NCTC Presents the Regional Premiere of Charles Busch's THE CONFESSION OF LILY DARE

In May, New Conservatory Theatre Center is overjoyed to conclude their daring 2022- 23 Season with Charles Busch's The Confession of Lily Dare. Starring Bay Area icon, J. Conrad Frank in the titular role of Lily Dare, this rags to riches to rags romp set in the hedonistic heyday of the Barbary Coast is a loving lampoon of the confession films of Hollywood's Golden Age.

Convent girl? Cabaret star? Infamous madame? Call Lily Dare what you want, but she's determinedly devoted to the child she was forced to abandon. Set in the seedy underbelly of the Barbary Coast, this play from the brilliant comedic mind of Charles Busch follows one woman's road to ruin - paved with good intentions.

In response to San Francisco County's current low-risk status for COVID-19 transmission as defined by the CDC, masks are now recommended, but not required at NCTC, and food and drink will now be allowed in the theatre. To ensure the safety of our artists and audience, NCTC's Front-of-House staff will remain masked during all performances. We have also upgraded our facilities, installing new air sanitizers and sanitizing stations, and implementing additional cleaning protocols. An extra enhanced safety performance with limited capacity seating and additional COVID safety precautions will take place on Thursday, June 8 in addition to the original enhanced safety performance on Wednesday, June 7. For these performances, masks and proof of up-to-date vaccination will be required. Current ticket-holders may switch their existing tickets to an Enhanced Safety performance at no charge.

Playing May 12 - June 11, 2023, The Confession of Lily Dare's Opening Night is Saturday, May 20 at 8pm. Tickets are $25-65 and are available at nctcsf.org, by emailing boxoffice@nctcsf.org or by calling (415) 861-8972. Pay-what-you-wish tickets are available for preview performances, May 12 - 19, and can be reserved starting one week before the first performance through the box office.

Audiences can enjoy these special events during the run of the show:

• Low-cost Previews: Friday, May 12 - Friday, May 19

• Opening Night will take place on Saturday, May 20 at 8pm

• Beauty and the Basement: Enjoy music, cocktails, and a special drag performance from Beauty on Thursday nights pre-show. Free with ticket purchase.

o Thursdays, doors open at 7 pm, show begins at 7:30: May 18, 25, June 1, and 13

• Onstage Insight, Post-Show Discussion featuring the cast, and moderated by the director will take place after the performance on Sunday, May 28 at 2pm

• Enhanced Safety Performances with limited capacity seating and additional COVID safety precautions will take place on Wednesday, June 7 and Thursday, June 8

Playwright Charles Busch (pronouns: he/him) is the author and star of such plays and films as The Divine Sister, The Lady in Question, Red Scare on Sunset, Psycho Beach Party, Die, Mommie, Die!, and Vampire Lesbians of Sodom, one of the longest-running plays in the history of off-Broadway. His play The Tale of the Allergist's Wife ran for 777 performances on Broadway, won the Outer Critics Circle's John L. Gassner Award for playwriting and received a Tony nomination for Best Play. In 2003, Busch received a special Drama Desk Award for career achievement as both performer and playwright and was given a star on the Playwrights' Sidewalk outside the Lucille Lortel Theatre.

Director F. Allen Sawyer (pronouns: he/him) has been writing and directing in San Francisco since 1982. He is the author of Whatever Happened To Sister George, Gross Indulgences: The Trials Of Liberace, Hot Pants Homo, Senator Swish and Lavender Lockeroom. This is the 4th Charles Busch play he's directed at NCTC, the others being Red Scare on Sunset, The Divine Sister and Die Mommie Die. Additional NCTC shows include Daniel's Husband, Dear Harvey, The Temperamentals, Dirty Little Showtunes, Dames At Sea and Zanna, Don't! Recently Allen has been directing and writing (gossip-filled) narration for a series of musicals in concert (Hello Dolly, Mame, Hair, Easter Parade) at Feinstein's At The Nikko. He is profiled in Contemporary Gay American Poets & Playwrights from Greenwood Press.

The cast of The Confession of Lily Dare includes J. Conrad Frank (Lily Dare), Adam KuveNiemann (Mickey), Sakura Nakahara (Emmy Lou), Marie O'Donnell (Aunt Rosalie, the Baroness, Louise and others), and LaMont Ridgell (Casino Lambert). The creative team includes stage management by Toni Lynn Guidry, set design by Alan Huang, props design by Tom O'Brien, costume design by Ruby V Sogliuzzo, and sound design by Kalon Thibodeaux.

New Conservatory Theatre Center has been San Francisco's premier LGBTQ+ and Allied performing arts institution and progressive arts education conservatory since 1981. NCTC is renowned for its diverse range of innovative, high-quality productions, touring productions and shows for young audiences; its foundational anti-bullying work with youth and educators through YouthAware; and its commitment to developing new plays to continue expanding the canon of queer and allied dramatic work.

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