Can a burlesque show make 'Star Wars' more inclusive?

In The Empire Strips Back, Princess Leia can be Black and Luke Skywalker can be a woman

- NICK LACHANCE

A long, long time ago (the ‘80s), in a basement far, far away (in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia) … I fell in love with “Star Wars.”

I was an awkward kid — who wasn’t? — but the “Star Wars” universe became a place of refuge, a place where the neighbourhood kids didn’t relentlessly make fun of me for being bad at sports or trying to move objects with my mind (because in that universe, the Force was my ally and I could). As I evolved into an awkward teen and then an awkward adult, “Star Wars” continued to be there for me, and helped me to open up and embrace my artistic side.

For me, “Star Wars” has always felt like a place where I belong. Heck, I’ve got six “Star Wars” tattoos and counting! The older I’ve gotten, though, the more I’ve come to see that it doesn’t feel that way for everyone.

Shai Roach says she finds it very freeing” to play Princess Leia in The Empire Strips Back." She considers her Leia less elegant but grittier than Carrie Fisher's portrayal.