_______________Playwright’s Note_________________ Covid Queertet is set during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. The evening takes an ominous turn when four actors begin to examine the artistic works, identities and legacies of Oscar Wilde, Willa Cather, José Sarria, and Kutztown, Pa. native, Keith Haring. During the Spring of 2020, I was awarded a sabbatical to write a new LGBTQ+ play. As the country’s lockdown began, my hopes of travel and study to historical archives was abruptly cut short. As a result, I returned to several artists I had encountered over the years. 1. I grew up in Nebraska and studied Willa Cather. 2. I portrayed Oscar Wilde in the play “Gross Indecency.” 3. I have been on the faculty of Kutztown University for 30 years and was drawn to this location because of the legacy of Keith Haring. 4. In 2003, I brought my dear friend José Sarria to campus for “An Evening with an Empress,” as part of Kutztown University’s Diversity Fest III. Through generous co-sponsorships, this evening’s performance is free to both our live audience and the streaming audiences throughout Pennsylvania, New York, and Nebraska. It is my hope to help people experience live theatre or live-streaming theatre. I hope the issues raised in tonight’s play and the lives of these important LGBTQ+ icons spark conversations and further study. Finally, I would like to mention the QR code on the back cover. There you will find a link to a short anonymous survey that will provide us feedback about your experience tonight. –Deryl Johnson, playwright
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