THE GAY HERITAGE PROJECT
November 17 - December 8
“Celebratory, Upbeat, and Deeply Moving”
— Toronto Star
Three of our country’s most gifted creator/performers set out to answer one question: is there such a thing as gay heritage? In their search, they uncover a rich history not often shared and shine new light on contemporary gay culture. The result is a hilarious and moving homage to the people who came before us and the events that continue to shape our lives.
After centuries of queer history being hidden in the closet and the loss of almost an entire generation to HIV/AIDS, The Gay Heritage Project is an important step in the excavation, preservation, and promotion of a community’s cultural history.
Using their personal histories and individual cultural heritages as jumping off points, each of the three creators behind The Gay Heritage Project set out to discover their connections to queer people and events in the past. Working closely with historian J. Paul Halferty, they spent hours researching the ancient anecdotes, secret correspondences, and overlooked footnotes that currently comprise queer history. What they discovered was an array of heroes and stories that inspire, comfort, challenge, and empower.
Paul, Damien, and Andrew bring these people and stories to life on stage in rapid-fire succession using a highly physical, comedic, and fast-paced performance style. They offer us an eclectic mix of historical characters and reenactments that shed light on the forgotten champions and occurrences that created our community. In doing so, they educate us about our past and inspire us to further unearth an expansive but overlooked part of our history.
image of Paul Dunn by Tanja-Tiziana
The GHP Collective in association with Buddies in Bad Times Theatre presents the World Premiere of
The Gay Heritage Project
created and performed by Damien Atkins, Paul Dunn & Andrew Kushnir
directed by Ashlie Corcoran
et & lighting design by Kimberly Purtell
video design by Cameron Davis
sound design by Thomas Ryder Payne
historical consultant Paul Halferty
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- Paul Dunn, Andrew Kushnir, and Damien Atkins – photo by Guntar Kravis
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- Andrew Kushnir, Paul Dunn, and Damien Atkins – photo by Guntar Kravis
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- Peul Dunn – photo by Guntar Kravis
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- Andrew Kushnir, Damien Atkins, and Paul Dunn – photo by Guntar Kravis
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- Damien Atkins and Paul Dunn – photo by Guntar Kravis
photos by Guntar Kravis
★★★ 1/2 (out of 4) “Celebratory, Upbeat, and Deeply Moving”
-Toronto Star (read article)
★★★ 1/2 (out of 4) “funny, imaginative, thought-provoking… a wide-ranging and wildly entertaining inquiry into what it means to be gay.”
-Globe & Mail (read article)
“unrelentingly entertaining… one of the most exhilarating evenings in the theatre that you will ever have”
-My Gay Toronto (read Article)
★★★★ (out of 5) “UNDER ASHLIE CORCORAN’S DIRECTION, THESE TALENTED ACTOR/SINGERS INSPIRE AND AMUSE, AMAZE WITH THE CONNECTIONS THEY MAKE AND MAKE US WANT TO HEAR MORE OF THEIR TALES.”
-Now Magazine (read article)