This year’s Pride celebrations at the Palm Springs Cultural Center promise to be a refreshing and captivating deviation from the norm, as they cast a vibrant spotlight on a significant demographic evolution. While Palm Springs has long been celebrated as a cherished sanctuary for its thriving gay male community, the city is witnessing a remarkable shift as an increasing number of lesbians make this iconic desert locale their home. In this era of inclusivity and diversity, two playhouses, THE BENT and DESERT ENSEMBLE THEATRE, have independently united to send a powerful message during Pride—by featuring plays that not only resonate with but celebrate lesbian-centric themes.
Executive Director Michael Green affirms, “At the Palm Springs Cultural Center, we take pride in our commitment to queer programming. This year, we are thrilled to present not one but two remarkable plays that explore the rich tapestry of lesbian experiences during the Palm Springs Pride season.”
Kicking off the festivities is THE BENT‘s production of “LAST SUMMER AT BLUEFISH COVE” by Jane Chambers, running from November 1st to 4th. This landmark play showcases its lesbian characters as joyful, accomplished, and intricately developed women.
Terry Ray, Managing Director of THEBENT went on to comment “As the only LGBTQ+ theatre in the Coachella Valley, The Bent is committed to telling the stories of our lesbian sisters. Gay men and women have many things in common, but our journeys are also very unique. Unfortunately, the lesbian experience has often been an afterthought in theatre programming—if a thought at all. For this year’s Pride we wanted to turn that around and honor the fierce women of our community. THE LAST SUMMER AT BLUEFISH COVE, though a classic, still speaks with profound relevance to the journey of many queer women. In gay theatre we’ve heard “The lesbians won’t come” for too long. In 2023 we are delighted to report the rumors are very, very wrong.”
Following this, DESERT ENSEMBLE THEATRE brings “COLLECTIVE RAGE: THE STORY OF FIVE BETTIES,” running from November 10th to 19th.
Jerome Elliott Moskowitz, Artistic Director for Desert Ensemble Theatre said “COLLECTIVE RAGE: A PLAY IN 5 BETTIES continues Desert Ensemble Theatre’s commitment to producing insightful and innovative works. Specific to LGBTQ+ theatre, when we produced THE BEEBO BRINKER CHRONICLES in 2021 queer women showed up in record numbers. But a frequent question was “why are opportunities to hear lesbian voices so rare?” Then trailblazing, queer non-binary director Kudra Wagner asked me to read Jen Silverman’s devastatingly funny play. I was mesmerized! As Kudra says, “No matter where you come from, or which team you play on, there is a Betty for everyone.” It will be fascinating to see BLUEFISH COVE and COLLECTIVE RAGE in succession – a landmark of dramatic lesbian literature and a contemporary reflection on self-identity, sexuality and gender.”
Join us in celebrating and amplifying these voices, embracing the diversity that makes Palm Springs a true beacon of acceptance and belonging.
THE BENT presents
LAST SUMMER AT BLUEFISH COVE by Jane Chambers
November 1 – 4, 2023
BLUEFISH is considered a landmark play in its portrayal of lesbian characters as happy, sexy, healthy, successful and richly crafted women. The story features a close knit group of 7 friends on their annual vacation at the beach, but this year a straight woman, who has left her husband, unwittingly wanders into their midst. Jane Chamber’s comedic dialogue, sensitivity to human nature and tender treatment of her characters transcends previous preconceptions and shows the universality of these women’s journey.
A limited number of season passes ( 4 plays ) at a discounted rate are available and come with priority seating.
BUY TICKETS: TheBent.org
DESERT ENSEMBLE THEATRE presents
COLLECTIVE RAGE: A PLAY IN FIVE BETTIES
by JEN SILVERMAN
November 10 – 12, 17 – 19
The lives of five women named Betty collide.
Betty is rich; Betty is lonely; Betty’s busy working on her truck; Betty wants to talk about love, but Betty needs to hit something. And Betty keeps using a small hand mirror to stare into parts of herself she’s never examined.
“A fult-tilt lesbian/bi-curious/genderqueer/Shakespearean comedy for everyone… If you’re wondering whether you’ll enjoy the revolution, Collective Rage makes an excellent (and hilarious) test case.” – The New York Times
BUY TICKETS: DesertEnsembleTheatre.org