AFT 2019-2020 Season In Review
AFT ends our season strong thanks to our generous donors!
Monday was the last day of our End of Season campaign, and we’re thrilled to announce that we exceeded our $20,000 fundraising goal! If you’d like to make a donation to move us forward as we begin our 2021 fiscal year, we appreciate your support!
About Face Theatre has been able to adapt and thrive during these challenging times thanks to our generous donors and granting organizations. We remain strong and dedicated to telling LGBTQ+ stories, supporting Black lives, honoring our commitment to LGBTQ+ youth programming, and advancing the national dialogue around gender and sexuality.
AFT 2019-2020 Season In Review
We kicked off our season last fall with the world premiere of AFT Artistic Associate Scott Bradley’s solo show Packing, which the Chicago Reader called “an important document of queer life.” And in January of this year, we opened the Chicago premiere of Audrey Cefaly’s The Gulf, supported by a visit from the playwright herself!
In March, the pandemic forced us to postpone all live programming for the rest of the season. We decided to focus our resources on paying arists, maintaining continuity for our education programs, and quickly moving online. Our popular all-ages queer variety show KINSHIP, curated by the Youth Task Force, finished the season strong with a streaming performance on Facebook. The creative team behind our touring program adapted Power in Pride into a free online video series that includes three illuminating Q&A sessions with the ensemble. And we closed out the season with an amazing virtual showcase from our Youth Theatre Ensemble.
During the early summer, we also joined together with other Edgewater-based theaters for a month-long supply drive benefiting organizations on the front lines of helping racial justice protesters and Black communities hit hard by the pandemic shutdown. We continue to promote and participate in mutual aid efforts around the city.
Announcing AFT’s 25th Season… soon!
We are so proud of the work of all of our artists and community during this past year. And we can’t wait to share with you what we’ve got in store for the upcoming year– AFT’s 25th anniversary season! We have been taking some extra time to ensure that our plans prioritize the safety and care of our artists and that our producing models can adapt to the changing arts landscape while also delivering the impact and passion you’ve come to expect from us. Keep an eye out for more news from us in the next few weeks!
However, we couldn’t do any of this without your support. The enthusiastic financial and moral support from you, our community, is inspiring and humbling. On behalf of all of us, thank you for being part of the About Face family!
Megan Carney,
About Face Theatre Artistic Director