Dixon Place's HOT! Festival Closes, 8/7

Performances and scheduling for the 19th Annual Dixon HOT! Festival has been announced; the festival will feature performances and works by Julie Halston and Michael Lynch, among countless others.

2010 marks the 19th Annual Dixon Place HOT! Festival, a pioneering festival of queer performance and culture - and the oldest, continually running festival of its kind in the world. Beginning in June and running throughout the month of July and into the first week of August (June 26 - August 7), you'll find an ecclectic array of free and ticketed shows and programs 7 nights a week.

One of the first benefit events will be Tweed Fractured Classicks Presents Pic-Up, running June 29 and 30. A tribute to Wiliam Inge's classic, Picnic, Pic-Up will star Julie Halston, Sweetie, Steve Hayes, David Ilku, Jody Lennon, Bradford Scobie, Clark Beasley, Greg Wallach, and Jay Rogers. Washboard Jungle (featuring Henry Hample, Stuart Vance, McPaul Smith and Bob Goldberg) will be performing in a benefit based on Lee Feldman's short opera, Starboy, on July 1. Dynasty Handbag's VERTititGO will be presented from July 2 to 24, and Scotty Heron/Hijack Dance's Smithsoniansmith from July 29 to August 7.

Additional festival events will include Michael Lynch's solo Living on the Real (July 14), Shelly Mars directing writer/performer Kim Katzberg's Penetrating the Space (July 31), and Chay Yew directing Deen's Draw the Circle (August 2).

Also featured in the festival will be Holly Hughes'  The Dog and Pony Show (Bring Your Own Pony) directed by Dan Hurlin (August 3 and 4), D'Lo's A One D'Lo Show (August 3), and Reno's Mondy Talks (August 7). Marti Gould Cummings will host open mic events on June 28 and July 26.

Other performers appearing throughout the HOT! festival will include Robert Appleton, Susana Cook, Frank DeCaro, Dave End, Ariel Federow, Heather Gold, Ryan Green, Annie Lanzillotto, Glenn Marla, Brandon Olson, Xavier Rice, Robert Richards, Jeep Ries, Lea Robinson, Mark Sam Rosenthal, Laura Berlin Stinger, Adam Tendler, Thain Torres, Gerry Visco, Elizabeth Whitney, and World Famous Bob.

The 19th Annual HOT! Festival will take place at the brand new Dixon Place theater complex at 161A Chrystie Street on the New York City's famed Lower East Side. For more information, visit www.hotfestival.org. To purchase tickets for any of the mentioned events and more, click here.

Photo Credit: Walter McBride/Retna Ltd.