Pure Glitter

Kick off Pride Season over Memorial Day Weekend with this surprise party gone gloriously wrong from 4x Drama Desk nominated, Broadway playwright, Douglas Lyons.

One Night Only! We proudly present the Los Angeles Premiere staged reading of Pure Glitter, the newest play by acclaimed Broadway artist Douglas Lyons, on Saturday, May 23, 2026, at 7:30 PM at the Renberg Theatre at Los Angeles LGBT Center, as a free program presented as part of the City of West Hollywood's 2026 WeHo Pride Arts Festival.

Directed by Emerson Collins, who recently helmed the play's first fully-staged production at Uptown Players in Dallas, the evening will feature an extraordinary ensemble of Broadway and screen artists from the LGBTQ+ community: Sachin Bhatt ("Boots," "Queer as Folk;" Nat'l Tour: Bombay Dreams), Barrett Foa (B’way: Avenue Q, Spelling Bee; "NCIS: Los Angeles"), Adrián Javier ("With Love," "Vida"; Foursome at IAMA Theatre Company/Celebration Theatre), Tony nominee Rory O'Malley (Original B’way Cast of The Book of Mormon; King George III in Hamilton), Jean E.S. Powell (two-time LA Drama Critics Circle Award winner; "The Ms. Pat Show"; The Christians), and Chris Renfro (B’way: Oh, Mary!; "Queer as Folk," "The L Word: Generation Q").

Pure Glitter is a vibrant, heartfelt comedy celebrating the messy bonds of chosen family. At Stan and Tony’s 10th anniversary surprise party, old friends and new flames collide in a whirlwind of revelations, shade, and musical theater debates. Stan (Foa), the curator in crisis, hosts a night meant to celebrate love, but the arrival of flamboyant Rance (Powell), nervous Blair (O’Malley), chill Dwight (Bhatt), wise-beyond-their-years Niko (Renfro), and mediator Tony (Javier) sparks a cascade of unexpected drama. As secrets unravel, the group confronts love, loss, and the courage to be honest. With sharp wit, iconic diva references, and a dance-filled finale, Pure Glitter reminds us that even when life shatters, friendship is the glittering glue that holds us together.

The WeHo Pride Arts Festival, presented annually by the City of West Hollywood, is a free, choose-your-own-adventure celebration of LGBTQ+ creativity featuring theatre, cabaret, music, dance, film, literary arts, and art-making workshops. The 2026 festival takes place May 23–24 at the Los Angeles LGBT Center's Village at Ed Gould Plaza. Since its founding in 2007, the Arts Festival has showcased artists and storytellers who amplify LGBTQ+ voices and experiences.

TICKET PRICES

Free Admission. Donations to Trans Continental Pipeline (tcpipeline.org) will be encouraged at the event.

Ticketing will open in May at wehopride.com/artsfestival.

VENUE

Renberg Theatre, 1125 N McCadden Pl, Los Angeles, CA 90038

Parking is available in the underground garage in the Anita May Rosenstein campus across the street at 1118 N McCadden Pl.

ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT
Douglas Lyons is a GLAAD, NAACP, Drama Desk, and Emmy nominated writer, an Audelco Award-winning playwright, actor, and composer whose work has spanned Television, Broadway, Off-Broadway, and Film. Douglas served as a writer and composer on Apple TV's "Fraggle Rock." His Broadway playwriting debut, Chicken and Biscuits, was the 2nd most-produced play in the U.S. in 2022-23. His other theatrical works include the Off-Broadway hit: Beau, the Lucille Lortel award-winning Table 17, Don't Touch My Hair, Polkadots, Five Points, Pure Glitter, and Mother. Daughter. Father. Son. Douglas' Broadway acting credits include Beautiful, the Tony Award-winning revival of Parade, and the Book of Mormon. He is currently developing television with Skydance and Ryan Reynolds' Maximum Effort, as well as writing the script for the stage adaptation of Warner Bros. animated classic Happy Feet. DouglasLyons.net.

ABOUT THE DIRECTOR
Emerson Collins is an award-winning producer, director, and actor. This spring, Collins directed the first fully-staged production of Pure Glitter at Uptown Players in Dallas and helmed the world premiere of Del Shores Foundation Writers Search winner Emma Schillage's Cockroaches at Revolution Stage Company in Palm Springs. He assistant-directed the world premiere stage adaptation of A Very Sordid Wedding and produced the Off-Broadway World Premiere of Wounded at the SoHo Playhouse, the LA Drama Critics Circle Award-winning world premiere of Del Shores' Yellow, and the national tour of Sordid Lives and Southern Baptist Sissies. Collins directed and produced Six Characters in Search of a Play and its award-winning film adaptation. In film and television, he served as Executive Producer of the Drag Isn't Dangerous telethon; produced and starred in A Very Sordid Wedding and Southern Baptist Sissies; produced Blues for Willadean; co-produced and recurred in "Sordid Lives: The Series" for MTV's LOGO; and co-directed Shafted, which earned five Best Director awards. He also directed the live comedy specials My Sordid Life, Sordid Confessions, and Naked. Sordid. Reality.