Mink Stole Awarded Honorary Golden Pineapple, Part Of The International CringeFest 7/20-8/9

John Waters superstar Mink Stole is the latest celeb summoned to be crowned with an Honorary Golden Pineapple on Friday, July 24, at International CringeFest '09. Often cast as the foil for Divine in such cult classics as Hairspray, Female Trouble and Pink Flamingos, she also appeared with Kathleen Turner in Serial Mom. She joins an illustrious quartet of awardees at CringeFest: Virginia P. Louloudes, Executive Director of the Alliance of Resident Theatres/ New York, legendary talk show host Joe Franklin, Village Voice celebrity columnist Michael Musto, and Warhol star Taylor Mead. The ceremony is part of the Rags 'n Riches benefit for the dedicated outreach work of NY Artists Unlimited, the company that created the five-year-old festival. In '07, the honoree was legendary director Tom O'Horgan (Hair, Jesus Christ Superstar) and in '08, stage-screen-small screen star Marilyn Sokol, cabaret superstar Sidney Myer, and Warhol muse/ visual artist Ultra Violet. Benefit tickets are $50, including 4 plays, awards ceremony, and party in the Grand Theatre at the Producers' Club, 358 W. 44 St.

The benefit theme evokes the struggle of the artist, especially in an economic downturn, and all the plays that evening are razor-sharp theatre-oriented comedies: A Dark & Stormy Night (producer tortures writer 'for his own good'), The Poorly-Written Play Festival (lambasts whilst demonstrating bad playwriting), Worst. Play. Ever. (live radio drama with a maniacal twist), and Piss Play Is about Minorities, So It's Really Important (just how far will one go for funding?). The last is written & directed by Don Cummings, who enjoyed an industry reading in June of another of his plays "A Good Smoke" at The Public Theater with Meryl Streep, Henry Wolfe Gummer & Grace Gummer (Meryl's children), and Debra Monk, directed by Pam MacKinnon.

Rags 'n Riches also includes a silent auction, currently on the Internet and continuing through the party in the Producers' Club Lounge after the Pineapple awards. Some of the more intriguing offerings are: "Coffee with... Ginger!" (luminous actress-nightclub singer Tina Louise, best known as Ginger the movie star on "Gilligan's Island"), "Coffee with... legendary actor-writer-director Austin Pendleton," "Coffee with... Richard Pryor Jr." (actor-singer and, yes, son of Richard/ brother of Rain), "Coffee with... Broadway producer Pat Addiss," and more. Further bidding will be for an Ipod touch donated & inscribed by Yoko Ono, 3 movie posters donated & signed by John Waters, signed NYC Ballet soloist toeshoes, designer clothes by Teri Jon, Shin Choi, Twisted Heart, Velvet; dance packages, restaurant certificates, family outings, hotel stays, Broadway/ Off-Broadway tickets, original artwork, autographed photos & books, and more. To get on the auction mailing list contact Info@nyartists.org.

The International CringeFest, playing July 20-August 9, is subtitled bad plays, bad musicals, bad films, but these are REALLY GOOD & HILARIOUS works that are irreverent, politically incorrect, naughty, and utterly zany. Don't we all need that these days?! This year introduces some wild special events beyond the regular insanity: late-night Saturday shows, including a naked holy ghost and a mysterious little contraption called the Li'l Red Ridin' Hood... AND Unholy Sunday Film Matinees at $15 with popcorn and talk-backs: Taylor Mead & legendary filmmaker Anton Perich on July 26, and Miss Sammy, a Floridian female impersonator, on August 9. Festival entre actes include regulars: musician-comedian Huck DeMilo, sound effects comedian Zero Boy, plus surprise guests. Audiences vote every night for winners of the Golden Pineapple, Silver Tomato, & Bronze Banana, plus Jack Lemons for the actors. For one ticket, you see 4-5 works arranged in theme evenings:

IS THAT A SPEAR IN YOUR POCKET? (Dir. Tony Spinosa) July 20, July 25, July 30, August 4
RANK ROID RITE, Samurai Proctologist by Zurbon Gish
BHIBHATSYA: Disgusting Beyond Words by Norman Bert
THE HISTORY OF HATE (entre acte by Jean Hart)
THE FLAMING OF THE SHREW by David Schrag
THE MISSION (MUSICAL) by Kevin Bleau
THE SCOTTISH PLAY sponsored by... by Kurt Kleinmann
CHILDREN & (OTHER) SHARP OBJECTS (Dir. Kenny Wade Marshall) July 21, July 26, July 31, August 5
PLAYTHINGS by Rob Taylor
SANTA TELLS A STORY by Tami Canaday
THE CLOSET by Aoise Stratford
JUST A BREATH MORE VANILLA by Barbara H. Macchia
BITTERELLA (MUSICAL) by Mark LaPierre

DAMES AT SEA July 22, July 27, August 1, August 6
TERROR OF COCKROACH BEACH (short film by Albert Pergande)
A NEW BEGINNING by Josh McIlvain, dir. Robyne Parrish
THE ADVENTURES OF RAY NOIR, BEACH DETECTIVE by Dick Budin, dir. Tony Spinosa
WHEN BIMBOS ATTACK by Jean Hart, dir. Kenny Howard
THE BLUE LAGOON: A Musical by Jonathan Padget, dir. Kenny Howard
SEX ENCOUNTERS OF THE ABSURD KIND (Dir. Tom Amici) July 23, July 28, August 2, August 7
FAME CONFUSIONS by John Hendel
NO TALKING ON THE FIRST DATE by Steven Schutzman
BOOTY BANDITS by Kesa Maya Soul
SWAMP HO by David C. Hayes

YOUR MONEY OR YOUR ART July 24, July 29, August 3, August 8
A DARK & STORMY NIGHT by Michael Wilmot (Dir. Robyne Parrish)
THE POORLY-WRITTEN PLAY FESTIVAL by Carolyn Gage (Dir. Robyne Parrish)
WORST. PLAY. EVER. by Sam Wallin (Dir. Robyne Parrish)
PISS PLAY IS ABOUT MINORITIES, SO IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT (Writer-Dir. Don Cummings)
GO GENITAL INTO THAT GOOD NIGHT Late-night Saturdays, July 25, August 1, August 8, at 10:30 pm
GRAMPA HITLER & THE LI'L RED RIDIN' HOOD (MUSICAL) by Leroi B. Di Milo (Dir. Robyne Parrish)
DRAGNESS OF GOD & THE NAKED HOLY GHOST (yes, naked!) by Michael Wanzie (Dir. Kenny Howard)
UNHOLY SUNDAY FILM MATINEE July 26, Aug. 2, Aug. 9, at 2 pm ($15 w/ bag of popcorn & talk-backs with filmmakers & stars)
SHUT UP, APOLLO! by Apollo Braun aka Doron Braunshtein
CANDY & DADDY by Anton Perich (with Warhol filmstars Candy Darling & Taylor Mead) (talk-back with Taylor Mead & filmmaker Anton Perich on July 26)
DEATH & TAXES by Joseph Sorrentino (film noir)
A DAY IN THE LIFE OF MISS SAMMY by Michael Wanzie & Jason Piecarski (talk-back with Miss Sammy & the filmmakers Aug. 9)

NY Artists Unlimited is a 26 year old nonprofit organization that provides theatre and art to under-served audiences. The company is supported in part by the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, Nancy Quinn Fund, Puffin Foundation, Dramatists Guild Fund, corporate and individual contributors. These festivals, in their own wacky way, support the mission to serve the community and to reopen the company's homebase, Downeast Arts Center in the East Village. The movers 'n shakers behind this insanity are: Melba LaRose, Artistic Director; Court Sweeting, Technical Director, and playwright Jean Hart of the Honorary Golden Pineapple Committee; plus myriad interns and volunteers that make the whole thing happen.

Tickets $25 full admission; $15 students with ID; $15 film matinees (w/ popcorn & talk-backs). Reservations are strongly recommended. For more information or reservations by mail, call 212-242-6036 or visit www.nyartists.org. For online ticketing: www.theatermania.com. Grand Theatre at the Producers Club, 358 W. 44 St., betw. Eighth/Ninth Aves., July 20-August 9, M-Sat. @ 8, Sun. @ 2 (films) & 7, late show Saturday @ 10:30. Each theme runs 1¾ to 2 hours in toto, including intermission.