Lord, help me now! This is the first review in first person. I just have to say, that was truly an eye-opening experience! But wow - congrats to The Process Theatre for being sold out continuously! Whole World Theater and The Process Theatre presented "Southern Baptist Sissies", the tale of a young man and his friends living in a wonderfully religious society but having to deal with their homosexual feelings, loves, cravings and desires. And really, the whole thing comes down to "love." Love of two men, love of one's self, love of your friends and just love in general. There are some scenes in here that, well, if the Jews, the Catholics, the Pentacostals and the non-Southern Baptists can't take a joke and look at themselves ligthly - they'd just walk out of the show. The references to the huge cross mounted up-stage center, whether these references were verbal or physical. The wonderous drag queen who comes on every so often to entertain and to drive a point home. The male stripper who - well....we all know what he's carrying. The ignorance of the Southern Baptist church towards other religions. The molding of young minds and the constant reminder of "hell." The kissing of males to males on stage. Now, really, it's the 21st century, I know, but stay with me here on the things that might offend the older no-fun-set. The touching and showing of what a male can do with another male on stage. But we'll reference that one under "love."
If the audience can see past what is normally offensive to the "squares" in the city, there is a story that needs to be told. There is a story that, I found out, is all too familiar to a lot of people. Whether they are boys, girls, blacks, whites, Jews, gentiles...being taught one thing, then growing up and facing reality. That, and, let me try to quote Topher Payne on this - "She taught me to love daddy, love mommy, love Elvis - but she never taught me to love myself." The cast is spectacular - not a faker in the bunch! Topher Payne, Marcelo Banderas, George Deavours, Matt Sutter, Greg Morris, Joel Kay, Jo Howarth, another young lady playing the mother whose name I can not remember, and the ever talented Director and Actor, DeWayne Morgan. It's a very powerful piece and one that needs to show up this time every year.
Major props to the Process!
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