Richard Driehaus

​​​​​​​Mandala South Asian Performing Arts, which connects audiences and students with the vibrancy, flavors, and colors of the performing arts traditions of South Asia, presents “Passages of Dance & Music: Asian Choreographers Showcase,” Sunday, May 7 at 3 p.m. at the Visceral Dance Center, 3121 N. Rockwell, Chicago.

Casting has been announced for PrideArts’ first production of 2023 - the Chicago premiere of one in two by Donja R. Love. 

PrideArts will celebrate the arrival of the year 2023 by teaming up with the Chicago drag performers Tirrany Reigns and Ramona Mirage to stage Reign’s original Queer Family Dramedy, set just after New Year’s Day.

In celebration of the Indian holiday festival of Diwali, Mandala South Asian Performing Arts, which connects audiences and students with the vibrancy, flavors, and colors of the performing arts traditions of South Asia, will present a family-friendly performance program combining dance, music, and the 17th century art of Mewar, a region in India.

The Board of Directors of PrideArts, the Uptown-based theatre company focused on presenting queer stories on live stages and virtual platforms, has appointed Amber Mandley as Managing Director, a new position.

Mandala South Asian Performing Arts, which connects audiences and students with the vibrancy, flavors, and colors of the performing arts traditions of South Asia, has announced that, effective June 1, the organization is establishing a new home at 2642 W. Devon Avenue in Chicago’s “Little India” community.

​​​​​​​Mandala South Asian Performing Arts, which connects audiences and students with the vibrancy, flavors, and colors of the performing arts traditions of South Asia, presents its fourth annual Mandala Makers Festival.

The documentary feature LOOK ME OVER: LIBERACE will lead off PrideArts' summer streaming film program, with a week-long run from June 1-8. Jeremy J.P. Fekete’s profile of the famously flamboyant pianist will be available for eight days only.

Mandala South Asian Performing Arts, which connects audiences and students with the vibrancy, flavors, and colors of the performing arts traditions of South Asia, returns to the stage with a Choreographers Showcase of South Asian perspectives in contemporary dance. The performance takes place Sunday, April 17 at 3 p.m. at the Chicago History Museum, 1601 N. Clark Street, Chicago.

Cousineau and guests will sing songs written by Cousineau in collaboration with various composers. Bookwriter/lyricist Larry Todd Cousineau, whose musicals written with composer Cindy O'Connor include the upcoming AMERICA'S BEST OUTCAST TOY, this past summer's ALL THAT HE WAS, and 2018's FLIES! THE MUSICAL, will perform SONGS FROM MY HOLIDAY CLOSET - a night of heartwarming and hilarious 'HoliGay' music featuring Cousineau's original songs - on Monday, December 9 in The Broadway, Pride Arts Center, 4139 N. Broadway. This festive revue, created by the award-winning lyricist, stars Cousineau, Ashlee Hardgrave, and Musical Director (and Chicago Gay Men's Chorus Artistic Director) Jimmy Morehead (pictured below).

Life is a rollercoaster of emotions, a whirlwind of events. Who would have thought that the last 365 days could hold so much? First love, first therapist, coming out, and TWO (!?) award-winning musicals. Join Jeff-award nominee Matthew Huston as he explores coming out as a queer man, first love, and learning how to love and accept himself in "IT'S BEEN A F*CKING YEAR" - directed by Derek Van Barham, with musical direction by Justin Harner.  He will be joined by Chicago gems Honey West and Scott Gryder for a retrospect of the year that was…and wasn't.

CARDS AGAINST HUMANITY LATE NIGHT WRITERS ROOM will be performed in the Broadway, Pride Arts Center at 4139 N. Broadway, Pride Arts Center, at 10 pm. This irreverent night of improv comedy is inspired by the popular and politically incorrect party game 'Cards Against Humanity.' After audience members pitch their ideas, the best suggestions are acted out by the Cards Against Humanity writers and a team of improvisers.

The full-length feature THE LAST GOSPEL OF THE PAGAN BABIES – a documentary about a 150 year old, gender-bending, sexual outlaw community in the American south – will be screened on Monday, April 16. AN EVENING WITH MICHAEL HORVICH AND HIS FILM ALZHEIMER'S: A LOVE STORY – a screening of Horvich's short documentary and a talk by the filmmaker will be presented on Tuesday, April 17.  Both events will be in The Broadway, Pride Arts Center, 4139 N. Broadway, Chicago.

Pride Films and Plays' Chicago premiere production of Daniel MacIvor's HIS GREATNESS - inspired by a 'potentially true story' during the declining days of Tennessee Williams - will be performed at the 15th Annual International Dublin Gay Play Festival, to be held May 7-20, 2018 in Dublin, Ireland. The entire original cast of last fall's production will travel to Dublin and will perform the play from May 14 - 19, with two performances on May 19th. In MacIvor's play, a great American playwright, his trusted and loyal assistant, and a young Canadian street hustler find themselves together for two days in a hotel room in Vancouver as the playwright is about to premiere a new play that he hopes will reinvigorate his career. The ensuing battle for power, love and loyalty is frequently funny, engagingly dark and ultimately moving.  Danne W. Taylor will repeat his role as "The Playwright," Andrew Kain Miller will return as "The Assistant" and Whitman Johnson will again play "The Young Man." Pride Films and Plays' Executive Director David Zak is again directing the play for this remount. 

Pegasus Theatre Chicago, in association with ShPIeL Performing Identity, announce the Chicago premiere of The Green Book, inspired by Victor Green's historical, "The Negro Motorist Green Book," March 1 - April 1 at Pegasus's resident home Chicago Dramatists, 765 N. Aberdeen. The Green Book is written by Calvin A. Ramsey, and directed by Producing Artistic Director Ilesa Duncan. The performance schedule is Thursdays - Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. with added Sunday 6 p.m. performances. Tickets are $18 - $30 and are available at PegasusTheatreChicago.org. Discounts available for groups of ten or more at Group Theater Tix, 312-423-6612.

Pride Films and Plays' monthly festival of LGBTQ independent films, which was launched in October, will continue with its sixth monthly festival on Tuesday, March 13, 2018. The theme for this 95-minute program of eight films is 'Social Issues Here and Abroad.”

In a twisted mash-up of WAITING FOR GUFFMAN and GLEE, FLIES! THE MUSICAL! follows the drama kids from Lovely Valley Performing Arts Magnet High School. The students are left behind in an abandoned forest preserve during a "research" retreat for an unauthorized teacher-written musical production of LORD OF THE FLIES.

50 SHADES OF PRIDE is this month's theme for Pride Arts Center's monthly variety showcase - to include standup comedy, dance, drag and a fashion show.

Following the company's first year in its own home of the Pride Arts Center at 4139 and 4147 N. Broadway, Pride Films and Plays led the BroadwayWorld Resident Non-Equity Awards with ten wins - the most for any company. The honors were split between PRISCILLA: QUEEN OF THE DESERT and THE NANCE.

Casting for Pride Films and Plays' Chicago premiere of YANK! A WWII Love Story was announced today by David Zak, Executive Director of Pride Films and Plays.