At Birth
Photo Credit: Mike Glatzer Photography
Friday June 2, 2023 08:30 PM EDT
Cost: $25
CL RECOMMENDS
CL Critic Jessica Goodson Recommends: “If social protest is antithetical to art, what then shall we make of Goya, Dickens, and Twain?”— Ralph Ellison.Since the appeal of Roe v. Wade and the passing of Gov. Brian Kemp’s Heartbeat Bill, Georgia has been a breeding ground of protest against the many infringements upon women’s rights. This can be seen no clearer than in the work of Atlanta-based, genderqueer creative, Ty Autry.“Gay men in particular have the memory of a goldfish sometimes and need to be reminded that there’s a lot more work to be done,” Autry says. “Women have graciously supported us many, many times in our fight for rights. And it’s time for us to also return the favor and keep giving a voice and helping support women and their autonomy over their body.”black:Autry teamed up with longtime friend and creative partner Thalia Gonzalez Kane, a queer, Ecuadorian-Canadian multidisciplinary artist to create At Birth ,white:. <span style=”background-color”>white”>Both Autry and Kane have performed all over the world, gaining critical acclaim for their individual work, so it is of no surprise this project is set for an international tour.At Birth is based in Atlanta, about two very gay best friends who, through a night of drunken post-breakup experimentation, end up with an unexpected pregnancy. This atypical situation throws them both into a whirlwind of decision making and forces them to face uncomfortable conversations about friendship, sexuality, abortion rights, and so much more.#141415:“ ,white:It’s complicated,” Kane says. <span style=”font-family”>”Arial Unicode MS”, sans-serif”>“Each person’s decision is their own, because the fact of the matter is, it depends on who the person is and what their life circumstances are.”At Birth is written and performed by Autry and Kane; with At Birth#141415: director Melissa Foulger, Georgia Tech<span style=”color:<span style=”font-family”>”Arial Unicode MS”, sans-serif”>’s DramaTech#141415: Artistic Director; Monty Davis, Atlanta fight and intimacy choreographer; and Paul Conroy, Out Front Theatre<span style=”color:<span style=”font-family”>”Arial Unicode MS”, sans-serif”>’s Artistic and Producing Director. Also on the At Birth#141415: team is Toronto-based playwright and screenwriter, Kat Sandler. This June 2nd presentation at Out Front Theatre Company will be the show<span style=”color:<span style=”font-family”>”Arial Unicode MS”, sans-serif”>’s North American Premiere before they head north to Nashville and New York.”At Birth#141415: takes a fresh look at modern friendship and parenthood, and the joys/perils that come along with each,” Conroy says. <span style=”color:<span style=”font-family”>”Arial Unicode MS”, sans-serif”>“Brisk and engaging, this show tells a complex story in a compact way and puts the focus exactly where it should be — on the story.”Following the show, there will be a talkback panel featuring Patricia Lassiter, Chair of Georgia Equality Board, and Rev. Sen. Kim Jackson of District 41, to discuss the show and to inform the audience on what they can do to support Georgia Equality. ,white:At Birth<span style=”color:<span style=”font-family”>”Arial Unicode MS”, sans-serif”>’s tour destinations include the International Dublin Gay Theatre (Dublin, Ireland), Barons Court Theatre (London, United Kingdom), Prague Fringe Festival (Prague, Czech Republic), Out Front Theatre Company (Atlanta, GA), Elite Studio Works (Nashville, TN), and The Queerly Festival (New York, NY).
From the venue:
Hot off their European tour, international creatives Ty Autry (A Southern Fairytale) and Thalia Gonzalez Kane (A Drunk Lesbian Love Affair) are ready to dazzle Atlanta in their brand-new play directed by Melissa Foulger. What could possibly go wrong when one drunken night Anna, very gay, and Isaac, very very gay, have sex to heal from a breakup? Follow a journey covering themes of queer families, abortion rights in the South, and the pursuit of building community, no matter how untypical. This queer dark comedy navigates blurred family lines, friendship, and dealing with the unexpected consequences life can throw at a person.