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TEDxAsburyPark presents JOY on Saturday

Published by New Jersey Stage

originally published: 04/25/2022

(RED BANK, NJ) --  TEDxAsburyPark presents JOY – an experience featuring TED talks and performances where we will explore JOY in ideas. JOY, which takes place Saturday, April 30 at Two River Theater, will feature a theatrical lineup of expert speakers, comics, musicians, performers, and artists who will share inspiring stories and ideas.  The event starts at 1:00pm.

To serve up the most Joy, the event is focusing on the “E” in TED, which is Entertainment. This year’s event will feature three surprise comedy acts, a surprise band, surprise food and beverage, as well as a stunning line up of TED TALK speakers. The 2022 speakers are creators focused on food, music, painting, writing, film, documentaries, storytelling, acting, improvisation, and making global refugees feel at home in the USA. Purchase tickets and see the full line-up of speakers here. Tickets for TEDxAsbury Park are available for purchase online.

Brian Smiga, TEDxAsburyPark Founder, said: “Since 2013 we’ve built an audience and a team who have followed us through the tri-city region: Brookdale, Red Bank, Pollak, at the Paramount in Asbury Park at 1000 guests in 2017-2019.  On April 30th, we’re returning to sell out the newly renovated Two River Theater in Red Bank. Entertainment, laughter, tears of passion, ideas worth spreading, and several surprises, all starting at 1pm.”

JOY 2022 Speakers 

David Burke 2:30pm - Food is JoyMonmouth native David Burke (Red Horse Rumson, Drifthouse Sea Bright) has created 18 award-winning restaurants around the globe. As a high school wrestler, he got his start in a local cooking class, and became determined to become a global top chef. Follow his story, in Food is Joy. 




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David Cieri B-Side/Ourselves. David Cieri, composer for many films by Ken Burns and others, will compose and perform his original musical overture for Joy, and share with us about how he gets unstuck in his creative process. 

Siobhan Fallon HoganFilm as Community. Siobhan Fallon Hogan, Rumson/Ireland resident, became unstuck in her pro acting career by conceiving, writing, producing, directing and funding two impactful films based on what large communities most cared about.

Erin MaguireJoy Drought. Montclair resident and national comic and actress, Erin Maguire navigates the entire event with her funny co-hosting and guidance, then wraps it up along with our COVID experience in the Joy Drought.

Roger MannixPlay Your Way to Joy.  Actor Roger Manix, turned entrepreneur, has taught improv and acting at Stanford and at the Fortune 1000, now he shows us how to bring acting and improvisation to work to be more successful. 

Michelle MitchellOGs. Returning TEDxAsbury speaker, documentarian/journalist Michele Mitchell, is bringing to life the “original gangsters” or the outlaw originators of the Cannabis movement in the West before it was legal. 

Edafe OkporoHome Is Joy. Edafe Okporo is a persecuted Nigerian refugee who has arrived “home” in the USA by publishing his new book Asylum, working with Afghan refugees, getting his MBA at NYU and getting married. He shares how refugees can integrate and feel at home and fully productive in the US.

Atoosa RubensteinLeaving it All to Have it All. Atoosa Rubenstein, an Iranian immigrant, became the youngest editor at Hearst and transformed several magazines, then she left it all, in order to come to grips with her deeper, inner story, that now powers her joy. 

Jim Watt, Antonie Drye & Mike Noordzy1000 Watts. Asbury artist, architect and producer, Jim Watt & jazz artist, Antoine Drye, will paint to live jazz in a project to support jazz musicians called 1000 Watts. 

Rebecca Barry The Joy of Death. Rebecca Barry is the bestselling author of Recipes for a Beautiful Life: A Memoir in Stories and Later, at the Bar: A Novel in Stories, a New York Times Notable Book, and cofounder of magazine Fresh Dirt. A notable MOTH storyteller she shares about Finding Joy in Death.

PLUS 3 surprise comedy acts and 1 surprise band

COVID-19 Health and Safety Information - The safety of our patrons, staff and artists is our number one priority. As such, all audience members over the age of five will be required to show proof of a full COVID-19 vaccination and wear masks while inside the theater building. Exceptions are only made for patrons eating and/or drinking in designated areas within one hour prior to showtime or for special events.

Two River Theater is located at 21 Bridge Avenue in Red Bank, New Jersey.  

TEDxAsburyPark is a non-profit organization dedicated to ideas worth spreading, and the discovery of smart ideas, people and neighbors on the Jersey shore. This independent TEDx event is operated under license from TED.

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