The festival, which will run at the 59E59 Theaters July 9-28, gives U.S. productions the opportunity to stage their work before premiering at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the largest arts festival in the world.
The festival's lineup follows.
Savvy Secrets Of Successful Mistresses
By Lisa Faith Phillips
Original music and musical direction by Ellen Mandel
Directed by Cheryl Stern
July 9 at 6:30 PM; July 10 at 8:30 PM; July 11 at 6:30 PM
"Dr. Faith whips up an 'outrageously funny, devilishly clever and wildly entertaining' (Newyorkcool.com) self-help seminar."
Bette Davis Ain't For Sissies
By Jessica Sherr
Directed by Janice Orlandi
July 9 & July 11 at 7 PM
"Journey into the mind of Hollywood's greatest stars on the night of the 1939 Oscars and see what happens when someone who always wants to win...loses."
Mercy Killers
By Michael Milligan
Directed by Tom Oppenheim
July 9 at 8:30 PM; July 10 at 6:30 PM; July 13 & July 14 at 2:30 PM
"Joe loves apple pie, Rush Limbaugh and the fourth of July. But when his wife is diagnosed with cancer and loses her insurance, his patriotic feelings are brought into question as he is driven to a fateful act." Woolly Mammoth Panic Attack
By Matt Nagin
July 9, July 10, July 16 & July 24 at 9 PM
"Join Matt for an irreverent, category-defying standup hour as he discusses drugs, travel, gambling, dating, and the importance of being weird. Then watch him Woolly Mammoth Panic Attack."
The Island Of Doctor Moreau
By John P. McEneny
Directed by John P. McEneny
July 10 at 7 PM; July 13 & July 14 at 2 PM
"An original, Butoh-inspired physical adaptation of H.G.Wells' horror classic: Science runs amok on a mysterious island ruled by a mad doctor and his strange beasts."
Expiration Date
By Rose-Marie Brandwein
Directed by Cheryl King
July 11 at 8:30 PM; July 12, July 13 & July 14 at 6:30 PM; July 20 at 7 PM; July 21 at 2 PM
"Imagine it is 2113, you've reached your 150th birthday and must transition into another life form or simply disappear into the ether. What would you do? Expiration Date explores what it means to be human."
Sex With Animals
By Ryan Good
July 11, July 12 & July 13 at 9 PM
"An expedition through the often hilarious, occasionally profound sexual habits of animals.Think David Attenborough meets Eddie Izzard on Grindr."
It Goes Without Saying
By Bill Bowers
Directed by Martha Banta
July 12 & July 13 at 7 PM; July 19 at 9 PM; July 20 at 4 PM; July 26 & July 27 at 9 PM
"A fun and unflinching look at the life and mimes of Bill Bowers. From Barbie dolls in his backyard, to Broadway and beyond, Bowers talks (yes, talks) about a life lived out loud."
Longing For Grace
By Grace Kiley
Directed by Austin Pendleton
July 12 & July 13 at 8:30 PM; July 14 at 4:30 PM
"Hitchcock's 'volcano covered with snow' is channeled by actress and playwright Grace Kiley as a cautionary tale about the danger of abandoning one's dreams. Austin Pendleton directs this poignant look at fame, folly, and a woman undone by her own strength."
The Sordid Sex Life Of The Montane Vole
By Adam Strauss
July 13 & July 14 at 4 PM; July 16 at 7 PM
"Award-winning comedian Adam Strauss tackles two wildly divergent topics: sex and love. Is true connection possible, or are we the mere playthings of archaic evolutionary impulses?"
His Majesty, The Devil
By Alexandra Devon
Directed by Mathilde Schennen
July 14 at 7 PM; July 17, July 18 & July 20 at 9 PM; July 21 at 4 PM
"A mysterious gentleman. A young terrorist. The eve preceding destruction. Wit, wisdom, foolishness and drama intertwine with violins, questioning injustice and violence in our world. A new work inspired by Dostoyevsky."
The Year I Was Gifted
By Monica Bauer
Directed by Carolyn Ladd
July 17, July 18, and July 19 at 7 PM; July 20 at 2 PM
The true tale of a working class girl's attempt to survive a prestigious boarding school for the arts. Should she betray her friends to stay there?
Honest Iago and 3 Other Choice Villains From Shakespeare
By William Shakespeare
Directed by Richard Smithies
July 21 at 7 PM; July 23 at 9 PM; July 28 at 2 PM
"Iago gleefully plots against his victims; Richard III plays a sinister seduction scene, Claudius tries vainly to repent King Hamlet's murder; and Edmund from Lear invites the gods to 'stand up for bastards!'"
Safe
By Penny Jackson
Directed by Joan Kane
July 23, July 24 & July 25 at 7 PM; July 27 & July 28 at 4 PM
"Mom is in rehab, Dad seems like a ghost, you hate high school and your anorexic best friend wants to kidnap her baby niece. What else can you do but go to a coffee shop to meet a dangerous man? Safe is about finding your way in a scary world."
American Gun Show
By Chris Harcum
Directed by Aimee Todoroff
July 25 at 9 PM; July 26 & July 27 at 7 PM
"Statistically, one in five Americans owns a gun. Everyday occurrences can erupt into hilarity or danger. It's enough to make you question whether it's safe to go to the theatre. Brecht meets stand-up in this solo show confrontation of violence in the land of Ted Nugent Disease."
Miserable Lesbians: The Musical Parody
By Sandro Monetti
Directed by Sandro Monetti
July 27 at 2 PM; July 28 at 7 PM
"This multi-award winning comedy musical is a loving parody of Broadway's favorite show and follows rebels struggling for gay rights in 19th Century France."
Tickets and more information can be found by visiting 59e59.org.
