Pride Film & Plays Concludes Summer with THE ALL AMERICAN GENDERF*CK CABARET, 8/10 - 9/1

Pride Films and Plays continues its very fun summer with one repeating event and a Chicago premiere. PFP's second annual Women's Work Weekend will feature enhanced staged readings of new lesbian plays and screenplays by women writers from across the country. And that will be closely followed by Mariah MacCarthy's delightful comedy spoofing all things gender-centric: The All-American Genderf*ck Cabaret, directed by Tara Branham.

(Please note: PFP replaced the "u" with * in Genderf*ck only to increase the chances of getting this release past internet filters.)

The All-American Genderf*ck Cabaret plays with established gender stereoptypes - tomboy, slut, man-hating lesbian, player, bro, sensitive guy, gay best friend, none-of-the-above - and stirs vigorously. The result is a free-wheeling evening of theater and dance that will have every inch of Mary's Attic rocking!

The All-American Genderf*ck Cabaret features Echaka Agba, Moira Begale-Smith, Becky Blomgren, Britt DeVaney, Toph Enany, AJ Froeber, Amy Geist, Coy Benning Wentworth, and Bill Zimmerman. Tara Branham, who directed Still Fighting It for PFP's Women's Work Weekend in 2011, returns to direct.

The All-American Genderf*ck Cabaret previews August 10 at 7:15, and opens August 11 at 7:15. Performances thereafter are on Friday and Saturday at 7:15 through September 1. The final week of performances are on Thursday and Friday, September 6 and 7 at 7:15; September 7 is the final performance. All tickets are $20 and are available by calling 1800 838 3006 or by going to www.brownpapertickets.com

Mariah MacCarthy's plays include The Foreplay Play (site-specific production with Caps Lock Theatre; 20-minute version with FullStop Theatre Collective & Manhattan Rep; published by Indie Theater Now), Magic Trick (upcoming FringeNYC; reading with Culture Project), Ampersand: A Romeo & Juliet Story (FringeNYC '11, 20 Looking Glass Forum Awards and "Best Performance" of the Fringe), The All-American Genderf*ck Cabaret (Rapscallion Theatre Collective, Purple Rep, upcoming production with Thinking Cap Theatre in Fort Lauderdale; published by Indie Theater Now), You'll Thank Me Later (Jimmy's No. 43, Theater for the New City), Detained (Left Hip's "From the Hip" Festival), Bachelor/Bachelorette (Co-Op Theatre East, Ticket 2 Eternity Productions), Dismemberment (Player's Theatre), A Man of His Word (San Diego Old Globe with Playwrights Project, winner of the California Young Playwrights Contest; reading with New Dramatists), and several plays in the New York & New Jersey One-Minute Play Festivals. She was the first (and, thus far, only) playwright to receive The Lotos Foundation Prize in the Arts and Sciences. She is Producing Director of Caps Lock Theatre, co-founder of Purple Rep, a San Diego native, a Skidmore graduate, and a member of the Dramatists Guild.

Director Tara Branham is thrilled to be working with Pride Films and Plays again. Recently, Tara directed Nyotaimori couldn't unbreak her heart in LiveWire Theatre's VisionFest 4 and Raw with Raw Theatre. Tara directed previously with Pride Films and Plays during their Women's Work Festival. In recent years, Tara has worked with Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Chicago Dramatists, Theatre Wit, Babes with Blades, The Gift Theatre Company, Caffeine Theatre, Cabaret Vagabond, and 20% Theater Company. Tara has had the wonderful opportunity to assist amazing artists: Tina Landau, Amy Morton, Kimberly Senior, Meghan Beahls-McCarthy, Sean Graney, and Lisa Portes. She is also a student of Black Box Acting Studio and is consistently inspired by the contradictions and bravery of her classmates. Thank you to Shaun who supports me in everything I do.

Pride Films and Plays Summer 2012

Pride Films and Plays is working to provide fresh LGBT work alongside revitalized gay classics for Chicago audiences. Our Pride Month offerings in June feature a 20th anniversary production of David Drake's The Night Larry Kramer Kissed Me, with special additional material by the author. The Night Larry Kramer Kissed Me runs June 20 to July 1 at Luna Central at 3914 NortH Clark.

And PFP is delighted to explore Cal Yeoman's long-lost gay play Richmond Jim that was named Best Gay Play in 1979 in San Francisco and has been virtually unproduced since. Richmond Jim is part of the Naked July Fest at National Pastime Theater, 941 West Lawrence, and runs June 29 to August 8. For tickets visit www.brownpapertickets.com.

PFP will also be soon announcing the finalists in its Women's Work Contest for plays and screenplays written by women that feature lesbian characters or themes. Women's Work Weekend is July 26 to 29 in the Hoover-Leppen Theater of Center on Halsted.

About Pride Films and Plays

Pride Films and Plays, based in Chicago, links an international network of writers with professionals working in film and theater. PFP fosters excellent writing for the stage and screen that speaks not only to the LGBT community, but is also essential viewing for all audiences. Using stories with gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender characters or themes, Pride Films and Plays develops human stories that become a cultural bridge to understanding. Through staged readings, contests, classes, screenings, and full Theater Productions, PFP engages artists and audiences in the full developmental process needed to make powerful artistic experiences.

For more information visit www.pridefilmsandplays.com.

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