Fab Magazine Article: Man2Man Gay Black Male Play Theatre Performances On June 18th & 19th At Buddies & Badtimes Theatre In Toronto.

Man 2 Man notes from outside the black closet
“Implied sex, masturbation and erotic overtones,” says Kwame Stephens of the content of his new play, Man 2 Man. “It’s just real. We all want love but how you find it is different for everyone.” Stephens has a Christian background, but in 1992 his first foray into gay writing, Notes from a Black Closet, caused a bit of a furor. “I wrote it under a pen name, and there was a huge response saying ‘Kill him.’ Fortunately, there were a few people who thanked me for sharing,” says Stephens. “Eighteen years later I’m doing this play, and all I’m hearing is ‘We’re happy for you.’ As a black gay man who loves black gay men, this is the play I wanted to write.” Though Stephens thinks Man 2 Man’s explicitness will “make straight guys shudder,” it has been embraced by Buddies and found a supporter in DJ Blackcat. “Da Kink in My Hair did it for women, but what has been done for gay men?” asks Stephens. “The more our stories are told, the more things will change.” — Drew Rowsome

Man 2 Man: What happens when two black men dare to love each other? runs Fri, June 18, and Sat, June 19, at Buddies, 12 Alexander St. Info: myspace.com/man-2-man