Quince Productions’ GayFest! puts the spotlight on gay theater
From “one-night stands” to longer-running shows, the fourth annual Gayfest!, presented by Quince Productions, offers a wealth of entertainment during its multi-week run throughout multiple venues in Center City.
From "one-night stands" to longer-running shows, the fourth annual GayFest!, presented by Quince Productions, offers a wealth of entertainment during its multi-week run throughout multiple venues in Center City.
The LGBT theater festival features four mainstage shows, shorter running productions, and one-night-only performances from now until Saturday, Aug. 23.
Here are some shows you've just got to see during monthlong festival.
The lives of a drag queen and his lesbian friend are changed one summer after meeting a secretive woman in Provincetown during "Some Are People," playing at the Plays and Players Theater. A low-priced preview performance of this mainstage show is Thursday, Aug. 7 at 7 p.m., and the show opens Saturday, Aug. 9 at 7 p.m. You can catch the show again on Wednesday, Aug. 13, Saturday, Aug. 16 (get chatty with the cast after the show, too), Friday, Aug. 22, and Saturday, Aug. 23 all at 7 p.m.
Another production with an extended showing is "The Haunted Host." The show, which features the main character's "ghost" appearing in real life, is celebrating its 50th anniversary and is also hitting the stage at the Plays and Players Theater. Previews are Friday, Aug. 8 at 7 p.m. and opening night falls on Saturday, Aug. 9 at 9 p.m. The show continues at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 14 and Friday, Aug. 15 (stay after the show for a cast talkback!) and Thursday, Aug. 21, 2 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 16 and 9 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 22.
The Skybox at the Adrienne Theater will be the home of "Next Fall," a show that outlines the course of a relationship between a gay Christian and his lover, and how a gay man can keep his faith. The dramedy opens on Wednesday, Aug. 13 at 7 p.m., but you can preview it prior on Monday, Aug. 11 also at 7 p.m. The rest of its run continues at 7 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 15, Monday, Aug. 18 (another cast talkback happens after this performance), Tuesday, Aug. 19, and Friday, Aug. 22. And for good measure, a 2 p.m. showtime on Saturday, Aug. 16.
A series of three short works by Daniel Talbott focused on bullying, loneliness and family comprise "You Know My Name: A Daniel Talbott Trio," opening Thursday, Aug. 14 at 7 p.m. A lower-priced preview takes place two days prior on Tuesday, Aug. 12 also at 7 p.m. You can see it all at the Adrienne Theater also on Saturday, Aug. 16, Sunday, Aug. 17, and Thursday, Aug. 21 (pick the brains of the cast after this show) at 7 p.m. and Friday, Aug. 22 at 9:30 p.m.
The festival offers a few special engagement productions as well, like "Standing on Ceremony," a look at same-sex marriages from different perspectives, playing at 7 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 10 at the Adrienne Theater and "Confessions of a Mormon Boy," a one-man show about excommunication, divorce, prostitution and drugs, opening at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 20 at the Adrienne Theater.
Among several "one-night stands," or one-night-only performances, are "The Homo Poe Show" (short plays inspired by Edgar Allan Poe), "Karma Came 'Round" (stories told with tarot cards and hip-hop), and more. All "one-night stands" take place at Plays and Players Theater at 7:30 p.m. and fall on Monday, Aug. 11, Tuesday, Aug. 12, Sunday, Aug. 17, Monday, Aug. 18, and Tuesday, Aug. 19.
For the complete entertainment schedule, take a peek at GayFest!'s event calendar.