SUMMER SPLASH II : Summer’s Last Act: Los Angeles Festival

The grand finale to summer’s arts events comes appropriately at the end of the season when the Pacific-themed Los Angeles Festival officially gets under way Sept. 1. Organizers say the projected $4.5 million festival, which runs through Sept. 17, will include nearly 90 programs, featuring more than 100 performing groups and individual artists in a total of 240 performances and exhibitions.

While the 1990 L.A. Festival is the outgrowth of the 1984 Olympic Arts Festival and the 1987 Los Angeles Festival, organizers say attendees can expect a very different atmosphere this time around. Rather than taking place at only the usual sites--such as the Music Center and L.A. County Museum of Art, both of which will still house major events--a large number of parks and other open-air spaces--such as the African Marketplace at Kenneth Hahn Park and Griffith Park--will be utilized. In addition, festival organizers say that although several of the more traditional events are ticketed (such as the Music Center’s “Nixon in China,” which carries a top ticket price of $80), more than 70% of events will be free.

Perhaps the largest component of the festival will be the film and video portion, composed of nearly three dozen programs and 115 films by local, national and international artists. Highlights include a weeklong Latin American Film Festival, a tribute to Japanese master Akira Kurosawa, and more than 20 hours of KCET (Channel 28) broadcasts of documentaries, feature films and performance works.

Brought in for the heavily dance-oriented international component of the festival will be 540 artists from 21 nations, all of whom will be housed at an artists village at UCLA. Represented will be performing groups from Japan, Korea, Indonesia, Thailand, Australia and Chile, as well as a group of harp players from several Latin and South American nations. Also considered part of the international programming are two groups of Californian Native American musicians and dancers, Alaskan Inupiat Eskimo dancers and musicians, and traditional Hawaiian hula kahiko dancers.

A major highlight will be four programs of Central Javanese court music, dance and puppetry. Under the auspices of Festival Indonesia, the sacred gamelan orchestra and a 65-performer retinue of dancers and puppeteers will make their first visit to the United States for performances at downtown’s Embassy Theater Aug. 31-Sept. 2, as well as Sept. 4-5, 7-9 and 11-12. Included will be an all-night performance of the traditional dance form, “Wayang Kulit,” 10 p.m.-6 a.m. on Sept. 8.

Other highlights will be performances by the Vermont-based Bread and Puppet Theatre, a collective rarely seen in Southern California, which combines pageantry, community involvement and giant puppets to make statements dealing with environmental, political and social issues. The group will give free performances on Sept. 8 and 9 at Griffith Park and the Santa Monica Pier, as well as ticketed performances at UCLA’s Fowler Museum Amphitheater, Aug. 31-Sept. 3 and at the Santa Monica Air Center Sept. 15-16.

Also Billed:

A new piece dismantling ethnic stereotypes by “border artist” Guillermo Gomez-Pena (at MOCA’s California Plaza on Sept. 12-16).

UCLA Wight Gallery’s survey of Latino visual art in “CARA: Chicano Art and Resistance 1965-1985” (Sept. 9-Dec. 30).

A rare away-from-home appearance by a 32-member dance company from the Polynesian islands of Wallis and Futuna, as well as an equally rare glimpse of the ancient culture of 14 aboriginal dancers from Mornington Island (both will be at UCLA’s Sunset Canyon Amphitheater Sept. 5 and will make several free appearances at parks and other outdoor venues).

A local component of about 60 programs showcasing 80 Los Angeles-based artists.

An additional estimated 450 events involving 500 artists as part of the Open Festival, a free-for-all of self-produced arts events that is the outgrowth of the 1987 Fringe Festival.

Beginning in August, a 24-hour hot line--(213) 688-ARTS--will provide information on all festival events. Prior to August, information can be obtained by calling the L.A. Festival office at (213) 689-8800 or the Open Festival office at (213) 315-9444.