The Naked I: Insides Out – Get to Know Liana Yang

This winter, 20% Theatre Company is thrilled to present the world premiere of The Naked I: Insides Out – the 3rd in a series of Naked I plays that explore queer and trans* experiences through monologues, short scenes, and spoken word poems. The show was created over the past year by selecting 25 of 119 stories submitted by community members. This newest installment of The Naked I will involve over 75 LGBTQ artists and allies – including contributing writers, directors, performers, designers, technicians and supporting staff.

You can see The Naked I: Insides Out February 13-23, 2014 at Intermedia Arts in Minneapolis. Purchase tickets now!

Over the next several weeks, we will be featuring interviews from a variety of The Naked I: Insides Out artists.  We recently asked Liana Yang what she had to say about The Naked I: Insides Out.
Liana

What attracted you to audition for The Naked I: Insides Out?

I can still recall the first time I saw The Naked I: Wide Open in 2012, I felt so at home and inspired by the stories and its performers that needless to say, my life was changed forever. I auditioned because I wanted to be a part of something that had affected me so deeply and on such a personal and spiritual level, that when I am listening to, watching, or performing these stories, it feels to me like such an honor and privilege to be able to share it with the outside world; the thoughts and feelings of my internal world.

Have you ever acted before? If so, in what? When?

That’s a funny question, my knee jerk reply would be to say “no” as I have had no experience with formal training in acting.  However, when my wits overpower my senses to be more serious, I would jokingly say, “why yes, I have been acting for most of my life as the person that society wanted to cage me up into being.”

Jokes aside, I have had very little acting experience, the last acting performance that I gave was when I was in 4th grade.

What is your role in The Naked I: Insides Out? What do you like most about the piece you are working on and your relationship to it as a performer?

People who come to see the show will see me in act called “He calls me mama” written by Zealot Hamm.  On the day of the audition, it was this particular piece that resonated with me on such a personal level that I wanted so bad to have the part. What I love most about this piece is that in its own unique way, it allows the audience to see and experience the world of motherhood through the eyes of a transgendered woman.  It addresses common fears and misconceptions while still connecting the audience with the common experiences that all women share as mothers.

Had you ever seen any version of The Naked I before? If so, what were your thoughts?

Yes, I am a proud audience member of the last production, The Naked I: Wide Open. I remember arriving at the theatre on a cold winter’s night and as the show started, I was entranced by the performances and the touching stories.  I remember crying, laughing, being angry at the world, then feeling inspired and validated by the end of the night.

I never would have dreamed that I would become a part of this production. As person who believes in destiny, I believe that this was all meant to be. I hope to take this opportunity to inspire others the way I have been inspired.

What about this production excites you most?

Everything excites me about this production, seeing so many talented artists working on their pieces is really inspiring.  However, something that is especiallyimportant for me is the journey onto the stage: meeting with my director, learning about theatre, discovering new things about myself and my own potential really begs for me to keep digging deeper.

There is simply something unique, cathartic and powerful about being moved by a powerful script while in the presence of its actors or actresses. I truly believe that real life for the members of the audience can change in one night through the performing arts.

What do you hope/think audiences will take away from seeing  your piece in The Naked I: Insides Out?

I hope that the audience is able to connect with my character, I hope that they are able to connect with her enough to feel comfortable with the idea of considering her a close friend or even a family member. I hope that the audience can take home the fact individuals who fall within the TQLGB spectrum are not people with labels; they are just like everyone else.

I hope that my piece can help contribute to peoples’ acceptance of the fact that transgender families are not that much different from the average, and that the daily realities that transgender parents experience for their children such as love, care, responsibility and accountability are the same as everyone else’s.

More about Liana, the person…

What is your personal pronoun preference?

I am most definitely woman, I do prefer to be addressed with pronouns that are aligned with being one: She/her/sexy babe/Asian Unicorn are all acceptable.

What is your first memory of gender?

I think my earliest memory of gender was when I was 4 or 5 years old.  Every time I visited my auntie, she would bring me to her room and show me her new dresses. Despite feeling happy and excited for her, I also felt sad, frustrated, and confused as to why it was not okay for me to have pretty little dresses and Jelly sandals like all the other girls.

If your gender identity was a food, what would it be?

This is a hard one…I would say something like a Red Velvet cake. But I think this may be more due to the fact that red is my favorite color and that I love cakes and…feel for a slice or three as of this interview.

You feel the most naked when…

I feel most naked when close family and friends slip and identify me by the wrong gender pronoun.  Having said that, I am patient, understanding, and love them all unconditionally.

What do you do in the world, outside of working on this production?

I am a business owner along with my wife.  We are also both students and I am finishing up my master’s degree in clinical counseling.  Throughout the week, if I’m not at my office or in class, I am providing therapy for clients.

I have many hobbies, with acting as one that is currently at the top. I have a passion for training dogs, rescuing, and rehabilitating them so they can be re-homed with appropriate families.

So, if you see an Asian woman riding a tricycle with a pack of dogs attached to it at the local parks, don’t forget to wave.

What if the concept of gender didn’t exist? How would that change your life?

I think then I would have transitioned very early on in my life, most likely before the age of ten.  I come to this conclusion because I’m assuming that if the concept of gender did not exist as it does today; my parents and everyone else would have had no qualms about me putting on a pretty little blue dress and pink Jelly sandals way back when I was a little girl.

What is your most favorite accessory or article of clothing?

I love shoes and bags, I know that it’s such as typical response coming from a woman but, I’m just saying that what I wear for the day is pretty much determined by which pair of shoes I feel like wearing and or which bag I feel like carrying.

Name one of your favorite songs right now.

Songs that are on my playlist on repeat right now are…
One Way Love by Hyolyn and Hero by Family of the Year.

The Naked I: Insides Out – Get to Know Tobias K. Davis

This winter, 20% Theatre Company is thrilled to present the world premiere of The Naked I: Insides Out– the 3rd in a series of NAKED I plays that explore queer and trans* experiences through monologues, short scenes, and spoken word poems.

The show was created over the past year by selecting 25 of 119 stories submitted by community members. This newest installment of The Naked I will involve over 75 LGBTQ artists and allies – including contributing writers, directors, performers, designers, technicians and supporting staff. You can see The Naked I: Insides Out February 13-23, 2014 at Intermedia Arts in Minneapolis. Purchase tickets now!

Over the next few months, we will be featuring interviews from a variety of The Naked I: Insides Out artists.  We recently asked Tobias K. Davis, creator of The Naked I: Monologues From Beyond the Binary, what he had to say about The Naked I: Insides Out.

Toby and friends
Toby and friends

Toby, you were the creator and mastermind behind The Naked I: Monologues from Beyond the Binary. What prompted you to start creating that play? How and when did you do it? Where has it been produced?

In 2000, when I was in college, there was a production of The Vagina Monologues on campus. I remember thinking about what a powerful play it was for cis women, and wishing that there was a play like that for trans people that examined our experiences with our bodies and our sexuality. I remember saying to a friend, “Someone should write a trans version of The Vagina Monologues.” I didn’t think it would be me, though, since at the time I was terrified of talking or even thinking about my own body.  Playwriting is my way of facing my fears, so a few months later, when trying to decide on a project for my senior thesis in playwriting, I realized I needed to write this play, both for myself and for my trans community.

The Naked I has proven to be my most popular play to date, and has been produced all over the United States, from New York to Pennsylvania to California, and, of course, in Minneapolis. I’ve just done the casting for a new production, which I will be co-directing in Massachusetts in March.


How did your process in creating The Naked I: Monologues from Beyond the Binary differ from what 20% Theatre has done in creating The Naked I: Wide Open and The Naked I: Insides Out?

I began by gathering data via an internet survey asking trans and gender non-conforming people to share their experiences with their bodies so that I could use their answers to create monologues. I distributed paper copies of the survey at trans events. I also put out a call for submissions of pieces written by others. I selected and edited these pieces to make them more theatrical and create a cohesive play.

20% has broadened the scope of the work beyond my original vision; they call for submissions about all kinds of experiences of trans and gender non-conforming people, whereas I was originally focused on experiences of body and sexuality.  Both methods create pieces that reflect the wide range of voices and experiences in our trans community.


In what ways have you been involved in the creation of The Naked I: Insides Out?

To my delight, I got to submit one of my own pieces of writing this time around. It was a powerful experience to reflect on how my own attitude toward my body has changed in 10 years. My piece was selected to be combined with two other wonderful pieces into a single piece called Mirrors. I helped Claire and the other two authors interweave our stories to create an even more powerful new piece. It was a lot of fun!


Given that 20% Theatre is committed to making this an ongoing series of shows, where do you hope this continuing project goes? What has been left unsaid?

One of my challenges when I was first writing The Naked I: Monologues From Beyond the Binary was my desire to include every type of trans and gender non-conforming experience that I could. Of course that’s impossible, so I am grateful that this project lives on, because there are still so many voices that need to be heard!


What do you hope/think audiences might take away from seeing The Naked I: Insides Out?

In so many ways, the mainstream media paints transgender people as less than human. My hope for all of these plays is that they restore us to our rightful humanity.

Now, a little more about Toby, the person…


What is your pronoun preference?

He/him/his.


Where do you live?

I live in Northampton, Massachusetts with my beloved partner cmoore, my dog Albee, my cats Chaucer and Milton, and my parrots Icarus and Daedalus.


If your gender identity was a food, what would it be?

A quiche. Something warm and comforting (and very cheesy), but not very “manly.”


What do you do in the world, outside of working on this production? (jobs/hobbies/etc)

I work at the Smith College School for Social Work as an administrator. I also recently finished a graduate degree in Social Justice Education at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and I have been conducting workshops and trainings on various social justice issues. I am very involved in my church, the Haydenville Congregational Church, which is a radically inclusive UCC church. At home I am frequently found snuggling a pile of dogs (my partner is a dog trainer and runs a dog boarding business out of our home) or taking my god-child Casey to the Y for swimming and other fun classes.


What is your first memory of gender?

When I was about three, I was playing in a sandbox when an adult asked me if I was a boy or a girl. I didn’t know how to answer that question, so I just told them my name.


What if the concept of gender didn’t exist? How would that change your life?

On the one hand, I would have a lot more free brain space because I wouldn’t be thinking about gender all the time or worrying about my safety or the safety of members of my community. On the other hand, gender is one of the beautiful and powerful ways in which we express ourselves. I think I would prefer a world in which there were lots and lots of options for gender, and none of them was privileged above any other.


Toby, you feel the most naked when…

I feel most naked when people objectify me and don’t see me as a real human being.


What animal best describes the concept of gender you have for yourself?

A manatee. They are so cuddly looking, goofy to look at, and seem to go about their business without being too bothered by the outside world.


Want to see Mirrors co-created by Tobias K. Davis, Sam Berliner, and TJ Carley in The Naked I: Insides Out? Purchase your tickets now!

Get to Know: Anna Sutheim

20% Theatre Company is thrilled to announce Q-STAGE – a new, experimental series showcasing the work of local queer artists/performing groups. As a company we recognize that “queer” can mean vastly different things to different people. To us, “queer” is a term of radical self-definition – and can relate to personal gender or sexual identity, history, presentation, artistic approach and/or content, and so much more.

Six shows were chosen out of 14 applications, and you are about to read about one of them! We reached out to Anna Sutheim to learn about her Q Stage production of Singing Out.

What attracted you to this Q-Stage opportunity?

What artist doesn’t want to be told “hey, here’s a budget, talented production staff, a venue and 30-60 minutes of stage time- whaddaya wanna do with it”? Also, the idea of applying scared the crap out of me, so I knew I had to try.

 

What was the most surprising or exciting discovery you made during the rehearsal process?

That I can write and perform a one-woman autobiographical show and not have a heart attack or flee the country (yet, anyway).

 

If your play/performance piece had a theme song, what artist would sing/play it?

Well, the songs I’ve been listening to on repeat to encourage myself when I get terrified during this process have been Macklemore’s “Can’t Hold Us”, Janelle Monae’s “Electric Lady” and the first movement of J.S. Bach’s Cantata 82 “Ich habe genug” sung by Lorraine Hunt Lieberson. So I think those artists (including the dead ones) should all collaborate on something about pushing through fear and being yourself. That would be awesome.

 

Describe your show in five words or less:

Nervous girl loves opera, ladies.

Or, perhaps:

Singing lesbian finally chills out.

To purchase tickets to this show or any other Q Stage production, visit http://www.brownpapertickets.com/producer/73249.