Gay Play Tuesdays: BAR DYKES by Merril Mushroom (1984)

<div> <p>Join us for Gay Play Tuesday on August 25th at 7pm, when we will read <b><i>Bar Dykes</i> by Merril Mushroom</b> (1984).</p> <p>Step into the underground world of pre-Stonewall lesbian culture in Merril Mushroom’s <i><b>Bar Dykes</b></i>. This gripping, long-neglected, one-act play serves as an immersive time capsule, capturing a single explosive night in a 1950s gay bar. Follow a diverse group of women as they navigate rigid butch/femme courtship rituals, fleeting moments of love, and intense jealousy—all under the constant, looming threat of police persecution. Sharp, atmospheric, and deeply authentic, Bar Dykes is a rare, vital look at queer survival and connection before there was an organized liberation movement.</p> <p><b>To sign-up for Gay Play Tuesdays: <i>Bar Dykes </i>on August 25th, please <a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScRftHuv89Bw10XsjYv-eHU9qNOICcVMqSpMOCy0DJRWVz9SQ/viewform">RSVP</a></b></p> </div> <hr /> <div> <p><strong>What is “Gay Play Tuesdays”?</strong></p> </div> <div> <p>What makes a “gay play?” Is it dependent on the identity of the author or characters? The reception of the play by LGBTQIA+ audiences? The play’s politics or aesthetics? Or is there something else, less definable, that might make a play a gay classic?</p> <p>Join our Resident Dramaturg, Jesse Marchese, for a monthly free play reading salon where we will investigate some of the most impactful, provocative, and fearless “gay plays” from the 20th and 21st centuries. Being a “salon,” this is not a professional performance. Rather, we treat each session as a classroom where the plays are our teachers.</p> <p>We will treat every session as a first read through, assigning parts on a first come, first served basis. You are welcome to come and read a role out loud or just listen along – no experience necessary! Once we finish reading through the play we will engage in a short discussion of its themes and ideas.</p> </div>