Identity play: Edmonton high school musical celebrates LGBTQ students

Mordecai Lazzer was grateful for the support of staff and students at Edmonton's Ross Sheppard High School while exploringgender identity.

Now the three-year personal journey of theGrade 12 student, who identifies as 'they' or 'them,' is one of the stories in a musical revuecalledIdentities, set to hit the stage at Campus Saint-Jean Theatre next month.

"It's just me going through the name changes and the pronoun changes and where I felt comfortable and finding myself here atShep," saidLazzer, one of a few dozenstudents taking part in the production.

The collection of songs from well-known musicals andreal-life stories of studentstold by others toprotect their privacycould be a first for an Edmonton high school. The productionexplores themes of identityand, in cases such as Lazzer's, gender non-conformity.

"When I get to tell my story and I get to say this is how I came to find myself, it makes me really happy to know that there are people out there who are going to know meand know my story and know that I'm comfortable with who I am, and this is who I am," said Lazzer.

'Beautiful stories'

It was hearing those stories that inspired drama teacher Kristen Forsyth, or just "Forsyth"as her students affectionately call her, to come up with the concept ofIdentities.

Forsyth asked auditioning students to share life-changing moments about coming to terms with who they are. Students opened up about their experiences at school, at home andcoming out.

"After that audition process I thought this is the show: We're going to take these stories, these real life events, and we're going to explore them in a dramatic way, in a safe way for the students so that we canshare these beautiful stories," said Forsyth, who praisedthe school's administration for their support.

She said the current political context,specifically the battle aroundtransgenderbathrooms and the ongoing fightover gay-straight-alliances in Alberta schools, makes this production especially timely for her students.

"I thought it was especially important now to give those students a chanceto express their story and celebrate who they are and feel safe and feel connected and feel validated for who they are."

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That spirit was on full display Thursday at a rehearsal in a school portable. About two dozen students waved rainbow flags, danced, laughed, clappedand beltedout the lyrics to Raise You Up, from the musicalKinky Boots, which celebrates letting love shine, accepting others and being yourself.

"I see my students every day being brave and risky and vulnerable and just jumping into things," said Forsyth. "So I want that spirit to be celebrated on stage."

andrea.huncar@cbc.ca @andreahuncar