Approximately 250 students, Ohio State scholars and members of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community filled the seats of OSU's Roy Bowen Theatre Friday to listen to narratives of gay black men of the South performed through a one-man show.
"Pouring Tea" is a performance that explores issues of racism, coming out, transgenderism, sex and masculinity through the oral histories of southern black gay men ranging in age from 19 to 93.
E. Patrick Johnson, professor, chair and director of Graduate Studies in the Department of Performance Studies at Northwestern University, embodied the oral histories of black gay men who were born and raised in the South.
The show is a performance of interviews Johnson collected for his book "Sweet Tea: Black Gay Men of the South."
Johnson used distinct southern vernacular references and hand gestures to give each of the men he portrayed an individual voice.
Trying to find black gay men for the book was not very difficult, Johnson said.
"I interviewed at least one man in every state of the South," Johnson said. "My first inclination was to find men in chat rooms. I thought better of that."
Johnson said he will remain profoundly changed from the interactions.
"I was humbled by the way these men would open up to me," Johnson said. "But (the stories) weren't even close to my experiences at all."
Valerie Lee, professor and chair of the Department of English, said she appreciated Johnson's use of folklore and performance. "I love what he did with the narratives," Lee said. "I loved how he humanized the characters."
Johnson also used audio clips of the interviews to precede each act of the performance.
"I used (the audio clips) so that the audience wouldn't suspend disbelief," Johnson said. "All of the words (of the performance) are verbatim."
The book and the play have been well-received by the men interviewed, Johnson said.
"Most of the men have been very pleased," he said. "But one man has said that he is beginning to feel self-conscious."
Debra Moddelmog, professor of English and coordinator of the Sexuality Studies Program, said Johnson's performance is more than just a show for entertainment.
"It was fascinating," Moddelmog said. "It shows that theory is a part of everyday practice."
Johnson said many of his characters, specifically Chaz/Chastity, a transgender drag queen, invoked many early writings of the literary approach of queer theory.
"Chaz/Chastity's story could run circles around Judith Butler's work," Johnson said.
Johnson's performance of "Pouring Tea" at Roy Bowen Theatre also marks a partnership between the Department of Theatre and the Department of English as "sister" units in the merging of the Arts and Humanities as one division under the College of Arts and Sciences, according to a written statement by Mark Shanda, professor and chair of the Department of Theatre.
"The Department of English and the Department of Theatre is looking forward to do work together," Lee said. "It's a good marriage."
Amber Phelps can be reached at phelps.84@osu.edu.
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