The Drive
The Drive is an audio play. It is a scripted, five-minute theater scene, recorded remotely by myself and Elizabeth Staples, and inspired by the real life experienced shared by many queer people of coming out to someone while they are driving. My piece was written and edited by myself, and it incorporates the teachings that I took from Kai Cheng Thom's talk, "Choosing Love at the End of the World: Social Collapse, Conflict Resolution, and Queer Resilience." This talk inspired me to create an alternate version of events where the coming out process resolves in a positive way. The Open Intergenerational Dialogue on HIV History at the Summit is also reflected in the piece, as the characters bring up both outdated stereotypes about HIV and new hopes for a world where eradication of that virus is possible. In a very personal way, this piece took the theme of the Summit by disrupting and reconstructing my own memories and I have hopes that hearing this frank but dramatized conversation can help people ease into coming out conversations.
Robin Gaudreau
My name is Robin Gaudreau (they/them). I am a non-binary trans-disciplinary artist based in Tkaronto, Ontario. I most often perform as my drag persona, Rye, born out of the alternative scene of the Queer West neighbourhood.