Go behind the scenes of a new musical inspired by Queer history: THE GORGEOUS NOTHINGS recovers the true stories of inmates incarcerated for “crimes against nature” in New York’s “Fag Ward” in the 1930s, where they were subjected to medical experimentation and purported cures. Their stories are framed inside a musical pageant based on the real-life “Fag Follies,” an annual variety show performed every Christmas for the “normal” prisoners. This exclusive online screening will offer a unique glimpse into the making of this powerful and poignant musical.
THE GORGEOUS NOTHINGS: Behind the Scenes will take place online via Zoom on Tuesday, October 29, 2024, from 5-6:30 p.m.
This program may not be suitable for all ages.
Participants
Travis Lee Russ, Ph.D. (he/they) is a Queer playwright/director from a small, blue-collar town in middle-of-nowhere America: Kokomo, Indiana. Recent plays: AMERICA IS HARD TO SEE (Critics’ Picks – The List, Voice Magazine, Fest Magazine; “Top 10 Plays of the Year” – New, Now, Next; “#1 Show of Edinburgh Fringe” – Fest Magazine) and GOREY: THE SECRET LIVES OF EDWARD GOREY (Critics’ Picks – The New York Times & Time Out New York; Drama Desk Nomination; 7 New York Innovative Theatre Award Nominations; 2 Henry Hewes Design Award Nominations). Travis was nominated for BroadwayWorld’s 2020 Best Director Award. Residencies: Yaddo, Drama League, SPACE on Ryder Farm, Tectonic Theater Project, and New York University. Currently, Travis is an Associate Professor at Fordham University where he teaches research-based storytelling and performance. Ph.D. – Rutgers University.
Kevin Jennings is the CEO of Lambda Legal. A former president of the Tenement Museum, Kevin has been a pivotal figure in the LGBT movement since 1988 when he helped students create the first school-based Gay-Straight Alliance and founded the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), which he led for 18 years. He later served as an Assistant Secretary of Education under President Obama and led the Arcus Foundation, the world’s largest LGBT rights organization. A Lambda Literary Award-winning author of seven books, Kevin’s memoir, Mama’s Boy, Preacher’s Son, was named a Book of Honor by the American Library Association. Kevin actively supports nonprofit and community causes, currently chairing the Boards of the Ubunye Challenge and Muslims for Progressive Values, and has held numerous leadership roles, including founding the Pride Fund of the Connecticut Community Foundation.
This program is organized by Life Jacket Theatre Company as part of Circa: Queer Histories Festival 2024, presented by One Institute.
Life Jacket’s mission is to tell undertold stories – those that are currently or historically rejected, erased, or forgotten. We build every show using documentary materials including new as well as existing archival texts. We combine various disparate materials to create highly theatrical, visually inventive, and lyrically rich works to provoke radically empathetic social conversations about traditionally excluded communities – particularly outsiders, outcasts, and non-conformers.