Credit: ETHAN HILL
Credit: ETHAN HILL
In order to bring visibility and understanding to trans stories, Friday feels more passionate than ever to speak her truth in today’s climate.
“It’s so necessary for trans stories to be told right now, especially trans stories told by trans people,” she said. “What audiences will hear is a human being’s story, which is the point of the show. The show is not for me to stand on stage and explain myself as a transgender woman. But the show involves success, failures, relationships, loss of relationships – everything that a human being experiences.”
Looking back pre-transition, the Georgia native acknowledges her personal discovery of authenticity was not rooted in trauma. However, she is aware of the stigma built on the notion that someone transitions due to life “being so terrible before.”
“For me, it was not about being unhappy with who I was,” she said. “It was about being in a society that did not allow me to live authentically. So, there was a struggle but it wasn’t a struggle about being trans. The struggle was living in a transphobic society. When I talk about my past, I definitely want to be clear that the narrative of my struggle was not about something being wrong with me. It’s about living in a space that does not allow for the trans person to succeed and thrive.”
Based in Washington D.C., Friday moved to New York City in 1993. She performed in numerous regional productions with such organizations as Goodspeed Opera House, Alabama Shakespeare Festival and The Ordway Theater. In 1999 she appeared in the national tour of “Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story.”
Credit: ETHAN HILL
Credit: ETHAN HILL
“Trans Am” focuses on the early 2000s when Friday began her gender transition and performed with the rock band Lisa Jackson and Girl Friday, a featured act at New York’s iconic rock club CBGB’s from 2000-2006. The punk-pop/glam-rock group became a cult favorite and toured the country with Pat Benatar, The Psychedelic Furs, The Motels, Indigo Girls and many others. All of the music in the show stems from the band’s material, fueling its autobiographical potency.
“Everything about me is influenced from the MTV explosion of the early 1980s,” said Friday. “And that pop culture can range everywhere from Madonna to Prince to Nirvana, a huge spectrum of pop and rock and roll. When I started working on the story and started looking at using the (band’s) songs – and I wrote all of those songs – I realized how narrative they were about my life. I was writing them in my early years of transitioning, so the songs were very reflective of where I was at during that time. It’s unfortunate that the struggle of 25 years ago is still happening now and the struggle is becoming more difficult every day due to legislation.”
Emily N. Wells, artistic director of the Human Race Theatre Company, has known Friday for over 20 years. When she cast her as Adlean in the Human Race’s production of “Barbecue,” a rip-roaring showcase continuing through April 30, inviting her to perform “Trans Am” seemed a perfect fit.
“The Human Race Theatre Company always starts with a great story,” said Wells. “I’ve seen Lisa’s punk rock diva performances ‘back in the day,’ so I know we’re also presenting a powerful storyteller. When we cast her in ‘Barbecue,’ I saw this as a perfect opportunity to share Lisa’s story with our community. There was no question that the humor, humanity and quest for identity in Lisa’s journey reflects our shared desire for individuality and to be seen for who we are.”
Credit: ETHAN HILL
Credit: ETHAN HILL
In addition, “Trans Am” is being spotlighted as part of the Human Race’s Playwright’s Night, a series devoted to new works. Friday is pleased to be a part of a larger discussion of contemporary theater intended for contemporary audiences.
“I am grateful for people like Emily who are starting to push in a direction to (support) plays written by people who are reflecting the lived experience of our society,” she said. “We’re not just repeating history over and over. It’s necessary for organizations like the Human Race to tell stories that reflect what’s happening in our current society.”
HOW TO GO
What: “Trans Am”
Where: Loft Theatre of Human Race Theatre Company, 126 N. Main St., Dayton
When: Monday, April 24 at 7 p.m.
Cost: $10
Rating: R
More information: 937-228-3630 or visit https://humanracetheatre.org/
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