The Theater Offensive
Encyclopedia
The Theater Offensive is a Boston
-based theatrical organization dedicated to the production of queer
works. The Theater Offensive was founded in 1989 by Abraham Rybeck "to form and present the diverse realities of queer lives in art so bold it breaks through personal isolation and political orthodoxy to help build an honest, progressive community." The Theater Offensive mounts and produces festivals and individual productions by national and local queer performers, and also serves as a development environment for new theatrical work. In addition, The Theater Offensive works to build community through education, outreach, and political activism.
The Theater Offensive has expanded throughout its history. The True Colors OUT Youth Theater troupe concentrates on producing dramatical works produced by young, queer artists. Up until the summer of 2008, its "A Street Theater Named Desire", a guerilla AIDS activist theater troupe, enters gay cruising grounds and presents performances that promote safe sex and AIDS education. http://www.thetheateroffensive.org/about_us.html
The Theater Offensive produces an annual Out on the Edge Festival of Queer Theater, which showcases new performing arts works by queer artists from around the world. It has been held each fall since its inception in 1992.
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
-based theatrical organization dedicated to the production of queer
Queer
Queer is an umbrella term for sexual minorities that are not heterosexual, heteronormative, or gender-binary. In the context of Western identity politics the term also acts as a label setting queer-identifying people apart from discourse, ideologies, and lifestyles that typify mainstream LGBT ...
works. The Theater Offensive was founded in 1989 by Abraham Rybeck "to form and present the diverse realities of queer lives in art so bold it breaks through personal isolation and political orthodoxy to help build an honest, progressive community." The Theater Offensive mounts and produces festivals and individual productions by national and local queer performers, and also serves as a development environment for new theatrical work. In addition, The Theater Offensive works to build community through education, outreach, and political activism.
The Theater Offensive has expanded throughout its history. The True Colors OUT Youth Theater troupe concentrates on producing dramatical works produced by young, queer artists. Up until the summer of 2008, its "A Street Theater Named Desire", a guerilla AIDS activist theater troupe, enters gay cruising grounds and presents performances that promote safe sex and AIDS education. http://www.thetheateroffensive.org/about_us.html
The Theater Offensive produces an annual Out on the Edge Festival of Queer Theater, which showcases new performing arts works by queer artists from around the world. It has been held each fall since its inception in 1992.
Awards and honors
- Bisexual and Transgender Youth (BAGLY), 2010
- Outstanding Youth Group, Hyde Square Task Force, 2010
- Valued Ally Award: Somos Latinas LGBT Coalition of Mass., 2010
- 2008 Social Innovator Through the Arts from Social Innovation Forum http://www.edgeboston.com/index.php?ch=entertainment&sc=theatre&sc2=news&sc3=&id=72241
- 2007 Jonathan LarsonJonathan LarsonJonathan Larson was an American composer and playwright noted for the serious social issues of multiculturalism, addiction, and homophobia explored in his work. Typical examples of his use of these themes are found in his works, Rent and tick, tick... BOOM!...
Musical Theatre Award for Surviving the NianSurviving the NianSurviving the Nian is an American musical written by Melissa Li and Abe Rybeck . The world premier on April 14, 2007 was directed by Patrick Wang, staged at the Boston Center for the Arts, and produced by The Theater Offensive....
http://www.edgeboston.com/index.php?ch=entertainment&sc=theatre&sc2=features&sc3=&id=4189 - IN Newsweekly "Artist of the Year" 2006
- Improper Bostonian "Best Fringe Theater"
- Massachusetts Cultural Council Gold Star
- Gay Fathers of Greater Boston Youth Service Award, 2001
- MIT Theater Arts Playwright in Residence and Visiting Lecturer 2001-2002
- Fett Community Service Award, 2000
- Nick Norton Boston Theater Award - Special Citation, 1999
- Boston Women's Fund Take a Stand Award, 1999
- AIDS Action Committee Unsung Heroes Award, 1999
- Greater Boston Business Council Award for Individual Excellence, 1999
- City of Cambridge Peace & Justice Award, 1997
- City of Cambridge Lavender Alliance Award, 1997
- Boston Center for the Arts, Artist in Residence 1993–present
- Bessie Smith Creative Leadership Award, Boston Lesbian & Gay Political Alliance, 1989
External links
- The Theatre Offensive homepage
- The Theater Offensive Repeat Offenders
- EDGE magazine
- The The Theater Offensive records, 1987–2006 are located in the Northeastern University Libraries, Archives and Special Collections Department, Boston, MA.
- http://www.edgeboston.com/index.php?ch=entertainment&sc=theatre&sc2=features&sc3=&id=4189