Displaying items by tag: LGBTQ

Open Space Arts presents BEFORE WE ARE HISTORY, a three-week theatrical exploration of LGBTQ+ theater created during and in response to the AIDS crisis, running October 23 through November 8, 2026, at Open Space Arts, 1411 W. Wilson Ave. in Chicago.

The project brings together plays that captured the lives, relationships, sexuality, fear, humor, friendship and resilience of gay men as AIDS transformed their communities, alongside work by artists whose lives and writing continue to carry the history of the epidemic into the present. It grew from a desire to revisit theatrical works that were once urgently connected to LGBTQ+ audiences but are now seldom produced.

While a small number of AIDS-related plays have become firmly established within the theatrical canon, many other plays — along with the artists, small theaters and communities that created them — risk disappearing from cultural memory.

BEFORE WE ARE HISTORY asks what happens when these works are heard again, forty years later.

The title reflects the urgency behind the project: an opportunity to revisit this work while many of the artists, activists, audience members and community members who experienced this period are still able to share their memories and perspectives — and while a new generation of LGBTQ+ artists can encounter the people and work that helped blaze the trail before them.

Selected performances will be followed by conversations involving artists, activists, historians and community organizations, connecting the plays with both the history of the AIDS epidemic and the continuing realities of HIV today.
Additional panelists, community partners, casting and special programming will be announced. 

Tickets and complete performance information are available at OpenSpaceArts.org.

BEFORE WE ARE HISTORY includes a one-weekend double bill of Jeff Hagedorn's ONE and Lee Raines' BLOOD SPILL; a two-weekend run of Robert Chesley's JERKER, OR THE HELPING HAND; and a special one-night staged reading of Robin Swados' A QUIET END.

The project marks the 40th anniversary year of both JERKER and A QUIET END, two important works created as American theater began confronting the AIDS epidemic directly.

A portion of ticket revenue and additional donations from BEFORE WE ARE HISTORY will benefit Chicago Black Men's Caucus, Vivent Health + TPAN, and Season of Concern.

DOUBLE-BILL OF "ONE" AND "BLOOD SPILL"
October 23–25, 2026
Friday, October 23 at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, October 24 at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, October 25 at 3 p.m.
Tickets $30 General Admission, $25 students and seniors, on sale now at www.openspacearts.com
 
ONE
by Jeff Hagedorn
Directed by Rory Brady
 
BEFORE WE ARE HISTORY opens with a double bill of ONE and BLOOD SPILL. ONE is  Jeff Hagedorn's groundbreaking solo play about a young man attempting to understand and confront his AIDS diagnosis at a time when the disease itself was still frighteningly new.

First produced in Chicago by Lionheart Gay Theatre Company in 1983, ONE is recognized as one of the earliest publicly produced theatrical works about AIDS.

Milwaukee-born Jeff Hagedorn relocated to Chicago in the early 1980s and became a founding member and resident playwright of Lionheart Gay Theatre. He went on to write numerous plays addressing gay life and the effects of AIDS on the community. His later work included THE LAYMAN'S GUIDE TO SAFE SEX, which combined humor and education at a time when providing accurate information about safer sex had become a matter of life and death. Hagedorn also formed the production company SYZYGY, which helped revive Chicago's pub-theater tradition. He died of an AIDS-related illness in 1995.

Rory Brady (he/him, pictured left)) is an up-and-coming theatre creative. Born in Erie, Pennsylvania, he first became involved in theatre at the age of five, appearing as an Oompa Loompa. Now, he teaches children that same age.

Rory's work was last seen at Open Space Arts when he directed the staged reading of LIVING THE DREAM. He is very excited to return to OSA and to work on such an important historical piece.

Rory has been enlightened by this play, as well as by other queer media that has introduced him to the people who blazed the trail for his generation.

BLOOD SPILL
by Lee Raines
Directed by Byron Stewart
Presented with ONE, Lee Raines' BLOOD SPILL brings another AIDS-era voice into the conversation.
 
Set in New York in 1992, the play follows HIV-positive playwright Kenny King as he confronts Angela Turner, an old college friend who has become the
artistic director of a major theater company. Kenny arrives with a deeply personal AIDS play, only to discover that Angela's theater has chosen work it considers safer and more accessible to its audience.

Their reunion becomes an increasingly heated confrontation over art, AIDS, institutional responsibility and who gets to decide which stories are acceptable for the stage. Beneath the argument lies Kenny's experience caring for a dying friend — and the anger, guilt and helplessness that fueled the work he has written.

BLOOD SPILL was developed through Write It Out!, the playwriting program for writers living with HIV founded by Donja R. Love. Raines was a member of the program's first cohort and has continued working with the organization in artistic programming and outreach.

Lee Raines is a playwright, theater artist, former ACT UP member and longtime HIV survivor who was diagnosed in 1989. His participation gives BEFORE WE ARE HISTORY a living connection between the artists who experienced the AIDS era and the effort to preserve those stories for audiences today.

Byron Stewart (left) is a Chicago director, actor and educator. He is co-founder and Artistic Director of A Real Read and has also served as Artistic Director of Sex Police. His work in Chicago theater has encompassed directing, performance and the development of work centered on Black and LGBTQ+ voices.

JERKER, OR THE HELPING HAND
40th Anniversary Production
by Robert Chesley
Created and performed by Jason Bowen and Joshua Bowen
October 29-November 8
Thursdays-Saturdays and Monday November 2 at 7:30 pm, Sundays at 3:00pm
Tickets $30 General Admission, $25 students and seniors, on sale now at www.openspacearts.com
 
At the center of BEFORE WE ARE HISTORY is Robert Chesley's JERKER, OR THE HELPING HAND, one of the most provocative and enduring theatrical works to emerge from the AIDS crisis.

The play follows J.R. and Bert, two gay men who develop an increasingly intimate relationship entirely through telephone calls. What begins with anonymous sexual fantasy slowly becomes affection, friendship and emotional dependence as AIDS reshapes the world around them.

Robert Chesley (1943–1990) was a playwright, composer, critic and advocate for gay sexuality at a time when AIDS increasingly associated sex with fear, illness and death. Trained as a musician, Chesley composed extensively before turning to theater and wrote criticism and essays for gay publications as well as plays centered on gay men, desire and AIDS.

His NIGHT SWEAT, produced in New York in 1984, was among the earliest full-length plays to confront AIDS. In 1986, excerpts from JERKER were broadcast by Los Angeles radio station KPFK. The explicit sexual language triggered a major censorship dispute involving the Federal Communications Commission, placing the play at the center of a national debate over sexuality, artistic expression and broadcasting.

Chesley died of an AIDS-related illness in San Francisco in 1990 at age 47. His work remains striking for its refusal to portray gay sexuality as something shameful or incidental, even in the midst of an epidemic.

Open Space Arts presents JERKER in recognition of the play's 40th anniversary, created and performed by brothers Jason Bowen and Joshua Bowen.

A QUIET END
Special 40th-Anniversary Staged Reading
Tuesday, November 3 at 7:30 p.m.
by Robin Swados
Director to be announced
Pay-what-you-can
 
BEFORE WE ARE HISTORY also includes a special pay-what-you-can staged reading of A QUIET END, Robin Swados' deeply human drama about three gay men living together during the early years of AIDS.
The play examines friendship, chosen family, anger, illness, love and mortality as the men confront an epidemic rapidly reshaping their lives and relationships.

A QUIET END is Robin Swados's first play. It has received wide praise for productions including Theater-off-Park, New York; International City Theater, Los Angeles; Offstage Theater Center, London; American Repertory Theater, Amsterdam (which he also directed); Repertory Theater of St. Louis (Best New Play 1987, St. Louis theater critics); and the Weekend Theater, Little Rock, among others.

A QUIET END has been included in BEST MONOLOGUES FOR MEN; BEST SCENES FOR MEN; anthologized in GAY & LESBIAN PLAYS TODAY; and is the focus of an entire chapter of Robert Vorlicky's ACT LIKE A MAN: CHALLENGING MASCULINITIES IN AMERICAN DRAMA (University of Michigan Press, 1995).

Robin Swados lives in Amherst, Massachusetts.

Open Space Arts presents A QUIET END during its 40th anniversary year.

ABOUT OPEN SPACE ARTS
Open Space Arts is a Chicago-based arts organization presenting theater, film, readings and special cultural events with a particular commitment to LGBTQ+ artists and stories.

From its intimate Uptown storefront, Open Space Arts creates opportunities for artists and audiences to encounter new work as well as significant works that might otherwise disappear from Chicago stages.

Some stories refuse to fade with time, and Brokeback Mountain is one of them. What began as a modest short story by Annie Proulx in The New Yorker in 1997 grew into an award-winning literary work, an acclaimed film, and now a deeply moving stage adaptation by Ashley Robinson at Chicago Shakespeare Theater. Under the assured direction of Jonathan Butterell, this production achieves something rare: it honors the source material while creating an emotionally overwhelming theatrical experience that stands on its own merits.

Proulx's story unfolds in 1963, in a world where homophobia was not merely accepted but embedded within the culture. In rural America, far removed from urban centers and decades before meaningful LGBTQ+ rights protections, Ennis Del Mar and Jack Twist find themselves trapped between the lives they are expected to live and the love they cannot deny. Although the story concludes in 1983, its themes remain startlingly relevant. The prejudice that shaped their lives has not disappeared; it has simply changed forms.

Butterell's direction is masterful. He understands that the power of Brokeback Mountain lies not in grand declarations but in silences, glances, and opportunities missed. Every scene is infused with aching restraint, allowing the audience to feel the enormous weight of what remains unspoken. The result is a production that slowly tightens its grip on the audience.

Harrison Ball delivers a remarkable performance as Ennis Del Mar, capturing the character's stoicism, fear, and buried longing with heartbreaking precision. Opposite him, Jack Cameron Kay gives Jack Twist an irresistible warmth and optimism, making his refusal to surrender to a life of secrecy all the more poignant. Together, the two actors create a chemistry so natural and compelling that the audience becomes deeply invested in every stolen moment they share.

The supporting cast is equally extraordinary. Cordelia Dewdney's Alma Del Mar is nothing short of revelatory. Dewdney charts Alma's transformation from a hopeful young wife into a woman forced to confront painful truths with astonishing emotional depth. Her performance is so finely calibrated, so emotionally authentic, that it feels destined for award recognition. Every look, every hesitation, every moment of heartbreak lands with devastating force. It is one of the finest performances currently on a Chicago stage.

Thomas Cox and Kat Eggleston excel in multiple roles, helping populate the world around Ennis and Jack with richly drawn characters. Eggleston's work as the Balladeer provides a haunting thread that runs through the production, giving voice to emotions the characters themselves cannot express.

Tom Pye's scenic and costume design is stunning in its simplicity. With minimal elements, he evokes the sweeping grandeur of Wyoming's mountains and the claustrophobic domestic spaces that confine the characters for much of their lives. The contrast is striking. On Brokeback Mountain, Ennis and Jack briefly experience freedom. Everywhere else, they are hemmed in by expectations, obligations, and fear. Sammi Grant's dialect coaching enriches the production, lending authenticity to the Wyoming accents and further immersing the audience in the world of the play.

What makes this production particularly resonant is its willingness to confront the societal forces that shaped Ennis and Jack's tragedy. The play never becomes didactic, yet it clearly illustrates how homophobia was reinforced by cultural institutions, including religious traditions and biblical interpretations that were frequently used to condemn same-sex relationships and enforce rigid definitions of masculinity. Whether through family expectations, community pressure, or appeals to religious authority, the message was clear: people like Ennis and Jack were expected to deny who they were. The production allows audiences to witness the devastating human cost of those beliefs without reducing its characters to symbols or political arguments.

Although Brokeback Mountain is not a musical, musical elements are woven seamlessly into the storytelling, becoming an emotional landscape of their own. Rather than interrupting the narrative, the ballads deepen it, expressing feelings that the characters are unable to articulate. Combined with the breathtaking visual and emotional scope of the production, the music helps transform the story into something more.

What is most impressive is how contemporary the play feels. Nearly forty years after the events depicted, Brokeback Mountain remains a cautionary tale about the consequences of intolerance and the lives damaged when love is forced into secrecy. Yet it is also a story of resilience, desire, and the human need for connection.

Chicago Shakespeare Theater has delivered one of the most powerful productions of the season. Under Jonathan Butterell's direction, every artistic element works in harmony to create an evening of theater that is both intimate and epic. It would not be surprising to see this production enjoy a future life beyond Chicago. The quality of the staging, the strength of the performances, and the universal appeal of the material suggest a production that could fare exceptionally well in New York and beyond.

Brokeback Mountain is theater at its finest—beautifully acted, exquisitely directed, emotionally devastating, and utterly unforgettable. It is not merely a revival of a story; it is a production that reminds us why stories like this continue to matter. And in Jonathan Butterell's hands, it soars.

Highly Recommended

Running Time: 90 minutes

When: Through June 28

Where: Chicago Shakespeare Theater 800 East Grand Avenue in Chicago

Tickets: $65 - $125

Box Office: 312-595-5600

Info: www.chicagoshakes.com

This review is proudly shared with our friends at www.TheatreInChicago.com. 

When the sun plays peek-a-boo and a pre-winter chill settles over Chicagoland, locals inevitably look for ways to warm their hearts as well as their fingers and toes. It’s during this time of year that locals venture indoors and when the Chicago theatre scene offers respite from the bitter cold. Like a favorite holiday treat, there are dozens of choices available to seekers of light and warmth, from recurring favorites and classic retellings to original plays and immersive theatre. There is no better way to celebrate the season and to lighten spirits than a good hearty laugh, or two, or three, or so many your sides hurt the next day. You’ll find no better way of warming up this December than seeing the deliciously dirty fairytale that is Rapornzel now playing at the Hoover-Leppen Theatre.

Rapornzel (yes, you read that right, it is not a typo) is a panto-style reimagining of the classic fairytale of Rapunzel. Many years ago, the King and Queen of a far-off kingdom were blessed with a baby girl with long, magical, downstairs hair. One day, the jealous witch Mother F**ker kidnapped the child and locked her in a tower, selfishly squandering her merkin magic for herself. With the help of local hairdresser Dame Fanny Follicle, her thick-as-s**t son Pascal, the dashing Prince Ride-her, and the Hairy Fairy, will Rapornzel ever come out?

If you couldn’t glean it from the title, Rapornzel is a serious-unserious play. Serious in the fact that the cast and crew put on a spellbinding, side-splitting comedic performance, but unserious to ensure the audience was able to escape the bitter cold reality for a few short hours and simply enjoy a hilarious performance. The story is written in the pantomime style or “panto.” Panto is a theatrical performance style dating back to the 1700s, traditionally performed around Christmas time. The popular form incorporates song and dance, exaggeration, and fourth wall breaks to tell a story. It often interchanges slapstick puns heavy with innuendos and groan-worthy dad-jokes to break the monotony of traditional theatre. Critical to the success of these comedic shows is audience participation. It’s highly encouraged to react and respond to the actors on stage, think “booing” the villain, “cheering” the hero, and responsive questioning from the actors such as: “Chicago is so cold…” to which the audience responds: “How cold is it?” wherein the actors then deliver a witty or punny joke in the tale that may or may not make you laugh, guffaw, or simply groan at how bad it is (in a good way). Panto is not for everyone, nor are puns or dad jokes, but in the Vonnegut style approach of moving the story along, it’s difficult not to enjoy, and even an ostrich chuckle at least once.

But when it comes to Rapornzel, I guarantee you’ll laugh more than once. Rapornzel is what you get if you take a fairytale and remix it with a book of dad-jokes, throw in a general use of 1980s musical bangers, and finish it with the dry wit of 2025. Rapornzel is one of the many bawdy, silly, and immensely entertaining pantomime scripts written by professional performer-writer Tom Whalley. The writer’s works have become a popular holiday season tradition at PrideArts, joining the ranks of Whalley’s other works like Jack Off The Beanstalk, Sleeping with Beauty, and Throbbin Wood. With unimaginable R-rated puns, pop songs, and audience participation, Rapornzel follows a growing holiday tradition within PrideArts. This year’s production is exceptionally acted by Chicago talent like Jeremy Cox, who plays Hairy Fairy Dandruff, Peter Moeller as the local hairdresser Dame Fanny Follicle, and the sexy and incomparable Gina Cioffi as the evil Mother F**ker who kidnaps Rapornzel. For those still tepid about the play or the panto style, don’t worry, the skilled actors utilize their quick wits, improvisation skills, and comedic timing to make this production enjoyable for all, never overstepping where they sense timidity. They read and respond to the audience to both give and get energy to move the story along and draw out a smile from even the most austere theatre goer.

Therein lies the beauty of this type of theatrical play. Whalley’s style of Panto grants permission to the audience to simply lighten up, be silly, and share some laughs. In short, in its seriousness to stage a good production, it masterfully creates a space to be supremely unserious. There aren’t many theatrical stylings that can pull that off these days. 2025 has been wrought with ill humor, tired remakes, and uninspired sequels. It’s refreshing and welcome to see a production that doesn’t take itself too seriously while still representing Chicago theatre, PrideArts, and the theatrical community well. The actors, panto, and Rapornzel itself, beg the attendees to lighten up. It reminds us that we don’t always need to seek hidden meaning between the witty one-liners, and we don’t need to laugh at every joke we’ve heard at countless Thanksgiving tables by distant relatives. We should endeavor to seek out light and warmth as the days grow shorter and the darker nights descend. Rapornzel beckons Chicagoans inside and endeavors to thaw critical hearts this holiday season. It’s a healthy reminder that it’s okay to shout, especially when asked or directed to do so. It’s fine to laugh or simply smile. And it’s encouraged, and I daresay desperately needed, to remember that nothing, including fairy-hairy-overly-share-y-tales, is really that serious. Funny, yes. Serious, no. That in and of itself is a gift.

 Rapornzel is playing for a short while longer through December 14^th at the Hoover-Leppen Theatre in Center on Halsted (3656 N. Halsted, Chicago). Grab your winter jacket and your tickets today, available at www.pridearts.org, and warm up with a few hearty belly laughs guaranteed to shake away your winter blues.

Perhaps it was the pandemic, or maybe it’s the cultural divide between the left and the right, but it seems like small town gay bars are vanishing. Playwright Samantha Mueller sets out to commemorate these safe spaces in their new play “Laced” making its world premiere at About Face Theatre. Directed by Lexi Saunders, “Laced” is a unique backstage look at LGBTQ nightlife and those who help create that world.

In the aftermath of the Pulse Nightclub shooting and before the 2016 election, three bartenders at a small town Florida gay bar come to work to find the bar has been vandalized. Minnow (Daniela Martinez), Audra (Mariah Copeland) and Cat (Collin Quinn Rice) are close coworkers and the incident leaves them rattled. Minnow becomes obsessed with figuring out who did this. The three work to piece together the previous evening. In the telling, each share intimate thoughts and experiences.

There’ some heavy content here, but overall this is a play that celebrates queer spaces and those who work tirelessly to ensure everyone feels welcome. The staging by Sydney Lynne immediately sets “Laced” in a specific atmosphere. Local queer scene DJ Ariel Zetina creates a hot soundscape with tracks by Charli XCX and Robyn peppered in. About Face directly borrows from the Chicago queer nightlife scene and it lends a real sense of authenticity to “Laced” that is somewhat missing on the page.

Mueller makes some relatable observations about queer life in their 90 minute one-act. Mueller digs in deep on the idea of what makes queer relationships; romantic or otherwise, different from the heteronormative standard. In doing so, they build a compelling case for why queer spaces need to be defended.

There’s a lot of chemistry between the three leads. While some of the dialogue sounds like it was taken from internet memes, Daniela Martinez keeps it sounding fresh and cool. Mueller’s well-intentioned dialogue does beg the question, who is the audience for this show? The plot never quite builds but “Laced” seems more about the journey than the destination.

As more exclusionary laws are introduced around the country, theatre companies like About Face become even more essential. Much like the bar in “Laced” About Face is a safe space for LGBTQ stories and perhaps through storytelling can bring awareness to an epidemic of small-town gay bar closures.

Through April 16 at About Face Theatre at The Den. 1331 N Milkwaukee. www.AboutFaceTheatre.com

About Face Theatre’s Time Is on Our Side is a wonderful play that carries a LGBTQ theme throughout. This might make some people uncomfortable – and for those it does, this play is a must see. The subject matter is very open. The characters are very open. I found it simply charming. The story is truly timeless.

Sexuality has been one of the biggest topics of discussion since the beginning of time. Actually, in many cases, it is the topic of no-discussion. Fears and phobias run amuck when you start talking about sex. The fact that there even needs to be an LGBTQ community is ridiculous. Labeling is only counterproductive to the evolution of our species.

The play starts with two people, Curtis and Annie, producing a podcast to “queer history” that ultimately has them stumble upon a secretive family journal belonging to Annie’s Grandmother that prompts an investigation into the history of the LGBTQ movement. Their examination takes them on a journey down many roads from Rosa Parks to the AIDS Quilt as more and more past events are brought to the open.

Well-written and superbly performed, Time Is on Our Side is a very entertaining play filled with several hilarious moments while also bringing to the surface many thought-provoking topics. The first act set up the second very well. It was full of surprises even though there was some serious foreshadowing taking place. A well-conceived production, director Megan Carney and writer R. Eric Thomas should be proud of their achievement.

“This is a hilarious and deeply personal story,” comments Director Megan Carney. “It brings together rich characters of different generations who share a longing to connect, which makes it such a perfect play for us at About Face Theatre. The play weaves a range of stories in which younger folks uncover their roots and elders pass on what they know. Altogether, a powerful story emerges revealing acts of resistance and queer magic through the decades.” 

Rashaad Hall as Curtis and Maggie Scranton as Annie are outstanding in their roles. Riley Mondragon plays Claudia and plays the role amazingly well. I thought she stole the show until we are introduced to Rene played by Esteban Andres Cruz, who is a true scene stealer. Cruz also shows his versatility by playing another character in the play, as does Mondragon.

I believe the LGBTQ labeling needs to stop so that one day we can just refer to everyone as people. We come in all varieties. What people do is their own business and not and not anyone else’s. The fact that there needs to be a community based on being “different” is unfortunate. What is different? The more you dig, the more you realize how similar we are, not how different.

I wholeheartedly recommend this funny and highly-stimulating play.

Time Is on Our Side is being performed at Theater Wit through April 7th. For more information on this play, visit www.aboutfacetheatre.com.