “write your own.” The undertaking, while stressful at first, became the impetus for her to express her own topical political philosophy and to immerse her plays in that special brand of humor referred to often as “that brainy slapstick.” Her first complete work was “Mama Liberty’s Bicentennial Party” (1976), in honor of the 200th anniversary of the American Revolution.
Field’s new musical is a dizzying kaleidoscope of political satire, slapstick comedy, and heartfelt humanism. She tackles everything from the horrors of the January 6th insurrection to the plight of the homeless with a blend of wit and outrage. The play is a rollercoaster ride, careening from laugh-out-loud absurdity to moments of sobering reflection. Her tenacity and vision are a testament to the fact that she has managed to sustain a career, as an artist, producer, founder of a theater—and one of the few who could keep such an endeavor sustainable since the 1970s–in a notoriously fickle industry. With “The Socialization of a Social Worker,” she once again proves herself a master of her craft, transforming complex social issues into a vibrant, accessible theatrical experience.
A social worker is surrounded by immigrants with citizenship applications. L-R: Cheryl Gadsdon, Terry Lee King, Michael David Gordon, Emily Pezzella. Photo by Jonathan Slaff.
This is a play that is both entertaining and thought-provoking, just another proof of Crystal Field’s enduring talent and unwavering commitment to social justice. Field’s signature “brainy slapstick” is on full display, with witty dialogue and physical humor that will keep audiences engaged, informed, and completely entertained. But beneath the surface, there’s a powerful message about the importance of social activism and the enduring spirit of hope. “The Socialization of a Social Worker” is a must-see for anyone who cares about the state of our society. It’s a play that will make you laugh, think, and perhaps even get involved in making the world a better place.
Composer Peter Dizzoza was composer/musical director of TNC’s 2022 Street Theater tour, “Teacher! Teacher! or PS I Love You.” He appeared frequently in 2020-2021 in TNC’s weekly “Open ‘Tho Shut” walk-by theater productions, which demonstrated the theater’s ability to serve its neighborhood culturally during the lockdown. He is known for his simple, cheerful music with a Gershwinesque flair. He began writing plays with music for La Mama’s Experimental Series in 1997 and became a regular composer for productions directed by George Ferencz. Among his TNC credits are his scores for Toby Armour’s plays “Aunt Susan and Her Tennessee Waltz” (2022) and “155 Thru the Roof” (2014). His song settings include poems and texts by Shakespeare, T.S.Eliot and Thomas Hardy. He is a member of the Dramatist Guild, The Lambs Club and The New York Composers Circle.
SCHEDULE
Sat, 8/3 @ 2:00 PM – MANHATTAN: Outside Theater for the New City at E. 10th St. & First Ave.
Sun, 8/4 @ 2:00 PM – BRONX: St. Mary’s Park at 147th St. & St. Ann’s Ave.
Sat, 8/10 @ 2:00 PM – STATEN ISLAND: Tappen Park, Bay St. betw. 77th & 78th Sts.
Sun, 8/11 @ 2:00 PM – MANHATTAN: Central Park Bandshell, 72nd Street Crosswalk
Fri, 8/16 @ 5:00 PM – BROOKLYN: Coney Island Boardwalk, Aquarium Wall area at W. 10th St.
Sat, 8/17 @ 2:00 PM – MANHATTAN: St. Marks Church at E. 10th St. & Second Ave.
Sun, 8/18 @ 2:00 PM – MANHATTAN: Jackie Robinson Park at W. 147th St. & Bradhurst Ave.
Sat, 8/24 @ 2:00 PM – MANHATTAN: Washington Square Park
Sun, 8/25 @ 2:00 PM – QUEENS: Travers Park at 34th Ave. betw. 77th & 78th Sts.
Sat, 9/7 @ 2:00 PM – BROOKLYN: Sunset Park at 6th Ave. & 44th St.
Sun, 9/8 @ 2:00 PM – BROOKLYN: Fort Greene Park, Myrtle Avenue & St. Edwards Street
Sat, 9/14 @ 2:00 PM – MANHATTAN: Sol Bloom Playground, W. 91st Street btwn. Columbus & Central Park West
Sun, 9/15 @ 2:00 PM – MANHATTAN: Tompkins Square Park at E. 7th St. & Ave. A
(Via Jonathan Slaff)
