About Face Theatre to Present OM MISSION, Limited Engagement for Pride Month
This theatrical celebration runs June 20-28 at The Bookspan at The Den Theatre.
About Face Theatre will present OM Mission, a special, limited engagement event for Pride Month, to be held at The Den Theater for two weekends only. This spellbinding and joyful journey through stories, music, and ritual amplifies the lives and legacies of Black lesbians. Co-created and performed by award-winning artists Zahra Baker and Shanta Nurullah and directed by Kezia Waters, this theatrical celebration runs June 20-28 at The Bookspan at The Den Theatre.
Co-creators Zahra and Shanta set out on an adventure to find stories of Black lesbians in the public archive. At first they are met with silence and gaps, until they come to discover unexpected and remarkable unsung histories of some loud and out Blues women of the 1920s and ‘30s. Gathering inspiration from the past, these visionary performers build a vibrant and joyful tribute that shines a light on Black lesbians today. Along your journey with them, you’ll get to add your voice to the growing chorus of people building a future that is safe and inclusive for all.
Through a combination of performance, ritual, and communal storytelling, this collaborative team aims to disrupt erasure, amplify Black lesbian narratives, and invite audiences into a brave, joy-filled space of remembrance and transformation.
OM Mission was originally commissioned and produced as part of About Face Theatre’s KICKBACK festival in partnership with the Stony Island Arts Bank. The show has since been featured as part of Chicago, Live! Festival on Navy Pier and other venues.
Director Kezia Waters, in collaboration with Baker and Nurullah, aims to “create a space where Queer Black histories are not only redressed but celebrated like a rotating kaleidoscope.” Waters envisions “a living archive, an embodied celebration, and a call for visibility.”
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