Ohio Premiere Of AT THE WAKE OF A DEAD DRAG QUEEN Comes to Dobama Theatre

Dobama Theatre's 2023/24 mainstage season continues with the Ohio Premiere of AT THE WAKE OF A DEAD DRAG QUEEN by Terry Guest and directed by Preston Crowder. The production runs January 26 - February 18, 2024 at Dobama, Cleveland's Off-Broadway Theatre.

​Drag star Courtney Berringers welcomes you to her wake. She has recently died, but make no mistake, this isn't your grandma's funeral. There will be no black frocks, no perfumed flowers, and definitely no crying. This is a celebration. AT THE WAKE OF A DEAD DRAG QUEEN is a play about the fine art of drag - from African Gods and Goddesses to Trina and Whitney Houston. This irreverent, funny, and moving new play thoughtfully uses storytelling, drama, and drag to celebrate Blackness and southern queerness while exploring identity, illness, and the narratives we construct for ourselves. Come party at the wake and bring your own heels!

AT THE WAKE OF DEAD DRAG QUEEN has been produced across the United States, and playwright Guest has performed it himself several times. He recently achieved critical acclaim for the Chicago premiere of his new play, "The Magnolia Ballet," for which he received a grant from the National New Play Network's David Goldman Fund for Best New American Play.

Guest, who grew up in Albany, Georgia, recalls that when he was 15, his uncle "...sat me down and said, 'I am gay and I have AIDS' literally in the same conversation. I was in the closet, but was queer but was really conflicted by that. I was barely out of the closet to myself." His uncle died about a year after that conversation. "That was tough for me. It shoved me further in the closet and further into religion for a couple years, but I still had this interest in exploring his life and honoring him in some way, but I didn't know how." Guest felt that someday he would want to explore those complex feelings of inner turmoil, confusion and fear, which led him to AT THE WAKE OF A DEAD DRAG QUEEN. This fantastic play won an Out Front Theatre Spectrum Series Grant in 2018 and premiered in 2019 at The Story Theatre in Chicago.

The Dobama Theatre production features Jason Eno* (COURTNEY/ ANTHONY), Dan Hendrock* (VICKIE/ HUNTER), Corin B. Self (u/s COURTNEY/ ANTHONY), and Adam Rawlings (u/s VICKIE/ HUNTER).
*member Actors' Equity Association

This production also launches Dobama's Full Circle Program, which connects audiences with organizations relevant to each production. This program actively engages members from communities represented in the scripts Dobama produces to the theatre-making process and audience enrichment offerings. As part of these efforts, Dobama has employed local drag queen Onya Nurve as a consultant on the show, to help ensure that the production is rehearsed and performed with cultural competency. She has been present in rehearsals and is assisting on choreography, make-up, costume, and dramaturgy. Because this play deals heavily with the health disparities facing BIPOC LGBTQ+ people living with HIV, Dobama is partnering with the AIDS Taskforce of Greater Cleveland to provide free HIV testing, resources and information to audiences. There will be pre- and post-show discussions throughout the run with representatives from the AIDS Task Force, area Drag performers, and Dobama Artists involved with the production. Also being planned in collaboration with area organizations is a Drag Story Hour and a Drag Cabaret Show. Visit dobama.org/drag-queen for details about for information about these events as they becomes available. For more information on the Full Circle program, visit dobama.org/full-circle.

The creative team for the production includes Scenic Design by Ben Needham, Lighting Design by Ben Gantose, Sound Design by Megan "Deets" Culley, Costume Design by Suwatana Rockland, Drag Consultation by Onya Nurve, Props Design by Vanessa Cook, Intimacy Direction by Casey Venema & Colin Anderson, Assistant Direction by Ananias J. Dixon, and Technical Direction by Jeremy Paul. The show is stage managed by Joel Rathbone*.

"This is a raucous, hilarious, entertaining, moving, and thought-provoking play that is equal parts drag show, comedy, and drama." said Artistic Director Nathan Motta. "We could not be more excited to share this production with Northeast Ohio audiences who are sure to be enthralled by the show's high-energy, mesmerizing performances and moved by the stories of these finely drawn characters."

For a complete performance schedule, ticket prices, and reservations, call the Dobama Theatre Box Office at 216-932-3396 or visit: dobama.org/drag-queen

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