Reverend Jen has been hosting her Anti-Slam for a looong time (we can remember seeing her at Collective Unconscious, wearing a cat suit and those ears, waaaay back in, like, 1997. Collective Unconscious was on Ludlow Street. There were no clothing stores there. Really.) Now this event has moved to Downeast Arts Center and will play every Wednesday at 8pm (see below and check the calendar for details).
What’s this about her thinking you’re a 10? Don’t get yer hopes up, dude (although she does, on her website, invite dudes to contact her). The idea behind the Anti-Slam is that, while every act is rated from 1 to 10, everybody gets a 10. (We’d prefer if everyone got a 1, but we’re cranky that way.) So whether or not you have talent, if you’ve got a yen to perform, go Downeast, young man/woman/troll.
REVEREND JEN’S ANTI-SLAM!
MOVES DOWNEAST
starting Wednesday, October 4
Downeast Arts Center is proud to announce that the outrageous Reverend Jen’s Anti-Slam! moves in on October 4 and will play every Wednesday night thereafter. Rev Jen is a true East Village character, who dons elfin ears and carries her tiny dog, Reverend Jen Jr., everywhere she goes. Eleven years ago, she started her weekly open mike, the Anti-Slam, as a reaction to the increasingly popular poetry slams, where poets’ work is judged on a scale from one to ten. The idea behind the Anti-Slam is that everyone gets a ten, no matter what — a practice that is heartily endorsed at Downeast. Throughout the years, the Anti-Slam has developed an identity of its own and played host to some of the most talented, creative and sometimes strangest performers in New York City. Everyone is welcome at the Anti-Slam – poets, performance artists, comedians, musicians, dancers and people who need therapy but can’t afford it. If you’ve never performed before or you are a seasoned pro, the Anti-Slam is a great place to hang out, see great art, make art and make friends.
Reverend Jen is an author, performance artist, visual artist, upcoming celebrity/ personality, underground filmmaker, cable access star, Troll Museum founder, Voice of the Downtrodden and Tired and Patron Saint of the Uncool. She has done solo performances at venues including: PS122, Caroline’s Comedy Club and the Soho Theater in London, and has lectured on art at universities across America. She is a contributor to www.artnet.com and www.nerve.com, and the author of Reverend Jen’s Really Cool Neighborhood (from Printed Matter) an alternative travel guide to the Lower East Side. Along with her book launch, Printed Matter also hosted an exhibition of Reverend Jen’s drawings and paraphernalia. Institutions such as The Whitney Museum of American Art and the Museum of Modern Art Library have collected Reverend Jen’s handmade books, which include the cult classic, Sex Symbol for the Insane, as well as illustrated comic books like “Beer is Magic,” “Magical Elf Panties” and “Being a Supermodel is Cool.” She has also been published in Aroused, a collection of erotic writing (edited by Karen Finley), 101 Damnations, The Humorists’ Tour of Personal Hells (from Saint Martin’s Press) and Good Advice For Trendy Young People of All Ages (from Manic D. Press).
In September of 2000, Reverend Jen opened “Reverend Jen’s Lower East Side Troll Museum” in her apartment. The museum, which boasts a collection of more than 300 trolls has been featured on Japanese and Spanish television, the WB evening news and in The NY Times, The Village Voice, Time Out NY, Toy Collector Magazine and several other publications. Reverend Jen’s writing and acting film credits include Lord of The Cockrings, I Was a Quality of Life Violation and the cable access show, The Adventures of Electra Elf. She also recently directed a music video for pop star, Moby. In 2003, Reverend Jen was voted best “Do-It-Yourself-Go-Girl†of the year by The Village Voice.
Downeast Arts Center is home to the International Cringe Festival, which includes the Bad Plays Festival, Bad Musicals Festival, and upcoming Bad Films Festival. It is also the home of NY Artists Unlimited, a 24 year old multicultural touring company that takes professional theatre to the under-served.
Reverend Jen’s Anti-Slam! — every Wednesday starting 10/4, 8 p.m. (sign-up 7:45). 6 minutes stage time. $4 admission for all. Beverages/snacks available, no minimum. Downeast Arts Center, 203 Avenue A (betw. 12th & 13th Sts.). Reservations: 212-228-2886. Further info: www.NYartists.org or www.DowneastArtsCenter.org. Directions: L train to First Avenue (& 14th St.) or crosstown 14th St. buses to corner of Avenue A. Center is between 12th & 13th Sts.
