Garrett Carr celebrates Sudbury Pride as 'Ms. Roxanne' — and writes to heal after Orlando

A Sudbury, Ont., man is channeling his anger, hurt and frustration over the recent mass shooting in Orlando, Fla., into a new play — and a new persona. 

• Pride celebrated in New York, London as Orlando's shadow lingers
• 50 killed in shooting at Orlando nightclub

Garrett Carr, a Thornloe University theatre student, said he was in utter disbelief when he read about the nightmarish events of June 12.   

"My initial reaction was, 'this can't be real — this is too crazy'," he said. 

"I didn't expect to ever see anything like that in my lifetime in North America, at least ... it's been so long since the bathhouse raids in Toronto, and the Stonewall riots in New York — I just kind of expected things to be a little different now." 

Frustrated, Carr said he felt like there was nothing he could do to help. But, his friends encouraged the young playwright to write. 

Now, he's got a work-in-progress play underway about the LGBTQ experience, and he's exploring his own identity with the development of a drag persona: "Ms. Roxanne."

"She's got an attitude ... Ms. Roxanne is kind of a way for me to express a part of myself that's easier to express as a drag queen than as myself," he said. 

Ms. Roxanne will performing for the first time on Friday night at Zigs in downtown Sudbury as a part of Pride week.

Listen to the complete interview with Garrett Carr here.  

Morning North8:01Sudbury theatre student responds to Orlando mass shooting by writing a play

The mass shooting at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida had a profound effect on the LGBT community in Sudbury. Thorneloe theatre student Garrett Carr felt he had to do something in response to the shooting. He's writing a play.

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