Who am I?

I am at heart a storyteller. Whether I’m performing an Off-Broadway solo show, producing a documentary film, writing a novel, acting in a Broadway play, speaking to a group of ad executives or facilitating a writing workshop for over-excited and super curious LGBTQ+ youth (my fav), it’s the story that captures my imagination and ignites a hope in me that I might somehow make the world a better place. But these days when I consider the state of things, my desire to have a positive impact on the world demands more than hope; it wants action and community. 

How I got here

In 1995, after a decade working the Off and Off-Off Broadway theater scene in New York City, I wrote and performed a solo show entitled Word of Mouth. Directed by V (formerly Eve Ensler) of The Vagina Monologues fame, and produced by the legendary comedy duo Mike Nichols & Elaine May, Word of Mouth went on to win The Drama Desk Award (1995), The Outer Critics Circle Award (1995) and several other theater awards as I toured the country. As it happened, that year I also adapted a ten-minute section of Word of Mouth into a screenplay for a short film. TREVOR told the story of a 13-year-old boy who considers suicide after realizing that he's gay. This poignant, humorous film about being one's self no-matter-what went on to win first prize at The Berlin Film Festival, The Sundance Film Festival and an Academy Award for Best Live Action Short (1995).

Two years later, I co-foundedThe Trevor Project, along with Peggy Rajski and Randy Stone. Since then Trevor has become the largest suicide prevention and crisis intervention lifeline for LGBT and Questioning youth, For me, this experience illuminated the power of story in a very personal way. What began as a ten-minute story on stage about my own experience of coming out inspired a national movement. I got to witness what can happen when we dare to tell our truth in public.  Almost thirty years later, The Trevor Project is still saving young lives and making it better for LGBT and Questioning youth. Trevor was and continues to be a pivotal experience in my artistic life, one that not only awakened me to the power of story, but also determined my life’s mission.

Again and again I’ve chosen to tell stories that not only move the people, but also (hopefully) create social change. In 1995, I performed a solo show (Extraordinary Measures) written and directed by V, produced by Music Theater Group and presented at HERE Theater Center in NYC. Extraordinary Measures was later presented at The Museum of Modern Art to mark World Aids Day, a moving tribute to all those who died too soon and to the people who cared for them. In 1999, I created a performance piece entitled The Road Home: Stories of Children of War. Based on interviews with people who had experienced violence as children, the work was presented at Asia House and later at The International Peace Initiative at The Hague. In 2007, I became the executive producer of After the Storm, a feature length documentary film that highlights the stories of 12 young people living in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. I have written three novels for young adults and created The Letter Q, a collection of letters by queer writers to their younger selves. As an actor, I have performed both on and Off Broadway in plays such as the 30th anniversary production of Mart Crowley’s The Boys in The Band, Gore Vidal’s The Best Man and in the original NY production of Caryl Churchill’s groundbreaking gender-bending play Cloud 9. I wrote and performed the solo show, The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey (Outer Critics Circle Award 2015). And if you’ll excuse the brag, the NYTimes praised the show and ranked me “…among the most talented solo performers of his (or any) generation.”

Then in 2017 while traveling around the United States performing Absolute Brightness, I had a life-changing experience. As I began to encounter young people who were quietly thriving on the sidelines, I found myself at the forefront of something I'd never seen before and my curiosity had me leaning in. With the support of their peers, their parents or a community of like-minded folx, these young people were changing their names, inventing pronouns and reimagining gender in a way that was impossible to imagine even ten years earlier. Not only were they remarkably well-informed, but they seemed to have a social justice component that I’d never seen in any previous generation. But even more impressive was the fact that they were able to extend their concern and care beyond the LGBTQ+ community. Their insistence on diversity and inclusion was absolute and included everyone. It was as though the principles of human decency and mutual respect had been quietly installed in their personal hard-drives at a very early age. And rather than being defeated by the problems of the world and the thought of what lies ahead, they were leading with hope.

In 2017 I founded The Future Perfect Project along with Ryan Amador. FPP is a national arts initiative amplifying the voices of LGBTQIA+ youth through high-quality creative programming and professional artistic mentorship. By producing and facilitating in-person and remote programs in podcasting, music, creative writing, and more, we provide young people with queer-affirming spaces mentorship and professional tools to express themselves authentically, opportunities to connect with others and to share their vision of a better future for us all, one in which everyone is free to be themselves.

Where I’m Going

I’m interested in where a story can take me.  Whether it involves helping others to develop and share the stories they’re dying to tell, handing the mic to LGBTQ+ youth so they can tell us what it means to be themselves, or simply standing on a stage delivering a solo show, story is what I’m all about.  Read more to find out how you can join me and become part of the story.