BGSQDBureau of General Services—Queer Division
BGSQD
TELL is an evening of story telling from the mouths and minds of queers in NYC hosted by Drae Campbell at the Bureau of General Services—Queer Division since February 2014–making this the 10th anniversary of TELL!
The theme of the 90th TELL is Take Heart. Featuring storytellers Gagarin, Jilberto Soto, Ky Dates, and Manatsu Tanaka.
This event will take place in person at the Bureau of General Services—Queer Division, on the second floor (room 210) of The LGBT Community Center, 208 W. 13th St., NYC, 10011.
Registration is not required. Seating is first come, first served.
Also live-streaming on the Bureau’s YouTube channel:
Suggested donation to benefit the storytellers and the Bureau: $10.
All are welcome to attend, with or without a donation.
DRAE CAMPBELL’s first performance was at age 5 in a nightclub opening for a punk band. Drae has a BFA in Theater from The University of Arts in Philadelphia. Some Theater credits include: The Nosebleed (Lincoln Center Theater), Only You Can Prevent Wildfires (Ricochet Collective), Non-Consensual Relationships with Ghosts (La MaMa), My Old Man (Dixon Place), Oph3lia(HERE). TV includes “New Amsterdam,” “Bull ” and “Dinette ” (web series, directed by Shaina Feinberg). Drae has been hosting and curating TELL for more than 9 years which is now a SILVER Signal Award-winning podcast of the same name. www.draecampbell.com
Jilberto Soto is a first gen. Mexican American stand up comedian. He began comedy in London and moved to NYC during the pandemic. He co-produces two shows: Purple Park Comedy- showcasing upcoming POC/female comics and Mariposas Comedy – a curated all queer line up. Alongside co-producing, he also hosts his own podcast: I hope this ages well, which centers around the interesting lives of senior members around NYC. In 2022, Jilberto was featured on three showcases for the New York Comedy Festival.
Ky Dates (they/them/he/him) is an interdisciplinary writer, director, comedian, actor, and experimental contemporary performance maker. They are a recent graduate from Muhlenberg College, receiving a B.A. in both Theatre and English. Recent performances include The Moth StorySLAM and Storytellers (curated by Caroline Dunn and Hope Woodard). Lastly, Ky is a pisces sun, libra moon, and Leo rising.
Manatsu Tanaka (they/them) is a bicultural multi-disciplinary artist, most fluent in dance, who grew up and has been performing in Japan and the US. They believe that it is our bodies that humanity should be able to seek shelter in, therefore, they pursue their creative practices for illustrating humanness through their physical canvas. At the core of their heart, Manatsu is committed to using their creativity and artistry to join the frontline of trans and gender non-conforming artists in the dance and theater world. Art is for the people, not for the “audiences”. “I dance to the heartbeat of our collective humanity.” @manatsu.tanaka
Gagarin is an actor, artist, and the Russian twink son of Tony Soprano and Joe Pesci in My Cousin Vinny. With a passion for the classics and making queer art for queer people they largely live in the world of devised and wacky physical theatre. Gagarin is currently a curator with Hedgepig Ensemble Theatre and runs a low-cost community centered Movement Collective, keep up with their shenanigans on insta @hotcephalopodsinurarea