The Bloomington Academy of Film and Theatre will be covered in a sea of rainbow during the debut of “Big Gay Debutante Ball" Oct. 11.
With the show’s one-night-only performance landing on National Coming Out Day, audience members will be invited on-stage to come out loud and proud in front of a welcoming crowd and celebrate themselves with a dance party, drinks and food afterward. Instead of black-tie, attendees are encouraged to sport rainbow attire in spirit of the celebration.
The show spotlights the story of a young, midwestern preacher’s daughter who is nervous as she comes to the realization that she is gay but eventually reaches a level of comfort in the end with knowing how she truly identifies herself.
“Big Gay Debutante Ball” is one of the twelve productions writer Meg Anderson has worked on with her production company, Kinetic Dust. After premiering at the 2019 Queer Solo Fest in San Francisco, the show will allow Anderson to come back to Bloomington, where she first got her start in theater.
“I have no interest in making fun of the traditional debutante ball — well, maybe a little — which was originally reserved for high society daughters to be presented as eligible brides but rather claiming the coming out part of ‘debutante’ — to debut, to come out — and be visible,” Anderson said in a press release.
Producer Rachael Himsel will be taking on live theater for the first time in partnership with Women with Guts, a forum focused on celebrating women who put themselves out in the world with confidence. In the event’s press release, she said she is hopeful about telling more stories of bold women on stage, as well as those who are quiet and not often talked about.
Sponsorship levels for the show are also available. Benefits vary depending on amount donated, but some perks include VIP tickets, front row seats for the group or a DVD of the show.
Tickets cost $20 online here or at the door for $25.
