Stage Left Studio Kicks Off 7th Annual Left Out Festival Today

Cheryl King has assembled a wide range of talent from all over the country. In 17 days, over 50 performers will present plays featuring Cowboy Bars, OraQuick, Homophobia, Tap-Dancing Lesbians, Cartoons, Plastic Bags, Bullying, Showbiz, Racism, Murder, Lesbian Camp Counselors and (gasp!) Narcissism all stirred with a Big Gay Swizzle Stick. The fun begins on April 15th and continues through May 5th at Stage Left Studio, 214 West 30th St. 6th floor. As always, The Left Out Festival proceeds will benefit Bailey House and is sponsored by Gay City News.

The Left Out Festival 2015 roster of artists is a perfect blend of returning champions and Stage Left newcomers. Among the veterans are:

William LoCasto is bringing back his 3-character play NY/XY, directed by Alex Beck, and three 10-minute plays he wrote as part of the TEST collection. His talented casts include Leicester Landon, Topher Cusumano, Donny Repsher, KC Weakley, Desmond Dutcher, Alex Beck, Alston Brown, Liam Bobersky and Ben Chamravi.

Manuel Igrejas, whose No Strings Attached, was an audience favorite in the 2014 Left Out Festival, presents two short one-act plays - Margarita and Max (played by John Fico and Cheryl King) and Pittsburgh (played by Ken Dillon and Kristan Brown), both directed by Bob Teague.

Monica Bauer returns with two solo shows. The Year I was Gifted was presented in the 2014 Left Out Festival and is performed by Bauer herself. Her other solo show, Made for Each Other, is performed by John Fico. Both are directed by John FitzGibbon.

Cheryl King is presenting two of her 10-minute plays from the TEST series. A Flash from the Past stars Michelle Ramoni and Peter Straus, and Pit Stop stars King herself and TC Corwin.

Robin Goldfin brings back his Angel of Wishes and Topher Cusumano is reprising a revamped Getting Away with Mother, co-directed by Cusumano and Cheryl King, who will both perform in the piece, along with Joe D'Angio and Theresa Lehn. Cusumano also directs his latest short The Brunch Crowd, which also features Joe D'Angio, AKA Pissy Myles, drag queen.

The Lovely and Talented Miss Toni Silver returns with her solo show (originally titled Shame Lips) No Young Lady. Mark Sam Rosenthal brings back his solo show, I Light Up My Life: The Mark Sam Celebrity Autobiography, originally performed in last year's Left Out Festival. Alex Beck will return with a full-length version of 12 Things I Learned in my 20's.

Margaret Morrison's lesbian play Home in her Heart has found a home at Stage Left, attracting great reviews and solid audiences and continues its run through the Left Out Festival, starring Morrison and Ava Jenkins.

A number of artists are making their Left Out Festival debuts this year.

Christopher Eaves (True Myth, Surrender) returns to the NY stage with Bullseye, his solo show that explores bullying from the inside out.

Katherine Gleason is presenting a short play Recall, directed by Simone Federman, with Jen Browne and Johnathan Cedano.

Stage Left Studio's 2015 Left Out Festival (continued)

David Parr is presenting two short plays. "Alas, Poor Yorick", performed by Joleen Wilkinson and Nick Lewis, and Long Gay's Journey into Night, with Michelle Ramoni, James Wells, Joleen Wilkinson and James Wells.

The festival will also feature Robert Monegan's Glam Divas, which features live performers appearing as characters from his cartoon series. A wine reception is included in the Glam Divas show, with wine donated by Industry Bar.

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