Theatre Rhinoceros Theater

Theatre Rhinoceros is a gay and lesbian theater in San Francisco, California. The theater puts on plays year-round that focuses on gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender issues.

Theatre Rhinoceros is the first theater of its kind devoted to showcasing plays by and about gay and lesbian people. Founded in 1977 by Lanny Baugniet and his partner Allan B. Estes, Jr., who became the General Manager and Artistic Director of the company, the “queer theatre,” as it is affectionately known, has been showcasing work by, about, and supporting the LGBT community for over a quarter century.

The small theater seats just over 115 people and is recognized for putting on intimate, poignant, and enriching plays that truly highlight the extraordinary aspects of the queer community. The theater’s very first show was The Madness of Lady Bright, which was performed at the Gay Community Center in August of 1977. Since then, Theatre Rhinoceros has been performing a full season of plays every year, continuing to find new and creative ways to address LGBT issues.

Artistic Director Allan Estes lost his battle with AIDS in 1984, prompting Theatre Rhinoceros to run a show entitled The AIDS Show: Artists Involved with Death and Survival. The show gained national attention and was the subject of a 1987 PBS documentary.