Queer Theatre-Taking Center Stage

Diversionary’s Queer Theatre program gives voice to the stories of LGBT people, and is supported by a grant from The James Irvine Foundation.  The program honors the ideas, the energy and commitment people have made to write LGBT stories.  More than 70 new plays with LGBT themes get submitted to the program each year.

 

January 27-29
Dance/Theatre 2011
Artistic Director: Peter G. Kalivas

 

New dance works inspired by past Diversionary productions.  Underwritten in part by the California Institute for Contemporary Arts.

Wednesday, December 8

A Reading of Our Gay Apparel

 

From Christmas 1995 thru Christmas 1999, Diversionary Theatre presented the comedy Our Gay Apparel as a holiday offering to the community.   Written by late Artistic Director Robert Joseph, the play was a tradition for five years – the only play in Diversionary’s 25-year-history produced that many times.

 

“The play was first presented 15 years ago,” said Dan Kirsch, Diversionary’s Executive & Artistic Director.  “The LGBT community has come a long way since then, but there are still people coming out every day, having to hide their identity, worried about what their parents will say or do, wondering if they will be loved.  If we remind ourselves of that, we can laugh along with this story and be grateful that we’ve come as far as we have.”

 

The story: Alice invites five friends to celebrate the holidays at her wealthy parents’ mountain cabin.  Alice hasn’t told her parents she’s a lesbian, and surprise(!), the parents show up and everyone has to pretend to be heterosexual – the flannel-shirt wearing lesbian has to don a dress, and the fey boy has to get out of his Diana Ross-like singing group drag and don a suit.  Time to butch (or femme) it up!

 

To celebrate their 25th Anniversary, Diversionary will do a one-night reading of Our Gay Apparel on Wednesday, December 8 at 7:30pm.  Kirsch will direct, and the reading will feature Diversionary alums Karson St. John (The Little Dog Laughed, [title of show]), Tony Houck (Anita Bryant Died For Your Sins, [title of show], Scrooge in Rouge), Heather Paton ([title of show]), John Martin (It’s a Fabulous Life and the 1996 production of Our Gay Apparel), Kevane La’Marr Coleman (As Much As You Can), Kate Hewitt (Looking for Normal, Corpus Christi), Rayme Sciaroni (music and lyrics, The Daddy Machine and director of Scrooge in Rouge).  Wendy Maples of InnerMission’s Dog Sees God rounds out the cast.

 

L-R, Top Row: Kate Hewitt, Kevane La’Marr Coleman, Tony Houck, Wendy Maples

Bottom Row: John Martin, Heather Paton, Karson St. John, Rayme Sciaroni

 

The reading of Our Gay Apparel also celebrates the artistic leadership of Robert Joseph, one of only seven who have held artistic or executive leadership in Diversionary’s 25-year history (Thom Vegh, Reuel Olin, Robert Joseph, Gail Feldman, Wayne Tibbets, Chuck Zito and Dan Kirsch).  He also wrote the comedy-thriller nooses, knives and lovers, the first play in Diversionary’s then-new space on Park Boulevard in 1994.  Robert resigned his role in 1995 and planned to do more writing, but unexpectedly died the following year.  David Yoder, the director of the 1995 premiere of Our Gay Apparel, wrote these notes about Robert and the production: “Robert wrote Our Gay Apparel in an attempt to address a need many gay and lesbian have around the holiday season.  In his own words, ‘a lot of us reach a point where we’re not comfortable being with our families for whatever reason – because we’re not out or because, especially in contemporary society, we’re so far away from where our families live, that we have to turn to each other to develop our own traditions and be family for each other.’  With craft, intelligence, humor and not too little camp, Robert achieved in creating a play that speaks to our community.”

 

David continues, “Robert was about creating opportunities – opportunities for actors, designers, playwrights, technicians, volunteers and directors.  He attempted to provide a nurturing environment for gays and lesbians to enact what our own lives are about.  A place where we can blossom and grow from a comfortable place by just being who we are.  He said that we all have a cloak or a disguise to make ourselves comfortable in the world.  He provided an opportunity for us to take off our disguises and be who we are with other people who will love us and welcome us and just let us be.”

 

Diversionary Theatre was started in 1986.  The mission of the theatre is to produce plays with gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender themes that portray characters in their complexity and diversity both historically and contemporarily. 

 

Our Gay Apparel  will have one reading on Wednesday, December 8 at 7:30pm.  Tickets are  $12 general admission, $9 for Diversionary subscribers and $6 student rush.  For information, call the box office at 619.220.0097 or log on to www.diversionary.org.

See our archives page for more information on this past event.

September 16-19

Always a Bridesmaid, Never a Groom

Written and performed by Robin Tyler

 

A hilarious multi-media romp through LGBT history, including the Marriage Equality movement. From Marches on Washington, to not-so-pretty breakups with ex-lovers, Robin’s show exposes three decades of lesbian and gay history through Comedy, and at times, Tragedy, leading up to Robin and her (now spouse), Diane Olson’s, historic California Supreme Court marriage case.

See our archives page for more information on this past event.

September 30, October 1-4

World Premiere!

Sextet

Music and Libretto by Nicolas Reveles

Directed by Cynthia Stokes

 

An exploration of gay male desire...set to music!  What do Walt Whitman, the rapture, and a gay bath house all have in common? Sextet sheds light on various aspects of gay desire: for community, for power, for acceptance, for family, for sex and for love. Reveles is The Geisel Director of Education and Outreach for the San Diego Opera. Stokes recently directed Romeo and Juliet for the San Diego Opera. Underwritten in part by The James Irvine Foundation.

 

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Monday, November 15
A Reading of Lunch and Dessert

 

Lunch and Dessert were the first plays that launched Diversionary in November 1986 at the West Coast Production Company (WCPC). Your table awaits you for a hilarious serving of human relationships!  Get ready for generous serving of laughter as Steve tries to hold on to Zane, Carla tires to get hold of Estelle, and Vince simply tries to finish his sushi burrito!

 

L-R: Tony Houck, Clay Pruitt, Kevane La’Marr Coleman, Dana Hooley, Jacque Wilke, Heather Paton, Ira Spector.

 

Lunch by Philip Real.  Two ultra-contemporary gay men whose relationship disintegrates over an extended meal at a New Wave restaurant. Directed by Ira Spector.  Featuring Tony Houck, Clay Pruitt, Dana Hooley and Kevane La’Marr Coleman.

 

Dessert by Philip Real.  A first date between two very different women – an aggressive lesbian and a quirky-but-shy straight type.  Each has something to learn about and from each other.  Directed by Ira Spector.  Featuring Jacque Wilke and Heather Paton.

 

Monday, November 15 at 7:30pm.  Tickets: $12 general admission, $9 for Diversionary subscribers, $6 student rush.  Order online or by phone at 619.220.0097.

 

Philip Real has fond memories of Diversionary's original production of Lunch and Dessert (thanks, Thom Vegh!) His plays have been produced in San Francisco at Theatre Rhinoceros, The Marsh, and the New Conservatory Theatre, at Future Ten in Pittsburgh, and at Celebration Theatre in Los Angeles. He hopes Diversionary Theatre has another exciting 25 years and beyond.