BED 26 is an autobiographical play about a gay African refugee seeking asylum in the United States. The play is based on a memoir of the same name, by Edafe Okporo, a gay Nigerian refugee and GLAAD Media Institute alumnus who attended Engagement 202: Telling Your Story Through Social Media in New York City last year. Edafe was an HIV activist in Nigeria. The play explores Edafe’s experience as an LGBTQ refugee from Nigeria, where it is not just illegal but also deadly to be out as gay. Because of this, he had experienced intense homophobia from his family and society as a whole. Fearing for his own life, Edafe fled to the United States to seek asylum, where he was detained and taken to the Elizabeth Detention Center in New Jersey. BED 26 released a preview video which you can see below:

BED 26, the play was co-written by Edafe and Van Dirk Fisher. In anticipation of the play’s premiere, Edafe Okporo and Van Dirk Fisher did an interview together describing their own experiences with the making of the play. “Van has made me understand that, when you go through struggles in life, it can paralyze you, or it can energize you, and he has made me know that your struggles should energize you because it helps other people be stronger too,” says Edafe. You can view the complete interview below:

BED 26 premieres at The Riant Theatre’s Strawberry One-Act Festival and will run for only 3 performances, premiering on Tuesday March 19th at 7:30 PM and playing again at 9:00 PM, as well as holding a final performance on Sunday March 24th at 2:40 PM. It will be performed in Theatre 54 at Shetler Studios (244 West 54th Street, between Broadway and 8th Avenue, NYC). Tickets cost $25 in advance and $27 at the box office, and you can purchase your tickets here. BED 26 will be among 32 plays presented at The Riante Theatre’s Strawberry One Act Festival, running over the course of 12 days from March 13th to March 24th.

Currently, Edafe is the executive director of the RDJ Refugee Center for homeless refugees in NYC. Additionally, Edafe is the founder of The Pont LLC, a platform that bridges the gap of inequality by giving people the power to share their stories in their own voices. Back in January, Edafe was featured as a notable GLAAD Media Institute alum on GLAAD’s web site. Edafe is just one of the almost 8000 advocates and activists across the globe that the GLAAD Media Institute has trained, and we are only moving forward from here. If you, like Edafe, have an inspirational story that you would like to share, or if you wish to improve your ability in sharing the stories of others, you can learn more about our courses and register here.