Atlanta’s Lavender Fest to showcase queer theatre Aug. 5 – 9

Qreative Voices has announced the lineup for season three of Lavender Fest, an Atlanta-based performing arts festival showcasing queer talent from across the United States.

The five-day festival will run from Aug. 5 – 9 at Out Front Theatre Company.

This year’s festival theme is “Unerasable,” and the lineup includes eight shows produced by LGBTQ+ artists.

“People ask me all the time what Lavender Fest does. But the better question is why we do it,” Festival Director Ty Autry said. “Every year, we put thousands of dollars directly into the hands of independent queer artists—something no other organization in Georgia is doing in quite this way. We’re investing in Queer Southern stories because we believe artists shouldn’t have to leave the South to build a career. These stories deserve to be created here, by the people who call this place home.”

Related story: Lavender Fest Reviews: ‘Stuck’ and ‘Yesterday is Dead’

All performances will be staged at Out Front Theatre’s main stage and Triangle Cabaret. The festival will open with Ruby Redd’s Birdcage Bingo at the Atlanta Eagle on August 5. All tips will support Qreative Voices and Lavender Fest.

The Lavender Fest Season Three lineup includes:

Stand Up Special Live Taping by Matthew English
Aug. 6, 6 p.m. and Aug. 8, 8:30 p.m.
Atlanta’s gay standup darling, Matthew English, is recording his first comedy special! Come ready to laugh as Matthew jokes about love, sex, and coffee.

The F-Word by Markell W. Williams
Aug. 6, 7:15 p.m., Aug. 7, 9:45 p.m., and Aug. 8, 7:15 p.m.
Part confession, part theatrical excavation, and part emotional reckoning, “The F-Word” examines what it means to grow up feeling pressured to perform a version of you that makes everyone else comfortable. The piece explores masculinity, Black identity, internalized shame, queerness, religion, dating, language, and the invisible systems that teach people how to shrink themselves in order to remain safe.

Mischief and Moonflowers by John Mabey and Obie Outlaw
Aug. 6, 8:30 p.m. and Aug. 8, 4:45 p.m.
In a world of intrigue, spies, and cigarette smoke, two trans women find themselves at a crossroads. In a nondescript hotel room, on a dark and dreary night, the two face a life-changing question: Will it be love? Or will it be war? Written by award-winning playwright John Mabey and directed by local artist Obie Outlaw, “Mischief and Moonflowers” is a trans, noir rom-com filled with joy and suspense.

Oop, Can’t Say That by Olive Zhang and Wanyu Yang
Aug. 6, 9:45 p.m., Aug. 7, 7:15 p.m., and Aug. 8, 9:45 p.m.
“Oop, Can’t Say That” is an irreverent theater show about the absurdities of what it looks like when you try to censor entire categories of people a la the various Don’t Say Gay bills circulating the U.S. During the show, audiences will see two “government-appointed censors” attempt to make sure a public speaker named Suzy doesn’t say any prohibited words while giving a talk on being trans in education. Unfortunately, “trans” is on that banned list of words!

ManBoy by Nick Eibler
Aug. 7, 6 p.m. and Aug. 9, 2:15 p.m.
Based on true events, “ManBoy” is a complicated coming of age/coming of “gay” story that is a fantastical and candid exploration of the adolescent obsession to be seen and the journey to find pride in oneself on the other side of shame.

Then, Eve by Billie Jane
Aug. 7, 8:30 p.m. and Aug. 9, 1 p.m.
Her story starts the way too many stories do… with a man. But armed with nothing more than an apple and a thirst for (r)Evolution, Eve is ready to tell you all about what really went down in Eden. Award-winning trans playwright Billie Jane brings her signature blend of humor, vulnerability, and unapologetic perspective to a show about how God created Adam – and Eve created herself.

Another Dimension Girl by Àse Freed
Aug. 8, 1 p.m.
“Oontz oontz boots-ing” the club down nightly, she’s no drag queen, but she does lip-sync for her life… as a ventriloquist. In an urgent quest for empowerment, Misha’s wardrobe comes to life as a puppet who has no problem spilling all her tea about the trials of a gender non-conforming trans woman. Facing an exploitative talk show host and an unpredictable club owner, she embarks a poetic whirlwind of a comedy with newly found self-love. This will be a staged reading of the play and not a full performance.

Queer Girl, Straight Guy by Lily Kerrigan and Matthew Marcus
Aug. 8, 6 p.m. and Aug. 9, 3:30 p.m.
Lily is a queer, polyamorous, professional comedian . . . and a menace. Matt is her self-proclaimed himbo boyfriend. Together they share risqué and ridiculous stories about dungeon etiquette, disappointing their moms, and losing a sister in a game of Cranium Cadoo.

All Lavender Fest shows are 60 minutes, and tickets are $15 at lavender-fest.com. Festival passes to see all eight shows are also available for $100.

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