Left Out Festival History

The festival opened with The Gayla, a party at Evolve Bar with performances by Victoria and Switch 'n' Play. April 16 featured monologues written by Richard Ballon, Frank Blocker, and others, performed by Frank Blocker, Charnele Crick, Josef Wille, Russell Jordan, Robin Goldfin, Rhea McCallum, Miller Lide, Michelle Ramoni, The Lovely and Talented Miss Toni Silver, and Lisa Stephenson. The festival closed with a Spoken Word and Music Night, featuring Samantha Barrow, Mahina Movement, Erin Markey, Athena and Company, and Pandora Scooter.

These solo shows had one performance each week.

Roughhouse by Topher Cusumano

Roughhouse is an insightful exploration of violence as a sexually erotic trait of masculinity. It was unsettling, it was raw, and yes, to be honest, it was arousing, and consequently my own arousal became the unsettling thing. And I was thrilled, thrilled to be seeing provocative performance art by a gay man. To be honest, it's been awhile. (read full article)

Ben Lerman and his Ukulele
Lerman is such an easy-going, genial presence that one doesn't realize until later that he's a real talent as a musician and lyricist. There's an ease to his touch that belies the difficulty of holding an audience for an hour. (read full article)

In Heat by Lisa Haas, starring Sally Sockwell
Haas has written a fine and daring piece of theatre. And Sally Sockwell is a comedic genius. She discovers the heart of her character, and from there delivers the humor, thus avoiding diminution in simple self-parody. It's a bewitching performance I will not soon forget.
(read full article)

Othernatural by Laramie Dean
When Laramie Dean was a young boy he flew, only once, and landed on the highest branch of a tall tree. In that moment of magical realism he tells us he had a powerful epiphany: he was a monster. (read full article)

Dreams of Martha Stewart
Pamela Parker's "Dreams of Martha Stewart" featured Gina Bonati, as a woman searching for herself, and Marthat Stewart, on a bus ride filled with amazing characters. Directed by Frank Blocker.