Trans People in Theatre

A resource for transgender theatre artists & students | Mod: James, he/him, GLAAD Campus Ambassador 2019-20, Cornish College of the Arts 2020

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Stream BriarRose, A Queer Fairytale Musical!

BriarRose is the age-old story of a fairytale Princess banished by an evil Queen, with a twist: the “Princess” is actually Briar, a young trans man just discovering his identity. With help from budding sorceress Ellen, Briar is able to magically transform into his true self, and together they make a new life for themselves deep in the enchanted woods. But when dashing Prince Alister and Lady Knight Brunhilde appear after Ellen casts a seemingly harmless charm, Briar and Ellen’s simple lives are suddenly much more complicated - and the Queen still casts a long shadow over what should be a happy ending. Join this cast of familiar characters as they explore a world where magic can unlock what lies inside your heart - for better or for worse…

Stream the show here, or get tickets to watch in-person in Seattle, Pride Weekend!

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CALL FOR ARTISTS

Visual artist needed for posters + character sketches to promote an upcoming queer fairytale musical!

Project Details:

• 1-2 poster designs

• 6 character sketches for promotional posts

First poster deadline in late January, with additional deadlines between February and May.

To Apply:

Please email your portfolio or work samples and rates, along with any questions, to [email protected].

The script & song recordings can be provided to interested artists upon request.

[magpieartistsensemble]

The Phoenix Rising Project Shop

Our shop is officially live! Pre-orders and digital downloads are available February 5th-21st.

Don’t miss this chance to own an illustrated copy of this powerful queer addition to the Ancient Greek canon.

Phoenix Rising is the epic story of a forgotten trans child of Zeus, dealing with themes of identity, intersectionality, and resistance. The Phoenix Rising Project combines theatre with visual arts in order to make the story more accessible and push the boundaries of both art forms. Each page of the script is accompanied by a beautiful full-page illustration, and the characters’ backstories are included as short poems and prose, also illustrated. Additional prints and stickers are available individually and as sets.

[transgendertheatre]

Check out this illustrated script from trans playwright James T. Washburn!

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Where To Begin: The Official BriarRose Masterpost

Welcome to the official source of all things BriarRose, @briarroseofficial​!

The age-old story of a fairytale Princess banished by an evil queen, with a twist: the “Princess” is actually Briar, a transgender boy just discovering his identity. With help from a young sorceress, Briar is able to magically transform into his true self, and together they make a life for themselves deep in the Northern woods. But when dashing Prince Alister and Lady Knight Brunhilde tumble into their lives, Briar’s simple life is suddenly much more complicated, and his mother casts a long shadow over what should be a happy ending. Join this cast of familiar characters as they explore a world where magic can unlock what lies inside your heart - for better or for worse…

There’s lot of new content in the works, including interviews with actors who originated the main characters, behind-the-scenes footage of the rehearsal process, and short stories set in the world of the show. But for now, here’s how you can enter the world of BriarRose…

Read the Script! The only complete version of the story currently available if the libretto for the one-act musical, so this is the best place to start.

Explore this blog! The Intro page is a great place to start for an overview, and there are also pages for each major character, including concept art.

Watch the mini documentary about the rehearsal process for the cancelled world premier, featuring an interview with creator James T. Washburn.

The Ask box is open, so feel free to stop by and ask any questions, or just discuss queer art and representation!

All art by @sssara-b​

[transgendertheatre]

This blog has been dormant for a bit while I worked on the next phase of my 2-year project, Briar/Rose: A New Musical Fairytale.

Unfortunately our world premier was cancelled as we began tech, but our amazing Music Director/Arranger/Prince Alister, J, put together a short documentary about the process.

If you'd like to follow B/R's process, see clips from rehearsals, and hear some of the music, you can follow us on YouTube or Instagram (@briarrosemusical).

[transgendertheatre]

I decided to use some of the extra time I have now to update my New Play Exchange profile! There are now 3 plays on it, each of which features a trans masculine character. If you look at the previews, you can read the entirety of Tomorrow Comes and Phoenix Rising, as well as the first half of Briar/Rose. 

Happy reading! And here’s hoping that more trans theatre will be possible soon.

[transgendertheatre]

This blog has been dormant for a bit while I worked on the next phase of my 2-year project, Briar/Rose: A New Musical Fairytale.

Unfortunately our world premier was cancelled as we began tech, but our amazing Music Director/Arranger/Prince Alister, J, put together a short documentary about the process.

If you'd like to follow B/R's process, see clips from rehearsals, and hear some of the music, you can follow us on YouTube or Instagram (@briarrosemusical).

[transgendertheatre]

BLESS. THIS. BLOG!!!!!!! that is all

Thank you!! I’m glad you’re finding it useful :)

[stopcallingmeapollo]

Audition for BriarRose, a new musical fairytale!

The classic story of a fairytale Princess banished from her home by an evil queen, with a twist: the Princess is actually Briar, a transgender boy just discovering his identity. With help from a young sorceress, Briar is able to magically transform into his true self, and together they make a life for themselves deep in the Northern woods. But when dashing Prince Alister and his sister tumble into their lives, Briar’s simple life is suddenly much more complicated. As the bonds between the four young people grow, they are faced with questions of identity and family that are not easily answered; and Briar’s mother casts a long shadow over what should be a happy ending.

With a mix of traditional and original Celtic folk songs and fairytale archetypes, Briar/Rose uses a familiar form to welcome the audience into a story they may be unfamiliar with. This is a senior thesis production for students at Cornish College of the Arts. It will be a fully-staged workshop of the script and score, so collaborative performers with an interest in new work are welcome! 

Audition information can be found at Theatre Puget Sound.

Art by @sssara-b

[transgendertheatre]

Hi! I was wondering if anyone knows anything about lowering your voice pre-T. My voice is pretty feminine and I am proud of my vocal range but I want to be able to hit lower notes in tenor songs reliably (and have a lower speaking voice). I've been doing exercises to lower your voice and there's definitely been some difference but mainly I'm afraid and wondering if that kind of thing damages your voice. I don't wanna end up unable to sing smoothly after a few months of working on a low register.

Hello!

I answered a similar ask here, but short answer: as long as you don’t overdo it, you should be fine. 

Don’t push down until you can feel yourself straining; find your lower limit and sing down there consistently, and you should open up some more of your lower range over time as you adjust. As you do find those spots where you start to strain, let your voice become more breathy in quality - an exercise one of my instructors did with my class showed that most people have an 8 octave range, just not in a ~beautiful singing~ way necessarily. Experiment with what changing the quality of your voice does for your range as you’re stretching it. And of course, don’t forget to keep working your upper range as well if you don’t want to lose it/have it lose power.

[transgendertheatre]

My transition from soprano to baritone - isingmag

Transitioning gender is a complicated process, and even more so if you’re a professional singer. Kristofer Eckelhoff is a former soprano who

This article delves into the transmasculine experience in opera, and even includes tips for training your voice as it deepens!

[stopcallingmeapollo]

Qabaret 2019 - YouTube

Looking for some free queer musical theatre?

For anyone who missed this year's Q2: A Queer Cabaret, here's a recording!

The suggested donation to livestream was $5, as the show was a fundraiser for my top surgery. However, it is free for anyone who wants to watch an hour of fun, dorky, genuine queer musical theatre put on by a collection of amateur and professional performers. If you like the show and want to help, you can donate and get updates on my transition here.

Cast & Crew:

Director/Performer: @stopcallingmeapollo

Assistant Director/Performer: @wittlenell

Stage Manager: @grimsdell

Choreographer: @queerplutonic

Performers: @night-marius , @ispent20minutesonthis , @diagonhaylee and several others

[transgendertheatre]

Check out my latest show!

[stopcallingmeapollo]

Join us for this year’s Qabaret: A Queer Cabaret!

If you’ve ever wished you could see someone like you onstage in your favorite musical, then this show is for you! Come laugh, cry, fall in love, and be yourself with us. This year we’re bringing you on a wild ride covering queer love, frustration, sadness, and triumph with both reinterpreted classics and numbers from modern queer shows.

Qabaret is entirely performed, produced, and designed by local queer artists of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities. We strive to create a welcoming space where people can be themselves and celebrate their identities.

Livestream it here or join us live in Seattle at Copious Love Productions

Saturday, August 31st, 7:30pm Pacific Standard Time. Qabaret is absolutely FREE for the livestream! Tickets are $15 in-person. (If you’re streaming, you can also make a suggested donation of $5 to my top surgery fund, which the show is fundraising for).

[stopcallingmeapollo]

This is TOMORROW!!

[stopcallingmeapollo]

Help Me Fight For Top Surgery

This morning I got a call from my top surgeon’s office informing me that due to a loophole in federal law, my insurance does not have to cover my top surgery. I’m now looking at a surgery I can’t afford ($11,000 instead of the $6,000 I would’ve had by that time), some hefty legal fees if I can convince a trans firm to take on my case (at least $75/hour), or an indefinite wait until I’m stable enough financially to take that much time off work while paying my entire rent/bills myself on top of surgery. I’ve been dysphoric about my chest since the moment I hit puberty at 13; I’m 21 now and I’d been counting on being free of the constant anxiety and depression my body has brought me by the time I graduate college. I want to know who I am without them.

If you’d like to help me, there are three ways: a t-shirt fundraiser, a musical theatre benefit in Seattle on August 31st, and the website I take fic commissions through, where you can also make small donations. I hate asking for charity, so please feel free to request a fic or other piece of writing/music/what have you if you do donate! Sharing these with your friends and followers could also make a huge difference.

Trans Rights T-shirt

Q2: The 2nd Annual Qabaret “A queer love letter to musical theatre,” August 31st at Copious - @qabaret​

Ko-Fi Commissions/Donations

[transgendertheatre]

Testosterone & Your Voice

I’ve had a lot of questions over the past year or so about how I preserved my singing/speaking voice during my transition. I’ve met people who lost a majority of their range during their transitions, so this is a really important topic for trans people who will take T and want to be onstage. This is by no means a comprehensive guide, but these are some tips I’ve learned from my doctors and my own experiences training under vocal professionals:

Talk with your doctor Make sure to tell your doctor that you’re a singer (or actor) before you begin T, during your preliminary visits or the informed consent portion of your visit. Specifically, ask your doctor if you could start at a significantly lower dose than average–I started at a half dose–and increase slowly from there until you’ve reached the dose that you’d like to continue with indefinitely. That way, your range will drop gradually and give you time to keep stretching and adjusting to it. Your doctor may also have access to a list of voice teachers with experience working with trans people (both locally and online), which can be helpful if it’s in your budget.

Practice! It’s very important to stay on top of your vocal exercises and challenge yourself as your range drops. Warm yourself up daily, making sure to stretch out to the top and bottom of your range as it is that day. It can also be fun to choose a song in a very low range (I like to use C’Est Moi from Camelot) and sing it every week or so, noting when you suddenly gain one of the notes you couldn’t hit before. If you’re consistent with this process, you’ll have a decent range by the end of your transition, and possibly even maintain a portion of your upper range as well.

Take care of yourself It may seem obvious, but vocal health is especially important when your voice will be cracking and changing even while you’re healthy. Drink lots of water, don’t eat acidic foods before sleeping, don’t cough or clear your throat too often, and avoid smoke at all costs. Your vocal folds (or “cords”) will be going through a lot; testosterone makes tissue growth happen, so you’re basically having a growth spurt in your throat. Eating honey and drinking tea–just like you would when you’re sick–is also a great idea.

As always, if you want more specific advice or have other questions related to theatre/trans issues, feel free to send an ask to @transgendertheatre!

[stopcallingmeapollo]

For those of you who enjoyed the livestream of the reading (or who missed it!), we’ll be releasing a documentary with behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with cast members at some point in the next six months. Also stay tuned for our first cast recording, “Red is the Rose”!

[transgendertheatre]

Briar/Rose: A Queer Fairytale

Jun 14, 7:30 PM – 9:00 PM

Copious, 2220 Northwest Market Street, Seattle, WA 98107, USA

The age-old story of a fairytale Princess banished from her home by an evil queen, with a twist: the “Princess” is actually Briar, a transgender boy just discovering his identity. With help from a young sorceress, Briar is able to magically transform into his true self, and together they make a life for themselves deep in the Northern woods. But when dashing Prince Alister and his sister tumble into their lives, Briar’s simple life is suddenly much more complicated–and his mother casts a long shadow over what should be a happy ending.

This performance includes the in-progress script and score for what will eventually be a one act musical.

[stopcallingmeapollo]

If you live near Seattle, come see the first public reading of my play for Pride Month! We have an incredible (very gay) cast and crew and I’m super excited to show everyone.

And if you can’t come:

It will be livestreamed on twitch so everyone can watch!

[stopcallingmeapollo]

You can watch the livestream at 7:30pm PST on the 14th at this link: https://www.copious.art/live