The plan is simple: To put a circle into Washington Square. It happens every Tuesday from 5 to 8 pm. We call it “the Fuse.” A non-exclusive gathering of performers and people just wishing to express themselves in public makes the Fuse unlike almost any other New York City event. It is not an open mic, a show, or a competition. It is simply a forum: an opportunity to speak, play and perform publicly, as well as to meet and collaborate with others.
The idea was to choose a place in the city that is as “public” as possible, both for exposure and for convenience. We wanted to scout a spot that was central and in all respects diverse. This was difficult, because Manhattan has become quite homogenized and gentrified. But Washington Square Park felt like the right place -- NYU students, street performers, police, office workers on coffee breaks, drug dealers, and the homeless all mingle there simultaneously.
The event takes its form from whoever shows up and chooses to participate. At the core, however, you can be sure to find me, David Levine (poet/MC), Greg Patillo (flute/beatbox) and Mark Gurarie (writer/poet) there. The three of us have been performing at that park for weeks, and we have always noticed the desire of others to join in. We knew the transition from our performance of three to a gathering of many would be an easy one. The only thing we ask is respect for all.
Without any advertisement of the first Fuse gathering, other than a little word of mouth, we had a group of two saxophones, a flute, three poets, a singer, and two MC’s. It was a fabulous blend of words and music that drew and held a crowd of passers-by. This thing is sure to grow like wildfire. There is no comparable event in the city that I am aware of, and certainly none more inclusive of the community. I watch the faces... of tourists, of bums half-asleep on park benches, of people talking on cell phones as they walk by... and I think to myself how they never would have experienced this poem or music that is happening if we had held this gathering at a traditional indoor venue. I also think it is important to see women speaking publicly, assuming a strong role in a world where male voices are often more common and tend to dominate.
There is strength in numbers, and the Fuse is a way of bringing safety to a place like Washington Square Park that has a reputation for a certain element of danger. The possibility of community improvement by the Fuse has no limits. We plan to ask people to bring food and clothing donations and discuss other ways to leave behind a better place.
The point I’d like to make is that the Fuse is not my event, it is yours as well. You’re all invited to make flyers of your own, tell friends, and create new pieces for the occasion. The great art movements that you may have read about -- the Beat Generation, the Harlem Renaissance, the emergence of hip-hop -- were all begun by small groups who gathered together to share themselves. The time is now... to make history!
We hope to see all of you at Washington Square Park (usually on the West side), every Tuesday from 5 pm - 8 pm! For any additional information, you may contact me personally: David Levine, 917.886.0125 or at souljob@gmail.com.
~David Levine
David Levine... alphabet junkie with no hope of recovery... is currently completing a Master’s degree in creative writing at City College and MC’ng in several hip-hop projects.
