A comedy-drama about gay couples posing straight is coming to the stage of a Surrey church.
Pivot Theatre’s production of “Perfect Arrangement” opens Thursday, April 13 at Bethany-Newton United, 14853 60 Ave.
It’s the Canadian debut of Topher Payne’s play, set during the ‘Lavender Scare’ of the 1950s when there was a moral panic about homosexual people in the U.S. government, leading to mass dismissal.
The scene is a dinner party, where couples Bob and Millie and Norma and Jim host boss Theodore and his wife Kitty, where Theodore announces that the next “bold step” in service for Bob and Norma will be routing homosexuals out of the State Department.
Problem is that “Bob and Millie” and “Norma and Jim” are actually Bob and Jim and Millie and Norma, two gay couples who have married as heterosexuals to avoid scrutiny. They are then conflicted between continuing to fly under the radar to protect themselves, and carrying out their jobs working for the government.
“People are surprised when I tell them this show is based on true events,” director Kayt Roth says.
“Most of us know about McCarthyism and the communist paranoia of the time, but not about how the U.S. government actively persecuted homosexuals within its ranks. I’d never heard of The Lavender Scare, but as I read the script, I couldn’t help but draw parallels between it and the current rise in threats against the LGBTQ2+ community.”
Cast members are Kevin Ibbotson (Bob), Brittany Vesterback (Norma), Beck Marie (Millie), Suksham Shan (Jim), Chuck Mayne (Theodore), Amanda Smith-Weston (Kitty) and Katarina Keča (Barbara).
After its week-plus run in Newton, the play will be showcased at the theatre-focused Fraser Valley Zone Festival in Chilliwack on May 24. Closing night at the church is April 22, with 8 p.m. shows and 2 p.m. matinee April 15. Tickets are $25, or $20 for seniors and students. For details visit pivottheatre.ca.
Founded in 2021, Pivot Theatre’s focus as a community theatre is on “providing a safe space for our artists, no matter their background, race, gender, orientation, or ability,” the company’s website notes.
“We welcome all people to join us – including those who are LGBTQ, BIPOC, two-spirited, white, cisgendered, and disabled – to create theatre performances and other visual and performance art for patrons in Surrey and the Lower Mainland. Our goal is to highlight and support talented individuals and groups while fostering a means for their art and talent to find an audience.”
This summer, Pivot will host an annual general meeting and Meet & Greet BBQ on Saturday, July 29, from 1 to 5 p.m. at Bethany-Newton United Church.
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tom.zillich@surreynowleader.com
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