undergroundzerofestival

It Came From New York: The Battle of New York Curator: Michele Carlo This show celebrates an endangered species: NYC’s native sons and daughters. Each borough has its own accent and culture. Who has the best "only in New York" story? Six New Yorkers answer with their own "It Came From…" stories. Featuring: Julie Booth (Woodside), Big Mike (Fordham Road), Andy Christie (Cypress Hills), Peter Lubell (Upper West Side), Marie Mundaca (Staten Island I) and Nancy Richards (Staten Island II. Music from "It Came From Flatbush" by Lone Vein. Curated and hosted by Michele Carlo, a.k.a. Carmen Mofongo. Info: ww.michelecarlo.com. July 19th at 7:30pm and July 28th at 9:30pm BUY TICKETS HERE

Two plays by Emily Conbere Broken Dog Legs and Jamal Lullabies Broken Dog Legs, directed by Rachael Rayment, is Emily Conbere's solo show, in which she struggles to let go of her slowly deteriorating parents and dead brother. As a warrior, she goes to the banks of the grave of a boy she buried, confronts a killer, fights a double edged sword, and finds guidance from her guardian angel, a Black Lab German Shepard standing alone by the fence. In Jamal Lullabies, directed by Paul Bargetto, four high-school girls eulogize the no-account drug dealer they loved in a 20 minute song cycle. Ms. Conbere has been an Artist in Residence with Mabou Mines Theatre, where she wrote the book and lyrics to her musical "BuckHunter," which was staged at PS122 and produced by Ensemble Studio Theater in 2004. Her "Mary and the Therapist," a full-length drama, was produced by This Woman's Work Theatre Company in 2003 at Chashama. July 20th at 7:30pm, July 21st at 7:30pm and July 22 at 2 :00pm BUY TICKETS HERE

Pinchbottom’s Sub:conscious: Broadway! Burlesque goes Legit Hosted by Jonny Porkpie and Nasty Canasta The Pinchbottom guys and dolls are back to strut their burlesque stuff in this Broadway inspired show. Now TWO nights for the 2007 Exotic World “Most Innovative Group!” July 20th and July 21st 10:00pm BUY TICKETS HERE

The Ted Haggard Monologues Written by Michael Yates Crowley, Directed by Michael Rau This new play deals with the scandal surrounding Megachurch pastor Ted Haggard and Denver fitness consultant and former gay escort Mike Jones. Rather than a factual retelling, it's a series of arias by characters--both real and fictional--involved in the saga: the Reverend in charge of Ted's healing, the eldest son and his fiancee. In monologues alternately hilarious and existential, they reveal their relation to Ted, to God, and to the pain which has shocked them into life. $15. July 21st and July 28th at 3pm BUY TICKETS HERE

The Sistahs & Why He Drinks Coffee The Sistahs is a bittersweet new play about love and loss set in rural Kansas, written by Harrison Rivers, directed by Matt Torney. Retha and Nina are two sisters struggling to survive after the death of their mother. George has just returned home from the city. They are young and full of dreams, but the dangers of love stretch their delicate world to breaking point. *Why He Drinks Coffee* is written by Josh Koenigsberg and directed by Matt Torney. Trucking dispatch workers Phil and Anita have their world turned upside down when a mechanic named Pete enters the office. This one act comedy originally ran at The Shapiro Theatre. With Allison Weisgall, Adam Radford and Josh Sauerman. $15 July 21st at 5pm and July 26 at 7:30pm BUY TICKETS HERE

Jewels and Gems from the Film Makers Coop presents Music in Motion: A Celebration of Sonic Cinema Curated by Cary Kehayan “Music is the shorthand of emotion” – Tolstoy On this summer night, we celebrate the marriage of music and visuals with an eclectic compilation of tuneful films. Spanning everything from the LSD-addled, flower power psychedelia of the 60’s rock scene to the fist-pumping, headbanging angst of the 70’s punk revolution, prepare for a head-trip like no other. Tree-huggers and moshers welcome. Program includes: Jud Yalkut: China Cat Sunflower, Thom Andersen: --- -------, Heather McAdams: Black Coffee, Ross McLaren: Crash ’n’ Burn, David Brooks: Letter to D. H. in Paris, Matt Hoffman: Meter Maiden, Robert Cowan: Jangleflex, and M. Henry Jones: Soul City. $5 July 23rd at 7:30pm BUY TICKETS HERE

The Moxie Show Curated by TravisSD A new open-mic at Collective Unconscious. This is the inaugural evening of "The Moxie Show" an eclectic variety open-mike night show casing sketch comedy, musicians, stand-up/performance, and vaudeville, wrapped up in old-school showbiz packaging recalling the early days of television. Hosted by Trav S.D. and featuring Ian W. Hill as the Moxie Man, with regulars Robert Pinnock, Adam Swiderski, Alexis Sottile, and others. The Moxie Show will continue on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month. Trav S.D. is a long-time host of American Vaudeville Theater and author of "No Applause--Just Throw Money: The Book That Made Vaudeville Famous." $5. July 24th at 7:30pm BUY TICKETS AT THE DOOR

Let Us Go Then, You and I & The Ted Haggard Monologues Let Us Go Then You and I is directed by James Dacre, inspired by the Dramaticules of Samuel Beckett. Trapped where time stands still and sorrow is silent, three women tell tales of shared experience, growing up and losing sight of what they loved." With: Eliza Bell, Erin Layton and Becky Flaum; animation by Thomas Hicks. The Ted Haggard Monologues Written by Michael Yates Crowley, Directed by Michael Rau This new play deals with the scandal surrounding Megachurch pastor Ted Haggard and Denver fitness consultant and former gay escort Mike Jones. Rather than a factual retelling, it's a series of arias by characters--both real and fictional--involved in the saga: the Reverend in charge of Ted's healing, the eldest son and his fiancee. In monologues alternately hilarious and existential, they reveal their relation to Ted, to God, and to the pain which has shocked them into life. $15 July 26th at 9:30pm BUY TICKETS HERE

The Flying Machine: Journey to the End of the Night Written by Jason Lindner, directed by Joshua Carlebach The Flying Machine is a highly acclaimed international collaboration formed in Paris in 1996. They have had great success in New York and around the country with their adaptations of dramatic tales such as "Alice in Wonderland" and "Frankenstein" (nominated for 4 Drama Desk Awards). Graduates of the legendary Jacques Lecoq l'École, their primary tools are the body, manipulated objects, mask-play and music. They draw on their Lecoq training and utilize their knowledge of Khatakali, Decroux, and other contemporary dance forms to create wildly creative theatrical pieces. Here, they use a global array of styles to revive the much maligned specter of the infamous French novelist Louis Ferdinand Celine - once as popular as Satre and Gide, he was shrouded in scandal when drawn into the darkness of WWII. Raging and twisting through his most most celebrated novel, Journey, is a picaresque ride through the carnival of a tortured soul. www.theflyingmachine.org $15 Richard Crawford plays Louis Ferdiand Celine. July 27th and July 28th at 7:30pm July 29th at 2pm BUY TICKETS HERE

Stolen Chair: Commedia dell' Artemisia Written by Kiran Rikhye, Directed by Jon Stancato The Stolen Chair Theatre Company presents a masked farce in rhyming couplets, freely inspired by the infamous 1612 rape trial of painter Artemisia Gentileschi. Attempting to free the teenage virtuosa Artemisia from the clutches of her miserly father, the Gentileschis' neighbor Tuzia procures for her a potential husband. She chooses Agostino Tassi, a painter, set designer, and criminal, who would rather screw than woo. Transforming these complex historical figures into commedia dell'arte stock characters, Stolen Chair irreverently eviscerates history, hypocrisy, rape, romance, art and artifice. $15. Kiran Rikhye's script is clever...witty...and gives the audience rich food for thought. Cameron J. Oro...has an amazingly commanding voice and precisely the light quality of movement needed for such demanding work. David Bengali...is a true virtuoso...The company is clearly on the right path. --Nytheatre.com Check them out at www.stolenchair.org. July 27th at 10pm and July 28th at 5pm BUY TICKETS HERE

Drama of Works and Exploding Puppet Productions Drama of Works performs "Sid & Nancy Punch & Judy Show," which combines the two tragic stories with hilarious results; a new look at David Ives's hysterical one-act play "Words, Words, Words" with tiny monkey puppets trying to write Hamlet; and an excerpt of their newest masterpiece, "Puppet Kafka," in which a Kafka marionette and a scurrying cockroach make you laugh and cry. (More info: www.dramaofworks.com). Exploding Puppet Productions, in Association with Blue River Productions and Drama Of Works, performs "Die Hard: The Puppet Musical," with book by John Ardolino, lyrics by John Ardolino and James Walton and music by James Walton, directed by Dean Strober. Somewhere between homage and parody lies this singing-sock-puppet-themed adaptation of a late 1980's action movie. It's the epic tale of New York cop John McClane as he blows stuff up, befriends a local cop with a weakness for snack cakes and kicks some serious terrorist ass to save the puppet he loves, all done with a diverse array of puppets and gripping musical numbers. (Info: www.diehardthepuppetmusical.com) $15. “Drama of Works invites the audience to re-examine their notions of theatrical structure and method without seeming self-important or compromising accessibility…This company will be around for years to come. If you go see them now, you’ll be able to say you knew about them before everybody did.” -www.offoffoff.com July 30th at 7:30pm BUY TICKETS HERE

League of Independent Theatre Convocation The League of Independent is a new advocacy organization dedicated to preserving and strengthening independent theater in New York City by fostering theatrical productions produced in 99 seat theatres. The League assists in the voluntary exchange of information among its members, serves as the collective voice of its membership, works to increase interest in independent theater throughout North America, strives to foster a sense of community among all members, and develops programs addressing the unique needs of its members. The League invites you to join them in a panel discussion to discuss the issues facing the community including public funding, AEA showcase code reform, and to draft a manifesto for action. Info: www.leagueofindietheater.blogspot.com. July 31st at 7:30pm FREE ADMISSION

GO! Directed by Kara Tyler "Go!" is the second production of The Train Station, a San Francisco collaborative ensemble born out of The Actor’s Gym. Founding members Gillian Chadsey and Michelle Talgarow were ten-year collaborators in SF. After Chadsey’s relocation to NYC, they had to find a new means of collaboration. Through a series of emails, text messages, late night phone conversations, boxes of random objects, snippets of video and US postal correspondence, they crossed the distance to examine, re-play and perform their stories. "Go!" is essentially two solo pieces performed simultaneously on one stage. Using humor and a wonderfully, unique, creative, and intelligent physical score, it focuses on the universal themes of one's daily ritual. Work, love, procrastination and fulfillment are presented as a game of routine, chance and probability. "Go!" won Best Original Script at The San Francisco Fringe Theater Festival in 2005. $15 August 2nd, 3rd & 4th at 7:30pm BUY TICKETS HERE

SICK: Sick of it All Written and Directed by Caleb Hammond Sound Design and Original Music by Anthony Gatto Sets and Objects by Andrew Prayzner A portrayal of heartbreak in a time of hyper-militarization: an ensemble of physically charged actors, bold object design and a vibrant musical score depict a story of life lived amidst the broken pieces of the state. With Dan Cozzens, Aimee Phelan-Deconinck, Kim Carpenter, Jorge Rubio, Jordan Harrison, Jeff Clarke, Eric Dean Scott. "Sick" was performed in May at the Ontological's Incubator Short Form series. Blogger Kelly Marcus wrote, If you're going to smash grapefruit around on stage, stick a couple guys in camouflage mini-skirts and criticize the war (and let's be honest that we're all criticizing the war), it better be amazing. You should say something new and/or different and/or original and you better be some completely invested in every moment of the 10 minute piece you're doing that I want to march outside and bring on a Critical Mass protest. They nailed it and I loved it. $15 August 2nd, 3rd & 4th at 9:30pm BUY TICKETS HERE<

International Wow Film Josh Fox writer and director of Death of Nations Part I and The Expense of Spirit offers a sneak peak at his latest documentary. August 5, 2pm BUY TICKETS HERE