A new production company in Duluth is putting on a play in February that explores gay and atheist themes.

Next Fall, a play written by Geoffrey Nauffts, will be the first production of a new, LGBT-centric theater production company in Duluth, Son of Peter Productions.

Aaron Jordan-Peterson, who co-founded Son of Peter Productions, explained the gist of the play to TheColu.mn:

“The story outlines a 5 year relationship between two committed adults. Adam, played by Greg Anderson, and Luke, played by myself. Adam is a staunch neurotic atheist who is older than Luke. Luke is a devout Christian who is an aspiring actor. Luke has not come out to his family and this causes conflict for Adam and Luke. This conflict and the unresolved issues that come with sexuality, religion, faith and family culminate into reality check when a tragedy occurs. This tragedy forces Adam to come to terms with the imperfections of love and commitment while dealing with Luke’s family, and their absence of knowledge of Adam and Luke’s relationship. The story is powerful, emotional and even humorous at times, lending to its charisma and intrigue.”

Son of Peter Productions, Jordan-Peterson says, “is an up and coming production company that focuses on bringing stories of impact to the Twin Ports area.”

“Bringing GLBTA-friendly shows to northern Minnesota can present some challenges,” says Jordan-Peterson. “While this market has support for GLBTAs, I have found that it is the newness of making shows [such as Next Fall] mainstream that slows down productions like this from becoming reality.”

To make shows like Next Fall a reality, Peterson enlisted his two close friends Quentin and Jacinta Roth. “They have worked diligently along side me to bring this story to the area,” he said. “They are just as focused as I am to make opportunities like this one count.”

“The commitment level that we have to the GLBTA cause can be seen and felt in the work we do.”

Quentin is artistic and stage director for the play and handles audience development for Son of Peter. Jacinta is in charge of the business and finance aspects. Jordan-Peterson handles the creative side of the company.

Son of Peter Productions has also put together a board to help guide the organization. “We are lucky to have the excellent board members that we do, and without them, we would be slow to get anything accomplished,” Jordan-Peterson says.

“The name, Son of Peter Productions, stems from my last name, in recognition of my family supporting me to build a career in the arts,” says Jordan-Peterson. “At a young age I realized that I wanted to be a performer. I had been exposed to theater through my local community and found that this is where my passion was and how I wanted to spend my time.”

Peterson says that while Duluth may be a smaller town, the area is fortunate to have a thriving arts and theater community.

This area is thriving with culture and diversity, and a very strong love of theater,” Jordan-Peterson says. “[Next Fall] specifically hits close to home with many of us, as we have watched our GBLTA’s find their voice and identity in society.”

He’s hoping the audience will leave the theater “proud that we live in a state that has embraced same sex love and accepted it as part of the norm.”

He says that plays like Next Fall and companies like Son of Peter are important to achieving acceptance for the LGBTA community.

“We are diligent that more work needs to be done erasing the idea of tolerance. Tolerance is not good enough,” he says. “We have more work to do to get to the point where we live in a community where we accept our neighbors, our friends, and our family for who we they are. Until we reach the point of acceptance, our work will not be complete.”

Details
Show Dates: Feb. 20-22, Feb. 27-Mar. 1 at 7:30
Location: Teatro Zuccone
222 E. Superior Street, Duluth, Minnesota
Tickets: $15 general. $12 for Students and Seniors through Box Office.

Questions? Email [email protected] or call 218-213-2186.