For the first time ever, Roy and Edna Disney/CalArts Theater (REDCAT), CalArts' center for contemporary arts in downtown Los Angeles, will present its annual -- and now virtual -- New Original Works (NOW) Festival over three weekends this fall: Oct. 8-10, Nov. 5-7, Dec. 10-12, 2020.
The 17th edition of the beloved event, a three-week celebration of Los Angeles' vibrant community of artists creating new contemporary performance work, will stream direct from REDCAT to viewers around the world.
Each year, NOW Festival transforms REDCAT into a laboratory for premiering new contemporary dance, theater, music, and multimedia performances. This year's festival launches nine new works by Los Angeles emerging and mid-career artists who are re-defining the boundaries of contemporary performance to invent hybrid artistic disciplines, re-imagine traditions and confront urgent issues. All artistic teams receive free rehearsal space, technical support, and artist fees.
"The NOW Festival creates opportunities for artists that are all too rare. This year, the Festival takes on greater opportunity and urgency: supporting and keeping artists working safely in these uncertain times," said Edgar Miramontes, REDCAT's Deputy Executive Director & Curator, who oversees the festival. "It is especially important to have artists lead us and move us forward using this vital initiative of experimentation and development where artists share their unique perspectives, giving us an opportunity to view this changing world in real time and in different and imaginative ways."
NOW Festival 2020 was organized by Miramontes with artists in the community, including Carole Kim, Jasmine Orpilla, and taisha paggett. In the spirit of CalArts, REDCAT's parent institution, the NOW Festival serves as a catalyst for creativity and new ideas. Over its 17-year history, the program has launched over 130 works by an impressive list of artists who continue to be seen on stages throughout the U.S. and abroad.
Each of the three weekends features a triple bill of three premieres in a shared evening, premiered on Thursday evening and repeated Friday and Saturday evenings at 8:30 pm. Week One, held Oct. 8-10, 2020, kicks off with a program of works by artists Davia Spain,
Simone Moore, and Alex Alpharaoh.
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