Abraham Lincoln’s Big, Gay Dance Party

Theater

Preview of the former-FringeNYC play and other depictions of Lincoln throughout history

by Josh Kurp | Aug 3, 2010

Photo: Zabrina Tipton

In Encore‘s August issue, Andrew Hall previews this year’s New York International Fringe Festival, where no play is too ridiculous or insane. One of the big hits from last year’s festival is the epitome of everything right about FringeNYC, a modern-day success story about a person who’s been dead for 145 years: Abraham Lincoln’s Big, Gay Dance Party.

Written by Aaron Loeb and directed by Chris Smith, Dance Party is about a fourth-grade Christmas pageant in Lincoln’s hometown that questions the president’s sexuality. Each of the play’s three acts are from a different point-of-view, and audiences select nightly in which order they’d like to see them, leading to an interactive performance. No matter which one’s done first, though, the result is the same: a hilarious play that more than lives up to its, um, flamboyantly over-the-top name.

Abraham Lincoln’s Big, Gay Dance Party is currently in previews and will officially open on August 11 at the Acorn Theatre (410 W. 42nd St.). Tickets cost $50/$65 premium seats/$20 student rush. Hopefully this will go better than the last time Lincoln’s name was associated with the theater…

Here are some other depictions of Lincoln throughout history (sadly, I couldn’t find a good photo of Evil Lincoln):