ReDiscovery Reading: The Drag by Mae West

by Mae West
Directed by Joseph Ritsch, Producing Artistic Director, Rep Stage

For Pride Month, the Shakespeare Theatre Company will close its 2018–2019 ReDiscovery Series with one of the earliest depictions of gay life on the American stage: a 1927 melodrama about the murder of a closeted gay man who is married to the daughter of a famous gay conversion therapist. Written by the outrageous performer Mae West, the play is complete with a raucous drag ball that featured West herself as a guest.

The reading will be followed by a post-show discussion with the director, actors and experts from across the LGBTQ+ community here in Washington, D.C.

The ReDiscovery Series introduces audiences to new adaptations and great but lesser-known classic plays under consideration for STC’s mainstage seasons. Written by notable playwrights and performed by some of D.C.’s most talented actors, these one-night-only readings are often the first step in bringing a new adaptation or an under-produced classic back into the spotlight worldwide.