The Purple Circuit promotes GLQBT
and feminist theater and performance.

Nicholas Wilder, Nick Baldock image: John MacLellan

Written by James Edwin Parker
Directed by Justin Amellio
Produced by Richmond Triangle Players

Daryl and Peter met earlier that evening in a bar. It’s 5am, winter of ’87, in a spare, well-appointed apartment in Greenwich Village. They know nothing about each other, except that they share an attraction, and that they just had some great sex.

Chatty Daryl, seeking a boyfriend, wants to discuss relationships, jobs, and determine their compatibility. Rugged and taciturn Peter wants to sleep. He only wants a good time. They sexually, verbally and emotionally joust with each other in what becomes a poignant, frightening, intimate, yet frequently humorous encounter.

Cast includes: Nicholas Wilder, Nick Baldock.

Show contains nudity.

January 11, 2012
Richmond Triangle Players Theatre, Richmond, Virginia

Joel Smith Liz Casebolt image: Jeff D. Larson

Written, directed, performed and produced by Liz Casebolt and Joel Smith

Performance duo Casebolt and Smith deconstruct their creative process in a fast-paced, intricately layered, meta-theatrical evening of brash humor, quick repartee and imaginative choreography. A demonstration of what they can, can’t – and won’t – do as dancers.

Relying on their friendship and shared sense of humor, the pair reveals their choreographic methods and collaborative rapport to analyze gender and sexuality politics, as well as the overly serious traditions of modern dance. They speak directly to the audience, sing while dancing, and layer the performance with pop culture references, offering a complex and hilarious glimpse into the minds and pants of the performers.

January 13, 2012
Actors Company Theatre, West Hollywood, California

Patrick Heusinger, Patrick Breen image: Shandon Youngclaus

Written by Geoffrey Nauffts
Directed by Bart DeLorenzo
Produced Susan A. Loewenberg

Two men in love, two parents in denial, and two friends on speed dial. Luke believes in God, Adam believes in everything else. When an accident changes everything, Adam must turn to Luke’s family and friends for support and answers.

L.A. Theatre Works offers a live, recorded for radio performance of Geoffrey Nauffts’ hit play.

Cast includes: Patrick Breen, Patrick Heusinger, Jeremy Webb, Julie White, Maddie Corman, Sam McMurray.

January 19, 2012
L.A. Theater Works - James Bridges Theatre, UCLA School of Theatre, Film, Television, Los Angeles, California

J. Michael Feldman, puppeteer Jess McKay image: Stephen Rowan

Written by J. Michael Feldman
Directed by Annie McVey
Produced by Daniel Shoenman, Elliot Shoenman

Percy Rutherford takes over, where other less-able social know-it-alls leave off, in this comedic mash-up of folklore, fables, and folly. Among the tales he tells we find one about the gay termites Ryan and Steve, who are newly married due to the Insect Marriage Act. The guys uncover a shocking secret, but learn an important lesson, naturally, through a fairy tale.

Some stories are told using hand puppets.

Cast includes: J. Michael Feldman, Courtney Pauroso, Corey Podell, Kimrie Davis, Eileen Mullane, Jess McKay, Matt Cook, Tina Huang.

January 20, 2012
The Matrix Theatre, Los Angeles, California

Julia Prud’homme, Gigi Bermingham

Written by Kathryn Graf
Directed by Joel Polis
Produced by Gary Grossman, Katselas Theatre Company

Tessie May, begins her work in the kitchen at dawn. Her son Jimmy, who is gay, arrives home from partying at that time. Her younger son, Colin, wakes to conquer opponents in familiar video games. Their daily routines keep them isolated from small town prejudices, and not needing to face their unspeakable, secret pain. This evening, however, their carefully balanced life may become undone.

Cast includes: Gigi Bermingham, Julia Prud’homme, Nicholas Podany, Brendan Patrick Conner, Wolfie Trausch.

Opened October 22, 2011 - Extended run began: January 20, 2012
Skylight Theatre, Los Angeles, California

Ian MacKinnon image: Don Tinling

Written, produced and performed by Ian MacKinnon
Directed by Wendell Jones

With his cyber-sexual time traveling hot pants, and his sexy Genie guide, performance artist Ian MacKinnon takes a porn-o-storical journey through thousands of years of homo history cruising a plethora of Gay icons.

Featuring hot histo-graphic hookups with Plato, Rumi, Lincoln, Melville, Fredrick the Great, Edward Carpenter, da Vinci, Michelangelo, Karl Ulrichs, Ginsberg, Socrates, Whitman, Hafiz, Ganymede, Alexander, Hadrian, Zeami, Bayard Rustin, and more.

Performed in “Gay Love-O-Vision!”

“Gay Hist-Orgy, is a smart, smutty crash course in homo history. … The avant-garde production not only recounts our culture’s journey through the centuries, but also proposes the existential questions, ‘Who are we as a people, and why are we here?’As a seasoned performance artist/gay activist, MacKinnon utilizes myriad sources from a diverse spectrum of time periods in his quest to answer these queries. More importantly, he approaches the subject with humor and a raging libido.” - Frontiers Magazine

“Ian MacKinnon is a pleasant, bearded guy in his mid-30s, whose relentlessly vivacious, salacious one-man lecture/carny act, Ian MacKinnon’s Gay Hist-Orgy! Part 1 & 2, is dedicated to the proposition that art and ideas are more enduring, and useful, than children.” - Steven Leigh Morris, LA Weekly

Reasons to see The Gay Hist-Orgy!

1. It’s good for you. (Like eating sexy fun gay vegetables, take your Vitamin Gay!)
2. Gay History is hot and makes you powerful.
3. Ian will show his bare ass.
4. Lots of erotic gay images will be projected - from Ancient China to the turn of the century.
5. You will lean something. You can impress friends later and spread the gay knowledge.
6. If you have seen it already, Ian offers a discount to see it again. Just e-mail him: imackinn1@hotmail.com
7. It’s an antidote to the hetero-dominated world we are forced to live in.
8. There is usually good cruising in the audience.
9. Ian worked really, really hard on it.
10. It empowers you to live your gay destiny.

Harry Hart-Browne image: Ed Krieger

Written and performed by Harry Hart-Browne
Directed by Mark Bringelson
Produced by Mark Bringelson and Katselas Theatre Company

A 20-character, one-man-play about a lifetime on Earth, and a gay actor trapped in his role.

With boundless endurance, the adventure unfolds through the comedic, and heartfelt ingenuity of award winning Harry Hart-Browne, whose recent drama “Cologne” (about teen boy relationships) won critical acclaim in Los Angeles.

February 20, 2012
Skylight Theatre, Los Angeles, California

Alex Kirschner, Soren Santos image: Lois Tema

Written by Roger Parsley and Andy Graham
Directed by George McGuire
Produced by David Beery, Norm Abramson, and The Anderson Prize Foundation

Clive, an aristocratic Englishman with a life of privilege, shocks his close friend Maurice by declaring his love for him. This declaration was not only brazen, but, because homosexuality was outlawed in Great Britain before World War I, was also highly dangerous.

The play is based on E.M. Forster’s suppressed 1914 novel, “Maurice,” which was only published after his death.

Cast includes: John Hurst, Alex Kirschner, Soren Santes, Lindsay Murray, Andrew Nolan, Hilary Hyatt.

February 24, 2012
New Conservatory Theatre Center, Decker Theater, San Francisco, California

Amir Levi image: David Silva

Written by Amir Levi
Directed by Shauna Horn
Produced by Alive Theatre and Inventing Room Productions

When Amir’s first relationship crumbles, dashing his boyhood dreams, he quickly finds that the fairy tale courtships of his beloved matriarchs seem nowhere to be found.

An autobiographical story which challenges postmodern gay identity through Amir’s cultural desire to create a nuclear family based on traditional values. Strongly influenced by the love stories of his mother and grandmother, Amir shares his Builla’s rhythm, his mother’s taste in curly-haired men, and thinks he’s destined to be the next matriarch of his Mexican-Israeli-Jewish-American family.

Cast includes: Amir Levi, Willie Fortes.

March 6, 2012
Longbeach Playhouse, Studio Theatre, Long Beach, California

Bianca Leigh image: Michael Wakefield

Written and performed by Bianca Leigh
Songs by Jeff Domoto, William TN Hall, Taylor Mac, Ellen Maddow, Isam Rum and Matty Pritchard, Super Buddha, and Jeff Whitty
Directed by Tim Cusack
Produced by Theatre Askew

During the stock market crash of 1987, Bianca cools her 6-inch heels in the clink awaiting arraignment on a charge of solicitation. Looking back, she tries to make sense of how a skinny Jersey boy — with dreams of becoming a great Shakespearean actress — ended up as a high-priced dominatrix.

In a tour-de-force performance, both hilarious and moving, Bianca revisits her past as a young transwoman in early transition, and brings to vivid life more than a dozen characters; from her disappointed mother, to the sadistic corrections officer who enacts the ultimate humiliation.

March 8, 2012
Laurie Beechman, New York, New York

Written and directed by Leo Geter
Presented by Circle X Theatre Company

Kristen Burrows has hit upon a brilliant way to transform the sins of her youth into lots of cash: she’s going to combine her adult film past with a born-again future. However, things get more than a little out of hand when she invites a Christian radio talk show host to dinner and meets her family, including her teenage son Duncan, who has just embarked on a career as a gay porno performer.

What do a porn star, a stripper and a soldier have in common with a Christian, a Muslim and a Mormon? They all want to get naked before god. What’s left to reveal, once they’ve bared it all?

This wild and darkly comic romp is R-rated - for mature audiences 17+.

Cast includes: Larry Clarke, Christopher Foley, Jen Kays, Aly Mawji, Morgan McClellan, William Salyers, Jennifer A. Skinner.

March 24, 2012
[Inside] the Ford, Hollywood, California

Jonathan Slavin, Emerson Collins image: Ed Krieger

Written by Matthew Leavitt
Directed by Dámaso Rodriguez
Produced by Del Shores, Linda Toliver, Gary Guidinger

Five bedrooms, five couples, and one same-sex marriage face the ultimate test.

“The Boomerang Effect” comedically explores the cause-and-effect principle. From playwrite Leavitt: “The concept of one single principle being utilized so differently by so many different fields made me think about the play’s five couples — and the universal complications in their sexual relationships — despite the differences in scenario and detail. But really, it’s a comedy about sex.”

Cast includes: Joel Bryant, Jonathan Slavin, Kimberly Hamilton, Tiffany Lonesdale-Hands, Charles Howerton, Liza de Weerd, Katherine Bailess, Will Christoferson, Emerson Collins, Luke McClure.

March 24, 2012
Odyssey Theatre, Los Angeles, California

Courtney McCotter, Kerry McGee image: John MacLellan

Written by John C. Russell
Directed by Jason Campbell
Produced by Richmond Triangle Players

Four students at Joe McCarthy High School make their way from first-through-eighth period and beyond, struggling with fears, frustrations, and longings. Jim is the new guy in town, sexy, a rebel. Judy is the popular blonde cheerleader. Neechee and Kimberly are the resident outcasts, both of whom are secretly gay. Will Jim become popular? Will Judy hook up with Jim? Will Neechee and Kimberly come out? Rapid, stylized, music video-like scenes, astonishingly reveal the hearts and minds of contemporary youth.

Cast includes: Courtney McCotter, Joe Winters, Kerry McGee, Alexander Gerber.

March 28, 2012
Richmond Triangle Players Theatre, Richmond, Virginia

Robert Patrick image: Robert Patrick

Written, directed, produced and performed by Robert Patrick

Pioneer, gay playwright Robert Patrick, appears with a unique collection of large photographs, and tells of the creation of gay theater at New York’s Caffé Cino (1958-1968).

He will tell stories of the caffé’s farsighted producer Joe Cino, his lover Johnny (who connected the Caffé Cino to the subway electrical supply), and such world-famed artists as writers Lanford wilson, John Guare, Tom Eyen (“Dreamgirls”), William M. Hoffman (“As Is”), Tom O’Horgan (“Hair,” “Jesus Christ Superstar”), Bernadette Peters, Tiny Tim, and Al Pacino, who got their start there.

The hour-long illustrated talk will be followed by a “Q & A” hour with Mr. Patrick. The event is sponsored by Bruce Vilanch.

A May 15, 2010 version of Mr. Patrick’s lecture is available on DVD:
    Caffé Cino: Cradle of Gay Theatre

A sample of Robert Patrick’s 60 published plays:
    The Haunted Host (1964)
    Salvation Army (1969)
    Camera Obscura (1969)
    Kennedy’s Children (1974)
    T-Shirts (1979)

Collections and Anthologies:
    Gay Plays: A First Collection
    Contra/Dictions
    The Mammoth Book of Gay Short Stories
    Flesh and the Word, 2 & 3
    Best Gay Erotica, 2009, 2010

Screenplays:
    Ghost Story (TV) (1972)
    High-Tide (TV) (1990)
    Robin’s Hoods (TV) (1994)

Also, see our articles by Robert Patrick:
    Playhouse Anecdotes - How it all began
    The Gay Ghost - Gay for pay
    Ghost on the Coast - Spooky profession confession

    List of Robert Patrick’s plays with gay content.

April 4, 2012
Davidson/Valentini Theatre, The Village at Ed Gould Plaza, Hollywood, California

George A. Peters II as “Wesley” image: Jon-Sesrie Goff

Written by George A. Peters II with B. Fontenont Johnson
Directed and performed by George A. Peters II
Produced by George A. Peters II and Veer Gordan

A one-man show that explores the challenges faced by every man through its portrayal of seven male characters. One of the characters is Wesley, a gay artist rejected by his parents, uses his art as an escape from the frustration he feels towards the stereotypical constraints of manhood. Another character is Willie, an angry young man abandoned by his father and damned by his mother, who rages anger at women while desperately seeking their attention.

May 17, 2012
The Poet’s Den Gallery and Theater, New York, New York

Rob Brownstein Joanna Strapp image: Ed Kriger

Written by Tony Abatemarco
Directed by Jenny Sullivan
Produced by Gary Grossman

In the spring of 1969, gay hairdresser Mike’s opening day gets off to an unexpected start. The beautiful, but dour, young Republican, Candy, stumbles in to his Massachusetts beauty parlor looking for anything but a change of hairdo. But change it he does, and the subsequent years of loyal trips back to Mike’s chair prove that a professional relationship — such as these two share — goes way beyond curing split ends. True friends emerge in a most unlikely place, with the sights and sounds of the last forty years as backdrop to their bonding.

Cast includes: Karen Austin, Rob Brownstein, Joanna Strapp.

May 25-July 1, 2012 - Friday, Saturday 8pm; Sundays 2pm
The Skylight Theatre, Los Angeles, California

David Trudell image: Christopher Glenn Hertrich

Written and performed by David Trudell
Directed by Michael Kearns
Produced by Katselas Theatre Company

An autobiographical comedy about a small town boy who moves to Hollywood and plunges into the choppy waters of coming out, absurd hookups, Sunday night clubs, 9-to-5 office drudgery, and facing his own mortality; all while trying to find his “glow” and maintain his dignity at the Hollywood/Wilcox police station.

David is a writer, actor, comedian, originally from upstate New York, and has lived in Los Angeles for more than 23 years. He has studied with Michael Kearns, the Lee Strasberg Theatre, and the Film Institute in West Hollywood.

This is the premiere production of “In Heat In Hollywood.”

June 17, 2012
Skylab at The Skylight Theatre, Los Angeles, California

Michael Lynch image: Pepper Negron

Written by Michael Lynch and Steve Kaufman
Music by Steve Kaufman and Jimmy Camichi
Directed by Mark Finley
Produced by Barry Childs

A one-man musical narrative of Michael Lynch’s personal journey, from growing up in the 1960s south, to the 70s Bronx as an “always out kid.”

Part rock concert, gospel service and séance, Michael shares the history of his youth, which was filled with homophobia, self-doubt, and family conflict. Bringing us through the 80s and 90s, he shows us how he came to fervently embrace his hard-earned philosophy: “I am me, in being free.”

Cast includes: Michael Lynch, Steve Kaufman (on keyboard).

June 22, 2012
Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance, Bronx, New York

Street Theater show poster image: Howard Cruse

Written by Doric Wilson
Directed by Mark Finley
Produced by Barry Childs

A panorama of drags, dykes, leather men, flower children, vice cops and cruisers; the innocent and not-so-innocent bystanders who would turn June 28, 1969 into Stonewall, the D-day of gay history.

Doric Wilson wrote Street Theater as participant in the Stonewall Uprising, not so much as a history of the event, but as a record of the people he knew and the incidents he witnessed. It is a personal record of the tone of the times leading up to the night gays fought back, which became the catalyst for the modern gay liberation movement.

Cast includes: Chris Andersson, Christopher Borg, Johnathan Cedano, Desmond Dutcher, Jeremy Lawrence, Michael Lynch, Rebecca Nyahay, Ben Strothmann, Bradley Wells.

Click here for a article by Doric Wilson on “Street Theater.”

June 28, 2012 - 7:30pm
The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center, New York, New York

Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine image: Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine

Written, directed and performed by Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine

Uganda’s LGBT community is revealed through the eyes of a Ugandan government official, a transgender sex worker, a gay priest, and a lesbian activist. Author and actor Ntare creates a complex investigation of the burgeoning resistance to state-generated oppression.

“A Missionary Position” is a searing response to the rampant homophobia now gripping Uganda. Ntare incorporates raw video footage and still photography, gathered on the front lines of Uganda’s LGBT movement, and layers this with his portrayal of riveting figures drawn from in-person interviews.

Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine toured with his internationally heralded one-man show “Biro,” about the eponymous HIV-positive Ugandan who illegally entered the United States to seek treatment. He produced “Beware Of Time,” a documentary about the lives of HIV positive Ugandans, and the crimes of a brutal war ravaging northern Uganda. He has contributed footage to “Call Me Kuchu,” a documentary film on the life and death of David Kato, Uganda’s first openly gay man, which won the Teddy Award for Best Documentary Film at the 2012 Berlin International Film Festival.

June 28, 2012
Redcat, Los Angeles, California

Bain-Sauna: le musical! image: Simon Coté

Written by Stéphane Turgeon
Music and Lyrics by Tim Evanicki and Esther Daack
Directed by Davyn Ryall
Musical Direction by Jeff Louch
Choreography by Nadia Verrucci
Orchestrations by Don Hopkinson
Produced by Productions Village Scene

Join Billy as he visits his friendly neighbourhood bathhouse for the first time. He’s looking for love, but soon realizes that the other patrons — such as your favorite bathhouse icons Maurice, David, and Teddy — are looking for something else; something a little more temporary.

Songs include: “Friendly Neighborhood Bathhouse,” “Bathhouse ABCs,” “The Steam Room,” “Clicking for Dick,” “The Workout,” “In the Shower,” “The Seduction Tango,” and “Hottie Revival.”

Everything you ever wanted to know about the BoYces Bathhouse but were afraid to ask. Come out and see what goes on behind those doors. This rib-tickling, ass-slapping, toe-tapping, all-male, burlesque, musical, high camp comedy promises to be a rousing, carousing, musical montage with plenty of scantily clad men.

The Play contains adult themes and is for mature audiences with a high tolerance of being offended.

Cast includes: Bryan Libero, Hugo Charland, Martin Provost, Sébastien Neault, Stéphane Turgeon, Victor Antonio Contreras.

Village Scene Productions celebrates their 10th year of producing original queer-themed, bilingual theatre.

“Bain-Sauna: le musical!” is presented in French in June and August.
“Bathhouse: The Musical!” is presented in English in August.

June 28, 2012
Au Chats des Artistes - Ateliers Créatif, Montréal, Quebec, Canada

Joe Pacheco, Patrick Quinlan, Austin Hébert, Scott Conte, Shaun O’Hagan image: ?

Written by Martin Casella
Directed by Andrew Barnicle
Produced by Beth Hogan and Craig Zehms

A group of Irish-American men meet weekly in the basement of a Catholic church. The focus of their self-help group is an anatomical shortcoming, which is an alleged Irish trait they all feel has ruined their lives.

The support groupies include: Father Kevin Shaunessy, the genial Brooklyn resident who opens up his Manhattan church for the group’s meetings; Joseph, a tightly wound 40-something attorney whose wife has recently left him; Stephen, a tough, jaded, openly gay Bronx cop; Rick, a 23-year-old sports medicine student from Staten Island; and Kieran, an Irish immigrant living in Queens who joins the support group on the eve of his wedding.

In this wicked, rollicking, very funny play, size matters and is explored through blistering language and a brutally honest look at sex and body image. These guys, with their “one tiny problem,” reveal how men, and society, define masculinity and sexuality.

“A savvy mixture of laughs and seriousness … a very human and even humane play.” – Associated Press.

Cast includes: Scott Conte, Austin Hébert, Shaun O’Hagan, Joe Pacheco, Patrick Quinlan.

A hit at the Dublin International Gay Theatre Festival, this is a California premiere.

July 7, 2012
The Odyssey Theatre, Los Angeles, California

image: Andrew Adam Caldwell

Written by Robert Patrick
Directed by Carol Polcovar
Produced by Fresh Fruit Festival

Burned-out gay hippie and pacifist, Bud, loses his shop in 1990 New York and must stay with his “Mary Kay” dealer sister, Sis, and his brother-in-law, Bil, a former bombardier, in tiny Flatwater, California.

Bud says, “I haven’t been alone among heterosexuals in thirty years.” He is appalled by what the 1960s did to America. He arrives just in time for Desert Storm to open festering wounds in his, Sis’, and Bil’s hearts.

Cast includes: Kevin Huelbig, James Martinelli, Ann Parker

A premiere production of Heterosexuals.

Robert Patrick is the author of “Kenendy’s Children,” “The Haunted Host," “T-Shirts,” and “Temple Slave.” For a list of Robert’s other gay-themed plays, please see Robert Patrick

July 19, 2012
The Wild Project, New York, New York

Kimball Allen Metaphor Media

Written and performed by Kimball Allen

Growing up in rural Idaho, young Kimball Allen was warned by his mother, “boys don’t kiss boys.” Confused, he would hide under his sister’s bed to play with her toys and would fantasize about growing up in a family where he could be himself.

Rebelling against his family, religion, and community, Kimball was often left alone, and, at 13, experienced an event so traumatic – it stole his innocence and led him down a dark turbulent path towards adulthood lined with betrayal, alcohol, drugs, and sex.

Meanwhile, Kimball continued to keep up appearances as the exemplary Mormon boy his family expected him to be while developing a keen expertise in living a double life. This skill would prove invaluable to Kimball as he became an adult, and would allow him to use relationships, money, and secrecy for his personal gain — ultimately landing him in a jail cell.

In “Secrets of a Gay Mormon Felon,” Kimball recounts these pivotal events, and how he is able to reclaim his life and reconnect with the family and innocence he lost all those years ago.

“Playwright, actor, and subject matter Kimball Allen posses the assets of colorful material in his life story, a gift for story-telling, and a charisma that drew in the audience from beginning to end.” - Dagney Velazquez, Kansas City Spirituality Examiner

“It is a harrowing narrative, and he (Kimball Allen) is to be commended for his skill and courage in bringing it to the public. … ‘Secrets’ is a fascinating and engrossing story. It is a confessional, an act of contrition and a warning.” - Kelly Luck, KC Stage Blog

“I have not enjoyed a one-man play so much since I saw ‘Deep in a Dream of You.’ … You’re brave and wonderful and touched us all.” - Lori, audience member e-mail, July 30, 2012

Also see Kimball Allen’s listing in our Touring Performers article.

Tour Dates:

Kansas City Fringe Festival, MO
816-359-9195; info@kcfringe.org
July 21, 2012

O’ahu Fringe Festival, Honolulu, HI
oahufringe@yahoo.com
November 8, 2012

New Orleans Fringe Festival, LA
504-941-3640; kristen@nofringe.org
November 14, 2012

Information: 907-342-9213; alvarokimballcentenoallen@gmail.com

image: Robert Patrick

Written, directed and lecture by Robert Patrick
Produced by Vash Boddie

Pioneer gay playwright Robert Patrick displays 300 rare photographs which traces — from its rise through revolutionary drama, to its fall from success and drugs — the story of the Caffe Cino where the creators of “Hair,” “Jesus Christ, Superstar,” “Dreamgirls,” “Talley’s Folly,” “Kennedy’s Children,” and “Six Degrees of Separation” first worked.

Actors like Al Pacino, Bernadette Peters, and Sam Shepard trained there. And there was a magical fairyland of Bohemian eccentrics who were stars and celebrities in an Oz-like land called “Off-Off Broadway.” They changed theatre forever.

Coffee and casual conversation with Robert Patrick follows the 1 hour lecture.

August 1, 2012
Genesis, Los Angeles, California

Maia Madison, Jonathan Goldstein image: Ehrin Marlow

Written by Maia Madison
Directed by Diana Basmajian
Original Music by Lindsay Jones
Produced by Maia Madison, Laetitia Leon, Diana Basmajian

An interfaith couple want to marry and live happily ever after, so long as her Jewish family doesn’t find out. This sparks the main character to go on a quest to seek the real meaning of her Jewish identity, and the real meaning of family.

This comedy tackles the issue of the misogyny found in all religions. And while not a specifically gay plot or theme, it is a coming-out story, in that the lovers go to their parents knowing that they may turn their backs on them forever.

Cast includes: John Bobek, Jacque Lynn Colton*, David Downs*, Daniel Escobar*, Adam George, Jonathan Goldstein*, Jeremy Guskin*, Conor Lane, Laetitia Leon, Maia Madison*, Mary Linda Phillips*, Rod Sell*, Amanda Weier. (* Actor's Equity)

“Remarkable. Edgy insight into the conundrum of religiosity for any group. Extraordinarily intelligent.” - Tovah Feldshuh, hollywood.patch.com

August 9, 2012
The Open Fist Theater, Los Angeles, California

image: John Kundert-Gibbs

Written, produced and performed by George Contini
Directed by Kristin Kundert-Gibbs

Julian Eltinge (born William Julian Dalton) was the highest paid performer in the United States, as Vaudeville’s most famous female impersonator. A Broadway theater was built and named for him. The building is now known as the AMC Empire.

This play is based on Julian’s scrapbooks and brings us into his run-down dressing room before his final performance in October, 1941. Facing debt and obscurity, an aging Eltinge recalls his career in Vaudeville, Broadway, and silent film, while the world begins to view him more as a perversion than artist. By the end of his career, he was playing at the The Rendezvous, an L.A. club for “undesirables” (the current term for homosexuals), at a time when it was prohibited by law to perform in women’s clothing.

Presenting the first re-creation of Eltinge’s stage routines and rare archival footage, this multi-media performance examines the dark and confusing fluidity of Eltinge’s sexual persona, and its ability to ultimately offer him salvation. This play re-introduces a forgotten queer theatrical legend to modern GLBTQ audiences.

“A deeply moving one man (uh, woman?) show.” - Alison Fensterstock, Times-Picayune, New Orleans

“A fascinating, heart breaking, and heroic account of an artist’s professional demise, as well as a case study of early 20th century gender politics.” - Amy Louise Whisenhunt, Flagpole Magazine

Excerpt - Part One: youtube.com/watch?v=ZChBRos1Tiw
Excerpt - Part Two: youtube.com/watch?v=e-lz6BxoH0s

Also see George Contini’s listing in our Touring Performers article.

August 30, 2012
Chicago Fringe Festival, Dream Theatre, Chicago, Illinois

Gaspare DiBlasi, Alyson Leigh Rosenfeld, Christian Castro image: ???

Written by Gaspare DiBlasi
Directed by Jesse Marchese
Produced by Theater for the New City

Frank Stampoli can’t catch a break between freshman year business class, dance callbacks, and coming out. When he tells his family he has a boyfriend, his mother blames it on the fact that he hasn’t found the right Italian girl. His father doesn’t know what to say. And then there’s Anthony and those 50 things he loves about Frank.

An Italian-American, Brooklyn born-and-bred story about family, friendship, first boyfriends and pasta sauce.

Cast includes: Gaspare DiBlasi*, Margo Singaliese*, Tommaso DiBlasi,Vince Bandille, Christian Castro, Alyson Leigh Rosenfeld, Seth Grugle*. (* Actors’ Equity)

September 1, 2012
Theater for the New City, New York, New York

Almeria Campbell image: Steven Simring

Written by Larry Kirwan
Songs by Stephen Foster, Larry Kirwan
Directed by Kira Simring
Produced by the cell

In 1863, New York City saw clashing Irish and Afro-American cultures, while the Civil War draft riots raged on.

The play is a soulful, musical exploration featuring the creation of tap dance, as well as an exploration of Stephen Foster’s songs and the troubled life and sexual orientation of the “father of American music.”

Cast includes: Phil Callen*, Almeria Campbell*, Stephane Duret, John Charles McLaughlin, Jed Peterson*, Erin West*. (*Actors´ Equity)

September 13, 2012
the cell, New York, New York

Robert Garcia, Justin Rudd image: Henry Josefsberg

Written by Dustin Lance Black
Directed and produced by Denis McCourt

In November 2008, Proposition 8 re-wrote the California state constitution to ban marriage for same-sex couples. In response, two couples, Sandy Stier and Kristin Perry, and Jeff Zarrillo and Paul Katami, filed suit against Proposition 8 in Federal Court. Representing them were Ted Olson and David Boies, most famous for representing the opposing sides in Bush v. Gore.

Olson and Boies argued in favor of broadcasting the trial live, and Republican-appointed Chief Judge Vaughn Walker agreed. Opponents of marriage equality filed an emergency appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, which blocked broadcasting.

This play begins on June 16, 2010, during the closing arguments of Perry v. Schwarzenegger. To challenge the legality of Proposition 8, the so-called “Marriage Protection Act,” which eliminated an entire cass of citizens from constitutional protections, and reversed the rights of same-sex couples to marry in California.

These court testimonies uncover the truth about marriage for gay and lesbian Americans, and demystifies the debate around marriage equality. They give the historical context of marriage, and the human cost of discrimination. They expose the arguments used to justify bans on marriage for same-sex couples.

Using the actual court transcripts from the landmark federal trial of California’s Prop. 8, and first-hand interviews, “8” lays bare both sides of the legal arguments in a moving 90-minute play.

A staged reading.

Cast includes: Richard Lewis Warren, Cheryl Turner, Alan Mandell, Ben Vereen, David Birney, David Fox-Brenton, Rober Garcia, Justin Rudd, Lisa Glass, Linda Slade, Toni Attell, Jonelle Allen, Joshua Gray, Chacko Vadaketh, Marcy Goldman, Paul Wong, Lyle Kanouse, Anthony Gruppuso.

Playwright Dustin Lance Black is an the screenwriter of “Milk” which won awards from the Academy Awards (Best Original Screenplay), Writers Guild of America (Best Original Screenplay), Writers Guild of America (Paul Selwin Civil Rights Award), American Film Institute Awards, and Film Independent’s Spirit Awards.

September 21, 2012
The Ernest Borgnine Theater, Scottish Rite Event Center, Long Beach, California

Tyler Ledon, Adam Huss image: Michael Lamont

Book by Patricia Cotter and David Elzer
Music by Lori Scarlett and David Manning Lyrics by Lori Scarlett
Directed by Michael Matthews
Musical direction by Gregory Nabours
Produced by Demand PRoductions, Peter Schneider and Celebration Theatre

Justin Rush is Hollywood’s biggest movie star. He has it all; a beautiful, devoted wife, more money than he knows what to do with, and a huge summer action blockbuster about to open. However, he finds it hard to keep his secrets in our celebrity-obsessed culture.

Justin’s wife Amanda, is rumored to be under some sort of “contract,” and getting frustrated by the growing questioning of her husband’s sexuality. When Chris Andrews, his publicist’s assistant and Mitchell Matthews, her old high school sweetheart (and now tabloid photojournalist), enter their lives, things get complicated.

What if the hottest movie star had a big secret? What if the rumors were true? Will any major movie star ever come out, or will they hide in the closet? Someone has to go first. Will it be Justin Rush?

Cast includes: Adam Huss, Grant Jordan, Tyler Ledon, Ciaran McCarthy, Sabrina Miller, Alfton Quast, Adam Joseph Reich, Terrance Spencer, Carrie St.Louis, Alet Taylor, Gina Torrecilla.

September 21, 2012
Celebration Theatre, 7051B Santa Monica Blvd., Hollywood, California

Tops: Sébastien Neault, Hugo Charland Bottoms: Bryan Libero, Martin Provost image: Davyn Ryall

Music and lyrics by Tim Evanicki and Esther Daack
Original French Translation by Baptiste Duval
Additional Text Translation by Stéphane Turgeon 
 Choreography by Nadia Verrucci
Musical Direction and key board by Jeff Louch
Directed by Davyn Ryall
Produced by Village Scene Productions

Join Benjy as he visits his friendly, neighbourhood bathhouse for the first time. There he meets your favorite bathhouse icons: Maurice, David, and Teddy, among others. While he is seeks love, he soon realizes that the other patrons are looking for something a little more temporary.

Here is everything you ever wanted to know about the bathhouse boys, but were afraid to ask. See what goes on behind those closed doors. A rib-tickling, ass-slapping, toe-tapping, high camp, all-male burlesque musical, with plenty of scantily clad men.

Songs include: “Friendly Neighborhood Bathhouse,” “Bathhouse ABCs,” “The Steam Room,” “Clicking For Dick,” “The Workout,” “In The Shower,” “The Seduction Tango,” and “Hottie Revival.”

Cast includes: Hugo Charland, Bryan Libero, Sébastien Neault, Martin Provost, Ricky Smith, Stéphane Turgeon.

Adult themes, partial nudity. For mature audiences with a high tolerance of being offended.

en Français: October 3, 2012
in English: October 7, 2012
Salle Paul Buissonneau - Art Neuf at the Centre Culturel Calixa-Lavallée, 3819, rue Calixa-Lavallée Montréal, Quebec, Canada

Rick Andreoli JayPG Photography

Written and directed by Kelly Maglia
Produced by Kelly Maglia Vertical Theatre

Inspired by classic fairytales in which the very gay “Fool” helps guide his best gal pal. She takes on the identities of several iconic fairytale characters in her search for love and self.

Part cabaret, musical, and rock concert, “Once Upon a Pole” uses high-flying acrobatic pole dance as a primary story-telling device with singers, dancers, aerialists and actors.

Cast includes: Rick Andreoli and Kelly Maglia.

October 12, 2012
Club Fais Do Do, Los Angeles, California

Trekkie Monster, Lucy the Slut image: Doma Theatre

Written by Jeff Whitty
Music and lyrics by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx
Directed by Richard Israel
Musical direction by Chris Raymond
Produced by Doma Theatre Company

The place is New York City and the street is Avenue Q, the only address you can afford when you’re fresh out of college, or out of a job, or just trying to find your way in life. On this street singing puppets, and their human neighbors, tackle life’s most vexing issues: love, sex, money, race and how to tell your roommate he’s gay.

An irreverent take on the joys and travails of making it on one’s own, Avenue Q is a musical for grown-ups. After a run lasting more than six years and 2,534 performances, the Broadway production of Avenue Q ranks in the top 25 longest running shows in Broadway history. The only Tony Award-winning musical ever to proclaim, “It sucks to be us.”

Cast includes: Benai Boyd, Janelle Dote, Danielle Judovits, Chris Kauffmann, Chris Kerrigan, Libby Letlow, Mark Whitten.

November 9, 2012
MET Theatre, Los Angeles, California

Cast of Dirty Little Showtunes! image: ?

A six-man musical sweet, smart, sassy, sexy, and satirical parody, that has been called “funny and sharp” as well as “extravagantly clever” and “inspired lunacy.”

“Dirty Little Showtunes!” marries Broadway’s greatest melodies with the lyrics of matchless parodist Tom Orr for a rollicking look at gay life, love, and lust.

Cast includes: Ryan Dominguez, Terry Huber, Tom Orr, Ben Reece, Raul Valenzuela, Tom Warrick.

November 9, 2012
Desert Rose Playhouse at The Commissary, Rancho Mirage, California

Jason Stuart image: Shannon Youngclaus

Written, directed, produced, and performance by Jason Stuart

Jason Stuart provides an evening of laugh out loud, stand-up comedy.

Since 1983, he was the first openly gay comedian to headline mainstream comedy clubs in the USA. Jason came out publicly in 1993 on the “Geraldo” show, in an episode called “Unconventional Comedians.”

Jason has been in more than 150 film and TV shows, and starred in his own hour special — called “Jason Stuart: Making It to the Middle” — on the Gay Network. For two decades, he has headlined clubs all over the country.

Jason is the national chairperson for the “SAG AFTRA LGBT Committee.” He is the comedy chair for “Lifeworks” at the Los Angeles Gay Lesbian Center, producing and performing in their annual benefits in Hollywood where Jason also mentors gay youth.

“This guy is lightly quick and very funny.” - The Serious Comedy Site

“Jason Stuart has always been ahead of our time. He paved the road for gay entertainers in Hollywood and gave them courage to be themselves.” - Los Angeles Times

Also see Jason Stuart’s listing in our Touring Performers article.

November 17, 2012
Ice House Comedy Club, Pasadena, California

David Marshall, Tyrone Davis, Jr. image: Joel Bischoff

Written by Adam Bock
Directed by Misti B. Wills
Produced by: Jump for Joy Productions

In New York City, three brides-to-be in their 20s are on the bar crawl to end all crawls. They find their lives topsy-turvy when one of them questions her future after a chance encounter with a recently-jilted, handsome stranger.

Central to the story is a love story between two men in this wildly theatrical take on the mystique of marriage, and the ever-shifting nature of love and identity. Featured are tap-dancing, wing-man Eddie, and the girls’ boss, Bob the baker, in their own bumbling attempts to make a connection.

Cast includes: Samantha Payne Garland, Jen Ponton, Kelly Strandemo, Nicholas Cocchetto, David Marshall, Tyrone Davis, Jr.

November 30, 2012
Workshop Theater Main Stage, New York, New York

David Trudell image: Christopher Glenn Hertrich

Written and performed by David Trudell
Directed by Michael Kearns
Produced by Katselas Theatre Company

An autobiographical comedy about a small town boy who moves to Hollywood and plunges into the choppy waters of coming out, absurd hookups, Sunday night clubs, 9-to-5 office drudgery, and facing his own mortality; all while trying to find his “glow” and maintain his dignity at the Hollywood/Wilcox police station.

David is a writer, actor, comedian, originally from upstate New York, and has lived in Los Angeles for more than 23 years. He has studied with Michael Kearns, the Lee Strasberg Theatre, and the Film Institute in West Hollywood.

This is the premiere production of “In Heat in Hollywood Ho Ho Ho.”

December 1, 2012
Skylab at The Skylight Theatre, Los Angeles, California

Written by Dustin Lance Black
Directed by Richard Waterhouse
Produced by Chandler Center for the Arts

A staged reading of a chronicle of the historic trial in the federal constitutional challenge to California’s Proposition 8.

Witness what happened at the Proposition 8 trial. See inequality and discrimination unequivocally rejected in a court of law, where truth and facts matter. Hear the testimonies which clarify that marriage equality is a basic constitutional right.

Cast includes: Paul Arthaud, Dan Butler, Alan Gelfant, Andra Kisler, Jason Lorber, Justin Quackenbush, Suzanne Schon.

Writer Dustin Lance Black won an Academy Award in 2009 for his script of “Milk.” He is also a founding member of American Foundation for Equal Rights (AFER), which was the sole sponsor of Perry v. Schwarzenegger (now known as Hollingsworth v Perry), the successful federal suit to nullify California’s Proposition 8.

Under license from AFER and Broadway Impact (theater community and fans support of marriage equality), with cooperation from Vermont Freedom to Marry.

December 1, 2012
Chandler Center for the Arts, Randolph, Vermont

John R. Lewis (Hedwig #2), Anastasia Bonaccorso (Hedwig #7) image: Peter Liu

Written by John Cameron Mitchell
Music and lyrics by Stephen Trask
Directed by Nick Olivero
Produced by David Gluck and Nick Olivero

Hedwig, the front singer and would-be glam-rock star from East Germany, undergoes a botched gender change operation in order to escape from the Soviet bloc, only to watch the Berlin Wall come down on TV after being abandoned in a trailer park in middle America. Hedwig gets involved with Tommy, an adolescent boy who steals her songs and becomes a stadium-filling musical act. Suffering from a broken heart and a lust for revenge, she follows Tommy’s tour, playing with her band (the Angry Inch) at tacky theme restaurants.

Since its opening night on December 5, 2012, this show has become a must-see, San Francisco theatrical cult classic, garnering a loyal cadre of fans who keep returning, often lip-synching with the cast. This is the production that has distinguished itself from all other revivals of Hedwig by featuring eight actors sharing the role of Hedwig at every performance: gay and straight, old and young, black, white, Latino and Asian, this rainbow cast turns the classic tale of “this little slip of a girly-boy from communist East Berlin” into a story about all of us.

Rotating cast includes: Arturo Galster, Jason Brock, Amy Lizardo, Teresa Attridge, Connie Champagne, CC Sheldon.

“High-spirited, ass-kicking, octave-twisting energy” - Robert Sokol, SF Examiner

“Works beautifully … one Hedwig takes over seamlessly from another … it feels as if the show was meant to be done this way.” - Buck Wolf, Weird News

December 5, 2012
Boxcar Theatre, San Francisco, California

Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles image: Ed Krieger    Vox Femina Los Angeles image: Kawabori Photography

L.A.’s biggest, Emmy-nominated holiday show. Representing the many neighborhoods and cultures of L.A., celebrating the holiday season in this free, three-hour extravaganza of pop, traditional and world music.

Christmas and Hanukkah songs and dances from more than 20 choirs, music ensembles and dance companies.

Highlights:

Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles
     GMCLA sings for a future free from homophobia and all other discrimination.
Vox Femina Los Angeles
     40-women choir gives women voice through the performance of quality choral
     literature. Diverse in culture, age, race, belief and sexual identity, we
     are a chorus committed to commissioning new works and raising awareness about
     issues that affect us as a family of women. Through music, we aim to create a
     world that affirms the worth and dignity of every person.
Invertigo Dance Theatre
     Creating and building a pre-eminent reputation for dance theater that is
     exciting, thought-provoking and accessible.
Las Cafeteras
     Mexican folk and Afro-Caribbean rhythms - Building autonomy, community and
     solidarity through music.
Pacifico Dance Company
     Performance and preservation of traditional Mexican dance.
Shakti Dance Company
     Classical dance of southern India
Shin Dance Company
     Performing an authentic Korean Drum Dance.
     Shin is dedicated to promoting Chinese culture through the beauty of dance arts.
Spirit Chorale of Los Angeles
     Preserving music of African-American composers; especially the Negro spiritual.

December 24, 2012 - 3-6pm
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion at the Music Center, 135 N. Grand Ave., Los Angeles, California
Wheelchair accessible
Free event, plus free on-site parking
Information: 213-972-3099

Broadcast:

        Live on KCET TV 3-6 pm; re-broadcast 8-11 pm
        Streaming at kcet.org Web site
        Live on KPFK 90.7 FM radio

Writers include: Sean Chandler, David Leeper, Adam Siegel, Dylan Costello, George Smart, Leo Schwartz
Directors include: John Nasca, Andrew Souders, David Zak, Derek Bertelsen
Produced by Pride Films and Plays

This is the second annual festival of enhanced staged readings of new works in the “Great Gay Play and Musical Contest.”

Pride Films and Plays producers:
David Zak, executive director
John Nasca, Andrew Souders, artistic associates

* = Artistic Ensemble Members in writeups below.

April 13-15, 2012
Pride Films and Plays
Hoover-Leppen Theater, Center on Halsted, 3656 N Halsted, Chicago, Illinois
Information: 773-250-3112; pridefilmsandplays@gmail.com

Lost in History Fred Tumas, Patrick Rybarczyk image: David Zak    Written by Adam Siegel Directed by Andrew Souders Ben Goldfarb cares for his demanding father, who lives at a nursing home, while trying to have a baby through a surrogate. His father gets a new roommate, Isaac Strauss, a famous psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor. Ben will learn more about his father, Isaac, and himself in this powerful drama of family and history. Cast includes: *Patrick Rybarczyk, Fred Tumas, Jerry Miller. April 13, 2012 - 7:30pm

Mr. Teddy Mark Boergers, Jude Hansen, Mark Smaglinski image: David Zak    Written by George Smart Directed by *Derek Bertelsen An exploration of the sexy and complex dynamics of a long-term relationship between three men who are a part of the gay subculture where role playing is the norm and a way of life. “Daddies” Alex and Marc have enjoyed 10 years together with their “son” Teddy, until their friend Joan confronts them and tests their definition of family. Cast includes: *Jude Hansen, *Mark Smaglinski, Kyra Morris, Teddy Boone, Mark Boergers, Alex Wolking. April 14, 2012 - 4:30pm

Hello Norma Jeane Michelle McKenzie-Voigt, Chad Ryan, Rachel Payne image: David Zak    Written by Dylan Costello Directed by John Nasca Joe’s grandmother admits her deepest secret; she is, in fact, Marilyn Monroe, coming out 50 years after faking her death in 1962. Joe’s search for the truth, his self-worth, and his love for his grandmother are tested to the limit in this funny drama that is full of surprises. Cast includes: *Kris Hyland, *Michelle McKenzie-Voigt, *Chad Ryan, *Kelli Walker, Rachel Payne. David Geinosky. April 14, 2012 - 7:30pm

At the Flash Lee Wichman image: David Zak    Written by Sean Chandler and David Leeper Directed by David Zak A fictitious gay bar called “The Flash” is seen through the eyes of five characters whose stories are told through a series of inter-woven scenes representing LGBT history from the 1960s. A solo tour-de-force performance. Cast: *Lee Wichman. April 15, 2012 - 1:30pm

Under a Rainbow Flag Kris Hyland, John Landvick Bobby Arnold, Nick Stockwell, Meghan Murphy, Colin Sphar, Tom Chiola image: David Zak    Written by Leo Schwartz Directed by David Zak Musical direction by Robert Ollis From 1943-1951, Navy Medical Corpsman Jon Philips finds love, joy and loss in the company of other gay men, both stateside and on the battle field, during World War II. This musical is based on real events in the life of Navy Corpsman, Jon Philips, resident of Evanston, Illinois, and is the first musical to be named a finalist in the “Great Gay Play and Musical Contest.” Cast includes: *Tom Chiola, *Kris Hyland, Bobby Arnold, Jon Landvick, Meghan Murphy, Colin Sphar, Nick Stockwell. April 15, 2012 - 4:30

Ann L. Gibbs image: Dan Berkowitz

Produced by Alliance of LA Playwrights (ALAP)

Seven new gay-themed short plays and one new full-length, chosen by a panel of judges (including Bill Kaiser, editor/founder of the Purple Circuit).

Ann L. Gibbs is host and narrator for both programs.

Shorts

   The Skanky Ho and Her Halfwit Brother
        Written and directed by Dan Berkowitz
        Cast: Dan Berkowitz, Ann Ryerson
   Flight
        Written by Joe Godfrey
        Directed by Eva Minemar
        Cast: Dan Berkowitz, Gregory Zarian
   Significant Others
        Written by Susan C. Hunter
        Directed by Linda L. Rand
        Cast: Babbie Green, Nancy Lantis
   Coffee and Paul
        Written by B. V. Marshall
        Directed by Allison Bibicoff
        Cast: Elliott Goldwag, Charls Hall, Kelly Schumann, Gwen Van Dam
   Date’N Switch
        Written by Felix Racelis
        Directed by Maggie Grant
        Cast: Samm Hill, Robert Keasler, Susan Sommer
   Moon Dancers
        Written by Mary Steelsmith
        Directed by Susan Stangl
        Cast: Clara Sao, Dana Vigran
   The Tao of Fruit
        Written by Lucy Wang
        Directed by Pamela Forrest
        Cast: Barika Croom, West Liang, Ken Narasaki, Jaime Tintor

Full-length Play

   In the Name of the Son
        Written and directed by Brian Raine
        Cast: Amanda Abel, Joseph Arellano, Barth Benedict, Michelle Faraone

June 18, 2012 (shorts)
June 23, 2012 (full-length play)
Celebration Theatre, Los Angeles, California
Alliance Hotline: 323-696-2527

Free presentations by writers, archivists, performers, artists, and activists. These events take place in the ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives, which houses the world’s largest research library on gay, lesbian, bisexual,and transgendered heritage and concerns.

Produced by ONE Archives and Bill Kaiser, Culture Series chair

ONE Archives, 909 W. Adams Blvd., Los Angeles, California
Wheelie accessible with obstacles
FREE - no reservations
Information: 213-741-0094; purplecir@aol.com

See Web site for GLBT comedy listings in San Francisco, as well as worldwide.

QComedy Showcase occurs on the first Monday of each month.
Mama Calizo’s, 1519 Mission St., San Francisco, California
Information and comedy bookings: Nick Leonard, 415-533-9133; nickdammit@gmail.com