The Provincetown Theater

Dear friends, 

When Larry Kramer passed away three weeks ago, it broke my heart. Being the creator of The Night Larry Kramer Kissed Me, there’s no question that Larry was a formative father figure to me. His passion, anger and activism has informed the course of my entire adult life.

As LGBTQ Pride’s across the nation join hands this month with Black Lives Matter, I can feel Larry’s powerful vision for universal justice pounding my heart. In joining forces, we are marching toward our shared destination of unequivocal equality. In honoring our commitment to Black Lives Matter, Gay Pride Month and legacy of Larry Kramer, the Provincetown Theater is hosting a very special virtual event to energize the kind of activism Mr. Kramer inspired.

For one night only — on Sunday, June 28 at 7pm — we’ll be premiering the first-ever streaming of my all-star adaptation of The Night Larry Kramer Kissed Me.

The idea to adapt it as a multi-actor piece was born in 2013 as a way to celebrate its 20^th anniversary. Since the play is about community, I decided to adapt it for one – with a cast of 12 openly gay actors. And because the 7 monologues that shape the arc of The Night Larry Kramer Kissed Me are about shared queer experiences during the height of the AIDS crisis, I saw it as an opportunity to give back to my community by presenting the play as a benefit for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. I was very proud that this one night event raised over $66K for them.

Now, thanks to the generosity of BC/EFA, we’ve been granted permission to stream the archival video of that performance to celebrate Larry and the importance of activism in changing our world.

Beautifully shot, the show, directed by Tony nominee Robert La Fosse, weaves the various stories in the play with performances by Tony Award winners BD Wong (M. Butterfly) and Andre de Shields (Hadestown, Ain’t Misbehavin’), plus 3-time Tony nominee Robin de Jesus (In the Heights, Boys in the Band), Tony-nominated star Rory O’Malley (Book of Mormon), Anthony Rapp (Rent, TV’s Star Trek: Discovery), Claybourne Elder (Sunday in the Park with George, Company), Wesley Taylor (TV’s Smash), Chad Ryan (Chicago premiere of The Night Larry Kramer Kissed Me), and Provincetown Theater alums Aaron Tone (Our Town,Bear City 2), Donald C. Shorter Jr. (La Cage, 4-Star Solo Show Festival) and Brandon Cordeiro (Ribbons, TV’s Transparent). Oh… and yours truly!

So mark your calendars for Sunday, June 28 at 7pm to see this one-time-only streaming of The Night Larry Kramer Kissed Me on our website and YouTube channel free-of-charge. Naturally, donations are greatly appreciated. Indeed it really is thanks to your continuous love and support that we’ve been able to keep paying our bills during these tumultuous times. And, of course, to continue producing more vital, unique and surprising virtual programming for you until the day when we can all safely gather together again under one roof at that little playhouse on Bradford Street in Provincetown that I call home.

See you at the show!

David Drake

An update on our 2020 Season from Artistic Director David Drake

Dear friends, 

Creating a safe, nurturing and exciting space to assemble is central to my mission as Artistic Director of the Provincetown Theater. It anchors the core of my lifelong devotion to live theater. And so, it is with my deepest gratitude that I thank you for attending and supporting our ongoing efforts in developing a new arena to gather during these tumultuous times – online. To everyone who joined in to watch the Memorial Day Weekend presentation of Our Townie Variety Show, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. The outpouring of emails, calls and texts throughout this past week has aided our team in staying the course and in keeping the Provincetown Theater healthy, joyous and connected. Again, I thank you. 

And more innovative virtual programming is to come. 

But we must meet the needs of now. Moving forward, in adhering to the Massachusetts government’s new four-phase guidelines to stem the spread of coronavirus, the board of directors and I made the necessary decision to reschedule all of our 2020 productions to the 2021 season. Our top priority in moving through this health crisis has always been – and will continue to be — the safety of our patrons, our staff, and the dozens of actors, artists and volunteers involved throughout the season. Our commitment to developing new virtual programs for you is now our utmost creative goal. As we initiated them in March, all virtual programming will continue to be streamed on our website (on our Virtual Programming page) via our YouTube channel. So, please check back often for updates.  

Furthermore, all programs will continue to be streamed free-of-charge, though donations are greatly appreciated. Indeed, it is precisely because of your love, support and donations that we’ve been able to continue developing these new means of gathering in this anxious and isolating moment. 

As always, my most sincere wishes of strength and good health to you and your loved ones.

David Drake

And if you would like to donate, please click here.

In our determination to stay connected to the audiences we love by creating new virtual programming, tonight we’re thrilled to bring you a very special and unique live-streaming event in Our Townie Variety Show.

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Featuring over a dozen entertainers – plus a dozen+ “greetings” from beloved P’town performers (sending their their best to you from around the world!) — we know you’ll enjoy meeting up with some of your favorites from the Provincetown Theater. Furthermore, true to the depth of each talent who contributed, the depth of their character speaks to their commitment to keeping the performing arts on the Outer Cape alive and well and moving forward — as each generously donated their time and talent to tonight’s show.

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A “one night only” special event (yes, there will be only one broadcast of this show), we hope you’ll tune into Our Townie Variety Show this evening (May 24) at 7pm via the link below. And while streaming free-of-charge like all of our virtual productions, we also hope you’ll consider making a donation in order to help the Provincetown Theater steady our course through these most challenging times. Wishing you a safe, loving, and healthy Memorial Day.

Meeting the joy, honor and celebration that Memorial Day Weekend has traditionally meant for so many Americans ain’t an easy task in these anxious and isolated times. But we at the Provincetown Theater are determined to pioneer our way forward, grabbing hold of all those emotions associated with the gateway to summer, and putting them in a show!

That’s right, on Sunday, May 24 at 7pm we’re free-streaming our season kick-off with Our Townie Variety Show. Featuring a wide range of major Outer Cape talent, join host David Drake along with a roster of talent that includes not only sensational singers, but also classical musicians & tap dancers, pianist John Thomas, accordionist Terri Conti, flutist Eric Maul, rock-n-roller Anne Stott, ukulele dude Benwa Kramer & more!

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PLUS tune in for a reunion of the stars of last summer’s Sweeney Todd – with songs from the glorious voices of Trish LaRose (above, right), Megan Amorese, Christopher Sidoli, Madison Mayer (above, left), and that Demon Barber of Fleet Street himself, Broadway’s Tom Hewitt (above, center).

While we’ll be streaming Our Townie Variety Show free-of-charge, please know that this very special production is being produced as a benefit show to help us shore up the kind of support our theater will need to survive the next phases of the pandemic. Our goal, of course, is to get through this time of darkness, see the light at the end of the tunnel, and put that light back where it belongs – downstage center at the Provincetown Theater.

So, set your calendar for Sun, May 24 at 7pm to join in with your friends and loved ones for Our Townie Variety Show!

Next up, our bi-weekly civic dialogue series “Community Conversations” streams live on Tuesday, May 12 at 4pm. This week, our board president David Wilson moderates a panel of Outer Cape creative folk on the significance (and ways!) of staying calm and centered during this time of isolation and anxiety. We’re proud to welcome to the discussion the poet and performer Tamora Israel (from The Laramie Project), baker and owner of Relish Frank Vasello, yoga instructor from Yoga Ptown Chase Hiffernan, and the director of the Provincetown Public Library Amy Raff.

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Free of charge, and brought to you in part by a generous grant from Cape Cod 5, click on the link below to participate in what promises to be another lively and nurturing 45 minutes of “Community Conversations.”