Jonathon Brower (right) and Paul Welch (left) pose for a photo at the Betty Mitchell Awards Aug. 27, 2012. PHOTO Courtesy OF ALDONA BARUTOWICZ.

Calgary’s new Third Street Theatre

Local theatre actors Paul Welch and Jonathan Brower are forming a niche market for queer theatre in the city with the creation of their new Third Street Theatre Company.

According to Welch, the duo hopes to provide LGBT theatrical content, which is currently lacking in the city.

“We’re creating content for the queer community. The type of content that hasn’t been available for quite some time,” he says.

Welch and Brower want to portray the stories of people that aren’t often shown in the local theatre scene. Welch says that they will contain more adult-oriented content, as well as a handful of shows targeted towards the youth.

“It would be stories about high school bullying, a child having two mothers, etcetera. It would be about being normal,” he says.

Although the idea of establishing a queer-based theatre may not seem groundbreaking for some people, it is a step forward towards mainstream acceptance of homosexuality in Calgary. According to Welch, the support from the community has been phenomenal. “We’re getting people from Vancouver and Halifax inquiring about how they can help out,” he says.

Third Street Theatre is currently hosting a queer playwriting competition, with submissions due in February. The winner will receive a two-day workshop with professional actors and a public reading on stage. In January, Third Street Theatre will be involved in a cabaret performance called Witty and Gay. For more information, visit thirdstreet.ca.