(UN)Natural Disaster Premieres At FringeNYC, Closes 8/29

The Lost Theatre and the 2010 New York International Fringe Festival will present the East Coast premiere of Richard Hess' (UN)Natural Disaster at the Dixon Place, located in the Lower East Side of Manhattan, from August 13-29, 2010. This show is a performance art piece about natural disasters: the chaos and destruction they bring to our planet and the human beings who are in the midst of it. It follows different people who struggle to survive Hurricane Katrina, Typhoon Ondoy and the Haiti Earthquake. This show is a non-traditional theatre experience that takes the audience on a journey through turmoil, chaos, survival and hope. Audiences will see a patchwork of firsthand
stories, theatrical choreography, foreign languages, live music and compelling images.

The show was first seen at the Cincinnati Fringe Festival in 2006, where it won the highest honor: The Producer's Pick of The Fringe. Originally conceived by Richard Hess, Chair and professor at the University of Cincinnati-Conservatory of Music, College Conservatory of Music, the show was created in the wake of Hurricane Katrina and the 2004 tsunami in Indonesia. After working with Anne Bogart and the Siti Company, and with the news of these tragedies still fresh in everyone's minds, Hess began his journey in creating a piece based off of our planet's disasters and about the human condition during these catastrophes. After collaborating with a few actors, he saw a cast of 13 breathe life into its first production.

A truly unique piece, critics praised its relevance and impact. Rick Pender of Cincinnati's CityBeat
wrote, "This is performance art in the truest sense, and it's worth seeing. There's nothing disastrous about (UN)Natural Disaster, aside from the subject matter. It's an emotional piece you
won't soon forget."

The Lost Theatre is an NYC-based company whose mission is to create theatre that is accessible to all walks of life and addresses the social issues of today. It was founded in August 2009 by Brandon Burton, Kendall Karg and Joy Lanceta, all graduates of the University of Cincinnati's College Conservatory of Music Drama program. Now a core company of 14, The Lost Theatre's belief in training and strong ensemble work is the basis for all their shows, and they strive to continue to learn new and different methods of theatre to strengthen their work.

For more information, visit www.un-naturaldisaster.com, www.thelosttheatre.com, or www.fringenyc.org.