Running May 6-June 6 at the Abingdon Arts Complex, the annual festival showcases the work of emerging LGBT theatre writers. The festival will feature four fully staged productions. All proceeds will benefit scholarship programs for students of the Harvey Milk High School.
The festival will launch with the U.S. premiere of Romeo and Hamlet by R. Jonathan Chapman and Kevin Stefan, running May 6-16. Sidney J. Burgoyne will direct the comedy about marriage equality told in the style of William Shakespeare. This time the star crossed lovers are almost Romeo and Juliet, except Romeo meets the dashing Danish prince Hamlet at the ball instead.
The world premiere of F.J. Hartland's Mother Tongue will follow May 13-23. A young painter must chose between his new lover and his mother who dreams of a career as a stand-up comedian.
Adam Siegel's The Legacy will run May 20-June 5 under the direction of Martin Casella. The work centers on a famous children's author who has rarely seen his son since he walked out on his young family over 40 years ago.
The final offering will be the world premiere musical This One Girl's Story, running May 27-June 6. Janki (Side Show, Miss Saigon, Actors Fund Hair) will helm the work that has a book by Bil Wright and music and lyrics by Dionne McClain-Freeney. Festival Passports and individual tickets are available by phoning (212) 351-3101 or by visiting GayFestNYC. The Abingdon Arts Complex is located at 312 West 36th Street in Manhattan.