THE PANSY CRAZE, Hosted by Mason Alexander Park, Debuts on Audible
The live show, recorded at Minetta Lane Theatre, features guests Laverne Cox, Lea DeLaria, and Jesse Tyler Ferguson.
The Pansy Craze, presented by Audible Theater and Rachel Brosnahan's Scrap Paper Pictures, premieres today exclusively on Audible.
Created by Hunter Bird and Mason Alexander Park and hosted by Park, the six-part audio variety series was recorded live at Audible's Minetta Lane Theatre in New York City in 2025. The production was directed by Joanna McKeon (Episodes 1–3) and Hunter Bird (Episodes 4–6).
Combining elements of cabaret, historical storytelling, comedy, and music, The Pansy Craze explores moments in LGBTQ+ history when queer culture was celebrated, commodified, and criminalized. Through songs, sketches, and personal narratives, Park and a lineup of guest artists revisit figures, performances, and cultural movements that helped shape queer history.
The series features appearances by Jackie Cox, Laverne Cox, Lea DeLaria, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Sasha Velour, and Evan Rachel Wood.
Episodes examine topics ranging from gender-nonconforming performers on the stages of Restoration England and Victorian music halls to Broadway's drag balls of the 1920s, Harlem nightlife of the 1930s, television pioneer Jim Bailey, the glam rock movement of the 1970s, and the evolution of LGBTQ+ visibility in American culture over the last three decades.
Episode Guide
The six-part series includes:
Episode 1: From Codpieces to Corsets: 300 Years on London's Wicked Stages
Featuring Lea DeLaria, the episode explores performers including Ned Kynaston and Annie Hindle.
Episode 2: The Queerest Night on Broadway!
Featuring Jackie Cox, the episode examines Mae West's controversial Broadway production The Pleasure Man.
Episode 3: The Queen of the Pansies and the King of Harlem
Featuring Laverne Cox, the episode highlights performers Jean Malin and Gladys Bentley.
Episode 4: Pansies in Primetime: Jim Bailey and the Television Revolution
Featuring Jesse Tyler Ferguson, the episode focuses on entertainer Jim Bailey and his impact on television.
Episode 5: The Rise and Fall of Glam Rock
Featuring Evan Rachel Wood, the episode traces the influence of artists including David Bowie and Marc Bolan.
Episode 6: Gender, I Hardly Know'er: The Last 35 Years in America
Featuring Sasha Velour, the final installment explores key moments in LGBTQ+ history from the 1990s through today.
Listening Information
The Pansy Craze is now available exclusively through Audible.
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