FERNDALE –
Who Wants Cake? recently announced the final details for its inaugural Gay Play Series (GPS).
"We are very excited to be kicking off what we know will be an annual event for many years to come. Not only do we get to present a staged reading and a new cabaret act, we have the privilege of premiering five new plays by five exciting playwrights. And that is the best part about doing GPS!" said Joe Bailey, artistic director of Who Wants Cake?
The festival will kick off at 8 p.m. Friday, June 25 with a rare staged reading of the gay cult masterpiece "Valley of the Dolls," based on the novel by Jacqueline Susann. The cast for this special reading includes Melissa Beckwith, Christa Coulter, Kate Peckham, Bryan Lark, Dave Davies, Dyan Bailey, Mark Sobolewski, Vince Kelley, Joe Bailey, Laurel Hufano and others.
Saturday and Sunday, June 26 and 27, brings the GPS Main Event. Five original one-act plays will be presented. Earlier this year Who Wants Cake? sent out a request for short new gay plays and these five were chosen from the 22 submitted. The plays being produced are:
"In," by Dave DeChristopher and directed by Scott Myers
"The Single Life," by Megan Buckley and directed by Katie Galazka
"My Dull Friend," by Margaret Edwartowski and directed by Gary Lehman
"Joy," by Audra Lord and directed by Matthew Turner Shelton
"He Hit Me (It Felt Like a Kiss)," by Kristian O'Hare and directed by Courtney Burkett
All five pieces will be presented as one performance on each day. They will begin at 8 p.m. on Saturday, June 26 and at 3 p.m. on Sunday, June 27, and at the end of each performance, audiences will be asked to vote for their favorite play.
The festival will conclude with a repeat performance of the winning play at 8 p.m. Monday, June 28. Following that winning production will be a cabaret performance, The Motown MisCast Cabaret, wherein the men will perform musical-theater songs traditionally sung by women while the women will sing songs traditionally sung by men. A huge hit in cities such as New York and Boston, Who Wants Cake? is thrilled to bring the MisCast concept to Detroit.
Tickets are $10 per day or $20 for a weekend pass. Tickets/passes will be available at the door. The box-office will open 45 minutes before each performance. Reservations may be made by calling 248-545-5545 or by visiting http://www.whowantscaketheatre.com.
Gay Play Series Lineup
8 p.m. Friday, June, 25: Staged Reading of "Valley of the Dolls"
8 p.m. Saturday, June 26: GPS Main Event; five original short one-act plays
3 p.m. Sunday, June 27: GPS Main Event; five original short one-act plays
8 p.m. Monday, June 28: Performance of winning play followed by The Motown MisCast Cabaret
