Nihil & Friends present ART IS LIFE IS ART: RED HOT Variety Show!

The Philosophical Research Society is proud to welcome a variety show from Highland Park’s very own Nihil Declarandum as Nihil & Friends present Art is Life is Art: RED HOT ! Each Art is Life is Art variety show is a 90min emotional rollercoaster of immersive theater, music, puppetry and short film based on a theme, and this month performers will explore the character commonly referred to as “the Devil,” or “Satan” through film, music, puppets, and a very special live-reading of Sam Kestenbaum’s article from Harpers: The Demon Slayers!

Nihil creates artist-driven works that tell uncomfortable truths, forgotten histories and family secrets on a "need-to-tell" basis. Nihil designs and produces animated and live-action projects that are hand-crafted, emotional and tactile. Their goal is to make live-events that reflect what it is like to be alive RIGHT NOW.

Our host is , an actress, director, and the visionary behind The Soft Clown, a performance philosophy rooted in vulnerability, connection, and heartfelt absurdity. She will make you laugh, make you cry — and find joy in the dark.

Musicians: ,

McKenzie Stubbert is an award-winning composer based in Los Angeles who live-scores Art is Life is Art with harpist Jackie Urlik.

Featured Artists:

1. Handsome Devil - Music Video by (2024)

Daniel Barrow uses Amiga software from the late 1980s (DeluxePaint 4) to create this romantic pink and green story of a "sissy devil" who probes the depths of internet intelligence, composing an “advanced search” on an antiquated search engine. Simultaneously, a naked, green, feminine artist traces the contours of her devilish destiny on her sketch pad, and then within an imaginary dating app. The “advanced search” becomes a kind of contemporary, queer, love poem. Original song by The Ballet, from the album "Daddy Issues", 2024.

2. “The Devil You Say,” a puppet soliloquy of Satan in his own words by .

Puppet Artist Robin Walsh loves proving that alternate realities exist - and creating them. Her work focuses on bringing puppetry into both expected and unexpected places. Clients include Henson, Disney, the Academy Awards, and Stanford University among others. She’s performed at the Hollywood and Edinburgh Fringe Festivals and in The Oscars, Men in Black, Team America, Captain Underpants, and SpongeBob SquarePants. Other highlights include an Emmy nomination, a Jim Henson Foundation Workshop Grant, and restoring the real Rudolph and Santa puppets from the Rankin/Bass classic animated holiday special.

3. “The Best of Damnation” - a video art supercut by cinematographer .

4. An original poem from - Funes is a writer-performer who produces shows in Los Angeles including Duo It Again at The Lyric Hyperion, hosted by his duo improv team, FernGully. He also produces The Dazed & Confused Poetry Club, an intimate poetry show at The Glendale Room. And he is the first-ever Director of The Lyric Hyperion & Glendale Room Training Center. His short film, “The American Dream” has been featured in over 43 film festivals, including the Philadelphia Latino Film Festival. He writes a poem for every day of the year. He’s very excited about his first poetry collection, Working Class PTSD, or How I Learned to Code Switch + Love Poems.

5. A live-reading of Harper’s article: The Demon Slayers with the author, , acting as narrator.

THE CAST:

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Sam Kestenbaum is a journalist covering religion in America. The Revealer, in an interview, said: “He has a particular talent for telling stories about complicated people with a kind of lucid nuance.” Longreads calls Sam’s reporting “fascinating… gonzo and empathetic at the same time.”

6. Alegrías Riojanas (28min) – a short film from Spanish Director, .

Cast: Juan Antonio Herreruela, Ramon Churruca, Fernando Moreno, Rafael Alberola,

Barbara Mingo, Jose Luis Pérez Santiago, Nerea Revilla

FILM SYNOPSIS:

An ophthalmologist's confession is interrupted when the priest who was attending him

leaves in an emergency. After his absolution was postponed, he decided to return to his

surgery. On the way, absorbed in his thoughts, he is fatally hit by a car. From that moment

on, his immortal soul is cast into a medieval-looking purgatory populated by grotesque

creatures, blemishes and devils. Will he be able to remember that the pearl is hidden in

the abyss and the sun remains in the pearl?

ABOUT THE FILMMAKER:

His trilogy of 16mm short films, ECHOS DER BUCHRÜCKEN (2001-2007, Kinky Hoodoo Voodoo, La costra lactea, Avant Petalos Grillados) participated in international festivals such as Cannes Directors' Fortnight, Sitges, Slamdance (Best Experimental Short Film Award) and Torino, among others. In 2010 he shot the short film essay "VDO Of His Mind" about the mecha-mystic film director Val del Omar. After his five-year retreat in India, he returned with OUR FRIEND THE MOON, whose World Premiere took place at the Locarno Film Festival and won the Best Short Film Awards at BAFICI and Malaga Film Festival. ALEGRÍAS RIOJANAS is his latest short film, which screened at Fantastic Fest in 2022.

He is currently filming his first feature film, THE FUTURE TESTAMENT.

ABOUT NIHIL & FRIENDS

Nihil & Friends is the brainchild of writer/director Tiffany Kimmel, supported by a core team of amazingly talented artists and community builders including: Eric Oxford, Jordan Holtane, McKenzie Stubbert, Alice Rona, Charles Pieper, Ben Gojer, Frank Hegyi, and so many more.

Please email [email protected] or phone 323-663-2167 with any questions.

ACCESSIBILITY

PRS wants all guests to be able to enjoy our events safely and comfortably. If you require any accessibility accommodation, please reach out to [email protected] before showtime and we will be happy to assist you.

REFUND POLICIES

All sales are final. There are no refunds or exchanges for PRS events, except in the event of a medical emergency, including but not limited to a positive COVID-19 test.

In the event that PRS is forced to cancel an event entirely, tickets will be refunded or vouchers offered for a rescheduled event.

PARKING

Limited parking is available onsite at PRS in both the front lot (entry from Los Feliz Blvd. when heading east) and back lot (entry from first alley way, off Griffith Park Blvd. from intersection with Los Feliz Blvd.), as well as street parking on Griffith Park Blvd. and (after 7 PM) on Los Feliz Blvd. We encourage attendees to consider carpooling, walking or biking to events if possible, and please be considerate of our Los Feliz neighbors when parking, many thanks.

PRS EVENT POLICIES

• We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone.
• Events are subject to change without notice, including guest speakers and/or performers.
• We encourage you to arrive at least 30 min. before the scheduled event start time to find parking, enjoy the Bookstore and take your seats.
• Please turn off all mobile devices before the show. Talking and texting are not allowed during the events.
• No filming, audio recording or mobile phone recording of events, screenings, concerts or other programs by audience members is allowed without permission.
• There is no smoking permitted on PRS grounds.
• We strongly encourage guests to wear masks to PRS events to prevent the spread of infectious diseases.
• PRS allows Service Animals into the facility under ADA and state guidelines. For further details please visit www.ADA.gov. No animals permitted whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support, under ADA guidelines and CA Health Code.
• Please do not bring outside food or drink into PRS events.
• Weapons are strictly prohibited at PRS events.

Event Venue

Philosophical Research Society, 3910 Los Feliz Boulevard, Los Angeles, United States