“Transgender” is the umbrella term used to describe people whose gender and sense of personal identity differs from the sex they were assigned at birth. An awareness for social justice has made this one of the most talked about topics in social and political circles. In an attempt to make our society function better, TransVersing provides us with the voices of some of some of the most talented trans youth at MUN.
Gemma Hickey, the executive director of For The Love of Learning (an arts-based non-profit group that works with at-risk youth) teamed up with Artistic Fraud of Newfoundland to bring TransVersing to the stage, where it
was first performed last year at the Barbara Barrett Theatre in the St. John’s Arts and Culture Centre.
The works of Violet Drake, Daze Jefferies, Fionn Shea, Perin Squires, Taylor Stocks, and Dane Woodland, including the dramatic text by Berni Stapleton and Sharon King-Campbell, is contained in a book bearing the blue, pink and white colours of the trans flag on its cover. It includes the original works of these artists, along with the script of the play in the latter half of the book.
Transversing begins with four poems by Violet Drake, including the exchange between Drake and her father, in “Gendersynthesis”, after the former dabbled with makeup: “i showcase the fruit/of my labour, to which he responds:/what have you got done to yourself, my son?“
These are followed by three poems by Daze Jeffries, including “BlowMeDown”, which talks about life in a rural setting, where change doesn’t seem to be easily accepted: “must be from away, is ya?/i’ve been here/the whole time/you didn’t look”. Jeffries pushes the confines of modern poetry by creating interesting textual designs.
Fionn Shea presents three “Iterations” and a poem about the shift of their physical appearance, utilizing King Lear as well as Richard III‘s opening soliloquy: “I, that am not shaped for sportive tricks,/ nor made to court an amorous looking-glass…” Their works hone in on the theme of not fitting in.
Taylor Stocks shakes things up with seven poems, out of which, two are songs that resonate with the theme of not knowing what will come next, but to not give up on oneself: “Philosophy is no life boat… There isn’t, then,/Much else to be done/Except to move too/And enjoy the pretty colours as they come.”
Dane Woodland concludes with three ‘Adages’ and a poem. The ‘Adages’ talk about the Biblical Golden Rule of: “do unto others as you would have them do unto you” and how his interactions with others forced him to question whether this was the best way to live his life.
As the Head of the English Department, Jennifer Lokash, so aptly put, “The voices of some of our city’s most vibrant trans youth take centre stage in this incredible evening where fiddle meets Shakespeare meets slam poetry meets soapbox rant. You do not want to miss this stellar show that challenges preconceptions about the trans experience and bursts hearts wide open.”
