Chicago, IL – Jonathan Tolins’ look at gay life in the 1990s – THE LAST SUNDAY IN JUNE — will be performed via Zoom by a cast of socially-distanced actors on the actual last Sunday of June 2020 — the day on which Chicago’s Pride Parade was set to take place before its cancellation due to the city and state’s COVID-19 restrictions prohibiting large gatherings. Michael Rashid, an ensemble member of Hell in a Handbag, will direct. The reading, part of the Pride Films and Plays “Pride in Place” live online play readings, will begin at 7 pm on Sunday, June 28. Tickets are $10.00 per virtual “seat” and are on sale now at http://www.pridearts.org. Pride Films and Plays Executive Director David Zak says, “we hope this will help compensate to some degree for the loss we’ll feel since we won’t be able to celebrate together as a community.”
Rashid’s cast will include a mix of Chicago favorites and new faces. Danny Bernardo, whose Chicago stage career included roles at the Goodman, Victory Gardens, About Face, Silk Road Rising, The House, and The Gift before his move to Los Angeles several years ago, will “return” to Chicago virtually via Zoom for the reading. Bernardo will play James, an ex-boyfriend of one of the party hosts, who comes to the party to announce his intention to marry a woman. Hosts Tom and Michael will be played by Gary Henderson (of THE BOYS NEXT DOOR with Pride Films and Plays) and stand-up comedian Ron Popp. Their middle-aged, opera loving friend Charles will be played by Michael Kingston, seen this past year in WORKING with Theo Ubique and MIRACLE THE MUSICAL at the Royal George Theatre. The youngest guest of the party — the recent college graduate Joe, who is savoring the gay lifestyle of New York City – will be played by Christopher Sylvie, himself a recent graduate of Northwestern State University of Louisiana.
Ethan Warren (of ALL THAT HE WAS with Pride Films and Plays and DEAD MAN WALKING with Lyric Opera) will play the hunky Scott, and Jamal Howard will play the acerbic Brad. The Los Angeles-based Leslie Connelly will play James’ intended wife, Susan. Michelle X Taylor, whose one-woman show, FOR THE DIVA IN YOU played the Gorilla Tango Theatre, will narrate.
—From a press releease