Baltimore Center Stage Announces Second Trans History Project Cohort
“At a moment when trans and gender non-conforming people are being targeted, erased, and forced to fight for the right to exist openly and safely, telling our stories is an act of resistance,” said Bo Frazier, Artist-in-Residence at Baltimore Center Stage. That sentiment anchors the newly announced second cohort of the Trans History Project, a national initiative commissioning 10 new plays by transgender and gender-nonconforming writers, americantheatre.org reported.
Five Playwrights Chosen From One Hundred Submissions
Baltimore Center Stage revealed the five selected playwrights following a process that drew 100 submissions down to 12 finalists, archyde.com reported. The initiative pairs each writer with a $10,000 commission and developmental support from a coalition of regional theatres. The participating institutions include Actors Theatre of Louisville in Kentucky, About Face Theatre in Chicago, and East West Players and Native Voices in Los Angeles.
The first cohort of the Trans History Project featured four playwrights and one theatre ensemble. The new group features five plays by five distinct writers whose projects span centuries of history and diverse cultural frameworks.
Ty Defoe and Jamal Jones Develop New Plays
Ty Defoe (giizhig), a Two-Spirit/Indigiqueer citizen of the Oneida Nation and Anishinaabe Tribe, will develop Trans World Chapter 0 – Obsidian at Native Voices. Set in 1976 Philadelphia during the Bicentennial, the play follows a two-spirit transsexual artist named Yarrow who uses art and obsidian to open portals into erased historical memories, americantheatre.org reported.
Justice Jamal Jones will develop La Prophétesse at About Face Theatre. The play draws from Terry Rey’s book The Priest and the Prophetess to examine the life of Romaine La Prophétesse, a gender-queer Haitian revolutionary and mystic, archyde.com reported.
Youri Kim will develop SABANGJI.EXE at Baltimore Center Stage. Built from a single line in the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty recording a person named Sabangji, the play explores systemic erasure and power structures, according to americantheatre.org.
Nico Pang will develop Stone Maiden at East West Players. Set in 1851 Qing Dynasty China, the story follows Liao Zhanggu, an individual exiled to a Daoist monastery for being unable to reproduce, before a trans Chinese musician in the United States encounters the court record and travels through time, archyde.com reported.
K.T. Peterson will develop Everybody’s Total Pal! at Actors Theatre. Described as a shape-shifting solo performance aboard the ship ENDURANCE!, the piece is inspired by historical figures such as Shaker founder Ann Lee and trans doctor Alan L. Hart, americantheatre.org reported.
Investing in the American Story
“By investing in trans and gender non-conforming artists, we are insisting that our stories belong in the American story—and that our voices deserve to be heard, celebrated, and remembered on stages across this country,” Frazier stated, according to Baltimore Fishbowl.
Development dates and public presentation schedules for the five commissioned works will be announced by the regional theatre coalition as the workshop phases proceed.
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