Genre fiction dominates most every visual medium these days – movies, TV, comics – so it’s high time for science fiction and fantasy to take over the world of live theater as well. To help get things started, actor/writer David Dean Bottrell (of True Blood and Justified fame) is launching the 1st Annual Sci-Fest this May, a month-long festival of one-act science-fiction plays. Beginning May 6 and running through June 1 at the Acme Theater in Hollywood, Sci-Fest will showcase work from an eclectic group of directors, including Warehouse 13 showrunner Jack Kenny and the voice of Homer Simpson himself, actor-screenwriter Dan Castellaneta.

A great many faces familiar to genre TV fans will appear on stage too, from shows like Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Lost, and Babylon Five. Best of all, the festival will feature plays based on stories by such science-fiction legends as Ursula K. Le Guin (whose “The Wife’s Story” will make its world premiere) and Ray Bradbury (whose masterpiece “Kaleidoscope” will enjoy a revival).

Check out the full press release below. And to purchase tickets and get more info, visit www.Sci-Fest.com

(HOLLYWOOD, CA, March 20, 2014) – SCI-FEST, the 1st Annual Los Angeles Science Fiction One-Act Play Festival premieres at The Acme Theatre (135 N. La Brea Avenue) featuring two different, riveting evenings (‘A’ and ‘B’ rotating weekly) of new and classic sci fi works. Evening ‘A’ premieres Tuesday, May 6. Evening ‘B’ premieres Tuesday, May 13. Performances will run Tuesdays – Saturdays @ 8 PM; Sundays at 3 PM through June 1, 2014.

Conceived by Writer-Actor, David Dean Bottrell, and produced by Bottrell with Michael Blaha and Lee Costello, Sci-Fest is the first of its kind in Los Angeles, a city that Bottrell says, “has played a huge part in putting the genre of science fiction on the global map. It is our hope to grow the festival, and to establish it as an annual destination event for Sci-Fi fans from around the world.”

Sci-Fest’s highlights include the world premiere stage adaptation of Ursula LeGuin’s mini-masterpiece, “The Wife’s Story,” starring Tony Award winner L. Scott Caldwell, and an innovative revival of Ray Bradbury’s chilling classic, “Kaleidoscope,” which, at 35 minutes in length, is the fest’s centerpiece.

The plays feature well-known actors from iconic Sci-Fi franchises including Nelson Ascencio (The Hunger Games), David Blue (Stargate: Universe), David Dean Bottrell (True Blood), L. Scott Caldwell (Lost), Dean Hagland (The X- Files), David H. Lawrence XVII (Heroes), Madison McLaughlin (Supernatural), Julie McNiven (Stargate: Universe & Supernatural), Jasika Nicole (Fringe), Linda Park (Star Trek: Enterprise), Tim Russ (Star Trek: Voyager), Armin Shimerman (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine & Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Faran Tahir (Iron Man and Star Trek Movie), Patricia Tallman (Babylon 5), and Adrienne Wilkinson (Xena: Warrior Princess).

Purchase tickets at www.Sci-Fest.com.