Thursday, July 10, 2008

NACL Festival, August 15-23, Features NY Neo-Futurists, Beller, New Frankenstein and More

From August 15 to 23, North American Cultural Laboratory (NACL) will present The NACL Catskill Festival of New Theatre, an annual theatre festival that brings together an eclectic assemblage of performances. The two week event celebrates the experimental, the political, the physical, and the craft of the ensemble in performance today. Each performance will be followed by a 20 minute post show discussion with the artists.

The Festival kicks off on the 15th with a new stage version of Frankenstein that's been created by New World Performance Laboratory from Akron, OH. The company's investigation of the classic story of Frankenstein by Mary Shelley incorporates images from the novel and scenes from Shelley’s own life. In this Frankentstien, the characters of Frankenstein mingle with Lord Byron, Mary Shelley, her husband Percy Shelley, and their friends in a gothic nightmare that displays the deeply detailed physical style of NWPL’s actors. The production also features vocal score exploring 19th century romantic motifs and new music composed by Megan Elk and has been directed by Jim Slowiak.

On Saturday, August 16, Alexandra Beller's US will be performed at the Festival. This is a controversial dance-theater solo that attempts to form compassionate bonds to both sides of the aisle and follows one woman in her search for a healthy relationship to a sick country. It's been directed by Kristin Marting.

Floating Brothel, performed on a 3 x 6 foot platform, tells the story of three female convicts' harrowing year-long voyage from the underbelly of 18th century London to the underside of the world. Created and performed by 5 actors, Floating Brothel will be presented on August 17.

The Ghost Road Company from Los Angeles will bring its production of Elektra to the NACL Festival on August 22. This ensemble devised adaptation of The Libation Bearers revolves around the dynamics of family and power. Director Katharine Noon's production is set against the backdrop of the home and combines songs, text and imagery to explore both the public and private lives of a family on the verge of collapse.

Concluding the Festival on August 23 will be a presentation of the acclaimed Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind by The New York Neo-Futurists. In "Baby," which enjoys an open run every weekend in NYC's East Village, the New York Neo-Futurists attempt to perform 30 original plays in 60 minutes.

The NACL company (Brad Krumholz, Tannis Kowalchuk, Glenn Hall, Sarah Dey Hirshan) are the producers of the festival. All the festival artists are invited to live at NACL residence, to perform their show once, and to engage in methodological and creative exchanges with one another throughout the duration of the festival.

Tickets for productions in the NACL Festival are $10-$25. There is also a Pay-What-You-Can program and memberships are also available. Performances take place at 110 Highland Lake Rd. in Highland Lake, NY. For tickets call 845-557-0694 or visit www.nacl.org

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