Queer NEPA presents first-ever variety show at Act Out Theatre in Dunmore on April 10
From a press release:
Local LGBTQ+ activists Queer NEPA will present their first-ever variety show with the Act Out Theatre Group in Dunmore on Saturday, April 10.
This inaugural event will be hosted by Miss Red and Connor Michalchuk from Philadelphia. The extensive cast of drag performers includes local favorite divas and gentlemen like Estella Sweet, Vivica Von Peters, Naomi Dettmore, Nevaeh DeDa, Oliver Twist, Justice Twist-Valentine, Andrew Oddgenous, and incomparable burlesque performances by the one and only Ms. Rose.
In addition, this jam-packed evening of talent and entertainment will feature the comedic stylings of Major H. Dude, the theatre chops of Sawyer Green, and live singing by Martha Zabriski, Lisa Provau, Dan Pittman, and Frank Carey.
Doors at the Act Out Theatre (150 E. Grove St., Dunmore) will open at 7 p.m., and the show begins promptly at 8 p.m. Seating is limited and masks are required due to COVID-19 restrictions. Attendees must be 18+ to enter and 21+ to drink.
Tickets, which are $30, can only be purchased online at actouttheatre.com. Those who would like to sit with a particular group must purchase tickets together. If individual tickets are purchased but seating with a specific group is requested, email actouttheatre1@gmail.com by Friday, April 9.
There will be a cash bar and basket raffles for purchase. The funds raised from this new event will benefit Queer NEPA’s Queer Youth Council and the NEPA Pride Project, which provides scholarships to local high school seniors planning on majoring in the arts.
Queer NEPA is a grassroots organization dedicated to culture, community, and justice. It was founded on June 12, 2018 by trans activist Em Maloney with the mission to advocate peace and LGBTQ rights in Northeastern Pennsylvania. With a platform rooted in progressive and socialist values, the group also stand for reproductive justice, harm reduction, and the abolition of poverty. Queer NEPA aims to carry out its mission through volunteerism, activism, and coalition building.
Act Out Theatre Group is an organization focusing on performance and education of the art of musical theatre. Its goal is to not only produce fine art but to facilitate an educational and fun social climate where students ages 4 to seniors in high school can be free to express themselves without judgment, to learn about music and theatre, and to share a common passion among peers.
In 2017, Dan Pittman took over as Act Out Theatre’s artistic director and owner after Candice and Conway Rowe, who first opened Act Out Theatre, decided to pursue other opportunities. He ran Act Out Theatre Group at its Taylor location until 2018 when the building was unexpectedly put up for sale and sold. To keep the Act Out name alive and the arts program continuing, he found a new location at 150 East Grove Street in Dunmore.
Nothing short of a massive Act Out family effort allowed the theatre to close its final production at the Taylor location and move to Dunmore in a week. 19 days later, “Heathers: The Musical (High School Edition)” opened on the Dunmore stage.
Since that first production, the theatre has gone through a number of changes, but the family spirit has remained. Theatre offerings have evolved to include adult productions, educational theatre camps for children, family fun nights, and more community involvement opportunities. The theatre is committed to creating a safe, inclusive environment where all children and teens are encouraged to explore the arts. Smaller workshop opportunities allow for more individualized attention and for participants to be more than just a face in the crowd.
The theatre also has an active Parents and Friends Booster Club that plans to become a 501c3 entity. This will allow for greater fundraising efforts to bring workshop opportunities to more children and teens who might otherwise not be able to afford them.
