Body Politic

By (author): Nick Green

Introduction by: Donna-Michelle St. Bernard

The point is that we started the conversation.

In 1971 Phillip was on the cusp of starting something big. Something that would make history. Now he’s an aging journalist trying to make sense of Grindr. Phillip was a founding member of The Body Politic, a gay-liberation newspaper based in Toronto. As he recounts memories of censorship battles, police raids, historic rallies, and the onset of HIV/AIDS during an intimate encounter with a younger man, their generational differences shine a light on the massive shifts in queer identity and politics over the last fifty years.

This historical drama reimagines the events surrounding the birth, life, and death of one of the most important journalistic forces in Canada, and the opportunities it created for the future.

AUTHOR

Donna-Michelle St. Bernard

Mike Payette is an award-winning director, educator, and actor who has appeared with some of Canada’s finest theatres, including the Citadel, Vertigo, Banff Centre, Segal Centre, Centaur, the Grand, Factory, Neptune, and the National Arts Centre. A frequent guest artist at the National Theatre School of Canada, some of his memorable works as a director include Harlem Duet (Black Theatre Workshop), Hosanna (Tableau D’Hôte Theatre / Centaur), Around the World in 80 Days and Reaching for Starlight (Geordie Theatre), the Canadian premiere of Tarell Alvin McCraney’s Choir Boy (Centaur, later with Canadian Stage / Arts Club), Cockroach (Tarragon), Sensitivity (Obsidian Theatre / CBC Gem, as part of 21 Black Futures), the Quebec premiere of Héritage (A Raisin in the Sun) (Théâtre Duceppe), along with national tours of The Tashme Project (Tashme Prod / Centaur / Factory / Firehall) and Lorena Gale’s Angélique (Black Theatre Workshop / Tableau D’Hôte / National Arts Centre / Factory / Obsidian). He was the co-founding artistic director of Tableau D’Hôte Theatre, past assistant artistic director for Black Theatre Workshop, and was the artistic and executive director of Geordie Theatre before becoming artistic director of Tarragon Theatre in Toronto, where he now resides.


AUTHOR

Nick Green

Nick Green is a Dora and Sterling Award–winning playwright, and the creator of the Social Distancing Festival. Credits include Happy Birthday Baby J (Shadow Theatre); Every Day She Rose (Nightwood Theatre, co-written with Andrea Scott); Fangirl (book; Launch Pad at the Musical Stage Company); In Real Life (book; Canadian Music Theatre Projects); Dinner with the Duchess (Next Stage Festival, BroadwayWorld Toronto Award); Body Politic (Buddies in Bad Times/lemonTree Creations; Dora Award); Poof! The Musical (book and lyrics; Capitol Theatre, Sterling Award nomination); and The Fabulous Buddha Boi (Guys UnDisguised, Sterling Award). He lives in Toronto.


Reviews

Body Politic is by turns funny, enlightening, heartbreaking and occasionally, for seasoning, bewildering.” 


– S. Bear Bergman

“For some, this will be a reminder of history; for others, an important history lesson.” 


– Jon Kaplan

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Excerpts & Samples ×

Phillip: Kettle’s on. If you guys are okay here, I think I’m going to…

Steven: It was a good piece, Phillip. It caught the raw energy. The emotion. The hope.

Phillip: I agree. They were scared of it. Fucking typical.

Steven: That’s what I’m saying. It needs to be read.

Calvin: Well then, let’s get it the fuck out there.

Steven: It needs to be out there.

Phillip: You guys should really do that.

Steven: We can’t. Who’s going to publish it? No one’s going to publish this thing, it’s too…

Calvin: What?

Steven: No one is publishing this kind of thing.

Calvin: You just said that.

Steven: Someone should be.

Calvin: I think we’re on the same page here.

Steven: I could be.

Phillip: You could be.

Steven: We should be.

Phillip: Yeah, you guys should be.

Steven: No. All of us.

Phillip: I’m actually pretty busy these days.

Calvin: You’re not.

Steven: You really aren’t.

Calvin: But it’ll take more than three people.

Steven: Obviously, Calvin.

Calvin: Who?

Steven: You call Jason and Patrick.

Calvin: And Carl.

Steven: I hate Carl. Oh, ask Chaz.

Calvin: Maybe you should ask Chaz.

Steven: Oh, and Deb.

Calvin: Phillip, you have that friend at U of T.

Phillip: I think that this is more your speed, you guys.

Calvin: Okay, bye.

Steven: Phillip, I won’t listen to it. You’re in. Okay? Just say it. You’re in. Okay?

Phillip: Okay. I’m in.

Steven: Good. So let’s get started.

Reader Reviews

Accessibility Detail

Accessibility summary

Details

Dimensions:

136 Pages
8.32in * 5.30in * .30in
180.00gr
.39lb

Published:

May 21, 2019

ISBN:

9781770919747

9781770919761 – EPUB

9781770919778 – MobiPocket

9781770919754 – PDF

Book Subjects:

DRAMA / LGBTQ+

Language:

eng

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