Theater Row: America Reveals


"Grandmother of Trannies"
http://www.christinereveals.com/

The amazing Christine Jorgensen was a pioneer in representing trans people in the media. She was famed for being an Ex-GI named George, (post WWII) who "transformed" into a woman in Denmark and returned to America as Christine.
Little did she know that hundreds of reporters awaited her arrival at the airport in Idlewild, NY and was immediately thrust into the spotlight for as she put it, simply claiming her true identity.

As this off-broadway show demonstrates, Ms. Jorgenson was an eloquent speaker who never tried to speak on behalf of those with "problems" but from her own personal experience. She remained calm and collected when asked deeply intrusive and controversial (even for today)questions by a popular radio personality of 1957 in this first live interview since her return to the U.S. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrOnss_ZjMU


In an interesting contrast, Neil LaBute's fresh comedy, "Reasons to Be Pretty" tells the coming of age story of a young man who stocks shelves on the owl shift, reads classic "dark" American literature and how his careless comment about his own girlfriend snowballs into deep issues about inner confidence. The play reveals the ugly side of people's typical view of physical beauty through the interactions and monologues of its four characters who at first look like a cookie cutter version of someone you know if you've ever held a dead-end job. In the end however, hurt feelings are resolved and the main character even comes to realize how much he's grown in order to see real beauty in others and to fight the ugliness in those who would take advantage of looks.

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