Category Archives: Non-Profits
Chicago House Annual Fashion Brunch
Those of us who remember the headline “Rare Cancer Seen in 41 Homosexuals” in The New York Times on July 3, 1981 also can remember the fear, the shame, and the hysteria that followed soon after. It was a full year before the reason for that “rare cancer” had a name: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS). It was even longer before a safety net was in place to catch those falling victim to HIV.
In 1985, Chicago House opened its doors as the first provider of AIDS Housing and Support Services in the Midwest, offering eight beds that would allow those with AIDS a place to die with dignity. Many of those first residents were gay men. From the start, our founders, our staff, our board, and our residents were people from all walks of life who were:
- Unified in fighting poverty and homelessness,
- Unified in support of the LGBTQ community, and
- Unified in serving those with HIV/AIDS.
It is now 30 years later, and thankfully HIV/AIDS has eased from crisis mode for many. Antiretroviral medications are now so effective that people who are positive are not only living healthy lives, but also are not passing on HIV thanks to undetectable viral loads. Concurrently, the preventive HIV medication PrEP (among other advancements) is now available to help assure that those who are HIV negative remain negative.
Similarly, LGBTQ civil equality has achieved unprecedented success and progress. In 1985, the founders of Chicago House gathered around a table at The Baton in downtown Chicago to help provide an answer and some relief to the greatest needs of the LGBTQ community. We can only try to imagine their joy had they been able to see the advancements achieved over these last 30 years.
Unfortunately the gains we have made in HIV/AIDS care and in LGBTQ equality have not been shared by many of those experiencing the first of our three founding calls to action: poverty and homelessness. In fact, those living with HIV/AIDS and those who identify as LGBTQ remain disproportionately affected by poverty and homelessness. Those who are low income are over five times more likely to have HIV, and 29% of all LGBTQ people experienced food insecurity in the last year. It is in the face of those facts that Chicago House recently cut the ribbon on the TranLife Center, and it is in the face of those facts that we continue working tirelessly to serve those most marginalized and most in need in the LGBTQ community and among those living with HIV.
Thirty years of service offers many reasons to celebrate, but the reality of disproportionate homelessness and poverty offers even more reasons to fight harder than ever for the people that we serve. Thank you so much for remaining with us in the fight.
Chicago House: There at the Beginning. Here to meet the challenge.
This year’s Spring Fashion Brunch on May 3rd is all about celebrating Chicago House’s 30 Years of Service and the last three decades of fashion. In fact, all guests are invited to come dressed in his or her favorite fashion moment or trend from the past 30 years. The fashion certainly won’t be limited to the runway this year!
THIS SELLS OUT EVERY YEAR! GET TICKETS ONLINE NOW!
Red Dress Party Chicago 2015
It’s almost here! The return of Chicago’s RED DRESS PARTY fundraiser!
Special promo – if you don’t have tickets yet, Buy one General Admission ticket and GET ONE FREE!
Don’t wait! Offer ends March 31st! BUY NOW ONLINE and they will send you an extra free ticket!
WARHOL Wonka Ball April 10
Come claim your 15 minutes of fame at About Face Theatre’s annual gala WONKA BALL:
WARHOL, where guests are invited to step into Warhol’s infamous factory for one night only. This year’s highly-anticipated soiree takes place Friday, April 10, 2015 at 8 pm (VIP Cocktail Reception at 7 pm) at Moonlight Studios, 1446 W. Kinzie St. in Chicago.
WONKA BALL:
WARHOL will celebrate the pop art icon and his cadre of superstars, celebrities and subjects. Guests are invited to experience live, Warhol-inspired art-making by Matthew Lew, JoJo Baby and Edgewater Workbench, short experimental films by Warhol and contemporary Chicago filmmakers, a punch-out prize wall, a photo booth and more. Guests will also enjoy fantastic food with catering by Wolfgang Puck, delicious drinks and stellar silent and live auctions, including a three-night stay in Key West.
Join Chicago’s celebrated center for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex and ally arts (LGBTQIA) as it celebrates its 19th year on this unforgettable evening. Tickets are currently available at www.aboutfacetheatre.com or by calling (773) 784-8565.
VIP Cocktail Reception
Join About Face for an exclusive VIP Cocktail Reception beginning at 7 pm, guests will enjoy early access to the venue, specialty cocktails, an exclusive raffle with complimentary raffle tickets, culinary treats, live entertainment and a VIP gift bag. The reception will be hosted by the evening’s honorary co-chairs and members of the AFT Board of Directors.
WONKA BALL: WARHOL Honorary Co-Chairs include AFT Artistic Associate Precious Davis, John Dalton and Kristen Kaza.
Proceeds from WONKA BALL: WARHOL will support About Face Theatre’s award-winning mainstage programming, new play development series and nationally-recognized educational program. Since 1995, About Face has created exceptional, innovative, and adventurous plays that advance the national dialogue on gender and sexual identity and have entertained and challenged audiences in Chicago, across the country and around the world. Support from Wonka Ball enables About Face to thrive as Chicago’s celebrated center for LGBTQIA arts; an inclusive home where diverse artists, youth, audiences and community partners come together for artistic exchange and cultural dialogue.
EVENT DETAILS:
Event: WONKA BALL: WARHOL
Date: Friday, April 10 from 8 pm – 11 pm; VIP Cocktail Party at 7 pm
Location: Moonlight Studios, 1446 W. Kinzie St. in Chicago
Tickets: General admission: $150 (Early Bird Special $125 through March 13, 2015). VIP Cocktail Reception: $200 (Early Bird Special $175 through March 13, 2015). Additional sponsorship packages are available. Tickets currently available at www.aboutfacetheatre.com or by calling (773) 784-8565.
THE SPONSORS
Catering: Wolfgang Puck Catering. Liquor: Absolut, Angels Envy, Goose Island and Sidetrack. Event furniture: Cort. Photo booth: Red Weddings. Restaurant Partners: Wow Bao, Garrett Popcorn, Hamburger Mary’s, Cabot Cheese, Insomnia Cookies, Yo Soy!, Swirlz Cupcakes, Mariano’s, Rique’s Chicago, mEAT, DS Tequila and Do-Rite Donuts. Key West vacation: Historic Key West Inns.
About Face Theatre creates exceptional, innovative, and adventurous plays to advance the national dialogue on gender and sexual identity, and to challenge and entertain audiences in Chicago, across the country, and around the world.
GLAAD Hatter Brunch April 4th
Tickets are going fast! Don’t be left out!
2015 GLAAD Hatter Brunch Benefit!
GLAAD Hatter, presented by Ketel One Vodka and MillerCoors, is a celebration of national and local leaders advancing LGBT equality.
At GLAAD it’s personal and we want your hat to be a personal expression of yourself while enjoying a sumptuous brunch with specialty brunch cocktails.
Whether impressive or understated, bridal or funeral, edible, perishable, sporty, floral, or with live birds in a cage — whatever hat you wear, you’ll fit right in. Prizes will be given away for “Best Hat” as well as “People’s Choice” for favorite hat. Enter to win raffle prizes from great companies throughout the Chicago area.
Tickets: http://www.glaad.org/
Wonka Ball 2015 WARHOL
In the future everyone will be world famous for 15 minutes.In 2015, About Face Theatre proclaims:
It is the future and everyone can be Andy Warhol
For one night only, Moonlight Studios will be transformed into today’s version of Warhol’s Factory. Immerse yourself in a world of 21st century pop art, cinema and camp while enjoying music, dancing, delicious drinks and fantastic food. And get ready for an amazing, art-filled silent and live auction that will blow your mind!
Just 2 weeks left! What are you waiting for, sugar?
Take a walk on the wild side…
Friday, April 10th @ Moonlight StudiosVIP Superstar Lounge @ 7pm
General Admission @ 8pm
GLAAD Hatter Brunch Chicago April 4th 2015
IT’S BACK! The festive and fun 2015 GLAAD Hatter Brunch Benefit!
GLAAD Hatter, presented by Ketel One Vodka and MillerCoors, is a celebration of national and local leaders advancing LGBT equality.
At GLAAD it’s personal and we want your hat to be a personal expression of yourself while enjoying a sumptuous brunch with specialty brunch cocktails.
Whether impressive or understated, bridal or funeral, edible, perishable, sporty, floral, or with live birds in a cage — whatever hat you wear, you’ll fit right in. Prizes will be given away for “Best Hat” as well as “People’s Choice” for favorite hat. Enter to win raffle prizes from great companies throughout the Chicago area.
Tickets:
$150 for Two Tickets or $85 Individual Ticket Purchase Tickets
A significant portion of your ticket supports GLAAD. GLAAD rewrites the script on LGBT equality. As a dynamic media force, GLAAD tackles tough issues to shape the narrative and provoke dialog that leads to cultural change. GLAAD protects all that has been accomplished and creates a world where everyone can live the life they love. GLAAD.org
Chicago House THE TEASE Feb 28th
Nadine DuBois is a commanding addition to this year’s production of The Tease. Renowned for her masterful ability to transform shows into a “more cohesive and pure slice of burlesque,” DuBois will provide a “glamorous framework for The Tease‘s incredible cast of artists.”
Hailing from Minneapolis, DuBois laces a glimmer of sexuality into her Minnesota-nice demeanor. She brings experience performing throughout the Twin Cities in large theatrical productions such as Grown and Sexy PRIDE, which every year features a special guest from RuPaul’s Drag Race, and in big-stage shows that have toured across New Zealand and Australia with Chicago burlesque artists Jett Adore, Bazuka Joe and Ray Gunn. DuBois has also made appearances in venues such as Chicago’s Subterranean and Music Box Theatre.
For DuBois, burlesque is truly an innocent, fun and freeing experience. “When I’m on stage, it’s the most present I ever am.”
This love affair started one hot summer night in Minneapolis when DuBois walked past an unnamed bar. Inside, she saw mystic artists who looked like they truly belonged. Trained as a singer, DuBois sought the perfect platform from which to share her talent, but she had yet to find the right fit. On this warm night in 2003, Nadine DuBois fell in love.
From there grew the persona that DuBois describes as “comedic in a real way.” Opening shows with the question, Have you ever been to a burlesque show before?, DuBois channels the audience’s nervous energy into her comedy. She responds suggestively to those new to the art form, eager to pop the cherries of burlesque virgins around the world.
This month, DuBois will host The Tease. Tying together performances by aerialists, dancers, jugglers and contortionists, DuBois will provide the scaffolding for The Tease’s portrayal of the turmoil of love. As a fierce ally to the communities Chicago House serves, Nadine DuBois intends for her performance to “highlight and encourage the powerful compassion and immense resources that Chicago House provides for its clients.”
Two shows 7:30 and 10:30!!! Saturday Feb. 28th!
Buy tickets to this year’s production of The Tease on our website or by calling 773.248.5200 x 304.
Amy Landecker in Chicago for AFC Gala in May
30 Years of Action: 30th Year Gala Marks AIDS Foundation of Chicago’s Milestone Fighting HIV/AIDS
Actress Amy Landecker to be master of ceremonies at AFC’s 30th Year Gala on May 16!
The AIDS Foundation of Chicago (AFC) commemorates 30 years of action with the HIV/AIDS community during its 30th Year Gala, taking place at the Hilton Chicago on May 16.
The event marks a historic milestone for the organization, which has led the fight against HIV/AIDS in the Chicago metropolitan area since the early years of the epidemic. Thirty years later, AFC commemorates the work its community of supporters, advocates, service providers, and community organizations have done to reduce new HIV infections and provide support for the estimated 43,000 people living with HIV and AIDS in Illinois today.
Renowned actress Amy Landecker will be master of ceremonies, highlighting AFC’s impact on HIV/AIDS in Chicago, Illinois and across the U.S. Landecker is known for her role in the Academy Award-nominated film A Serious Man and currently stars in Amazon’s Golden Globe winning comedy series Transparent, which chronicles the lives of a Los Angeles family whose patriarch is transgender.
Guests at the 30th Year Gala will also enjoy live entertainment from a special performer (to be announced next year), specialty cocktails, dinner, dancing and a raffle. Saturday, May 16, 2015 from 6 p.m. to Midnight
WHERE: Hilton Chicago, 720 S. Michigan Ave.
TICKETS: $500 per person. $5,000 per table. For more information and to reserve tickets, call 312-334-0935
Wonka Ball 2015 WARHOL
In 1968, Andy Warhol proclaimed:
“In the future everyone will be world famous for 15 minutes.“
In 2015, About Face Theatre proclaims:
“It is the future and everyone can be Andy Warhol” at…
WONKA BALL: WARHOL
Named as one of Chicago’s top theatre, dance, and music events for the 5th year in a row, WONKA BALL: WARHOL will celebrate the Pop Art icon and his cadre of superstars, celebrities and subjects.
Guests will experience live, Warhol-inspired art-making and performances, plus fantastic food, delicious drinks, music and a stellar silent and live auction for which Wonka Ball itself has become famous.
Get your discounted Early Bird tickets now and support About Face Theatre, Chicago’s premiere center for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex and ally arts (LGBTQIA) as we celebrate our 19th year and party like superstars!
Love is Love EQIL Gala Feb. 14th
We can hardly believe it – Gala week is here and this is one of your last chances to attend the largest LGBT event of its kind in the Midwest.
It will be a night of celebration and dancing that you won’t want to miss. We’ll be honoring the TransLife Center of Chicago House, performer Lea DeLaria, and business leader Michael Sacks and GCM Grosvenor.
To kick off the night we have remarkable silent auction items for you to bid on, from travel packages to locales like Las Vegas and Maui to glamorous hotel stays, dining, and entertainment in Chicago. You will be able to bid on flights around the world, Picasso lithographs, or even baskets filled with your favorite cocktail ingredients!
Only standard tables and tickets are left, and they’re going fast – get your tickets today!
Lea DeLaria Honored at EQIL Gala
Illinois native Lea DeLaria, widely known as Boo in “Orange is the New Black,” will be honored with the Equality Illinois Freedom Award at this year’s Gala.
Beyond her role on the hit show, she was the first out comedian to appear on a late-night talk show and is a prominent jazz musician. Be sure you get your tickets to the Gala today to see Lea on the big stage.
Additionally, Equality Illinois is proud to honor The TransLife Center of Chicago House with the Freedom Award for their work providing critical, life-changing services to transgender Illinoisans. Our 2015 Business Leadership Awardee is Grosvenor Capital Management and CEO Michael Sacks for spearheading business support in the fight for marriage equality. All of our awardees are helping further our movement toward full equality.
As the largest LGBT event of its kind in the Midwest, the Gala draws more than 1,400 participants and is nearly sold out. We still have a limited number of Premier tickets and Standard tickets and tables available. Don’t miss out on seeing all of our awardees at the Equality Illinois Gala – get your tickets today!
A Kid Like Jake – Chicago Premiere
Why Can’t A Boy
be A Princess?
—New York Times.
begins previews in only 16 days!
The Chicago Premiere of A KID LIKE JAKE
Written by Daniel Pearle | Directed by Keira Fromm
FEBRUARY 6th thru MARCH 15th
Thursdays thru Saturdays @ 7:30p
Saturday and Sunday Matinees @ 3:00p
Discounted PREVIEW TICKETS are still available, but they won’t be for long! Be among the first to see A KID LIKE JAKE – grab yours today.
Alex and Greg’s intelligent and precocious four year-old son Jake is a leading candidate for enrollment in one of Manhattan’s top kindergarten programs. But when attention turns to his passion for Cinderella and dress-up, Jake’s behavior becomes a lightning rod, calling into question assumptions about gender, class, education and acceptance through the lens of 21st century parenting.
PREVIEWS: Adults $20 | Students + Seniors $10
Adults $35 | Students + Seniors $20
The Greenhouse Theater Center 2257 N Lincoln Ave. in Chicago
Center on Halsted & About Face Theatre
Center on Halsted & About Face Theatre
STANDING UNDERNEATH NIGHT AND DAY
Many in the LGBTQ community are or have at one point experienced loneliness or isolation because of how they identify. As a community-based organization, Center on Halsted tackles this need through providing programs, services, and space for individuals to commune and live powerfully in supportive inclusive environments.
In a new collaboration with About Face Theatre, Center on Halsted is hosting an OUT FRONT Series performance entitled STANDING UNDERNEATH NIGHT AND DAY, a narrative, theatrical work in progress about youth, seniors and the gaps in between that explores the intergenerational sense of isolation in the LGBTQ community. The piece, led by About Face Theatre Artistic Associate, Kelli Simpkins, uses a collection of 50 interviews conducted over a five month period with intergenerational members of the Chicago LGBTQIA community and those advocating for youth and seniors.
Bruce is one of the dozens interviewed for the project and weighed in on the problem of loneliness in the LGBTQ community.
“As a psychotherapist and social service professional,” he said, “I hear the lament of loneliness almost as much from today’s LGBTQ young people as I did from my own generation. In spite of all the progress we’ve made toward securing our rights, the truth is that many LGBTQ youth continue to experience rejection, ostracism, harassment and violence that is fueled by homophobia.”
Kyla, another interviewee, believes this piece is poised to be inspirational and an agent for change.
“I want this [project] to turn apathetic people outside of the community into spokespeople for what the new idea of normal really is,” she said. “To be normal is to be true to yourself. [This project has the potential to] strengthen the existing community and provide common ground for youth and elders despite differences.”
Eric, who was also interviewed, agrees and sees conversation as integral to bridging community. In his experience, “life continues on, love always has a way to find you, and community will always back you up in times of strain.”
Center on Halsted and About Face Theatre invite you to join us in community, learn from our collective experiences, and combat loneliness in OUT FRONT: STANDING UNDERNEATH NIGHT AND DAY.\
$10 suggested donation
| January 24th @ 7:00 p.m. |
| January 25th @3:00 p.m. |
| Center on Halsted |
| Reserve your seats today |
LOVE IS LOVE Valentines Gala
THE MIDWEST’S LARGEST LGBT GALA and FUNDRAISER
SUPPORTS THE WORK OF EQUALITY ILLINOIS
Saturday, February 14, 2015
Hilton Chicago Hotel, 720 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago
6 PM – Cocktails and Silent Auction
8 PM – Dinner and Program
10 PM – Dancing till Midnight
TICKETS
Get your ticket to join us at the Equality Illinois 2015 Gala.
TABLE COMMITMENTS
Purchase or captain a table; host a platinum, premier, or standard table of 10.
CORPORATE SPONSORSHIPS
Learn how your business can reach over 50,000 LGBT and LGBT-friendly households through supporting the Gala.
DONATIONS FOR LUXURY SILENT AUCTION
Travel, entertainment, sports and fitness, dining and artwork donations welcomed.
PROGRAM BOOK ADVERTISING
Seen by 1,400 gala attendees, including leading political figures.
GALA CO-CHAIRS ARE MARITERESE AND PATRICK BALTHROP
The Balthrops are major supporters of organizations such as Equality Illinois that fight for the LGBT community.
TRANSLIFE CENTER OF CHICAGO HOUSE TO BE HONORED AT GALA
The TransLife Center demonstrates remarkable vision, courage, and leadership.
Chicago House THE TEASE Event 2015
February 28, 2015
Two shows, 7:30 pm and 10:30 pm
AIDS Foundation Chicago Awards $220,000!
The AIDS Foundation of Chicago (AFC) is pleased to announce 18 award recipients of its 2014 Challenge Grants — a legacy program that awards financial support to organizations that are making a difference in the HIV epidemic and the lives of people living with the virus in Illinois. A combined total of $220,000 was awarded among the receiving organizations.
This year, funding was determined based on four categories: Community Mobilization, Strengthening Communities & Reducing Health Disparities, Integration of Service Systems, and Improving Outcomes at Every Stage of HIV Care. These categories directly align with the initiatives set forth by AFC’s 2013-2015 Strategic Plan.
“After an in-depth review process by our Grant Making Committee, we are excited to announce this year’s grant recipients and look forward to supporting an array of innovative and strong HIV/AIDS programs,” said Cynthia Tucker, AFC’s director of Prevention and Community Partnerships.
AFC will be providing funding to the following organizations:
AIDS Legal Council of Chicago
Alexian Brothers Housing and Health Alliance
Care2Prevent at the University of Chicago
Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago/Lake County Stands Against Stigma Coalition Enhancement
Chicago House & Social Service Agency
FCAN
Heartland Health Outreach
Hektoen Institute for Medical Research/City-Wide Adolescent Sexual Health Roundtable
Howard Brown Health Center
LAF
McDermott Center (Haymarket)
New Age Services Corporation
Open Door Clinic
Planned Parenthood of Illinois
Puerto Rican Cultural Center — Vida/SIDA/MSM Taskforce
The CORE Foundation/Step Up Get Tested Plus
The Night Ministry
TPA Network
The 2014 Challenge Grants prioritize strategies advancing the fight against HIV/AIDS within the following populations identified in the National HIV/AIDS Strategy: gay and bisexual men and other men who have sex with men of all races and ethnicities, African Americans, Latinos/Latinas, transgender people and women of color.
“Given the major changes facing the HIV/AIDS service sector, including implementation of the Affordable Care Act, the National HIV/AIDS Strategy, new prevention strategies and the increasing need for community collaboration, our Challenge Grants give us an opportunity to fund innovative programs that address immediate and long-term priorities in an ever-changing HIV/AIDS landscape,” said John Peller, AFC president/CEO.
Chicago Gay Mens Chorus Holiday Events
CGMC Exclusive…Suzy Snowflake is Coming to Town for “YuleTUBE”
Join Chicago Gay Men’s Chorus, the Christmas Queen, and Suzy Snowflake for “YuleTUBE”, a laugh-out-loud variety show celebrating your favorite holiday
songs from TV and the Movies! It’s the land of misfit boys in a rollicking
Rankin and Bass world gone mad!
Come say farewell to CGMC’s retiring Artistic Director Patrick Sinozich as he goes out with a bang and gives us a little old-school CGMC holiday fun – cowritten by Bill Larkin!
3 Shows! 3 Great Venues!
Friday, Dec 5, 2014 – 8:00PM at Harris Theater
Saturday, Dec 6, 2014 – 8:00PM at North Shore Center for the Performing Arts
Saturday, Dec 20, 2014 – 7:30PM at Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts
For ticket information please visit www.cgmc.org or call 773-296-0541.
#We are all Clean HIV Challenge
THIS IS BRILLIANT!
Could this be the HIV equivalent to the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge? We think so. The concept is the brainchild of well-known HIV activist, Jack Mackenroth who has partnered with Moovz, the leading global gay social app, to launch the project. It’s genius in its simplicity. We are now a selfie-obsessed culture and Mackenroth urges everyone to take a special selfie for an important cause.
“I was inspired by the use of the word ‘clean’, especially common in gay culture, to describe oneself as STI/STD free. Indirectly this implies that HIV-positive people are somehow ‘dirty'”, says Mackenroth. “I thought a PG or PG-13 shower selfie or Vine video would be a fun way that everyone could easily show their support on social media for finding a cure by using the hashtag #weareALLclean when they post their photo with the link. They then nominate 3 other people to participate and hopefully donate to the project as well.”
The goal of the campaign is to raise 1 million dollars to stop the epidemic and help find a cure and the campaign will be ongoing indefinitely. Donate here. All donations received will be donated to Housing Works, a New York-based nonprofit organization fighting on the front lines to end AIDS and homelessness, not just in New York but globally by 2030. The CDC estimates that there are currently 1.2 million people in the US living with HIV and over 35 million people around the world.
“As someone who has been living with HIV for 25 years this is very personal to me.” Mackenroth adds, “There is current urgency for funding as we have new treatments that maintain viral suppression and render HIV-positive individuals virtually non-transmissible. Those same treatments can be given to HIV-negative individuals and protect them from infection. Essentially we already have the tools to stop the epidemic from spreading. Exciting new research is bringing us closer to a real cure for AIDS every day. ”
The campaign will launch within Moovz because of the app’s high user engagement rates and it’s history of successful international LGBT social media campaigns. Mackenroth is known as a social media powerhouse in his own right but he is also enlisting many of his “social media superstar” friends to get the campaign off the ground.
Actor, model, singer and social media stud, Chris Salvatore is igniting the campaign from Los Angeles after joining forces with Moovz as well. “It’s time to erase the stigma and unite as a global community. Regardless of your gender or sexual identity—no matter what age, color, size or shape you are, you should be part of this project! Let’s all be one loud, united voice in support of awareness, education, treatment and research for a cure.” says Salvatore. “And have fun with it. Be funny, sexy or silly. Who doesn’t want to see people in the shower soaping up for a good cause?”
“I truly hope this campaign goes viral—no pun intended.” Mackenroth quips.
The campaign launches between now and World AIDS Day, December 1st and is ongoing until the goal is reached. The hope is that there will be traction in the following weeks so that people know about the campaign on World AIDS Day and change their profile photos to show support.
INSTRUCTIONS:
1) Take a selfie or Vine video of yourself in the shower.** NO EXPLICIT NUDITY**
2) Post your photo now on Moovz and all social media platforms with the caption “Take HIV Shower Selfie Challenge raise $$ for AIDS cure bit.ly/CUREAIDS #
3) Nominate 3 or more other people to participate!
4) (Optional) DONATE!! Please consider a small donation if you are able. Every penny counts! bit.ly/CUREAIDS
5) On World AIDS Day (or before) : Monday, December 1st, please change all your social media profile pix to your shower selfie photo and spread the word!!
Rudolph the Red-Hosed Reindeer Returns
Break out your high heels and fishnets
this holiday because Hell in a Handbag Productions is bringing back Rudolph the Red-Hosed Reindeer, David Cerda’s beloved parody of the classic children’s television special Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Now celebrating its 17th year, Rudolph the Red-Hosed Reindeer is the longest running holiday show featuring a transvestite reindeer in the history of Chicago, and quite possibly THE WORLD.
Santa (Michael Hampton) is depressed. Nobody believes in him anymore and he doesn’t even believe in himself. Downsizing has taken its toll on the remaining elves. The North Pole morale and morals are at an all-time low and Mrs. Claus (Ed Jones) and her drinking have reached the point of no return.
When Tom and Jane Donner welcome the arrival of their new son, Rudolph, they are horrified to discover their new son’s predilection for women’s clothing and do all they can to stop him from being himself forcing Rudolph to run away from home. Can Rudolph, the North Pole’s biggest misfit elf, Herbie (Chad), and Yukon Cornelia (Lori Lee, returning for her 10th year!), the butch prospector with a deep, dark secret -accidentally save Christmas?
“For me, Rudolph is first kid’s story that encourages you to “just be yourself,” says Artistic Director and playwright David Cerda. “It’s a tale about MISFITS, and I could totally relate to Rudolph and his pain” says Cerda. “There were no anti bullying- campaigns when I was growing up. In my day, if you were picked on in your parents usually told you to stop whining and fight. I’m glad things are finally changing for kids.”
This year brings Handbag a new Rudolph, Grant Drager along with puppets by Lolly Extract and Amber Marsh plus additional new cast members, Caitlin Jackson, Kirk Jackson, Shiv Mann, Lizzie Schwarzrock as Clarice, Rudolph’s love interest and Jamie Smith as Sam the Snowman.
Also returning to the show are Barbara Figgins, Terry McCarthy, David Cerda,and of course Ed Jones as the Dragbeast.
It doesn’t matter if you’ve been naughty or nice this year… you definitely want to catch the show that Chris Jones (Chicago Tribune) dubbed “an ideal holiday escape for anyone who detests the commercialism of traditional Christmas shows”. And remember… “Being Normal Isn’t Normal At All!”
Previews: Thursday and Friday, Nov. 29, 30 Dec. 4
Runs: Thurs. – Sun. until Jan. 2
Showtimes: 3:30pm (Dec. 13, 20, 21) &7:30
Add’l shows: Dec. 22, 23 No Show: Dec. 7, 25
Admission: $16- $25 VIP Tickets- $35-$110 Group Rates- $16 w/10 or more tickets
Reservations: (800) 838-3006 or go to Brown Paper tickets online http://
