For those of you who missed it last year, be sure to attend Prelude 06 this year! Sarah Benson,Frank Hentschker and their team have assembled yet another fantastic festival and symposium on what’s new and exciting in contemporary theater. It is too much to list here so just click on the link above for the total line-up. Click here to get tickets.

Prelude 06
September 27-30
at
Martin E. Segal Theatre Center
The Graduate Center, CUNY
365 5th Avenue
New York, NY 10016
(b/w 34th and 35th)

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WaxFactory + PreGlej co-production present
REDEYE: a New York — Ljubljana Translation Think Tank
as part of European Dream 06 Festival,
in collaboration with New York Theatre Workshop. September 25th

October 1st – 4th
Staged Readings | New York Theatre Workshop | Fourth Street Theatre | 83 East 4th Street

SHELTER
by Saska Rakef | directed by Jay Scheib | translated in collaboration with Ruth Margraff | October 1st, 8pm; October 2nd, 5pm *

BALANCE
by Zalka Grabnar Kogoj | directed by Sarah Benson | translated in collaboration with Jason Grote | October 2nd, 8pm; October 3rd, 5pm

24hrs
by Simona Semenic | directed by Ivan Talijancic | translated in collaboration with Young Jean Lee | October 3rd, 8pm; October 4th, 5pm *

All events are free and open to the public!
* 5pm performances will be followed by a discussion with the playwright and director.

Reservations requested:
212-780-3372 or
redeye@waxfactory.org

http://www.waxfactory.org

http://www.europeandream.us

http://www.nytw.org

Supported by the
Trust for Mutual Understanding,
Consulate General of Slovenia in New York,
Grand Street Foundation
and the New York State Council on the Arts.

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Hey Kids -

So this is your Culturebot Editor giving you a shout-out from our offices deep in a secret bunker underneath a manhole in the East Village.

We apologize for the paucity of updates but things have been crazy. First we (meaning me) were really, really busy programming and producing the P.S.122 Summer Season at the Spiegel Tent. It was a huge success and we want to thank everyone who participated, worked on it, contributed or attended as an audience member. Thanks!

THEN we went to the Noorderzon Festival in Groningen, Holland followed by the Edinburgh Fringe. After two weeks of non-stop theater, socializing, drinking and so forth, we returned to New York (via an 18 hour trip that included 4 airport and 6 security checkpoints) to discover that our apartment had been burgled!! To add insult to injury it appears that, itinerant artist that Culturebot is, the thieves stole NOTHING but some old porn that was hidden underneath my keepsake box. Yeesh!

Immediately it was back to the Salt Mines of P.S.122 where we continued preparing for the upcoming season which begins Wednesday, September 20th with Lidy Six and Robert Steijn’s live art/performance/installation Tower of Babel. I don’t want to give it away, but this is going to be cool. It is for 25 people at a time with 25 storytellers all speaking different languages, there’s a VJ, a DJ and lots of tea. Be sure to come check it out. Wednesday is opening night, there’s a reception ongoing throughout the evening and there will probably be an after-after party at Mehanata/Bulgarian Bar party at Spiegeltent. Dig it.

And then, finally, as if your humble Culturebot Editor was not busy enough, he is going to be a Demon Tour Guide in Les Freres Corbusier‘s production of HELL HOUSE at St. Ann’s Warehouse. How about them apples???

We look forward to seeing all of you…. in HELL!!! Bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!!!

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Culturebot, the old man on the block of arts blogging, would like to welcome newcomers Elisabeth Vincentelli and David Cote the Arts & Entertainment and Theater editors, respectively, of Time Out NY.

I’m sure we can expect some excellent and insightful blogging from both of them.

Welcome!!

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from culturebot contributor Ryan Tracy:

Chez Bushwick is back, ironically, not at Chez Bushwick. AMBUSH—an ambulatory performance series designed to bring attention to alternative performance spaces in the greater Bushwick area—is Chez Bushwick’s latest effort to bring art and artists together in an increasingly dispersed community.

Some of the original characters behind the hugely successful Shtudio Show have moved on or out of the country, but AMBUSH promises to deliver nine months of avant-garde performance at off-the-map spaces in Bushwick. And true to the philosophy of the Shtudio, AMBUSH performances are not open to review-based criticism. Because of this, there is always this feeling of seeing something ritualistic, untouchable and genuinely communal.

The first AMBUSH event, “The Changing Of The Garde,” is coming up this Saturday, September 9 at the ten thousand square foot raw space at 3rd Ward. It will present work by Elke Rindfleisch, Wanjiru Kamuyu, Jim Staley, and Bruce Nauman. David Vaughan, Michael Cole and Jonah Bokaer (Chez Bushwick founder) will give readings honoring the anniversary of John Cage’s birthday. And Technopia (the fierce and fearless Samuel Topiary) will interview Carla Peterson, formerly of Movement Research and newly ordained artistic director at DTW.

Looks like you can also stay afterward for DANCEPOD, a brought-to-you-by-Earl-Dax dance party. At $5, it’s just that easy to get your Bushwick on.

Saturday, September 9
8pm
3rd Ward
195 Morgan Avenue
Bushwick, Brooklyn, NY

Directions:
L train to Morgan Ave.Read Timeout preview here: http://www.timeout.com/newyork/Details.do?page=1&xyurl=xyl://TONYWebArticles1/571/dance/saving_space.xml

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superproducer Earl Dax has been working his ass off to put together DANCEPOD in conjunction with PS122, PICA/TBA (Portland, Oregon) and artist Marty Schnapf. Check it out, Earl sez:

This Saturday take a ride on the new wild side (aka the L train), and shake your money maker in 4 time zones at DANCEPOD. In conjunction with the Portland Institute of Contemporary Art’s T.B.A. Festival and P.S. 122, Portland-based artist Marty Schnapf has created four identical DANCEPODs that will be erected in New York, Berlin, Mexico City and Portland. At 2:00 AM New York time, all four cities will be joined by live video feed. High concept! High tech!

I’m very excited to have the event at 3rd Ward Brooklyn, “a YMCA For artists,” where you won’t be patted down (and felt up!) like a criminal when you walk through the door. If you’ve never been, 3rd Ward is a spectacular venue. On the first floor, you’ll catch a glimpse of their state-of-the-art facilities (sound recording studio, dance studio, digital media lab, etc…). Walk up two flights, and you’ll find DANCEPOD in their 10,000 square foot raw loft space!

DJs Kevin Graves and Bryan Raugton give you licks that will help you get to the center of it… Visuals from Harkness Audio/Visual Salon adorn the periphery… And performances by John Moran and Saori and the newly crowned Miss LEZ Glenn Marla give you something to chew on. Special appearance by Taylor Mac, his first since returning from his smashing success at this year’s Edinburgh Festival!

Drink at the bar, dance in the pod, hang out with friends and meet other creative people. Come early for Chez Bushwick’s AMBUSH. (Read this week’s Time Out article on the event here.) Come for AMBUSH, and you can stay for DANCEPOD for just $5 (so, basically, you get to see AMBUSH for FREE!).

DANCEPOD
Saturday, September 9th
11:00 PM to 5:00 AM
3rd Ward Brooklyn
195 Morgan (click here for map)
Admission $10 / $5 w/AMBUSH

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THE PATRIOT GAME

Come all ye young rebels, and list while I sing, For the love of one’s country is a terrible thing.

It banishes fear with the speed of a flame,

And it makes us all part of the patriot game.

- Dominic Behan

BUY THIS BOOK YOU STUPID MONOCHROME TROGLODYTE

“People have always asked me the strange and annoying question: ‘What are you?’ Sometimes people see that I am Indian (but never Irish); sometimes they think I am Lebanese, Mexican, Portuguese (but never Irish). In my youth I longed to have what I perceived as the stability of being ‘one thing.’ I felt the insipid social pressure, the myth that to be of two cultures is to be somehow confused.

~ from the author’s note at the

end of the short story

“Bing-Chen” by Neela Vaswani

published in Mixed: An Anthology of Short Fiction on the Multiracial Experience

Edited by Chandra Prasad

Introduction by Rebecca Walker

W.M. Norton

New York * London & Company

$15.95 USA $21.00 Can.

ISBN-13:978-0-393-32786-1

ANECDOTE TO WIN FAVOR

A few years back, I went to the UK for Jo Osinski’s wedding. While I was there, I caught the West End premier of LIEUTENANT OF INISHMORE by Martin McDonagh. My friend Allen came with me along with Sarah Cameron and this hot film producer chick who I can recall down to the color of her shoes . . . only her name escapes me at present. These guys are civilians as opposed to the full-fledged theater asshole that accompanied them. Ergo I was in charge of purchasing the tickets. It being a new play, I was unaware of the amount of gore involved. Perhaps otherwise I would not have chosen front-row seats.

This London production of T.L.O.I. was a little clunky. For example, the guns kept misfiring requiring the actors to pull the hammers back manually to re-shoot. This was particularly difficult for the little girl playing Mairead who is required to weild two large handguns to blow the head off her true love. For this penultimate moment, the back of a reclining sofa-chair was spring-loaded with a large blood-pack.

When the chair discharged, the effect is like that of explosive diarrhea or power-vomiting: a cone shaped blast of viscous red liquid instantaneously drenches the actress from her knees to the top of her head. In the New York production the blast left a silhouette on the back wall reminiscent of cartoons where the characters have bombs blow up in their faces.

However, the guns were not the only thing misfiring that evening in London. A good-sized stream of blood from the recliner landed on all three of my guests. Sarah thought she had avoided the projectile of red goo until she reached into her purse to find her cell phone was dripping wet with dyed cornstarch. They were really good-natured about it all (read: British, which is odd as they are ex-pats) plus it makes for a good story. They all had this exhilarated yet baffled expression on their faces. It was as if they meant to ask, “Does this happen all the time?” Sadly, no. Unless, of course, you are a practicing Gwar fan.

Continue Reading

Popularity: 1% [?]

THE PATRIOT GAME

Come all ye young rebels, and list while I sing,

For the love of one’s country is a terrible thing.
It banishes fear with the speed of a flame,
And it makes us all part of the patriot game.

- Dominic Behan

BUY THIS BOOK YOU STUPID MONOCHROME TROGLODYTE

�People have always asked me the strange and annoying question: �What are you?� Sometimes people see that I am Indian (but never Irish); sometimes they think I am Lebanese, Mexican, Portuguese (but never Irish). In my youth I longed to have what I perceived as the stability of being �one thing.� I felt the insipid social pressure, the myth that to be of two cultures is to be somehow confused.�

~ from the author�s note at the
end of the short story
�Bing-Chen� by Neela Vaswani
published in Mixed: An Anthology of Short Fiction on the Multiracial Experience
Edited by Chandra Prasad
Introduction by Rebecca Walker
W.M. Norton
New York * London & Company
$15.95 USA $21.00 Can.
ISBN-13:978-0-393-32786-1

ANECDOTE TO WIN FAVOR

A few years back, I went to the UK for Jo Osinski�s wedding. While I was there, I caught the West End premier of LIEUTENANT OF INISHMORE by Martin McDonagh. My friend Allen came with me along with Sarah Cameron and this hot film producer chick who I can recall down to the color of her shoes . . . only her name escapes me at present. These guys are civilians as opposed to the full-fledged theater asshole that accompanied them . . . ergo I was in charge of purchasing the tickets. It being a new play, I was unaware of the amount of gore involved� perhaps otherwise I would not have chosen front-row seats.

This London production of T.L.O.I. was a little clunky. The guns kept misfiring requiring the actors to pull the hammers back manually to re-shoot. This was particularly difficult for the little girl playing Mairead who wields two large handguns to blow the head off her true love. For this penultimate moment, the back of a reclining chair was spring-loaded with a large blood pack.

When the chair discharged, the effect is like that of explosive diarrhea or power-vomiting� a cone shaped blast of viscous red liquid instantaneously drenches the actress from her knees to the top of her head. In the New York production the blast left a silhouette on the back wall reminiscent of cartoons where the characters have bombs blow up in their faces.

However, the guns were not the only thing misfiring that evening in London. A good-sized stream of blood from the recliner landed on all three of my guests. Sarah thought she had avoided the projectile of red goo until she reached into her purse. Her cell phone was dripping wet with dyed cornstarch. They were really good-natured about it all (read: British) plus it makes for a good story. They all had this exhilarated yet baffled expression on their faces. It was as if they meant to ask, �Does this happen all the time?� Sadly, no. Unless, of course, you are a Gwar fan.
Continue Reading

Popularity: 1% [?]