Duh Bronx ain't exactly been a leading contendah when it comes to theatre in Noo Yawk, ya know what I'm sayi

ng? But that's gonna change a little, with a weeklong festival (June 22-27) of panels and performances at the Live From The Edge Theatre in Hunts Point.

Titled "All That Drama: The First Annual South Bronx Emerging Artists and Emerging Forms in Theatre Festival and Conference," the event will feature such topics as "How To Get Money From Nowhere," "What Do Artistic Directors Want?" and "Going Solo." Panelists include Repertorio Espanol's Rene Buch, NY Foundation for the Arts' Mimi Liu, PS 122's Mark Russell, New Federal Theatre's Woody King, playwright Amiri Baraka, and The Village Voice's James Hannaham.

"This is the first time such a prominent group of artists, funders and arts administrators are coming together to discuss and present theatre in a festival of this kind in the South Bronx," said Festival coordinator Steven Sapp.

Bearing out those words will be the Festival's performances, including opening night solos by Danny Hoch (Jails, Hospitals & Hip-Hop), Dael Orlandersmith and Peggy Petitt. Other stagings include Michael Lynch's gay solo, About Face, Black Lotus' Tales From The Titty, Tessa Martin's alieNation [sic], and Universes' poetic drama The Ride. On June 25, Carmen Rivera, Candido Tirado, Michael Garces, Migdalia Cruz, Louis Delgado and Sandra Rodriguez will combine on Positive Women, a slate of one-acts dealing with Hispanic women living with HIV. The South Bronx Theatre Festival is sponsored by THE POINT, a non-profit neighborhood organization hoping to revitalize the Hunts Point section of the South Bronx. For tickets (panels are free; shows are $10 apiece, festival passes are $40 but exclude the opening night show, which sells for $25) and information on the Festival call (718) 542-4139.

-- By David Lefkowitz