Ars Nova to Present 4th Edition Of THE CAMP BONFIRE SERIES & More This Spring

Ars Nova has revealed its spring 2024 line-up of one-night-only events including the fourth edition of The CAMP Bonfire Series, a five-night festival of new comedy works created by Ars Nova's resident comedy artists. All events take place at Ars Nova, located at 511 West 54th Street in Manhattan.

On May 22, two-time Obie-winning director Lee Sunday Evans (Oratorio for Living Things) directs Phillip Taratula (The Skin of Our Teeth at Lincoln Center) in his original work, PAM, a one-man play in which Taratula plays an 80-year-old veteran of the stage.

Eli Nixon delivers wrack zone on May 29. This puny human performance is part indoor coastal naturedrag pageant, part clown show, and part DIY effort to unsettle time.

Showgasm., Ars Nova's recurring untamed variety-show-meets party, is back on May 30 with host comedian Brittany Carney and a crew of dueling banjos. Audiences can expect to meet the who's-who of the weird and wonderful.

Ars Nova's comedy festival, The CAMP Bonfire Series, is back for its fourth edition and runs June 4-8. It's the culmination of eight months of peer support and artistic feedback facilitated by comedians Mahayla Laurence and Matt Gehring who direct CAMP, Ars Nova's development program for early career comedy artists. Ars Nova's CAMP program is supported in part by the Richenthal Foundation.

The five night  comedy festival kicks off with Sarah Adelman, a research scientist by day and stand-up comedian by night. On June 4, she presents EGG, a heartfelt coming-of-age journey to her present-day career in science and comedy.

Queer BFFs Anne-Marie Pietersma & SMJ present Straight Icons on June 5. Part theater and part variety show, it features visits from cartoon superstars, international pop stars, unhinged politicians and late 2000s MTV dating show contestants.

Kurt Cruz, a career technician of over 1,000 comedy shows steps from behind the board, out of the booth and onto the stage on June 6 in his solo show, Let Me Get A Spotlight.

On June 7 is One Clown Show by Lida Darmian who is too scared to do the show alone, so she has invited Clown Lida to come along. Through stories, audience interaction and straight-up buffoonery, Lida and Clown Lida aim to overcome Imposter Syndrome and be free.

On June 8, Emily Dayton Evans, Marina Gasparyan, and Maarit Hara bring us The Supermodel Show, a mix of physical theater, absurdism, and comedy that looks at modeling through a queer feminist lens.

Ars Nova's What's Ars Is Yours: Name Your Price ticket initiative continues in 2024. Audiences are able to name their price for tickets to in-person performances, which start at $5, and all ticket sales go directly to the artists. Shows will also be available to stream live and on-demand on Ars Nova Supra,  with a cancel-anytime $15/month subscription. Tickets for all spring performances are currently on sale at www.arsnovanyc.com. All performances begin at 7 PM and take place at Ars Nova, located at 511 West 54th Street in Manhattan.

Please visit www.arsnovanyc.com for more information.

Spring 2024 Programming Details

May 22 at 7pm

PAM 

Written and Performed by Phillip Taratula
Directed by Lee Sunday Evans

After 80 years, Phillip Taratula's (The Skin of Our Teeth, And Just Like That, Dr. Death) PAM is finally making it to the big stage! (even though it's backstage as she's currently understudying a temperamental lead in a buzzy new Broadway show)! Join the ultimate showbiz ‘survivor' in her dressing room for surprising stories, exacting insights, and unsolicited advice.

May 29 at 7pm

wrack zone 

Created and Performed by Eli Nixon
Directed by Alex Torra & Andrew Neisler

What do an iron-age bog body, Hulk Hogan's ghost, Pangea-in-process, and at least one massive flock of endangered shore birds have in common? A puny human performance that reckons with five billion years of the moon! wrack zone is  a work in progress, an indoor coastal naturedrag pageant, clown show, and DIY effort to unsettle time. Bask in cardboard anthropomorphism and poetic semaphore while enjoying low-stakes collaboration through drawing prompts, snack eating and fabric handling.

May 30 at 7pm

SHOWGASM.

SHOWGASM. is Ars Nova's recurring untamed variety-show-meets party that serves up comedy to burlesque and everything (and anything) in between. Hosted by comedian Brittany Carney and a crew of dueling banjos, you can expect to meet the who's-who of the weird and wonderful. Joining Carney are Raanan Hershberg, Jay Jurden, Clare O'Kane, Eli Coyote Mandel, Tyler Shodgrass & more.

June 4 at 7pm

EGG

Written and Performed by Sarah Adelman
Directed and Dramaturgy by Iris Bahr

Obsessed with validation and control, fertility scientist and stand-up comedian Sarah identifies with the sperm's characteristics of desperation and the overwhelmingly intense need to be seen. But in fact, should she strive to be more like the egg - confident and patient? When her two worlds collide, Sarah is forced to reckon with what she actually wants her future to look like, and if she's ready to truly embody the EGG.

June 5 at 7pm

Straight Icons

Written and Performed by Anne-Marie Pietersma & SMJ
Directed by Mackenna Goodrich

Part theater, part variety show, Straight Icons features visits from cartoon superstars, international pop stars, unhinged politicians and late 2000s MTV dating show contestants who force Queer BFFs Anne-Marie and SMJ to confront the uncomfortable intersection of queer liberation, exploitation and performative queerness.

June 6 at 7pm

Let Me Get A Spotlight

Created and Performed by Kurt Cruz

Directed by Iliana Inocencio

A career technician of over 1,000 comedy shows steps from behind the board, out of the booth and onto the stage. As a performer, Kurt has struggled with taking up room and asking for what he wants. But through song, stories and his technical equipment, he makes his way into the spotlight.

June 7 at 7pm

One Clown Show

Written and Performed by Lida Darmian

Directed by Mākena Miller

Lida is so excited to present her solo show, but because of her big bad Imposter Syndrome, she is too scared to do the show alone. Enter Clown Lida. Through stories, audience interaction and straight-up buffoonery, Lida and Clown Lida aim to overcome Imposter Syndrome and be free.

June 8 at 7pm

The Supermodel Show

Created and Performed by Emily Dayton Evans, Marina Gasparyan, and Maarit Hara

Directed by Valeria A Avina

This absurd haute couture experience looks at modeling through a queer feminist lens and asks– Can women take ownership of their bodies? Are we able to be seen and accepted as we are? And is there more to being a model than just being absolutely ungodly beautiful?

Name Your Price Tickets are currently on sale at www.arsnovanyc.com. 

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