"Apple Pie” Production Focuses On GLBT Kids As A Slice Of American Life
by Corey Stulce
Vital Voice

Reclaiming patriotism and pride with pastry; what a novel — if not a la mode — concept.

That Uppity Theater Company (aren’t they always up to something?) has combined with Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) and Growing American Youth (GAY) to produce "As American as Apple Pie," debuting on May 22 at the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis.

Photo by Carrie Zukoski
left to right: Sam Kleinman, Dan Rea, Dream Weaver and Alex Nooran
in “As American As Apple Pie.”

The non-profit PFLAG organization has hundreds of thousands of members in the country throughout nearly 500 local groups. GAY has been around in the St. Louis area for about 25 years and annually serves more than 300 members under the age of 22 through weekly meetings held at Trinity Episcopal Church.

In what promises to be a unique performance piece, artistic director Joan Lipkin, along with Sarah Shimchick, a grad student, has worked with teens from GAY, coaxing stories out through conversation, which were turned into scripts by members like Sam Kleinman, who is also performing in some pieces.

Lipkin has also met with PFLAG members regularly, helping them to prepare their pieces in a "readers theater" format.

"I asked them, ‘What is important to know about your journey as the parent of a GLBT child?’; ‘What is it that you want people to know?’," Lipkin said. "We broke it down into areas of concentration and focus: the issue of shame; issue of bravery; the question of the moment of recognition; things they had in common with their children; things they are proud of. We would go around the room, have them each talk and we would craft them together."

Lipkin often works with different types of people in theatrical productions with varying performance experience — many with none at all. So, she has a few "tricks" to get the best, and most honest, stories out of participants.

"Everyone has interesting things to say. I just have to hone in on it," Lipkin said about her "citizen actors."

She said she tries to get everyone engaged in conversation, so that the material, even when raw, will always reflect an individual’s voice.

"We’ll look like we’re chatting casually, but I’m really scanning for material."

PFLAG member Anne Kelsey, who is also a minister at Trinity Episcopal, said the production would allow parents in the community to find strength to face the social and religious adversity often thrust at GLBTs.

"It reveals the intimate struggles and profound transformations of parents and children who find themselves dealing with challenges they never expected," she said.

The performance will alternate between the four PFLAG members and seven GAY members who are presenting pieces. The ages in the cast range from 14 through mid-60s, Lipkin said.

"These two groups speaking in relation to each other have wonderful stories to tell," Lipkin said. "Nothing like this has been done in St. Louis before."

Lipkin said she has shared some of the material the GAY kids have been working on with PFLAG members, but the youths will be hearing the PFLAG pieces for the first time during the performances.

Kleinman, 18, is a student at Metro High School and has been with GAY for about a year, though it seems much longer, he said. Though he described his own coming out experience as amazing, it’s not always the case for young people in 2004. He said often the youth perspective of GLBTs is lost, even within the community, which is sad and scary, considering kids are coming out younger and younger.

"People leave us out of the picture for a lot of different reasons. This project has a lot of power to work on and change that," Kleinman said. "Here’s a group of kids telling their stories, not all serious. There’s some funny stuff, sweet stuff, all on different levels — not all shoulder sobbing. There’s a cool realness to it."

One piece Kleinman helped create uses the family dinner hour as a springboard for conversation. Another piece Lipkin said stood out was called "Tossing," which was prompted when a GAY member told a story about having something tossed on them that day.

"Every single kid in my group has been harassed, verbally or physically or both," she said. "We started playing with the idea of tossing. What is thrown that is fun? Parties. Pizzas. We started to also think about it in more serious terms."

She added that another highlight was having each GAY member write a personal, about what they were looking for and what they had to offer.

"There was a lot of referencing to cuddling," she said. "Kids need hugs, need to be held. These are kids."

After the performances, Lipkin said they will hold a reception where the audience can interact with the cast, as well as enjoy coffee, and, of course, apple pie.

"We are as American as apple pie, don’t you know?" she said.