Doric Wilson

Doric Wilson began his theatrical career as an actor in New York City. He was moderately successful, but found his true calling as a playwright in 1961 at Caffe Cino, an early Off-Off-Broadway theatre. His play Now She Dances! (about the trial of Oscar Wilde) established him as a voice of positive representation for LGBTQ people.

Wilson's most famous play is Street Theater, inspired by the Stonewall Riots of 1969 (of which he was a participant). Wilson's activism and advocacy in the gay community connected with theatre, and he cofounded The Other Side of Silence (TOSOS) in 1974. Before his death in 2011, Wilson was honored with several awards and recognitions for his work in queer theatre. There are two awards named for him: The Doric Wilson Award for International Cultural Dialogue Through Theater and the Doric Wilson Independent Playwright Award.