For the past three years, Uptown Players has produced the Pride Performing Arts Festival — a showcase of plays and live performances with gay themes — during Dallas’ Gay Pride Week in September. But when the group announced its upcoming season last summer, the fest was moved to National Gay Pride Month — that’s now — with Soho Cinders as the centerpiece. While Soho is still going on as planned, the rest of the festival has been moved back to September.
The reason is, Uptown scheduled it in June when it was unclear whether they would have access to the Kalita Humphreys Theater, which they share with the Dallas Theater Center. When the slot came open this spring, they jumped at it, according to co-founder Craig Lynch.
The 2014 Pride Fest will include a concert version of The Last Session on the mainstage of the Kalita Humphreys on Sept. 12. Uptown Players originally produced the dramatic musical in its inaugural season in 2002. Denise Lee and Sara Shelby-Martin will recreate their roles.
Also on deck will be several productions in the upstairs Frank’s Place space: Mythical Beasts, a new play written and directed by Bruce R. Coleman about a gay architect and his straight friend; From White Plains by Michael Perlman, a drama about bullying; and the lesbian-themed comedy The Houseguests by Harry Kondolean.
More productions and performances, including the closing night act, will be announced throughout the summer.
This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition June 13, 2014.