Bash'd Aiming for Summer Off-Broadway Run

By Andrew Gans
and Adam Hetrick
February 19, 2008

Bash'd! A Gay Rap Opera — which played an award-winning run at the Toronto Fringe Festival before being part of the 11th annual New York International Fringe Festival in August 2007 — is aiming for a summer run at an Off-Broadway theatre.

Variety reports that an industry reading of Nathan Cuckow and Chris Craddock's work will be held next month at Off-Broadway's New World Stages. Cuckow and Craddock also appear in the production, which features music by Aaron Macri and direction by Ron Jenkins.

Altar Boyz's Stephen Kocis and Naked Boys Singing's Carl D. White are planning to co-produce the Off-Broadway run, which would be capitalized at less than half-a-million dollars.

Bash'd!, according to press notes for the Fringe Festival production, "is loosely based on the real life spike in hate crimes in Alberta, Canada during the national debate on equal marriage for gays and lesbians. Since this debate, same sex marriage has been legalized in Canada, despite the fervent protests of the religious right. In America the struggle continues. Bash'd! explores the effect of homophobic violence and the emotions associated with being any marginalized population."