Blue Roses Project, a New Orleans–based artist’s retreat dedicated to supporting emerging queer playwrights formed by Tony-nominated Gideon Glick and director/producer James Will McBride, is proud to announce the formation of its inaugural Artistic Advisory Board. The board includes acclaimed artists:

• Bryan Batt - Recently made his London debut in Here Comes J. Edgar! He's best known as Salvatore Romano on "Mad Men," with Broadway, film, and TV credits, plus three published books.
• Lisa D’Amour - New Orleans-born playwright whose work, including the Pulitzer finalist Detroit, has been produced on Broadway and at theaters worldwide. She's won two OBIE Awards and the Alpert, Steinberg, and Doris Duke Artist honors.
• Billy Eichner - Creator and star of "Billy on the Street," the Emmy-nominated comedy game show turned TikTok phenomenon. He co-wrote, starred in, and produced Bros, and appears in the upcoming Judgment Day. His audiobook Billy on Billy is streaming now.
• Raúl Esparza - A four-time Tony nominee known for his work in the Broadway musicals Company and the upcoming Galileo and TV roles in "Law & Order: SVU" and "The Good Fight." His numerous honors include the OBIE and three Drama Desk Awards.
• Eva Noblezada - Grammy Award winner and Tony-nominated actress known for leading roles in Broadway and West End musicals, including Miss Saigon, Hadestown, The Great Gatsby, and Cabaret.
• Noah J. Ricketts - broke out as Frankie in Showtime's "Fellow Travelers" opposite Matt Bomer, and originated Nick Carraway in Broadway's The Great Gatsby. He's also known for "American Gods," "High Fidelity," and Disney's Frozen: The Musical.
• Paula Vogel - a Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright behind How I Learned to Drive, Indecent, and Mother Play, produced internationally and honored in the American Theatre Hall of Fame. She founded Brown University's playwriting program and later held the O'Neill Chair at Yale. In June 2020, she founded Bard at the Gate, a uniquely curated virtual reading series designed to become a widely accessible platform for powerful, overlooked plays by BIPOC, female, LGBTQIA+, and disabled artists.
• Jamie Wax - Recently made his Broadway debut as a playwright with Call Me Izzy, starring Jean Smart. An Emmy-winning journalist and longtime CBS News correspondent, he's also a performer and composer whose work has aired nationally on PBS.

Founded in response to the growing challenges facing new play development — and the increasing barriers confronting the queer community — Blue Roses Project was created to foster bold new voices through intensive week-long residencies and 29-hour readings.

In its first year, Blue Roses Project produced its inaugural reading, Red Tide by Dom Martello, directed by Obie Award winner Jack Serio. The organization has also begun building partnerships with arts organizations in both New Orleans and New York as it works to cultivate a national community centered on emerging playwrights and adventurous new work.

The newly formed Artistic Advisory Board will serve as a circle of trusted artists helping guide the organization’s creative vision as it grows—keeping the growth and well-being of artists as its central tenant. Board members will offer artistic counsel, support long-term vision for the organization’s future, and lend their voices and perspectives to the development of Blue Roses Project as an artistic home for new work and queer storytelling.

“My career really started with me writing shows for my friends and me so that we had something to invite industry professionals to see us in. Mounting work like that has become increasingly harder for early career artists, and that’s why organizations like Blue Roses Project are so important and why I’m happy to support them,” said four-time Emmy nominee Billy Eichner. 

Obie Award-winning playwright and Pulitzer Prize finalist Lisa D’Amour said, “As a writing professor, I am keenly aware that the theatre industry has a real shortage of opportunities for playwrights at the beginning of their careers. Blue Roses Project is helping to address that need. As a native New Orleanian, I’m so proud that BRP has not only chosen New Orleans as a base, but is also committed to spotlighting the bountiful talent and resources that already exist in the region. They’re reminding the theatre industry that New Orleans is a place to invest money and find exciting new work.”

Grammy-winner and Tony-nominated Broadway super-star Eva Noblezada shared, “There is no city more culturally rich, artistically generous and divinely musical than New Orleans. The energy there that is directly connected to Spirit/Source/God has made me feel like I have come home. I am so honored and excited to be joining Blue Roses Project as it continues to nurture and expand this city’s immeasurable artistic legacy.”

“We wanted to build a creative community rooted in generosity, rigor, and expansive artistic thinking,” said Gideon Glick, Co-Artistic Director of Blue Roses Project. James Will McBride, Co-Artistic Director, continued, “These are artists whose work has deeply inspired us, and whose taste, integrity, and commitment to storytelling align with the kind of creative home  BRP is becoming.”

The role of the Artistic Advisory Board is designed to foster meaningful artistic connection while accommodating the active careers of its members. Their involvement marks a major milestone for the young organization as it continues to expand its reach and deepen its commitment to supporting emerging queer playwrights.

Blue Roses Project plans to announce additional programming and partnerships for the coming year in the months ahead.