Gender and Sexuality Center associate director received community award
Moisés Villada, associate director of the UIC Gender and Sexuality Center (GSC), was recently named as a recipient of the 2024 Brian Goodman Shooting Star Award from About Face Theatre Collective (AFT) at their recent 30th anniversary party. The Shooting Star awards, introduced for the first time this year, seek to recognize the legacy and individuals of the About Face Youth Theatre.
“The Gender and Sexuality Center values our collaborative relationship with About Face Theatre and we are so proud of Moisés for receiving such a well-deserved recognition,” shared Billy Huff, PhD, director of the GSC. “In these challenging times, it is vital that we continue to preserve and produce LGBTQIA+ cultures. Moisés has been committed to this work for many years, and he is most definitely our brightest ‘shooting star’.”
Founded almost thirty years ago in 1995, About Face Theatre has been a Chicago-based national leader in producing theater by queer artists that tell queer stories. Through bold theater and arts-based educational programs, their work celebrates the persistence and joy of queer identities while shining a spotlight on the social inequalities impacting LGBTQIA+ people of all ages.
Starting with a spark of an idea “dedicated to the artistic, intellectual and political exploration of queer lives, experiences and histories,” About Face Theatre Collective built a mission to advance LGBTQIA+ equity through community building, education and performance.
Under the collective umbrella, the About Face Youth Theatre is comprised of theater training, social justice activism, leadership development and queer empowerment for local LGBTQIA+ youth. Ensemble members meet and create with other queer youth from around the city, work with theater artists and local activists, learn about LGBTQ history and devise and perform an original theatre production.
“While we lift up changes and we challenge injustices, we are focused on the future with you: our glorious LGBTQ+ community and allies,” the AFT award announcement stated. “With nearly 100 world premieres and dozens of other productions under our belts, we know that our stories have power. Your story has power.”
The ceremony and fundraiser was held on November 7 at Venue West in the West Loop.