Suspiciously Gay

Press release: Art & Soul Innovations proudly presents the debut of Proud Theater Beyond, the newest member of the Proud Theater family starring post high-school 18-24-year-old members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, intersex, ace plus, and allied communities (LGBTQIA+) in and around the Madison area. Their premier show, Proud Theater Beyond: Suspiciously Gay, opens June 21, 2019, and takes the Proud Theater organization in a bold new direction, looking at the lives of these young adults as they navigate the complex world beyond their youth.

Proud Theater Beyond: Suspiciously Gay will be presented at the Diane Ballweg Theatre at Edgewood College, 1000 Edgewood College Drive, Visual and Theatre Arts Center, in Madison, Wisconsin. The production runs June 21 and 22, 2019, with shows at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are a suggested donation of $15 for Adults and $10 for students with ID, and can be purchased online at tinyurl.com/beyondmadison or at the door on the evening of the show.

"One of the most underserved parts of the LGBTQIA+ community is young adults between the ages of 18 and 24 years old," Art and Soul Innovations Executive Director Brian Wild recently said. "We were finding youth who aged out of our Proud Theater program were suddenly thrown into the world without a lot of support systems in place to help them navigate into adulthood. I heard so many of the challenges these young adults faced after high school, and realized we needed something in place to help them continue to tell their stories."

Like Proud Theater, Proud Theater Beyond's 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+ people through the tenets of art, heart, and activism. The group is open to all young adults post-high school 18 to 24 years old, and who identify as part of the LGBTQIA+ community.

Wild says it's very important to note the members of the troupe do not need to have gone through the Proud Theater program in order to participate. The door is open to any LGBTQIA+ young adult living in the area.

Empowering and creative, Proud Theater Beyond encourages young adults to share their own stories through the creation of original theatrical works which they then present to the community at large in varying formats.

Proud Theater Beyond: Suspiciously Gay tackles many of the issues affecting young adults today and does so with humor, heart and honesty. Sometimes outrageous, sometimes profound, the troupe share their voices with the community in a no-holds barred and uncensored way. This year the group will be taking on College life, the work environment, gender identity, racism, transphobia, and more.

Proud Theater Beyond is a program of Art and Soul Innovations (artandsoulinnovations.org), and enjoys generous financial support from The LaForce Family Foundation, as well as from many community organizations around the state. Trinity United Methodist Church hosts the organization throughout the rehearsal season.

For more info on or to join Proud Theater Beyond, or for more information on Proud Theater Beyond: Suspiciously Gay, contact the organization at ptbmadison@proudtheater.org, or call the Proud Theater hotline at (608) 222-9086.

Tax-deductible donations to the organization can be sent to: Proud Theater Beyond, PO Box 6306, Monona Wisconsin 53716, or via FlipCause at www.proudtheater.org.