Author: Alfredo Casuso

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Tuesday, August 24, 2021

Contact: Mayor’s Office of Communications,mayorspressoffice@sfgov.org

*** PRESS RELEASE ***

MAYOR LONDON BREED DECLARES AUGUST AS TRANSGENDER HISTORY MONTH IN SAN FRANCISCO

On the 55th anniversary of the Compton’s Cafeteria Riots, San Francisco recognizes the country’s first Transgender History Month

San Francisco, CA — San Francisco Mayor London N. Breed today officially declared August as Transgender History Month in San Francisco. Developed in partnership with the Transgender District and Office of Transgender Initiatives, today’s proclamation signing at City Hall

launches a month of celebrating the history and cultural milestones of transgender people in San Francisco.

The country’s first Transgender History Month honors the 55th anniversary of the Compton’s Cafeteria Riots, which occurred in August 1966 in San Francisco’s Tenderloin neighborhood, marking the beginning of transgender activism in San Francisco. A response to violent and constant police harassment, this incident was one of the first LGBTQ uprisings in United States history, preceding the better known 1969 Stonewall riots in New York City.

“I am honored to join the transgender community today to declare August as Transgender History Month in San Francisco,” said Mayor Breed. “Our transgender community has a rich cultural history in this city and is so important to our diverse identity. San Francisco has been and always will be a place where everyone can seek refuge, sanctuary, and safety. Today, we celebrate both our city’s pride and the transgender community.”

The Tenderloin is home to The Transgender District, created in 2018 as Compton’s Transgender Cultural District, the nation’s first legally recognized district dedicated to the transgender, nonbinary, and intersex community. On August 29, the District will be hosting a neighborhood block party, “The Riot Party,”featuring food, live music, performances, and more. The event will also honor community members who have advanced trans rights in San Francisco and beyond.

Today’s event at City Hall was emceed by community icon Sister Roma of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence and included community speakers and honorees Tamara Ching, Camille Moran, Cecilia Chung, and more. Also giving remarks was Honey Mahogany, trans activist and chair of the San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee. The event concluded with the raising of the transgender pride flag over City Hall. 

“Transgender History Month is so iconic! I don’t think the broader public realizes how many significant contributions to history, culture, social justice, and of course, popular culture that transgender and gender non-conforming people have made,” said Aria Sa’id, co-founder and President of The Transgender District. “On behalf of The Transgender District we are overjoyed to celebrate this incredible milestone.”

“We are grateful to have partnered with the Transgender District and Mayor London Breed to declare August as Transgender History Month in San Francisco,” said Clair Farley, Executive Director of the Office of Transgender Initiatives. “San Francisco has long been a leader in fighting for trans rights and making critical investments to support our residents. This historic announcement is an important way to honor those that have paved the way for our movement and address the important work we have ahead to address the ongoing discrimination and violence facing trans and gender nonconforming communities.”

During the event, Mayor Breed announced several critical trans and LGBTQ community investments that were included in her recently signed citywide budget, including:

• First of its kind Guaranteed Income Project for the Trans Community, prioritizing San Francisco residents most impacted by the pandemic and those disconnected from other benefits. Mayor Breed’s budget includes $2 million for the program over the next two years.

• LGBTQ Senior Tele-mental health program and expanded digital access services. The new program will be funded through the Department of Adult and Aging Services (DAAS), and will increase services for LGBTQ seniors while adding much-need mental health resources to community members who have experienced increased isolation, depression, and anxiety due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The pilot project is funded at $900,000 over the next year.
• Support for small businesses and arts and cultural programs, including $12 million to acquire a site to house the country’s first full-scale LGBTQ Museum.
• Policies and initiatives that aim to break the cycle of violence and discrimination against transgender communities,especially against Black trans women who experience disproportionate levels of violence. Mayor Breed’s Dream Keeper Initiative invests $2.2 million for Black transgender equity programming over the next two years.

For more information about San Francisco’s Office of Transgender Initiatives, please visit sf.gov/transcitysf, and to learn more about The Transgender District, please visit transgenderdistrictsf.com.

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Orvieto News

24 August 2021
by Laura Ricci

Author David Eugene Perry Returns to Orvieto:
Setting for his Award-Winning Mystery “Upon This Rock”

Californian David Eugene Perry, author of the novel “Upon this Rock” — a mystery published in the United States by Pace Press — is back in Orvieto, after two years of COVID forced separation from our city that he loves so much. His thriller mixes intrigue, terrorism, history, art and the secrets of the Church in a page turner that won top prize at this year’s San Francisco Book Festival and also a Silver Medal at the 33rd “Benjamin Franklin” Annual Awards from the Independent Book Publishers Association, in the LGBT category .

As the title and the cover immediately suggest, “Upon this Rock” (“Su questo Rupe”) is set in Orvieto, with key characters inspired by Medieval and WWII history, recent news and local characters, all rendered fictionally through his literary creation.

David is delighted to be back in Orvieto, where when time and work permit, he and his husband, Alfredo Casuso, spend at least two months per annum. This year, David is spending August working remotely and also enjoying the summer.  Earlier this month, friends and acquaintances gathered at Blue Bar where David read a few pages of his novel and autographed copies of the book during a pleasant literary aperitivo.

According to David, “Upon This Rock” is the first in a series of novels, all with an historic component. He is hoping for the book to be translated into Italian by next year and his currently actively looking to option the story for TV or film.  In the meantime, the book can be found online in English at Amazon, Good Reads, Barnes & Noble direct from his publisher at Quill or by order through your local bookstore. David invites readers to find him directly online via Facebook or by email at news@davidperry.com 

media contact: David Perry & Associates, Inc. (415) 676-7007 / news@davidperry.com

14th Season for Award-Winning Dezart Performs Opens with “Girlfriend”

October 27 – 30 at Rancho Mirage Amphitheater

Tickets Now On Sale for First-Ever Musical for Company

Pearl McManus Season Tickets Also On Sale

www.dezartperforms.org
 

18 August 2021 – Palm Springs, CA: Literally music to the ears of Coachella Valley theatre lovers, the award-winning Dezart Performs of Palm Springs (www.dezartperforms.org) opens its 14^th Season withthe critically-acclaimed Todd Almond / Matthew Sweet musical GIRLFRIEND (October 27 – 30)taking place outside at the Rancho Mirage Amphitheater.  

“We’re thrilled that Eddie Vona, star of last season’s HAND TO GOD, will be joined by Broadway actor,Patrick Ortiz, for our season opener, and post COVID reopening,” said Michael Shaw, Dezart Performs founding artistic director noting that this is the first ever musical for the company. “This special ‘under-the-stars’ event at the Rancho Mirage Amphitheaterwill be a memorable, fun and emotional welcome back for all of us.”

The GIRLFRIEND Dinner & Show option includes a deliciously catered dinner by Acqua California Bistro for four or six guests per table with three-courses, a glass of wine, and an up-close experience of the smash-hit rock musical. Tax and gratuity are included: $115/person; Reserved table purchase required.Also offered are general admission tickets for the show only (dinner not included) at a special early access price of $45.”

Following GIRLFRIEND, the company returns to its traditional home at the Pearl McManus Theater (at the historic Palm Springs Woman’s Club / 314 SCahuilla Road, Downtown Palm Springs) with Katori Hall’s THE MOUNTAINTOP (January 14 – 23), a bold reimagining of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr’s final night. Next is Heidi Schreck’s dramatic exploration of compassion and forgiveness as seen through the eyes of a nun in a Bronx soup kitchen, GRAND CONCOURSE (March 4 – 13). Rounding out the calendar is the one-person comedy/drama EVERY BRILLIANT THING (April 1 – 10) by Duncan Macmillan with Jonny Donahoe and directed by Deborah Harmon. EVERY BRILLIANT THING was originally the final production of the 2020 Season, delayed by COVID.

Season packages for Dezart Performs’ Pearl McManus Theater productions are on sale online at www.dezartperforms.org or by calling (760) 322-0179. Special pricing for these season packages range from $102 – $135. Individual tickets go on sale September 14 for THE MOUNTAINTOP, GRAND CONCOURSE and EVERY BRILLIANT THING.

“For the health, safety and well-being of our patrons, staff and artists, Dezart Performs’ COVID-19 policy requires guests to be fully vaccinated,” says Shaw. “Upon arrival at all events, guests must present a photo ID along with proof that they meet the CDC definition of being fully vaccinated against COVID-19, either in the form of a physical vaccination card or a photo of the card.”

Shaw and the company stress, that this policy is subject to changes at any time, in accordance with local, state and federal guidelines. Please check the Dezart Performs website for current policy guidelines beforeattending any scheduled performance date. 

Following its final live, with-audience performance, SWEAT, on March 8, 2020, Dezart Performs engaged its audience with a series of live online events during COVID:  Creating for the Stage: Discussions with thePeople that Make Shows Happen (November 11 –December 2, 2020) and the interactive online sensation Mental Amusements ( January 13 – 31, 2021) with award-winning Mentalist Vinny DePonto.

Dezart Performs, one of the Coachella Valley’s preeminent theatre companies, recognizes that the performing arts enrich the life and culture of a community, promote greater understanding and provoke insightful discussion. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofittheatre company, its mission is to provide an artistic home for bold and cutting–edge plays, creating an atmosphere of artistic growth for actors, writers, and directors who uniquely contribute to the diverse theatrical environment in the Coachella Valley.

14^th Dezart Performs Complete Season Listing

GIRLFRIEND

October 27-30, 2021
Book by Todd Almond
Music by Matthew Sweet
Directed by Michael Shaw
Musical Direction by Joshua Carr
Choreography by Ray Limon
Musical Comedy
Rancho Mirage Amphitheater

Set in Nebraska in the ’90s, Will, a bit of a social outcast, and Mike, the popular football player, figure out that there is more to life than what high school has taught them. Days after graduation they explore their relationship and begin to ask themselves where their lives begin. 

“The songwriter and book writer demonstrate both anear for the rousing energy of circa-1990 pop music, and a sensitivity about the manner in which a pair of young men might find their way to each other in an unwelcoming environment.” – The Washington Post 

*   *   *

THE MOUNTAINTOP

January 14-23, 2022
Written by Katori Hall
Drama
Directed by Michael Shaw
Pearl McManus Theater

2010 Winner, Olivier Award for Best Play

A re-imagined depiction of Martin Luther King Jr.’s last night on earth set entirely in Room 306 of the Lorraine Motel on the eve of his assassination in 1968. After delivering his famous “I’ve been to the mountaintop speech”, King goes to the Lorraine Motel to rest. His world is spun on his axis when he meets Camae, a young, feisty and foul-mouthed maid, who delivers his room service. 

“Funny and emotionally charged… a powerful, poetic take on [King’s] legacy.” -Philip Brandes, Los Angeles Times

“Intriguing, shocking, funny… a stunning evening.” – Dale Reynolds, EDGE Los Angeles

*   *   *

GRAND CONCOURSE

March 4-13, 2022
Written by Heidi Schreck
Directed by Michael Shaw
Drama
Pearl McManus Theater

2015 Lucille Lortel Award Nominee

Having dedicated her life to religious service, Shelley runs a Bronx soup kitchen with unsentimental efficiency, but lately her heart’s not quite in it. Her brisk nature masks an unsettling fear that her efforts are meaningless. When Emma – an idealistic but confused college dropout – arrives to volunteer, her reckless mix of generosity and self-involvement pushes Shelley to the breaking point. 

“Insightful with a moving, even shocking epiphany.” – Huffington Post

“[Heidi Schreck] writes fluid, natural dialogue and creates detailed characters that offer generous opportunities for actors… the words have the ring of plain truth.” – The New York Times

*   *   *

EVERY BRILLIANT THING

April 1-10, 2022

Written by Duncan Macmillan, with Jonny Donahoe
Directed by Deborah Harmon
Comedy/Drama
Pearl McManus Theater

You’re six years old. Mom’s in the hospital. Dad says she’s “done something stupid.” She finds it hard to behappy. So you start to make a list of everything that’s brilliant about the world. Everything that’s worth living for. 1. Ice cream. 2. Kung Fu movies. 3. Burning things. 4. Laughing so hard you shoot milk out your nose. 5. Constructions cranes. 6. Me. You leave it onher pillow. You know she’s read it because she’s corrected your spelling. Soon, the list will take on a life of its own. A play about depression and the lengths we will go for those we love.

“A heart-wrenching, hilarious play…One of the funniest plays you’ll ever see about depression—and possibly one of the funniest plays you’ll ever see, full stop!” —The Guardian

Media contact: David Perry / David Perry & Associates, Inc. (415) 676-7007 / news@davidperry.com 

Monday, August 23 – Registration Opens for the International Sensation Le Dîner en Blanc! Palm Springs Premiere of Internationally Renowned “Elegant Pop Up Picnic”Takes Place Saturday, October 9

16 August 2021 – Palm Springs, CA:  A week from today — Monday, August 23 —  the Palm Springs Premiere of Le Dîner en Blanc, the popular Parisian-style pop-up picnic characterized by its famous all-white dress code, will open registration for the internationally-acclaimed event, taking place Saturday evening, October 9. As per the usual protocols for the event, the exact location of the event is only revealed a few hours before the event, and only to registered guests.

“Keeping a secret has never been so much fun,” said local Le Dîner en Blanc hosts Glenn Alexander and Geoffrey Macon. “However, before we reveal the secret, you need to register.”

For a chance to be part of this unique night, people can sign up on the waiting list at

register.dinerenblanc.com/palmsprings/en/register

More than 130,000 foodies and cultural enthusiasts around the world have already embraced this unique event. This très chic picnic is equal parts mystery tour, pop-up feast and je ne sais quoi. Over the years, Le Dîner en Blanc has become a worldwide epicurean phenomenon. What was a “friends and word-of-mouth only” event has grown into an international sensation celebrated on six continents. Launched in Paris in 1988 by François Pasquier and a handful of friends, Le Dîner en Blanc de Paris is a fantastic event where guests gather at an outdoor secret location for the sole purpose of sharing a gourmet meal with good friends in one of their city’s most beautiful locations.

To keep up to date on event announcements, visit palmsprings.dinerenblanc.com or

DinerEnBlanc.PalmSprings   dinerenblancpalmspringsca

#dinerenblanc #debpalmsprings2020