BWW Previews: OUTCAST THEATRE COLLECTIVE HAS WORLD DEBUT OF DIONYSUS ON THE DOWN LOW at StageWorks Theatre

On July 22, Outcast Theatre Collective will be returning to live theatre with a limited engagement and the world premiere of Michael Proft's Dionysus on the Down Low at StageWorks Theatre.

After watching a documentary series, Michael was inspired to pen Dionysus on the Down Low. The play tells the story of Ugandan LGBT activist David Okello's (played by Theron Butler) whose existence is threatened by a proposed anti-homosexuality bill. He finds shelter in Boston, MA with Matthew Teitman (played by Jonathan O'Brien), an LGBTQIA rights advocate with the ACLU.

"As a writer, you are always looking for your next inspiration," said Michael. "My friend David had sent me a link to a BBC series 'The Worst Places in the World to Be Gay,' and one of the episodes was about Uganda, and then I found a documentary called 'Call Me Kuchu' (Ugandan for gay). I was just riveted. I thought about the story for a long time because there has to be a personal and compelling reason for me to tell the story and also to personalize it."

Michael was moved by a Ugandan woman who fled and applied for political asylum in Sweden.

"That's a culture shock to go from Africa to Sweden," he said. "So I thought what if someone actually came to the States and fell in love? Could two people from such disparate cultural backgrounds make a go of it as a couple? I wanted to explore that. There's a lot of me in the character of Matthew. I was able to explore my issues with relationships and fear of intimacy. I found my way into it. If it was just a story about gay Ugandans, I wouldn't have told it. It was not my story to tell. But this, I was able to find my personal way into it and also illuminate this topic that is very near and dear to my heart, and something I feel very passionate about.

What's going on in Uganda is the perfect example of what can happen. It was fueled by American Evangelicals in Uganda. They made Uganda ground zero for LGBT laws. That says a lot about what's going on elsewhere too."

As Matthew helps David obtain political asylum in the play, tensions mount between the two very different men struggling to find a common ground.

When Dionysus on the Down Low director Clareann Despain sat down to read the play, she was mesmerized.

"I was blown away. I couldn't put it down. The story was so moving, so funny. The writing is so good. It is such a beautifully crafted story - the first thing I fall in love with is the story - and the characters who embody that story. It's a beautiful play how these structural issues come to bear on interpersonal relationships. It was executed in a way that was not heavy-handed. It is a nuanced expression of human interaction with these different cultures and issues, and how that impacts individuals and interpersonal relationships. I straight fell in love with it - much like a couple of the characters straight fall in love.

I want the audience to live and breathe through this play, along with the actors. It's a wonderful journey to have been on as a director, cast, and crew. We really want to bring the audience in on that journey now and have them travel with us over the course of the evening."

Performances of Dionysus on the Down Low are July 22nd - 24th at 8:00 PM with a Sunday matinee performance on the 25th at 3:00 PM at Stageworks Theatre at 1120 E Kennedy Blvd suite #151, Tampa, FL 33602. Tickets are $30 and can be purchased through Outcast's website: outcasttheatre.org/dionysus.