Pride Films and Plays Announces Staged Readings and Screenplays Contest
Pride Films and Plays , a new not-for-profit, is proud to announce its inaugural activities as an organization. The first two events scheduled are Five Decades of Great Gay Theater, May 9 – June 13, a series of staged reading of great gay plays, Theatre Building Chicago, 1225 West Belmont, and the Great Gay Screenplay Contest, held in conjunction with Chicago Filmmakers.
The contest seeks new screenplays dealing with gay history, characters or themes and relevant to the world. The semifinalists will be read this fall during Reeling: The Chicago Lesbian and Gay International Film Festival.
All tickets for the Five Decades of Great Gay Theatre and the readings of the Great Gay Screenplay Contest Semi-Finalists are $10, and may be reserved by calling 773.250.3112 or 1.800.838.3006.
Tickets may also be purchased at Brown Paper Tickets
David Zak, executive director, says “Pride Films and Plays will educate the writers and the public on the great body of work that already exists in gay theatre and film and inspire the writers to contribute to the next generation of great gay writing.” Pride Films and Plays presents a brief summary of this history in Five Decades of Great Gay Plays as staged readings to play this May and June at the Theatre Building Chicago.
The series includes from the 1960’s Mart Crowley’s The Boys In the Band, Sunday, May 9 at 7 p.m., directed by Michael Lasswell and hosted by Dean Richards of WGN TV and radio; from the 1970’s Lanford Wilson’s The Fifth of July, Sunday, May 16 at 7 p.m., directed by Patrick Walsh and hosted by Misha Davenport of the Chicago Sun-Times; from the 1980’s William M. Hoffman’s As Is, Sunday, May 23 at 7 p.m., directed by Steve Scott and hosted by Alexandra Silets of WTTW Television; from the 1990’s Jonathan Harvey’s Beautiful Thing, Sunday, June 6, directed by John Nasca and hosted by Tom Chiola, retired judge and from the first decade of the 21st century, Take Me Out by Richard Greenberg, Sunday, June 23 at 7 p.m., directed by David Zak.