Int'l Cringe Fest Hosts Your Money Or Your Art Benefit 7/24, Awards Golden Pineapples

Your Money or Your Art is the theme of the July 24 benefit night at International CringeFest '09 at the Producers' Club. The theme evokes the struggle of the artist, especially in an economic downturn, and all the plays that evening are comically razor-sharp: A Dark & Stormy Night (producer tortures writer 'for his own good'), The Poorly-Written Play Festival (lambasts whilst demonstrating bad playwriting), Worst. Play. Ever. (live radio drama with a maniacal twist), and Piss Play Is about Minorities, So It's Really Important (just how far will one go for funding?). The last is written & directed by Don Cummings, who is enjoying an industry reading in June of another of his plays "A Good Smoke" at the Public Theater with Meryl Streep, Henry Wolfe Gummer & Grace Gummer (Meryl's children), and Debra Monk, directed by Pam Mackinnon.

Following the Your Money or Your Art presentation, Honorary Golden Pineapples will be bestowed upon Virginia P. Louloudes, Executive Director of the Alliance of Resident Theatres/ New York, the legendary Joe Franklin, Village Voice luminary Michael Musto, and Warhol star Taylor Mead. All are being celebrated for their long-time contribution to off- and off-off-Broadway. In '07, it was legendary director Tom O'Horgan (Hair, Jesus Christ Superstar) and in '08, stage-screen-small screen star Marilyn Sokol, cabaret superstar Sidney Myer, and Warhol muse/ visual artist Ultra Violet.

A silent auction and raffle start soon on the Internet and will continue through the benefit party in the Producers' Club Lounge after the Pineapple awards. Some of the more intriguing auction offerings are: "Coffee with... legendary actor-writer-director Austin Pendleton," "Coffee with... Broadway producer Pat Addiss," and there are more luminaries in the wings. Further bidding will be for signed NYC Ballet toeshoes, dance packages, restaurant certificates for 2, family outings, hotel stays, Broadway/ Off-Broadway tickets, tasty celebrity collectables, original artwork, autographed items, and more. To get on the auction mailing list: Info@nyartists.org.

The International CringeFest, playing July 20-August 9, is subtitled bad plays, bad musicals, bad films, but these are REALLY GOOD & HILARIOUS works that are irreverent, politically incorrect, naughty, and utterly zany. Don't we all need that these days?! This (the fifth) year introduces some wild special events beyond the regular insanity: late-night Saturday shows, including a naked holy ghost and a mysterious little contraption called the Li'l Red Ridin' Hood... AND Unholy Sunday Film Matinees at $15 with popcorn and talk-backs: Taylor Mead & legendary filmmaker Anton Perich on July 26, and Miss Sammy, a Floridian female impersonator, on August 9. Festival entre actes include regulars: musician-comedian Huck DeMilo, sound effects comedian Zero Boy, plus surprise guests. Audiences vote every night for winners of the Golden Pineapple, Silver Tomato, & Bronze Banana, plus Jack Lemons for the actors. For one ticket, you see 4-5 works arranged in theme evenings:

IS THAT A SPEAR IN YOUR POCKET? (Dir. Tony Spinosa) July 20, July 25, July 30, August 4
RANK ROID RITE, Samurai Proctologist by Zurbon Gish
BHIBHATSYA: Disgusting Beyond Words by Norman Bert
THE HISTORY OF HATE (entre acte by Jean Hart)
THE FLAMING OF THE SHREW by David Schrag
THE MISSION (MUSICAL) by Kevin Bleau
THE SCOTTISH PLAY sponsored by... by Kurt Kleinmann

CHILDREN & (OTHER) SHARP OBJECTS (Dir. Kenny Wade Marshall) July 21, July 26, July 31, August 5
PLAYTHINGS by Rob Taylor
SANTA TELLS A STORY by Tami Canaday
THE CLOSET by Aoise Stratford
JUST A BREATH MORE VANILLA by Barbara H. Macchia
BITTERELLA (MUSICAL) by Mark LaPierre

DAMES AT SEA July 22, July 27, August 1, August 6
TERROR OF COCKROACH BEACH (short film by Albert Pergande)
A NEW BEGINNING by Josh McIlvain, dir. Robyne Parrish
THE ADVENTURES OF RAY NOIR, BEACH DETECTIVE by Dick Budin, dir. Tony Spinosa
WHEN BIMBOS ATTACK by Jean Hart, dir. Claudia Zahn
THE BLUE LAGOON: A Musical by Jonathan Padget, dir. Kenny Howard

SEX ENCOUNTERS OF THE ABSURD KIND (Dir. Tom Amici) July 23, July 28, August 2, August 7
FAME CONFUSIONS by John Hendel
NO TALKING ON THE FIRST DATE by Steven Schutzman
BOOTY BANDITS by Kesa Maya Soul
SWAMP HO by David C. Hayes

YOUR MONEY OR YOUR ART July 24, July 29, August 3, August 8
A DARK & STORMY NIGHT by Michael Wilmot (Dir. Robyne Parrish)
THE POORLY-WRITTEN PLAY FESTIVAL by Carolyn Gage (Dir. Robyne Parrish)
WORST. PLAY. EVER. by Sam Wallin (Dir. Robyne Parrish)
PISS PLAY IS ABOUT MINORITIES, SO IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT (Writer-Dir. Don Cummings)

GO GENITAL INTO THAT GOOD NIGHT Late-night Saturdays, July 25, August 1, August 8, at 10:30 pm
GRAMPA HITLER & THE LI'L RED RIDIN' HOOD (MUSICAL) by Leroi B. Di Milo (Dir. Robyne Parrish)
DRAGNESS OF GOD & THE NAKED HOLY GHOST (yes, naked!) by Michael Wanzie (Dir. Kenny Howard)

UNHOLY SUNDAY FILM MATINEE July 26, Aug. 2, Aug. 9, at 2 pm ($15 w/ bag of popcorn & talk-backs with filmmakers & stars)
SHUT UP, APOLLO! by Apollo Braun aka Doron Braunshtein
CANDY & DADDY by Anton Perich (with Warhol filmstars Candy Darling & Taylor Mead) (talk-back with Taylor Mead & filmmaker Anton Perich on July 26)
DEATH & TAXES by Joseph Sorrentino (film noir)
A DAY IN THE LIFE OF MISS SAMMY by Michael Wanzie & Jason
Piecarski (talk-back with Miss Sammy & the filmmakers Aug. 9)

NY Artists Unlimited is a 26 year old nonprofit organization that provides theatre and art to under-served audiences. The company is supported in part by the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, Nancy Quinn Fund, Puffin Foundation, Dramatists Guild Fund, corporate and individual contributors. These festivals, in their own wacky way, support the mission to serve the community and to reopen the company's homebase, Downeast Arts Center in the East Village. The movers 'n shakers behind this insanity are: Melba LaRose, Artistic Director; Court Sweeting, Technical Director, and playwright Jean Hart of the Honorary Golden Pineapple Committee; plus myriad interns and volunteers that make the whole thing happen.

Tickets $25 full admission; $20 advance sales (deadline July 1); $15 students with ID; $15 film matinees (w/ popcorn & talk-backs). Reservations are strongly recommended. For more information or reservations by mail, call 212-242-6036 or visit www.nyartists.org. For online ticketing: www.theatermania.com. Grand Theatre at the Producers Club, 358 W. 44 St., betw. Eighth/Ninth Aves., July 20-August 9, M-Sat. @ 8, Sun. @ 2 (films) & 7, late show Saturday @ 10:30. Each theme runs 1¾ to 2 hours in toto, including intermission.