In June, performance artist, Karen Finley will return to New York with the world premiere of the tentatively titled, The Return of The Chocolate Smeared Woman, at The Flea Theater.

The show will be produced by The Bat Theatre Company, and directed by its artistic director, Jim Simpson. Also performing with Finley is members of The Bat's resident company of 31 actors, The Furballs.

Specific dates for the show are to be announced.

In 1990, the NEA revoked her fellowship because of her piece, We Keep Our Victims Ready. Three other artists also had their fellowships revoked that year, leading to the press-dubbed "NEA Four" censorship controversy.

In The Return of..., Finley explores the notions of being one of the NEA Four and her frustrations of being labeled by The Government as "the chocolate smeared woman". Karen Finley is a performance artist who uses the medium of theater to aggressively address her subject matter which ranges from the social to the political to the personal. For Finley, that means examining the oppressive attitudes directed at the female body. In previous shows she has smeared her body with chocolate, bean sprouts (symbolizing sperm) and others foods.

-- By Sean McGrath