Dublin Gay Theatre Festival
Encyclopedia
The International Dublin Gay Theatre Festival is a theatrical event held annually in Dublin, Republic of Ireland
during the first two weeks of May. The eight festival will be held from 2–15 May 2011 with 30 productions participating, staging over 200 individual performances and events. Over 70% of the festival's content comes from outside Ireland. The Festival has included productions from countries as diverse as Poland
, Germany
, Zimbabwe
, France
, Spain
, Australia
, South Africa
, Venezuela
and Canada
as well as strong representation from the UK, Ireland
and the United States. Festival 2009 saw the 1,000th performance of a Festival production since 2004.
According to its official website, the Dublin Gay Theatre Festival provides "theatrical and academic fora for the presentation of new and exciting works by gay authors, or works that have a gay character, theme, relevance or other input by a gay artist to promote visibility and recognition of gay people's contribution to the arts nationally and internationally."
The festival was founded in 2004 in order to mark the 150th anniversary of the birth of Dublin-born Oscar Wilde
in his native city, and to encourage and develop concepts of gay theatre. The image of Oscar Wilde was first used as the official festival logo in 2006 and remains so today. This image is combined with that of the green carnation, which is a gay symbol associated with both Oscar Wilde and the theatre.
The festival's patrons are Senator David Norris, writer Emma Donoghue
and playwright Terrence McNally
.
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
during the first two weeks of May. The eight festival will be held from 2–15 May 2011 with 30 productions participating, staging over 200 individual performances and events. Over 70% of the festival's content comes from outside Ireland. The Festival has included productions from countries as diverse as Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
as well as strong representation from the UK, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
and the United States. Festival 2009 saw the 1,000th performance of a Festival production since 2004.
According to its official website, the Dublin Gay Theatre Festival provides "theatrical and academic fora for the presentation of new and exciting works by gay authors, or works that have a gay character, theme, relevance or other input by a gay artist to promote visibility and recognition of gay people's contribution to the arts nationally and internationally."
The festival was founded in 2004 in order to mark the 150th anniversary of the birth of Dublin-born Oscar Wilde
Oscar Wilde
Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde was an Irish writer and poet. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of London's most popular playwrights in the early 1890s...
in his native city, and to encourage and develop concepts of gay theatre. The image of Oscar Wilde was first used as the official festival logo in 2006 and remains so today. This image is combined with that of the green carnation, which is a gay symbol associated with both Oscar Wilde and the theatre.
The festival's patrons are Senator David Norris, writer Emma Donoghue
Emma Donoghue
Emma Donoghue is an Irish-born playwright, literary historian and novelist now living in Canada. Her 2010 novel Room was a finalist for the Man Booker Prize and an international bestseller. Donoghue's 1995 novel Hood won the Stonewall Book Award and Slammerkin won the Ferro-Grumley Award for...
and playwright Terrence McNally
Terrence McNally
Terrence McNally is an American playwright who has received four Tony Awards, an Emmy, two Guggenheim Fellowships, a Rockefeller Grant, the Lucille Lortel Award, the Hull-Warriner Award, and a citation from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. He has been a member of the Council of the...
.