Town Hall Arts Center Sets the Stage for Queer Stories
The stage is set. A lively crowd gathers in the auditorium, their lives about to be changed. Town Hall Arts Center in Littleton has operated for forty years as one of the best and most intimate live theater locations in the region. Their mission is “to enrich the cultural, social, and educational life of south metro Denver,” through their performances and exhibits. This upcoming season for THAC is special, as the final shows focus on topics very close to the queer community; physical and mental illness, found family, authenticity, and self-expression.
Executive Director Robert Michael Sanders (he/him/his) and Artistic Director Matthew Kepler (he/him/his) shared their thoughts about the upcoming season in a virtual interview, with Marketing Director Steven Burge (he/him/his) as our lovely email conductor. One the docket for the rest of the season is ‘night, Mother, Once, and On Your Feet! Collectively, these shows explore the topics above, and we dive into why they were chosen to perform, as well as how they can resonate with the audience.
‘night, Mother, by American playwright Marsha Norman, explores mental and physical disability through the characters Jessie Cates and her mother, Thelma “Mama” Cates. Throughout the play, Jessie is threatening suicide, and as she explains why, her mother tries to talk her out of it. Jessie has lived with epilepsy, causing seizures, her entire life, as well as severe depression. Her divorce, her disabilities, and her son have caused her to believe she should end her life. As they work through her problems, their relationship is changed permanently.
I asked Sanders and Kepler why they chose this piece specifically, to which Kepler replies, “I chose ‘night, Mother because it’s a powerful and important play. As someone who has been suicidal in my own life, I recognize the importance of open and frank conversations around mental health. The show won the Pulitzer Prize way back in 1983, but it never really got the attention it deserves. I think that’s because of the stigmatization around mental health. Now, 40 years later, we’re talking about mental health more, but still not enough. So I wanted to amplify this discussion the best way I knew how… and that’s through theater. Secondly, I thought it was very important… politically… to highlight a women-centered story. Roe v Wade had been overturned when I was in the selection process. Women remain underpaid and undervalued in society. So this piece is all women-led. The playwright, the actors, the directors, the design team. And frankly…? These women are powerhouses. And I wanted a vehicle to showcase their amazing talent. ‘night, Mother is that show.”
Many members of the queer community struggle with depression and suicidal ideation, both because of the condition of the world we live in and the way it treats us. Kepler agreed, stating “‘night, Mother offers an important opportunity to talk about mental health and suicide. A study I just read stated that LGBTQAI+ teens attempt suicide at a rate four times higher than their cis/ straight teen counterparts. Mostly because of family rejection, bullying, and a lack of gender-affirming support. The person experiencing suicidal ideology in the show is a cis-straight woman, but her feelings and suicidality are definitely felt in the Queer community.”
Once, directed by Carrie Colson, is about two musicians in Ireland trying to make a living, who meet one another and help each other get back together with their partners, while also working on producing music together. It is based on a movie of the same name, and the theatrical adaptation includes the cast working as the orchestra.
On why it was chosen to be performed, Kepler says “Once is a unique, exciting show that represents a global community of people who live together and work together. And create together! Music is their common language. And yes … a love story is there, too … but even that love story takes a backseat to the story of connection through music. In fact, the way the two love interests connect to each other and their blended community is through music. That universal language of music speaks to everyone—regardless of sexual orientation or gender or race or any other identity!”
Carrie Colton is a Colorado native and queer director. They have directed many shows for THAC, and other theaters, and bring a lively experience to all that they do. On working with Colton, Sanders says, “Carrie Colton brings excitement and positive energy into every room. That energy is contagious. Every project they work on… whether as fight choreographer for our production of Trey Parker’s Cannibal! The Musical, or choreographer for our production of The Prom, or now as director for Once… is infused with joy. They lead with joy and with love, which naturally creates a culture of acceptance. They make things exciting for the performers telling the story, and for the audience watching the story.”
On Your Feet! The Story of Emilio and Gloria Estefan tells exactly that; the life, rise and fall and struggles of queer Latinx icon Gloria Estefan. It goes through the struggles she faced while trying to pursue music in spite of her mother’s wishes (and possibly jealousy), and having to choose between taking care of her father and taking care of herself. The musical touches on found family, authenticity and on the intersections we face as human beings with different identities.
Kepler chose On Your Feet! to reflect on those intersections. “Town Hall Arts Center exists in a majority white suburban community. But that doesn’t mean the stories we tell can’t be reflective of the larger, Coloradoan community. And that community includes people who are immigrants. On Your Feet! is, at its core, a celebration of immigrant communities and their contributions,” he states. Especially given the attacks being made on our countries immigrant communities; it is vital to celebrate them, and to educate those who may not necessarily be able obtain that knowledge otherwise.
Gloria Estefan often was met with attempts to put her in a box, whether that be by her own mother, or by record labels and music producers. Minority communities are often faced with this, that they are nothing more than one singular, often stereotypical trope. Kepler expands on this, stating “Being forced into boxes is something queer people understand. Similarly to so many queer people, Gloria Estefan was faced with a choice. She could try to whitewash her music to fit into American mainstream pop culture. Or she could be entirely, authentically herself. She chose the latter and, as a result, became one of the first people to crossover from Latin Music into the American mainstream. And with huge success. In doing so, she built a bridge between those musical worlds and paved the way for many other Latine/x artists to share their music and their talent on their terms with American audiences.”
Art is a crucial part of building community, and helps us to recognize ourselves in others that are not so much like us in other ways. Seeing the struggles faced by the characters in these performances opens up the audience to talk about those same struggles as faced in the real world; such as the stigma around mental illness and physical disability, immigration and how immigrants are a vital part of the fabric of our country, not only for their contributions but for their personhood at large.
I asked how Sanders and Kepler felt about their responsibility to this in theater, which has long held the tradition of sharing these struggles on a stage. Sanders states, “When you come to the theater as an audience member, you are choosing to have a shared experience with everyone else who came to watch the show. You’re seeing the show unfold at the same time, and experiencing emotions and responses to the show in space with other people who may or may not think and respond the same way as you, but who are absolutely reacting to the same story as you in their own ways. Art will inevitably open up conversations and allow folx to discuss differences of opinions from an empathetic point of view, rather than a judgmental point of view.
Personally, I love to experience theater for the escapism. It provides a much-needed break from reality. I can experience a true story, or a fictitious story, or a historic story, or a contemporary story, told by any number or kinds of storytellers, and what each experience has in common is that they always allow me to escape. Live theater is sometimes calming, sometimes invigorating … always powerful.”
Sanders and Kepler were wonderful to work with, and when asked what else they might like to share, had some beautiful things to say about community and outreach.
Sanders writes, “I am a white, cis-het man. I represent the majority. So in my position as Executive Director, I want to do more than just make theater. (Though I love to make theater.) I want to be a good ally by offering a safe space for people who are not like me to tell their stories, and to use my voice and privilege to stand up for marginalized communities in Colorado. I encourage folx to be allies within your own corners of the world and to uplift communities you are not a part of, yourself. We all have much more in common than what separates us from each other. And when you lean into that common ground, you’re going to have a richer cultural life, social life, and creative life.”
Kepler agrees, “None of the final three shows of our season (‘night, Mother and Once and On Your Feet!) speak exclusively to a queer audience. But each of the final three shows of our season absolutely will resonate with queer audiences. Because these are all human stories. About human trials and triumphs. And queer people are human, first, aren’t we? All the other labels we wear … Gay, gender-queer, immigrant, American, Black … They are all so important when talking about how we come to the table as our most authentic, complete selves. But what we all have in common is that our most authentic, complete selves are all human. These are human stories. And as Robert Michael said, if we could see each other as humans and see all the beautiful things we have in common with each other, in addition to all the beautiful things that make us unique, this world might be a kinder and gentler place. We want to represent that place at Town Hall Arts Center.”
Photos by Colleen Lee and Rachel Graham
