Out of the Loop Festival to feature several gay-themed plays

by Arnold Wayne Jones of Dallas Voice

If you were being catty (and politically incorrect), you might call this year’s Out of the Loop Festival the Fruit Loop based on all the gay content. WaterTower Theatre’s 8th annual 11-day repertory of plays, music and dance has mucho queer content — and some that promises to be just out-and-out fun. Here are some highlights:

Under a Montana Moon - Gay mime Bill Bowers returns to the festival after his hit one-man show last year with this new “collection of silent stories” about life in the American West, from cowboys on the prairie to the martyrdom of Matthew Shepard. March 6, 7.

I Google Myself - Out Dallas actors Kevin Moore and Chad Peterson team up for the gazillionth time in this comedy about three men united by their same name and the Internet search engine. Written by “Trick” scenarist Jason Schafer, it’s directed by Bruce Coleman. March 8, 12, 13.

Straight - El Paso-born writer-perfor-mer David Schmader (pictured below) returns to his native state for the first time in his one-man show about “ex-gay” reparative therapy. (Schmader will also do two late-night performances of his paean to camp filmmaking with his solo piece Showgirls on Friday and Saturday.) March 7, 8, 10.

Hopelessly Puccini - Dallas playwright Steve Lovet penned what he calls “a gay date movie onstage” with this queer romantic comedy (Lovett’s third) about four friends snowbound together in a cabin one weekend. March 8, 10, 14.

Shows rotate performances on weekends at 2, 5 and 8 p.m. and weekdays at 7:30 p.m. Individual shows are $10; an all-festival pass is $60. 972-450-6232.

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