Pride Films and Plays to Open New Arts Center

Pride Films and Plays, the LGBTQ+ focused company founded in 2010, will take up residence in the two theaters at 4139 and 4147 N. Broadway in Uptown that were recently vacated by Profiles Theatre, Executive Director David Zak announced today. The 90-seat space at 4139 N. Broadway will serve as the primary venue for the company's stage productions and will be named The Broadway. The 50-seat studio a few doors north at 4147 N. Broadway, to be dubbed The Buena, will serve chiefly as a rental venue. Zak says "We will welcome arts groups of all types - theaters, film fests, comics, musicians, performance artists - who share our mission to speak for the underrepresented populations of our community. The Pride Arts Center will be a safe and open place for all artists."

46th Ward Alderman James Cappleman said, "We enthusiastically welcome Pride Films and Plays to Uptown. Performing arts organizations enhance the quality of life, bring economic activity and promote safety in our neighborhoods. We are thrilled to know that the tradition of Live Theatre on this block of Broadway will continue virtually uninterrupted."

The company's next production, Resolution - a world premiere by Heather McNama and Nancy Nyman - will be staged at Rivendell Theatre in October as previously announced. The first production to be staged by Pride Films and Plays in the new Center will open in January, 2017. Both the 90-seat Broadway and the 50-seat Buena are currently available for rentals. Interested producing companies may inquire by calling 1-800-737-0984 or e-mailing prideartschicago@gmail.com.

ABOUT PRIDE FILMS AND PLAYS
The mission of Pride Films and Plays is to change lives through the generation of diverse new work (or work that is new to Chicago) with LGBTQ+ characters or themes that is essential viewing for all audiences. We accomplish this mission through fully-staged productions, writing contests and staged readings, film screenings, and special events. We foster long term relationships with artists to create programming that is as diverse, unique, and complex as the community we represent. In 2015, Huffington Post called PFP "A powerful and empowering entity." The artistic leadership of the company includes artistic associates John Nasca, Amber Snyder, Patrick Rybarczyk, Edward Fraim and Nelson Rodriguez and Robert Ollis.

PFP's 2016 season began with Ten Dollar House at Piccolo Theatre followed by the world premiere of David Valdes Greenwood's Raggedy And at Rivendell, and The Boys Upstairs at Mary's Attic. Next up is the world premiere of BITE: A Pucking Queer Cabaret opening July 11 at Mary's Attic. The year of main productions will conclude with the world premiere of Resolution, by Heather McNama and Nancy Nyman, winner of PFP's 2015 LezPlay Contest, at Rivendell October 20 to November 20.

In addition, our script and screenplay development programs continue throughout the year at Center on Halsted, including this weekend's Gay Play Weekend each spring, LezPlay (October 7-9) featuring plays and screenplays written by women with lesbian characters or themes, and Gay Film Weekend (November 11-13) featuring LGBTQ+ screenplays and screenings.

A PFP special event coming up is LezFest, on July 18 at Mary's Attic.

Pride Films and Plays is supported by The Alphawood Foundation, The MacArthur Fund for Arts & Culture at The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, The Illinois Arts Council, City of Chicago's City Arts Fund, the Elliott Fredland Charitable Trust, Proud to Run, and the AmazonSmile Foundation. PFP is a member of the Smart Growth Program of the Chicago Community Trust, the LGBT Chamber of Commerce of Illinois, and the League of Chicago Theaters.

For more information, visit www.pridefilmsandplays.com or call 1 800 737 0984