Photos: AT THE WAKE OF A DEAD DRAG QUEEN At Story Theatre

The Story Theatre is over the moon to kick off Season V with a reimagined production of At the Wake of a Dead Drag Queen by Governing Ensemble member and Joseph Jefferson Award-winning playwright Terry Guest, directed by Joseph Jefferson Award-winning director Mikael Burke. See photos of the production.

The production features Governing Ensemble members Terry Guest and Paul Michael Thomson reprising their roles from The Story’s world premiere production of At the Wake of a Dead Drag Queen in Season II during the summer of 2019. In a moment when the art of drag has taken on increased political risk and resonance, when federal funding for HIV and AIDS resources hangs precariously in the balance and when the right to express oneself freely without fear of persecution is under attack, The Story is proud to reimagine this vital, deeply compassionate work.

Courtney Berringers would like to welcome you to her wake! But – make no mistake – this ain’t your grandma’s funeral. Loosely based on the life and death of playwright Terry Guest’s Uncle Anthony, At the Wake of a Dead Drag Queen is a one-act, two-hander play set in 2004 that centers Blackness, southern queerness and the fine art of drag. From African gods and goddesses to Trina and Whitney Houston, At the Wake of a Dead Drag Queen thoughtfully uses storytelling, drama and drag to explore identity, illness and the narratives we construct for ourselves. Come party at the wake. Bring your own heels!

This critically-acclaimed play about Black queer life, death and drag in the rural South is now extended through Sunday, May 18, 2025 on Raven Theatre’s Schwartz Stage, 6157 N. Clark St. (at Granville) in Chicago. Tickets are now on sale at thestorytheatre.org/tickets, ci.ovationtix.com/34415/production/1234667 or by calling (773) 338-2177. The press opening is Monday, April 28 at 7:30 pm.

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