Lama Theater Company's FEST OF THE BEST Set for The Kraine Theater, 4/27-30

by BWW News Desk Mar. 28, 2016

FRIGID New York @ Horse Trade will present Lama Theater Company's Fest of the Best, a four-day festival of plays, poems, and songs written by artists from around the world, selected from Lama's cold reading series, The Monthly Question. The festival will run April 27-30 at The Kraine Theater (85 East 4th Street between 2nd Avenue and Bowery) with performances Wednesday, April 27 at 8pm, Thursday, April 28 at 7pm, Friday, April 29 at 7pm, and Saturday, April 30 at 3pm & 7pm. Tickets ($18; FREE on 4/27) may be purchased in advance at www.horseTRADE.info.

Lama Theater Company is celebrating the one-year anniversary of their cold-reading series, The Monthly Question by showcasing a special collection of work compiled from the last 12 months. We've picked one piece from each month to perform again, which will be cast, rehearsed and directed by Lama's core team. The festival will kick off on Wednesday, April 27 at 8pm with a free showing of documentary film clips and vignettes from Lama's Artistic Residency in Nicaragua.

Plays, Poems, and Songs featured in Fest of the Best will include Asylum by Daniel Curzon, Little Swimmers by Sharon Goldner, Binding Isaac by Reuel Shualy, Epiphany by David MacGregor, A Team Player by Dale Andersen, Yogafu by Alex Rubin, The Comedown by Chloe Hooton, Till the End by Gahbie, Instructions To The Audience by Stephen Dierkes, Cell by Yavni Bar-Yam, The Ballad of the New York Cockroach By Emelyn Kowaleski, and Ikea by Benjamin Weiner.

"We've been so inspired by the multitude of plays that get submitted every month for our cold reading series," says Hila Ben Gera, the company's Founder and Director. "It's always hard to choose the plays for any given night because we get so many wonderful submissions from around the world. But there are definitely some standouts and we want to celebrate that work by taking it a step further, from a cold reading with no rehearsals, to a full-on production."

According to New York City-based actress and Lama Theater Company member, Kim Paris, there's great cause to celebrate Lama's first birthday. She says participating in The Monthly question has helped her grow as an actor. "What I like about cold readings is that, as an actor, it helps me follow my instincts by making quick and strong character choices, without over-thinking it," says Ms. Paris. "It might sound scary at first, but there's something invigorating about taking your first couple looks at a script and then jumping right in." Ms. Paris also says that cold readings offer a unique opportunity to connect to a worldwide creative community. "The writers of the selected plays are often present, and they get to witness you bring their characters to life in front of an audience, often for the first time," she says. "For me, that's a special thing because you might inspire playwrights to see their characters in a different light and therefore, bring something new to an unfinished work."

Casting for the festival is currently underway. Interested actors may send their headshots to Hila Ben Gera at lamatheatercompany@gmail.com.