Gaybingo heads to Plano? Sing it, Sister!
B 6-9! | Paul J. Williams will camp up in Plano as Sr. Helen Holy with Gaybingo North. (Arnold Wayne Jones/Dallas Voice)
When Gaybingo started 12 years ago this month, the first one took place inside Resource Center Dallas’ building. But it soon became obvious that wouldn’t be enough.
“We realized how potentially big it was,” says Johnny Humphrey, RCD’s event producer. It quickly moved to the Lakewood Theater, and eventually the Rose Room, where it still packs them in.
But Gaybingo is growing once again. And it’s busting up North Central Expressway.
Gaybingo North has been in the planning stages since last fall, but it finally debuts Sunday at the Courtyard Theater in Plano.
Wait a sec … Sunday? Not Saturday? Exactly, says Paul J. Williams.
“It will be a church bingo theme,” he says. And when you think church in the gay community, you think Sister Helen Holy. “This will not be your average drag bingo.”
Helen is Williams’ hilarious creation, a snooty, judgmental Baptist lady with a shaming Bible verse for every occasion. Williams said the chance to turn a traditional church function into something with camp appeal is what drew him back to hosting. (He hosted several months of Gaybingo back in the Lakewood Theater days.)
It took a lot of planning. The original idea was for it to take place at the Studio Movie Grill, but that fell through. When it moved to the Courtyard, Williams was initially concerned there were no tables to play the games on.
“Then we came up with an idea: Everyone who comes will get a clipboard to play on … though we are calling them ‘barrier boards’ to protect players’ laps from the sin of gambling.”
There will be changes from the “regular” Gaybingo, which will continue every third Saturday at Station 4 (likely, says Humphrey, with an ensemble cast of drag queens and entertainers). There will be fewer games — nine, down from 15. And there will be the earlier start time (doors open at 2 p.m.) to make it seem more like an after-church social. And there will be only two events in 2013 — they want to see how things go before expanding.
So what spawned the idea to move into the ’burbs in the first place?
“Gaybingo is definitely one of the largest fundraisers we have as an agency,” says Humphrey, so expanding the brand made sense. And moving above 635 seems to be fulfilling a need.
“In comment sheets at Gaybingo, there was a recurring theme of ‘I wish you did something up north,’” Williams says. “We’re marketing it to the gay community, but so many people who come aren’t part of the GLBT community. I’ll be interested to see who comes. “
You and the rest of us, sister.
This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition July 12, 2013.