Last Summer at Bluefish Cove, the groundbreaking play by Jane Chambers, will head to Broadway for the first time following its Off-Broadway debut in 1980.
The play will be produced by Ellen DeGeneres, Portia de Rossi, Lil Tomlin, Harriet Newman Leve, and Jane Wagner, with direction by Cynthia Nixon. Bluefish Cove delves into the story of several lesbian women who are enjoying a typical vacation at the fictional town of Bluefish Cove when a straight woman, who just left her husband, steps into their world. The show first debuted Off-Broadway in the ’80s and was well-received for its representation of gay women.
“None of the women in this play apologize for being lesbians,” Chambers said during an interview with The New York Times in 1981. “They accept it and go on to lead productive lives. I don’t know why that should be a threat to people.”
Earlier this year, Elisabeth Vincentelli, a contributor for The Times, penned an article about how stories of lesbians struggle to make an appearance on Broadway. She noted that “lesbians are more elusive on America’s premier stages” and lesbians are not usually filled in the lead roles.
Now, the show will have the chance to shine in the spotlight when it opens on the Great White Way later this year. Casting, the creative team, and an official production timeline will be revealed at a later date, however, BroadwayNews reports that the production will feature an all-female creative team and cast.
See which Broadway shows are hitting the stage in 2020 here.