“Étoile” star Gideon Glick and producer-director James Will McBride are launching the Blue Roses Project, a not-for-profit theater initiative featuring Tony award-winning Jonathan Groff (“Merrily We Roll Along”) on the board of directors, Variety can exclusively reveal.
The Blue Roses Project aims to connect local New Orleans artists with theater professionals across the U.S., providing a rare opportunity for queer playwrights to create authentic, contemporary plays.
“Blue Roses Project is vital because it provides a safe, affirming space for LGBTQ+ voices to create, explore, and share stories at a time when queer narratives are increasingly under threat,” Blue Roses Project founder Glick said in a statement. “By uplifting underrepresented voices, Blue Roses Project fosters empathy, builds community, and ensures that queer stories remain visible and celebrated.”
In addition to Groff’s involvement, the board of directors includes Tony award-winning actress Celia Keenan-Bolger, “Dear White People” co-showrunner and writer Jaclyn Moore, “A Strange Loop” producer Dale A. Mott, Apollo Theater director Kelley Nicole Girod, Broadway publicist Shane Marshall Brown and Not-For-Profit CEO and consultant David Emond.
In a statement, Groff said: “I’m honored to be a part of a project so dedicated to fulfilling a crucial need in our theatre community. Blue Roses Project provides resources so playwrights’ imaginations can flourish in a place with a rich cultural legacy.”
The initiative comes at a time of critical need with post-COVID budget crises and hundreds of anti-LGBTQ+ bills being introduced across the country. Over the next year, the Blue Roses Project aims to host a 29-hour workshop, create relationships with local and nationally-renowned actors and collaborate with LGBTQ+ organizations in New Orleans.
