At a rehearsal for 'Hamlet in Harlem' at Theater for the New City

Tomorrow (April 7) sees the debut of "Hamlet in Harlem" for a 3-week-plus run at Theater for the New City, 155 First Ave. at 10th Street.

The new play is written and directed by Alberto Ferreras. Here's a quick overview of the self-described "politically incorrect comedy that promises murder, mystery, offensive stereotypes and cultural appropriations."

"Hamlet in Harlem" is the story of an empathetic caucasian filmmaker Jason Harriman who dreams about producing an all-Latino version of Hamlet that takes place in "el Barrio." The only problem is that he doesn’t know much about Latinos, he doesn’t know much about Harlem, and he doesn’t know much about Hamlet either.

EVG contributor Stacie Joy stopped by the theater for rehearsal on Monday...

Ferreras is known for his award-winning novel "B as in Beauty" (Hachette 2009). He is the creator of "Habla," the long-running HBO documentary series about the U.S. Latino experience (2003-2022), and "Somos," a new video-installation about Latino identity commissioned by the Smithsonian Institution for the National Museum of American History.

You can catch the 70-minute play on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., with a 3 p.m. matinee on Sundays. Find ticket info here. "Hamlet in Harlem" runs through April 24.

Anarchy Row

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy

Updated 5 p.m. There have been multiple arrests during an hours-long standoff here today between activists and the NYPD and reps from other city services. Gothamist has a story here. We'll update later.

Several unhoused residents live under the sidewalk bridge alongside the long-empty former P.S. 64 on Ninth Street between Avenue B and Avenue C. 

This corridor has a variety of nicknames, including Anarchy Row.

Last Thursday, a sweep team with members of the NYPD, Department of Sanitation and social services reportedly arrived here without notice and “destroyed tents and bedding,” as 1010 WINS documented. 

The sweep was part of a renewed effort by Mayor Adams “to crack down on street homelessness,” as Gothamist put it. As The New York Times observed in an article from Sunday: “Thirty years after the Tompkins Square riots, the problems around homelessness remain the same.” 

On Monday, reps from the Department of Homeless Services (DHS) returned to Anarchy Row...

... and posted notices of another sweep today. [Updated 11 a.m.: Gothamist is live-tweeting from the scene.]

Ahead of this, EVG contributor Stacie Joy spoke with these residents. 

Here are their stories. 

 -----

 Derrick Parker, 67 years old

“Social Security is the issue. My Social Security debit card doesn’t work anymore. I have called several times to resolve the problem and fix my PIN number, but it’s never fixed. Pastor Will [of Trinity Lower East Side Lutheran Parish] has been assisting me. I see the government knocking people off SS. They pick certain cases, and they can’t get their funds, and they become homeless. My wife, Dale, died on August 11 of 2020. She had cirrhosis of the liver from drinking and had a heart attack. I’m a licensed private investigator and bounty hunter. I had a stroke and have diabetes. Everything hit at once. Now I have trouble walking. I hope the Social Security director will look at my case and help me fix it.” 

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 Jose Hernandez, 71 years old

“I’ve been here for four months now. I am looking for a one-bedroom apartment for my wife and me. I’m retired now. I was a superintendent and building manager for buildings on the Lower East Side. When I was younger, I worked for the Board of Education on Eldridge Street and Forsyth. A friend of mine was sleeping here on Ninth Street, and he was leaving his tent, so I took it. I get a pension and Social Security. Being homeless is not easy, including with the police department. They are very rude. They want us out of here. My wife is Amalia Jordan; we’re common law. She’s staying at Masaryk Towers.” 

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Sinthia

“I was in the 1989 Tompkins Square Park homeless evictions at that tent city. I have only been here, on Ninth Street, for a week. I was on the trains before that. I’ve been homeless for two years. Ten days before they stopped the evictions due to the pandemic, I was evicted. We were in hotels for a while with my teenage son, my husband and me. It all fell apart. Sadly, this isn’t the first time I’ve been homeless. I am selling my paintings. I’m an artist. I tried to rent a place with my stimulus check, but no one would rent to me. They wanted better credit than we have. They didn’t say why, just that we didn’t get the space. The bathroom had a separate key out in the hallway. Mayor Adams says he thinks we live in a pile of needles.” 

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George the Third, aka Gee, 38 years old

“I’ve been here one week. I slept wherever it was warmest. I was looking for the warmest spot I could find. Cops would smack a stick down next to your head. Or hit you. I’ve been pepper-sprayed by cops; they threw water on me. I would stay on the trains, in Tompkins, wherever. In Tompkins, I always needed blankets; sometimes they had bugs. What I really need is an ID. I need a photo ID. I lost all my identity. I can’t get a Social Security card without, like, five points of identification. Identity theft is a major thing with the mafia, that and extortion. I need a birth certificate and paperwork. I need a P.O. box so I can get mail. Mail is important. I’ve been a Planet Fitness member for years, never late on my payment. Maybe they would let me get some mail there. I can work out, shower and use the massage chairs.” 

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Details on Steve Keene's 'SK Art Show'

Steve Keene, the prolific Greenpoint-based painter perhaps best known for his 1990s album covers for Pavement and the Silver Jews, among many others, is holding an in-person show for four days only starting Thursday at the Public Access gallery on the Lower East Side. 

Details via the EVG inbox ...

Be advised, this is no traditional art gallery show. 

Art fans will get the full Steve Keene experience as the "one-man art factory" packs Public Access with dozens, if not hundreds of LP-sized works, all for sale via his custom-made donation box: Hundreds of paintings. For sale. Cheap. 

Keene is beloved for his deep ties to the 90s indie rock scene, where he started out selling his album cover homages at merch tables all over NYC, ultimately becoming known as much for his cheery, automated style as for his everyman prices of just $5 - $10 per painting.

The show will feature some advance copies of "The Steve Keene Art Book," the first monograph of his work that's due out on June 14. East Village resident Daniel Efram, a longtime Keene collaborator, is producing the artbook. (Efram has also shared photos with EVG through the years.) 

Public Access is at 105 Henry St. near Pike Street. Gallery hours: Thursday 6-8 p.m.; Friday 2-6 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday noon to 6 p.m. 

Art by Steve Keene; images courtesy of Daniel Efram 

Previously on EV Grieve: 

• Behind the first book featuring the work of artist Steve Keene

A last look at the now-closed East Village institution Sunrise Mart

Photos by Stacie Joy

After news broke last month that the four longtime businesses along Stuyvesant Street would shutter in the weeks ahead, EVG contributor Stacie Joy visited Sunrise Mart. This Japanese specialty store opened here on the second level at Third Avenue in 1995.

At the time, employees said they were closing but didn't have an exact date. Sunrise Mart closed after the business day on Sunday. Village Yokocho and Angel's Share shut down on March 31. (Panya remains open for now.) 

The other three NYC locations of Sunrise Mart are still in business. 

A co-worker told me about Sunrise Mart right after it opened in 1995 at 4 Stuyvesant St. I recall walking into the lobby and facing an unmarked elevator. I thought I had stumbled into an employee entrance. Or maybe the Cooper Union dorm. The entry definitely had dorm vibes.

No, this was how you got up to Sunrise Mart. 

Then the doors opened up into a sprawling retail space with a tastefully cluttered vibe with shelves stocked with unique items ... let's take a last look...

After being hit by a car, Noor the cat is doing well at home with his new East Village family

On March 20, Noor darted out of the storefront he stayed in and was clipped by a passing car on 10th Street between Avenue A and First Avenue. 

Noor suffered extensive injuries, including pulmonary contusions, traumatic brain injury, a left humeral fracture, abrasions and bruising. The fracture on his front limb was severe enough that amputation was a distinct possibility. 

East Village residents Rachael Brungard and Matt Lipson, who witnessed the collision, took responsibility for Noor's care and launched a crowdfunding campaign to cover his medical expenses. 

Rachael shared an update — and it's all mostly positive. For starters, based on new x-rays, Noor will be able to keep the injured leg. Noor is now at home with Rachael and Matt, where — on the vet's orders — he is on cage rest for four to six weeks so his leg will heal. 

"Poor baby is bandaged up like crazy. Honestly, it looks very uncomfortable, and it is difficult for him to move around in his cage," Rachael said via email. "But he's doing well, despite that. More than anything, I think he's just bored, so we are doing our best to keep him entertained!" 

So he has been enjoying a tiny teddy bear named Barry and some YouTube videos for cats...

And here are some other shots of Noor in his new home...

There has been a lot of kindness surrounding Noor's care. For instance: Dr. Moskovich at the Village Veterinarian on East 11th Street waived the fees for Noor's care during his recovery time there.

So the lone medical bill for Rachael and Matt is for Noor's ER visit, roughly $5,500 — which the GoFundMe will help cover.

"Now that we're getting to know Noor more, I'm really noticing how truly kind and gentle he is," Rachael said. "It's hard to capture Noor's loving nature with pictures alone."

Bake Culture opening an outpost on St. Mark's Place

Photo yesterday by Steven

Bake Culture, a Taiwan-based bakery chain selling Asian and European pastries, is opening an outpost at 22 St. Mark's Place between Second Avenue and Third Avenue. The signage went up yesterday.

This will be the fourth NYC location for the brand, which also has a storefront down on the Bowery (No. 48). 

According to this 2018 post at Eater, three Taiwanese celebrities — former boy band members — started the company. 

The bakery's specialties include a variety of tarts and cakes, and you can find the menu here. 

The previous business in this storefront was Kimomi Pet, which closed during the pandemic.

Film notices: Getting down to 'Brass Tactics'

You've likely seen film notices up on various avenues and side streets for an Apple+ series titled — per flyers — "Brassed Tactics," which looks to be a big production.

We've spotted flyers along Avenue A from Third Street to 10th Street... and on Second Avenue from Third Street to Houston for filming on Tuesday and Wednesday...

An ad in Backstage describes the production like this:

Roman Candle Casting is seeking talent for "Brass Tactics," a new drama from Apple TV+ set in the year 2002. Talent, aged 18–45, is wanted to portray trendy New York City types, including punks, music geeks, and more. Talent must be available in April for filming in NYC. Pay is $165–$180 per eight hours of work.

The series is "City on Fire." Here's more about it via a recent article at Variety:

The series is based on the book [ed note: which is set in the 1970s] of the same name by Garth Risk Hallberg. In "City on Fire," NYU student Samantha (Sui Wonders) is shot in Central Park on the Fourth of July, 2003. Samantha is alone; there are no witnesses and very little physical evidence. Her friends' band is playing her favorite downtown club but she leaves to meet someone, promising to return. She never does. 

As the crime against Samantha is investigated, she's revealed to be the crucial connection between a series of mysterious citywide fires, the downtown music scene, and a wealthy uptown real estate family fraying under the strain of the many secrets they keep.

The cast includes John Cameron Mitchell and Jemima Kirke. "City on Fire" is written and executive produced by Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage, whose current credits include the "Gossip Girl" reboot.

Stuyvesant Street closings official: Angel's Share, Village Yokocho and Sunrise Mart are gone

The entry to Village Yokocho was lit up per usual here at 8 Stuyvesant St. on Friday night, giving the impression that the longtime Japanese restaurant was open as it has been for the past 25-plus years.

However, the door to the space Village Yokocho shares with Angel's Share, the speakeasy-style bar, upstairs was locked, and the second level was dark ... 

Village Yokocho and Angel's Share closed after service on Thursday night. This was expected as four popular businesses — including Panya and Sunrise Mart — along Stuyvesant Street between Ninth Street and Third Avenue were set to close either at the end of March or in April. 

There was word of a "rent dispute." According to a previous statement by landlord Cooper Union to EVG: "Unfortunately, the tenant informed us of their decision to vacate the property. They were not asked to move out, despite the fact that they haven't paid any rent since 2020." 

The timing for the end of service was murky, as the Yoshida Restaurant Group had not publically commented on potential closures or relocations for any of these businesses. Information to date in articles had come from bartenders/waitstaff/counter help. (New York Times correspondent Alex Vadukul was first to report on the pending closures in a series of tweets last month.)

Over the weekend, signage arrived confirming three of the closures (h/t Eden) ...

Panya, the bakery-cafe, remains open. Yesterday, a worker said they hoped to be here for the rest of the month.

Meanwhile, there's speculation that Angel's Share may turn up elsewhere; Village Yokocho would likely not. Sunrise Mart will not reopen elsewhere in the neighborhood — its three other NYC locations remain in service in Soho, Midtown and Brooklyn.

Early this past Thursday evening, a line formed for a last dinner and drinks at Village Yokocho and Angel's Share (following two photos by Steven) ...

There were several farewells on social media, including ...

I was lucky enough to go to the last night of Angel's Share. Such an iconic bar. Always such incredible service and fantastic cocktails. It's the end of an era. 😢 pic.twitter.com/2MQq7nl8H3

— Paula Lukas (@penguinbar67) April 1, 2022

No word on what might be next for these spaces. A Cooper Union rep told us previously that there wasn't any truth to a rumored new building here. 

This corridor has been called a micro-center of Japanese culture. Angel's Share opened here in 1994, with Panya arriving next door in the same year. Sunrise Mart debuted in 1995.