'The Prom' puts the spotlight on supporting LGBTQ+ youth
BOSTON - Just as we head into Pride Month, Speakeasy Stage's production of "The Prom" is in the spotlight.
In the Tony-nominated musical, Emma, a queer teenager at a midwestern high school, faces serious opposition from her town when she tries to take her girlfriend to the dance. Some Broadway stars learn about Emma's plight and head to Indiana to try to save her.
Boston Conservatory student Liesie Kelly plays the lead role.
They say this show has had a huge impact on them, telling us, "There's honestly not enough words to express the gratitude that I feel getting to portray this story, a story that I feel so connected to every single night."
The set helps the audience feel like they are right there with the actors in a school.
Designer Jenna McFarland Lord says creating the set was about picking the things that were iconic to high schools and making them come alive, things like linoleum floors with odd color patterns.
She wanted the space to feel exciting and joyful, saying "I think a lot of kids in high school often feel like they just have to fit in, they just have to get day to day.... I hope that people can come away feeling like it's okay to be themselves and find themselves with in all that sameness."
Kelly says they're living their truth on stage and are thrilled to "show other kids who are lesbian identifying or gender non-conforming identifying that there are performers like them who are here, and we are unapologetic about who we are."
Speakeasy Stage's production of "The Prom" runs at the Calderwood Pavilion in the South End through June 10.