Proud Theater: 25

media release: Proud Theater Madison is back! Art & Soul Innovations, Inc., presents “Proud Theater: 25,” an exciting evening of theater and performance pieces written by and starring the talented youth of Proud Theater Madison, the city's premier LGBTQIA+ and Allied youth theater troupe. A celebration of 25 years of art, heart, and activism, Proud Theater: 25 runs June 14 (7:30pm) through 15 (2:30pm and 7:00pm) at the Madison Youth Arts Center (MyArts), located at 1055 East Mifflin Street, in Madison, Wisconsin.

Tickets are a suggested donation of $10-15 at the door. Reservations for the show are encouraged and can be made via

at https://forms.gle/LCZvSqv6YFYdGovA8. Since this is a youth production, audience members will be encouraged to wear masks while in the theater space in order to curb the spread of COVID-19 and other viruses. Proud Theater is an award-winning, exciting, and innovative youth theater program whose mission is “to change the world through the power of theater and the theater arts, and to make a positive difference in the lives of LGBTQIA+ youth through the tenets of art, heart, and activism.” Founded in 1999, the group is open to youth ages 13 to 18 that identify as LGBTQIA+, children with parents who identify as LGBTQIA+, and allied youth.

Empowering and creative, Proud Theater encourages youth to share their own stories through the creation of original theatrical works which they then present to the community at large throughout the school year, culminating in a larger end-of-year performance at the end of the school year.

“Proud Theater: 25” tackles many of the issues affecting young people today and does so with humor, heart, and honesty. Sometimes outrageous, sometimes profound, the youth share their voices with the community in a no-holds barred and uncensored way. This year the youth take a look at gender identity, body image, dynamics within the queer community, and the world at large.

Proud Theater is a program of Art and Soul Innovations, Inc. (artandsoulinnovations.org/) and enjoys generous support from The PRL Keystone Foundation and from many community organizations around the state. Trinity Lutheran Church in Madison hosts the organization throughout the rehearsal season.

For more info on Proud Theater or “Proud Theater: 25” contact the organization at info@proudtheater.org. Tax- deductible donations to the organization can be sent to: Proud Theater, PO Box 6306, Monona WI 53716, or electronically at www.proudtheater.org. If you wish to donate specifically to the Madison chapter of Proud Theater, please note this on your donation.