THE REAL BLACK SWANN Comes to Celebration Theatre

Celebration Theatre and the Los Angeles LGBT Center present the Los Angeles premiere of the award-winning THE REAL BLACK SWANN: Confessions of America’s First Black Drag Queen, written and performed by Les Kurkendaal-Barrett, directed by Tom Trudgeon, withcultural consultation by Brittney S. Wheeler. 

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 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.                                                                                     

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 Queenis produced by Zachary Davidson (he/him) and Nathaniel Mathis (he/him).  Associate producer is Parnell Damone Marcano (he/him).

SCHEDULE AND PRICING

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. 

Performances are Fridays, Saturdays and Monday at 8pm and Sundays at 7pm (Sunday, September 24 performance will begin at 3pm). There will be a “Drag Affinity Night” Performance on Monday, September 11 at 8pm and a “Black Out Night” Performance on Sunday, September 17 at 7pm.