FERNDALE – The Ringwald Theatre is sounding a call for local troupes to be a part of their Sixth Annual Gay Play Series (GPS). The Detroit-area's only GLBT short play festival is striving to provide writers, directors and actors the opportunity to produce new and exciting work that challenges, excites and centers on gay issues and culture.
For the first time ever, The Ringwald will give actors, writers and directors a chance to participate in a unique event. In the place of the traditional One Act Play Festival portion of GPS, the sixth annual celebration will feature The Ringwald's Big Gay Mash-Up.
On Monday, June 8, after the closing performance of "10 Naked Men," The Ringwald will host the GPS Mash-Up Launch Party. This event will pair troupes of six (or less) with a movie/music mash-up and four backing tracks from chosen songs to be used. The troupes will then be given 10 days to write, direct, choreograph and then perform their production as this year's main event.
The mash-ups may have a performance time of 40 minutes or less and deal directly with issues or characters that are identified as gay/lesbian/transgender, or contain a gay sensibility. From those performed, an audience poll will be conducted to select one winning mash-up, actor, actress and director. The winning mash-up will be given a late night slot in The Ringwald's upcoming 2015-2016 Season.
Possible mash-up titles include: My Fair Lady Gaga, Cat on a Hot Tin Rufus Wainright, Fifty Chers of Grey and Indigo Girls, Interrupted.
The 2014 Festival awarded "Mom is GLAAD" two awards: Best Script to Margaret Edwartowski and Best Actress to Linda Ramsay. The Best Director award went to Josh Campos for his own play, "Shelter," and the Best Actor award was given to Jeff Smyk for his performance in "Make Room for Stu."
