StageQ is excited to announce the cast for its April production of “RAID! Attack on Stonewall.” The play, commissioned by StageQ to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the famous queer uprising, will run from April 19th though April 27th at the Bartell Theatre in downtown Madison, Wisconsin.

“RAID” is the cornerstone of StageQ’s 2018-2019 season which is themed around the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots and the spirit of rebellion that surrounded it. The riots–which lasted several days in June 1969 and centered around the mob-owned, queer speakeasy known as the Stonewall Inn in New York’s Greenwich Village–are widely considered to be the catalyst that launched what became known as the Gay Liberation Movement and transformed into the modern-day queer rights movement. Given this event has such an important role in queer history, StageQ approached Madison-based playwright Malissa Petterson to bring the famous, yet generally misunderstood, events to life for modern theater audiences.

“My goal with this piece was to provide as accurate an account as possible of the events before, during, and immediately after the raid on The Stonewall Inn the evening of June 28th, 1969,” says Petterson. “I wanted to provide an unflinching view of the horrors, the magic, and the love and
liberation that took place that night, which for many marks the beginning of a long journey toward LGBTQ+ rights.”

“RAID” also marks the first time StageQ has had a play commissioned in its 18 year history. Designed as an immersive experience, audiences will be placed inside the ill-fated bar to meet the owners, patrons, and employees as they begin what was supposed to be a regular night of drinking, dancing, and escape from an outside world that often rejected queer people. Audiences will then be placed in the middle of a police raid and experience the panic, chaos, and–ultimately–defiance as the Stonewall inhabitants take their lives into their own hands. The piece is intense, powerful, moving, and more relevant than ever as we find ourselves in a world that is increasingly hostile to queer people including transgender students in schools and the military, as well as gay and bi men and women still fighting for employment and housing rights.

“With the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots I wanted StageQ to celebrate that historic event by putting on a show that retold what happened in a vivid, immersive, and–most importantly–accurate way,” says the show’s executive producer and StageQ President Zak Stowe. “Malissa’s script is just that and more. I’m so excited to bring audiences back in time and bring the amazing patrons of the Stonewall Inn to life on stage.”

Tickets may purchased online at www.stageq.org or www.bartelltheatre.org, in person at the Bartell Theatre or by calling the Bartell Box Office at 608-661-9696.

Cast
Ethan Soderberg as Johnny Shades
Shauntel Burzynski as Dawn Hampton
Ja’More Boyd as Marsha P Johnson
Ember Reed Yvonne Ritter
Alyssa Stowe as Jennifer Hardy
Joshua Biatch as Martin Boyce
Ameera Khan as Kiki
Noah Koebe as Inspector Tatem
EmmaJane DeWeese as Undercover Policewoman
Erica Hagen as Virginia
Jim Chiolino as Seymour Pine
Steven Smith as Howard Smith
DJ Xayasouk as Raymond Castro
Shane Heim as Man 1/Bartender 1/Police Officer 1
Kat Johnson as Man 2/Bartender 2/Police Officer 2

Run Dates
Friday, April 19th 7:30pm
Saturday, April 20th 7:30pm
Sunday, April 21st 2:00pm
Wednesday, April 24th 7:30pm
Thursday, April 25th 7:30pm
Friday, April 26th 7:30pm
Saturday, April 27th 2:00pm