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A.R.T. of Human Rights: a reading of 'Trans Scripts'

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This is a free, ticketed event.

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Written by Paul Lucas
Directed by Jo Bonney

Presented as part of the series, A.R.T. of Human Rights, a partnership the American Repertory Theater & Carr Center for Human Rights Policy at Harvard University, this series of public conversations with leading artists, academics, and activists uses the arts and the humanities to explore some of the most pressing human rights issues of our time.

This will be a reading of Trans Scripts, a verbatim stage play that centers on the lives of six trans women. Their true stories, told in their own words, are honest, funny, moving, insightful, and inspiring. But most of all, they are human, shedding light not on our differences, but on what all people share, regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, or physical sex.

Featuring a powerhouse cast of transgender and cisgender* actors, many of whom appeared in the play’s Fringe First Award-winning premiere at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe earlier this year, including transgender icon, actress and activist Calpernia Addams as Sandra; actress and celebrity stylist Jay Knowles as Luna; New York performing legend Bianca Leigh as Tatiana; highly-respected actor and teacher Jodie Lynne McClintock as Josephine; Julia Motyka as Eden; and House of Cards regular Carolyn Michelle Smith as Zakia.

The reading will be followed by a panel discussion.

*A person who identifies as the gender/sex they were assigned at birth.

Need to know

If you have reserved a ticket, please pick up your tickets for the event by 7PM at OBERON. If you do not have a reserved ticket, you are welcome to queue the night of the show at OBERON. Any unclaimed tickets will be distributed at the door to the stand-by line on a first-come, first-served basis.

Notable dates

If you have reserved a ticket, please pick up your tickets for the event by 7PM at OBERON. If you do not have a reserved ticket, you are welcome to queue the night of the show at OBERON. Any unclaimed tickets will be distributed at the door to the stand-by line on a first-come, first-served basis.

Credits

Creative team

Writter

Paul Lucas

Paul Lucas

Writter

Paul Lucas

Paul Lucas is a writer and producer based in New York City. His producing credits include The Be(a)st of Taylor Mac (Herald Angel Award), What I Heard About Iraq (Fringe First Award) at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe; Woody Sez at Edinburgh and the West End; Dai (Lucille Lortel Award); and numerous productions off-Broadway, on National Tour, in the West End, and around the world. Trans Scripts is his first play.

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Director

Jo Bonney

Director

Jo Bonney

A.R.T.: Suzan-Lori Parks' Father Comes Home From The Wars (Parts 1, 2 & 3); Eric Bogosian's Sex, Drugs, Rock & Roll; Pounding Nails in the Floor with my Forehead. Premieres of plays by: Alan Ball, Eric Bogosian, Culture Clash, Eve Ensler, Jessica Goldberg, Danny Hoch, Neil LaBute, Warren Leight, Martyna Majok, Lynn Nottage,  Dael Orlandersmith, Suzan-Lori Parks, Darci Picoult, John Pollono, Will Power, David Rabe, Jose Rivera, Seth Zvi Rosenfeld, Christopher Shinn, Diana Son, Universes, Naomi Wallace, Michael Weller. Productions of plays by: Caryl Churchill, Nilo Cruz, Anna Deavere Smith, Charles Fuller, Lisa Loomer, John Osborne, Carey Perloff, Lanford Wilson. Productions directed at: PS 122; The Public Theater; NYTW; Second Stage; Goodman Theatre; La Jolla Playhouse; MCC; Geffen Playhouse; Williamstown Theater Festival; McCarter Theatre; Playwrights Horizons; Arena Stage; Mark Taper Forum; Signature; Long Wharf; The New Group; Classic Stage Company; Humana Festival; The Royal Court, London; Almeida, London; Edinburgh Festival; The Market Theatre, Johannesburg SA; The Baxter, Cape Town SA, Cine 13, Paris. Recipient of Lucille Lortel Best Musical and Lucille Lortel Best Revival. Drama Desk nomination for Direction of By the Way, Meet Vera Stark. AUDELCO Award for Direction of Father Comes Home From The Wars (Parts 1, 2 & 3), Obie Award for Sustained Excellence of Direction, Lilly Award. Editor of Extreme Exposure: An Anthology of Solo Performance Texts from the Twentieth Century (TCG).

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Cast

Calpernia Addams
Calpernia Addams

Sandra

Calpernia Addams

Calpernia Addams is an actress, musician, author and activist living in Hollywood, CA. The story of her relationship with murdered Army soldier Barry Winchell, “Soldier’s Girl”, was nominated for a Golden Globe, Emmy and countless other awards, and has gone on to become an LGBT classic around the globe.

 

Calpernia starred in the first television show to examine dating for transsexual women, “Transamerican Love Story” and has an extensive listing of other IMDB credits. She has spoken across the USA and internationally on many topics, most recently at Oxford University.

 

Calpernia has been presented with a Peabody Award, a GLAAD Media Award, the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network's Randy Shilts Visibility Award, The National Gay & Lesbian Task Force's Leadership Award, and she is also a decorated military war veteran recognized by the US Congress for assistance in rescuing a downed Chinese airliner in Alaska's Aleutian Islands.

 

Calpernia has been a Grand Marshall of the San Francisco Pride Parade as well as Hollywood, Las Vegas and many others. She has hosted and presented at events from the GLAAD Media Awards to the annual Lavender Law conference. She was the national face for PFLAG's outreach to the transsexual community.

 

Calpernia has spoken extensively on trans representation in Hollywood, and has worked with top celebrities and directors to consult on projects that went on to be nominated for or win Academy Awards (Oscars), Golden Globes, Emmys and even a Peabody Award, among many other awards. Calpernia has spoken on LGBT issues concerning the US military as a former combat medic herself, veteran of the 1st Gulf War and partner to murdered Army PFC Barry Winchell. Her relationship with Barry and his subsequent murder by homophobic fellow soldiers was depicted in the film "Soldier's Girl", which has gone on to open many hearts and minds to trans and gay stories and influenced former President Bill Clinton to express regret at the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy. Calpernia has also spoken at the Veteran's Administration on healthcare and elder-care for trans veterans who seek care at the Veteran's Hospitals. She has delivered seminars on workplace policies concerning trans and lesbian/gay/bisexual employees to major multinational corporations such as Procter & Gamble and Warner Brothers.

 

As an entertainer, her business partner Andrea James and she put on the first all trans-women cast production of Eve Ensler's international hit play fighting violence against women and girls: “The Vagina Monologues.” They were mentored by Eve and legendary actress Jane Fonda, with whom Calpernia went on to perform the monologues at the 72,000 seat New Orleans Superdome to raise money for the women and girls affected by Hurricane Katrina. As a multi-instrumentalist and songwriter she has toured the US and Europe playing acoustic music opening for out gay indie superstar Patrick Wolf and trans musician (and “Transparent” staff writer) Our Lady J. Her music was also featured in Facebook's first national television commercial, in which she also starred.

 

Calpernia also produces and sings in her own live cabaret show every week in Hollywood (5 years running), featuring original arrangements of classic Old Hollywood music by Marilyn Monroe, Mae West and others alongside original dance and pop music.

 

This info and more can be found at http://www.calpernia.com/aboutme

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Finding Neverland
Finding Neverland

Luna

Jay Knowles

Jay Knowles is thrilled to be making her professional acting debut after years spent working behind the scenes as a stylist to the stars. Her signature style has been represented in top fashion shows for Spiegel, The Micheal Anthony Collection and many others during New York’s Fashion Week, and has allowed he to work with celebrities such as Micheak Kors, Russell Simmons, Amanda Brown, Gabby Sinabe, Alice Tan Ridley, Nina Sky, Tarring a Manning and Laverne Cox!  The lead fashion stylist and Publicist for the #men and the 10 ComMANdments book tour in 2014, Jay Knowles is a force to be reckoned with. 

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Tatiana

Bianca Leigh

Tatiana

Bianca Leigh

A.R.T.: Trans Scripts, Part I: The Women. Theater: The Lily’s Revenge (Time/Wind), HERE Arts Center; Tales of the City (Franny Halcyon), NY and San Francisco workshops; Trans Scripts (Tatiana), 2015 Edinburgh Festival Fringe; BUSTED (creator/performer), Laurie Beechman Theatre. TV: “Law & Order: SVU” (Dr. Rachel Sandow). Film: Transamerica (Mary Ellen), Hurricane Bianca (Karma). She was profiled this year in Crain’s for her work with students at NYU Medical School, and was the commencement speaker at Rutgers University’s Lavender Graduation in 2014. She recently participated, alongside MJ Rodriguez, in the Samuel French panel discussion “On Stage and Off: The State of Transgender Artists.”

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Jodie Lynne McClintock
Jodie Lynne McClintock

Josephine

Jodie Lynne McClintock

Jodie Lynne McClintock has appeared in film, television, and new media as well as on Broadway and Off, in London’s West End and at major regional theatres across the country.

BROADWAY/INTERNATIONAL: Cathleen in Sir Jonathan Miller's production of Long Day's Journey Into Night with Jack Lemmon (reprised on world tour and TV for both Showtime and PBS' American Playhouse). Royal Shakespeare Company (Broadway/ Kennedy Center/ Fringe), and appeared as Queen Caroline in RSC’s former AD Adrian Noble’s The Art of Success (MTC).  OTHER OFF BROADWAY: The Daughter-In-Law (Mint), Belle Epoque  (Lincoln Center), A Dangerous Personality (Perry Street), Charles Busch’s Shanghai Moon (TNC), Timeslips (HERE), and new plays for Primary Stages, Vineyard, Minetta Lane, Abingdon.

REGIONAL: Long Wharf, McCarter, Papermill, Arizona, St. Louis Rep, Capital Rep, Shadowland (Best Actress 2010/Times-Herald NY), and Alabama, St. Louis, and New Jersey Shakespeare Festivals. 

FILM/TV: United 93 (Boston Society of Film Critics Best Ensemble Cast 2006),The Mighty Macs, 30 Rock, Law and Order: Criminal Intent, SVU, and LouieNEW MEDIA: web series Return to Sender and her avatar Maude the Bounty Hunter in Grand Theft Auto 5.

Ms. McClintock strongly believes in passing along the knowledge she has gained as an actress. To that end, she has taught at the British-American Drama Academy in London and Oxford and for Paris based Acting International, and at various universities and acting programs. She privately coaches at The Queens Studio.

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Heat Wave
Heat Wave

Zakia

Carolyn Michelle Smith

Broadway: "Romeo and Juliet" directed by David Leveaux. Off-Broadway: "Soldier X", (Ma-Yi Theatre Company, NYC), "Hit The Wall" (Barrow Street Theatre, NYC), "Serial. Black. Face" Workshop (Juilliard/Signature Theatre, NYC). US Regional Theatre: World Premiere of "WHADDABLOODCLOT!!!" by Katori Hall (Williamstown Theatre Festival), "Rich Girl" by Victoria Stewart, (The Old Globe, San Diego), "Uncle Sam's..." Humana Festival at Actors Theatre of Louisville, former company member of Seattle Shakespeare Company, and Princeton Rep. Television: "Isabelle" in the much-anticipated pilot "Codes of Conduct" by Academy Award-winning director Steve McQueen (HBO), and the recurring role of "Willa Penton" for the Emmy Award-winning series "House of Cards" (Netflix). Education: Fordham University at Lincoln Center (B.A), British-American Drama Academy's Midsummer at Oxford, and full-scholarship and graduate of The Juilliard School.

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Julia Motyka
Julia Motyka

Eden

Julia Motyka

Julia Motyka- Off Broadway: We Got Issues (Exec. Prod. Eve Ensler and Jane Fonda), Obama 44, The Last Starfighter: the Musical; EVE; and Golden Ladder. NY Workshops: Second Stage, Roundabout, Primary Stages, EST, The Directors Company, Abingdon Theatre Company, Mabou Mines, etc. Regional: Bay Street Theater,The Folger, The Alley, Denver Theatre Center,The Pioneer, The Rubicon, PRT, TheatreWorks (Palo Alto), and San Francisco, Colorado, and Marin Shakespeare Festivals. Film: Crosseye, The Kindergarten Shuffle, In The Family. She is also an Audiobook narrator. Member: The Actors Center, NYC. Assoc. Member: PRT. www.juliamotyka.com

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