 |
| Ginger Lazarus |
Burning began three years ago as a project
with Queer Soup Theater. I had a little whim to write a lesbian version of
Rostand’s Cyrano de Bergerac that led
to an evening of one-acts on the theme “queering the classics.” And that led to
BPT’s involvement; a longer play; many, many drafts; and finally the
realization of this wonderful production.
I have been
in love with Cyrano for a long, long
time. That said, I immediately forswore any loyalty to the original text and
gave myself permission to reinvent it as needed. When I conceived Cy as my main
character, she emerged razor-witted, self-reliant, and tough as the mountains.
Which brought in her Army background, which raised the specter of Don’t Ask,
Don’t Tell, still in effect at the time I began writing. And so the story
tackles not only the enforced silence of queer service members but also the
self-imposed silence of a person who feels unlovable.
I didn’t
need to do much research on the ache of wanting someone out of reach. The world
of the military, on the other hand, was utterly foreign. In my epic
investigation into this new world, two things struck me most deeply. First—the
sheer horror and injustice endured by victims of sexual assault, DADT, and
other poisonous byproducts of military policy and culture. No silence is more
chilling than the power of an institution to make acts of rape, persecution,
and even murder disappear at will. Second—the courage of those people in
uniform who believe in their service and uphold its values (honor, integrity, respect
among them), whether by risking their lives in combat or speaking the truth at
great personal cost. I hope this play honors them. I hope that, with DADT
repealed and the recent increased attention on sexual assault, our society and
our military can live up to their example.
-- Ginger Lazarus, Playwright
No comments:
Post a Comment