By Antonette Rea with James Fagan Tait

Directed by James Fagan Tait

A frank theatre company production

Premiere: January 27–31, 2016 at Performance Works at the PuSh International Performing Arts Festival in Vancouver

Remount: September 22–24, 2016 in Winnipeg at FemFest, presented by Sarasvàti Productions

It’s been a long journey for this transwoman, from life as a middle-class husband and father to the turmoil of a gender-identity crisis to the Downtown Eastside where she lived as a drug-addicted sex worker. But now is the moment of her triumph. She is a spoken word artist, and when she speaks you’ll be riveted.

This interdisciplinary performance, written with and directed by James Fagan Tait, covers a life of pain: the oppression of queer identity by society, the dangers of sex work and the misery of addiction. It takes a special kind of strength to break through such obstacles, and Rea’s spirit radiates from the stage as we hear her words. They are words of anger, fear, passion, humour and hope. Rea began writing poetry while working the streets as a way of coping. Now it is her art, to be heard by the world and, maybe, to help change it.

Artistic Team
Writers – Antonette Rea with James Fagan Tait
Direction – James Fagan Tait

Featuring
Nadeem Phillip, Austin Eckert, Antonette Rea & Starlise Waschuk

Choreography – Noam Gagnon
Costume Design – Carmen Alatorre
Sound Design & Composition – Candelario Andrade and Malcolm Dow
Videography – Candelario Andrade 
Stage Management – Dorothy Jenkins 
Production Management – Adam Beauchesne 
Production Associate – Jonathan Seinen 
Lead Producer & Dramaturg – Chris Gatchalian
Development support – Shadbolt Centre for the Arts