Lower East Side Festival of the Arts

To demonstrate the creative explosion of the Lower East Side and the area’s importance to culture and tourism for New York City, a score of stars and over 100 performing arts organizations, independent artists, poets, politicians and film makers join forces in the 8th annual Lower East Side Festival of the Arts.

This three-day, indoor and outdoor festival of theater is organized by TNC and a coalition of civic, cultural and business leaders and is free to all New Yorkers. The list of attractions includes artists presently residing on the Lower East Side, arts groups performing there, prominent writers and artists whose work has dealt directly with the Lower East Side experience and plays written especially for this festival. The distinct ethnic communities of the Lower East Side are amply represented, including the Latin American, African American, Chinese, Indian, Irish, Italian, Jewish, Native American, Polish and Ukrainian communities.

KEY PARTICIPANTS AS OF MAY 2, 2003:

MUSIC BY
David Amram, Stephan Smith, K.T. Sullivan, Juini Booth, House of Tribes, Mambo Jazi, Rale Micic, Silvercloud Singers and Drummers, Zsound Collective, Star 69, Latino Experimental Fantastic; Mira, Jerry and Friends, Lovesphere, Judy Gorman, Frans Bloem, Mark Marcante, Judith Caporali.

PERFORMERS
Reno, Vinie Burrows, Murray Hill, Epstein and Hassan, Tuli Kupferberg, steve ben israel, Michelle Carlo, Lavinia Co-op, Crystal Field, Fred Geobold, John Grimaldi, Richard Harper, Andy Horowitz, Terry Lee King, Erika Blumfield, Meredith Ladyfingers, Al Lewis & Bob Fass, Simon Loeckle, Jen London, Kid Lucky, Alex McDonald, Kevin Mitchell Martin, Melange, Lissa Moira, More Gardens, Mother & Kids, Jonathan Ames (in a new work written and directed by Eric Begosian), Bina Sharif, Margo Lee Sherman, Michael Tanaglia, Gary Wagner, Richard West, Roberta Wallach, Artemis Group, Brett Axel, Helen Stratford, Willy Torres, Cashetta, Chris Tanner, Lorcan Otway, Abigail Ramsay.

DANCE
Tamar Rogoff Performance Project, Kinding Sindaw, Rod Rogers Dance Company, Les Guirivoires Dance Theater, Yangtze Theater Company, Marianna Beckerman, Andre Brown, Cha-Lee Chan, Commonground, Dzul Dance Company, eDance, David Ryder, Sudden Enlightenment, Thunderbird American-Indian Dancers, Human Kinetics, Dancetube.

THEATER GROUPS
Franklin Furnace, Wise Guise, Folksbiene, Bond Street Theater, Feed the Herd, The Ethel Project, Kairos Theater, Studio 42, Bangladesh Theater of America, Teatro Pregones, Blue Angel, DADAnewyork, Flavah, Freestyle Repertory Theatre, Nuyorican Poets Cafi, Angry Jellow Bubbles, The Living Theater, The Moth, NY Theater Workshop, WOW Cafi, Yara Arts Group, Salaam Theater, Le Phew Theatre, More Gardens, Teatro Pregones, Outer Productions.

POETRY
A Gathering of The Tribes, Jack Agueros, Jushi and 28 poets.

PLAYS BY
Gary Heidt, Laurence Holder, Barbara Kahn, Larry Myers. Also: an excerpt from Jean-Claude Van Itallie’s new play, “Light,” excerpt from “The Identical Same Temptation” by Robert Glaudini, with Roberta Wallach; excerpt from”Minus One,” a play about Amiri Baraka by Gyazira Lasana, directed by David Willinger; excerpt from “Destiny Manifested” by James Gillard.

FILMS
“Int. Trailer Night” by Jim Jarmusch, “East Seventh Street” by Josh Pais, “Denis A. Charles: an Interrupted Conversation” by