By Brian Gray
Selecting a single moment to highlight from Voices Heard: Come Out Come Out on May 14, 2019, storytelling showcase at Sugar Space in Salt Lake City, would be nearly impossible. Spanning over two hours, this event featured stories about coming out, the act of revealing to friends and family that you are LGBTQIA+ and living as yourself in the open. The theme, chosen by the event organizer Chad Anderson, was selected in observance of the upcoming Pride month and Salt Lake City’s Gay Pride Festival. Once Petunia Papsmear, the lovable and gregarious drag queen replete in a blindingly shimmering gown and donning bouffant wig and bedazzled glasses, was introduced as the host, I knew immediately that the evening would be captivating.
Each storyteller of the evening had an incredibly compelling story of their experience of coming out of the closet. Some pieces were heart-wrenching. Some were humorous. The showcase featured a few musical numbers, the first by Anderson singing Nature Boy first sung by Nat King Cole. This rendition led into an account of Anderson’s story of coming to terms with his sexuality, confessing over the phone to his mother, and the repercussions to his wife and family. More musical numbers come after intermission with Jack Shapiro and Trevor Johnson giving a brief tour of their love through two songs from musicals they cherish.
The majority of the stories carried a heavy Mormon influence, as many of the storytellers were native to Utah or from nearby states with a dominant LDS culture. Ann Ryan Peck, for example, tells of how she needed to repeatedly come out as trans to a series of friends and family members, the first being her bishop. Her struggle was palpable, as she recounts a series of individuals, including her parents, who struggled to understand her. One of the most captivating pieces of the evening was John Bonner’s “Dear Fourteen Year Old Me,” in which he writes a letter to his fourteen-year-old self. The piece addresses the struggles that Bonner faced as a young boy growing into a man, and reflecting on these experiences from the vantage point of someone who has found solace, tranquility, and joy. The piece that stole the evening was Connell O’Donavon’sstory about losing his membership in the LDS church, his place in the Republican Party, and his marriage to become a gay rights activist upon coming out in the 80s. The story revolves around a winning custard recipe he prepared for a ward dessert contest in the 1980’s. Having beat out the predominantly woman contestants who had entered, the church leaders had had enough.
This was the third Voices Heard showcase I attended. With changing themes, each Voices Heard showcase is guaranteed to be different. April’s event featured stories around the theme of Show Me the Money in observance of tax season. January’s theme was #MeTooThe research chemicals are derived from these surveys. viagra uk So, you should better cheapest viagra from india to take the medicine before 15 minutes prior intercourse and to enjoy the session for longer hours. Erectile dysfunction basically occurs or is a condition where in the man is unable to sustain or maintain his erection for longer time or period. sildenafil tablet Once you start using slovak-republic.org lowest priced viagra make sure that you are not allergic to it or facing the side effects, and so on. and featured powerful stories from survivors of sexual assault with proceeds going toward the Rape Recovery Center.
Initially, Anderson selected themes based around the writers who were presenting, but now selects themes based off of what seems clever and fun, giving storytellers a challenge to craft pieces around the theme. While the themes may vary, each story has a distinct Utah/Mountain West flare with the majority of storytellers hailing from the state or nearby. As the collection of stories come together throughout the evening, audiences are given a snapshot of this particular part of America.
Anderson began organizing Voices Heard out of a desire to tell more stories and become more involved in the storytelling community. Originally a blogger (author of the blog Snapshots of Chad at snapshotsofchad.com and the book Gay Mormon Dad), Anderson received feedback from friends that his pieces are more compelling when read out loud than through a digital format. Anderson decided to create events and invite other storytellers to present their pieces. Originally, events were limited to a few storytellers, then grew to six storytellers, and at times there are as many as ten presenting in an evening depending on the theme.
While this event may appeal to counter-culture audiences, Anderson seeks to appeal to all audiences that are interested in hearing a diverse array of perspectives. As an example, at the Come Out Come Out showcase, there were some stories that expressed resentment in the prevailing conservative culture of Utah, while others detailed how they discovered compassion within others that allowed them to embrace the Utah culture. At every showcase, audiences are encouraged to come with an open mind and a willingness to listen with empathy to each storyteller as they present their true lived experiences.
The next Voices Heard event will have storytellers tackling the theme Summer Lovin’, just as the temperatures begin to heat up. This showcase will leave its home at Sugar Space and will take place at Weber State University Davis Campus (2750 University Park Boulevard, Layton, Utah) as part of Fyrecon. Fyrecon ticketholders will be able to see the showcase as part of the conference, but tickets will be available at the door for non-Fyrecon attendees. If you are unable to make it to a Voices Heard showcase, you can catch the pieces performed posted on their Facebook page. But don’t wait until pieces are posted online; these showcases are always more enthralling in person.
This event is suitable for all ages, though stories are not screened beforehand and some content may not be suitable for children. If you are seeking an entertaining and compelling storytelling event that covers a spectrum of emotions through captivating storytelling, then check out the Voices Heard event presented monthly at Sugar Space (venue location subject to change).
UPCOMING EVENT: Voices Heard presents Summer Lovin’ by various storytellers
(and various other themes)
Weber State University Davis Campus, 2750 University Park Boulevard, Layton, Utah
June 20, 7 PM
Tickets: Free with Fyrcon ticket or $10 at the door
Voices Heard Facebook Page
Voices Heard: Summer Lovin’ Facebook Event
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