Seattle's Annex Theatre is hosting their third new works festival, "Lippizaner, Teeth Apart: The National Tour," for the second weekend, Dec. 19-21. The festival, consisting of 17 original one acts by cutting edge playwrights, is the Annex's first collaboration with R.A.T., an organization of Regional Alternative Theatre, and the first nationwide gathering of several theatres in R.A.T. .

Annex Theatre's first local festival of new works Lippizaner Stallions on Ice, took place in 1994. In August of 1995, R.A.T., whose founding members include playwright Erik Ehn, met with the Annex and several other national regional theatres in Seattle, to form an alliance in the mission of continuing to create Big Cheap Theatre--quality theatre that uses imagination and the tactics of scamming to make pennies stretch and artistic visions flourish.

Out of dozens of national and international applicants that applied to the R.A.T's seventh collection of 10-minute plays, the theatres chosen to share their work in Lippizaner include: Frank Theatre of Minneapolis, Southern Fried Theatre of New Orleans, Kitchen Dog Theatre of Dallas, Bottom Dream of Los Angeles, Thieves Theatre of NY, and Frontera of Hyde Park-Austin, TX.

The name, Lippizaner, refers to a Viennese horse troupe which is in no way -- other than its name -- involved in this production. According to Annex company member Mike Shapiro, after their first zany festival title, the name stuck.

For tickets to or more information about Lippizaner, Teeth Apart: The National Tour call Annex Theatre at (206) 728-0933. --By Blair Glaser