HOW TO GO
What: “Pouring Tea: Black Gay Men of the South Tell Their Tales”
Where: University of Dayton Black Box Theatre of Raymond L. Fitz Hall, corner of Brown and Stewart Streets, Dayton
When: Tuesday, April 21; 8 p.m.
Cost: $12 general admission; $7 for UD students, faculty and staff
Tickets/more info: Call (937) 229-2545 or visit www.udayton.edu/artssciences/theatre
The University of Dayton offers a staged reading presentation of E. Patrick Johnson’s provocative, thought-provoking one-man play “Pouring Tea: Black Gay Men of the South Tell Their Tales” Tuesday, April 21 in the Black Box Theatre of Fitz Hall.
Adapted from Johnson’s book “Sweet Tea: Black Gay Men of the South – An Oral History,” “Pouring Tea” chronicles oral histories from black gay men who were born, raised and continue to live in the South. Among the topics covered include sex, religion, transgenderism and coming out.
The Carlos Montezuma Professor of Performance Studies and African-American Studies at Northwestern University, Johnson has performed “Pouring Tea” across the country since 2006. He is also the author of “Appropriate Blackness: Performance and the Politics of Authenticity,” which won the Lilla A. Heston Award, the Errol Hill Book Award and was a finalist for the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award. In 2010, he was notably awarded the Leslie Irene Coger Award for Outstanding Contributions to Performance by the National Communication Association and was inducted into the Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame.
“Bringing ‘Pouring Tea’ to UD is an illustration of the theatre program’s re-visioning toward theater for social justice,” said Michelle Hayford, UD theatre program director and associate professor of theatre who was one of Johnson’s former students at Northwestern. ” ‘Pouring Tea’ is an important performance that demonstrates the power of theater to speak to issues of diversity and social justice, and we’re so honored to have Dr. Johnson come perform these narratives of black gay men of the South for the Dayton community.”
In advance of his appearance, Johnson, a North Carolina native, reflected on his play and its impact.
Q: Why were you led to specifically explore the lives of Southern gay men?
A: The South is really the perfect region to focus on. We know about gay New York or gay San Francisco, but not so much about gay life in the South, particularly the black community in the South. I was born and raised in the South and didn’t have any inkling there were vibrant black gay communities there. I was very naïve about that.
Q: Can you describe the process of acquiring the stories?
A: I conducted 77 interviews across 15 states. The oldest man I interviewed was 93 and the youngest was 19. While it is true the South is the ‘Bible Belt,’ I particularly wanted to have some of the myths about the South debunked. For instance, some people think blacks are more homophobic than any other group and audiences will see that is not true.
Q: Why do you feel ‘Pouring Tea’ has been so well received at the collegiate level over the years?
A: I’ve found college students tend to be the ones who most need to hear these stories. Although America is light years ahead of where we used to be in terms of gay issues, there are still students coming to colleges from smaller towns who are struggling with religion or coming out. Although some of these stories are from older men, it helps students understand they can certainly come through the other side as a whole person. There may be tough times, but there is a community out there they can be a part of.
Q: What are your hopes for the audience as they listen to these stories?
A: I want them to recognize these stories are human stories. You don’t have to be black, from the South, gay, or a man to see something in these stories that speaks to you as a human. You don’t have to share someone’s identity in order to relate. I think a lot of homophobia comes from fear and ignorance. Sexuality is just one component of the multiple parts that makes someone who is gay human. I hope these stories open up people’s hearts to the human experience.
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