“Shame is a really tricky beast,” says gay San Francisco-based playwright and actor Kevin Rolston, “(shame) hides things from you and whispers in your ear that you’re not good enough.” 

Rolston is staging a new solo play called “Deal With The Dragon.” It runs through August 14th at the Magic Theatre at San Francisco’s Fort Mason Center. The retooled production was inspired by the Alan Downs book “The Velvet Rage: Overcoming the Pain of Growing Up Gay in a Straight Man’s World,” and Rolston’s own suburban Pennsylvania upbringing. 

“I grew up in a very blue collar, working class, homophobic, and racist environment,” he recalled. Through literature, performance, and eventually writing and performing his own intentionally queer works, Rolston found his sexuality and his voice.

An earlier version of “Deal With The Dragon” — in which Rolston plays all three characters — was selected as one of the top 20 theater shows to see at the 2016 Edinburgh Fringe by The List, out of more than 900 entrants. This new re-written and re-staged production is being presented at 8pm Thursday – Saturday, and 3pm Sundays at the Magic Theatre inside Fort Mason Center. 2 Marina Boulevard, Building D, San Francisco, CA.

For tickets ($20 – 70) and information, visit magictheatre.org or call (415) 441-8822.

–

Please help us keep bringing queer air to your ears. Out in the Bay is an independent non-profit production. We receive no funds from podcast platforms nor from radio stations that air Out in the Bay weekly. Your gift will help keep LGBTQ voices and stories coming to you and others who might not be able to give. (Donate tabs on our website will take you to a Media Alliance interface. Media Alliance is our non-profit 501(c)3 fiscal agent. Your gift will be earmarked for Out in the Bay.)

The Executive Producer of Out In The Bay is Eric Jansen. This edition of Out in the Bay was produced by Christopher Beale and Jim Provenzano.