REDCAT Kicks Off the 18th Annual New Original Works Festival This Week

Roy and Edna Disney/CalArts Theater (REDCAT), CalArts' downtown center for contemporary arts, presents the 18th annual New Original Works (NOW) Festival, a celebration of Los Angeles' vibrant community of artists creating new contemporary performance work, over three weekends this fall: Oct. 7-9, Oct. 14-16, and Oct. 21-23.

This year's festival returns to in-person performances with nine new works by Los Angeles artists who are redefining the boundaries of contemporary performance, inventing hybrid artistic disciplines, reimagining traditions, and confronting urgent issues. The unprecedented 17th edition of the event, held across Fall 2020 and Winter 2021, streamed directly from REDCAT to viewers in over 30 countries around the world.

"This year's NOW Festival imagines a plethora of social and cultural possibilities," said Edgar Miramontes, REDCAT's Deputy Executive Director and Curator. "As we move through the constant disruption of our current moment, the NOW artists and their projects begin to envision what's next."

Each year, NOW Festival transforms REDCAT into a laboratory for premiering new contemporary dance, theater, music, and multimedia performances. All artistic teams receive free rehearsal space, technical support, and artist fees. Since the first edition in 2004, NOW Festival has presented the work of over 200 L.A.-based artists.

NOW Festival 2021 was organized by Miramontes with artists in the community, including Sebastian Hernandez and Ligia Lewis. In the spirit of the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts), REDCAT's parent institution, the NOW Festival serves as a catalyst for creativity and new ideas. Over its 18 year history, the program has launched nearly 150 works by an impressive list of artists who continue to be seen on stages throughout the U.S. and abroad.

Each of the three weekends features a triple bill of world premieres in a shared evening. Each program is premiered on Thursday evening and repeated Friday and Saturday evenings at 8:30 pm. This year, performances will also be live streamed each Saturday night during the festival's run.

Tickets can be purchased at: https://www.redcat.org/event/now-2021-week-one

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