Three of our country’s most gifted creator/performers set out to answer one question: is there such a thing as gay heritage?
Date/Time: Mar 5 2016, 2:00 pm to 3:50 pm
Vancouver, The Cultch Historic TheatreCost: $19.05
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In their search, they uncover a rich history not often shared and shine a new light on contemporary gay culture. The result is a hilarious and moving homage to the people who came before us and the events that continue to shape our lives. The Gay Heritage Project is helmed by Damien Atkins (Angels in America), Paul Dunn (PIG), and Andrew Kushnir (Playwright-in-Residence at Tarragon Theatre, creative director of Project: Humanity), with direction by Ashlie Corcoran and designs by Kimberly Purtell, Thomas Ryder Payne, and Cameron Davis. After centuries of queer history being hidden in the closet and the loss of almost an entire generation to HIV/AIDS, The Gay Heritage Project is an important step in the excavation, preservation, and promotion of a community’s cultural history. Using their personal histories and individual cultural heritages as jumping-off points, each of the three creators behind the production set out to discover their connections to queer people and events in the past. Working closely with historian J. Paul Halferty, they spent hours researching the ancient anecdotes, secret correspondences, and overlooked footnotes that currently comprise queer history. What they discovered was an array of heroes and stories that inspire, comfort, challenge, and empower. Damien, Paul, and Andrew bring these people and stories to life on stage in rapid-fire succession using a highly physical, comedic, and fast-paced performance style. They offer an eclectic mix of historical characters and reenactments that shed light on the forgotten champions and occurrences that created the queer community.
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