Dedicated to the presentation of works with special literary, historical and musical merit, WordStage's aim is to employ professional local artists whose talents will illuminate the texts and music of some of the most fascinating and remarkable figures in the realms of history and the performing arts.

Using letters, diaries, recorded conversations and contemporary chronicles underscored with musical compositions of the era a WordStage performance will entertain, inform and educate audiences who have a love of literature, the humanities and the performing arts in their purest form.

For this evening's performance, WordStage disects the life and work of Cleveland's counterculture poet, d.a. levy. As poet, artist and publisher, d.a. levy was an important literary and underground figure in Cleveland’s emerging poetry and small/alternative press scene in the early 1960s and continued to be until his untimely death in 1968. levy documented his love-hate relationship with the city and the politics of the day through his poetry and art which today provides a unique political and social perspective of 1960s Cleveland. Considered a visionary by many of his contemporaries, levy transcended the geographical boundaries of the city as well, with his work acknowledged by such nationally renowned poets as Allen Ginsberg and Gary Snyder. Although levy created large amounts of textual and concrete poetry and art in his young life, few of his original materials are in circulation today. Sadly before his death, he destroyed much of his remaining pieces and gave the rest away to friends. Fellow poets and friends of levy’s, opined that levy “carries Cleveland around in his shirt pocket like some small clawed animal.

Featuring:

• Tim Tavcar, Narrator
• Tim Collingwood, d.a. levy
• Ken Schworm, musical improvisations and underscoring on electric guitar

http://www.wordstageoh.com/