Theatre Rhinoceros to Present BILLY in February

Theatre Rhinoceros will present the return of John Fisher to the action play genre. Fisher (Medea the Musical, Action Hero, Special Forces) is taking on a Russian superhero with the aid of a non-binary sidekick (Raye Goh). In the spirit of Action Hero (recipient of six Theatre Bay Area Award nominations including Best Play, Best Leading Actor, and Best Script, and one win for Best Direction). Billy is full of action, hand to hand combat, and mental showdowns on geopolitics and gender.

Making its world premiere at Theatre Rhinoceros, Billy is a tribute to the greatest American action writer of all time, Herman Melville, and his obsessions with quests (Moby Dick) and sexual tensions (Billy Budd).

 

*These dates differ from the ones previously announced for this project.

 

            Tickets:           $35 regular/ $17.50 for students, seniors, veterans, and TBA members

 

            Info / Res:       https://therhino.audience1st.com/store/8?show_id=102/ AND https://fb.me/e/9IQdyX1Y2 

 

After a lifetime of fighting America's wars, The Colonel is recalled to service to handle the greatest Russian spy of all time, Ivan. But the assignment is too much for him – so he is assigned the aid of Billy, a non-binary master spy of a whole new generation. Ivan threatens to tip the balance in the War in Ukraine and win it for Russia - unless the Colonel and Billy can stop him. Ironically, all three characters are queer and while they are separated by nationality, they are linked by proclivity. How can they reconcile the personal and political in a world torn apart by politics?

The Artists

 

John Fisher (Writer/Director/Actor)

John Fisher's Medea the Musical just opened in New York City. Medea, The Joy of Gay Sex, Combat!, Queer Theory, and many of his plays have been performed across the country. Fisher's solo-show A History of World War II enjoyed an eight-month run at The Marsh, after playing two successful runs in Manhattan (United Solo Festival/Theatre Row – Best Actor Award) and another in Los Angeles (The Broadwater.) Awards: two-time winner of the Will Glickman Playwright Award, GLAAD Media Award, Theatre Bay Area Award, two Cable Car Awards, The Bay Guardian Goldie Award, the BackStage West Garland Award, seven Critics' Circle Awards, the Los Angeles Weekly Award, among others. Fisher's plays include the award-winning Action Hero, Shakespeare Goes to War, To Sleep and Dream, and Schoenberg. They have been performed in NYC, Los Angeles, Seattle, San Francisco, and many other cities. In 2021, John took up part time residency in NYC where he has enjoyed extended runs at Green Room 42, Pangea NYC, The Tank NYC, ArtsonSite, the LGBTQ Center, and Theatre Row. He has been the Executive Artistic Director of Theatre Rhinoceros, the longest-running LGBTQ theatre anywhere, since 2003. www.JohnFisher.biz.

 

Raye Goh (Actor) joined The Rhino family last season as stage manager for Tina D'Elia's The Rita Hayworth of This Generation, directed by Mary Guzmán. They are a queer and neuroqueering Asian-American performer who was born and raised in San Francisco, the unceded homeland of the Ramaytush Ohlone peoples. They have performed in dance productions with Kruciaal Element Dance Company in San Diego and OngDance Company in the San Francisco Bay Area. Their first performance with Theatre Rhinoceros was last summer's staged reading of Gumiho, written by Korean-American playwright Nina Ki and directed by Ely Sonny Orquiza. Raye's theatre journey began with stage managing John Fisher's The History of World War II, and they are gratefully embarking on a new adventure with Fisher to bring Billy to life here in the Castro this Winter!

 

Theatre Rhinoceros was founded in San Francisco in 1977, and is the longest running LGBTQ+ theatre in the nation. We develop and produce works of theatre that enlighten, enrich, and explore both the ordinary and the extraordinary aspects of our queer community. Our emphasis is on new works, works about under-represented members of the larger queer community, and revivals of lesser known queer classics. Over the years Theatre Rhinoceros has received many awards of recognition including: Theatre Rhinoceros Day in the City Proclamation from Mayor Gavin Newsom, State Assembly Certificate of Recognition from Senator Mark Leno, recognitions from Congressperson Nancy Pelosi and Assembly Persons Tom Ammiano and Carole Migden, numerous Cable Car, BATCC and TBA Awards and Nominations, and the GLAAD Media Award for Best LGBT Theatre. 

 

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