Dane Peterson is well known for the theater work he does in Birmingham, from his work as an actor (“Cabaret,” “Hedwig and the Angry Inch”) to his work as a teacher (currently at Indian Springs School). His theater company, The DANE, is also active, having brought us productions of “Grey Gardens,” “The Who’s Tommy,” “The Normal Heart” and “Bloody, Bloody, Andrew Jackson,” among others. This weekend, the DANE presents Say Gay Plays, a compilation of short pieces created in 2022 in response to anti-LGBTQ+ legislation. Peterson talks about the work here in advance of Sunday’s performance.
The DANE does a wide variety of shows. Was that the plan from the start?
We started in 1999 as a summer theater series for local high school and college students to work as a company of creatives producing large-scale musicals. As the program grew, we officially became a 501(c)3 non-profit in 2004, expanding to include established theater professionals in productions beyond the summer months. Our goal has always been to present socially relevant stories that engage and challenge our artists and audiences.
Tell me about the Say Gay Plays.
Over the summer, a colleague in New York contacted me about the Say Gay Plays, which The Voyage Theater Company conceived in association with the Tectonic Theater Project, Miami New Drama and Provincetown Theater in response to the 2022 passage of the Parental Rights in Education bill in Florida, commonly known as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill.
In 2023, more than 520 state bills attacking LGBTQ+ rights were introduced, with more than 75 becoming law. The Human Rights Campaign officially declared a state of emergency for LGBTQ+ people in the United States for the first time in history. According to the ACLU, in 2024 alone, more than 300 anti-LGBTQ+ bills have been introduced in 35 state legislatures around the country.
The Birmingham edition of Say Gay Plays, an evening of short new plays by LGBTQ+ playwrights, is about sharing queer stories of courage, triumph and joy to counter the harmful narratives used as justification for the passage of these discriminatory bills. There have only been three previous presentations of Say Gay Plays, all in the Northeast.
Is it the same plays every time, or do they switch up?
There are 10 plays in the catalog – and theaters can choose which to present and how to present them. We will offer six plays in a concert reading format for our production. Dr. Susan Hagen will help set the scenes, introducing each piece and reading stage directions.
Tell me a little about the plays people will see on Sunday.
In “Late Night Drink,” by Lucy Thurber and directed by Sam Torres, Dolores has ridden her rebuilt Triumph Bonneville 1959 T120 motorcycle from New Hampshire to seek solace and safety in an NYC lesbian bar. The play features Gabby Nieto-Hale and Meryem Tunagur-Williams. Doug Wright’s “An Address to the Florida Legislature” features Neil Raffety as outspoken conservative John Q. Public offering pragmatic suggestions for strengthening Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bills. Jalen J. Brown is a young gay man triggered when his lover dumps him via Post-it in Harrison David Rivers’ “i love the s*** out of you.” Jada Cato directs Rebecca Yeager and Gabby Nieto-Hale in “Principal’s Office,” by Fernanda Coppel, about a lesbian Latinx mother confronting another parent’s bigotry at her child’s school, where discussion of LGBTQ+ families has recently become illegal. “Swann Song,” by Marquis D. Gibson and directed by Chalethia Williams, is the story of undergrad student Earl, who challenges academic norms, performing his senior thesis in homage to William Dorsey Swann, history’s first self-proclaimed drag queen, featuring Darrius L. Young-Williams and Donna Thornton. The last play on the lineup, Nina Ki’s “Happy Endings for People Like Us,” is about Jordan (Samantha King), who is preparing to leave home for her first year at college. Her queer, non-binary sibling Nani (Alex Robinson) panics, feeling abandoned and vulnerable without their older sister’s protection. The show is directed by Lauren Wainwright and Julia Gale.
You’re partnering with a church to produce this afternoon of plays. How did that come about?
With a history of social activism, St. Andrew’s Episcopal has been a fixture of the diverse South Highlands neighborhood since 1902. The parish was ahead of its time in encouraging women to have leadership roles and welcoming LGBTQ people. In 2015, the parish began conducting same-gender weddings. In 2018, it became the first parish in the Episcopal Diocese of Alabama to have an openly gay rector, who also was African American. In 2021, it welcomed its first full-time woman priest as interim rector. As a member of the parish since 2021 and junior warden of its Vestry, I knew the beautiful, sacred space of St. Andrew’s would be the perfect, welcoming venue to present the Say Gay Plays in conjunction with the church’s Red Door Arts ministry.
What do you hope audiences will take away from the Say Gay Plays?
When I look back on my life, I regret that I chose to live closeted throughout my 20s and early 30s, placing more importance, or value, on my work – with fear of losing my employment because of my sexuality – than living for personal joy, happiness and love. I wish no one experiences the emptiness I lived in; instead, they are secure in who they are and who they love. I hope that, for our polarized world, Say Gay Plays provides a positive expression of breaking down the social and political stigma that keeps loving, kind, creative and intelligent folks from achieving their full potential.
The Southeastern Premiere of Say Gay Plays presented by The DANE Theatre Co and Red Door Arts of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church. Sunday, January 19, 2025, at 6:30 PM. St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, 1024 12th St S, Birmingham. Suggested donation for admission is $20. Those who cannot donate $20 for admission should plan to attend and pay what they can, no matter the amount—no questions asked.
