Queer as F*** and Bindlestiff Studio present “Queer as F*** VII: Resistance and Rebellion”, a short play festival that features queer acts of rebellion, big and small, hilarious and harrowing, personal and political, and everywhere in between. During a time of unprecedented attacks, isolation, and erasure, this year’s festival features the work of 26 Bay Area queer directors, writers, and actors of color, unapologetically placing the stories of queer people of color center-stage. There will be a pay-what-you-can Community Preview night on August 7th, followed by a limited two week run, opening Friday, August 8th and closing Saturday, August 16th.

This year’s lineup features “Glitter Riot: Fragments of Fire,” a devised piece featuring a trio of performers that take the audience through a journey of movement, music, radical joy, and protest, and “Through the Garden,” a time-warping drama that explores an young painter’s past leading up to a pinnacle, yet disheartening moment in their career. Community is front and center with a tender and powerful drama, “Tahanan,” set in a small town, Filipinx-owned café, whose staff and regulars come together to defend the heart of their community against transphobia, and in the riotously funny “Bi(Annual) Women’s Support Group,” where a group of bisexuals share fears and fantasies about their shared biggest dream: to finally date a woman. Love and laughs are on the menu in “Date Night” for an asexual couple who accidentally make reservations at an over-the-top erotic Berkeley dinner party, and for a lesbian first date in the park, with a surprising neurodivergent musical twist in “Jingles.” And horror short “Cursebreaker” tackles terrifying topics like family trauma and ghosting through a spooky tale of ghost hunting exes coming together to end a family curse, rekindle queer love, and build a chosen family.

The current events of this year have brought a particular poignancy to the show this year. “We brought everyone together for our first reading on the first day of Pride month, and the energy was palpable,” shared co-producer, writer, and director Sandra Criswell. “We selected pieces as arts funding was being slashed across the country, and rehearsed with fascists terrorizing our communities in the background. And yet at every turn, our artists have poured even more love, determination, and magic into creating this show. It’s truly been a balm to create together in these scary times, and we’re excited to share the queer medicine of love, laughter, and drama with our greater community.”