Watch above: Why are these Calgarians “coming out” on stage? Jill Croteau reports.
Taking to the stage in front of hundreds of people isn’t always easy for everyone, even for actors. But imagine being centre stage and telling your own personal story.
A group of performers are coming out from behind the curtain to share their experiences of coming out of the closet.
At Calgary’s John Dutton Theatre this week, 19 individuals are taking part in the fifth annual Coming Out Monologues.
Among them is Dr. Sambuddha Banerjee, who said it was important for him to take part in the performance because there are “certain races that don’t exist on the gay map.”
“India falls in that blank zone,” he said.
Banerjee said growing up in India, he buried himself in books and studying science, while trying to find his place.
“I thought there was something wrong with me,” he said. “One friend came to me and said, ‘You’re so nice. You never think about girls.’ And I said, ‘That’s my problem.'”
The performances are designed to expose audiences to diversity in what many perceive as conservative Calgary.
Most of the people aren’t professionals, but rather ordinary people.
“Most come to audition and are like, ‘I’ve never been on stage,'” said organizer Madeleine Hardy.
But, that’s exactly what the Coming Out Monologues is all about.
Susan Anderson-Coyle and Nancy Anderson-Dolan appear on stage together. The sisters revealed they are lesbians decades ago.
But the coming out process is not one that ends in a single instance. It’s a constant process and the sisters both felt it was time to come out all over again, but for different reasons.
“I used to be quite an activist,” Anderson Dolan said. “Then I had kids and retreated into suburbia and anonymity. So, suddenly I needed to come out again.”
But, her sister points out another important reason for sharing her story.
“Senior lesbians disappear,” Anderson-Coyle said. “I think that’s dangerous and I think that younger people need those sort of role models to look up to.”
The Coming Out Monologues wraps up Friday Night.
Comments