Almost six years after a politically motivated shooting took two lives from its congregation, the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church in Knoxville remains steadfast in its doctrine of acceptance.
Upholding their altruistic maxim “Our Doors and Our Hearts Will Remain Open,” the church will host OUTSpoken, a performance by Knoxville’s Sundress Academy for the Arts that celebrates and recounts the harrowing and heartbreaking stories of the local LGBTQ community.
“OUTSpoken grew out of the notion that the lives and experiences of the LGBTQ community, especially within the South, were lacking representation,” said Adam Crandall, performing arts assistant for Sundress Academy for the Arts. “We wanted to create a program that captured these experiences and then expressed them to the local community.”
OUTSpoken began as a series of writing workshops in which both local and national artists – including a number of UT students, alumni, and faculty – were given the opportunity to record their LGBTQ story through a variety of genres ranging from poetry to short stories. Taking their words from paper to stage, artists were then given the option to either perform their own pieces or work with actors to translate the final drafts into visually compelling dramatic performances.
“OUTSpoken is really shining a light on the lives of Southern LGBTQ persons,” said T.A. Noonan, performer and literary arts director for Sundress Academy for the Arts. “This event is in many ways a celebration of and for those who shared these experiences.”
Noonan, an accomplished, queer-identifying female writer who helped lead the OUTSpoken workshops, places profound importance on creating a stable, supportive community of LGBTQ persons and their allies through events such as OUTSpoken.
“I know how important it is to have people that one can both identify with and draw strength from,” Noonan said. “I wouldn’t have survived without the love and support of my community.”
In addition to its LGBTQ resonances, OUTSpoken also serves as a striking showcase of both Knoxville and UT’s dramatic talent. The event will include creative performances by five UT alumni and two current students, Sean Kelley and Taylor Jackson. In addition, the writing of Erin Elizabeth Smith, UT lecturer of English, will be featured.
Performed pieces will cover topics ranging from the challenges faced by LGBTQ youth to themes such as joy, love and loss.
“We hope that hearing these stories will help those dealing with similar issues, as well as help others better understand both the joys and struggles of LGBTQ individuals,” Crandall said.
The event will take place June 28 at 7:30 p.m. at the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church on Kingston Pike. Tickets can be purchased online at http://www.sundresspublications.com/safta/ for $10 or at the door for $15. A percentage of the proceeds will go to support the East Tennessee Chapter of the Gay, Lesbian, & Straight Education Network.
More information and updates can be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/OUTSpokenTN or on Twitter at @SAFTA_OUTSpoken.
