GENERATION Q Series, THE OLDEST PROFESSION and More Set for The Rainbow Theatre Project's 2014-15 Season

After a successful inaugural season, The Rainbow Theatre Project has announced their second season of three evenings of staged readings, two fully-staged productions, a co-production and a cabaret that highlight, reflect and embrace the LGBTQ experience. The company's first season was comprised of five staged readings of early and contemporary works from the LGBTQ theatrical canon, including a concert version of recent Off-Broadway musical sensation YANK!.

"Our first season was about showing the range of LGBTQ plays from the early-twentieth century through the present. With our second season, we are taking the opportunity to expand on the type of stories we want to tell," says Producing Artistic Director H. Lee Gable.

The Rainbow Theatre Project will continue to stage readings at Source under the umbrella of the "Generation Q" series, which is dedicated to spotlighting new voices and new plays, and will also present a broader variety of projects at different locations around the city. The company hopes these, and other, program changes help expand its reach. "We're presenting a new play from our sister theatre, Brave Soul Collective, in an effort to reach to all parts of the LGBTQ community," adds Gable. "We are also expanding on the role of women in this season with more plays written by and more stories about women."

Generation Q readings include paired presentations of "The Betty & Veronica Plays" with My Night with Rock Hudson; I'm Just Saying with Swamp Gothic; and How to Separate Your Soul from Your Body (in ten easy steps) with A Quick Stop at the Florist. Fully-staged productions include Paula Vogel's The Oldest Profession; a double-bill of Big Hotel by Charles Ludlam and Vampire Lesbians of Sodom by Charles Busch (Die Mommie Die!, 2014); and a co-production of WTF Happened to Baby Sister? with Brave Soul Collective. Torch: songs from the gay life will be presented as a cabaret fundraiser next spring.

The Rainbow Theatre Project's 2014-2015 Season kicks off in October 2014. Artist updates will be made to the company's website as new actors and directors are added to projects. Ticketing information will also be made available as event dates draw closer.

THE RAINBOW THEATRE PROJECT 2014-2015 SEASON SCHEDULE

Monday, October 20, 2014 at 7:30 p.m.
Source • 1835 14th Street, NW
Generation Q: "The Betty & Veronica Plays" with My Night with Rock Hudson
Directed by Star Johnson and Christopher Janson

In this touching and revelatory series of short plays (Happy and Gay, Moon Dancers, Dancing with Ms. Liza and Dancing with Sherpas), playwright Mary Steelsmith trails friends Betty and Veronica over several decades as their relationship, and names, change right along with the times.

David Csontos redefines "awkward" as two couples embark on a double date at a triple-feature. It would be a great evening except that one of the guys would rather be on a date with the other guy and the two girls would prefer to be alone.

Monday, November 17, 2014 at 7:30 p.m.
Source • 1835 14th Street, NW
Generation Q: I'm Just Saying with Swamp Gothic
Directed by Connor Hogan and David A. Richardson

Jeffrey Higgins' world-premiere I'm Just Saying features two guys, one gay and one straight, who are lifelong friends living together when one takes his relationship with his girlfriend to the next level. A duel of spoken and unspoken words breaks out showcasing that the labels used in the past are becoming obsolete for who we are today.

Local favorite Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa (Say You Love Satan, 2014) offers up Swamp-Thing-Meets- Tennessee-Williams in Swamp Gothic. A handsome college student risks man-eating alligators, voodoo, zombies and an over-protective sister to find his equally handsome missing best friend.

Friday, November 21 and Saturday, November 22, 2014 at 8:00 p.m.
Source • 1835 14th Street, NW
WTF Happened to Baby Sister?
Co-production with Brave Soul Collective
Directed by James Foster, Jr.

Written by Thembi Duncan; conceived and directed by James Foster, Jr; and inspired by Michael Sainte- Andress, WTF Happened to Baby Sister? Is an outrageous play featuring performances by Jared Shamberger & Monte J. Wolfe as the Jenkins Sisters, glamorous drag ball icons, who've fallen on lean times. WTF provides a glimpse into Harlem's House/Ball Community, with drag performances, comedy, tragedy, battles, bondage, murder and a nod to more than one Diva of Old Hollywood.

Monday, February 9, 2015 at 7:30 p.m.
Source • 1835 14th Street, NW
Generation Q: How to Separate Your Soul from Your Body (in ten easy steps) with A Quick Stop at the Florist
Directed by TBD and David A. Richardson

How to Separate Your Soul... is a metaphysical comedy from Bryna Turner about what it means to love, to learn and to fall apart. While Ramona is off being seduced, literally and figuratively, by the academic lures of her Master's program, her partner Petra, an agoraphobic how-to blogger, begins an existential journey of her own with the help of a strange identity on the Internet.

The simple act of picking up wedding flowers turns into a verbal confrontation between two straight women over gay marriage in Steven Korbar's A Quick Stop at the Florist.

Tuesday, March 10, 2015
The Black Fox Lounge • 1723 Connecticut Avenue, NW
Torch: songs from the gay life
Conceived by H. Lee Gable
Directed by John Moletress

Music is the food for the soul. Judy Garland. Noel Coward. Cole Porter. Little Richard. David Bowie. The Village People. Bronski Beat. Boy George. ABBA. Donna Summer. Ricky Martin. Christian Chavez. These are just a few of the artists that provided the life soundtrack for so many in the LGBTQ community. Torch celebrates the songs we sang along with, danced to, made love by and underscored our coming out.

Thursday, June 4 - Monday, June 8, 2015 at 8:00 p.m.
Flashpoint • 916 G Street, NW
The Oldest Profession
Directed by Elizabeth Pringle

It's never too soon to start planning for retirement but as the Reagan era dawns, a group of Golden Girl- aged working girls must start facing the physical, financial, emotional and social realities of the Life. Can Pulitzer prize-winning playwright Paula Vogel's non-traditional family of unconventional women learn a few new tricks to keep them ahead of the game in The Oldest Profession?

Thursday, June 18 - Monday, June 22, 2015 at 8:00 p.m.
Flashpoint • 916 G Street, NW
Big Hotel and Vampire Lesbians of Sodom
Directed by Chris Griffin

The season closes with a campy, vampy, trampy double-feature in this supernatural smorgasbord. Absurdity is at an all-time-high in Charles Ludlam's Big Hotel where God and the Devil have a running bet that keep plots, genres, characters and every theatrical device you can shake a stick at colliding in this fast-paced romp.

Act Two of this double-bill sucks the audience into the two-thousand year rivalry of a pair of fatally seductive vamipresses who hail from the ancient kingdom of Sodom. Cover up your necks and lock up your inge?nues! The only thing Charles Busch's Vampire Lesbians of Sodom love more than the spotlight is hating each other. Eternal "frenemies" 'til the end!

About The Rainbow Theatre Project - The Rainbow Theatre Project is committed to being the premier theatre for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) community in the Nation's Capital by presenting plays and musicals that reflect the unique experiences, interests and history of the LGBTQ community.

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