BASH'd Exclusive

We've always known that musical theatre is a little bit... well... gay. And we've always been very aware of the homophobic undertones of mainstream rap and hip-hop. So mashing the two genres together is obvious, really. Right? At least that's how Nathan Cuckow and Chris Caddock, the creators and stars of BASH'd!: A Gay Rap Opera, see it. V-Rag got a chance to catch up with Cuckow (T-BAG) and Caddock (Feminem) to find out about the genesis of this one of-a-kind play, a welcome addition to this year's Cultural Olympiad lineup.

BEING BASH'D
Interview by Cole Johnston

How did BASH'd come about (or should I say come out)?

BASH’d! was created after a gay rap performance (featuring Feminem and T BAG) at Edmonton's Loud 'n Queer Cabaret. Chris and I had such a good time creating and performing a track called “Grab That Ass” with our gay rap alter-egos, we immediately knew we wanted to expand on the concept, and use Feminem and T BAG to narrate a full length show. BASH’d! was inspired by the “equal marriage debate” in Canada, and was created shortly after. The Premier of Alberta at the time, Ralph Klein, was threatening to use the not-withstanding clause, which would have effectively denied gay Albertans the right to marry their spouses. Ralph was using a lot of militaristic language, saying stuff like “we’ll use every weapon in our arsenal” to fight this attack on the definition of marriage, whipping his conservative fan base up into a frenzy. There was a rise in hate crimes in the province. We have straight friends who were gay bashed. It didn’t matter if the people being attacked were gay or not, just as long as someone was getting beat up for being queer. We were interested in exploring this political climate, and the effects gay bashings have on the gay community, gay relationships, and gay families.

BASH'd has been doing the theatre circuit for a few years now, is this your first time bringing it to Vancouver?

Yes. We played Victoria last March and we’re very excited to play Vancouver.

You both have an impressive history on Alberta's theatre scene, how did the two of you meet?

Chris and I became friends when I came to Edmonton to perform in a show at the Edmonton Fringe Festival. We have very similar attitudes when it comes to theatre, art, film, books, etc and quickly became friends. We originally collaborated as writer/performers on a play entitled 3…2…1 which we toured to Ottawa’s Magnetic North Theatre Festival and to the Yukon. And we created BASH’d! shortly after.

Gay rappers have been more and more recognized in mainstream music lately, do you guys feel like Canadian pioneers in this movement?

No, BASH’d! is a hip hop musical and Feminem and TBAG are just characters. We tell the story in rhyme with dope beats but we aren’t real rappers. If we in any way can help gain public awareness to gay rappers and the gay rap movement, that is great. But we are hardly pioneers. We recommend people check out the queer documentary Pick Up The Mic.

What are your favourite homo hip-hop tracks?

We’re fans of hip hop and enjoy socially conscious rappers like Sage Francis, Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Aesop Rock, Missy Elliot, Public Enemy, The Gift of Gab, Knaan, MF DOOM, The Roots, etc.

It's clear you guys are serious about hip-hop, not just out for laughs. Do you have the street cred to go along with the critical acclaim now?

Hehe. Are you wondering if we’ve ever been shot or done time in the slammer? In both cases, the answer is no. Chris and I are trained actors, and fans of hip hop and we’ve done our best to execute our rhymes and play our characters to the best of our abilities.

This is pretty dark subject matter for a comedy, are there some people who just don't "get it"?

Sure. Not everyone is going to like everything. I will say that BASH’d! isn’t just a comedy. It’s also a drama and part tragedy. I would say it’s mostly a gay love story, and a celebration of love and of the gay community.

What message are you trying to convey with this project?

I want people to have the most engaging experience possible. I believe the key to doing that is first and foremost, by entertaining them. If people are entertained, they open themselves up to the characters journey. I believe that the best experiences in film and in theatre and in art come from emotionally connected storytelling. There are lots of themes that run through BASH’d! but I wouldn’t say the show has a singular “message”. Audiences may watch the show and be connected to the theme of “violence begetting violence”, or they may leave inspired to be more political in the interest of human rights, or maybe they’ll just enjoy the music, the jokes, and Chris’s pink John Deere ball-cap. We wanted to explore the effects gay bashings have on the gay community, gay relationships, and gay families, and what happens when a political climate encourages this discrimination. BASH’d! can be seen as political theatre, a plea for equal rights, or it can just be seen as an entertaining celebration of love with a tragic twist. Our aim is for people to have both experiences. What an audience wishes to take away from our show, is up to them.

Do you think the political atmosphere has changed much since BASH'd debuted?

Yes and no. It seems in the case of all civil rights movements, it’s 3 steps forward 2 steps back. But hopefully in time we’ll see a more substantial change. I have faith in the younger generations who don’t have as much baggage when it comes to sexuality as our repressed religious elders.

BASH'd: A Gay Rap Opera
at the Cultch, 1895 Venables Street

Tuesday, 2/16/2010 at 8:00 pm
Wednesday, 2/17/2010 at 8:00 pm
Thursday, 2/18/2010 at 8:00 pm
Friday, 2/19/2010 at 8:00 pm
Saturday, 2/20/2010 at 2:00 pm and 8:00 pm