A R T S & C U LT U R E
Boston LGBTQ Theatre Feels Like Safe Words A critical take on queer theatre in the Hub By
Brian M. Balduzzi
Though LGBTQ theatre has often offered a form of political and social resistance, lately, it seems to mean only one thing in Boston: white-washed, middle-class, cis gay men’s stories. In a city that suffers from one of the largest racial and socio-economic class divides in the United States, Boston theatre offers an opportunity for artists to engage with community members to bridge this gap, to articulate solutions, and to offer shared experiences. Instead, the stories performed at the most prominent Boston theatres seem stifled by their white, middle to upper-middle class subscribers and the artistic administrations that cater to them. As an educated, white, gay and disabled young man, I recognize my place of privilege and my opportunity to advocate and support more inclusive LGBTQ theatre. Members of the LGBTQ community have an opportunity to engage more meaningfully than ever as an inclusive community, but we must fight to own space in our theatres and performances. One might argue that the LGBTQ community has moved beyond political or social resistance, especially within a state that first offered the legal opportunity for same-sex couples to marry. And one might also argue that discussing LGBTQ
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issues onstage is no longer important, especially when we have a resurgence of issues surrounding race and nationality to tackle in our communities and on our stages. But why can’t we explore all these issues? Recently, we have had some notable LGBTQ theatrical productions by our most widely-known theatres. In 2016, the American Repertory Theater (ART) produced the much-acclaimed United States premiere of Trans Scripts, a play chronicling real stories by trans persons, drawn from more than 75 interviews. The characters spanned in age, nationality, race, and backgrounds. But, more importantly, their presence onstage helped introduce the Boston community to the experiences of trans people in the shared space of the theatre, where they had traditionally only seen them on television shows like Transparent and Orange is the New Black. This presence was fleeting, however. How many other productions have featured transgender characters with real storylines? Also in 2016, Company One Theatre’s (C1) award-nominated New England premiere of The T Party, written and directed by Natsu Onoda Power, invited all genders. Through a series of vignettes, we experi-
Trans Scripts. Credit: Gretjen Helene Photography.
