A Gay Theater Company in Columbus, Ohio
I am honored to have been recently appointed to the Board of
Directors of the Evolution Theatre Company [ETC] here in Columbus, Ohio. I suspect that my appointment has something
to do with my theatrical adventures in acting and directing since I retired from
teaching over ten years ago (16 shows in all) and my involvement in gay rights
in this city. The latter is particularly
important because ETC has made the decision to change its mission to performing
exclusively LGBT plays and musicals starting with the 2015 season. This is an exciting endeavor, and I’m also
pleased that I’ve been selected to direct one of the plays” “The
Temeramentals.” It’s the incredible
story of Harry Hay and the Mattachine Society, the gay rights organization that
was formed in 1950 (!), an era when gay men could be arrested for simply
holding hands in a restaurant. For more
on Harry Hay and the terrors of that era see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mattachine_Society.
I’m much looking forward to helping ETC
explore this important part of gay history up on our stage.
 |
| Harry Hay (upper left) and the Mattachine Society's First Christmas |
Evolution Theatre Company has also tasked its Board members
with raising money for the company, and one way of doing this is through the
sale of subscriptions for the coming season at rock bottom prices (two plays,
two musicals—for a list of the 2015 shows see http://evolutiontheatre.org/Home_Page.html). The four shows are also described below. A subscription to the season made before
January 1st can be had for the incredibly low sum of $50 per person
(as opposed to paying a total of $90 at the box office for all four
shows). A subscription to the Preview
performances is half that amount! To
subscribe go to http://evolutiontheatre.org/Box_Office.html.
If you are interested in helping support live LGBT theater
in the Columbus area, please help us out.
A donation or a sponsorship would be fantastic, but at the very least
please consider buying these subscriptions for yourself and your partner, loved
ones, or friends. Like all theatrical
companies in town, ETC (which pays its actors and crew) needs funding to keep going,
but also filling up the seats in the various performances is vital. The contact information is below, and if you
do decide to support us in any way, remember that Board members are being
evaluated on whether they can raise money, so please also mention my name and
help me keep my seat.
Many thanks, fellow theatergoers.
Douglas Whaley
EVOLUTION THEATRE
COMPANY
PURCHASE A SEASON SUBSCRIPTION
AND SAVE NEARLY 45%!
Purchase
a subscription by January 1, 2015 for only $50! (a $90 value)
or,
and this is really an incredible value:
Purchase
a PREVIEW subscription (first Wednesday) for only $25! (a $40 value)
Our
2015 Season
[See Clearer Descriptions Below]
[See Clearer Descriptions Below]
Preview Wed. May
27, 8 PM; Performances Thurs. - Sat. May 28 - June 6, 8 PM Sun. May 31, 2 PM
YANK! explores what it
means to be a man, and what it is to fall in love and struggle to survive in a
time and place where the odds are stacked against you. Suffused with songs
(swing, big band, boogie-woogie) it explores what stories get told in wartime,
and how WWII became the great catalyst in bringing gay men and women together.
While the characters in Yank! are fictional, all of the situations and
viewpoints come directly from memoirs and oral histories of gay (and straight)
service members who took part in WWII.
The
Temperamentals by Jon Marans July 8 – 18
Preview Wed. July
8, 8 PM; Performances Thurs. - Sat. July 9 - 26, 8 PM Sun. July 12, 2 PM
“Temperamentals” was a code word for homosexuals in the early 1950s, part of
a created language of secret words that gay men used to communicate. The
Temperaments tells the story of two men - the communist Harry Hay and
the Viennese refugee and designer Rudi Gernreich - as they fall in love while
building the first gay rights organization, along with Chuck Rowland, Bob Hull,
and Dale Jennings, in the pre-Stonewall United States. It is a true story. This
production is lovingly dedicated to the memory Barbara Sokol.
Sordid
Lives by
Del Shores September 16 – 26
Preview Wed. Sept.
16, 8 PM; Performances Thurs - Sat. Sept 17 - 26, 8 PM Sun. Sept. 20, 2 PM
This
comedy was nominated for over thirty awards during its long run in Los Angeles.
Sordid Lives puts a comedic twist on a story of unconditional
love, acceptance and "coming out" in a Texas family, as they all
converge for the matriarch's funeral. Their lives intertwine, giving each a new
perspective, honesty, and meaning.
Zanna
Don’t Book, music and
lyrics by Tim Acito; additional lyrics by Alexander Dinelaris Nov. 11 - 21
Preview Wed. Nov
11, 8 PM; Performances Thurs - Sat. Nov
12 - 21, 8 PM Sun. Nov. 15, 2 PM
Welcome
to Heartsville High, set in a world where everyone is gay…well, almost
everyone. The big man on campus is both the chess champion and the captain of
the football team, made cool by being cast as the lead in the school musical.
The students write a controversial show called “Don’t ask, Don’t tell” about straight people in the military, which becomes the
catalyst for a young man and woman to fall in love. Enter Zanna, a magical,
musical fairy who, with a wave of his wand, brings true love to one and all.
Performances
are in the Van Fleet Theatre 549
Franklin Ave., Columbus, OH. Questions:
call or text Evolution Theatre Company, 614-233-1124 or email info@evolutiontheatre.org.
[Note: The above posters were created by my very talented graphic artist husband, David Vargo]
[Note: The above posters were created by my very talented graphic artist husband, David Vargo]
“A Guide to the Best
of My Blog,”
April 29, 2013 at http://douglaswhaley.blogspot.com/2013/04/a-guide-to-best-of-my-blog.html
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