Legendary Chicago drag theater celebrates their 20th anniversary with rare NYC run.
March 31 - April 10 at La MaMa
Chicago's acclaimed Hell in a Handbag Productions makes a long-awaited return to New York with its 20th anniversary production of THE DRAG SEED, an unauthorized parody of the 1956 psychological horror-thriller film The Bad Seed. Written by Artistic Director David Cerda and directed by Cheryl Snodgrass, THE DRAG SEED begins performances March 31 at La MaMa.
Carson is a perfect little boy who likes to dress like the perfect little girl and they’re deadly serious about crowns and pronouns. Carson’s mother, Connie, loves and accepts Carson but wishes Carson wasn’t so competitive. Carson always gets what they want, and they really want to win the drag pageant at their very progressive school – The Josephine Baker Rainbow Academy for Gifted Students. When Carson loses to Summer Breeze, they vow to get that crown – one way or another…
THE DRAG SEED stars Kelly Anchors, David Cerda, Sydney Genco, Ed Jones, Elizabeth Lesinski, Nicky Mendelsohn, Patrick O’Keefe, Tyler Anthony Smith, and Danne W. Taylor. The production team includes Lauren Nichols (scenic design), Gregory Graham (costume design), Liz Cooper (lighting design), DJ Douglass (sound design), Pamela Parker (props design), Keith Ryan (wig design), Sydney Genco (make-up design), R & D Fight Choreography (fight choreography), Abby Teel (production manager) and Drew Donnelly (stage manager).
Hell in a Handbag Productions is dedicated to the preservation, exploration, and celebration of camp, parody and the ridiculous, through an unabashedly queer lens. Founded in 2002 and now celebrating its 20th anniversary, Handbag has been hailed as “The gold standard of camp in Chicago” (Chicago Reader). The company hit the ground running with its debut production, POSEIDON! An Upside-Down Musical, running for eight months in Chicago and making a splash in New York at the 2003 NY International Fringe Festival, where it received the award for Best Ensemble and was the most attended show of the festival. The troupe continued to establish itself as Chicago’s camp queens with more hit shows and parodies written by Artistic Director David Cerda including SCARRIE-The Musical, How “Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?” Happened, The Birds, Caged Dames, Sexy Baby, TROGG! A Rock and Roll Musical, Lady X, the popular Golden Girls: The Lost Episodes series, Christmas Dearest and Rudolph the Red-Hosed Reindeer – both are Chicago holiday favorites. Handbag’s productions have been produced across the country. Handbag is a 501(c)(3) Not for Profit. For additional information, visit handbagproductions.org.
David Cerda (Playwright) is a founding member and Artistic Director of Hell in a Handbag Productions, now celebrating its 20th year anniversary. As resident playwright, he has written many Handbag productions as well as acted in them. His Golden Girls Lost Episodes parody shows have been produced around the country and will be featured in Golden Con in Chicago, the world’s first fan convention dedicated to all things Golden Girls at Navy Pier. As a Latinx queer individual, he is a proud inductee into the Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame and recipient of a Jeff Award for lifetime achievement for his 25 years (and counting) of work and service to the community. He lives in Chicago with his partner, Christopher.
Cheryl Snodgrass (Director) works regularly with Hell in a Handbag. Productions include Die, Mommie! Die!, Scarrie: The Musical, L’Imitation of Life and The Birds. She has performed with Handbag in Caged Dames and The Birds, and has assisted David Cerda in developing a number of scripts. Cheryl has worked with playwright Jeff Goode directing the premiere productions of Poona... and Other Plays for Children, The Emancipation of Alabaster McGill and The Eight: Reindeer Monologues among others. She directed To the New Girl and Hoist for Foundlings, as well as Shadows of Birds and Lighthouses in the Desert with Glass Apple. Cheryl most recently returned from Bangor, ME after directing Who’s Holiday. Next up is the world premiere of Handbag’s A Fine Feathered Murder: A Miss Marbled Mystery.
La MaMa is dedicated to the artist and all aspects of the theatre. La MaMa's vision of nurturing new artists and new work remains as strong today as it was when Ellen Stewart first opened the doors in 1961. La MaMa has presented more than 5,000 productions by 150,000 artists of all nations, cultures, races and identities. Cultural pluralism and ethnic diversity are inherent in the work created on our stages. Here, artists find a supportive environment for artistic exploration, and audiences are part of the development of an artist’s work over time. A recipient of the 2018 Regional Theater Tony Award, and more than 30 Obie Awards and dozens of Drama Desk, Bessie, and Villager Awards, La MaMa has been a creative home for thousands of artists, many of whom have made lasting contributions to the arts, including Blue Man Group, Ping Chong, André De Shields, Adrienne Kennedy, Harvey Fierstein, Diane Lane, Warren Leight, Michael Mayer, Tadeusz Kantor, Bette Midler, Meredith Monk, Peter Brook, David and Amy Sedaris, Julie Taymor, Kazuo Ohno, Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman.
THE DRAG SEED runs March 31 – April 10, Thursday - Saturday at 8pm and Sunday at 4pm with an additional performance Monday, April 4 at 8pm. La MaMa is located at 66 East 4th Street, between 2nd Avenue and Bowery – closest train is the F at 2nd Avenue. Tickets are $25 ($30 day of show) general admission or $20 ($25 day of show) for students and seniors + $1 facility fee. First ten tickets are available for $10 each (+ $1 facility fee, limit 2 per person, advance purchase only.) La MaMa requires proof of Covid-19 vaccination and booster shot, if eligible, for all audience members 5 and older for entry into the building and to attend performances. Masks must be worn inside at all times. To purchase tickets, visit www.lamama.org.