''Break Through'' is an episodic play written by

Alexandre Wall Alexandre may refer to: * Alexandre (given name) * Alexandre (surname) * Alexandre (film) See also

* Alexander * Xano (disambiguation), a Portuguese hypocoristic of the name "Alexandre" {{Disambig ...

. It originally debuted at the

University of Central Florida The University of Central Florida (UCF) is a public research university whose main campus is in unincorporated Orange County, Florida. UCF also has nine smaller regional campuses throughout central Florida. It is part of the State University ...

Conservatory Theater on March 17, 2011. The play comprises various monologues and scenes that chronicle different aspects of the lives of

gay ''Gay'' is a term that primarily refers to a homosexual person or the trait of being homosexual. The term originally meant 'carefree', 'cheerful', or 'bright and showy'. While scant usage referring to male homosexuality dates to the late ...

, lesbian,

bisexual Bisexuality is a romantic or sexual attraction or behavior toward both males and females, or to more than one gender. It may also be defined to include romantic or sexual attraction to people regardless of their sex or gender identity, wh ...

, and

transgender A transgender (often abbreviated as trans) person is someone whose gender identity or gender expression does not correspond with their sex assigned at birth. Many transgender people experience dysphoria, which they seek to alleviate through ...

Americans. The theme of overcoming discrimination and other obstacles is persistent throughout each of the scenes, which are grouped into two acts. The final scene touches on the topic of

suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Mental disorders (including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorders, anxiety disorders), physical disorders (such as chronic fatigue syndrome), and ...

, an issue that first came to the foreground of national consciousness in late 2010 amid a wave of LGBT teen suicides. It had a successful run at several Central Florida theaters and was featured at

Orlando Orlando () is a city in the U.S. state of Florida and is the county seat of Orange County. In Central Florida, it is the center of the Orlando metropolitan area, which had a population of 2,509,831, according to U.S. Census Bureau figures r ...

's premiere LGBT pride event, Come Out With Pride 2011 and raised over $2,000 for an

LGBT ' is an initialism that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. In use since the 1990s, the initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an umbrella term for sexuality and gender identity. The LGBT term i ...

non-profit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

, the

Zebra Coalition Zebras (, ) (subgenus ''Hippotigris'') are African equines with distinctive black-and-white striped coats. There are three living species: the Grévy's zebra (''Equus grevyi''), plains zebra (''E. quagga''), and the mountain zebra (''E. zebra ...

. The debut was produced and directed by Gabrielle Shulruff. Original Cast: Selena Bass, Christian Cheker, Michael Dritto, Austen Edwards, Jason Gootner, Harrison Grant, Bryant Hernandez, Margaret Hunsicker, Danielle Moses, Michael Rodney, Jayne Storcy, Katie Thayer, Leah Williams, and Veronica Zazzaro A documentary on the real stories behind ''Break Through'' is currently in production.

References

External links

* {{official website, https://web.archive.org/web/20120425080418/http://breakthroughproduction.org/
'Break Through' review
from the Orlando Sentinel

from the Orlando Sentinel
Play addresses lesbian, gay life in today’s society
from the Central Florida Future
'Break Through' teaser trailer
2011 plays LGBT-related plays