David Cerda
{{short description|American dramatist}}
{{notability|Biographies|date=January 2016}}
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| image = Cerdaheadshot2019.jpg
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| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1961|06|13}}
| birth_place = Hammond, Indiana
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| occupation = Playwright
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David Cerda (born June 13, 1961, Hammond, Indiana) is an American performer and playwright based in Chicago. He is currently the artistic director for Hell in a Handbag Productions, which he co-founded in 2002. His campy, highly theatrical plays have made him a notable presence within the Chicago theater scene. He has written and appeared in many of his works, including a transgressive adaptation of Rudolph, the Red-Hosed Reindeer, How ‘What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?’ Happened and POSEIDON! An Upside-Down Musical{{cite web |url=http://www.handbagproductions.org/history/poseidon/poseidon.shtml |accessdate=2007-02-10 |title=Hell in a Handbag Productions: Poseidon |archive-date=2016-04-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160421062846/http://www.handbagproductions.org/history/poseidon/poseidon.shtml |url-status=dead }} which won the New York International Fringe Festival Best Ensemble Award and was the most attended show of the festival that year.{{Cite web |title=Poseidon! An Upside Down Musical Wins FringeNYC Award |url=https://chicago.gopride.com/news/article.cfm/articleid/817609 |access-date=2023-10-17 |website=GoPride Chicago (ChicagoPride.com) |language=EN}}{{Cite web |last=Douglas |first=Colin |date=2019-03-24 |title=It Ain’t Over Until the Fat Lady Swims {{!}} Chicago Theatre Review |url=https://www.chicagotheatrereview.com/2019/03/it-aint-over-until-the-fat-lady-swims/ |access-date=2023-10-17 |language=en-US}}
Cerda’s theatre group has araised money for Chicago LGBT non-profits such as Season of Concern, AIDS Legal Council, Howard Brown, the Legacy Project, Windy City Alliance for the Deaf, and Groceryland.{{Cite web |title=DAVID CERDA – Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame |url=https://chicagolgbthalloffame.org/cerda-david/ |access-date=2023-10-17 |language=en-US}}
Selected works
Hell in a Handbag has produced over 70 original plays, of which Cerda has written several.{{Cite web |title=David Cerda: Pioneer of Camp Theater Hell in a Handbag Productions in Chicago |url=https://www.amberlive.tv/lgbtq-arts-entertainment-fashion/david-cerda-pioneer-of-camp-theater-in-chicago |access-date=2023-10-17 |website=AMBER LIVE {{!}} The Drag Queen Comedy Talk Show |language=en-US}}
- The Drag Seed, a parody of The Bad Seed{{Cite web |last=Helbig |first=Jack |date=2019-07-17 |title=There’s nothing bad about The Drag Seed |url=http://chicagoreader.com/arts-culture/theres-nothing-bad-about-the-drag-seed/ |access-date=2023-10-17 |website=Chicago Reader |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Velasquez |first=Diana |date=2021-11-05 |title=‘The Drag Seed’ brings satire, killer drag queens to the stage |url=https://pittnews.com/article/168512/arts-and-entertainment/the-drag-seed-brings-satire-killer-drag-queens-to-the-stage/ |access-date=2023-10-17 |website=The Pitt News}}{{Cite web |date=2022-03-08 |title=The Drag Seed {{!}} Theater in New York |url=https://www.timeout.com/newyork/theater/the-drag-seed |access-date=2023-10-17 |website=Time Out New York |language=en-US}}
- Snowgirls: The Musical, a parody of Showgirls{{Cite web |date=2018-10-04 |title=Hell in a Handbag casts world premiere of 'Snowgirls — the Musical' |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/theater/ct-ent-snowgirls-musical-casting-announcement-20181004-story.html |access-date=2023-10-17 |website=Chicago Tribune}}{{Cite web |last=Douglas |first=Colin |date=2018-12-08 |title=Reindeer Games and Jazz Hands {{!}} Chicago Theatre Review |url=https://www.chicagotheatrereview.com/2018/12/reindeer-games-and-jazz-hands/ |access-date=2023-10-17 |language=en-US}}
- POSEIDON! An Upside Down Musical (2002, 2009),{{Cite web |last=Cerda |first=David |date=2019-03-19 |title=Upside Down with David Cerda. An "Inside" look at POSEIDON! |url=https://perform.ink/upside-down-with-david-cerda-an-inside-look-at-poseidon/ |access-date=2023-10-17 |website=PerformInk |language=en-US}} a musical parody of The Poseidon Adventure{{Cite web |last=Forbes |first=Harry |date=2019-11-04 |title=Poseidon! An Upsidedown Musical |url=https://www.backstage.com/magazine/article/poseidon-upsidedown-musical-26741/ |access-date=2023-10-16 |website=Backstage}}{{Cite web |title=Chicago - Poseidon! An Upside-Down Musical - 1/2/03 |url=https://www.talkinbroadway.com/page/regional/chicago/ch16.html |access-date=2023-10-17 |website=www.talkinbroadway.com}}{{Cite web |last=Morgan |first=Scott C. |date=2009-07-01 |title=THEATER REVIEW Poseidon! - Windy City Times News |url=https://www.windycitytimes.com/lgbt/THEATER-REVIEW-Poseidon/21710.html |access-date=2023-10-17 |website=Windy City Times}}{{Cite web |last=Reid |first=Kerry |date=2019-03-29 |title=Poseidon! is still shipshape |url=http://chicagoreader.com/arts-culture/poseidon-is-still-shipshape/ |access-date=2023-10-17 |website=Chicago Reader |language=en-US}}
- The Golden Girls: The Lost Episodes (since 2017), a spoof of The Golden Girls{{Cite web |last=Rabinowitz |first=Chloe |date=2022-10-27 |title=THE GOLDEN GIRLS: THE LOST EPISODES, THE OBLIGATORY HOLIDAY SPECIAL to be Presented by Hell in a Handbag |url=https://www.broadwayworld.com/chicago/article/THE-GOLDEN-GIRLS-THE-LOST-EPISODES-THE-OBLIGATORY-HOLIDAY-SPECIAL-to-be-Presented-by-Hell-in-a-Handbag-20221027 |access-date=2023-10-17 |website=BroadwayWorld.com |language=en}}
- Rudolph, the Red-Hosed Reindeer, a parody of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer{{Cite web |last= |date=2014-11-10 |title=Rudolph the Red-Hosed Reindeer Returns |url=https://bestgaychicago.com/2014/11/10/rudolph-red-hosed-reindeer-returns/ |access-date=2023-10-17 |website=Best Gay Chicago |language=en}}
- How ‘What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?’ Happened, a parody of What Ever Happened to Baby Jane
- The Birds
- Christmas Dearest
- Caged Dames
Awards
- 2003 - New York International Fringe Festival Excellence Award for Ensemble Performance
- 2016 - Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.handbagproductions.org/ Hell In A Handbag Productions]
{{Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Cerda, David}}
Category:20th-century American dramatists and playwrights
Category:American LGBTQ dramatists and playwrights
Category:American male dramatists and playwrights
Category:20th-century American male writers
Category:21st-century American LGBTQ people
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