To celebrate the start of the Before I Die ABQ Festival, come to the “Prelude to Eternity” dinner party in a cemetery! Held in the Pavilion next to the cremation gardens in Sunset Memorial Park, come for an evening of food and drink, music, theatrical readings and Death Over Dinner discussions. We’ll have a buffet of Mediterranean foods, with something for everyone’s dietary concerns.
This will be outdoors, so if it’s cool that evening, plan to wear a black leather jacket, a warm cape or other outer wear. There will be patio heaters to provide warmth if the evening is chilly. Dress to impress and prepare for the Great Beyond! Many thanks to French Funerals & Cremations for holding this unique “Prelude to Eternity” event in Sunset Memorial Park!
Location: Sunset Memorial Park, 924 Menaul Blvd. NE. Register here: Cost $25 per person.
Cammy Cook
Music will be provided by lyric soprano and flautist Cammy Cook. In 2012 Ms. Cook made her debut with the New Mexico Philharmonic as a soloist in Handel’s Messiah. Other appearances with have since included Beethoven’s Mass in C and Zarzuelas, Rediscovered Romance. Ms. Cook placed 3rd in the Southwest Vocal Competition sponsored by the Phoenix Opera and the Mayo Clinic. The competition was open to young singers from Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, and Nevada. She holds a Master’s degree in voice performance from the University of Colorado at Boulder where she was awarded the prestigious Voice Teaching Assistantship three years running.
Carolyn Wickwire
We’ll also have a theatrical reading of two highly-relevant short plays, RESTING PLACES and PLOTS, by New Mexico playwright Robert Benjamin. He writes evocative comedic dramas about aging with grace, courage and humor. This Wrinklies on Tour production will be presented by experienced actors Carolyn Wickwire and Dennis West.
Carolyn Wickwire toured for three years as Georgia O’Keeffe in the one-woman play O’KEEFFE! She has appeared in numerous Albuquerque productions at the Vortex Theatre, Adobe Theater, and Mother Road Theatre. She has also appeared on TV in Better Call Saul, Longmire, Prison Break, and In Plain Sight.
Dennis West
Dennis West is a playwright, author, and actor in theater, commercials, and television and film. His favorite roles include Grampa Joad in THE GRAPES OF WRATH, Candy in OF MICE AND MEN, Sheriff Heck Tate in TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, and H.C. (Pop) Curry in THE RAINMAKER. He co-starred in the short film Final Judgement.
And check out other events during the Before I Die ABQ Festival, October 20-25, 2017, including:
- Yoga class “From Child Pose to Corpse Pose: Life, Death, Yoga and Spirituality;”
- A tour of historic Fairview cemetery (established 1881), and the Office of the Medical Investigator (OMI);
- “Answering Your Burning Questions About Cremation” information session;
- Panel discussions on “Making Plans to Live Well Until We Die” on medical care and end-of-life issues;
- “Jewish Burial Equals Green Burial” at the Jewish Community Center;
- The Guild Cinema double feature of classic films about life and death, Harold and Maude and The Seventh Seal;
- “Earth, Air, Fire & Water: A Celebration of Cremation and Art” with local artists selling their works in ceramics, paper and other media;
- The Albucreepy Ghost Tour of downtown Albuquerque landmark buildings;
- A tour of the Fathers Building Futures casket building workshop;
- “Mindfulness, Mortality and Self-Care,” a meditation session with world-renowned teacher Ralph Steele.
