Theatre Outré celebrating queer culture

By Lethbridge Herald on March 20, 2024.

Theatre Outré for the last decade has brought award-winning shows featuring queer voices to the forefront of the theatre community in this city and beyond.

Founded in 2012, the theatre has brought forward its mandate to push the boundaries of sexual and gender norms through challenging productions while making space that tells stories from diverse backgrounds and celebrating the queer community that exists in Lethbridge and Southern Alberta.

2024 is the theatre’s first year without a regular venue, but it is working with partner organizations on two weeks of live events throughout downtown Lethbridge.

The events run from today until March 31.

“For my first festival as the new artistic director, I want our festival to be a celebration as we look forward to what is next, not just for our company but for the community – a community filled with tenacity, uniqueness, and beauty. Our festival is here to uplift our queer friends and allies who choose to call Southern Alberta home,” said artistic director Brett Dahl in a release.

With new leadership under Dahl and general manager Brent Clark, this year’s festival focuses on the pillars of the company – theatre, drag, improv and music. At the heart of the festival is the annual cabaret.

“The festival has been curated to highlight and celebrate what we do best at Theatre Outré! As we look towards our next decade, I want the festival to be a launching pad for new queer work here in Alberta,” says Dahl.

“As southern Alberta’s queer theatre, we have a responsibility to invest in the voices of our community. Currently, Alberta, unlike other provinces, does not have a place devoted to developing new queer work. So I want to ensure that it is at the heart of our festival.”

The Quaint, Quirky & QUEER Cabaret is the flagship event. Others include a night of live music, stand-up comedy, and readings of new works in development at venues throughout Lethbridge.

Information on all events and ticket information is available at http://www.theatreoutre.ca

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