That’s So Gay: Reflecting our stories

That’s So Gay
Reflecting our stories

Thursday 26 - Saturday 28 April 2012 6.30pm at BATS Theatre, Wellington

That’s So Gay (TSG) is a new collaborative theatre production between young people from School’s Out, Wellington, and students from Toi Whakaari: NZ Drama School.

That’s So Gay opens at BATS Theatre on Thursday 26 April and runs till Saturday 28 April, 6.30pm nightly.

TSG is a culmination of true lesbian, gay, bisexual, pansexual, straight and transgender (LGBPST) stories that reflect the lives of Wellington youth today, gathered, devised, and performed by them.

Directed by Toni Regan, who is completing her ‘Master of Theatre Arts in Directing’ at Toi Whakaari, TSG began as an idea inspired by Anny da Silva Freitas. A counsellor, youth and community worker, Da Silva Freitas was tired of hearing the pejorative use of the phrase “that’s so gay” in everyday language. She wants to challenge this put down: “being gay is not dumb or stupid, it’s who I am and there are many like me that share the same view”.

From this idea, Regan and da Silva Freitas began a project that has developed into a collaborative community theatre production with School’s Out, Wellington. A group of Toi Whakaari students and 13 young people from School’s Out (aged 16 to 26) have devised the play, which is made up of ‘moments’ created from stories about the young people’s experiences. TSG is an opportunity for them to reflect their stories back to themselves, whilst sharing them with the local Wellington community. Devising was modeled on the process used by Moises Kaufman, the creator and director of The Laramie Project.

A truly collaborative community theatre production, TSG is created from ‘moments’ that are enquiring, comedic, challenging, revealing, and touching.

ENDS

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