Panel Discussion Details

Geo-Politics & Civil Rights
Members of Fairly Lucid Productions from Australia, Suichu-megane∞ from Japan, Anelli Kanninen from Estonia and Bay Area artists lead a conversation on the fluctuations in LGBTQ+ civil rights amid the ebb and flow of national and geo-politics, the re-emergence of Fascism and its embedding in the religious right. Moderated by Evan Johnson from Ruth’s Table.

Artist Biographies

Ben Noble
Ben Noble is a queer disabled Australian actor, writer, and creative producer. He is the founder of Fairly Lucid Productions. Acting credits include: Playlist 21 (Red Stitch Actors Theatre) The Campaign (Gavin Roach Productions), Doctor Faustus, Little Light (Royal Conservatoire of Scotland), As You like It (Shakespeare’s Globe), Wind in the Willows (Australian Shakespeare Company), The Subtle Art of Falling (Tunks Productions), Scrooge (Stage West Canada), Phaedra’s Love (Abstract Chaos), One Last (SummerWorks). As a writer, Ben received the Arch and Bruce Brown Foundation Playwright Award for MEMBER and St Martins Best Play Award (Short Trip - Winner, Pick A Card). Ben received his Masters from Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and studied at RADA (UK) and Atlantic Theater Company Acting School (USA).

Ayane Nakagawa
First generation bisexual. From Tokyo. Nakagawa Ayane has a diverse background in classical dance, including ballet and Japanese traditional dance, as well as street dance. She majored in theater at the J. F. Oberlin University, where she founded the ＜Suichu-megane∞＞ dance company in 2011 and began presenting choreographed works. Her work has drawn attention for its exploration of the relationship between the individual and society, historical perspectives that have settled deep in the body, and fearless expression of taboos. Ayane Nakagawa is highly regarded for her choreography and direction which encompass a diverse array of dance and theatrical perspectives.

Anneli Kanninen
Anneli is a multidisciplinary artist working in the intersections of dance, theater and languages with a focus on themes of home and belonging. Anneli’s career was formed in the underground street and house dance culture, mainly in voguing and the ballroom community, with mentors like Archie Burnett, Benny Ninja and Javier Ninja. Over the past 15 years, Anneli has performed in Scandinavia and Europe working with artists and performers in music, fashion and TV industries, teaching master classes and collaborating with award-winning choreographers and arts institutions. She’s worked with choreographer Trajal Harrel (US) at ImPulsTanz in Vienna, voguing icon Jose Xtravaganza (US) in London and artist Brian Lobel (US/UK) for Zodiak – Centre for New Dance in Helsinki. Anneli’s work has been supported by the Ministry of Culture and Education in Finland, and an expert organization Circus & Dance Info Finland. Anneli was born in Estonia, lived and worked in Finland, and is now based in the Bay Area. They are looking forward to connecting with the rich and vibrant Bay Area artist community.

Evan Johnson
Evan Johnson is the Program Director at Ruth’s Table. He is also a San Francisco based performer, playwright, teaching artist, and creative producer. Evan has been a House Artist at CounterPulse in the Tenderloin since 2018 where he created Barn Owl (first devised in 2017) and How We Spend Our Days in June 2023, both in collaboration with KLANGHAUS. Evan has also been commissioned by the New Conservatory Theatre and toured his solo works nationally. Evan performs physical comedy as Martha T. Lipton and is a graduate of the Dell’Arte International School of Physical Theatre in Blue Lake, CA.