Ars Nova's ANT Fest Kicks Off Tonight with THOSE LOST BOYS

Ars Nova announces the lineup for its 6th Annual ANT Fest. This year's festival of All New Talent runs from today, June 3 - 29, featuring fresh new work from some of New York's most exciting emerging artists. From trapeze thrillers to hip-hop basketball musicals, 2013's ANT Fest heats up Ars Nova this summer with four weeks of comedy, music, theater and a fusion of all three you won't see anywhere else.

Bringing the widest and wildest variety of talented artists under one roof, this year's ANT Fest is the biggest one yet. In addition to more than two dozen one-night-only performances of new works (all at 7pm), this year's Fest includes late night programming three nights a week as well as the brand new ANT Fest Lounge. On Wednesdays & Fridays at 9pm, the 54/10 Concert Series, brings dynamic sounds from bands on the brink to Ars Nova. On Thursdays at9pm, ANT Fest editions of New York's favorite variety show Showgasm takes the stage, showcasing more of this year's Fest participants alongside Ars Nova's consistent lineup of fresh comedy, music and variety acts. This year, the all-new ANT Fest Lounge invites audiences and artists to hang out together and keep the party going late every night while enjoying a full bar featuring Brooklyn Brewery beer and Two Boots Pizza. Complete festival schedule & lineup follows below.

Now in its sixth year, Ars Nova's celebration of All New Talent is a prime destination for an eclectic mix of brand new shows across disciplines and has proven to be an important first step in the lifecycle and development of new works. Through its open submission process, ANT Fest offers a wide range of early career artists a point of entry onto the Ars Nova stage as well as into the greater New York City arts community. This year's call for submissions drew nearly 250 applicants.

Shows that have been developed through ANT Fest include: Folk Wandering (ANT Fest 2012, sold out Joe's Pub concerts in 2012 and 2013), Samuel and Alasdair (ANT Fest 2009, 2010 NY Independent Theater Award for Outstanding Production of a Play), Seven Minutes in Heaven (ANT Fest 2009; HERE Arts Center Spring 2010), Songs of a Night Owl (ANT Fest 2009, Berkshire Theater Festival Summer 2010 as Pool Boy) and Ithaca (ANT Fest 2008, sold out Joe's Pub run in 2009).

ANT Fest also serves as a crucial first step towards an extended artistic relationship with Ars Nova, often through its Project Residency program. Ars Nova's upcoming fall 2013 production, Eager to Lose (created by Matthew-Lee Erlbach, Wes Grantom, Portia Krieger and Tansy) first took the stage in ANT Fest 2011 before going on to further development in the Project Residency program.

Other ANT Fest artists who have continued developing work at Ars Nova include: Vinny DePonto (Mysterious Delights, 2012), The Other Baldwins (The Other Barrymores, 2011), Zackary Grady (Travis and the Terpsichorean Factory, 2011), Trixie and Monkey (Dial 'P' for Pasties, 2011), The Harmonious Pimps of Harmony (The Harmonious Pimps of Harmony's Last Show, 2010), The Gay Agenda (The Gay Agenda's Big Broadway Show!, 2009), Christopher Rozzi (Outre Island, 2008), The Berserker Residents (The Jersey Devil, 2009), who went on to become Ars Nova's 2011 Company-in-Residence and were commissioned to create The Lapsburgh Layover which received its World Premiere on the Ars Nova stage in 2011.

ANT Fest 2013 plays June 3 - June 29 from Monday - Saturday at 7:00pm. Ars Nova is located at 511 West 54th Street. Tickets are $15 and may be purchased at www.arsnovanyc.com, (212) 352-3101, or at the Ars Nova Box Office (30 minutes before showtime, subject to availability).

The 54/10 Concert Series takes place on Wednesdays & Fridays at 9:00pm: June 5, June 7, June 12, June 14, June 19, June 21, June 26, June 28(immediately following ANT Fest shows on those evenings). Tickets are $5 in advance and may be purchased at www.arsnovanyc.com or by calling (212) 352-3101. $10 tickets are available at the Ars Nova Box Office (30 minutes before showtime, subject to availability).

Showgasm begins at 9:00pm on four consecutive Thursdays: June 6, June 13, June 20, June 27 (immediately following ANT Fest shows on those evenings). Tickets are $5 and may be purchased at www.arsnovanyc.com, (212) 352-3101, or at the Ars Nova Box Office (30 minutes before showtime, subject to availability).

ANT Fest 2013:

Monday, June 3 at 7:00
Those Lost Boys: Ten Year Reunion
Created & Performed by Frankie Alvarez, Nick Choksi, Damon Daunno, Gabe Ebert, Brendan Spieth, Elvy Yost
In 2001, Those Lost Boys skyrocketed to global rockstardom. In 2003, they split. Ten years later, they've reunited for a one night only storytellers' concert. Songs will be sung, hazy memories will be rediscovered and early-aughts tunes will rock Ars Nova.

Tuesday, June 4 at 7:00
1927
Created by Tiny Little Band
Written by Jerry Lieblich
Directed by Stefanie Abel Horowitz
Musical Director Tim Duncheon
Prohibition. Babe Ruth. Flappers and grifters. 1927 is a wash of wild parties and sultry jazz, but there's something sinister roiling below. Get thrown into a Roaring Twenties night of boozy dancing and broken hearts amidst a dangerous little party remembered by, well, nobody.

Wednesday, June 5 at 7:00
Aaron/Marie: Chapters 1-3
Created & Performed by Jerome Ellis & James Harrison Monaco
Co-Directed by Rachel Chavkin & Annie Tippe
A human-interest reporter and jack-of-all-trades musician take us on a high-speed adventure in search of a missing roommate, an exiled immigrant and various ghosts of the Northeast. Music and narrative intertwine in the first installment of this epic saga of homespun stories and songs.

Wednesday, June 5 at 9:00
54/10 Concert Series, with live sets by some of New York's best up-and-coming bands and musicians: tonight, Alan Fox and Bridge City Hustle

Thursday, June 6 at 7:00
My Sax Life is All Fached Up
Created & Performed by Eva Andersen & Joan Estep
Directed by Peter Michael Marino
Musical Director Nicole Brancato
Day jobs, creative frustrations, jazz, pop and opera are mixed into a sketch and music mélange featuring two artists doing everything they can to make it in the City. And Zooey Deschanel and Adele narrate the duo's escapades, NBD.

Thursday, June 6 at 9:00
Showgasm, Ars Nova's rowdy variety show/party hybrid hosted by comedian John Early. The drinks are cheap, the acts are fresh, and the music is live! Come. You've never looked better.

Friday, June 7 at 7:00
William Shakespeare's Mom: An Excessive Portrayal of Suffering
Created by Milo Cramer
Music by Alex Thrailkill
Directed by Morgan Green
Shakespeare's broke and has no choice: it's time to text his mom for money. Follow the world's best writer as he wanders Brooklyn, pretends to be a pop star and wonders what to do with the rest of his life.

Friday, June 7 at 9:00
54/10 Concert Series, with live sets by some of New York's best up-and-coming bands and musicians: tonight, Blue Kid and Nick Blaemire and the Hustle

Saturday, June 8 at 7:00
Latrell Live Tonight!
Created & Performed by Brandon Kyle Goodman
Directed by Sherri Eden Barber
Latrell Lavene Lebron Lucious Lacrosse Latavier Lactaid Jackson invites you to a live taping of his talk show, featuring a mash up of comedians, current events and an abundance of Latrell's L'Opinion. Join the most fearlessly outspoken personality on fake late night TV as he hosts his wildest show ever.

Monday, June 10 at 7:00
antTunes: Edition Six
Music & Lyrics by Rachel Peters, Tim Rosser, Sam Salmond, Charlie Sohn, Katya Stanislavskaya
You may not know their names yet but you'll see them on Broadway marquees and Billboard charts in the future. Ars Nova presents an evening of rising stars of the contemporary musical theater scene in this night of not-your-grandma's-musical theater.

Tuesday, June 11 at 7:00
Yahweh's Follies: The Musical Comedy Extravaganza of Biblical Proportions
Book, Lyrics & Directed by Rob Reese
Composed by Matt Schloss & Eric S. Brenner
Musical Director Matt Schloss
This bawdy vaudeville cabaret tells the story of our favorite God, from His early days as a lonely deity among a profusion of powerful pantheons, through His struggles to gain recognition, power and love, until His emergence as the Alpha and Omega, the one and only, God with a big G!

Wednesday, June 12 at 7:00
Steve: A Docu-Musical
Created & Performed by Colin Summers
Directed by Nessa Norich
Additional Music by Andrew Eckel and Steve
Meet Colin, a 20-something making music out of online strangers' poetry for cash. Now meet Steve, a highly eccentric, if not absurd, 40-something who'd really like his words set to music. Over the course of two years, a particularly odd online friendship forms. This is that story.

Wednesday, June 12 at 9:00
54/10 Concert Series, with live sets by some of New York's best up-and-coming bands and musicians: tonight, Apollo Run and Not Waving But Drowning

Thursday, June 13 at 7:00
Pod Corkin: Professional Motivator & Fear Specialist
Created & Performed by Adam Lerman
Pod Corkin, Professional Motivator & Fear Specialist, presents his keynote speech, "You Are Everything and More So Because of It!," in which he will teach you how to get motivated and eliminate fear! He's graced the stages of midsize convention centers and airport rest areas, and he's appearing at Ars Nova for one night only! Please come to his speech.

Thursday, June 13 at 9:00
Showgasm, Ars Nova's rowdy variety show/party hybrid hosted by comedian John Early. The drinks are cheap, the acts are fresh, and the music is live! Come. You've never looked better.

Friday, June 14 at 7:00
Horse Girls
Created by Jenny Rachel Weiner
Directed by Sarah Krohn
BoYz may come and Go, bUt hOrSes aRe 4ever... Twelve-year-old Ashleigh rules the Lady Jean Ladies, South Florida's most exclusive horse club. News that her family's stables are being sold and their horses killed for meat throws the Ladies into crisis in this dark comedy of middle school deception and lies.

Friday, June 14 at 9:00
54/10 Concert Series, with live sets by some of New York's best up-and-coming bands and musicians: tonight, Toys and Tiny Instruments and Swift Technique

Saturday, June 15 at 7:00
Dunkfest '88
Created by Matt Schatz
Directed by Wendy Goldberg
Summer of '88: a handful of larger-than-life ballers show up at a local gym to compete for a $10,000 grand prize in an annual slam-dunk contest. But unexpected drama takes center court in this hip-hop musical comedy about dope beats, fly dunks and second chances.

Monday, June 17 at 7:00
The Girl of The Golden West
Created by Rady&Bloom Collective Playmaking
Adapted & Directed by Jeremy Bloom
Music by Catherine Brookman, Ellen O'Meara & Joe White
Before the West was won there was one girl, a gold rush, a gun shot, a first kiss. Rady&Bloom blows the dust off an American classic heralded as the first Spaghetti Western. Featuring a genre-defying original score, this new musical sheds light on our nation's forgotten periphery.

Tuesday, June 18 at 7:00
The Woodsman
Created by James Ortiz & Diana Stall
Directed by James Ortiz
Woodsman-in-love Nick Chopper has been transformed into a heartless Tin Man by a Wicked Witch determined to prevent his happiness. This unique show delves deeper into the history of L. Frank Baum's beloved character, using Bunraku puppetry and song to offer a heartbreaking and adult perspective on a classic story.

Wednesday, June 19 at 7:00
The Fearful Earful: Tales of Terror
Created & Performed by Lexa Freshwater Burton, Marja Harmon, Rebekah Greer Melocik, Benjamin Scheuer, Jacob Yandura
Spooky stories, original songs and live foley collide when five dynamic, new timey songwriting teams come together to create an old timey radio show. Explore fear on a sonic level!

Wednesday, June 19 at 9:00
54/10 Concert Series, with live sets by some of New York's best up-and-coming bands and musicians: tonight, Lauren Marcus, Jahn Sood and The Nepotist

Thursday, June 20 at 7:00
Dog Eat Dog
Created & Directed by Morgan Gould
Being fat is actually hard and we want to tell you about it. So we made a show about being fat. And there are musical numbers. Interested? We'll tell you more. But first, we need a snack.

Thursday, June 20 at 9:00
Showgasm, Ars Nova's rowdy variety show/party hybrid hosted by comedian John Early. The drinks are cheap, the acts are fresh, and the music is live! Come. You've never looked better.

Friday, June 21 at 7:00
Debutante.
Created & Directed Annie Tippe
Written by Ryann Weir
Four heiresses living in decadence during the Great Depression straddle 1930's feminine grace and 1980's camp and opulence. This comedic show is a loving portrait of poor little rich girls coming of age as they're presented to the world.

Friday, June 21 at 9:00
54/10 Concert Series, with live sets by some of New York's best up-and-coming bands and musicians: tonight, Boy Girl Party and Late Cambrian

Saturday, June 22 at 7:00
Welcome to the Jungle
Created & Performed by Chad Luke Schiro
Directed by Jessica Dermody
This sketch-pop-dance odyssey offers a look at the absurdity of humans. From R.E.M. to Nicki Minaj, Russell Brand to the Pope (not to mention plenty of monkeys), wild times are in store in this fast-paced, down 'n dirty dance through the racy rainforest.

Monday, June 24 at 7:00
The President Plays, Part 1
Written by David Haan
Directed by Liz Thaler
Watch our first fifteen Presidents die serving their country, each in a different way. From absurd to poignant, join us for a warped pseudo-history of America in this epic short play cycle that puts a macabre twist on the nation's highest office.

Tuesday, June 25 at 7:00
Night of the Living Deepwater Horizon
Created by Trey Tatum
Music by James Dobinson
Directed by Bridget Leak
Part puppet show, part zombie movie, this docu-drama/slasher flick mash-up combines first-hand accounts, newsreel footage and lo-fi charm to explore the 2010 Gulf Coast Oil Spill through the lens of George Romero's original Night of the Living Dead. A foxy boxing match that is both slippery and toxic!

Wednesday, June 26 at 7:00
Ludo's Broken Bride: A Rock Opera
Music & Lyrics by Ludo
Adapted & Directed by Stacey Weingarten
Music Direction & Arrangements by David Levinson
Time-travel, dinos, zombies and puppets. This rock opera has it all! Set to a score by the band Ludo, this is the epic adventure of one man's time-traveling voyage from the Age of Dinosaurs to the Zombie Apocalypse, all to save his true love's life.

Wednesday, June 26 at 9:00
54/10 Concert Series, with live sets by some of New York's best up-and-coming bands and musicians: tonight, Momma Holler, Small Dream Ada and Matt Macaulay

Thursday, June 27 at 7:00
Golden Baby: Good Point!
Created & Performed by Dana Clinkman, Henry Melcher, Evan Watkins, Ryann Weir
Directed by Christopher Bowser & Andrew Neisler
Since training at Second City as pimply teenagers, this sketch/devised theater group has grown into a wonderfully dysfunctional family. Now that they're all in New York, they've created a new sketch comedy-meets-short form play, self-described as polished, smart and weird. The kind of stuff that makes the fam laugh at the dinner table.

Thursday, June 27 at 9:00
Showgasm, Ars Nova's rowdy variety show/party hybrid hosted by comedian John Early. The drinks are cheap, the acts are fresh, and the music is live! Come. You've never looked better.

Friday, June 28 at 7:00
The Imaginary Menagerie
Created & Performed by Kate Douglas
Directed by Hunter Bird
Musical Director Matthew Marsh
If David Lynch wrote a musical puppet movie this might be it! Katherine arrives in a house at the end of the world, where three talking paintings guide her through her memories to help her recall where she's come from and understand where she's going. All with the help of her friend Lucy, who happens to be a deer head.

Friday, June 28 at 9:00
54/10 Concert Series, with live sets by some of New York's best up-and-coming bands and musicians: tonight, 5J Barrow and Cosmonaut

Saturday, June 29 at 7:00
Trapeze Hero!
Created by Fight or Flight Theater Company
Written by Dan Loeser
Directed by John Behlmann
A scrappy trapeze drifter blows into town; but he don't trapeze the way folks trapeze 'round here. Prepare yourself for a one-of-a-kind evening performed entirely on the low-flying trapeze. It's Footloose meets The Karate Kid meets Cirque du Soleil meets Romeo and Juliet. Tina Turner was wrong, we do need another hero... a Trapeze Hero.

Ars Nova is committed to developing and producing theater, comedy and music artists in the Early Stages of their professional careers. Its unique development programs are designed to support outside-the-box thinking and encourage innovative, genre-bending work. By providing a safe environment where risk-taking and collaboration are paramount, Ars Nova gives voice to a new generation of artists and audiences, pushing the boundaries of live entertainment by nurturing creative ideas into smart, surprising new work. For more information on Ars Nova's programs, visit www.arsnovanyc.com. Ars Nova was founded in memory of Gabe Wiener.

Ars Nova is currently producing the world premiere of 2010 Artist-in-Residence Steven Levenson's commissioned play Core Values. Past producing credits include: Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 by Dave Malloy, directed by Rachel Chavkin (now in an Off-Broadway transfer production at Kazino); The Netflix Plays; ANT Fest; The Urban Dictionary Plays; The Lapsburgh Layover by The Berserker Residents, directed by Oliver Butler; Be a Good Little Widow by Bekah Brunstetter, directed by Stephen Brackett; The Wii Plays; Now Circa Then by Carly Mensch, directed by Jason Eagan; Bloodsong of Love by Joe Iconis, directed by John Simpkins; Missed Connections NYC; Sax & Dixon: We Thee Wed by John Dixon, Peter McNerney and Matt Sax, directed by Peter McNerney; Mel & El: Show & Tell by Melanie Adelman and Ellie Dvorkin, directed by Moritz von Stuelpnagel; Two Girls for Five Bucks and the Ten Dollar Heartbreakers by Cathleen Carr and Daiva Deupree, directed by Andy Donald; Playlist; Jollyship the Whiz-Bang by Nick Jones and Raja Azar, directed by Sam Gold; boom by Peter Sinn Nachtrieb, directed by Alex Timbers; From Up Here by Liz Flahive, directed by Leigh Silverman; The Wikipedia Plays; Dixie's Tupperware Party by Kris Andersson, directed by Alex Timbers; At Least It's Pink by Bridget Everett and Kenny Mellman, directed by Michael Patrick King; 25 Questions for a Jewish Mother by Kate Moira Ryan with Judy Gold, directed by Karen Kohlhaas; Holy Cross Sucks! by Rob Nash, directed by Jeff Calhoun; Freestyle Love Supreme by Anthony Veneziale and Lin-Manuel Miranda, directed by Thomas Kail; and The Wau Wau Sisters, by Tanya Gagné and Adrienne Truscott, directed by Trip Cullman.

ANT Fest 2013 plays June 3 - 29. Tickets for ANT Fest shows (Monday-Saturday at 7:00pm) are $15. Tickets for the 54/10 Concert Series (Wednesdays and Fridays at 9:00pm) are $5 in advance and $10 at the door. Tickets for Showgasm (Thursdays at 9:00pm) are $5. The ANT Fest Lounge is open 8pm-11pm Monday through Friday, and 8pm-12am on Saturday. Tickets may be purchased at www.arsnovanyc.com, (212) 352-3101, or at the Ars Nova Box Office, 30 minutes before showtime (subject to availability). Ars Nova is located at 511 West 54th Street, New York, NY.

Pictured: June 6: My Sax Life is All Fached Up, created & performed by Joan Estep (L) and Eva Andersen (R). Photo credit: Ben Arons.