WALKING TOUR
NOVEMBER 22 | 10:00AM & 11:00AM | ROOSEVELT ISLAND
Discover a forgotten chapter of LGBTQ+ history at the site of the former Men’s Penitentiary on Welfare Island (now Roosevelt Island). Although the prison has long since been demolished, participants will walk its former footprint and discover the lives of inmates in the notorious “Fag Ward,” who labored in the prison laundry by day and rehearsed by night for the annual Christmas pageant known as the “Fag Follies.” An inside look at the research behind the new musical, The Gorgeous Nothings. Length: 50 minutes.
PANEL DISCUSSION
NOVEMBER 22 | 2:00PM | ROOSEVELT ISLAND - CORNELL TECH
Hosted by Mo Rocca (CBS News Sunday Morning), this panel offers an inside look at the creation of The Gorgeous Nothings, a new musical inspired by the true story of the “Fag Follies”—a Christmas pageant performed in the 1930s by inmates of the “Fag Ward” at New York City’s Men’s Penitentiary on Welfare Island (now Roosevelt Island). The event takes place at Cornell Tech, whose campus sits on the former site of the penitentiary. Panelists: Travis Lee Russ (Creator/Writer), Danny Mefford (Director/Choreographer), Arnie Burton (Actor), Allan K. Washington (Actor), Eric Marcus (Host, Making Gay History). Length: 60 minutes.
GAY SING-A-LONG
NOVEMBER 22 | 3:30PM | ROOSEVELT ISLAND - CORNELL TECH
We’re bringing together 100+ Queer singers to learn and perform a few Great American Songbook classics originally sung by inmates of the “Fag Ward” at the former Men’s Penitentiary on Welfare Island (now Roosevelt Island). These songs were part of the inmates’ annual Christmas pageant, “The Fag Follies,” in the 1920s-30s and featured in the new musical, The Gorgeous Nothings. These pop-up performances will be recorded for inclusion in future episodes of Making Gay History’s new podcast series — The Queens of Welfare Island. The event takes place at Cornell Tech, whose campus occupies the former site of the penitentiary. All are welcome! Length: 2 hours.