The folks who love acronyms at REDCAT (aka Roy and Edna Disney/Cal Arts Theatre) also like double entendres. The annual NOW (New Original Works) Festival reflects both the first-time nature of the presentations as well as the cutting-edge work of the nine L.A. innovators invited to participate. Divided into trios for three successive weekends, this year's invitees are mostly dancers, with spoken word, puppets and live music also in the mix. The opening week includes Christine Marie & Ensemble, which employs live shadow-theater techniques reminiscent of silent films in the “4Trains” segment of Signaling Arcana; Mecca Vazie Andrews, who channels her alter ego, Molly Delilah Roundtree, with help from her dancers in Molly Maps Erratic; and Samantha Goodman, who gets help from jazz pianist Reggy Woods, cellist Isaac Takeuchi and video projections in Depth of Surface. REDCAT: Roy and Edna Disney/CalArts Theater, 631 W. Second St., dwntwn. Opens Thurs., July 25; then Thurs.-Sat., 8:30 p.m., through Aug. 10; $18, $14 students. (213) 237-2800, redcat.org.

Thu., July 25, 8:30 p.m.; Fri., July 26, 8:30 p.m.; Sat., July 27, 8:30 p.m., 2013

Advertising disclosure: We may receive compensation for some of the links in our stories. Thank you for supporting LA Weekly and our advertisers.