About Queer (Re)public
The Theater Offensive’s (TTO) mission is liberation -- to present art by, for, and about queer and trans people of color that transcends artistic boundaries, celebrates cultural abundance, and dismantles oppression. The Theater Offensive uses theater and the creative process as a cultural organizing tool, building community and creating space for important conversations through art. Since its founding in 1989, TTO has continually sought to support the creation of transgressive and transformative new queer works. In 2019, TTO adopted a new strategic plan and mission statement that made explicit the organization’s historic focus on QTPOC artists and communities. TTO’s programming is designed to prioritize the self-identified needs of low-income queer residents of color and amplify their voices.
Queer (Re)public, launched in Spring 2020, is TTO’s program that honors, uplifts, and builds on emergent themes inherent to and in QTBIPOC art through workshops, residency, programs, and commissioning art by, for, and including queer and trans artists of color. This work takes inspiration from the artist and activist Adrienne Maree Brown's theory of Emergent Strategy.
Des Bennett (they/them):left, attends a workshop for True Colors Resident Artist River Guidry at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
Queer (Re)public Goals
With this Emergent Residency Program, TTO seeks to:
Support emerging and experienced artists in an artist lead process of developing of their personal aesthetic through interrogation and unpacking of Queer Liberatory Aesthetics;
Create deeper relationships with local and national artists through artist-led & institution-supported development;
Interrogate the connection of people, place, publics, power, and practices essential to QTPOC art;
Become an incubator for QTPOC artists on their artistic journey towards edge & queering the performing arts platform;
Create and foster art that is life affirming for queer artists.
RESIDENCIES COMPONENTS
The EMERGENT ARTIST RESIDENCIES will recognize & support the work of two (2) QTPOC artists from September 2025 - June 2027. The chosen artist(s) work in both residencies must demonstrate exceptional artistic merit, an understanding of their own personal aesthetic, and self-directed project development. We are in an ever-evolving process of decolonizing the relationship between artists & producers, which manifests in a commitment to artist-led Residencies; selected artists are expected to be equal partners in communicating their artistic needs, planning and reaching goals for their projects, and shaping the Residency alongside TTO’s Programs & Producing Staff, and fellow cohort members. The Emergeant Artist Residency culminates in the Queer (Re)Public Festival, showcasing the work of our Resident Artists alongside EAR alumni, True Colors Ensemble, and partners engaged with the program.
2023-2025 Queer [Re]public Cohort
Cheyenne Wyzzard Jones
Cheyenne Wyzzard-Jones (they/she) comes from a political art background through her work as Director of Arts Programming of movement organization, In Solidarity. Their project “The Messenger” is a musical journey that shares an intimate “coming of age” story about a young femme, Zanyah, who has been chosen to become the next Messenger for her nation, The In-Between. As Zanyah goes on a spiritual journey with her elders, she meets people that each share a lesson about what Zanyah needs to know about her past, present, and future. The Messenger shares with the audience the complexities, sacredness, and love of what it means to take on the role of a Messenger within a community.
Over the course of Cheyenne’s Residency, they will work with a musical director to develop the musical score of the play, with mid-Residency work-in-progress readings, and a culminating multi-experienced listening session of the musical score on Noepe Land also known as Martha's Vineyard.
Victoria Awkward
Originally from Massachusetts, Victoria L. Awkward (she/her/hers), trained at Impulse Dance Center by LuAnn Pagella and worked with Boston-based artists such as Karen Krolak. Her project “In the Space Between” (ITSB) follows a soloist as they inspire their community to delve into an infinite space between their reality and their wildest dreams. This infinite reality provides opportunity for freedom-seeking, exploration, and embodiment. ITSB showcases a dynamic fabric set by architectural firm, NADAAA, extravagant handmade costumes by Mitzi Eppley and our costume team, light design by Elmer Martinez, original music by Aaron Brown, and performance by VLA DANCE. ITSB originally premiered as a short work at Boston Center for the Arts and The Dance Complex.
River Guidry
Informed by feminist notions of “A Love Ethic” by bell hooks and “Knowing Together” by Allison Weir, River Guidry (they/them/theirs) will work to introduce a thesis for a theater of union that emphasizes storytelling, deep listening, and understanding to build worlds of knowledge that bring people together. Their hopes are to contribute to life sustaining world-making projects with theater as the vehicle by exploring lineage, the self and lived experiences in storytelling. During their residency, they will interrogate the question “In what ways can our stories bring us together?” through the development and praxis of their thesis in community through playwriting and directing for True Colors Troupe.