David Cerda
David Cerda (born June 13, 1961, Hammond, Indiana) is an American performer and playwright based in Chicago, Illinois. 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 an infamous icon 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[1] which won the New York International Fringe Festival Best Ensemble Award and was the most attended show of the festival that year.[2][3]
David Cerda | |
|---|---|
 David Cerda 2019 by Rick Aguilar Studios | |
| Born | June 13, 1961 |
| Occupation | Playwright |
Cerda’s theatre group has also raised 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.[4]
Selected works
Hell in a Handbag has produced over 70 original plays, of which Cerda has written several.[5]
- The Drag Seed, a parody The Bad Seed[6][7][8]
- Snowgirls: The Musical, a parody of Showgirls[9][10]
- POSEIDON! An Upside Down Musical (2002, 2009),[11][4] an unauthorized musical parody of the film The Poseidon Adventure[12][13][14][15]
- The Golden Girls: The Lost Episodes (since 2017), a spoof on the Golden Girls[16]
- Rudolph, the Red-Hosed Reindeer, a parody of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer[17]
- How ‘What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?’ Happened, a parody of What Ever Happened to Baby Jane
- The Birds[4]
- Christmas Dearest[4]
- Caged Dames[4]
Awards
- 2003 - New York International Fringe Festival Excellence Award for Ensemble Performance[2][3]
- 2016 - Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame[4]
References
- "Hell in a Handbag Productions: Poseidon". Retrieved 2007-02-10.
- "Poseidon! An Upside Down Musical Wins FringeNYC Award". GoPride Chicago (ChicagoPride.com). Retrieved 2023-10-17.
- Douglas, Colin (2019-03-24). "It Ain't Over Until the Fat Lady Swims | Chicago Theatre Review". Retrieved 2023-10-17.
- "DAVID CERDA – Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame". Retrieved 2023-10-17.
- "David Cerda: Pioneer of Camp Theater Hell In a Handbag Productions in Chicago". AMBER LIVE | The Drag Queen Comedy Talk Show. Retrieved 2023-10-17.
- Helbig, Jack (2019-07-17). "There's nothing bad about The Drag Seed". Chicago Reader. Retrieved 2023-10-17.
- Velasquez, Diana (2021-11-05). "'The Drag Seed' brings satire, killer drag queens to the stage". The Pitt News. Retrieved 2023-10-17.
- "The Drag Seed | Theater in New York". Time Out New York. 2022-03-08. Retrieved 2023-10-17.
- "Hell in a Handbag casts world premiere of 'Snowgirls — the Musical'". Chicago Tribune. 2018-10-04. Retrieved 2023-10-17.
- Douglas, Colin (2018-12-08). "Reindeer Games and Jazz Hands | Chicago Theatre Review". Retrieved 2023-10-17.
- Cerda, David (2019-03-19). "Upside Down with David Cerda. An "Inside" look at POSEIDON!". PerformInk. Retrieved 2023-10-17.
- Forbes, Harry (2019-11-04). "Poseidon! An Upsidedown Musical". Backstage. Retrieved 2023-10-16.
- "Chicago - Poseidon! An Upside-Down Musical - 1/2/03". www.talkinbroadway.com. Retrieved 2023-10-17.
- Morgan, Scott C. (2009-07-01). "THEATER REVIEW Poseidon! - Windy City Times News". Windy City Times. Retrieved 2023-10-17.
- Reid, Kerry (2019-03-29). "Poseidon! is still shipshape". Chicago Reader. Retrieved 2023-10-17.
- Rabinowitz, Chloe (2022-10-27). "THE GOLDEN GIRLS: THE LOST EPISODES, THE OBLIGATORY HOLIDAY SPECIAL to be Presented by Hell in a Handbag". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2023-10-17.
- "Rudolph the Red-Hosed Reindeer Returns". Best Gay Chicago. 2014-11-10. Retrieved 2023-10-17.