Penny Arcade News

The world's longest running LGBTQ arts festival will take place from July 1 - August 1, 2009 at the new Dixon Place Theater on New York's historic Lower East Side at 161 Chrystie Street (between Rivington/Delancey). The 2009 HOT! Festival will draw from an international roster of artists who have become headliners in the underground performance world and will be presented on New York's newest theater by an organization that encourages and develops all new artists to challenge themselves and their audience.

THE 14th ANNUAL LOWER EAST SIDE (LES) FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS hosts LES KIDS' DAY 2009 -- an afternoon of performances for kids and by kids -- on Saturday, May 23, beginning at 2:00pm inside Theater for the New City (155 1st Avenue, between E. 9th and 10th Streets) in Manhattan.

Performance Space 122 announced Vaginal Davis, one of New York's most influential drag performers, as winner of the 2009 Ethyl Eichelberger Award, a commissioning award given to an artist who exemplifies Ethyl's larger-than-life style and generosity of spirit; who embodies Ethyl's multi-talented artistic virtuosity, bridging worlds and inspiring those around them.

Brava continues its celebration of Women's History Month with an exceptional month of programming. After closing Penny Arcade?s infamous sex and censorship show, Bitch! Dyke! Faghag! Whore!, Brava is opening Machinal this week, directed by Evren Odcikin and written by Sophie Treadwell, one of the most prominent women playwrights of the 20th century. Then on March 20th, Brava will be hosting ?An Evening with Ilene Chaiken,? producer and creator of the L-Word, one of the most popular television shows about women.

Brava celebrates Women's History Month with an exceptional Month of programming including the infamous Penny Arcade in 'Bitch!Dyke!Faghag!Whore!'; 'Machinal' by Sophie Treadwell, one of the most prominent women playwrights of the 20th century; and a conversation with Ilene Chaiken, creator of the 'L-Word'.

Brava! for Women in the Arts continues their ambitious 2008-09 'Shout Out Loud' theatrical season as they celebrate women's month by exploring the complexity and humor of women through multiple productions in the month of March ranging from Penny Arcade's sex and censorship show Bitch!Dyke!Faghag!Whore! to Sophie Treadwell's Machinal to an Evening with Eileen Chaiken, creator of televisions's L Word.

Brava is proud to present Bitch! Dyke! Faghag! Whore! (B!D!F!W!) as its first main stage production of its 2008-2009 season. After touring 22 cities around the world, Brava is excited to bring this groundbreaking work to San Francisco audiences. 'In a town that is so progressive, I was surprised that this show still hadn't made it to San Francisco so when I was creating my first season as the Artistic Director at Brava, I made sure that it was scheduled in this season,' says Raelle Myrick-Hodges, the Artistic Director at Brava. In 1990, during the Senator Helms' National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Censorship Crisis, performance artist Penny Arcade submitted her Sex and Censorship Show, B!D!F!W! as her NEA Fellowship audit. Although B!D!F!W!, which is a blend of political humanism and erotic dancing, was not awarded a fellowship, it did go on to play for an unprecedented year Off-Broadway in New York as an underground hit and then went on the road and became a commercial mainstream hit play in 22 cities around the world, turning the political correctness of the theatre world upside down, and heralding the zeitgeist as B!D!F!W! proved that content and sensationalism cannot co-exist. Irish grandmothers, to people of all ages, from all walks of life joined Penny Arcade and her cast of erotic dancers on stage for the audience dance break at the center of the performance. B!D!F!W! went on to establish erotic dance as a feminist art form and the comedic cultural criticism broke down the separation and isolation between people of diverse racial, ethnic, sexual and economic groups and left an international Neo Burlesque Movement in its wake.

Now Playing at the Brava: Friends Written by Kobo Abe Directed by Raelle Myrick-Hodges November 5 - November 21 'Love flies out the window when Poverty comes through the door.' A man sits at home perfectly happy. Suddenly there is a knock at his door. A family of eight - bright smiles, well groomed stand at the man's door. 'We are here to help', the family declares and thus begins the strange trek into Kobo Abe's 1964 Japanese take on contemporary society and gentrification.

The Public Theater (Artistic Director, Oskar Eustis; Executive Director Andrew D. Hamingson) and Joe's Pub (Director, Shanta Thake; General Manager Kevin Abbott) are proud to announce the Joe's Pub 10th Anniversary Weekend featuring 10 for the 10th, a two-day series of 10 free concerts at Joe's Pub, and an anniversary Gala paying tribute to legendary musician, champion of emerging artists, and New Yorker Judy Collins.

Joe's Pub will be offering 10 free shows in celebration of 10 years of the Pub on October 11th and 12th. The show on October 11th will feature Baby Loves Salsa with Jose Conde at 11:00 AM, Raul Midón at 2:30 PM, Jill Sobule with John Wesley Harding at 6:00 PM, Imani Uzuri presents Mosaic with Haale, Matou and DJ Rekha at 9:30 PM, and the Budos Band at 12:30 AM. On October 12th, Allen Toussaint kicks things off at 11:00 AM, followed by Roy Nathanson and Friends with special guest Debbie Harry at 2:30 PM, Reggie Watts with Kristen Schall at 6:00 PM, The Stew Songbook featuring Michael Cerveris, Penny Arcade, John Cameron Mitchell and more at 9:30 PM, and finishing up the 10-show run is 'Be In: A Night of Music & Love' with members of the Public Theater's Cast of 'Hair' at 12:30 AM. Free tickets are available through October 5th by registering online at http://vline.publictheater.org:8081/account/. Once registered, you can log on to join the virtual line and submit a request for up to two tickets per show.

October 31, at 155 First Avenue (at E. 10th St.) and the block of E. 10th St. between 1st and 2nd Avenues (presented by Theater for the New City) Outdoor entertainment 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm; doors open 7:30 pm $20; costume or formal wear required, (212) 254-1109 Info/ticketing www.theaterforthenewcity.net

The Public Theater (Artistic Director, Oskar Eustis; Executive Director Andrew D. Hamingson) and Joe's Pub (Director, Shanta Thake; General Manager Kevin Abbott) are proud to announce additions to the extraordinary lineup of the Joe's Pub 10th Anniversary Weekend featuring 10 for the 10th, a two-day series of 10 free concerts at Joe's Pub, and an anniversary Gala paying tribute to legendary musician, champion of emerging artists, and New Yorker Judy Collins.

The Public Theater (Artistic Director, Oskar Eustis; Executive Director Andrew D. Hamingson) and Joe's Pub (Director, Shanta Thake; General Manager Kevin Abbott) are proud to announce additions to the extraordinary lineup of the Joe's Pub 10th Anniversary Weekend featuring 10 for the 10th, a two-day series of 10 free concerts at Joe's Pub, and an anniversary Gala paying tribute to legendary musician, champion of emerging artists, and New Yorker Judy Collins. Collins at The Public's Anspacher Theater, and ends with an after party featuring a performance by Joe's Pub favorite Karsh Kale. Produced by Joe's Pub and Katherine DePaul (President, Wildflower Records), Joe's Pub 10th Anniversary Gala will be hosted by legendary WFUV DJ Pete Fornatale and will honor Judy Collins' impressive career that has spanned nearly 50 years, her commitment to the music industry, and her history with the Public Theater and Joe's Pub. The concert features performance by Judy Collins herself, Jimmy Webb, Mary Gauthier, Shawn Colvin, Eric Andersen and more great artists to be announced!

The Public Theater (Artistic Director, Oskar Eustis; Executive Director Andrew D. Hamingson) and Joe's Pub (Director, Shanta Thake; General Manager Kevin Abbott) are proud to announce the Joe's Pub 10th Anniversary Weekend featuring 10 for the 10th, a two-day series of 10 free concerts at Joe's Pub, and an anniversary Gala paying tribute to legendary musician, champion of emerging artists, and New Yorker Judy Collins.

- The Public Theater (Artistic Director, Oskar Eustis; Executive Director Andrew Hamingson) and Joe's Pub (Director, Shanta Thake; General Manager Kevin Abbott) are proud to announce the Joe's Pub 10th Anniversary Weekend featuring 10 for the 10th, a two-day series of 10 free concerts at Joe's Pub, and an anniversary Gala paying tribute to legendary musician, champion of emerging artists, and New Yorker Judy Collins.

REVOLUTIONARY ACTS -- an evening of cabaret to benefit The Living Theatre, Inc. and to honor its co-founder, the iconic Judith Malina.

Variety is reporting that actress Cynthia Nixon will be joining the cast of the British Commercial Web ITV's drama 'An Englishman in New York.' The show will be a follow-up to the 1975 film The Naked Civil Servent. Nixon will reportedly play 'Penny Arcade', an actress and playwright.

Award-winning producers, Michael & Barbara Ross, will present the 2008 Back Stage Bistro Award Winning GREG PURNHAGEN in BABALU-CY - the art of Desi Arnaz, Off-Broadway, at the Actors Temple Theater, beginning August 23rd.

REVOLUTIONARY ACTS -- an evening of cabaret to benefit The Living Theatre, Inc. and to honor its co-founder, the iconic Judith Malina.

Award-winning producers, Michael & Barbara Ross, will present the 2008 Back Stage Bistro Award Winning GREG PURNHAGEN in BABALU-CY - the art of Desi Arnaz, Off-Broadway, at the Actors Temple Theater, beginning August 23rd.