Richmond’s Gateway Theatre will be mounting a comedy production that challenges the idea of privilege starting Feb. 6.
Straight White Men, written by Young Jean Lee, is a “straight-up satire of middle-class white privilege” production which looks at the conversation Ed and his three adult sons have as they celebrate Christmas together.
At the dinner table, there is a lot of cheerful trash-talking, pranks and casual comments of cultural homophobia and racism over Chinese takeout.
However, their holiday celebration gets complicated with the presence of the eldest son, Matt, who is an Ivy League-educated alpha male but is somehow working at a low-paying job for a community organization.
Fay Nass, co-director of Straight White Men, hopes that the production will reduce the gaps of misunderstandings and promote discussions through empathy about privilege.
“I hope (viewers) recognize that our differences make us beautiful, and that privilege is something we need to become aware of. It doesn’t need to be something that divides us,” said Nass.
She told the Richmond News that the show is not meant to “exclude or teach something new” to anyone, but rather, to create a space for deeper understanding of privilege.
A professional facilitator will assist in the final act of the production, which is a TalkForward segment by Itsazoo Productions – a production that creates immersive and dynamic theatre events for audiences.
Various speakers with expertise in topics of “male masculinity, queerness, whiteness and any of interest in straight identities” will be invited every night to speak to the audience, according to Nass.
The Canadian debut of Straight White Men will be at Gateway Theatre from Feb. 6 to 15.
Tickets are $29 each and can be bought online or at the box office.
For more information visit www.gatewaytheatre.com/straight-white-men
Special events:
Feb 6 @ 7p.m. – Pizza Preview
Enjoy a free slice of pizza before our Thursday Preview Show.
Feb 11 @ 12 p.m. – Tea Matinee
Meet with friends, discuss shows, and enjoy tea and cake before the Tuesday Matinee.
Feb 11 & 13 @ 7p.m. – Hops Hour
Join us for a complimentary pre-show beer tasting, presented by a local Richmond brewery.
Feb 12 @ 7p.m. – Wine Wednesday
Sample local wines at our pre-show complimentary wine tasting, courtesy of a local Richmond family winery.
