International CringeFest '10 Seeks A Few Good Directors, Runs 7/19-8/8

It's coming -- it's coming -- it's COMING -- to whisk us away to where it sure ain't Kansas anymore! The International CringeFest, now in its sixth year of outrageous production, wrapped up its cold readings of hundreds of submissions this week. Now, the search is on for a few really good directors to helm more than a few... baaaaaad plays & musicals tumbling out of that black hole in the naughty, irreverent, politically incorrect, politically satirical sky. Four directors are coming back on board thus far: Tony Spinosa (double Golden Pineapple Winner '08 & '09), Kenny Wade Marshall (Golden Pineapple Winner '07), Tom Amici (Silver Tomato Winner & Special Citations '08/ '09), and Kenny Howard (Golden Pineapple Winner '09). Six theme nights of 5-8 plays each will rotate, including a late-night Saturday show that's always fun. Last year, most theme nights were helmed by individual directors, which gave them a great showcase and simplified the festival process for everyone involved. It is hoped to continue this trend.

Plays/ musicals/ films, themes, playwrights, and schedules will be announced shortly. The CringeFest runs July 19-August 8 at the Grand Theatre at the Producers' Club, 358 W. 44 St., for the 3rd year. There is generally an opening week benefit, where supernumeraries in the business are presented with Honorary Golden Pineapples. The festival ends with an in-house party, where the Golden Pineapple, Silver Tomato, Bronze Banana, and Jack Lemons for the actors are presented, along with numerous citations.

If you are interested in applying to direct in the festival, please send a cover letter and resume to Melba LaRose, Artistic Director, NY Artists Unlimited -- email: Melba@NYartists.org. Directors will be interviewed after April 20, when the artistic director returns from the IETM interNational Theatre conference in Berlin. No one is paid in the festival, including the executive directors, but we do promise really good plays to work on, great exposure, lots of audience, and a whole lotta fun in the process.

NY Artists Unlimited, founded in 1982, is dedicated to taking professional theatre to under-served audiences, with a focus on original works that evoke dignity of the individual and sanctity of the human spirit. Six years ago, the CringeFest was born and has, thankfully, come to support the mission of the company.

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