Tuesday, January 21, 2025
Spoken Wordz, a New York-based collective of poets, musicians and performers, has carved out a unique space in Freeport. The village’s Sparkle on Stage Cultural Arts Center has become a welcome venue for the group’s recurring spoken-word poetry and musical open mic series.
Founded by Valley Stream resident Paul Kretz, who is known by most as Paulie, the events blend poetry, music and storytelling in a facility that Sparkle owner Robyn Workman describes as a “home for creativity and good vibes.”
“About almost three years ago,” Kretz, a union building porter in Manhattan, said, “I was pretty much either (going to) die or just keep being on my BS, drinking, drugging, and all the rest of that. I went to rehab, and then … I tapped into writing.”
“I started to realize my darkness contains a lot of light,” he added.
After rehab, Kretz began attending open mics, where he realized his words resonated deeply with others.
Spoken Wordz held its first event in February 2022, and Kretz hosted monthly shows at a friend’s bar. They quickly grew from attracting 15 to 20 people to drawing as many as 80. Today there are a number of gatherings each month in the five boroughs and on Long Island, and there are plans to expand to New Jersey.
Jared Schutz, who met Kretz at an open mic on Long Island, now leads the Long Island chapter.
Spoken Wordz found a home at Sparkle on Stage after Schutz moved to Freeport from Queens, making his residence on the floor above the space on the Nautical Mile.
The most recent event at Sparkle on Stage, on Nov. 24, doubled as a food drive, with attendees donating items for the Soup to Nuts food pantry located in the Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church at 61 North Grove Street in Freeport.
“This was their third event here, and it’s going to become a permanent monthly event,” Workman said. “It’s really starting to hit home on Long Island.
“It started as a New York City project,” she added. “And now it’s becoming a monthly event with my neighbor upstairs, Jared, and his partner, Paulie. … They started bringing some people out from the city, and now it’s really starting to turn into quite the Long Island event.”
Schutz, who works as a community manager for Yelp on Long Island, explained that his exploration of spoken-word poetry began in 2021 after a difficult breakup, which inspired him to channel his emotions into writing.
“I started writing out my thoughts and my feelings, and kind of letters that I wouldn’t send anywhere,” he said. “And then they all started kind of taking form. I felt like they kind of emerged out of me spontaneously, these poems I was writing.”
“I think I’ve probably hit about 200 open mics ever since,” Schutz added. “I started doing poetry, then I started adding music to it, and playing guitar and singing, and now I kind of blend the two together.”
“It’s just like a — it’s the community that creates a safe space where you can express yourself,” he continued. “We always say it’s better to express yourself than to keep it in. And our tagline for all the mics is, ‘Using words to heal and save.’”
Workman echoed the importance of creating a welcoming environment for participants. “This is a space where people can not only share their art, but also make a difference,” she said. “There’s no judgment in the room. There’s nobody, you know, recording them and going, ‘Oh, that’s terrible. You’re going to be in trouble.’ No, it’s just a very safe space to relax and to say what’s on your mind, and have supportive people cheer you on for that.”
Schutz described how the partnership with Sparkle on Stage came about, after Workman noticed him bringing a guitar into his residence above the cultural arts center on the Nautical Mile.
“She asked me, ‘Oh, do you teach guitar?’ and I said, ‘Well, it’s been years, but I’m happy to teach a few of your students, if you need me to,’” he recalled. “That conversation just kind of segued into what I do, my job and my passion with open mics. And she expressed interest in hosting one.”
The first Spoken Wordz event at Sparkle on Stage, in September, drew about 25 attendees.
“We really envision Spoken Wordz being like the next Sofar Sounds, with the difference being, you know, created here in New York and a blend of music and poetry,” Schutz said, referring to a popular music-event company headquartered in Boston and London.
“We’re looking to do ‘Spoken Soundz’ now,” Kretz added, “which is going to be an offshoot that’s going to be all music venues for singers, musicians, dancers, hip-hop.”
Spoken Wordz remains committed to its original vision of creating a safe, welcoming space. “As soon as you walk through the room, you can feel the energy that becomes synergy,” Kretz said. “It’s just love. People get vulnerable, and people cry happy tears, you know, and feel uplifted.”
The next Spoken Wordz event at Sparkle is scheduled for Dec. 15, at 6:30 p.m., and attendees are encouraged to bring a toy, as the event is doubling as a toy drive.
The group is also having an event at G-Gallery at 404 Broadway in Manhattan this upcoming Sunday, Dec. 8.
More information about upcoming Spoken Wordz events on Long Island and across New York City can be found on its Instagram page, @spokenwordz.nyc.
