Post-Q is a performance series exploring collaborative multidisciplinary works of 10 artists discussing the politics of a post-queer world.
Featuring: ESTER ALEGRIA, ANNA HOLMQUIST, LUCAS BAISCH, DARLING SHEAR, BEA SULLIVAN-KNOFF,
CRUEL VALENTINE
Poonie's Cabaret
Poonie's is named for Poonie Dodson, a much-loved Chicago dancer/choreographer who died of AIDS in the early 90's. Originally inspired by Patrick's Cabaret in Minneapolis, Poonie's Cabaret welcomes all forms of expression and anything which cannot be defined but can be thoroughly enjoyed. It features works in progress from artists working in many different creative realms - dance, music, contact improvisation, puppetry, performance art, theatre, voguing, freestyle rapping, drag, burlesque, cheerleading, stand-up comedy, etc.
Curators chosen by Links Hall select the works shown from among local Chicago artists. Performers and audience members are asked for a $5/$10 donation. Proceeds from the cabaret go to the Links Hall Duncan Erley Coming Out of the Closet Fund.
Joseph R. Varisco is an HIV+ queer historian, multimedia producer, curator and
documentarian with an educational background informed by social justice frameworks
and public policy via the Broadway Youth Center and Night Ministry in conjunction with
the Jane Addams School for Social Work. The work produced by Varisco is focused on
the LGBTQIA & Gender Non-Conforming communities of Chicago through a variety of
mediums and projects such as literary collections (CHICAGO IRL - Creative Director),
video documentation, audio interviews (QUEER LEXICON - Creator), live performance
events (Salonathon: LEXICA - Curator), independent productions (QUEER, ILL, &
OKAY - Producer) and educational workshops (QUEER WERK - Curator).
He has curated, produced, and managed performance work for spaces such as the School of the Art Institute, Chicago Cultural Center's Community Cinema, About Face Youth Theatre, the National Peace Conference, Links Hall Theatre, and the Youth Empowerment Performance Project. His work has been performed nationally for Poonie's Cabaret, Dance Union, World AIDS Day Conference, and Salonathon, published with CHICAGO IRL, T/OUR Literary Journal, Thought Catalog, and 3rd Language, and exhibited with the nationally touring exhibit Strange Bedfellows and StoryCorps. He is the recipient of the Dancer's Fund via the AIDS Foundation of Chicago, Dramatists Guild Fund, and Pollination Project.
