Ken Davenport Announces New Rave Theater Festival
(© David Gordon)
Tony Award-winning producer Ken Davenport has announced the Rave Theater Festival, a new festival that will be held August 9-25 at Clemente Solo Velez Cultural Center on the Lower East Side. Davenport will be the artistic director, with Valerie Novakoff as executive director, Britt Lafield as managing director, Monica Hammond as marketing director, and Mary Elizabeth Dina as manager of events and partnerships.
"Last year we announced our mission to help 5000 shows get produced by 2025 because we believe that the world is a better place if there is more theater in it," said Davenport in a statement. "And as it gets harder and harder for new theater makers to get their work produced in this city, we wanted to provide a new platform for emerging artists to have their work seen on a stage. I've discovered some amazing talent in festivals over the years, many of whom I still work with to this day. And I look forward to introducing the world to the next generation of theater makers at Rave Theater Festival."
For its inaugural year, the festival will be selecting a diverse roster of roughly 20 plays, musicals, multimedia, and cross-disciplinary projects, as well as family shows, which will each receive up to five performances. Submissions are now open through April 17; interested parties can apply here.
