Artilliers to Present ARTAUD ARTAUD by Matthew Minnicino

"Artaud Artaud" is a new play by Matthew Minnicino that uses the life story of Antonin Artaud to probe the fetishizing of Importance and the innocent desire to be free. The play will receive its world-premiere production at The Dream Up Festival at Theater for the New City September 1, 7, 12, 13, and 15.

In a sanitorium in Rodez, France, Antonin Artaud is beset by a problem. His id-like Double has taken complete control of his body. Artaud, trapped in his mind, can only wrestle with his own Double to regain primacy - but the Double, full of childlike chaos and wonder, begins to find new wants and needs and discovers that they are not Artaud's.

The cast includes Coryn Carson, Trey Fillmore, Kate Karczewski, Adin Lenahan, Melissa Mahoney, Victoria Myrthil, Ben Peltz, Neil Redfield, Kio Shijiki, and Peter Smith.

Jake Beckhard will direct the production. Nik Aliye and Serena Berman will produce, in association with Artilliers: a (para)classical theatre company. More information about Artilliers can be found at www.artilliers.com

The sixth Dream Up Festival (www.dreamupfestival.org) will be presented by Theater for the New City (TNC) from August 30 to September 20, 2015, offering a lineup of wide-ranging and original theatrical visions embracing drama, musicals, improv, aerial and more. This year, owing to growing popularity, the festival has expanded beyond its primary venue. Previously, all productions were presented at Theater for the New City, 155 First Ave. This year, 19 productions will be presented at TNC and seven will be presented at an outside venue, The Producers Club Theaters at 358 West 44th Street.

The festival is dedicated to new works. TNC feels this festival is especially needed now in a time of declining donations to the arts, when grants are not being awarded due to market conditions and arts funding is being cut across the country and abroad. The festival aims to push ideas to the forefront through imaginative presentations so as to challenge audience expectations and make us question our understanding of the way art illuminates the world around us.