Meet David Drake, an accomplished playwright and actor known for his award-winning work and for ย seven seasons the Artistic Director of the legendary Provincetown Playhouse.
Tell us a little about yourself!
I grew up outside of Baltimore, Maryland where I started performing onstage at the age of 9, and Iโve been putting on shows ever since. Before I became a playwright and director, I was an actor in New York and appeared in a bunch of plays off-Broadway: replacing Charles Busch in Vampire Lesbian of Sodom, playing opposite B.D. Wong in A Language of Their Own at the Public Theater, End of the World Party with Jim J. Bullock, and I was the original โMiss Deep Southโ in the musical Pageant. Iโm probably best known for writing and performing the Obie Award-winning one-man play The Night Larry Kramer Kissed Me, which I performed off-Broadway for a year before heading on a world tour that included SF, LA, Edinburgh, London, and Sydney.
Iโve also had the honor of appearing in Longtime Companion, Philadelphia, and, most recently, After Louie, among numerous other indie films. And, of course, no NY actor is complete without an appearance on Law & Order.
David Drake
As a stage director, Iโve directed plays and musicals in New York and all over the world, including award-winning collaborations with Taylor Mac, as well as artist residencies at Sundance Theater Lab, Brooklynโs The Bric, Phillyโs Kimmel Center, and Anchorageโs Out North. Currently, Iโm in my 7th season as Artistic Director of the Provincetown Theater in Provincetown, Massachusetts.
What influenced you to move to Provincetown?
I first found Provincetown as a young performer in a musical revue that toured here in 1986, and I immediately fell in love with the town. Iโve been lucky that work has taken me all over the globe. Of course, show biz brought me back to the tip of Cape Cod numerous times where I made a lot of friends over the years. This eventually led me to being asked to lead the Provincetown Theater as its Artistic Director in 2018.
Can you describe in a bit more detail what you do as the Artistic Director at the Provincetown Theater?
As an Artistic Director of a non-profit theater company, my primary purpose is to shape, nurture, and deliver the vision for how the mission of the institution is implemented. Of course, this means Iโm in charge of choosing all productions for the company each season, many of which I direct myself. For the productions, it involves hiring all the people who make a show come to life. The day job aspect also involves creating and developing various creative programs for the different parts of the community, like after-school programs for kids, building a new play reading series to help local writers develop their work, and booking all kinds of special performance and fundraiser events each year. Speaking of fundraising, since weโre a 501c3 non-profit, the donor development work never ends!
Womxn Of Color Week (photo Courtesy of Provincetown Tourism)
Are there any productions coming up at The Provincetown Theater that you think people should check out?
Oh, there are always gay-friendly shows at our playhouse! Because Provincetown has such a rich history as a gay destination, it has built a large LGBTQ community year-round, as well. Iโm very fortunate to be able to program productions for the queer community year-round. Personally, I feel very responsible to the community. Now, this doesnโt mean we do โgay playsโ exclusively, but it does mean I bring queer writers and stories onto our stage, and certainly more than any other theater company on Cape Cod. This season, for instance, weโre continuing the journey we began last year with Tony Kushnerโs masterpiece Angels in America, Part I: Millennium Approaches by opening our 62nd Season in May with his equally thrilling Pt II: Perestroika (May 8-25).
Out of the Provincetown Theaterโs five-production season (May โ Dec), weโve got two more shows that Iโve chosen, specifically, to delight, entertain, and empower our gay audiences. After Angels, this summer weโre producing Christopher Durangโs hilariously funny Tony Award-winning comedy Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike (July 15 – August 28), and then in October, weโre presenting the world premiere of a new musical by local composer Jon Richardson, The Jack of Hearts Club.
Girl Splash every summer in Provincetown (photo: Provincetown Tourism)
Which events would you recommend to someone whoโs planning on visiting Provincetown?
We have these wonderful โtheme weeksโ throughout the year including Womxn of Color Weekend (June 5-8), Bear Week (July 13-20), Girl Splash (July 23-26), Family Week (July 27 โ August 3), Carnival (August 16-23), and Spooky Bear (October 30 โ November 2). There are some truly fabulous gatherings of sexy, fun, like-minded folks looking to find and celebrate each other. While most are in the summer, check out the Provincetown Business Guildโs website for the full roster of events throughout the year. Honestly, thereโs something for everyone. Plus, the town is so embracing of queer culture overall, that any time you visit Provincetown, it really is an opportune moment to take a deep breath and expand your queer soul.
Polar Bear Plunge Annually in Provincetown (Photo: Provincetown Tourism)
Are there any other events happening during 2025 in Provincetown that might be of interest to the LGBTQ+ community? The annual Swim for Life (September 6) is a fantastic event that always comes right after Labor Day. Itโs a wonderful way to come together, gather up your friends, make new ones, and give back to the community in support of HIV/AIDS. Itโs also a paddler flotilla with various routes to swim and paddle in and around the Provincetown Bay.
Carnival In Provincetown (photo courtesy of Provincetown Tourism)
Another Pโtown event that I love worth putting on your list, is the annual New Yearโs Day Polar Bear Plunge, which also takes place in the Provincetown Bay! Join your friends, partners, neighbors, roving bears from everywhere, and plunge yourself into the freezing New England Atlantic waters on January 1.
Also, come for Carnival! Bring a costume and sashay it down Commercial Street along with 60K other crazy-ass queer revelers. Itโs always a blast!
Discover more of Provincetownโs fabulous events here.
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