HISTORY
2023 Marks 34 years of TTO!
1989
The Theater Offensive’s OUT in Your Neighborhood strategy builds on 30 years of our organization’s rich history. In 1989, Abe Rybeck and a group of artist-activists formed The Theater Offensive (TTO) to expand on the success of the gay men’s guerrilla theater troupe: United Fruit Company.
From 1989 through 2009, they created edgy art and theater festivals, bringing well-known Queer theater artists to Boston, and showcased vibrant queer theater artists and troupes from New England. The Theater Offensive was also one of the leading theaters to celebrate bold and vibrant Queer theater nationally.
1992
TTO held its first Out on the Edge Festival of Queer Theater in 1992. Out on the Edge was among the world’s premier queer theater series and was held in the fall each year. The festival was created to celebrate the work of queer artists who show the realities of the LGBT community. Many amazing, nationally-renowned theater artists were featured in the festivals, including:
Quentin Crisp
Tim Miller
Lisa Kron & The Five Lesbian Brothers
Luis Alfaro
Holly Hughes
Pomo Afro Homos
Alec Mapa
Split Britches
Jackie Hoffman
BLOOLIPS
Varla Jean Merman
Katya
Daniel Alexander Jones
Marga Gomez
David Parker and The Bang Group
Joey Arias
Billy Porter
1994
In 1994, True Colors: Out Youth Theater was founded, to provide year-round programs in playwriting, production, and performance for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning youth and their straight allies, ages 14 to 22.
True Colors, is the longest running Queer youth theater troupe in the country, and is also among the largest. The program model has been used by other theaters across the country to help support LGBTQ youth in creating art based on their personal stories of LGBT youth. True Colors was also a founding group of the Pride Youth Theater Alliance, a network of queer youth theater programs that was founded in 2012.
2010
In 2010, TTO and community members worked together to create a new approach to their work. The OUT in Your Neighborhood (OUT'hood) approach was born when a member of true Colors Troupe, Ashley, said “I should not have to take two busses and a train to be myself, I just want to be out in my own neighborhood.”
Through OUT’Hood, TTO brought its work deeper into the community, bringing shows, events, and gatherings to local organizations, events, schools, and the streets.
2017
In 2017, TTO created the OUT'hood Residency Program, a residency program designed to support the creation of artwork by, for and/or about LGBTQ people with intersecting identities, particularly from Boston. This resulted in the first-ever OUT'hood FEST at Roxbury's Hibernian Hall, where 5 brand new works were premiered by resident artists to over 400 audience members. In addition to financial support, the residency provides artists with rehearsal space, and logistic, marketing, and technical support as well as mentorship on community based practices.