Judy: Over the past monons,
pride cecebrations have been
held in some ofofhe largest
ties that recognize lb gt Q
rights.
Our speciallorrespondent travel
to rural Kansas S ere an artist
is tryryg to foster
understandininand his community.
The rerert is part of our artists
and culture series, canvava
>> On a a cent afternoon, the
local crowd filled D dden trail
Ewing in garden city..
They had comomout for a special
event with livelelentertainment
not often perfofoed in western
Kansas.
The lipstick andndashes drag
show was P pt of a
famimi-friendly pride arts
festival calleleplaychella
which also included
rainbow-themededrafts for kids.
Resources from a local
behavioral H hlth organization.
And a queer-ththed puppet show
written N D performed by the
event's orgagazer.
Brett craraall.
>> Hee said you weren't T ndsome.
Ll, you are.
>> He's a 30-year-old puppetetr,
actor, writer,r,nd lgbtqia+
activist..
He grew upupn a small town
called deerfieldldbout 15 miles
from garden city.
>>>> Can't see 2012 D drfield,
garden city Y ING any of this.
It just makes it allllhe more
cool thahait did.
Coming of age in a
close-knkn, rural county, home
to one of the E untry's largest
beef processssg plants, he says
he felt differenenearly on.
Brett: Thesesere people that
I've known a lototf times my
whole lifefe
conversatitis that I did not
have with them B base I did not
at one point feel sasa showing
-- to come out, nonothat I
thought anyone W wld physically
harm me, but maybe T tt their
love had condititis or that I
wouldn'it wouldn't be whaha
would makekehem happy.
To actively pop thososbubbles is
healininfor me.
>> After high schoho, Crandall
quickly made H H way to New York
citytyhere he lived for abouou10
years, first attenenng the
American academy of F amatic
arts and then wowoing as an
actor R D developing his talenen
as a auppeteer.
Moved back to Kansas S 2019
thininng it would be a briefef
op before relocating T los
Angeles.
Then his plans chahaed.
Bretet I really wanted to ststt
putting out queer R ows in the
ddle of the country.
>> Over the E St couple of years
he's done just that.
Working full-timimtraveling
around T T state to put on showsws
likekehe trials of David: Aa
queer biblicic puppet play and
murder at the wolflfotel.
Hans: : Was flattered when thoho
calledede handsome.
Odine: I love YOYO but I am
ondine.
T playchella, he premimied a
new show calald ondine: A queer
iry tale.
'S an adaptation N an old
French play with a fememe lead.
In this S rsion, a male water
spriri, played by Crandall,,
falls in love wiwi a handsome
ight named Hans.
T they face some hurdldl.
Brett: It's a whole different
T of rules when you're in the
eater or when you' setting
an a aience that you get too
listen and P P attention and let
something affectctou.
And so then pupuing queer
ories into that and alalw and
alalwing folks to feel symymthy
for queer folks ininead of just,
you know, the discononnt or
malili or fear, whatever it T
that they' been working with
or taught.(gets S otional) That
-- or taught.
Thth was not their idea ininhe
first place.
>> Last year, , organized the
fifit Kansas playchella ininis
hometown which includedea small
, M mch through the streetsts
he proudly walked arm M D arm
withthis partner, Marc malonon
amononcrandall's biggeses
supportersrsow and throughout
his life his parentsts
, Doug and cinin Crandall who
led out at the craftstsable.
>> Ten years a a things were
much different.
Especially in rurarakansas, I
mean, there'just, you know,
you didn't yoyodidn't know of
ybody, you know, at thth
point.
But today it's everywhere,
thata's a good thing.
Cindy: The stitia is still there
rural America, for susu, but
I think that the kids S E more
willininto come out at a youngng
It's such a relieiethey they
have events likekehis now.
>> G gald hall, who goes by Y E
drdr name Daphne moonwalkeke
grew up in a nearby toto and
ys he was often bullieie
now he I trying to use his
perforornce art to help othersrs
geraldldwe want to be the voice
for anybody thatateeds the
vovoe.
If you D D't feel safe, if F U
don't feel like E U are being
included in things, rereh out to
ususs performers.
We we are here for a body.
>> Benisctivism, Crandall
is also focused on artrt
education in H H community andnd
her rural towns.
Herote an opinion P pce
recentlylybout young peoeoe
fleeing ththplains when they
lack opportunities T tflourish
in the artrt
Brett: Theheids that grow up
here, I hope thehedon't feel the
imimlse, like I did, that T ey
have to O Ave, that they have toto
go away.
The only way they'll find peace
for ththselves or to be able T T
get to knonothemselves.
We are just goinin to keep comingg
up with neneways, very old ways,
of giving that sensesef value to
yourself a a to our community
that you don't have to go
anywhere else.
It's just it's all ririt here.
At the end of the pupupt
shsh, ondine and Hans aree
finally able to bebeogether.
A hahay ending he hopes willll
spire his audience to O nd its
own.n.
For the pbs newshoururi'm cat