Ringwald's 7th Annual Gay Play Series to Run 6/17-27

The Ringwald Theatre is thrilled to announce the 7th installment of its wildly popular Gay Play Series (GPS). The festival returns in June with new short plays, a reading of a new play by a popular local playwright, the return of Richard Payton and the 3 Queer Tenors, and a healthy dose of The Golden Girls.

GPS will run for two weekends, June 17th-June 27th, 2016 at The Ringwald Theatre in beautiful downtown Ferndale.

The 2016 GPS will kick off on Friday, June 17 at 8:00 PM with a special evening honoring everyone's favorite Miami foursome-The Golden Girls. Richard Payton will resurrect his Blanchette Deveraux character (from Thank You for Being a Friend-The Unauthorized Golden Girls Musical) to host an evening of Golden Girls Trivia. Video clips, cool prizes, and good time on the lanai will abound!

The original One Act Festival will kick into gear on Saturday, June 18 (Block A) and Sunday, June 19 (Block B), and will repeat Saturday, June 25 (Block B), and Sunday, June 26 (Block A).

The 2016 One Acts are:

Block A

· A Man in Peril by Alex Dremann; directed by Michelle LeRoy

· You Too? by Dyan Bailey; directed by Lauren Bickers

· Party of Men by Dale Dobson; directed by Gary Lehman

· Wallpaper by Brandy Joe Plambeck ; directed by Brandy Joe Plambeck

Block B

· Angel of the People Mover by Emilio Rodreguiez; directed by Michael Lopetrone

· Boblo Island Fairies by Brian David Walker; directed by Joe Bailey

· Happy & Gay by Dave Davies; directed by Nuverre Naami

· Not Our Town by Jack Bates; directed Topher Alan Payne

As always, audience members will be voting for their favorite script. The winning script will receive an additional performance at the closing ceremonies on Monday, June 27 at 8PM. Audience members will also be asked to vote for a favorite performances and director.

Monday, June 20 brings the return of Richard Payton in his acclaimed one-man show, Jonathan Tolins' Buyer & Cellar! A hit last January, Buyer & Cellar returns for one night only! Alex More has a story to tell. A struggling actor in L.A., he takes a job working in the Malibu basement of a beloved megastar. One day, the Lady Herself comes downstairs to play. It feels like real bonding in the basement, but will their relationship ever make it upstairs? Buyer & Cellar is an outrageous comedy about the price of fame, the cost of things, and the oddest of odd jobs.

Friday, June 24 features a staged reading of The Newparts Project, the newest comedy from Julia Lynn Marsh (Please Give Me Your Money So I Can Buy a Vagina, & Alphabet Soup). The Changes Bed, Breakfast, and Diner is closing. With no more people in the small Colorado town of Newparts to keep it open, foreclosure is inevitable. What can a line cook, an unfortunately blonde receptionist, and a manager who pays the bills with phone sex do? Make like Burning Man and host Newparts first ever porn festival! Starring Maya Gangadharan, Dani Cochrane, Emily Fishman, Nicholas John, Richard Payton, Samantha Rogers, Brenton Herwat, and Nate Hudson. The show will be followed by a discussion on casting for transgender characters with the audience, cast, and playwright. The reading will be followed by a FREE event, Dustin's Big Gay After Show, a late-night talk/variety show featuring local mastermind, Dustin Gardner, and a slew of local celebrities! Don't miss it!

Saturday, June 25 and Sunday, June 26: The 2016 Original One Act Plays repeats with Block B on Saturday, June 28 and Block A on Sunday, June 29.

The festival will conclude on Monday, June 27 with the awards ceremony, a repeat performance of the audience-voted favorite one act and the return of 3 Queer Tenors! This year the Queers (Jamie Richards, Richard Payton, and Vince Kelley) will perform Bette Midler: Live at the Continental Baths. Celebrating all things Bette (and Barry Manilow) and their time together performing at New York's famed Continental Bathhouse. Say goodbye to GPS with a little song, a little dance, a little bathhouse down your pants.

· Admission to individual events during this year's GPS will be $10 per event.

· A $30 Festival Pass (which gets you into all events both weekends) will also be available.

Tickets can be purchased at www.TheRingwald.com or at the theatre box office. The Ringwald box office opens 45 minutes before performances and tickets can be purchased with cash or credit/debit card. The Ringwald Theatre is located at 22742 Woodward Avenue in downtown Ferndale.

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