Welcome to Arcos Entertainment - A Division of Arcos Communications

Second Annual Downtown Urban Theater Festival
Here Arts Center, NYC
February 25-March 8, 2003

Tradewinds
Bowery Poetry Club, NYC
August 31, 2002
Tony and Grammy award-nominated playwright Reg E. Gaines and special guest poets Aileen Reyes, Brick City Players, Michael Ellison and Devynity kicked off Poets4Life with a non-stop poetic and theatrical showcase that embodied Donna Summer's Love to Love You Baby and expressed their love for poetry. Poets4Life was followed by IntuitionNYC's AfterParty which featured the cosmic funk band Actual Proof and IntuitionNYC djs and media artists. The Village Voice - Choices Short List

Just Me
Bowery Poetry Club, NYC
July 20 & 21, 2002
By popular demand, the critically-acclaimed spoken word artist Helena D. Lewis returned to New York City with her hit one-woman show JUST ME for a special two-night engagement at the new poetic hotspot, Bowery Poetry Club. JUST ME, which premiered last February at the Here Arts Center as part of the Downtown Urban Theater Festival, exposed Helena's remarkable theatrical talent and raw emotions in a play about her day-to-day encounters with family, friends, prostitutes, co-workers, men and the dramedy that ensues.

Women of Word
Nuyorican Poets Café, NYC
July 13, 2002
The blazing hot entertainment showcase, WOMEN OF WORD, returned to set the roof on fire with an evening of sizzling spoken word, slam poetry and performance art. Directing the mic through an all-star line-up of renowned poets and wordsmiths was spoken word artisan, Helena D. Lewis. On this night, sit back and groove to the urban eclectic vibes of Ebony Washington, Inez, Jennifer Cendana Armas and Tantra.

Voices Around the Square
Washington Square Park, NYC
April 27, 2002
TThe critically-acclaimed Voices Around the Square celebrated its third year of bringing the best in poetry and spoken word to the historic Washington Sqaure Park. The three-hour festival was hosted by Ebony Washington (Supreme Poets) and Nathan P. (Nuyorican Poets Cafe). Thirty poets were featured including Aileen Cho, Vicki Hudspith, Helena D. Lewis, Emanuel Xavier, Jackie Sheeler, Tantra, Jane LeCroy, Justina, Leslie Duprey, Rashida, Ryn Gargulinski, David Mills, Karen Jaime, Clara Sala, Jennifer You, Dawn, Jason Roberts, Jennifer Cendana Armas and Osagyefo as well as special guest poets from Youth Speaks and the Nuyorican Poets Cafe.

Vocalease's Women of Word
Nuyorican Poets Café, NYC
March 9, 2002
The sassy Ebony Washington hosted the Women's History Month celebration of Women of Word. The all-star lineup included Mayda del Valle, Jackie Sheeler, Helena D. Lewis and Aileen Cho.Time Out New York - Recommended

Downtown Urban Theater Festival
Here Arts Center, NYC
February 20 through 23, 2002
The first annual Downtown Urban Theater Festival premiered with four nights of urban theater. The shows included Laurence Holder's MONK, Jane Lippman's LOUISE (ESCAPES HER LIFE), CABICO & CHO SHOW, Liza Jessie Peterson's THE PRIESTESS AND THE PATRIOT, Helena D. Lewis' JUST ME, Mayda del Valle's URBAN CREED and Liza Jessie Peterson and Tish Benson's THE REVIVAL - CHURCH OF THE LIVNG WOMB. Citysearch.New York - "Seven shows survey a multicultural landscape that extends from Thelonius Monk to a high priestess of crotchet."

The House of Xavier's Glam Slam 2001
Cheetah, NYC
December 2, 2001
The House of Xavier drove the crowd wild by delivering big poetic drama and fashion at its 3rd Annual Glam Slam. This critically-acclaimed event featured an open poetry slam competition judged by celebrity judges including Guillermo Diaz and guest performances by the House of Xavier. Proceeds from the event benefited the New York Peer AIDS Education Coalition.

Vocalease's Women of Word
Nuyorican Poets Café, NYC
November 10, 2001
New Women of Word host Dawn steered an all-star lineup featuring 2001 National Poetry Slam Champion Mayda del Valle and local superstars Karen Jaime, Ebony Washington, and Tantra. The Village Voice - ". . . they break shit down in that spoken word, fly girl, poet/artist kindof vein that fans who flock to this spot are enamored of."

Vocalease's Women of Word
Nuyorican Poets Café, NYC
September 14, 2001
This encore edition of WOMEN OF WORD featured host Ife Oshun and performances by Aileen Cho, Helena D. Lewis and Susuna Cook. Time Out New York - Recommended

Vocalease's Women of Word
Nuyorican Poets Café, NYC
July 14, 2001
This edition of WOMEN OF WORD featured new host Ife Oshun and performances by Mayda del Valle, Aileen Cho, Helena D. Lewis and Maggie Balistreri. Time Out New York - Recommended

Vocalease's Voices Around the Square
Washington Square Park, NYC
April 28, 2001
In celebration of National Poetry Month, the critically-acclaimed spoken word event, VOCALEASE, presented the 2nd annual VOICES AROUND THE SQUARE, a poetry festival benefiting the Creative Ammo Fund. VOICES was a three-hour spring festival featuring the talents of New York's premier poets and spoken word artists. Time Out New York - Critics Pick / The Village Voice - Choices Short List

Vocalease's Women of Word
Nuyorican Poets Café, NYC
March 31, 2001
WOMEN OF WORD returned to the Nuyorican Poets Cafe with its annual showcase in honor of Women's History Month and broke new ground in female expression with performances by Susana Cook, Suheir Hammad, Karen Jaime, Lois Griffith and Liza Jessie Peterson. LGNY - Pick of the Week

Vocalease's Women of Word
Nuyorican Poets Café, NYC
December 9, 2000
WOMEN OF WORD stormed back with an encore to its smash premiere. The show was hosted by Caridad "La Bruja" de la Luz and served the poetic words of Aileen Cho, Mariposa, Dawn Crandell and Helena D. Lewis. NYCpoetry.com - "I would argue that WOMEN OF WORD exceeds Nuyorican's [Poets Cafe] ambitions ... the women I heard have created a reality the mainstream would be wise to attend to."

GLAM SLAM 2000
Nuyorican Poets Café, NYC
October 14, 2000
The House of Xavier returned to the Café with a sold-out performance of its annual GLAM SLAM. Celebrity judges, including Michael Musto, rated an open slam competition with categories such as Best Verbal Vogue and Best Erotic Slam Performance in Sexy Underwear or Lingerie. The Village Voice's La Dolce Musto - "...riveting in an extremely nonpuritanical way."

A Tragedy in South Central
Nuyorican Poets Café, NYC
May through June 25, 2000
A Tragedy in South Central, a new musical and contemporary interpretation of the classics Romeo and Juliet and West Side Story, had its New York City premiere at the Cafe. This important off-Broadway musical illustrated the confrontations faced by today's urban youth and featured jazz and urban contemporary songs and dazziling dance performances. Tragedy was created by the talented team, Lanny Mitchell, Robbie Brown and LaDonna Owens. AUDELCO Award nominee

Vocalease's Voices Around the Square
Washington Square Park, NYC
April 29, 2000
In celebration of National Poetry Month and the Nuyorican Poets Café's 25th anniversary, the critically-acclaimed spoken word event, VOCALEASE, presented VOICES AROUND THE SQUARE, a poetry festival benefiting the Nuyorican Poets Café. VOICES was a three-hour spring festival featuring the talents of New York's premier poets and spoken word artists. The Village Voice - Choices Short List

Questionable Quest
Beacon Theatre, NYC
April 26 through 29, 2000
The Island Children's Musical Theatre, a company of young students from Puerto Rico's Palmas Academy, traveled to NYC to present the U.S. premiere of Questionable Quest, an original musical composed by 12 year old William Fox. Produced by Manny Fox of the famed 1981 Tony-nominated Broadway musical, Sophisticated Ladies, QUESTIONABLE QUEST featured a 38-member all-Palmas Academy cast and a 14-piece salsa orchestra comprised of some of Puerto Rico's finest musicians. It is a medieval tale about a serf and a princess that somehow end up in NYC 2000.

Vocalease's Women of Word
Nuyorican Poets Café, NYC
March 4, 2000
Vocalease, the critically acclaimed spoken word event, launched its 2000 season with the smash sold-out showcase, WOMEN OF WORD, a special all-female show in honor of Women's History Month. The star-studded evening featured New York's best poets and performance artists including Liza Jessie Peterson, Jessica Care Moore, Mariposa, Caridad de la Luz and Aileen Cho. Next Magazine - "...The show combines powerful poetry, performance art and music, featuring some of New York's best spoken word rising stars..."

Donde Hay Musica
S.O.B.s, NYC
November 21, 1999
Salsa legend Pete El Conde Rodriguez, freestyle sensation turned salsa singer Nayobe and stand-up comic Joey Vega raised the roof at DONDE HAY MUSICA, an evening of musical performances and comedy in celebration of Puerto Rican Heritage Month. The evening benefited the Puerto Rican Family Institute. Time Out New York (Critics Pick for the Evening) - "Pete Rodriguez came up during the glory salsa days at Fania Records, so you know he can make you sweat."

The House of Xavier's Glam Slam
Nuyorican Poets Cafe, NYC
October 23, 1999
New York's hottest and most buzzed about poet/author Emanuel Xavier returned to the legendary Nuyorican Poets Café with the House of Xavier's much anticipated sold-out production THE GLAM SLAM. The evening benefited the New York Peer AIDS Education Coalition. Michael Musto, The Village Voice - "...The event brought out bilious blabbers and compulsive talkers . . . They were the bomb, unleashing torrents of invective against racial and sexual stereotyping in ways that were extremely cute... The talent was heads above the previous poets I'd been exposed to..."

Vocalease
Irving Plaza, NYC
June 24, 1999
New York's most talked about and critically-acclaimed spoken event returned to Irving Plaza with an evening of poetry, lyrics, spoken word, performance art and music starring Regie Cabico, Daniel Cartier, Emily XYZ, Jonathan Ames and others. Time Out New York (Critics Pick) - "After its successful March debut, Vocalease is back with another evening showcasing some of New York's most exciting spoken word artists..."

Vocalease's Word Cafe
Housing Works Cafe, NYC
June 17, 1999
Poetry sensation/performance artist Regie Cabico of MTV fame performed and hosted an evening of poetry and open mic performances. The event benefited Housing Works.

Vocalease
Irving Plaza, NYC
March 16, 1999
VOCALEASE premiered at the legendary Irving Plaza with the masters of spoken word and poetry including Emmy-award winning producer/poet Bob Holman and lead performers from the Hottest Poets and Real Live Poetry. Time Out New York (Critics Pick for the Evening) - "...shouldn't pass up this intricate vocal summit."

CONCEPT
Soundfactory, NYC
September 24, 1998
CONCEPT, an international urban party/mini-concert/benefit, premiered at the world-renowned Soundfactory with hundreds of fans, celebrities, media and fashion and music industry representatives. The showcase featured award-winning DJ Swing from London, R&B vocal group Amari and spoken word artists Sarah Jones (Surface Transit) and Mums (HBO's Oz.) The event established the Creative Ammo Fund (R), an anti-violence youth initiative that will support teenagers and young adults in their pursuit of creative careers in the fashion and advertising industries. Time Out New York - "...an intellectual, upscale hip-hop/R&B party...with a purpose..."