TESSA, with the support of the Colorado Springs’ DV Summit Committee and Stargazers Theatre, will host a showing of Crimes Against Nature at Stargazers on April 16th at 7:00PM.

Crimes Against Nature is a 65-minute solo performance piece that takes a humorous and compelling look at what it means to be a man—and not merely a guy— in today’s world. Using a wealth of autobiographical material to illustrate universal gender themes, Crimes Against Nature points out the absurdities and contradictions of masculinity. The audience travels with author and actor Christopher Kilmartin on a very personal journey through his childhood, adolescence and young manhood that reveals in amusing detail the many demands society unknowingly places on men. More interesting, Crimes Against Nature reveals the very consequences we all face when we accede to those very demands.

Witty humor punctuates Kilmartin’s heartfelt stories: the day that his mother dressed him as a girl and sent him to kindergarten, the day that he discovered pornographic magazines in his neighbor’s garage, the day that he tried out for the junior high baseball team. Sports, puberty, communication, homophobia, girlfriends, sex education—Crimes Against Nature uses touching personal accounts to weave an important statement about the pressures of masculinity.

As contemporary theatre, Crimes Against Nature is an expertly crafted play with many characters played by a single actor. As gender education, it delivers a strong point of view without preaching its message. Crimes Against Nature has a universal appeal that speaks to a wide variety of audiences. This production has toured across the United States and has been hosted at over 100 venues. An audience Q&A will follow the show.

Dr. Christopher Kilmartin is a college professor, author, stand-up comedian, actor, playwright, consultant and professional psychologist. He is a Professor of Psychology at The University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, VA. He holds a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from Virginia Commonwealth University and is a licensed clinical psychologist who has a great deal of experience consulting with businesses, college students, human services workers, athletic departments, the military, and counselors.

Admission to this event is $10 per ticket, with the proceeds benefitting TESSA.

Tickets can be purchased through TESSA by visiting their website:

 www.TESSAcs.org/payments or by calling 719-633-1462 as well as through Stargazers Theatre.

Standard processing fees apply to tickets purchased through Stargazers Theatre.

Again: This performance is intended for mature audiences due to sexual themes and strong language.