Openly Oscar-winning actor Kevin Spacey has donated London’s Old Vic theater free-of-charge to stage a gay-themed play about notoriously anti-gay Uganda this November.
Just Me, You and The Silence by Ugandan playwright Judy Adong depicts the government-fueled oppression LGBT people face in the East African nation. Set in the capital, Kampala, the play tells the life and struggle of Jacob Obina, an ambitious politician and family man.
The one-night-only staged reading of Just Me, You and The Silence was organized by international LGBT rights organization, The Kaleidoscope Trust with ticket sales donated to charities and campaigns working to end the persecution of LGBT communities.
“This is an important piece that deserves to be heard and we are pleased to be providing an opportunity for audiences to connect with its message,” said Spacey, who’s the Old Vic’s artistic director.
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Just Me, You and The Silence will likely have a better reception than another recent gay Ugandan play, The River and the Mountain. After staging the play in Kampala in August, producer David Cecil was arrested and currently faces two years in prison.
fagburn
Has he consulted any Ugandan gay men on how this might actually adversely affect them?
Still, hooray for brave closeted Hollywood stars!
YAY!
Cam
His closeted stature makes anything like this seem…..off.
Aidan8
@fagburn: Should we all just ignore the plight of Ugandan LGBTs? I understand your concern, but are we really going to attack Spacey for helping to bring more visibility to the issue?
Aidan8
@fagburn: I get your concern, but should we be attacking Spacey for bringing more visibility to the plight of Ugandan LGBTs? Is it better that he not do this?
fagburn
@Aidan8: We should be asking gay Ugandans – I really do not know.
But putting the play on in Uganda – by a white English man – let the authorities continue their crass saw that they are being attacked by western cultural/sexual imperialism.
It’s simplistic to think any pro-gay action will be of benefit, if you ignore the first Hippocratic oath; “First, do no harm”.
balehead
emotional hypocrites shouldn’t be telling people how to live their lives..just sounds jealous and snippy….Kevin sounds heroic to me..
fagburn
How is it “heroic” to put on a reading of a play about the problems of being out in Uganda when you’re not out in Hollywood?
Aidan8
@fagburn: ??? It’s a play by a Ugandan playwright being staged in London. How is a Ugandan playwright hurting Ugandans by writing about their plight?
fagburn
“First, do no harm”.
Aidan8
@fagburn: WTF?? Tell us the harm this Ugandan playwright is doing to her fellow Ugandans?
Alan down in Florida
“Openly Oscar winning Actor Kevin Spacey…” now that was my best laugh of the day.