Photos: First Look at THE REAL BLACK SWANN: CONFESSIONS OF AMERICA'S FIRST BLACK DRAG QUEEN

Celebration Theatre, under the artistic direction of Brittney S. Wheeler and the Los Angeles LGBT Center, under the artistic direction of Jonathan Muñoz-Proulx is presenting the Los Angeles premiere of the award-winning (Dublin International Gay Theater Festival - “The Doric Wilson Cultural Dialogue Award,” Cincy Fringe Festival - Fringe Encore “Producer’s Pick,” Prague Fringe Festival – “The Best of Festival - Audience Pick,” Foundation Spotlight Award), THE REAL BLACK SWANN: Confessions of America’s First Black Drag Queen, written and performed by Les Kurkendaal-Barrett, directed by Tom Trudgeon, with cultural consultation by Brittney S. Wheeler.

Check out the production photos below!

THE REAL BLACK SWANN: Confessions of America’s First Black Drag Queen opens on Saturday, September 9 at 8pm (press opening) and perform through Sunday, September 24 at the Davidson/Valentini Theatre at the Los Angeles LGBT Center’s Lily Tomlin/Jane Wagner Cultural Arts Center, 1125 N. McCadden Place in Los Angeles.

While under anesthetic euphoria, a Black gay artist named Les is visited by the effervescent spirit of William Dorsey Swann, aka “The Queen.”  Surviving antebellum enslavement, Swann rises from the ashes of racial oppression to become the first “Queen of Drag” and queer activist on record. During their journey, Swann guides a complacent Les through time, popping his Glinda-esque pink bubble of self-preservation, and provokes him to challenge all too familiar modern-day monsters.

ABOUT THE CREATIVE TEAM AND CAST

LES KURKENDAAL-BARRETT (Les/William/Playwright) (he/him) is a Los Angeles based actor/ writer.  He has been touring Theatre Festivals around the world since 2000. He also does stand-up comedy. You can also catch his weekly podcast “A Lifetime of Hallmark” where he pokes fun at movies on Lifetime and The Hallmark Channel.

TOM TRUDGEON (Director) (he/him) Directed Larry Kramer’s The Normal Heart with Actor Saturday at Land of Tomorrow in Louisville, KY.  Facilitated a 4-month workshop with artists to build ensemble and examine The Normal Heart, which benefitted The AIDS Walk Foundation and featured post-show conversations, The LGBT Community and Race: Let's Talk! with leaders from the Showing Up for Racial Justice initiative and Fairness Campaign.  Stage credits include The Legend of Georgia McBride (International City Theatre); Arcane: Enter the Undercity (Secret Cinema/Netflix/Riot Games); Apollo 11 (Troika Entertainment); Good Boys and True, Antigone X, Machinal, The Duchess of Malfi (California Repertory); Private Lives, Good People (u/s Walnut Street Theatre); Bent (Philly FringeArts); The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told, Southern Baptist Sissies (Pandora Productions); Romeo & Juliet, The Tempest (National Shakespeare Company); McBeth – Over 2 Million Slain (United Stages of America); The All-Male Importance of Being Earnest (Wilde at Last at The Duplex). Tom is a member of Celebration Theatre Company.  Tom teaches acting, voice and classical performance.  MFA, California State University Long Beach.

THE REAL BLACK SWANN: Confessions of America’s First Black Drag Queen has assembled an award-winning design team: Scenic and Props Design by Michael O’Hara (he/him); Lighting Design by Matt Richter (he/him); Costume Design by Wyndell Carmichael (he/him); Sound Design by Becca Kessin (she/her). Rich Wong (he/him) is the Production Stage Manager.  THE REAL BLACK SWANN: Confessions of America’s First Black Drag Queen is produced by Zachary Davidson (he/him) and Nathaniel Mathis (he/him).  Associate producer is Parnell Damone Marcano (he/him).

THE REAL BLACK SWANN: Confessions of America’s First Black Drag Queen will preview on Thursday, August 31 & Friday, September 8 at 8pm; will open on Saturday, September 9 at 8pm (press opening) and perform through Sunday, September 24 at 3pm at the Davidson/Valentini Theatre at the Los Angeles LGBT Center’s s Lily Tomlin/Jane Wagner Cultural Arts Center, 1125 N. McCadden Place in Los Angeles.

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