HOLLYWOOD — When Les Kurkendaal went to his boyfriend’s home to meet the very conservative family, he was in for a shock. The family knew Michael was gay, but didn’t know he was dating a black man.
Kurkendaal turned that experience into “Christmas in Bakersfield,” a hilarious, tender and fearless storytelling show examining romance and race that drew raves from audiences and critics.
Kurkendaal returns to the 2012 Hollywood Fringe Festival with “Nightmare in Bakersfield,” the story of accompanying Michael to ritual of his 20-year high school class reunion — where the classmates don’t know that Michael is gay.
“Nightmare in Bakersfield,” a nuanced, hysterical and quite up-front look at race, sexuality and assumptions will be held 9 p.m. June 7, 14, 22 and 23 and 7 p....
