Patrick's Cabaret

Watch "A Celebration of Patrick's Cabaret," the video our resident Documentarian made pulling together some favorite moments from our Sunset Season, FUNeral, and more.

Thanks for everything, Cabaret family, we couldn't have done it without you.

A Celebration of Patrick's Cabaret Documentarian Ari Newman creates a final video celebrating Patrick's Cabaret, especially our 2018 Sunset Season.

NOW THAT'S A SUNSET! - Our last public message

NOW THAT'S A SUNSET! - Our last public message

"The Tipping Point reminded me of how energy created cannot be destroyed. While we face the closing of Patrick's Cabaret, along with many physical spaces we have once called home, we [q***r & trans BIPOC artists] will still be here doing our thing and doing it well." – Julia Gay

Gratitude for all who joined us for The Tipping Point on Monday! The conversation was thick, complex and absolutely necessary

What a powerful lineup! Get ready to dig deep this evening as we dive into the questions:

- What are q***r & trans BIPOC artists in our communities bringing to the arts?
- How are q***r & trans BIPOC artists transforming our collective movement towards equity and justice?
- What does/can the future look like for q***r & trans BIPOC artists?

See you TONIGHT 7-9pm at Public Functionary

Now that’s a powerful lineup!

TONIGHT let’s celebrate the work, organizing and wisdom of q***r & trans BIPOC artists! Join us for our final event The Tipping Point 7-9pm this evening at !

HAPPY PRIDE! Comment below and share what you'll be doing to celebrate!

Some familiar conversations happening at the place our Executive Artistic Director calls "the Patrick's Cabaret of Chicago." Be sure to check out Links Hall next time you're in the Windy City.

Sustaining Chicago’s Arts Eco-System: A Conversation with Anna Trier from Links Hall Photo: Kaitlin Webster, September CoMISSIOn WIP Showing Links Hall recommends all art performed in its space do one thing: take risks. For nearly 40 years the studio space has continued the legacy …

Q***r & Trans BIPOC artists to the front!

Q***r & Trans BIPOC artists to the front!

We are excited to feature our incredible intern Mike Curran (he/him) this week! Mike is a recent graduate of Macalester College, holding a B.A. in Geography and Urban Studies. After moving from Portland, ME, to the Twin Cities, Mike began at the Cabaret in 2015, and has worked in various capacities with the organization, from house managing to coordinating Artist Education workshop programming.

In addition to his position at the Cabaret, Mike is an emerging visual and performance artist and curator, whose current project involves organizing informal house shows throughout St. Paul, providing space for emerging artists to present works-in-progress (an intention inspired by his work at the Cabaret). Artistically and personally, he's interested in nurturing third places for community to collectively challenge, imagine, and support one another. He also likes hosting dinner parties and spending quiet time along the Mississippi River.

We know closure can be challenging, so don't miss this opportunity to learn from those who know it best.

TOMORROW from 11:00 am - 12:15 pm! Executive Artistic Director Scott Artley will be presenting a session entitled "The Final Act: Sunsetting Nonprofit Organizations" at the Nonprofit Leadership Conference this June.

The session will feature a panel of nonprofit leaders who have brought organizations through the final stage in the nonprofit lifecycle – permanent closure.

Learn more at http://www.minnesotanonprofits.org/events-training/leadership-conference/sessions-by-time

On June 3rd, 2018, Patrick’s Cabaret invited supporters, artists, and members of the community to celebrate at the sunset of the organization with a “FUNeral” (like a funeral, but FUNNER!). The special event included eulogistic performances by artists spanning Patrick’s Cabaret’s history, FUN interpretations of traditional funeral rituals, and a dance party. Attendees were invited to wear their “funeral finest” for an evening of reflection, love, and celebration, while coming together to enjoy the sunset. A ticketed performance ran from 7:30-9:00pm, followed by a dance party 9:00pm-12:00am that was free and open to the public.

Emceed by...

Paul Canada Nemeth
Harry Waters Jr.

Featuring performances by...

Danielle Daniel
Howard Lieberman
Amy Salloway
Iris Oconnel
House of Larva
Gabriela Santiago
Kat Purcell

And dance party DJs…

DJ Lisa Lisa Simpson
DJ Plunging Necklines

Storytellers Danielle Daniel, Howard Lieberman, and Amy Salloway, all longtime participants with Patrick’s Cabaret, reflected on their time with the organization and the process of saying goodbye in their signature styles. Drag artist Iris Oconnel and drag co-operative House of Larva both channelled their alter egos into songs that bid farewell — Iris with a sweet and sincere nod to Judy Garland, and House of Larva with their bombastic embrace of camp. Speculative fiction writer Gabriela Santiago presented "Who Killed Patrick's Cabaret?," an absurdist, audience-participatory murder mystery dinner theater performance, and Kat Purcell united a community of collaborators to stage a piece using umbrellas to suggest a transformation of grief to acceptance. The night capped with a dance party featuring underground q***r dance party veterans DJ Lisa Lisa Simpson (Jared Maire) and DJ Plunging Necklines (Bethany Hart).

****Photos by Ari Newman, please credit when sharing.****