The Belarus Free Theatre will present MINSK 2011: A REPLY TO KATHY ACKER at the 2013 Under the Radar festival (photo by Nicolai Khalezin)
The Public Theater
425 Lafayette St. between East Fourth St. & Astor Pl.
January 9-20, free-$30 (most shows $20)
212-967-7555
www.undertheradarfestival.com
The newly renovated Public Theater is home once again to the annual Under the Radar festival, two weeks of experimental works that challenge the traditional nature of theater. Iranian actor Afshin Hashemi uses household objects and toys to prepare for his impending doom in the Leev Theater Group’s Hamlet, Prince of Grief. Christina Anderson’s Hollow Roots, performed by April Matthis, examines race and gender. In Ganesh Versus the Third Reich, Australia’s Back to Back Theatre focuses on the Hindu god Ganesh’s attempts to reclaim the ancient swastika symbol from the Nazis. The Nature Theater of Oklahoma explores existence itself in the eleven-hour epic Life and Times. Fleur Elise Noble creates an alternate reality in the multimedia performance installation 2 Dimensional Life of Her. Toshiki Okada teams up with the Pig Iron Theatre Company for Zero Cost House. Taylor Mac will present A 20th Century Abridged Concert of the History of Popular Music in a mere ninety minutes. And Lemon Andersen’s work-in-progress ToasT looks at the black oral narrative tradition. In addition, UTR 2013 features such discussions as “The Role of the Everyman in Culture, Media and Art”; “The Six O’Clock News,” which offers insider tips to upcoming shows each night; and a two-day symposium of talks, performances, panels, and more. After checking out a show, most of which go for a mere twenty bucks, stop by the festival lounge, where you’re liable to meet members of the cast and crew and catch live music and DJ sets by the likes of Andersen, the Bengsons, JoAnnibal the Cannibal, Branden Jacob-Jenkins, AndrewAndrew, Suzan Lori-Parks with Dan Zanes, and others.