DivaFest at Exit Theatre
Exit Theatre's DivaFest features female artists who actually have talent to back up their diva title. (Though you may find a transvestite in the mix.) Leading the festival is Liebe Wetzel and her Lunatique Fantastique in which follows a found-object puppet who finds a lump in her breast. We know, it sounds like this piece is a refugee from the Exit's now-defunct absurdism festival, but LunFan's disarming puppets play poignancy and humor as deftly as any professional human actor. Playwright Sarah McKereghan explores a minefield of meltdowns in Guns and Ammunition, which features women trying to cope with family tragedy. Let the fighting begin. Exit favorites Karen Ripley and Annie Larson are Waiting for FEMA, with live musical backup (kind of like the Titanic) by Jack "Applejack" Walroth. Drag artist Sean Owens hosts the Diva Cabaret with a new lineup for each 10:30 p.m. performance over at Original Joe's Restaurant (the official post-Exit-show hangout). Watch for Beth Wilmurt, Mia Paschal and Exit maven Christina Arguello especially. Local Beat legend Diane di Prima reads from her forthcoming Revolutionary Letters in a free event on Saturday at 3 p.m., and performance artist L.A. Hyder constructs and "interactive sculpture piece" at 4:30. And, running concurrently with DivaFest is Women on the Edge, featuring innovative work by female dance-theater artists. Because unlike Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera, dance and theater can perform together without any fur flying.
Playing April 20 through May 6

Publicity photo of Beauty and the B-r-east by Bill Faulkner.

Beauty and the B-r-east,