‘Black Trans Women’ online event affirms #BlackTransLivesMatter

Long Wharf Theatre in New Haven, Connecticut, announces Black Trans Women at the Center: An Evening of Short Plays, a celebration of Black trans talent and experience coproduced by Lady Dane Figueroa Edidi, one of DC’s most original and multitalented theater artists. The event—to be livestreamed free Wednesday, August 5, at 8 pm EST—features readings of three works offering distinct glimpses into the lived experiences of the Black trans community.

The murders of Brayla Stone, Tony McDade, Merci Mack, Dominque “Rem’mie” Fells, Riah Milton, Nina Pop, Layleen Polanco, and many others has prompted a #BlackTransLivesMatter movement that calls for heightened attention to the grossly underreported rates of antitransgender violence that is often discounted in the context of the larger fight against systemic racism. Setting an example for other predominantly and historically white theaters, Artistic Director Jacob G. Padr6n has made sure that Long Wharf Theatre uses its platform to lift up demands for full equality for all members of the Black community. Black Trans Women is a vital instance of theater that affirms and prioritizes Black trans people.

The thought-provoking evening will include readings of Things Unknown by Dezi Bing (Wig Out, Black Trans Girls…), You Will Nevaaa… by CeCe Suazo (Street Children, Incongruence), and Sunshine written by Douglas Lyons (Beau, Chicken and Biscuits) and directed by Lady Dane Figueroa Edidi.

Black Trans Women is Long Wharf Theatre’s most recent centering of creative work that challenges systems of oppression, as the theater acknowledges the fact that when it comes to undoing racism and transphobia, in the words of Lady Dane Figueroa Edidi, “a world free of oppression is possible, but not without Black trans people.”

Black Trans Women: An Evening of Short Plays is a three-part event that features free, livestreamed readings airing Wednesday, August 5, 2020, at 8 pm EST. Register here for access.