IT Awards Hosts Theatre of Performance Art, March 18-19

The New York Innovative Theatre Awards (the IT Awards), the organization dedicated to celebrating Off-Off-Broadway, will devote March 18th and 19th to two evenings celebrating performance art.

Theevenings will "illuminate the extraordinary, eclectic and often controversial theatre often called 'performance art,'" according to press notes. The two-day Theatre of Performance Art event will include performances and seminars by leading New York artists such as Penny Arcade, George Emilio Sanchez, Taylor Mac, Bradford Louryk, The NY Neo-Futurists, Bindlestiff Family Cirkus, Down Radio Theatre and various others, including special guests John Vaccaro and Richard Foreman.

Rob Neill, managing director of the NY Neo-Futurists, who perform their "non-illusory and interactive performance," Too Much Light Makes The Baby Go Blind weekly at the Kraine Theatre, feels "collaborating with other artists in a forum such as this one is integral to the growth of our work. Additionally, it is important for us as writers, directors, and performers to see, support, and learn from other's endeavors."

Penny Arcade, whose long association with avant-garde performance in New York began at age 17 when she performed with John Vaccaro's Playhouse of the Ridiculous, and appeared in the Jackie Curtis play Femme Fatale, feels that "Performance Art went from being considered a joke in 1982, to being a university course in 1992, to being a PhD track in 2002. The point of any workshop, panel, or performance on Performance Art must be an investigation into what Performance Art means today and what elements from the history of its development are vital to today's artistic inquiry."

A performance schedule follows:

Saturday, March 18th

Workshop 1 – Theatre 5 - Studio A (311 W. 43rd St., 5th Floor)
2:00p – 3:00p
NY Neo-Futurists

Seminar 1 – MTC studio #2 (311 W. 43rd St., 8th Floor)
3:30p – 5:30 pm
moderator: Christopher Borg
Participants: Bradford Louryk, NY Neo-Futurists, Nicky Paraiso, Taylor Mac, James Scruggs

Performance -- Theatre 5 (311 W. 43rd St., 5th Floor)
9:00 pm
NY Neo-Futurists
Bradford Louryk,
Taylor Mac
Nicky Paraiso
(with more to be announced)

Sunday, March 19th

Workshop 2 – Theatre 5 - Studio B (311 W. 43rd St., 5th Floor)
10:00a – 11:00p
31 Down Radio Theatre

Seminar 2 – MTC studio #2 (311 W. 43rd St., 8th Floor)
11:30a – 1:30p
moderator: Leonard Jacobs
participants: Penny Arcade, 31 Down Radio Theatre, Bindlestiff Family Cirkus, George Emilio Sanchez, John Vaccaro, Richard Foreman

Performance – Theatre 5 (311 W. 43rd St., 5th Floor)
2:00 pm
Bindlestiff Family Cirkus
George Emilio Sanchez
NY Neo-Futurists
Penny Arcade
31 Down Radio Theatre

"The New York Innovative Theatre Awards (the IT Awards) are given annually to honor individuals and organizations who have achieved artistic excellence in Off-Off-Broadway theatre. The New York IT Awards recognizes the unique and essential role Off-Off-Broadway plays in contributing to American and global culture, and believes that publicly recognizing excellence in independent theatre will expand audience awareness and appreciation of the full New York theatre experience."

There is a $30 price for one performance, including optional seminar and workshop. It is $50 for both performances, including optional seminars and workshops.

Tickets and more information are available at www.nyitawards.com.