'Fire Island' Lands Off-Broadway Beginning Apr.10

3-Legged Dog Presents the Off-Broadway Premiere of Charles Mee's Multidimensional Beach Party Play Fire Island Previews begin April 10 at 3LD Art & Technology Center.

In their most ambitious projects to date, 3-Legged Dog will present the World Premiere of Charles Mee's Fire Island at the 3LD Art & Technology Center beginning April 10. Fire Island explores the many ways which people experience the birth and dissolution of relationships amidst the diverse and fragile ecosystems of this barrier island. Characters include drag queens, 6-foot tall little girls, freak clowns, Japanese bondage junkies, old folks and 50 other island inhabitants, all dealing with various stages of their relationships.

3-Legged Dog was approached by renowned playwright Charles Mee, the featured playwright of the Signature Theater's 2007/08 season, to premiere his play Fire Island, which Mee created specifically with 3-Legged Dog in mind.  This massive endeavor will transform the entire performance space into an indoor version of Fire Island, complete with beach chairs, pine trees, and blended drinks. This multidimensional beach party also incorporates the acclaimed 3-D Eyeliner technology that 3LD premiered last season in Losing Something.

Fire Island takes on several forms: an extremely wide format HD video work, a large scale panoramic multimedia installation/performance with 3-dimensional video and spatial sound as well as an ongoing interactive web component. A giant rear projection screen will show multiple perspectives, collaged into one giant array of imagery. All at once, the viewer will experience a couple falling in love from their perspective, close up, from a distance, as a voyeur peeping through the window, as well as the details of the environment around them (the weathered, salted boardwalk or the decaying pine needles). Using invisible Eyeliner screens multiple layers of video will also pop up in thin air, surrounding and sometimes hiding the performers.

Fire Island involves 108 artists, including the Tuvan throat singer Albert Kuvezin.  Kuvezin's album Re-Covers, which is specified in the script, consists of covers of popular songs (including Joy Division's "Love Will Tear Us Apart" and Iron Butterfly's "In a Gadda Da Vida") performed with Tuvan overtone singing and traditional Tuvan instruments. Kuvezin will travel from Tuva to perform in the piece both on video and live.  A complete list of performers and the production team will be available online in late February.

Founded in 1994, 3-Legged Dog has become one of the leading experimental arts groups in New York, performing works in venues including The Kitchen, The Ontological, PS 122, La MaMa,  Signature Theatre and The Venice Biennale (Arsenale). The company has mounted 17 full productions and numerous large-scale interactive installation works. In March 2006, 3LD Art & Technology Center opened the doors on a 12,500 square foot multi-venue art center in Lower Manhattan. In November 2007 the center was selected as one of 50 Essentials by Time Out and 3LD Artistic Director Kevin Cunningham was awarded The American Theater Wing's Henry Hewes Design Award. As of December 2007, the center had already supported the work of approximately 750 artists. 3LD continues to make at least 2 large-scale pieces each year in its new facility.

Fire Island runs April 10 - May 3, Thursday - Saturday at 8pm. (Note: doors open at 6pm for a pre-show barbecue).  3LD Art & Technology Center is located at 80 Greenwich Street (at Rector Street -- accessible from the 1 train at Rector Street). Tickets are $30, $15 for students available at 212-352-3101 or www.3LDNYC.org.

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