Portrait of the Artist as a Young Gay Man at ILLUSION THEATER

Patrick Scully

Patrick has been associated with ILLUSION THEATER since nearly the beginning when Patrick choreographed the original production of Orlando, Orlando in 1977. ILLUSION has produced Patrick’s Queer Thinking, Forever Hold Your Piece, Leaves of Grass – Illuminated (began as a large-scale work for two actors and 18 male dancers), and The 3rd Act. Patrick is well known for work ranging from large scale group works, to solo work. His largest works include: a Ballet for Boats, for fifty boats, done to great critical acclaim in both Minneapolis (2015) and Potsdam, Germany (2010). His solo works, more intimate and often biographical, and highly acclaimed, have included works ranging from Too Soon Lost (1990) to Thrive! (2010).  Patrick began dancing in 1972 as a college freshman. In 1976 he co-founded Contactworks, a Minneapolis based dance collective focused on contact improvisation. In 1980 he left Contactworks to explore broader horizons. That led him to dance with Remy Charlip, beginning with Remy’s Ten Men show in the Brooklyn Academy of Music’s Next Wave Festival in 1984. Dancing for Remy Charlip, Patrick toured to Boston, Los Angeles, Amsterdam, New York, and Berkeley, California. Eventually he returned to Minneapolis focusing on the creation of his own work touring internationally and nationally, as well as across all of Minnesota. In addition to his performing work, Patrick was the founder and longtime director of Patrick’s Cabaret, in Minneapolis. More complete information is available at http://www.patrickscully.org