Written by Dakota Hinchman
Rochester Pride is in full swing, and with it, members of the LGBTQ+ community and their allies join together to celebrate liberation and acceptance. At a time when the country’s social and political landscape remains fraught, theater and performance empower people to fight for rights and respect.
Pride is Performance
While Rochester Pride takes place in July, according to Rochester LGBTQ+ Together, the city’s first public Pride event took place on May 16th, 1971.
Marches, community events, and protests are just some of the ways that the people of Rochester have made strides toward social and legal acceptance. At the same time, Pride has always been strongly linked to entertainment, with performance being a space to highlight LGBTQ+ experiences and navigate complex topics.
From the ‘70s to the new century, Rochester has hosted LGBTQ+ radio stations, drag pageants, and musical ensembles such as the Rochester’s Gay Men’s Chorus and the Flower City Pride Band.
Theater Is Empowerment
Soap Watkins has taken numerous classes at The Focus Theater and performs as part of Nerds in a Basement, which combines improv comedy and tabletop role-playing games. In a spin on Dungeon Master, a term from Dungeons & Dragons, Watkins’ troupe refers to them as their Dungeon Mother.
“Theater is that opportunity to say what you’re feeling … to get up and express yourself how you want to and find community,” Watkins said.
For them, being part of the LGBTQ+ community affects all of their performances even when it isn’t the direct focus.
“No matter what I’m involved in, it’s gonna be queer by proxy because I can’t think from a different kind of perspective than my own identity,” they added.
Whether it be through stand-up, a conspiracy council slideshow about corn, or even D&D-inspired improv, queerness and the topical subjects related to it emerge from performances.
“A big ongoing theme from the class I took is to make sure you’re drawing from your own experience and not trying to be somebody that you’re not,” Watkins said.
Even with what they’ve done so far, Watkins still finds the feeling of being on stage something they often think about. Performance can be both a hobby and a way to foster some personal growth.
“Being in front of real people that are in the room with me was always something that made me nervous … I wanted to perform, it seemed fun, but also [got me] over some of that stage fright,” they said.
The unscripted nature of improv can lead to moments that are challenging to navigate. Being on stage gives a performer agency in those situations.
“We always have the ability to leave a scene or change a scene if we need to or don’t feel comfortable with it … but I trust everybody that I’m working with and we get through it,” Watkins said.
As we honor Rochester Pride, it is a time to remember that queer people have always been here and are not going anywhere. Enjoy, and celebrate. The Focus Theater welcomes all who are looking for a safe space.
For those looking for an event focusing specifically on queerness, “REVOLT: A Queer Comedy Showcase” has an event on Saturday, July 18th.