Building on work in my MFA thesis, this essay details one aspect of my trans applied theatre work: naming. Applied theatre work offers a space to use theatre techniques to unpack and work through community issues. For this group of transgender applied theatre artists, the task at hand is naming: what does it mean for a trans person to choose a new name? to reconnect with a given name? to ask for community support in naming? This piece tracks the process and experiences of one troupe exploring trans naming through a new set of applied theatre exercises. These exercises culminate in Trans Naming Rituals—performances where trans participants claim their identities and ask for community recognition.
This essay is included as a case study in Diversity, Inclusion, and Representation in Contemporary Dramaturgy, Available for Purchase Here. |
This essay serves as a critical introduction for j. chavez' play how to clean your room (and remember all your trauma). Using queer and trans temporalities to explore the structure and aesthetics of chavez' play, I draw connections between puppets, the stars, and living in trans time.
The essay is published as part of the first ever anthology of trans plays, The Methuen Drama Book of Trans Plays, Preorders Available Here. |