Earlier this month the Lower East Side gallery Reena Spaulings Fine Art hosted a mock set and looping video of Los Angeles artist Alex Israel’s hilarious celebrity talk show “As It LAys” — where he asked L.A. celebs from Marilyn Manson to Jamie Lee Curtis inane questions like “Would you ever donate your body to science” — and now L.A.’s Museum of Contemporary Art has picked up the show. MOCA will present a free screening and live performance of “As It LAys” on May 19 at its Henson Soundstage.
Though the celebrity subjects of Israel’s deadpan interview performance have yet to be announced (the event lasts from 6-9pm, with a performance scheduled for 7:30pm), seating at the free event is limited so would-be audience members should RSVP soon — or at least by May 14, to pmorehouse@moca.org or 213-621-1768.
This will be Israel’s first solo show in his hometown. An all-caps press release notes how fitting the setting will be for this engagement with L.A.’s surreal celebrity culture:
THE ONE-NIGHT PROJECT WILL TAKE PLACE AT THE HENSON SOUNDSTAGE AT 1416 NORTH LA BREA AVENUE IN HOLLYWOOD. THIS HISTORIC STUDIO COMPLEX WAS BUILT BY CHARLIE CHAPLIN IN 1919 AND WAS THEN HOME TO A&M RECORDS. AS IT LAYS WILL BE PRESENTED ON THE SOUNDSTAGE WHERE CHAPLIN DIRECTED “MODERN TIMES” (1936), “THE GREAT DICTATOR” (1940), AND OTHER CELEBRATED FILMS.
Watch Israel’s recently-released review with celebrity gossip blogger Perez Hilton:
— Benjamin Sutton