New Hazlett Theater
March 30 – April 3
7 p.m., 8 p.m., 2 p.m.
Contemporary dance and drag queen culture will merge for five nights at the New Hazlett Theater.
To present the not-to-miss world premiere production of Right of Way, critically acclaimed choreographer and performer Beth Corning has teamed up with renowned Pittsburgh drag queen and entertainer Jezebel Bebbington D’Opulence.
The 9th annual installment of Corningworks‘ Glue Factory Project—which supports dance theater productions focused on celebrated performers over age 40—Right of Way uses as a jumping off point the thought-provoking question: “What does a middle-aged, married white woman have in common with a single, middle-aged Puerto Rican/Bronx-raised Drag Queen?”
Find out when the new two-woman show unfolds on stage exploring perceptions of and ideas about femininity, gender, identity and acceptance.
Helping to create the evocative environs are set designs created by Stephanie Mayer and Beth Corning that feature rolling six-foot mirrors that emphasize literal and figurative experiences of reflection, refraction and fragmentation.
The dance theater production also features lighting design by long-time Corningworks collaborator Iain Court, video projections by Gretchen Niedert and eclectic music ranging from songs by Tina Turner and Eddie Cantor and ambient and classical selections, to live and recorded monologues, voices and sounds.
Raised on the feminist movement of the 1960s and 1970s, Corning began her creative process for developing Right of Way with guiding questions that remain both relevant and timely in today’s world. Asking audiences to ponder the poignant question: “On some level, aren’t we all ‘in drag?,’” the show addresses “lines between the drag queen, the clown, the black-faced minstrel, the female impersonator, the woman, the man, the individual.”
Launched in Minneapolis in 2000, The Glue Factory Project showcases the mastery of critically acclaimed performers over age 40, with a diverse cast of performing artists from TV, music, theater and dance.
Advance tickets are recommended. The performance on Sunday, April 3rd is “Pay-What-You-Can” admission. Recommended for ages 17 and up.
Looking for more events? Read our 12 Pittsburgh events not to miss in April feature.
