In 1978, Gilbert Baker, a San Francisco artist designed the Rainbow Pride Flag so that the gay community could have a symbol to rally around.  This original flag had eight stripes each representing a different facet of gay life.  Pink (sexuality), red (life), orange (healing), yellow (sun), green (nature), turquoise (art), indigo (harmony) and violet (spirit).  When the flag was later mass produced pink and turquoise were dropped and indigo was changed to blue due to production constraints.

Inspired by the original Rainbow Pride Flag this festival presents a series of performances each year centered on one of these rainbow colors. 

  
MARK ALLAN DAVIS
GUEST DIRECTOR OF THE UNDERTAKING

This year's festival will feature special guest director Mark Allan Davis (The Undertaking).  After returning to the United States in 1995 after over a decade in Europe, Mr. Davis previously performed for two seasons with the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company.  He has performed the works of Alvin Ailey, Jose' Limon, Paul Tayler, Randy Warsaw and Talley Beatty.  He performed at the Next Wave Festival at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in Remy Charlip's Ten Men and in Bill T. Jones' dance opera The Mother of Three Sons at the Munich Biennale and the Aachener Staatstheater.  As an original cast member of the Broadway production of The Lion King directed by Julie Taymor (Across the Universe) and choreographed by Garth Fagan, where he performed for over four years.  Mr. Davis received his MFA in Theatre/Playwrighting from Smith College in 2007 with the completion of his first play, the historical drama, Pantheon's Edge.