Garrett Carr celebrates Sudbury Pride as 'Ms. Roxanne' and writes to heal after Orlando

A Sudbury, Ont., man is channeling his anger, hurt andfrustration over the recent mass shooting in Orlando, Fla.,into a new play and a new persona.

• Pride celebrated in New York, London as Orlando's shadow lingers
• 50 killed in shooting at Orlando nightclub

Garrett Carr, a Thornloe University theatre student, said he was in utter disbelief when he read about the nightmarish events of June 12.

"My initial reaction was, 'this can't be real this is too crazy'," he said.

"I didn't expect to ever see anything like that in my lifetime in North America, at least ... it's been so long since the bathhouseraids in Toronto, and the Stonewall riots in New York I just kind of expected things to be a little different now."

Frustrated, Carr said he felt like there was nothing he could do to help.But, his friends encouraged the young playwrighttowrite.

Now, he's got a work-in-progress play underway about the LGBTQexperience, and he's exploring his own identity with the development of a drag persona: "Ms. Roxanne."

"She's got an attitude ...Ms. Roxanne is kind of a way for me to express a part of myself that's easier to express as a drag queen than as myself," he said.

Ms. Roxanne will performing for the first time onFriday night atZigsin downtown Sudbury as a part ofPride week.

Listen to the complete interview with Garrett Carrhere.

Morning North8:01Sudbury theatre student responds to Orlando mass shooting by writing a play

The mass shooting at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida had a profound effect on the LGBT community in Sudbury. Thorneloe theatre student Garrett Carr felt he had to do something in response to the shooting. He's writing a play.