Drag Queen Lady Bunny, La Bruja & Trainspotting's Irvine Welsh To Guest In RIOT

Drag Sensation Lady Bunny, Trainspotting author Irvine Welsh, and poet Caridad De La Luz / La Bruja will make special guest appearances in RIOT, the award-winning Irish theatrical extravaganza having its American premiere at NYU Skirball, February 15 - 17 at 7:30 pm. Each guest will bring their own "piece de resistance" to RIOT'S mix of high art and trash culture, and will be introduced by Panti Bliss, Ireland's most famous Drag Queen and international gay rights activist.

Riot, a blend of cabaret, dance, circus, comedy and powerful spoken word is both party and politic, a love letter of hope to the future, a divine celebration - and a blunt criticism - of the world today.

Irvine Welsh

Thursday, February 15 at 7:30 pm

Irvine Welsh, born in Edinburgh, is the author of Trainspotting, his debut novel. It sold a million copies in the UK alone and was adapted into an iconic film by Danny Boyle, starring Ewan McGregor. Porno was adapted into T2: Trainspotting, a sequel that reunited the original cast and crew. Welsh is the author of twelve novels, most recently Dead Men's Trousers, and four books of shorter fiction.

Lady Bunny

Friday, February 16 at 7:30 pm

With her glitzy outfits, sky-high wigs and false eyelashes long enough to embarrass Tammy Faye Baker, multi-talented drag artist Lady Bunny would turn heads even if looking glamorous was her only talent. But "she" isn't just another man in a dress: Bunny is a successful comedienne, DJ, actress, singer/songwriter and most famously, the emcee and creator of Wigstock, the outrageous drag festival of drag and music which electrified New Yorkers every Labor Day for over 20 years.

Caridad De La Luz/ La Bruja

Saturday, February 17 at 7:30

Spoken word poet, actor, singer-songwriter, and community activist Caridad De La Luz, or "La Bruja," was born and raised in the Bronx. Her poetry explores social justice and Nuyorican identity. When she debuted at the Nuyorican Poets Café in 1996, de la Luz adopted the persona of "La Bruja" ("The Witch"). She has also shared her work on HBO's Russell Simmons' Def Poetry Jam, and at the American Museum of Natural History. As an actor she has appeared onscreen in Spike Lee's Bamboozled and onstage in Pedro Pietri's El Spanglish Language Sandwich.

RIOT's all-star cast includes Panti Bliss, Ireland's Queen of Drag; Up & Over It (former Riverdance leads); and Megan Riordan (Once - The Musical), and is created and directed by Jennifer Jennings and Phillip McMahon.

THISISPOPBABY, self-described "theatre makers, club creatives and good time gurls [sic]," lands somewhere between pop culture, counter culture, queer culture and high art. Founded in 2007, the Dublin-based company has played to sell-out crowds and critical acclaim throughout Ireland and around the world, and created Ireland's Queer Notions Arts Festival. Its productions have played to over 100,000 people around Ireland, the UK, Australia and beyond, winning five major theatre awards, including Best Production at the 2016 Dublin Fringe Festival, with nominations for 14 more.

RIOT is co-presented with Irish Arts Center. The NYC-based arts and cultural center is dedicated to projecting a dynamic image of Ireland and Irish America for the 21st century, building community with artists and audiences of all backgrounds, forging and strengthening cross-cultural partnerships, and preserving the evolving stories and traditions of Irish culture for generations to come.

ABOUT NYU SKIRBALL CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS

NYU Skirball, located in the heart of Greenwich Village, is one of New York City's major presenters of international work, and has been the premier venue for cultural and performing arts events in lower Manhattan since 2003. The 860-seat theater, led by Director Jay Wegman, provides a home for internationally renowned artists, innovators and thinkers. NYU Skirball hosts over 300 events annually, from re-inventions of the classics to cutting-edge premieres, in genres ranging from dance, theater and performance arts to comedy, music and film.

NYU Skirball's unique place as a vibrant cultural center within New York University enables it to draw on the University's intellectual riches and resources to enhance its programming with dialogues, public forums and conversations with artists, philosophers, scientists, Nobel Laureates and journalists. www.nyuskirball.org.

TICKETS

RIOT will run February 15 - 17 at 7:30 pm and is appropriate for audiences 17 and older. Tickets start at $40; on-stage cabaret seating is $65. Tickets may be purchased online at www.nyuskirball.org, by phone at 212.998.4941, or in person at the NYU Skirball Box Office, 566 LaGuardia Place at Washington Square: Tuesday-Saturday, 12:00-6:00 P.M. Subways: A, B, C, D, E, F, M to West 4th St.; R & W to 8th Street; 6 to Astor Place.