Local actor bringing “A Pink Unicorn” to SAAG for Pridefest

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Pridefest is coming up and Ashley Thomson is excited to return home to Lethbridge to kick it off with her one woman production of Elise Forier Edie’s 2011 play the Pink Unicorn, June 9 at 3 p.m. at  SAAG.Ashley Thomson prerforms A Pink Unicorn at SAAG for Pridefest, June 9. Photo by Richard Amery
“It’s a really beautiful story about a conservative Christian mother who learns her daughter comes out as transgendered, ” said Thomson, who is a veteran of many a New West Theatre Christmas show and several University of Lethbridge performances and played Puck in Shakespeare in the Park’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.


“It’s a beautiful story as she questions her religion and her spirituality and he family. She tells the story from a lot of different character’s points of view, but there is no costume changes,” she continued.


“ But it really is about love and acceptance. It takes place in a fictional Texas town, so it is fun to play with a Texas accent,” she said.

“It’s interesting playing a character who is struggling with themselves and their religion and spirituality,” she said, adding her friend started a theatre company in Saskatchewan and put on the play.


“So she put it on my radar. It’s a fairly recent play. It was written in 2011 and it won the solo drama festival award in New York City in 2013,” she said.
“I feel honoured to be part of Pride Fest. It is an interesting time for gender fluidity, where you don’t have to be put into a specific box,” she said.


“And the girl is only 14 years old. Southern Alberta is also very conservative. So I think people will find the character very relatable. The mother may remind them of their friend, neighbour, family or themselves,” Thomson said.


“I thought this was a great opportunity to tell a different kind of story,” she said.


“And Pridefest  is all about love and diversity,” she said.
 A Pink Unicorn takes place at SAAG at 3 p.m., Sunday, June 9. Admission is a suggested $10 donation.
“But we won’t turn anybody away,“ she said.

— By Richard Amery, L.A. Beat Editor
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