Queer people have long contributed enormously to the fabric of our community through work that adds texture, vibrancy, and contemplation to our lives. To honor those creative efforts locally, below is our seventh annual survey of LGBTQ artists in Wisconsin.

As always, this is by no means a completely comprehensive list. We reached out to our various networks for names and resources and did our best to contact each artist for updates. Entries are made through a form where participants are free to choose a category, self identify, and provide a description in their own words.

Thank you to everyone who participated and shared our form with their networks. We hope to continue building on this in future years, so feel free to reach out with recommendations at [email protected].

Burlesque & Drag
Comedians, Dance & Theater
DJs & Musician
Literary
Visual Arts, Crafters & Makers

Get on the list!

To be included in our next directory, fill out our artist form here.

Comedians

Aristotle Awes | instagram.com/aristotle.awes | Aristotle Awes is a balding, Greek, and homosexual comedian from Madison. He’s the host of Hidden Cave Comedy, and produces and hosts for Cheshire Cat Comedy. He has opened for Alok Menon (Netflix), Gwen La Roka (HBO), and Rachel Mac (Comedy Central). His high energy comedy focuses on sexuality, gender, and dating in a way that brings everyone to the party.

Dina Nina | dinanina.com | Trans comedian, speaker, actor, and Madison Alder. Her sass and charm has been featured in comedy festivals and world-class comedy venues. She is the founder of Lady Laughs Comedy and Artemis Bow Productions. She was named one of the “58 Trans Women Actors You Should Know & Also Love” by AutoStraddle.

Linda Lenzke | mixedmetaphorsohmy.com | I’m an amateur stand-up comedian, spoken word storyteller, blogger, and LGBTQ+ community events emcee. I riff on the culture wars, politics, surviving the pandemic, and draw from my lived experience as an aging lesbian and woman in recovery from substances.

Vanessa Tortolano | facebook.com/vanessa.tortolano | Vanessa jumps from improv comedy to a bit of burlesque and can be found on various Madison stages in support of women- and LGBTQ-centric events.

Dance & Theater

Alyssa Pon-Franklin | facebook.com/alyssapon | Alyssa has been active in the Madison community for eight years as a stage manager. She has worked with many local companies, including Madison Opera, Stage Q, and Oregon Straw Hat Players.

Ankita Bharadwaj | Ankita produces the show Subtle Desi Traits (writing and sound production including audio editing, mixing, fading etc.).

Brian Wild | artandsoulinnovations.org | Brian has been a key figure in Proud Theater since 2001, leading the organization as Artistic Director and Executive Director of its fiscal sponsor, Art and Soul Innovations, Inc. An accomplished playwright, director, and LGBTQ+ youth advocate, Brian has dedicated his career to creating inclusive spaces for young artists. Outside of theater, Brian enjoys composing music and is passionate about film.

Chris Walker | education.wisc.edu/staff/walker-chris | Chris is a professor in the Dance Department, Associate Vice Provost/Special Advisor to the Provost on the Arts, and Founding Artistic Director of the First Wave program in the Office of Multicultural Arts Initiatives at UW-Madison. He is also a senior choreographer with the National Dance Theatre Company of Jamaica and program director for the New Waves Dance & Performance Institute in Trinidad & Tobago.

Gabriel Aguilar | instagram.com/gabriel.a.aguilar | Gabe is a dancer and composer who moved to Madison in 2024 to join the Madison Ballet. He grew up in Cuba, and before finding dance, music was his first love. Gabe strives to live a life filled with art, love, and freedom—one that dares to evolve, again and again.

J. Michael Bruno Productions, Inc. | madstheatre.com | Michael is host of SHOW BIZ BUZZ WITH BRUNO, a podcast that introduces audiences to theater, music, dance, and comedy. Local artists, companies and personalities share their projects and backgrounds with host Michael every other Saturday afternoon, live! The podcast is available on Apple, Sirius, Spotify, and Google podcasts and YouTube.

Jim Chiolino | madisontheatreguild.org | Jim is a producer, director, and actor as well as a former president of the Madison Theatre Guild (Madison’s oldest community theater organization).

Kanopy Dance Company | kanopydance.org | Kanopy Dance, a quintessential modern dance company, is a resident company of the Overture Center for the Arts. While the Kanopy Dance Company “informs” its works through its roots in the Martha Graham tradition, the company has developed its own brand, shaping an exciting new dimension and visual language to advance American Modern dance.

KelsyAnne Schoenhaar | encorestudio.org | KelsyAnne is the CEO of Encore Studio for the Performing Arts, Wisconsin’s first professional theater company for people with disabilities. A professional musician and composer since the age of 12, KelsyAnne plays more than 30 instruments and has performed in a wide range of styles, including orchestral, jazz, and rock.

Laura McMillan | ctmtheater.org | A proud Black/Lebanese queer womxn who is not only a 20-year theater vet, but a US Navy vet as well. Laura works as Children’s Theater of Madison’s Education Associate. Recent onstage credits include: Clyde’s as u/s Clyde, u/s Letitia (Forward Theater Co.), Da Classroom Ain’t Enuf as Self (Broom Street Theater), and The Revolutionists as Marianne (Mercury Players).

Ogunde Tremayne | Ogunde is an actor, singer, dancer, and overall entertainer who lives to make people smile and laugh. He started his professional acting career with Milwaukee Repertory Theater through which he gained his representation Lori Lins Ltd. Ogunde also made incredible connections with many Wisconsin theaters, most notably the amazing artists of Children’s Theater of Madison.

Oh, My Stars! Productions LLC | ohmystarsproductions.com | Oh, My Stars! Productions is a LGBTQ+ focused performance troupe, but everyone is welcome! Created by Scott Albert Bennett aka Miss Taffeta Darling, OMSP is dedicated to the preservation of camp and drag performance styles in scripted theatrical productions in Madison and surrounding areas.

Proud Theater | proudtheater.org | Now in its 26th season, Proud Theater has been a powerful community for queer youth who create brave spaces for support and self-expression. Proud Theater teaches theater, activism, and the power of authentic storytelling to youth 13–19. No auditions or fees to join.

Robert (Bobby) Goderich | Bobby’s love for singing brought him to the stage with Madison Opera. He has worked with local theater companies including Children’s Theater of Madison, Verona Area Community Theater, Middleton Players Theatre, StageQ, and Four Seasons Theatre.

Roseann Sheridan | ctmtheater.org | Roseann served as the Children’s Theater of Madison’s Artistic Director for 15 years and was previously Producer and Associate Artistic Director at American Players Theatre for 17 years. She has directed for regional and university theaters, including UW-Madison, Texas Shakespeare Festival, Next Act Theatre (Milwaukee), Penobscot Theatre (Maine), UW-Whitewater, Edgewood College, and UW-Oshkosh.

The House Inc | Thehouseinc.org | Clyde Mayberry, CEO/Founder of The House Urban Arts Initiative, leads as Executive Director of the Performing Arts department. With over 21 years of teaching in movement dance, he champions a visionary approach, merging hip hop, house, and body positivity all in his dynamic rehearsals.

The Space Cats | facebook.com/SpaceCatsMKE | The Space Cats are a loud colorful dance team created, produced, and led by Jinx & Micah Ogé with the mission to spread positivity. Since 2015, the group has appeared in music videos, club performances, local shows, and Pridefest Milwaukee.

TNW Ensemble Theater | tnwensembletheater.org | Danielle Dresden and Donna Peckett are co-Founders/co-Producing Artistic Directors of TNW Ensemble Theater. TNW creates, produces, performs, and presents original works of art and cultural practice. The Company collaborates with artists and scholars working in the disciplines of theater, social justice, visual arts, tap dance, and music to promote the understanding of diverse cultures.

Trevin Gay | ctmtheater.org | Trevin is an actor, director, teaching artist, and arts administrator—and is thrilled to serve as Associate Artistic Director for CTM. He holds an MFA in Actor-Created Physical Theatre from the London International School of Performing Arts.

Zak Stowe | zakstowedesign.com | Zak is a self-taught, award-winning lighting designer, director, and producer for theater and opera, having worked for various theater companies all over Madison. He is currently the Lighting Supervisor for the Overture Center for the Arts, President of the Bartell Community Theatre Foundation, and Marketing Director and Webmaster for Stage Q.