Test Flight Part 1 – Week 3: Poems of An Angry Feminist / The Stars Made Me Gay
February 20, 2025 - February 22, 2025
7pm, Thu/Fri/Sat, James Levin Theatre
EVERY TICKET is "Choose What You Pay" and will be offered online, over the phone, and at the Box Office. (Advanced online e-ticket purchases are recommended to avoid long lines at the box office window the day of the show.)
Poems of An Angry Feminist
Produced and conceived by Fatima Matar
Poems of an Angry Feminist is a thought-provoking, multimedia performance, bringing together poetry, music, dance, and imagery. With a strong feminist voice running through her poems, award-winning poet Fatima Matar gives a moving performance on themes of sexism, misogyny, domestic violence, sexual harassment at work, and social justice. Interested in capturing the human experience, Fatima’s poetry also touches on her experience of migration, belonging, motherhood, loss, and depression.
Fatima’s performance has been described as powerful, profound, moving, spellbinding, and poignant.
The Stars Made Me Gay: Queer Anthology Vol. 1
By Lauren Lash
Directed by Kate Smith
Produced by Jeannine Gaskin
The Stars Made Me Gay: Queer Anthology Vol. 1 by Lauren Lash is the debut installment of the Queer Anthology Project, a powerful collection of monologues and scenes crafted from interviews with members of the LGBTQIA+ community. This first volume shines a spotlight on the voices and experiences of bisexual/pansexual, lesbian, and transmasculine people, capturing their heartfelt stories of identity, resilience, and the search for belonging. Through these narratives, The Stars Made Me Gay offers a moving exploration of queer longing and the quest for community.
Lauren is currently working on future installments of Queer Anthology. If you are interested in seeing your story on-stage, you can email queeranthologists@gmail.com to set up an interview.
The James Levin Theatre is ADA-compliant featuring a patron elevator and an all-gender, wheelchair-accessible restroom.
Ensemble Members:
The Stars Made Me Gay: Queer Anthology Vol. 1
Featuring: Denise Astorino, Rachel Barrera, Rachel Drotar, Emmett Podgorski
The Creative Production Team Includes:
Poems of an Angry Feminist
Vocalist: Grace Blackford*
Projection Designer: Dan McCurry
Dancers: Lacey Farina & Eliana Taub
Violinist: Jamie Berland
Board Operator: Shawn Carter II
Assistant Stage Manager: Cassandra Ziemer
*Note: Grace Blackford will not attend physically on stage, but her vocals were pre-recorded in a studio and will be used as background to the poems.
The Stars Made Me Gay: Queer Anthology Vol. 1
Producer: Jeannine Gaskin
Sound Designer/Musician: Joe Lewis & Jonah Raider-Roth
ENHANCE YOUR EXPERIENCE
Free Bev Friday – Every Friday night at CPT is Free Bev Friday. Free beer, wine, ready-to-drink cocktails and soft drinks are served after the performance for about an hour. Join the staff and artists of CPT, talk about the show, and have a drink on us. And remember, hot beverages like coffee and tea are always complimentary at CPT performances. (Please note: While liquor used in mixed drinks will not be complimentary, the mixer will be discounted from your total.)
ABOUT THE playwright/deviser
Lauren Lash (Lead Deviser) is a local actor, creator, and director. She likes to use the term “creator” instead of “playwright” because most of her work is devised from interviews. Recent credits include not-for-profit (AD/SM), Tom and Bobby Love (Amanda), and Jesus Christ Superstar (Ensemble/Dance Captain). Lauren has a passion for devised work and queer theatre. She is excited to see those two loves come together with this piece. Lauren has been working on some version of the Queer Anthology since 2020 and is excited to see it come to life. She wants to thank the cast and crew for all of their hard work and artistry. Lauren is currently working on future installments of Queer Anthology. If you are interested in seeing your story on-stage, you can email queeranthologists@gmail.com to set up an interview.
ABOUT THE PRODUCER
Jeannine Gaskin is a director in Cleveland who opened the 2024 CPT season with not-for-profit (or the equity, diversity and inclusion play). Other directing credits include Hype Man: A Break Beat Play, Stonewallin by Kari Barclay, Trouble in Mind by Alice Childress, The Light by Loy A. Webb, and Insurrection: Holding History by Robert O’Hara.
ABOUT THE director
Kate Smith (Director) is a multidisciplinary artist with a focus on theatre-making and visual storytelling. Hailing from California, she received her B.A. in Critical Race, Gender, and Sexuality Studies from Humboldt State University. Recent local projects include directing Tom and Bobby Love by David L. Munnell and This Side of Crazy by Del Shores, both for the convergence-continuum stage, as well as performing in the Marilyn Bianchi Kids’ Playwriting Festival and appearing at BorderLight.
ABOUT TEST FLIGHT
TEST FLIGHT (Part 1)
A New Play Development Program
February 6 – February 22, 2025
Test Flight is a multi-week series that showcases new work on its way to full production. This popular event provides local and national artists with the keys to the theatre and opportunity to co-produce original works-in-progress. The series encourages risk-taking and entrepreneurial spirit towards creating.
Note that Test Flight (Part 2) will feature four new shows that will run May 22 through June 7. Click here for information on those shows.
Recent successes include Showin’ Up Black by Jeanne Madison (Feb. 2025), Our Lady of Common Sorrows (Fall 2023), Alter by Tania Benites (Feb. 2024). Each of these were developed in Test Flight.
