BROOKLYN MEDIA GROUP JULY 14 - JULY 20, 2017 33
COMPILED BY JAIME DEJESUS
ORLANDO MARIN
Bring your dancing skills over to the
Brooklyn Public Library for its Plaza
Swing Series as Orlando Marin performs
beloved tunes.
A contemporary of such greats as Tito
Puente, Machito and Tito Rodriguez,
Marin is the only Latin orchestra leader
from New York's golden era of mambo still
performing regularly. Not only will there
be a performance but dance lessons as well.
The free event will take place on Thursday,
July 20 at the Central Library, 10 Grand
Army Plaza. Dance lessons are at 6:30 with
the band starting at 7 p.m. In case of rain,
the event will take place on Thursday, July
20, same time.
For more information, visit www.bklynlibrary.
org/calendar.
LAUGHTER
IN THE PARK
Those that need a good laugh should
make their way to Brooklyn Bridge Park
for Laughter in the Park.
Go to Pier 1 to catch up to two hours of
stand-up performed by some of comedy’s
most innovative and expressive artists
courtesy of NYLaughs.org. Join them on
the Granite Prospect for some great standup
by Sherrod Small, Langston Kerman
(HBO’s “Insecure”), Myq Kaplan, Gary
Vider and Leighann Lord.
The free event will take place on Sunday,
July 16 from 4:30-6:30 p.m. at Pier 1 at
Brooklyn Bridge Park, 334 Furman Street.
For more information on the artists and
event, visit www.brooklynbridgepark.org.
DEATH AND DHARMA
Head over to Green-Wood Cemetery as
it presents Death and Dharma.
Led by teachers from the Brooklyn
Zen Center, the sessions will begin with
an insightful discussion that highlights
Buddhist teachings on life and death.
Afterward, just around sunset, attendees
will gather for meditation within the cemetery’s
tranquil and historic landscape.
Whether you’re a practicing Buddhist or
just someone looking to gain a little peace
of mind, each session will offer thoughtful
opportunities for reflection in the company
of fellow seekers.
The event will be held on Tuesday, July 18
at 7 p.m. at Green-Wood Cemetery. Tickets
start at $5. To purchase tickets, visit www.
brooklynzen.org.
BUZZ BROOKLYN
Brooklynites gearing up to
'Come Out and Play' in DUMBO
BY JAIME DEJESUS
JDEJESUS@BROOKLYNREPORTER.COM
Brooklynites of all ages, from
kids to adults, are ready to
‘Come Out & Play’ for free!
DUMBO will play host to the first
day of the annual Come Out & Play
Festival (COAP) on Friday, July 21,
much to the delight of gamers all
over the borough.
However, COAP doesn’t consist
of your average collection of games
that provide a solitary experience.
Thanks to lead partner for the
event, the New York based ESI
Design, a design firm that showcases
original games that make
innovative use of a public space,
the event consists of both new and
creative ways to interact and play
with friends.
According to ESI, the goal is to
rely on simple items to create fun
games in a day and age in which
smartphone games are growing in
popularity. Technology will also be
featured, but in a way that allows
attendees to interact with each other.
“In an age when most games are
played between a single person
and a screen, people are hungry
for live, social experiences where
they can have fun with family and
also meet new friends,” said Debra
Everett-Lane, director, content
and activity design, ESI Design.
“The Come Out & Play Festival is
a chance to embrace your inner
child and experience the thrill and
joy of playing epic-size games.”
The goal of the event is to turn
the space in which it takes place into
one giant arcade for attendees of
all ages. There is a festival in Manhattan,
but Brooklyn gets to kick
off the weekend-long festivities
in DUMBO, where the Manhattan
Bridge Archway Plaza and the
surrounding area will be turned
into the ultimate fun zone during
Come Out & Play After Dark.
Starting at 7 p.m. a combination
of party games, physical video
games, and new street games will
be featured. Games will take place
both indoors and outdoors.
"Some of the key ingredients
for the most popular games are
simplicity and surprise — games
that are easy to understand so you
can start playing right away, and
games that play with your expectations,"
added Everett-Lane. "For
example, who doesn’t want the
opportunity to show off their Kung
Fu powers? 'Kill Him and You Will
Be Famous,' designed by Playmatics,
invites players to become the
master (and defend their status)
using only a basket and some balls.
“'Tough Bubbler,' by ESI Design, is
another fan favorite, literally
turning a typical obstacle course
on its head by putting players inside
giant inflatable bubbles that
bounced and rolled."
ESI is responsible for attractions
such as “Lost in Time.” The
game will feature players using
a smartphone app to role-play as
crack journalists and track down
all-American poet Walt Whitman,
who has become unstuck in time
and lost in DUMBO. “It’s a live-action,
interactive story that weaves
together DUMBO’s past and present,”
said ESI in a statement.
Other games featured by other
companies such as Playmatics
include “Higher than the Stars,”
described as a game about night as
a space in which to explore identity
and what it feels like to sneak out of
your house at night when you’re 13
to hang out with friends.
A fun and funny group puzzle
game named "Mastermind Party
1998" is featured by Pete Vigeant &
The Completely Surrounded, while
gigantic Mechanic is bringing "Karaoke
Riot" under the Manhattan
Bridge as well as "Super Skinny
Soccer," a game that squeezes all
the fun and excitement of soccer
down to six players, six minutes
and a three-foot-wide pitch.
"Play isn’t just for kids," said Everett
Lane. "It’s essential for all of
us. And it’s always better when it’s
social, rather than just the player
against the game. Come Out & Play
offers fun for everyone, no matter
your age. So come along to one of
the events in the festival to rediscover
the joy of play."
Come Out & Play After Dark will
take place on Friday, July 21, from 7
to 10:30 p.m. in DUMBO's Manhattan
Bridge Archway Plaza, across
from 155 Water Street. Admission
is free. For more information, visit
www.comeoutandplay.org.
CULTURE BRIEFS
Photos courtesy of ESI Design
Scenes from last year’s Come Out & Play festival.