Night of comedy & magic provides respite for queer community

Mental health in the queer community was the theme of a magic and comedy show held in Halifax on Sunday.

Queer Magic, advertised as an evening of connection, celebration, and community building was held at the Bus Stop Theatre.

For Catherine McCormack, political events of the past few months have taken a toll. That’s why she welcomed a chance on Sunday to put aside concerns and enjoy a night of laughter and light magic. 

“It’s easy to feel despair and hopelessness, and feel totally weighed down,” McCormack said. The event, brought out “positivity and a sense of community, and resistance and resilience in the face of some pretty serious social issues.” 

McCormack was one of about 75 people who packed The Bus Stop Theatre to near capacity in order to watch Bill Wood.

Wood is an actor and mental health therapist who has made appearances on the TV show Trailer Park Boys and had a regular role on CBC’s Mr. D. He performed a lighthearted series of tricks and illusions, with at times serious discussions around mental health. 

McCormack said the event was an uplifting experience. 

 “These joyful creative spaces lend themselves to creative solutions for the problems we face,” McCormack said. 

Wood’s performance was met by applause and laughter. Audience volunteers and crowd participation added to the show.

The event was put on by the Healthy Minds Cooperative, a non-profit organization based in downtown Dartmouth that offers online and in-person programming to queer, transgender and two-spirit people focusing on mental health and suicide prevention. 

The show aimed to raise awareness for mental health struggles in the queer community in Nova Scotia. 

Elizabeth Tuck, who works with Healthy Minds, said the organization chose to hold the event on a Sunday evening without alcohol. 

She said the decision to be a sober event reflected “a huge conversation ongoing in the queer community.” 

“So many queer events, because they are traditionally nightlife related, involve alcohol,” she said. “We are happy to give an alternative to that for some people who might be looking for a space like this.” 

The success of the event “clearly says that there is an appetite in the city,” she said. 

Audience member Alexandra Edwards agreed. 

“It’s nice to have just to a lighthearted event for queer people to come to without having to worry about anything,” said Edwards. 

“We can bond over a pretty picture or a fun magic show instead of just talking about one political issue that makes people all upset,” said Edwards. 

“It’s like a conversation piece. Here’s something that we can both talk about instead of our personal problems with each other.”