Trans Form Round Up

We might have closed Trans Form, but the learning never stops!  Rebecca Kling took a moment to answer a couple of the questions she heard most often during the post-show talkbacks.  See these questions and answers below.

"What would happen if you were on a deserted island and couldn't take hormones?"

There are two issues to consider if I stopped taking hormones. First, and most simply, the physical effects. Right now, I'm taking testosterone blockers (to help negate the testosterone my body is producing) and estrogen (to help push my body toward the hormonal norm for women). As such, blood tests taken on me right now would show a hormonally normal and balanced woman: lots of estrogen, a little testosterone. The effects of that have been physical and emotional: I grew boobs, lost some muscle mass, my body hair thinned out a bit, and I've become more emotional.

Were I to stop taking those pills, my hormone balance would slowly start shifting toward typical male: mostly testosterone, some estrogen. My breasts would 'deflate' a little - though not a ton - and I'd regain some of that muscle mass I lost. Likewise, my body hair would become a bit more aggressive, and my emotions would swing back from easily expressed to slightly more difficult to access. These are all pretty objective measures, and something I'm comfortable stating with some certainty.

From a mental health perspective, though, it's much harder to determine exactly what would happen. My living and presenting as Rebecca, as who I know myself to be, has been a huge boon to how I feel about myself. I realize that identity isn't 100% related to my physical body, but certainly some of it is. As such, were I to stop taking hormones, I'm confident my mental health status would begin to plummet back towards feelings of depression and suicide. Whether I would give into them would probably depend on the situation: if I felt there was a good chance of being rescued from the island, I'd try to stick it out. If I believed I could never go back on hormones, there's a good chance I would take my own life.

In this way, I like the analogy of being on hormones like being on insulin for diabetics. There's less of an obvious correlation between taking the pills and being healthy, yes, but there is a direct connection between my being on hormones and having good - and not suicidal - mental health.

"How can we teach this story and make it accessible to younger children?"

The trans narratives available to younger children aren't overwhelming, but some do exist. For little ones, books like 10,000 Dresses and My Princess Boy explicitly deal with trans narratives at a youth-appropriate level. For slightly older students, books like Almost Perfect and My Gender Workbook deal with issues of gender at an age-appropriate level. In film, It's Elementary and Bullied are two movies that deal with school-age issues of sexuality, though neither are appropriate for really young children.

Beyond that, any book or movie about someone attempting to impose an identity on another can be linked to a discussion of gender and being able to chose ones gender, rather than allowing it to be imposed. 

As much as it's often scary or uncomfortable for adults to discuss issues of gender and sexuality with children, children are already thinking about and dealing with them. Not discussing them doesn't actually 'protect' children from these issues, it just leaves them ignorant.

"What peer support is out there?"

Unfortunately, this is an answer that depends on where you live. In the Chicago area, The Broadway Youth Center and Pride Youth on the north shore. Online, AntiJen and the AntiJen listserv are great places to start. Beyond that, looking into local Gay-Straight Alliances or pride organizations, as well as contacting the above organizations and asking for resources closer to your geographic area.
 

Links, orgs, and books recommended by Rebecca
-Illinois Safe School Alliance -The Transgender Child:  A Handbook for Families and Professionals (book)
-Almost Perfect (novel)

-Genderspectrum.org

-Howard Brown: The Broadway Youth Center

-Pride Youth

Do you have any questions for Rebecca, or any other resources we should know about?  Let us know!  Email us at questions4newsuit@gmail.com.

Closing

Trans Form closed today!  Thank you so much to everyone who came to the show and participated in the talkbacks!  If you still have questions for anyone involved in the show, be sure to email us at questions4newsuit@gmail.com.

Stay tuned for news about our upcoming show, Sizzle:  A Global Warming Comedy, written by Sara Gmitter and Jason Burkett, based on the film by Dr. Randy Olson.

New Suit Theatre Co. is proud to present its third show Sizzle: A Global Warming Comedy in Fall 2011.  This hilarious and inspiring adaptation of the acclaimed film brings the climate change discussion to the next level for skeptics and believers alike. Follow filmmaker-scientist Randy Olson as he struggles to make a documentary that grapples with the the timeless question, "If science won't convince people, what will?" Don't miss a spectacular evening that will have you holding your sides while placing you in the driver's seat of the world's most important debate.

Final Weekend

We hope everyone had wonderful holidays, and is enjoying the first Chicago snowfall of the season!

Trans Form is entering into its final weekend of shows.  Be sure to see it before it closes on December 5.  You can find information on tickets here.

We hope to see you there!

Happy Thanksgiving!

A very Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!

We at New Suit have many reasons to be thankful this year.  We had a successful production of JedIraq this spring, our inaugural production!  We are in the midst of producing Rebecca Kling's Trans Form, which we are incredibly thankful to share with all of you.  We are thankful for our Chicago audience members, who come out to see our shows!  We are thankful that New Suit is comprised of a great group of friends who can continue to work on their art together.  We are thankful for these friends and others, for our families, for our health, and for working in a country where we have the freedom to share our art in an effort to educate others.

And lastly, we are thankful for this review from Paige Listerud at the Chicago Theater Blog:

Rebecca Kling’s one-woman show, Trans Form is decidedly, consciously intimate and low-key. It renders in minute detail the everyday ways in which transgender people can feel their personal authenticity subverted or denied. That Kling unsentimentally reflects on how she has denied herself in the past is one of the more intriguing and thoughtful elements of this one-act play, produced by New Suit Theatre and co-directed by Kristin Idaszak and Kate McGroarty. 

 Enjoy your holiday, and be sure to stop in between turkey bites and give a little thanks for all the wonderful things that happened this past year, big and small.

Transgender Day of Remembrance

From the Planned Parenthood Blog:

Chicago Transgender Coalition Remembers Those Lost

The Chicago Transgender Coalition has organized a Chicago Vigil for the Transgender Day of Remembrance on Saturday, November 20th. The vigil is being organized to remember the lives of sixteen (16) transgender individuals from the United States and Puerto Rico lost since last year's Day of Remembrance, a number that includes Sandy Woulard of Chicago.

 
What:  Transgender Day of Remembrance
When: 5:00PM
Where: Thompson Center, 100 W. Randolph St., Chicago, IL

The event is held every year across the globe in November, and began as an effort to honor the memory of Rita Hester, a transgender woman who was murdered in San Francisco in 1998. It was in her memory that the first vigil was organized. The Transgender Day of Remembrance, that grew from this initial outpouring of grief, serves several purposes. According to the coalition, this event raises public awareness of hate crimes against transgender people, and also gives the LGBTQ community the opportunity to publicly mourn and honor the lives of our brothers and sisters who might otherwise be forgotten.

Contact the coalition to sign on as an organization sponsor.




Members of New Suit Theatre Company will be there for the Transgender Day of Remembrance.  Come out and join us in support and remembrance.

Don't forget to get your tickets to Trans Form, performing until December 5.  Find more information here.

Speaking of edu-tainment

See what Kate McGroarty, co-director of Trans Form, has been up to....

Kate's Month at the Museum of Science and Industry

Kate's MATM blog

"Tranny"

Take a look at this article on advocate.com, regarding a disagreement between Susan Sarandon and GLAAD.  Apparently, the television show Glee used the word "tranny" during an episode about The Rocky Horror Picture Show. 

GLAAD objected to the use of the word, with their spokesman, Richard Ferraro, saying, “The word 'tra**y' has become an easy punch line in popular culture and many still don't realize that using the term is hurtful, dehumanizing and associated with violence.”

Susan Sarandon feels that GLAAD is becoming "like PETA--way out of control," and insists she has friends who proudly declare themselves "trannies".

Meanwhile, Dan Savage jumped into the fray, opposing GLAAD and claiming, "There are just too many queers out there—including awesome trannies like Murray Hill here—using the word 'tranny' with humor and pride and without a moment's thought or hesitation for you guys to keep up this 'tra—y' bullsh*t."

What do you think about the word?  Is it hurtful and dehumanizing, or to be said with pride?  Or does it depend solely on the intent behind the usage?  Share your thoughts in the comments.

The Reviews Are In!

And they are great!  Be sure to click each link to check out the full review.
A great review in Gapers Block:

Trans Form was a powerful and educational experience that captivates on both theatrical and educational levels. The autobiographical nature of the story hits an emotional note that allows outsiders to shed their preconceptions on Transgender identities, and leave the theatre without any labels or stereotypes in mind- just a sensitivity and appreciation for the struggle that Rebecca Kling and others like her have survived.

We're also Recommended by NewCity Stage:

 ...when she is specific about her unique experiences (her parents’ reactions, taming the dreaded DMV bureaucracy) Kling’s story becomes accessible and enjoyable. And the journey, as difficult as it may be, comes to its only possible ending.

And from TimeOut Chicago:

There’s ample pop cultural discourse on promiscuous “trannies” (Kling’s word) and damaged souls caught in the wrong body (see Oprah), but Kling doesn’t want to tell these stories. Happily, she neither sells these narratives out nor denies them as she (innovatively) rewrites trans life as mundane.

What would you say about Trans Form?

 Trans Form runs through December 5. Tickets and more information are available here.

Trans Form is officially open!

Trans Form opened this weekend!  Do you have your tickets yet?

It's a fantastic show, and we've been getting some wonderful questions at the talkbacks.  Did you already see it?  Do you want to share your thoughts on the show, or a question you didn't get a chance to ask at the talkback?  Leave it here as a comment or email us at questions4newsuit@gmail.com.


For another inspiring story, check out a this story on Kye Allums, a transgender man playing on the George Washington women's basketball team, here.  Allums identifies as a male, but does not take any hormones or medication, which keeps him eligible for the women's team.  According to Allums:

GW has been supportive during this transition.  I told my teammates first, and they, including my coaches, have supported me. My teammates have embraced me as the big brother of the team. They have been my family, and I love them all.

Let us know what you think!

Trans Form

Trans Form opens this weekend.

Did you get your tickets yet?

An Open Letter to New Suit and Rebecca Kling

A letter from Bridget Jane, describing her fears and emotions during her transition, and why she commends Trans Form for offering hope and education to others.  Do you have questions for Bridget Jane?  Please email us at questions4newsuit@gmail.com or leave them in the comments below.

10/29/10

An open heartfelt letter to Ms. Rebecca Kling and the New Suit Theatre Company

    Back in 2006, the early days of my transition, I was having an extremely difficult time accepting the idea that I was and am transgendered. I was plagued with doubt, shame, guilt and anxiety and I began to have nightmares - horrific sweat drenched nightmares about death and dying. I was petrified to say the least and I despised myself for feeling weak, but I knew that I needed help.
    At that time, I was too afraid to seek out therapy for fear of exposing my secrets and weaknesses, and so, I found myself combing the book stores for help.
    In my search, I found an ample supply of books on the subject, but most were written by psychologists - professionals on the subject of gender in general. I found a few books that were written by spouses of transexuals and even one book on the history of transexualism in the world. And of course there were many books on cosmetics and clothes. And although these books were educational and somewhat helpful, I found none of them to be what I was looking for. I needed something else. I needed the personal experiences of others, other transexuals who had gone before me, but there were none to be found and so my search continued.
    I recall at one point in my quest, where I was perusing a psychology book on transexualism when I came across a list of the negative side-effects of being a transexual and sure enough, there they were, all of my symptoms lined up neatly in a row. And they were: depression, low self-esteem, profound guilt & shame, high anxiety, fear, nightmares, night terrors, night sweats, panic, cutting, suicidal tendencies and suicide. Now ordinarily, that is a very frightening list to say the least, but to me, that list was somehow comforting. It actually gave me hope. It helped me to see that these symptoms weren't just in my weak mind and imagination but that they were real. These symptoms and this data had come from actual documented cases of real people, real transexuals and therefore I was not alone. I had been validated.
    From that day forward my life changed for the better. Soon after, I was able to face my fears and seek out a therapist and on the day of my first appointment, I cried and cried at the idea of finally being able to speak and expose my deep dark secrets and my deep dark hidden self.
    And so, from out of a list of negative frightening side-effects, the dark side of being transgendered, I was able to rise up, stand my ground, get help and ultimately accept and learn to love myself for who and what I am. And therefore, it is there, in the dark side of transitioning on which I dwell in my writing. I believe that there is knowledge and strength for others in the baring of ones soul, pretty or not, and I commend and greatly admire Rebecca Kling and the New Suit Theatre Company for giving her a platform on which to share and bare her soul in her upcoming show Trans Form. I salute her, thank her and appreciate her, for she is what I sought all those years ago and still seek to this day.
    I would be honored and grateful to support her in every way that I am allowed.

Sincerely,

Bridget Jane


Trans Form debuts on November 5 in Chicago, and runs through December 5. Tickets and more information are available here.

Rebecca Kling talks about Trans Form

Rebecca Kling in rehearsals for Trans Form.  Photo courtesy of Sally Weiss.

Rebecca Kling is the playwright and performer of Trans Form, which begins performances on November 4.  Trans Form details her experiences as a transgender woman; questioning gender, self-expression, and what it means to be at home in one's own body.  Read some of her thoughts on performing Trans Form below.


Just over a year ago, in a post called Reconciling Regret, I wrote about the conversations I used to have between myself and “Rebecca,” my mental construct of the female version of myself:

My conversations would usually start when I was feeling particularly stupid, or sad, or masculine. She’d start, this Rebecca that I imagined myself as in some alternate universe, speaking to me across the barrier which separated our realities: “You’re never going to be happy if you keep on like this.”

“Rebecca” would often continue to berate me and, when I didn’t talk to my parents (or talk to my therapist, find a doctor, find hormones, or whatever standards I/she set for myself) she’d turn the talk to suicide:

“Then why don’t you just kill yourself?” This line was always particularly seductive. Why not kill myself? Clearly, nothing was ever going to change. Friends would be happy, family would be happy, I wouldn’t. Maybe for brief moments, sunlight shining through the clouds, but never for long.
“Go away.”
“Just do it. Kill yourself, and it’ll be over. You’re never going to be me.”

A version of one of these conversations is in the script for Trans Form, and today at rehearsal Kristin (my director) and I worked on it. It was hard to do. Really hard.

In one sense, it’s kind of ridiculous to play my pre-transition self on stage, being reprimanded and driven toward suicide by my fantasy image of myself. Because, obviously, I did eventually begin transitioning; I didn’t kill myself. Likewise, for better or worse, I’ve mostly lost that ‘inner Rebecca’ voice. My drive is now coming from somewhere a bit less corrupted, not quite as dark and easily swayed toward self-injury.

But, while working with Kristin today, all those old memories and insecurities came flooding back: I’ll never be pretty enough to ‘really’ be a woman, never be feminine enough, never be hairless enough, never have a high enough voice, small enough hands. That, if only I’d listened to “Rebecca” earlier – began transitioning, gotten on hormones – I wouldn’t feel like so much of my time and energy is spent undoing the work of puberty, genetics, and years of socializing and presenting myself as male.

Anger also came flooding to the surface, anger I thought I’d moved past. Now that I am able to inhabit that Rebecca I imagined myself as ten years ago, I do want to berate the weak, spineless boy I was. To tell him to suck it up and get off his ass. To punish him for leaving me with a body that’s tall, hairy, big-boned, deep-voiced. It was really easy to slip into a scary place of self-hatred, directed both at the on-stage fifteen-year-old me, and at who I am now, who I let myself become.

Writing all this out, I realize that I’m neither the weak fifteen year old boy I worry I was, nor the ‘Queen Bee’ bitch of a Rebecca I hear myself as on stage. I’m simply me, and try to remember that my strengths outnumber my weaknesses, my beauty is greater than my feelings of insecurity, and my presence on stage proves my evil, fantasy Rebecca wrong: I am strong enough to do this.

Which is why I perform on stage. That’s what theatre is all about: sharing our stories and showing our strength and common experiences. Trans Form is a difficult show for me, as it brings up all my own worries and fears about my identity. But it’s also incredibly gratifying to perform, as it lets me reject those parts of myself which are negative or drag me down, and come out stronger on the other side. I hope you’ll join me.

Trans Form debuts on November 5 in Chicago, and runs through December 5. Tickets and more information are available here. 

If you have any questions or comments for Rebecca, please leave them in the comments or email New Suit at questions4newsuit@gmail.com.

Welcome

Welcome to the New Suit Theatre Company blog!

For those of you who aren't familiar with New Suit Theatre Company, we are a storefront theatre company in Chicago, in our second year of producing theatre.

We are a small but mighty team of artists, designers, playwrights, technicians, and stage managers, dedicated to educational entertainment: "edu-tainment," as we like to call it.

Our mission is to explore perplexing and complicated issues and make them accessible through compelling storytelling. We do not accept the premise that the important issues affecting our lives are ever too complicated to approach in an engaging manner.

Watch this blog for information about our productions, including guest posts from experts, links to material that can help you learn more about the subjects of our productions, and a chance to peek inside the process.

Have any questions, comments, or suggestions? Let us know in the comments! We look forward to meeting you....