Candace Gingrich, the younger half-sister of Newt, stars tonight in a reading of the Accidental Activist, a play written by her wife, Rebecca Gingrich-Jones. The plot revolves around the relationship between the proudly-out Candace (she currently works at the Human Rights Campaign) and her brother, the super-conservative former House speaker now running for president. Candace plays herself, while an amateur actor portrays the divisive Newt. The play was written two years ago, but updated to include Newt's run for president.
Some of the parallel plot points include Candace developing her first same-sex crush at summer camp while Newt is winning his first term in Congress. Later, Candace gets her first girlfriend, just as Newt rails against marriage equality.
Candace and Rebecca hoped to paint a more three-dimensional portrait of Newt -- who, while staunchly against same-sex marriage, did give the women a wedding present when they tied the knot.
“I wanted to show people a different perspective,” Gingrich-Jones, tells the Washington Post. “No matter what view you come in with,” she hopes the audience leaves with one that’s “more holistic.”
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