George’s was a Memphis institution. From 1969 to the late 1980s, the drag bar known as “The Showplace of the South” gave LGBTQ+ artists and audiences a stage and a safe room in a city that did not always offer either. It was a community anchor, a performance space, and a point of pride for the people who filled it.
In 2010, a sold-out reunion event brought former patrons back together and proved the spirit of George’s had never left. What started as a single night became a theatre troupe. Friends of George’s is not a revival of the bar. It is what came next: a resident company carrying that spirit forward through original scripted comedy, writing its own material, on its own stage, on its own terms.
As a resident company of TheatreWorks at the Evergreen, Friends of George’s writes, builds, and stages original comedic plays, about three productions a season, six performances each. Every script is ours. Every character is ours. Drag is not decoration in our work; it is structural. It drives the plot, carries the comedy, and holds the emotional center of every story we tell. The company is community-driven, built and operated by volunteers who show up because the work matters to them, and proceeds from each production go directly to organizations serving our local community.
Every show is written from scratch. These are character-driven plays with full scripts, original plots, and drag at the center of the storytelling.
Each season, we select a local nonprofit partner and direct a portion of production revenue to support their work.
We give LGBTQ+ writers, artists, and technicians a place to build original work together, on a real stage, in front of a live audience, season after season.
The comedy is sharp and the characters are specific. These are our stories, told on our own terms.
Behind every show-stopping performance is a community who believes in the transformative power of theatre. Whether you’re an audience member, a supporter, or someone who wants to get involved, Friends of George’s welcomes you. Come for the laughs, stay for the storytelling, and be part of a legacy that’s anything but predictable.
