PERFORMANCES BY:

Abiodun Oyewole I Amanda Gorman I Amy Gerstler I Amy Landecker I Bradley Whitford I Carolyn Foronda I E. Ethelbert Miller I Jaki Shelton Green I John Sinclair I The Linda Lindas I Louie Pérez I Luis J. Rodriguez I Lynne Thompson I Peter J. Harris I Ryka Aoki I Simon Callow I Tyehimba Jess I Wayne Kramer

Hosts: Pat Thomas & Shonda Buchanan

On May 6, we celebrate poetry, literature, and renewed literary community with Beyond This Moment, a virtual benefit in support of Beyond Baroque’s reopening later this year.

After more than a year of being closed to the public, we are overjoyed at the prospect of welcoming our community back. Our space has nurtured thousands of writers and artists, ranging from internationally known figures like Amanda Gorman, Wanda Coleman, Dennis Cooper, Viggo Mortensen, John Doe & Exene Cervenka, and Mike Kelley, to our many beloved community members. Countless writers have taken their first workshop at Beyond Baroque, held their first reading in our theater, and met lifelong friends through our programs.

Beyond This Moment gathers an array of notable writers and performers in celebration of those programs, and in support of the reopening of our landmark 1906 building. The country’s youngest-ever inaugural poet Amanda Gorman returns in support of Beyond Baroque, and of the space in which she took her first poetry workshops. She’ll appear with Pulitzer-Prize winner Tyehimba Jess, Los Lobos-founding member Louie Pérez, and an array of present and past poet laureates that include Lynne Thompson, Luis J. Rodriguez, Jaki Shelton Green, and Carolyn Foronda. MC5 guitarist Wayne Kramer will perform along with poet/activist John Sinclair, while actors Bradley Whitford and Amy Landecker will read favorite poems. Beyond Baroque alum Amy Gerstler reads, while a founder of the seminal proto-hip hop group the Last Poets, Abiodun Oyewole is joined by poets E. Ethelbert Miller, Ryka Aoki, and Peter J. Harris. The punk-power pop group The Linda Lindas will perform, and distinguished actor-author Simon Callow will make a special appearance on behalf of the Christopher Isherwood Foundation.

In reopening Beyond Baroque, we would like to make significant repairs to our 115-year-old building. All ticket sales will help sustain Beyond Baroque’s programs. Further sponsorships and donations will help us renovate and repair our theater, exterior facade, and common areas, with a goal of $20,000 to help us get on our way. For a full list of sponsorship options and benefits, visit www.beyondbaroque.org.

Please help us write the next chapter of Beyond Baroque and join us for Beyond This Moment.

Note: Payments can be made by credit card or with a Paypal account. Both credit card and Paypal payments will be processed through Paypal, but a Paypal account is *not* required to purchase tickets.