Eden Lane, Marlo Bernier and Bianca Leigh To Appear In ART at Harvard Play 'Trans Scripts, Part 1'

The momentum that trans people have been building in the arts and entertainment world is still moving forward despite the disgusting election results.

I was pleased to hear that my homegirl Eden Lane will be for a change on the theater stage instead of her award winning self reporting on the news coming from the theater world as she has done for nearly a decade with her Colorado Public Television based show InFocus With Eden Lane.

The play that Eden will be participating in is being produced by the American Repertory Theater at Harvard University under the leadership of Artistic Director Diane Paulus and Executive Director Diane Quinn  The play is entitled Trans Scripts, Part I:  The Women, and is written by Paul Lucas and directed by Jo Bonney.

TransScripts, Part 1: The Women is an original play crafted by Lucas from from interviews with 75 diverse people from six continents around the world who identify as trans.   Those 75 trans people varied in age, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, educational level  and age at transition.

The play is told through the voices of six trans women.

In addition to Eden, the play also stars two other people I'm familiar with in Marlo Bernier and Bianca Leigh.

Matthew Hancock, MJ Rodriguez, Rebecca Root and Jack Wetherall round out the cast for TransScripts that will start rehearsals in New York City after Christmas,

Performances are scheduled to begin on January 19 at the Loeb Drama Center, located at 64 Brattle St. in Cambridge, MA, and will run through February 5

Break a leg Eden and all your TransScripts castmates.   Hope y'all sell the theater out,  and may this play be a megasuccessful blockbuster one with rave reviews!

Moni Checks Out 'The Vagina Monologues' H-town Style

I had the pleasure of seeing for the first time ever a live performance of Eve Ensler's The Vagina Monologues Sunday night in which many of my friends and FB friends were involved.

It was ably produced and directed by Natalie 'Fox' Maisel in addition to being a sold out fundraiser for the Houston Area Women's Center.

Meagan Gillett and Veronika Simms were two of the cast members I knew going into the event, and Sheena Sunshine and Natalie 'Fox' Maisel are two of my FB friends involved in the production.

I also got to sit at a table in Blue by Massa's right by the wonderful group of ladies performing this play with Dee Dee Watters and Vancie Vega cracking me up at our table before it started.

It was an amazing evening of great food, fun, music and spending a few hours watching the production that at times, has moments besides the trans specific monologue that was performed by Veronika, that connect with girls like us.

I and the crowd, laughed, cheered, chanted, cried.and went into thoughtful mode as those various monologues were performed over the next hour and a half,  I also enjoyed talking to many of the cast members before and after the event and congratulating them on a job well done.

Brava once again Natalie 'Fox' Maisel, Julianna Alexander, Mary du Plessis, Anna Faro, Leslie Claire, Meagan Gillett, Monika LaBadie, Veronika Simms. Sheena Sunshine, Stephanie Fenton and Abby Buchold.

And thanks to my tablemates for making it an even more enjoyable evening and a wonderful way to spend a Valentine's Day .

V-Day Houston Performance Coming This Valentine's Day Weekend

If you're looking for something to do on Valentine's Day, on that date at Blue By Massa's there will be a reading of the Eve Ensler play The Vagina Monologues directed by Natalie 'Fox' Maisel.

The cast for this production of The Vagina Monologues will be Natalie 'Fox' Maisel, Julianna Alexander, Mary du Plessis, Anna Faro, Leslie Claire, Meagan Gillett, Monika LaBadie, Veronika Simms. Sheena Sunshine, Stephanie Fenton and Abby Buchold

Tickets for the event are rapidly selling out and must be purchased by February 11.  After you RSVP, log into PayPal, and send your $45 payment to FoxGoddessGatherings@gmail.com because tickets will not be sold at the door.  

The $45 cost of the evening covers your parking, meal and benefits the Houston Area Women's Center.  Cash bar and parking validation will be available for this event.

Blue by Massa's is located at 1160 Smith St. and the event will run from 6-9 PM.

Break a leg ladies, and hope it is a success.

'Family After All' Play Debuts Next Saturday

If you're looking for something to do next Saturday, you may wish to check out the debut of the play 'Family After All' at the Midtown Arts Center in H-town that features my sis Dee Dee Watters.

'Family After All' is written by T.V. Edwards and focuses on trans couple Tristan and Tracy Richmond, who are having a family celebration to celebrate their ten year anniversary as a couple. 

While prepping for their anniversary, issues crop up centered on their children Hillary, Max and 16 year old Ambrosia as  Tracy tries to keep her sanity intact as she plans the anniversary event.  

Play author T.V Edwards is a student at the Art Institute of Houston and a producer at Houston Media Source.    The play has a multicultural cast and promises to be one according to the site that will make you laugh and cry while addressing some interesting social issues.

If this seems like something you wish to check out, the Midtown Arts Center is located at 3414 LaBranch St at Holman in the shadows of the Houston Community College Central campus.  

It will start at 8 PM on July 5.  Tickets are $30 and available at eventbrite.com
   
 

NY Trans Community-Show Leona Some Love

At FringeNYC Leona Lo is currently performing her Ah Kua Show play there through August 26.

For those of you in the New York metro area, show our Singaporean sister some love and consider attending the play. Understand and saddened to read from her August 22 blog post it got off to a rough start when the sound system went out.

But here's hoping the rest of your time in New York and the play is drama and glitch free. Looking forward to the day when the Ah Kua Show comes to Houston.

Ah Kua Show In America Video

Meet Nong Dingadong, a Thai "ladyboy" performer from Bangkok, Leona Lo, a Singapore transgender woman activist and entrepreneur, and Chantel, a Malay transgender woman sex worker.

They are the characters from Leona Lo's sold out Ah Kua show.

Leona's brought her sold out Ah Kua show to the US. You lucky people in the New York area get an opportunity to see it starting on August 21 to August 26 at The Club at LaMaMa. Tickets are $15-18 dollars and are on sale now.

If you're in the New York are, please consider supporting our Singaporean sister's show.

The Ah Kua Show Comes To America

Leona Lo is bringing her sold out Ah Kua Show from Singapore to the bright lights of Broadway.

Off Broadway that is.

The Ah Kua Show written by Leona will be one of the plays performed during the New York International Fringe Festival, the largest multi-arts festival in North America.

The shows will be performed from August 21 to August 26 at The Club at LaMaMa. Tickets are $15-18 dollars and go on sale beginning July 23.

For those of you in the New York metro area, please consider patronizing this show and helping our Singaporean sister out.

'The Prodigal' Premieres Tonight

One of the things that was a casualty of my move back to Houston was an opportunity to be the narrator for this Sheila O'Bannon produced play which premiers at 8 PM EDT tonight at the Kentucky Center for the Arts.

'The Prodigal' is a fictionalized account of one family's journey to understand and eventually come to accept the transition journey of one of its family members.

The central theme of the play deals with gender identity, and its more often hidden and concealed impacts on our individual family lives as well as the lives of others in the broader community. The purpose of the play, is to draw genuine focus and discussion about the various issues that face those within the GLBTQ community, with a sole purpose to promote civility and acceptance of our individual differences and our common humanity.

When a child searches for answers, his quest unravels a family, a town and his entire world. Could the “Great Almighty” be the only one who can answer his question…

Who am I?

Our goal is not to convey right versus wrong, nor impute a position of morality, but to simply and boldly say, that the table of grace is opened and availed to all by the Heavenly Father, and He alone. This will be an evening of song, drama, comedy, reflection and introspection, challenging the very core of our acquired beliefs.

This musical production is based on a true story by playwright Sheila O’Bannon, along with arrangements by two time Grammy Award winner J.D. Miller and other contributing composers.

A compelling saga, that is a must see; it will change your life forever.

We promise… You’ll Never Be the Same…

And I wish I'd been able to be part of it.

The Prodigal after its June 26 and 27th debut performances at the Whitney Theater will have some performances in Atlanta, with the possibility of ending up on Broadway.

Break a leg, folks. May 'The Prodigal' be a smashing success.