On Stage

with STAN JENSON

Ahhh, the month of September. It is the first harbinger of summer leaving us and I issue a long sigh. However, the bright side is that a lot of seasonal theatres are emerging from their summer hibernation and kicking off new lineups. A quick look at California’s gay theatre companies:

THEATRE RHINOCEROS: San Francisco’s Theatre Rhinoceros bills itself as the longest-running queer theatre company in the world. However, at this time they have not announced their next season – simply hinted that they might be using a new venue. They also have the longest-following audience base who seem to delight in unusual queer theatre performed in unusual places by unusual people. Did I mention they are in San Francisco? https://therhino.org

NEW CONSERVATORY THEATRE SAN FRANCISO: A whole lot more traditional than The Rhino, New Conservatory is a brilliant blend of existing and experimental gay theatre in two adjoining theatres on Van Ness Street, combined with an educational component and some brilliant business management. Their season starts September 8th with a show called Aunt Jack, subtitled Life is a Drag. Their season includes a Christmas special, Oy Vey in a Manger performed by San Francisco’s delightful Kinsey Sicks, and Jonathan Larsen’s Tick Tick Boom which gained so much attention last year when Andrew Garfield starred in it on Netflix. www.nctcsf.org

DIVERSIONARY THEATRE: This San Diego company is starting their 37th season which confirms that they are doing something right. In fact, they do a whole lot right from their little upstairs theatre just north of Balboa Park, and they are the third-oldest LGBTQ theatre company. Their season doesn’t start until December 1 when they present The Mystery of Irma Vep, a hilarious show I saw there about 20 years ago and still remember it fondly. Victorian Romance, gothic horror and B-grade movies all collide onstage with dozens of characters portrayed by only two actors. The season finishes with the Go Go’s musical Head Over Heels, one of my very favorite shows ever, which plays May 5 through June 18. www.diversionary.org

DESERT ROSE PLAYHOUSE: Palm Springs’ gay theatre company has hit a rocky path. About four years ago the small company was taken over by a very promising couple who produced some stunning shows in the little 65-seat Rancho Mirage theatre that had been established some eight years before. During the pandemic they acquired a deserted night club in downtown Palm Springs and converted it into a jewel box of a theatre. However, coming out of the pandemic, they somehow thought it would be a great idea to present mostly hetero-centric plays and both their audiences and financial supporters didn’t agree with that plan at all. As a result, Robbie and Matt, the charismatic owners have been forced to close the theatre’s doors. However, the great news is that it looks like a very capable pair are going to take it over. I have been asked not to reveal any details at this point, but if you ever saw Palm Springs’ longest running play (and a personal favorite) called Electricity, chances are you’re going to be as excited as I am about the new developments. More to follow. www.desertroseplayhouse.org

DESERT THEATREWORKS: And while we’re on the topic of Palm Springs Theatre, one of the finest companies in the Coachella Valley has joined us this month as advertisers. Although they are not specifically a gay theatre company, Ron Phillips the CEO and Lance Phillips the Artistic Director are a married couple and the Indio-based company is certainly gay embracing. They kick off a very robust and varied season of shows this month with Southern Fried Nuptials, a cornbread comedy. A few highlights of the season include Nunsense A Men, the classic nun musical with men playing the nuns; White Christmas, the perennial Irving Berlin musical; Escape to Margaritaville, the Jimmy Buffet musical; and The Play That Goes Wrong. The latter two are among the first productions by community theatres anywhere in the country which is an example of the great business skills of this company. “Show Business” expresses two concepts: Is the show you are presenting any good? and Can the company effectively fill their seats and survive as a viable business? I’m happy to observe that Desert Theatreworks does both with the power couple behind the scenes. Check out their season at www.DTWorks.org.