Cassandra Rose to Present BILLY TO HIS FRIENDS at Fresh Fruit Festival
Billy To His Friends uncovers the true story of Oliver "Billy" Sipple, the Vietnam veteran who famously saved President Gerald Ford's life.
Multimedia writer Cassandra Rose will make her Fresh Fruit Festival debut this April with Billy To His Friends, an ensemble drama that seeks to reclaim the legacy of one of the most complex figures in LGBTQ+ history. The performances will be staged at The Wild Project as part of the Fresh Fruit Festival Mainstage.
Billy To His Friends uncovers the true story of Oliver "Billy" Sipple, the Vietnam veteran who famously saved President Gerald Ford's life during an assassination attempt in 1975. Instead of being honored as a hero, Sipple was outed against his will by Harvey Milk and the media, leading to a life of isolation and tragedy. Through a modern ensemble lens, Rose explores the collision of heroism, political agendas, and the right to privacy, asking: Who owns a hero's narrative? Billy To His Friends was a semifinalist (one of 16 plays -- the top 2%) at the 2025 Austin Film Festival.
Performances will take place on Tuesday, April 28 at 6:00 PM, Wednesday, April 29 at 8:00 PM, and Saturday, May 2 at 12:00 PM (Noon).
The 2026 Fresh Fruit Festival showcases a diverse range of queer work from April 20 through May 3.
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