Hey everyone! I'm Maytal Angel - an Israeli-born Actress, Dancer, Singer, Writer - who has been living, working and performing in New York City for over a decade. I am beginning an exciting new project - a real life journey - in May 2017, as I produce my own docu-webseries called THE ROAD TO HOLLYWOOD. I'll be documenting my challenging journey from NYC to Hollywood, while I MUST book an acting gig in each city before I can advance to the next! I'll be couch-surfing and winging it the whole way by myself with only one suitcase (for possibly a year...) trying to figureout the next step as I go. What's the point of this on-the-edge adventure? To encourage and experience the power of COMMUNITY and COLLABORATION in this beautiful country. There is so much more potential to make this world better when we join together and use our talents and abilities to help everyone become more successful and happy. While others help me find gigs and a safe place to sleep each night - I will be featuring them in my show, sharing the spotlight as we all are HELPING EACH OTHER and creating beautiful community and connections along the road of life. It's a big risk - but if it all goes the way I think it will - THE ROAD TO HOLLYWOOD will show that it's not about me - it's about all of us! I hope to inspire and empower others to fearlessly pursue their goals and dreams. It's time for us to all wake up and LIVE like we're in this together! Because we are!
Come follow the journey on YouTube or watch on my blog
or email me if you want to be a part of the FUN! Anyone and everyone is welcome to collaborate!!!
The world needs more Awakened Artists! Hugs & kisses to all!
Co-Creating a Local & Global Movement for Peace – by Deb Chamberlin
In July 1999, I was generously gifted a life-changing trip to Israel with my 2 sisters. I had never considered going to the Middle East, a place I envisioned was rife with danger and suffering. It turned out to be an epiphany for me, opening my heart and awareness of the world on a soul level. ‘Fate’ stepped in again to have me win 2 free round trip airplane tickets to Israel, and I returned with my husband the following year. While we were there the 2nd Intifada (Palestinian grassroots uprising) began, and upon our return home, I was heartbroken to watch the ongoing hatred and violence on the daily news. I felt compelled to do something, anything, to help make real change towards peace possible.
I had so much to learn that it seemed useless yet I was able to feel into my deeper urges that longed to contribute to a better life for everyone. I kept paying attention to that calling and educated myself about the culture of these diverse peoples. My secret desire was to somehow use music to bring Palestinian and Jewish Israelis together in collaboration for peaceful purposes.
After a few years, a voice student of mine who was a teacher at a large local high school, joined forces with me to try an experimental project with about 30 brave and creative students. Together we co-wrote and performed a multi-media play that gave these teens a platform to authentically and safely express issues that most mattered to them. It was life-changing for everyone, including the audience. We continued this experiment for 9 years, calling ourselves the Changing Our World (COW) Project, and became a 501 (c) (3) non-profit. Each year we wrote and performed new shows – which included music & singing, dance, acting, spoken word, film, comedy and art. We performed for NJ State level conferences, school assemblies and community events. We produced an award-winning music video for our original song, We Can Change Our World .
Each year the group had 30-50 students from diverse racial, religious, academic and socio-economic backgrounds, in a school of 3,000 mostly white middle class high school students. COW was a sanctuary for these young people, giving them an experience of being valued for their contributions.
During our 3rd year, we hosted a delegation of 20 Arab and Jewish Israeli teenagers from Peace Child Israel (a non-profit that used theater to build bridges of understanding & friendship between the volatile minority/majority populations in Israel) for a 10-day USA cultural exchange tour. I spent 18 months masterminding the tour along with their amazing director from Tel Aviv. We filled those 10 days with cultural identity workshops and performances with 6 diverse American teen group hosts from New York City to Washington, D.C. We held a grand finale gala at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, sharing the stage with a world-class Middle-Eastern ensemble comprised of elite members of the Philadelphia Orchestra. My husband and I wrote and produced a group anthem for peace called The Time Has Come, sung by members of The COW Project and many of Philly’s favorite recording artists. Peace Child Israel had their own anthem for peace, written in Arabic and Hebrew. Our teen groups learned each other’s anthems, and we sang them together throughout the tour. It was one of the most profoundly moving experiences of my life, to stand on stage with these courageous young people and demonstrate that friendship and peace are truly possible in a polarized world. I am still in touch with many of these young people today, honoring our friendships, more than a decade later.
Please visit these links:
THE TIME HAS COME (peace anthem - studio recording)
COW Project live at 76ers game
