NEVERDARK SERIES 2020
Outstanding Performances Brought to Life Online
Thursday, Aug 20th – Sunday, Aug 23rd | Watch Online
No AIDS, No Maids: Stories I Can’t F*ckin’ Hear No More
Conceived, Written and Performed by Dee Dee Batteast
In the Old Days, our protagonist reminds us, actors of color were butlers and maids, while gays – invariably men – were artists who succumbed to AIDS. Today’s BIPOC and LGBTQ+ actors have new roles to play, but it’s not much different onstage. Existing solely to prop up the protagonist, is not going to cut it in this comedy.
In this one-woman production, Dee Dee Batteast crafts a darkly humorous exploration of the obstacles minority actors face in the American media. No AIDS, No Maids looks hard at the archetypal and two-dimensional characters women of color have played for over 50 years and disassociates homosexuality from the narrative of disease. This tour-de-force performance took top honors at the Capital Fringe Festival in Washington, D.C.
This performance has been produced in collaboration with Waltzing Mechanics, a documentary theatre ensemble based in Chicago.
This production is FREE to view thanks to the Shubert Foundation, the Applied Materials Foundation, and our donors who have made contributions to Gloucester Stage this season. Please consider making a gift with your complimentary ticket purchase to help continue our mission on Cape Ann.
There are a limited number of ‘seats’ available. Click WATCH ONLINE and you will immediately receive a video link and password in your email. Your ticket will have a date on it, but you will have access to watch at any time from August 20th – 23rd.
WORKSHOP / TALKBACK
Monday, Aug 24th, 5:30p EST
Led by creative artist and teacher Dee Dee Batteast and Waltzing Mechanics Executive Director Thomas Murray. No AIDS No Maids: Stories I Can’t F*ckin Hear No More is the catalyst for a conversation about the different media we consume. This discussion that starts onstage (or in this case your personal screen), can lead to a deeper understanding while you participate in sociometry, breakout discussions in small groups, invited storytelling, and an open forum. This performance reflects the stories of the BIPOC and LGBTQ+ experience.
This Workshop is Free to Attend on Zoom. RSVP Online Here:
Dee Dee Batteast Recent regional theater credits include work with Clarence Brown Theatre, Virginia Stage Company, Illinois Shakespeare Festival, PlayMakers Repertory Company and Indiana Repertory Theatre. Television credits include Chicago Fire. Batteast earned her undergraduate degree from Ball State University and her MFA from UNC-Chapel Hill.
Thomas Murray is a documentary theatre maker, director, and teacher. He serves as executive director of Waltzing Mechanics and program manager for Storycatchers Theatre’s Word Warriors Ensemble, where he collaborates with incarcerated youth at the Illinois Youth Center in Warrenville.
His newest docudrama THE RIGHT OF WAY performed most recently at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C. following presentations at the Moss Arts Center (Blacksburg, VA), National Academy of Sciences (Washington, D.C.), Bicycle Indiana Summit (Indianapolis) and the American Planning Association’s National Conference (New Orleans). THE RIGHT OF WAY was developed through public workshops with Forum Theatre (Washington, D.C.), Theatre in the Square (Atlanta), and the Greenhouse Theater Center (Chicago). It is published in ArtsPraxis by New York University.
His original works with Waltzing Mechanics includes the interview-based comedy series EL STORIES (featured at the NYU Forum on Ethnodrama) and OVER MY DEAD BODY (supported by the MacArthur Funds for Arts and Culture). He directed Danielle Pinnock’s BODY/COURAGE in performance at the Chicago Fringe Festival (Fringe Choice Award), MPAACT, Congo Square Theatre, and the Greenhouse Theater Center. He also directed Dee Dee Batteast’s NO AIDS, NO MAIDS for Gloucester Stage Company in Massachusetts.
As a director in his hometown of Chicago, Thomas helmed both devised and scripted work for Broken Nose Theatre, The Ruckus, Rivendell Theatre Ensemble, Ka-Tet Theatre Company, City Lit Theatre, Prologue Theatre, Hobo Junction, Strangeloop Theatre, and The Arc Theatre. New York credits include work with Ping Chong + Company and Honest Accomplice Theatre.
As a teacher, Thomas has lectured at DePaul University, New York University, Illinois State University, Beloit College, Baruch College, Elmhurst College, and his alma maters, Virginia Tech and Ball State University. He teaches acting and playwriting to court-involved youth through his roles at Storycatchers Theatre.
Thomas has been a member of The Midwives, the Lincoln Center Theater Directors Lab, a Sackler Fellow with the National Academy of Sciences, a Community Engagement Fellow with Ping Chong + Company, an artistic apprentice with Steppenwolf Theatre Company, and a recipient of the Outstanding Young Alumnus Award from Ball State University. He holds a B.A. in theatre production from Ball State University and an M.F.A. in directing and public dialogue from Virginia Tech.
How do I watch online?
You can watch the video via several platforms. Here are specific instructions and links to helpful Vimeo articles. You will receive a link via email immediately upon reserving your complimentary ticket. Check spam or email info@gloucesterstage.com if you don’t receive this confirmation.
Watch via your computer’s web browser:
- Follow the link that was sent to you in your email
- Enter the password when prompted.
Watch via your Phone (on an app or the browser):
It doesn’t matter if you have the Vimeo app.
- Follow the link that was sent to you in your email.
- Enter the password when prompted.
Watch via your TV streaming device:
This article in Vimeo’s help section will let you know what TV streaming devices have Vimeo apps.
There is a multi-step process for watching a password-protected video using a Vimeo app on a TV streaming device. The first part can be done on a web browser or a phone app.
Web Browser, iPad, or iPhone:
- Go to http://vimeo.com and create a Vimeo account. If you already have one, log in.
- Go back to your email and follow the link that was provided in your email.
- Enter the password when prompted. You will then have access to the video.
- In the upper right hand corner of the video screen you will see a heart icon and a clock icon. Click the clock icon. This adds the video to your “Watch Later” list.
- Note: On an iPhone there are three dots just below the lower right hand side of the video screen and if you click those you will see a “Watch Later”. Select that and you will see a notification that you have saved it to your watch list.
First, install the Vimeo app on your TV Streaming Device. Then, go to your TV app:
Open the Vimeo App on your Smart TV or Streaming Device.
- Log in using the same account that you used to save the video to your “Watch Later” list. You should see the video saved there and now available to be played. If you are already logged into your account on your AppleTV or Roku when you add the video to your “Watch Later” list, it may not appear on your list on your TV until you logout and log back in, again (this is what happened to us).
- The Vimeo app for AppleTV’s has been fixed!
Watching the video on your Apple TV using Airplay:
From the Vimeo website: “With your device connected to the same Wi-Fi network as your Apple TV, start playing a video and tap the AirPlay icon in the lower right-hand corner of the player. Just like that, your selected video will begin playing on your TV.”
(Watching) Casting a Video on a Chromecast:
From the Vimeo website: “With your device connected to the same Wi-Fi network as your Chromecast, start playing a video and tap the Chromecast icon in the lower right-hand corner of the player. In mere moments, your selected video will begin playing on your TV. You can continue browsing Vimeo on your device while your video plays, and control playback on your TV using the Chromecast controls at the bottom of the app.”
How do I attend the No AIDS No Maids: Talkback Workshop on Monday August 24th at 5:30pm EST?
Join us on Zoom for an interactive discussion responding to the performance viewed over the weekend. When you RSVP online by clicking the link above, you will receive an email with the link to access the live Zoom on Sunday August 23rd. Your video and/or audio can be turned on (or kept off – you decide) during the interactive workshop.
If you’ve used Zoom before, just by clicking that link, a window will open to start the app on your computer and link you to Gloucester Stage’s account.
If you’re new to Zoom, follow these instructions:
Zoom is a web-based video conferencing tool that uses a desktop application (or a mobile app if using your smart phone/ipad) that allows participants to connect online, with or without video.
The desktop application will download automatically when you click the meeting link we send you, and is also available for manual download here.
Connect your laptop or computer to your TV using an HDMI adapter:
You can send your streaming feed to your TV through an HDMI cord by following these instructions: Click Here!
(Watching) Casting a Video on a Chromecast:
You can send your streaming feed to your TV with Chromecast by following these instructions: Click Here!