It’s a common stereotype that Broadway is run by gay actors and directors, but when it comes to the main-stage play, sexuality is left in the closet.
New Jersey playwright David Lohrey discusses his work Jigsaw Confession before an Ottawa performance on Jan. 30, which was presented by gay and lesbian acting group TotoToo Theatre.
While there is the odd box-office exception like Rent, which addresses AIDS and homosexuality, a big-name play about being gay is rare.
That’s where the smaller niche companies come in, companies like TotoToo Theatre – the only gay and lesbian theatre group in Ottawa.
“There was definitely a demand for a gay and lesbian theatre when we got started,” said co-founder Denis Schryburt of TotoToo, which formed in October 2006.
The previous Ottawa queer theatre group, Act Out, folded a year earlier and the gay and lesbian community felt its loss.
So Schryburt, with the help of theatre veteran Marc Barrette and a couple others, formed TotoToo and never looked back.
“I just remember mentioning the idea to Marc, and having him pantomime back to me, ‘Damn straight, for sure, count me in,’” Schryburt said.
So far the production company has produced three plays, all of which deal with gay and lesbian issues. The first play William and James was about a gay couple in Victorian times, while the second play Theatrelife dealt with the topic of AIDS within the gay community.
The latest play Jigsaw Confession ran in early February at the Arts Court Theatre. It was about a married man who decides to come out of the closet.
TotoToo chose to produce the drama because the story resonates with a lot of people in the gay and lesbian community.
“I know a lot of people who came out of the closet after years of being married,” said Schryburt. “These are people with ex-wives, with kids they still take to pool parties. It’s a very relevant topic today.”
However, the playwright, David Lohrey, said he never intended the play to be specifically for a particular audience or theatre group.
“For me the play is really about the reality of a father’s sex life, it’s about dealing with the fact that everyone is sexual,” he said. “But because the father is gay, a lot of theatre companies have been hesitant to perform it.”
Lohrey said theatre is at a transitional time right now. Many companies are aware of gay and lesbian issues, but aren’t showcasing them. Any leeway made is the exception.
In the 1990s, a two-part play, Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes, received multiple Tony awards. It was praised for its portrayal of AIDS sufferers in New York and its exploration of the themes of sexuality and religion.
But plays about being gay are usually only produced by gay theatre groups, said Lohrey.
This is certainly the story with Toronto’s Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, one of the largest queer theatre groups in the world. “We’re essentially a queer theatre company that serves a queer audience,” said artistic director David Oiye.
He said the group is dedicated to producing works that challenge the norm and explore queer themes. Currently the company has a mandate to increase gender equality on stage.
“Our decision stems from the recognition that it’s a systemic issue within all theatres across the board,” said Oiye.
Schryburt said TotoToo also tries to pick plays that have both male and female representation. But mainly, the group wants to provide a space for gay and lesbian theatre.
And judging by the packed house on opening night for Jigsaw Confession Jan. 30, it seems like people are responding.
“Part of our mission is to dispel homophobia,” said Schryburt. “We’re making an effort and we’re giving gays and lesbians a vehicle to showcase their talent and arts.”
Next, TotoToo Theatre will be casting for the Canadian play Memoirs of a Single Gay White Male.