The Year We Thought About Love goes behind the scenes of the oldest queer youth theater in America. In a twist on the common image of LGBTQ youth as victims, the film reveals the troupe members as artists and activists, celebrating the fullness of their lives in both thoughtful and hilarious ways.
Our camera crew slips into rehearsal rooms, kitchens, classrooms, and subways capturing the wit, candor, and attitude of these young people. Together they explore love - romantic, familial, and religious - as they write scripts based on their lives. While the play takes shape, other challenges come hurtling at the cast. We learn more about the lives of several troupe members, highlighting both the unique and universal struggles of LGBTQ adolescence. A transgender teenager is kicked out of her house; a devout Christian wrestles with his church’s homophobia; and a girl dares to wear boys’ clothing at school even as she models dresses on the runway on weekends. When the Boston Marathon bombs explode outside their building, the troupe becomes even more determined to share their stories of love to help heal their city.
During the play’s tour, student audiences are surprised to hear such revealing stories shared in school settings. Audiences cheer, gasp, laugh, and grow silent as they value the courage and strength these young people must have to be out and true to themselves.