When the levee breaks, New Brunswick reaps a performance flood

“Samuraization,” the 2005 solo show by Pandora Scooter about facing death head-on, makes its return to New Jersey at the Breakth

We all thrill at experiencing breakthroughs. In life, at work, or with hobbies, breakthroughs bring a clarity of vision and expression, and often a wonderful sense of relief.

It is with this experience in mind that the people who run Collaborative Arts (coLAB) in New Brunswick named its summer event the Breakthrough Arts Festival. Performing art lovers will find a flood of talent at this festival, taking place over four weekends in July at George Street Playhouse. The schedule is bursting with theatre, dance, spoken word and music for audiences of all ages, and features the most talented rising and established artists in the New Brunswick area.

Featured in this year’s festival is The Orphanage, an exciting new play reading series. The series includes readings of three world-premiere plays: “Night Cycle” on July 18 (about the tension between security and happiness); “Super” on July 25 (about a modern-day NYC Superhero, July 25); and “Revelation” on August 1st (an adaptation of the Book of Revelations, by the 2008 Helen Merrill Emerging Playwright Award winner Samuel Brett Williams).

Lovers of New Brunswick’s popular bands can see them raise the roof at the coLAB Music Fest on July 11th and 31st. Bands like Glad Hearts, Zach Lost, FUSE w/ Silent Knight, and Communipaw will share their raw energy with the crowd and get audiences up on their feet.

On the more experimental end of the spectrum, Breakthrough is also featuring a new music project called Make It on Friday, July 17th and Sunday the 26th. Make It is a true collaboration, fusing the best of jam bands, improvisational art and audience interaction. Audiences have to experience this to believe it. Injecting the power of audience participation into a jam band (in the mode of Pink Floyd or the Grateful Dead) will hit a home run out of Livingston Avenue’s field and clear over the Raritan River.

Three nights of the Festival are dedicated to the talents of some of the people who founded and run the coLAB arts organization.  These Member Showcases on July 17th, 24th, and 26th will present world premieres of co-founders Avianna Perez (new dance project), Jessica Lipman (documentary film), Dan Swern (staged reading of his play “Castle on a Hill,” based on true events at Teaneck High School in 2003 and 2007) and Jack Leary (Make It music project).

As part of its mission to reach out to artists of all backgrounds and disciplines, coLAB’s Breakthrough will present two unique evenings: ArtHouse (July 30th) and the Puppet Slam (July 25th).  ArtHouse is an immersion environment for the audience, bringing together performing, visual and film artists to create an exciting space of extemporaneous expression. The Puppet Slam showcases puppetry for adults, performed by new and emerging puppeteers including the artists Hand In Rod and Table Top. These are going to be electrifying evenings of performance.

Finally, Breakthrough wraps up with an installment of its comedy/variety show Pandora’s Box on Aug 1st. Pandora’s Box also includes sketch comedy, music and improvisation. The show at Breakthrough will feature stand-up comic Ron Long, seen on BET, at Caroline’s (NYC) and as an opener for Chris Rock.

For more information on the Breakthrough Arts Festival & to buy tickets, visit: www.colab-arts.org.