As rehearsals progress in New York in preparation for Chicago, SWEET TEA lighting designer Kathy Perkins discusses her attachment to the production.
I was drawn to Sweet Tea when I first heard about the book. Having grown up in the segregated South during the 1960s, I was familiar with many of the characters E. Patrick wrote about. The term sissy was a commonly used term in my community. In fact, sissy was often used openly to describe homosexual boys and men. My childhood friend’s name was prefaced by “sissy.” I often wondered years later what effect this had on him, if any. This same friend was always protected by his girlfriends, knowing that the bullies would never touch him in our presence.
I am excited to see E. Patrick present this aspect of African American life on the stage. I look forward to creating the world of Sweet Tea with E. Patrick and Daniel.
Photo courtesy of KathyPerkins.com.
