Out Front Theatre Company -Georgia’s only LGBTQIA+ professional theatre company stopped us in our tracks just with the title of the latest production AT THE WAKE OF A DEAD DRAG QUEEN,
The wake is for drag star Courtney Berringers (given name: Anthony Knighton) has recently died from complications due to AIDS. But even that won’t stop the funeral from being a real celebration: there will be no black frocks, no perfumed flowers, and definitely no crying.
Atlanta-native playwright Terry Guest explained how the piece was inspired by his Uncle “He was the only openly queer person that I knew growing up and when he died (from complications due to AIDS) I was left confused. And devastated. And angry. I knew then that I wanted to create something to honor him. 10 years later, I had a fun, gay, imaginative little play and this little play has saved my life in more ways than one. I am beyond excited to bring it home and to share it with the Georgia queer community!
|
|
The two-person cast consists of Trajan Clayton and Ben Cole, portraying Courtney/Anthony and Vickie/Hunter, respectively. For Director Damian Lockhart, this play feels like home. “If you were the narrator of your own story, would you tell the truth or sprinkle in some razzle dazzle? It’s about damn time At the Wake of a Dead Drag Queen is comin’ home to Georgia!” Lockhart shares. “Set in historic Albany, GA, this southern ghost tale is guaranteed to transport audiences through an emotional journey as they sashay with Courtney Berringers down memory lane. At the Wake of a Dead Drag Queen will leave your cheeks sore from laughing and damp from crying.”
“In the heart of Georgia, At the Wake of a Dead Drag Queen brings to life the unforgettable tale of Courtney Berringers, a drag star with a story to tell,” says Out Front’s Founder and Producing Artistic Director Paul Conroy. “Ever since we hosted a workshop of this piece back in 2018, we’ve been waiting to have the full-length version grace our stage, full of glitter, queerness, and mystery abound.
At The Wake of a Dead Drag Queen OUTFRONT Theatre, Atlanta February 1-17, 2024
Labels: 2024, AT THE WAKE OF A DEAD DRAG QUEEN, Atlanta, Ben Cole, Damian, Damian Lockhart, OUTFRONT Theatre, terry Guest, Trajan Clayton
