a&e features
Gay soldiers languish, tell stories in new play ‘Blue Camp’
Mid-‘60s-set tale mines untold queer disservice of yesteryear
‘Blue Camp’
Through Nov. 24
Rainbow Theatre Project
St. Augustine’s Episcopal Church
555 Water St., S.W.
(Across from Arena Stage)
$20-35
rainbowtheatreproject.org
A lot happened in 1964. The Beatles spearheaded the British invasion, and a Motown crossover group called the Supremes topped the charts. On screen, Disney’s “Mary Poppins” charmed audiences, and Elizabeth Taylor married Richard Burton for the first time. But beyond all the pop culture and tabloid froth, there was much more: The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was signed into law, prohibiting discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin; and in Southeast Asia, the Gulf of Tonkin incident prompted the United States to engage more directly in the divisive Vietnam War.
The Rainbow Theatre Project, a local company committed to presenting plays and musicals that reflect the experiences, interests and history of LGBT people, is opening its season with “Blue Camp,” a story about gay soldiers that takes place in 1964 at the beginning of the Vietnam War, and in keeping with the company’s mission, it gives an intriguing glimpse into queer history.
Set at a U.S. Army base where both gay soldiers and law-breaking soldiers are being held in adjoining barracks while they await dishonorable discharges, “Blue Camp” compellingly shares the soldiers’ personal stories. It also boasts a drag performance and baseball game.
Not surprisingly, tensions rise as the disparate groups nervously anticipate their fates. But similar to many buildups to battle, the threat of oncoming war creates the need for increased military personnel and the reclamation of many otherwise undesirable soldiers back into service.
Out director Christopher Janson, who first received the script from co-playwrights Tim Caggiano and Jack Calvin Hanna about two years ago, has helmed the new work through early readings, a staged reading at the Kennedy Center’s Page-to-Stage New Play Festival in late summer and now Rainbow Theatre Project’s full production at St. Augustine’s Episcopal Church on the Waterfront near Arena Stage.
“This story hasn’t really been told,” Janson says. “The gay rights movement didn’t start with Stonewall. There were queer soldiers in Vietnam who were drafted to fight and the government knew they were queer but didn’t care. And later when they didn’t need them, they took away their benefits knowing who they were from the start. It’s an important piece of queer history that’s often been overlooked.”
Over time, “Blue Camp’s” out playwrights have changed the structure of the play and interjected the work with more racial tension. And while the play deals significantly with injustice, Janson adds, its writers employ a humorous tone, a sense of humor that’s often found among people who are marginalized. That includes both queer soldiers and the soldiers charged with crimes.
“In a broad sense, it’s about marginalized people and the way they’re treated by institutions of power. The play holds universal appeal,” he says.
“Blue Camp” was inspired by the real-life experiences of a gay solder who served in the early 1960s. A longtime writer, Caggiano had been kicking around the idea of a play based on this friend’s military stories. Initially he envisioned the show as a sort of comedy/cabaret/musical. But when Caggiano and Hanna joined forces, they reshaped the material into something entirely different, “a tragedy with comic overtones.” Rather than focusing on a historically military angle, the playwrights focused on telling the men’s stories. It was those difficult stories surrounding coming out, infused with relatable pathos and information, that they felt duty-bound to explore.
“There’s lots of interaction between the groups while waiting to be discharged — taunting, and all kinds of back and forth,” Hanna says. “And through the course of the play, they’re forced to work together. There’s a grudge match baseball game. All the characters — gay guys and criminals alike — are given a chance to tell their stories, what brought them to the place where they are.”
Caggiano adds, “Our culture takes people that are demonizes and dehumanized and has them do the heavy lifting for very little pay. People are serving with a sword of Damocles hanging over them, fearing that they’ll get kicked out an lose their benefits. For me, it’s about that.”
“Blue Camp” features a diverse, 10-person cast — large for any play by today’s standards.
Non-binary actor Moses Bossenbroek says, “What’s most interesting about my character Billy Wheeler is that he is openly queer from the beginning. In the second scene he’s being interrogated and he just sits there and says you know that I’m queer. I’ve never told you anything otherwise. Nothing has changed.”
Billy is based on Perry Watkins, an African-American gay man who was one of the first servicemembers to successfully challenge the ban against gays in the United States military. Watkins was also a decorated soldier and drag artist who performed as “Simone” in military shows at clubs across Europe.
Bossenbroek, 20, who’s majoring in musical theater at Howard University, admires Billy’s courage, noting that to be yourself at a time when very few people are likely to admit to being anything other than heterosexual takes a lot of strength.
The actor also relates to Billy’s talents and survivor skills. Like Billy, they excelled at sports but also experienced struggle and survived.
“I was adopted by parents who were a different race and I had to learn how to navigate the mid-West and the people there,” Bossenbroek says. “I had to code switch often, and learn about being black as well as queer. Anytime I’m able to play a queer character, it’s awesome. It’s important to get those stories out. Also, Billy is so much fun. He’s such a character from his Southern twang (which the actor modeled on Blanche from TV’s “The Golden Girls”) to his sense of humor and the way he moves through life. Nothing is off topic. And I get to do some drag which I haven’t done for a while. I’ve been too busy with school.”
Rainbow Theatre Project’s artistic director H. Lee Gable liked “Blue Camp” from the start.
“It gets a lot of laughs but the serious stuff has real impact too; it’s told in a dramatic and funny way,” he says. “Also, it’s a subject I’m attracted to. I was in the military before don’t ask don’t tell, a time when you were asked point blank if you’d ever engaged in homosexual experience or are you a homosexual. It’s very wearying and you had to lie.”
Gable endured three grueling gay witch hunts in the Air Force before he engaged a lawyer and agreed to a general discharge with honor and left. Once in the civilian world, he noticed that a lot of people had a hard time reconciling his interest in theater with his military background, frequently discounting his military experience entirely. Fortunately, that’s changed over the years, he says.
“Blue Camp” is part of a season lineup that includes two world premieres and a musical. “Blue Camp” is the fall production and in February it’s composer/playwright Stephen Dolginoff’s musical “Thrill Me: The Leopold & Loeb Story” the off-Broadway hit about the notorious gay murderers (dramatized in the 1948 Hitchcock movie “Rope”) who tried and failed to commit the perfect crime.
In April, Gable will be co-directing “A Shonda” by Wendy Graf. The new play takes place in the South where two men — a married Hasidic Jew and a local barkeep — form an unlike love relationship at a barbecue joint off a highway outside of Memphis, Tenn. Like “Blue Camp,” says Gable, “A Shonda” tells an LGBT story that you’re not typically going to hear.
a&e features
Memorial for groundbreaking bisexual activist set for May 2
Loraine Hutchins remembered as a ‘force of nature’
The Montgomery County Pride Center will host a celebration honoring the life and legacy of Loraine Hutchins, Ph.D., on May 2. People are invited to attend the onsite memorial or a livestream event. The on-site event will begin at 10 a.m. with a meet-and-greet mixer before moving into a memorial service around the theme “Loraine a Force of Nature!” at 11 a.m., a panel talk at 12 p.m., break out sessions for artists, academics, and activists to build on her legacy at 1 p.m. and a closing reception at 2 p.m.
Attendees are encouraged to register for the on-site memorial gathering or the livestreamed memorial. The goal of this event is also to collect stories and memories of Loraine. Attendees and others can share their stories at padlet.com.
An obituary for Hutchins was published in the Bladelast Nov. 24, where people can learn more about her activism in the bisexual community. A private service for friends and family was held in December but this memorial service is open to all.
Alongside her groundbreaking work organizing for U.S. bisexual rights and liberation including co-editing “Bi Any Other Name: BIsexual People Speak Out” (1991), she also integrated faith into her sexual education and advocacy work. Her 2001 doctoral dissertation, “Erotic Rites: A Cultural Analysis of Contemporary U.S. Sacred Sexuality Traditions and Trends,” offered a pointed queer and feminist analysis to sex-neutral and sex-positive spiritual traditions in the United States. Her thesis was also groundbreaking in exploring the intersections between sex workers and those in caregiving professionals, including spiritual ones.
In an oral history interview conducted by Michelle Mueller back in August 2023, Hutchins described herself as a “priestess without a congregation.” While she has occasionally had a sense of community and feels part of a group of loving people, she admitted that “I don’t feel like we have the shape or the purpose that we need.”
“I’ve often experienced being the Cassandra in the room, the Cassandra in the community. Somebody who’s kind of way out there ahead, thinking through the strategic action points that my community hasn’t gotten to yet, and getting a lot of resistance and hostile responses from people who are frightened by dissent and conflict and not ready for the changes we have to make to survive,” she said.
“For somebody who’s bisexual in an out political way and who’s been a spokesperson for the polyamory movement in an out political way, it’s very exposing. And it’s very important to me to be able to try to explain and help other people understand the connection between spirituality and sexuality,” she explained citing how even as a graduate student she was “exploring how to feel erotic and spiritual, and not feel them in conflict with each other in my own spiritual contemplative life and my own sensual body awareness of being alive in the world.”
“Every religion has a sense of sacred sexuality. It’s just they put a lot of boundaries and regulations on it, and if we have a spiritual practice that is totally affirming of women’s priesthood and of gay people, queer people’s ability to minister to everyone and to be ministered to be everyone, what does that do to the gender of God, or our understanding of how we practice our spirituality and our sexuality in community and privately?”
“There’s no easy answer,” she concludes, and she continued to grapple with these questions throughout her life, co-editing another seminal text, “Sexuality, Religion and the Sacred: Bisexual, Pansexual, and Polysexual Perspectives,” published in 2012. Her work blending spiritual and queer liberation remains groundbreaking to this day.
Rev. Eric Eldritch, a local community organizer and ordained Pagan minister with Circle Sanctuary who has worked for decades with the DC Center’s Center Faith to organize the Pride Interfaith Service, is eager to highlight this element of her legacy at the memorial service next month.
a&e features
Queery: Meet artist, performer John Levengood
Modern creative talks nightlife, coming out, and his personal queer heroes
John Levengood (he/him) describes himself as a modern creative with a wide‑ranging toolkit. He blends music, technology, civic duty, and a sharp sense of wit into a cohesive artistic identity. Known primarily as a recording artist and performer, he’s also a self‑taught music producer and software engineer who embodies a generation of creators who build their own lanes rather than wait for one to appear.
Levengood, 32, who is single and identifies as gay and queer, is best known as a recording artist who has performed at Pride festivals across the country, including the main stages of World Pride DC, Central Arkansas Pride, and Charlotte Pride.
“Locally in the DMV, I’m known for turning heads at nightlife venues with my eye-catching sense of style. When I go out, I don’t try to blend in. I hope I inspire people to be themselves and have the courage to stand out,” he says.
He’s also known for hosting karaoke at Freddie’s Beach Bar in Arlington, Va., on Thursday nights. “I like to create a space where people feel comfortable expressing themselves, building community, and showcasing their talents.”
He also creates social media content from my performances and do interviews at LGBTQ+ bars and theatres in the DMV. Follow the Arlington resident @johnlevengood.
How long have you been out and who was the hardest person to tell?
I have been fully out of the closet since 2019. My parents were the hardest people to tell because my family has always been my rock and at the time I couldn’t imagine a world without them. Their reactions were extremely positive and supportive so I had nothing to fear all along.
I remember sitting on the couch with my mom, dad, and sister in our hotel room in New Orleans during our winter vacation and being so nervous to tell them. After I finally mustered up the nerve and made the proclamation, I realized my dad had already fallen asleep on the couch. My mom promised to tell him when he woke up.
Who’s your LGBTQ hero?
My LGBTQ heroes are Harvey Milk for paving the way for gays in politics and Elton John for being a pioneer for the fabulous and authentic. My local heroes in the DMV are Howard Hicks, manager of Green Lantern, and Tony Rivenbark, manager of Freddie’s Beach Bar. Both of them are essential to creating spaces where I’ve felt welcome and safe since moving to the DMV.
What’s Washington’s best nightspot, past or present?
Trade tops the list for me because of the dance floor and outdoor space. It’s so nice to get a break from the music every once and a while to be able to have a conversation.
We live in challenging times. How do you cope?
I’m still figuring this out. What is working right now is writing music and spending time with family and friends. I’ve also been spending less time on social media going to the gym at least three times a week.
What streaming show are you binging?
After “Traitors” Season 4 ended, I was in a bit of a show hole, but “Stumble” has me in a laughing loop right now. The writing is so witty.
What do you wish you’d known at 18?
At 18, I wish I would have known how liberating it is to come out of the closet. It would have been nice to know some winning lottery numbers as well.
What are your friends messaging about in your most recent group chat?
We are planning our next trip to New York City. If you can believe it, I visited NYC for the first time in 2025 for Pride and I’ve been back every quarter since. Growing up in the country, I was subconsciously primed to be scared of the city. But my mind has been blown. I can’t wait to go back.
Why Washington?
It’s the closest metropolitan area to my family, but not too close. I love the museums, the diversity, the history, and the proximity to the beach and mountains. It’s also nice to live in a city with public transportation.
Aging RFK Stadium has come down, but the RFK grounds are still getting lit up. Welcome back to the stage Project GLOW, D.C.’s homegrown electronic festival, on May 30-31. Back for its fifth year on these musically inclined acres, Project GLOW returns with an even more diverse lineup, and one that continues to celebrate LGBTQ antecedents, attendees, and acts.
Project GLOW 2026 headliners include house and techno star Mau P, progressive house legend Eric Prydz, hard-techno favorite Sara Landry, and bass acts Excision b2b Sullivan King, among the lineup of trance, bass, house, techno, dubstep, and others for the fifth anniversary year.
President & CEO Pete Kalamoutsos — born and raised in D.C. — founded Club GLOW in 1999. In 2020, GLOW entered into a partnership with global entertainment company Insomniac Events to produce live events like Project GLOW, which kicked off in 2022.
As in past years, Project GLOW not only makes space, but is intentionally inclusive of the LGBTQ community, one of its most dedicated fan bases. The festival’s LGBTQ-focused Secret Garden stage blooms again — a more intimate dance area that stands on the strength of DJs and musicians who draw from the LGBTQ community. D.C.’s LGBTQ nightlife mastermind Ed Bailey is the creative mind behind Secret Garden again. He joined Project GLOW in 2023.
“Kalamoustos says that “he’s proud of his partnership with Ed Bailey, along with Capital Pride and [nightlife producer] Jake Resnikow. It’s amazing to collaborate with Bailey at the Secret Garden stage, especially after the curated lineup we worked on at Pride last year.”
The Secret Garden will be a bit different from other stages: Eternal (“At the Eternal stage, time stands still. Lose yourself in the dance of past, present, and future, surrendering to the eternal rhythm of the universe”) and Pulse (“Feel the rhythm of the beat pulse through your veins as the heartbeat of the crowd synchronizes into one. Here, every moment vibrates with life as it guides you through a new dimension of euphoria”). The Secret Garden stage is in the round, surrounded by 16 shipping containers. The containers play canvas to muralists from around the world, who are coming in to paint them in a vibrant garden-style vibe. “We gave this stage some extra love with this layout,” K says, “ we finally cracked the code.”
K says that this will be the biggest lineup yet for the Secret Garden, featuring Nicole Moudaber b2b Chasewest, Riordan b2b Bullet Tooth, Ranger Trucco, Cassian, Eli & Fur, Cosmic Gate and Hayla. The stage is also the largest yet, featuring an expanded dance floor and 360-degree viewing.
Across all stages, K says that his goal for the fifth anniversary is “More art and fan interactive experience, more like a festival, strive to be like a Tomorrowland, as budget grows to add more experience.” Last year’s Project GLOW alone drew 40,000 attendees over two days.
K, however, was not satisfied with one festival this spring. GLOW recently announced a “pop-up” one-day event. Teaming up with Black Book Records, GLOW is set to throw a first-of-its-kind dance-music takeover of Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., headlined by electronic music star Chris Lake. Set for April 18, this euphoric block party will feature bass and vibes blocks from the White House. Organizers expect as many as 10,000 fans to attend. Beyond music, there will be food, activations, and plenty of other activities taking place around 6th St and Pennsylvania Ave NW – a location familiar to many in the LGBTQ community, as this sits squarely inside the blocks of the Capital Pride party that takes place in DC every June.
Over the past two decades, Club GLOW has produced thousands of events, from club nights to large-scale festivals including Project GLOW, Moonrise Festival, and more. Club GLOW also operates Echostage.
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