Bruce Robert Harris and Jack W. Batman
present

®

Benefiting the Harvey Milk High School scholarship fund

SUBMISSIONS FOR GAYFEST NYC 2010 ARE NOW CLOSED

The third annual GAYFEST NYC, the country’s premier festival of new gay-themed plays, was presented June 3-6, 2009 at the Abingdon Theatre Arts Complex, 312 West 36th Street, New York City.

Because of the unpredictable economy we decided some months ago to be fiscally prudent and to reduce the scope of this year's festival. We read more than three dozen new works and chose to present two of them in staged readings with Actors’ Equity Association casts. We also offered a very special event starring Del Shores, the creator of the cult-classic Sordid Lives, with a guest appearance by Caroline Rhea.

This year’s Festival selections were Mother Tongue by F.J. Hartland, directed by Tony Stevens and featuring Nicholas Galbraith (Zac in As the World Turns), Laura Kenyon (Nine) and Kevin Spirtas (Days of Our Lives, The Boy From Oz), and The Legacy by Adam Siegel directed by Martin Casella and featuring Ian Kahn (Baltimore Center Stage, Cape Playhouse), Larry Keith (Caroline, or Change, Cabaret) and Jack Wetherall (Uncle Vic in Queer As Folk). Both performances were free and open to the public with talk-backs after each performance. 

A special highlight of this year’s Festival were two performances of Del Shores (Sordid Lives) starring in his new show Del Shores the Storyteller, featuring a special guest appearance by Caroline Rhea.

Bruce Robert Harris, Caroline Rhea, Del Shores, Charles Busch and Jack W. Batman

The 2009 GAYFEST NYC Community Service Award was presented, at the festival, to Del Shores for his commitment to the LGBT community and his exceptional generosity to the students of Harvey Milk High School. The award was presented by celebrated playwright and actor, Charles Busch, a member of the GAYFEST NYC Advisory Board. Last year’s award went to Emmy Award winner Leslie Jordan (Will and Grace), whose new show My Trip Down The Pink Carpet will be produced by Bruce Robert Harris and Jack W. Batman and open Off-Broadway this Fall.

The not-for-profit GAYFEST NYC, Inc. develops new LGBT works for world stages and film and television production and provides in-school elective programs and scholarships for students of Harvey Milk High School. Since June 2007, GAYFEST NYC has presented twenty-three scholarships to graduating seniors. 

As we complete another year and our third annual festival of new plays, we want to thank our sponsors, advertisers, donors and especially our audience for their love, encouragement and enormous support. 

Submissions are now being accepted for next year’s plays. Our posted deadline is October 31, 2009 and we can’t wait to start reading.  To find out how to submit a play, go to the tab on the left marked “Submissions.”

We'd love you to join us in our quest to make GAYFEST NYC one of the most highly supported LGBT organizations in the country.  We are a 501 (c) (3) not-for-profit corporation so all contributions are tax deductible to the full extent of the law.

If you'd like to make a personal contribution earmarked especially for the scholarship fund, please go to the tab on the left marked "Harvey Milk High School."