Before Stonewall. Before RuPaul. Before the word “drag” entered the mainstream, there was William Dorsey Swann—a formerly enslaved man who, in the 1880s, crowned himself “The Queen of Drag” and hosted underground balls in Washington, D.C. THE REAL BLACK SWANN: CONFESSIONS OF AMERICA’S FIRST BLACK DRAG QUEEN, will be presented at Open Space Arts in association with Adam Weinstock Productions from July 18 – 27. This solo performance brings Swann’s long-erased story to the stage with a bold mix of historical storytelling, theatrical flair, and raw personal confession. Creator and performer Les Kurkendaal-Barrett channels Swann’s spirit while reflecting on his own life as a Black, gay performer navigating love, visibility, and the winding road to adoption with his husband.
What begins as Les getting a text before he goes into surgery turns into a captivating journey across time. As Les learns more about Swann, who fought for queer freedom decades before Stonewall, he begins to see reflections of his own life and the power of reclaiming lost stories. The show confronts issues of race, queerness, legacy, and chosen family, blurring past and present, pain and celebration. It asks: Who gets remembered, and who gets erased? What does it mean to fight for your identity in a world that tries to silence it? (Pictured: Les Kurkendaal-Barrett as William Swann. Click on image to access high-res file.).
THE REAL BLACK SWANN was the winner of The International Audience Pick Colchester Fringe 2024, the Audience Pick of the Prague Fringe 2023, winner of The Fringe Encore producers pick Cincy Fringe 2022, and winner of The Doric Wilson Award at The Dublin International Gay Theatre Festival. Critics reviewing these performances said it was “Powerful, heartfelt, and completely engaging… Les Kurkendaal-Barrett is a master storyteller. (Hollywood Fringe Festival). “A fascinating and emotional tribute to an unsung hero of LGBTQ+ history. The audience was riveted.” Orlando Fringe Festival, “Kurkendaal-Barrett brings humor, depth, and sincerity to a story that needs to be told.” (Minnesota Fringe).
THE REAL BLACK SWANN will play for two weekends only, from Friday, July 18 to Sunday, July 27, at Open Space Arts, 1411 W. Wilson Ave., Chicago. Tickets for THE REAL BLACK SWANN are $30.00 general audiences and $25.00 for seniors and students and are on sale now at www.openspacearts.org.
LISTING INFORMATION
THE REAL BLACK SWANN: CONFESSIONS OF AMERICA’S FIRST BLACK DRAG QUEEN
Created and Performed by Les Kurkendaal-Barrett
Presented in association with Adam Weinstock Productions
July 18 – 27, 2025
Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm, Sundays at 6:00 pm
Open Space Arts
1411 W. Wilson Ave.,
Tickets $30.00 general, $25.00 seniors and students
Website: www.openspacearts.org
A fearless, funny, and deeply personal solo show that resurrects the lost legacy of William Dorsey Swann—the first known drag performer and queer activist in U.S. history, a formerly enslaved man who in the 1880s crowned himself “The Queen of Drag” and hosted underground balls in Washington, D.C. Creator and performer Les Kurkendaal-Barrett channels Swann’s spirit while reflecting on his own life as a Black, gay performer navigating love, visibility, and the winding road to adoption with his husband.
BIO
Les Kurkendaal-Barrett (Creator and Performer), a veteran of the Hollywood Fringe, Edinburgh Fringe, and other international stages, is an award-winning storyteller, actor, and filmmaker whose work lives at the intersection of identity, resilience, and radical joy. As a Black, gay artist, Les has spent decades mining personal experience and historical memory to create powerful solo performances and films that move, challenge, and entertain audiences around the world. He is best known for his one-man shows that blend humor with vulnerability and has a gift for transforming life’s complexities into moments of profound connection. His performances have been described as “raw, hilarious, and ultimately healing.”
Les is currently working on a deeply personal documentary that captures the making of THE REAL BLACK SWANN while documenting his real-life pursuit of fatherhood through adoption. This next chapter of his life—what he calls his “Golden Era”—is a reclamation of joy after a lifetime of struggle, and a bold statement that transformation is always possible. Based in Los Angeles, Les also drives Uber to supplement his income between acting jobs—a detail he shares with honesty and humor as part of his commitment to authenticity and transparency.
Whether onstage or onscreen, Les Kurkendaal-Barrett is a force of truth and storytelling magic, inviting audiences to laugh, reflect, and feel seen.
OPEN SPACE ARTS, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, is dedicated to combating homophobia and transphobia through the transformative power of creativity and cultural expression. Our mission is to foster inclusivity, promote understanding, and empower marginalized communities by utilizing various artistic mediums to challenge discriminatory beliefs and attitudes. OSA won some of the top honors in the Joseph Jefferson Awards for work produced in 2024, including Production of a Play – Short Run (COCK), Direction of a Play – Short Run (Michael D. Graham - LIGHT SWITCH), Performer in a Principal Role – Short Run (Philip Andrew Monnett – LIGHT SWITCH), and Performer in a Supporting Role – Short Run (Sonya Robinson – COCK) . Additionally, Open Space Arts has produced SUNSETS: TWO ACTS ON A BEACH, ROSENBERG, MASSAGE THERAPY, MERCY KILLING, MR. PARKER, “it’s been ten years since everyone died. a play about final girls,” SCANDALOUS BOY and THE KRAMER PROJECT, in live performances. OSA also produces the Queer Expressions Film Fest, a hybrid fest of streaming and in-person events. Open Space Arts is led by David Zak.