Lower East Shushan: A Purim of Vacant Lots

Purim Party 2009 039, originally uploaded by Workmen’s Circle / Arbeter Ring.

On March 14, 2009, thirty-some Rudies took part for a third consecutive year in the Purim Extravaganza thrown by Jews for Racial and Economic Justice (jfrej.org) and the Workmen’s Circle/arbeter-ring (circle.org).  This year the focus was on housing and displacement, and on the Seward Park Urban Renewal Area (SPURA) in particular – a five-block area South of Delancey Street that was torn down 40 years ago to be turned into affordable housing and has stood vacant ever since.  Right to the City groups involved in the fight for housing on the SPURA site and other Lower East Side development issues were involved in the show – Good Old Lower East Side (goles.org) and CAAAV: Organizing Asian Communities (caaav.org) in particular.

The performance and party was as ridiculous and turbulent as ever, with hundreds of people hearing a through-the-looking-glass version of the SPURA story (partly in the words of those displaced), learning from a How To Take Over A Building cantestoria, and reveling in a Busby Berkeley-inspired finale.  Not to mention dancing their asses off to an RMO set halfway through the night.  Certainly one of the indoor highlights of RMO’s participation in the Right to the City alliance’s work.

In added Rude excitement, two RMO trombones were featured in a cameo as the villain’s Haman’s entourage in the opening act of the show, and (perhaps due to Daniel Flag’s role as design coordinator) the spectacle’s costuming heavily featured green, black, and white stripes…

Tons and tons of pictures are here:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/rachelmattson/sets/72157615320479271/

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