Variety Show
The centerpiece event is our evening Daedalus Variety Show, an inventive parade of acts, ranging from the outrageous to the poignant, all created by the OSF company and local community artists. This family-friendly event will be held on Monday, August 19 at 7:30 p.m. on the Elizabethan Stage.
Reading
This year OSF is pleased to present Falsettoland (Book by James Lapine, and music and lyrics by William Finn) for the Deadalus play reading. The story centers on Marvin, his wife Trina, his psychiatrist Mendel, his son Jason, and his gay lover Whizzer Brown. In this chapter of Marvin's life, Jason is preparing for his bar mitzvah and Whizzer is suffering from a mysterious, life-threatening, as yet undefined illness, which the audience recognizes is AIDS.
The play premiered in 1990, and the NY Times review said this: “…an achingly articulate musical that copes with AIDS much as its characters do—with denial, rage, empathy and even some small hope that what Marvin's son calls a ''miracle of Judaism'' will come to the rescue. Never maudlin, clinical or didactic—but always, in some hard-won way or another, high-spirited—Falsettoland is a musical of jubilance and courage, not defeat. It must have taken exceptional fortitude to write, and it is by turns entertaining and devastating to witness.”
Benefit Sales
If you've seen the work on our stages, you know the OSF company has its share of talents, but if you visit our Daedalus Sales throughout the weekend, you will see how sweet, savory, sparkling and truly strange those talents can be. Visit the bricks for a glass of lemonade and some commemorative 26th Anniversary Daedalus T-shirts and posters. Step into the Bowmer Theatre lobby on Monday, August 19 for baked goods, pesto, and the Daedalus Arts and Treasures Sale, where you can buy anything from hand-crafted jewelry to dinner cooked in your home by an actor to props from your favorite OSF production.
Daedalus 5K Run
We hope this year to host another fun Daedalus 5K! Check back later to find out and register.
In the last 25 years, the Daedalus Project has become greater than the sum of its parts. Not only has the event raised a grand total of $1.3 million for AIDS/HIV related charities, but it has created a tradition of remembrance, celebration, and collective action for our company, community, and audience. We thank you for your participation and look forward to seeing you on August 19.