Dates: 7/18/2025 - 7/27/2025
📍 Theatre: Open Space Arts
1411 W. Wilson Ave.
Chicago, IL 60640
Phone: 7732933682
Tickets: 30.00
Les Kurkendaal-Barrett presents a solo performance that brings to life the story of William Dorsey Swann, the first known drag performer and queer activist in U.S. history. Set against the backdrop of the 1880s, the show intertwines Swann's legacy with Kurkendaal-Barrett's personal experiences as a Black, gay artist, exploring themes of love, visibility, and identity. Through a mixture of storytelling and theatricality, the performance reflects on the fight for recognition within marginalized communities and the significance of reclaiming erased narratives. The production runs from July 18 to July 27 at Open Space Arts in Chicago.
Before Stonewall. Before RuPaul. Before the word “drag” entered the mainstream, there was William Dorsey Swann—a formerly enslaved man who, in the 1880s, crowned himself “The Queen of Drag” and hosted underground balls in Washington, D.C.
What shows have played recently at Open Space Arts?
What shows are coming up next at Open Space Arts?
Where is Open Space Arts located?
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Adirondack Chair Circle Steppenwolf's Ensemble Theater (10/22-12/06) |
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Love Story: A Tribute to Taylor Swift Raue Center For The Arts (11/07-11/07) |
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Million Dollar Quartet Stolp Island Theatre (10/07-1/03) |
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The Christmas Carol Paramount Theatre (11/11-1/03) |
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Topdog/Underdog Steppenwolf's Downstairs Theater (9/17-11/01) |
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Blond Ambition: A Tribute to Madonna Raue Center For The Arts (11/07-11/07) |
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When We Were Young and Unafraid Greenhouse Theater Center (11/12-11/29) |
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for colored girls who considered suicide when the rainbow is enuf eta Creative Arts Foundation (11/08-11/29) |
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Annie Woodstock Opera House (11/13-11/29) |
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SIX (Boleyn Tour) Peoria Civic Center (11/17-11/19) |
