ABOUT the SHOW

AN INVITATION, A PROVOCATION, A CELEBRATION... IT'S TIME CHICAGO HAD A QUEEN

Meet America’s first drag queen presidential candidate—Ms. Joan Jett Blakk—as she announces her bid to run for President of the United States. It’s Chicago, 1992, and with the AIDS crisis at its height, Joan and the newly formed Queer Nation Chicago have an urgent agenda. Joan sets off on an exhilarating and dangerous journey to drag queer politics out of the closet and into a future where ALL are visible and ALL have a place at the table. Inspired—but not bound by true events, MS. BLAKK FOR PRESIDENT takes us into the heart and mind of one of Chicago’s most singular and radical citizens. Infused with music and hilarity, MS. BLAKK is part campaign rally, part nightclub performance, part confessional—and all party!

Come early, grab a drink and enjoy the festive Upstairs Theatre lobby curated by the cast of MS. BLAKK FOR PRESIDENT. Lobby opens one hour prior to showtime; pre-show fun starts 30 minutes prior. Due to the nature of the performance, there is no late seating.

FROM TINA LANDAU, CO-WRITER AND CREATOR

“I didn’t want to start the piece at all until I had contacted Terence (Joan Jett Blakk) and had his blessing and support. We connected, and he told me his story, in his words, over hours and hours, and that formed the basis for our starting the work. It’s a Chicago story, it’s a true story, it’s an untold story. It’s a queer story. It’s a political story. As someone who was alive at the height of the AIDS epidemic, I wanted to do this piece both to honor Terence and the “army of lovers” at ACT UP and QUEER NATION, as well as in memory of dear friends lost at the time. It’s for them.”