Chicago venues proudly provide audiences with a variety of virtual entertainment options for Pride Month.
About Face Theatre is celebrating the season by streaming the world premiere of “Packing” through July 12 via its website. “As one of the country’s few LGBTQ theaters, we have an important role to play as storytellers and innovators,” says Artistic Director Megan Carney.
Filmed and edited by Starbelly Studios, Scott Bradley’s solo piece charts his journey of self discovery amid recent queer history. “I’m thrilled to be collaborating with Scott Bradley on his powerful play,” adds Director Chay Yew.
“This deeply personal autobiography about survival, addiction, family and the search for self, courses through the milestones of gay history of the last 50 years. Throughout his harrowing journey, Scott courageously bares his soul to us through humor, brutal honesty and poetry. What emerges is a uniquely American portrait of a man who is willing to risk it all to find a place called home.”
Visit aboutfacetheatre.com for tickets ($15).
Chicago’s Music Box Theatre and Kino Lorber present “Proud” directed by award-winning filmmaker Philippe Faucon. Stanislas Nordey and Frédéric Pierrot star in the three-part miniseries that follows generations of one French family. Each episode coincides with a crucial moment for gay rights in France. Rentals for the cinematic presentation ($12 total) are good for five days. Purchases support Music Box Theatre during its temporary closure. For information on rentals, click here.
Thanks to Pride Films and Plays, audiences can enjoy a live Zoom reading of Jonathan Tolins’s Gay Pride Day comedy “The Last Sunday in June” on June 28 and Brad Fraser’s sexually charged thriller “Unidentified Human Remains and the True Nature of Love” on July 1. The virtual events begin at 7 p.m.; tickets ($10.00) are available at www.pridearts.org.
PlayMakers Laboratory marks the month with an online presentation of “That’s Queer, Grandma.” Written by students, the comedy cuts to the heart of inclusivity, authenticity, and equality. The production streams live on Mondays at 8 p.m. through July 6. Although the performance is free, donations support the company’s arts education programs. Click here to RSVP.
Neo-Futurist Theater’s new ensemble members Cat Huck, Abby Pajakowski, Ale Ramirez, and Annie Share are making their debut in “The Infinite Wrench Gets Prideful: 30 Queer Plays in 60 Straight Minutes” on June 25.
“Our ensemble-led company welcomes Cat, Abby, Ale and Annie into the fold as we continue to transform our art-making under the constraints of COVID-19,” explains Artistic Director Kirsten Riiber. “We have entered a new chapter of the Neo-Futurist experimentation, and we’re thrilled they’ll be joining us for the ride.”
Featuring all-new works, the online show will be live-streamed at 8 p.m on the Twitch platform. Proceeds benefit Brave Space Alliance, the first Black- and trans-led LGBTQ center located on Chicago’s South Side. Visit neofuturists.org for tickets.
___
Image: Courtesy of PlayMakers Laboratory. The cast of “That’s Queer, Grandma” changes weekly. Current participants include Kaitlyn Andrews, Bryan Bosque, Elisa Carlson, Nancy Casas, Brandon Cloyd, Gavin Damore, Jasmine Henri-Jordan, Cedar Larson, Deanna Myers, Lee Peters, Suki Shore, Mary Tilden, and Carly Wicks.