Allan Baker's Play DARE Wins NYC Theatre Award

Austin playwright Allan Baker’s full-length play, “Dare” has been named one of the two winners of the 2017 Mario Fratti-Fred Newman Political Play Contest, sponsored by the Castillo Theatre in New York City.  Held bi-annually, the contest"is intended to encourage the writing of progressive plays that engage the political/social/cultural questions affecting the world today and/or historical events and issues that impact on our communities.”  There were 300 plays submitted to the contest in this round.  
 
The winners were announced on May 21st at the Castillo Theatre’s annual “Otto René Castillo Awards for Political Theatre”.  A short excerpt from “Dare” was performed at the event.  There will be a staged reading of “Dare” at 7 PM on August 7th, 2017 at the theatre at 543 W. 42nd St. in New York City.
 
Synopsis: In a nursing home in the Central Valley of California, Jack, an 82-year-old gay man, reflects on a life that has spanned the most tumultuous years of gay history, with flashbacks to San Francisco, '73, Fire Island, '78 and New York City, '87 and '90.   Jack explains to Josh, a young gay doctor, his decision to end his life and complete the “dramatic arc” of his character in the play that is Jack's life. This play weaves together the history of gay liberation, the enduring threat of homophobia, the impact of AIDS, aging in the gay community, end of life issues, the argument between advocates of gay “assimilation” and gay “exceptionalism”...and the vital role of drag queens.
 
In February, 2015 a staged reading of an early version of this play was given at The Ground Floor Theatre, in Austin.  The development of the play was supported by the Scriptworks Seed Support Fund.   Since 2004, Allan has written 13 plays.  With this staged reading of “Dare”, 11 of these plays will have been onstage in a total of 21 productions and 7 staged readings, from coast to coast and from Guam to Ontario.  
 
For additional information on Allan’s plays, you may visit abbyproductions.com.