The creative members of the artistic team at National Pastime Theater are putting the final pieces in place for the 5th annual Naked July Festival, and it is already clear from the preliminary press releases that this year’s event will be more diverse and original than ever before. The title of the 2013 fest is Salon des Naked July: Art stripped Down 2013, and each of the performance pieces and special events will focus on one central mission—“to reveal the human body as beautiful in every shape, size and color. By exposing these physical differences, audiences discover the innate similarities in all human bodies.”
The content and the focus of National Pastime’s Naked July Festival has evolved over its five-year history, and one of the most exciting and innovative aspects of the event is the effort to draw audience members into the experience and encourage them to be participants in the art and not merely passive observers. In past years, many audience members have come onstage during performances of The Living Canvas to experience the simple pleasure of being nude and moving through a kaleidoscope of projected colors and textures. At the culminating “Shades” event last August, audience members mingled with musicians, artists, and figure models during the evening, and many decided to try their hand at drawing or modeling. This is the essence of the Naked July concept—exploring the beauty of the human form and the many ways that this beauty is manifested in music, movement, performance, and art.
The program for Naked July 2013 is more diverse than it has ever been, and there will be even more opportunities for audience participation this summer. Gary Schirmer is back as art curator, and each Friday he will be moderating Le Chat Noir, a 90 minute salon that will feature artists and figure models in a comfortable setting in which audience members can interact with the artists, explore their own drawing and sketching skills, and even experience what it is like to be a figure model if they wish. Pete Guither is back with his popular Living Canvas in 2013, but with a fresh new format. Each performance will be different and all of the content will be developed and rehearsed in a workshop format the same day as the evening performance. All ticket holders will be invited to participate in the workshop process, observe the rehearsal, make suggestions, and even become a part of the cast if they wish.
Other shows that are scheduled as part of the Naked July 2013 lineup are Kill Your Boyfriends, a play by Pride Films and Plays, and Urban Jungle, performances in the burlesque tradition done by cast members of Vaudezilla. Additional special events and film screenings are being planned, and more information about each of the Naked July shows and events will be available here in the weeks ahead. As the artistic team at National Pastime Theater promise, it is “like nothing you have ever seen.” Don’t miss Naked July 2013.
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