Bring the KIDS and Celebrate Diversity -- Fresh Fruit Festival's
ROYAL SQUIRREL PUPPET THEATRE in RAINBOW JOURNEY
A Pre-Festival Special, on "Children's Day" - June 6th - at 2pm CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO

A NIGHT TO CELEBRATE: A Tribute to Our LGBT Jazz Musicians: Works of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Jazz Greats

Once again, the fabulous Rome Neal rounds up some of the best jazz performers to pay tribute to the LGBT greats of the jazz world. Sometimes haunted, sometimes closeted, sometimes freely out, these LGBT geniuses told us their stories with every note they hit and brought musical wonder to the world. Rome Neal is the artistic director of the Nuyorican Café. This year will include emerging jazz artists and some surprises.

Our Host - Rome Neal	Kyoko Oyobe	Dan Willis
T Kuriko	M Rodriguez	Thos Shipley

THEATRE EVENTS

Too Old to Cry by Sean David Bennett: As an elderly widow and widower - Doreen and Arthur - start to rekindle their high school romance, the figure of Arthur’s son, killed in Afghanistan, begins to emerge. What message does it bring? Tuesday, July 13, 6-8pm; Wednesday, July 14, 8:00-10:00pm; Thursday, July 15, 6:30-8:30pm; Friday, July 16, 8 - 10pm. $18

Hassan and Sylvia by Manuel Igrejas: When a 33 year old gay man loses his older lover after eighteen-years, he embarks on a magical mystery tour of modern gay life. Wednesday, July 14, 6-7:30pm; Thursday, July 15, 9-10:30pm; Friday, July 16, 6 - 7:30pm. Saturday July 17, 1pm. $18

Sarah Was Mine by Joe Fletcher: If you think the TV show Will and Grace hasn’t told the entire story of straight woman-gay man friendships, you should be intrigued by the complex, funny, and revealing play about such a friendship. Saturday July 17, 3-5pm; Sunday July 18, 4:30-7:30pm; Monday, July 19 6-8pm, Tuesday July 20, 8-10pm. $18

Whore Works by Juan Michael Porter II: Enter the world of a male sex worker. Pulse-quickening, thought-provoking, hilarious and surreal, it is an unflinching, stereotype exploding exploration of black male, same-gender-loving sexuality. Warning: Eplicit Nudity. Saturday July 17, 5:30-7pm; Sunday, July 18, 9-10:30pm; Friday, July 23 10-11:30pm; Saturday July 24, 6:30-8pm $18

Man Boobs by J. Julian Christopher: Two men share a night of passion and perhaps something more… until issues of body image and self-esteem threaten to overpower their connection. Tuesday, July 20, 6-7:30pm, Thursday, July 22, 8-9:30pm; Friday, July 23, 6-7:30pm, Saturday, July 24, 2:30-4pm $18

Lizzie Borden Took an Axe by Marjorie Conn: Accused and acquitted of slaughtering her family, Lizzie Borden remains an intriguing mystery. Ms. Conn looks at the days preceding the murders and Lizzie’s relationship with her lover Nance O’Neil. Sunday, July 18, 1:30-2:30pm; Monday July 19, 8:30-9:30pm $18

Seven Miles from Prison by David L Ray: Rural Georgia, his father a prison warden, his family fundamentalist Christians, Shane grows up gay in a world of economic hardship, racism and fear of difference. Only in his fantasies and dreams is he accepted and loved. What act will change his life? Sunday, July 18, 7-8:30pm, Monday July 19, 10-11:30 $18

Perfect European Man by DJ Salisbury: This play is built around a real event, the body casting at the British Museum of “Sandow the Magnificent”, the ‘strong man’ discovered by Florenz Ziegfeld and who is now considered the father of modern body building. The play investigates the power of beauty and the beauty of power. (Nudity) Thursday 15th, 5 - 6pm; Monday 19th, 4:30-5:30pm $18

Cyma's Story written and performed by Barbara Kahn. The early west: cowboys, outlaws, lawmen, Native Americans, buffalo… these are the images that come to mind. In Cyma, playwright Barbara Kahn re-defines the west as she portray the world of a Jewish Lesbian pioneer. Sunday July 18, 3-4pm $18

Unkissed Wounds written and performed by YaliniDream: YaliniDream, a Sri Lankan Tamil storyteller raised in the OUTside lands of Sri Lanka, uses a unique blend of poetry, song, theater and dance to speak of survival of the spirit. Utilizing both contemporary and South Asian forms she takes her audience from the humor of family conflict to heart wrenching stories of ethnic conflict. Friday, July 23 8-9:30pm, Saturday July 24, 4:30-6pm. $18

That’s Entertainment: Two Short Plays, Belle and Angela by Matt Casarino looks at two lesbian Christian Circuit singers trapped between fame and love; and Carol Polcovar’s Going On,where two aging actors about to perform in an evening of Beckett find themselves in a revealing actor’s nightmare. Wednesday July 21, 6-7pm; Thursday July 22, 6-7:30pm $18

Monty Clift: The Rarest of Birds written by John Lisbon Wood and Omar Prince; performed by Omar Prince: This one-man show explores the life and work of actor Montgomery Clift whose great talent and career were shadowed by drug addiction, alcohol and an unresolved struggle with his homosexuality. Tuesday 13th, 8:30 - 10pm, Wed 21st, 7:30 - 9pm $18

Call Me William, The Lives and Loves of Willa Cather written and performed by Prudence Holmes: You know Willa Cather as the Pulitzer Prize winning author of My Antonia. What you don't know is the that she was a cross -dressing lesbian in Nebraska in 1899 and that she had an adoring secretary and life partner who called herself, "Willa Cather's slave." Sunday, July 18, 12-1pm; Saturday, July 24, 1-2pm $18

MUSICAL & SPECIAL EVENTS

Night of Three Divas: Join three of NY’s finest diva’s for an evening of song. Teresa Fischer is known on the cabaret circuit for her intelligent, bawdy and hilarious songs. “A contagiously cheerful entertainer“ -Theatre Scene; Ms.India.M is an outstanding singer-songwriter, soulful performer, bewitching stage presence; Time Out NY says of our third diva Marieann Meringolo "If k.d. lang's DNA were to get whipped together with Barbra Streisand's in a genetics lab specializing in divas, the result might be Marieann Meringolo." These Divas take center stage to sing of life, love and divadom. Satuday, July 17, 7:30-8:30pm $23.

Fresh Fruit Comedy Night: Robin Cloud, GO NYC Magazine’s 'Top 100 Women We Love,' and host of critically acclaimed “The Triple Minority Report” Alison Grillo - whose show Woman Trapped Inside a Woman's Body has been making New York laugh, and Janet Restino - mistress of stream of consciousness comedy will crack you up. Thursday, July 22, 10-11pm $23

The Ana Iza Experience: As the daughter of legendary songwriter and producer, Clyde Otis and former top model and recording artist Lulu Guerrero, it is no surprise that Ana Iza became a singer/song writer with a voice that thrills. Spend an unforgettable hour of laughter, reflection and song. Saturday, July 24, 8:30-9:30pm $23

The Private & Secret World of Agnes de Garron: Agnes de Garron, winner of Fresh Fruit's "Legend of the Year" in 2007, is a perennial pioneer of avant-garde performance art in New York, San Francisco, Amsterdam, Berlin and New Orleans. He takes the stage to tell his crazy life story. Mr. de Garron (aka Sister Hysterectoria) is a founding member of the original San Francisco activist/performance group, the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. This show invites the audience into the artist's fantasy life, personal, spiritual and performance career as an actor, puppeteer, dancer and radical faerie. Not to be missed. Saturday July 24, 10-11pm $20

Erotic Cabaret: Enter the dim lit “backroom” and find out what goes on behind closed doors. An evening of erotic song, dance, poetry and theatre. Warning: No Prudes Allowed! Extra Warning: So much fun it’s sinful! Wednesday, July 21, 9:30 to 10:45 $20.

POETRY

Fresh Fruit Poetry Slam curated by Cookie Pemberton: New York Poets hit the ground running towards the $50 cash prize for Fresh Fruit’s Slam Poet of the Year. Saturday, July 17, 9-11pm. Cherry Lane, 38 Commerce Street. Admission: $12

Modern DANCE - Choreographer's Showcase!

Venezuelan choreographer Elliot Ortiz and choreographer Christoper J. Anderson bring two distinct and exciting works to this year’s Festival.

Ortiz’ Future Imperfect (…fear is a dangerous illusion…) is a synthesis of modern dance, ballet, theater, Venezuelan folklore and dramatic movement which tells the story of the need to break free. >Visit them on YouTube<

Choreographer Christopher J. Anderson presents PRYCELESS - a comedic and dramatic dance theater piece that incorporates Ballet, Jazz Funk, Broadway and the use of lyrics and monologue to tell stories that reveal being who you really are, "is priceless!”

Cherry Lane Theater, 38 Commerce Street, Sunday, July 25, 4:30-5:30, admission $23