Blue Roses Project Theatre Initiative Launched by Gideon Glick and James Will McBride

Actor and writer Gideon Glick and producer-director James Will McBride are launching Blue Roses Project, a not-for-profit made of notable industry leaders and creatives to develop and support new theatrical works that push artistic boundaries while amplifying fresh and diverse voices.
 
Blue Roses Project connects local New Orleans artists with theatre professionals from across the United States providing emerging queer playwrights a platform to create plays that authentically reflect contemporary American life. The organization’s esteemed Board of Directors includes:

Shane Marshall Brown, Broadway Publicist, The Press Room, Hamilton, The Picture of Dorian Gray; David Emond, Not-For-Profit CEO and Consultant; Kelley Nicole Girod, Director of New Works at Apollo Theater; Jonathan Groff, Tony Award-Winning Actor, Merrily We Roll Along, Hamilton, Spring Awakening; Celia Keenan-Bolger, Tony Award Winning Actress, Mother Play, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Glass Menagerie
Jaclyn Moore, Showrunner and Executive Producer, Based on a True Story, Queer as Folk, Dear White People; Dale A. Mott, Broadway Producer,  A Strange Loop, The Piano Lesson
Blue Roses Project was created in response to a critical need. Due to post-COVID budget crises, many regional theatres have drastically cut or eliminated new play development programs, limiting opportunities for emerging playwrights. With over 575 anti-LGBTQ bills introduced across the U.S. in 2025, queer stories face unprecedented threats of censorship and erasure.
 
“Blue Roses Project is vital because it provides a safe, affirming space for LGBTQ+ voices to create, explore, and share stories at a time when queer narratives are increasingly under threat,” shares founder Gideon Glick. “By uplifting underrepresented voices, Blue Roses Project fosters empathy, builds community, and ensures that queer stories remain visible and celebrated.”
 
“I’m honored to be a part of a project so dedicated to fulfilling a crucial need in our theatre community. Blue Roses Project provides resources so playwrights’ imaginations can flourish in a place with a rich cultural legacy,” shares Tony Award-winning actor Jonathan Groff.

Celebrated playwright and director Moisés Kaufman remarked, "The world needs to amplify queer voices, especially now. New Orleans, with its extraordinary artistic history, is the ideal place to nurture new talent."
 
Blue Roses Project’s ambitious year one plan includes hosting 29-hour workshop reading of a yet-to-be-discovered queer playwright; forging partnerships by engaging the talents of both local actors and nationally-renowned artists to enrich the project; collaborating with local LGBTQ+  community organizations to participate in our process in order to root our work in New Orleans’s vibrant community.
 
For more information about Blue Roses Project and to stay updated on upcoming initiatives, visit www.bluerosesproject.com or @bluerosesnola on Instagram.