INTERVIEW: Days of the Dead Fest comes to NYC
Photo: The Days of the Dead Festival will feature a show called Dead Superstars, starring Weaux and two other performers to be announced. Photo courtesy of FRIGID New York / Provided by Emily Owens PR with permission.
FRIGID New York and Something From Abroad are set to enjoy the fall season by honoring Día de los Muertos, or the Day of the Dead, a traditional Mexican holiday. Their festival is spread out over several days, so it’s fittingly called the Days of the Dead Festival, with performances running from Oct. 20 to Nov. 1 at the Kraine Theater and Under St. Mark’s in New York City.
There are many theatrical offerings during these two weeks of performances. There’s a one-person Edgar Allan Poe show (One Man Poe) and also an evening centered on the “Dead Cabaret.” Wolf Tale seems like a revised version of the Little Red Riding Hood fairy tale, while Drag Out Loud is a drag show featuring trans, nonbinary and femme drag artists. A short film festival is also included, and acclaimed horror author Clay McLeod Chapman will be on hand to spin a few yarns.
Recently Hollywood Soapbox exchanged emails with festival curator Martha Preve. Questions and answers have been slightly edited for style.
How did you select which shows would be included in the festival?
We were trying to decide what exactly we wanted as part of the festival, so we had to ask: Do we want this to be purely Hispanic? Do we want to include more people? Do we want to include Halloween shows? For me, what I like about celebrating holidays in New York is being able to include very different companies from different backgrounds, so we wanted to make sure we had a variety in the offerings.
What would you say are the themes that tie each show together?
I think the overall subject of the festival is “on death and dying” whether that is on a serious and ceremonial note or about dead and supernatural beings like “a vampire burlesque” and a “dead superstars concert.”
Would you call these presentations works in progress, experimental, ready to go, a little bit of everything?
There is a little bit of everything, shows that have been presented previously as a complete piece and new work like readings and works in progress.
Generally speaking, do you like the month of October and the Halloween season?
It is my absolute favorite, what’s not to love, right? The leaves are changing, the weather is getting colder and my favorite holiday is Dia de Muertos. It is a holiday about your family history, your backgrounds and your rites that are part of the Mexican culture. We also get to dress up for Halloween and express our artistic sides.
What show are you most excited to experience?
I am excited for all of them! I have only seen two before, and there’s a little for everybody. We have a kids show, music, film, plays, concerts and much more!
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
The Days of the Dead Festival runs Oct. 20 to Nov. 1 at the Kraine Theater and Under St. Mark’s in New York City. The festival is co-presented by FRIGID New York and Something From Abroad. Click here for more information and tickets.
