2023 Queerly Festival (Part 4)
Founded in 2014, Queerly is FRIGID New York’s annual celebration of LGBTQA+ artists. Queerly strives for diversity on and off stage, seeking out queer teams and artists of all kinds as well as a wide range of shows and performances. In light of the barrage of anti-trans legislation across the country, they are prioritizing work by or featuring trans artists as well as work that speaks to queer resilience past, present, and future.
Anna May Wong: Persona
A time travel back a century ago finds a Chinese family operating a laundromat in 1924. Anna May Wong’s father owns this business. She asks pointedly, “What other business besides restaurants are Chinese allowed to have?” This woman will later become the first Chinese American movie star in Hollywood.
Anna always dreamed of becoming an actress. When The Good Earth was being cast in 1934 the part went to Luise Rainer (in yellowface) who spoke “better chop suey English” and had a “better body type”. In order to work Ms. Wong was forced to accept Dragon Lady and Lotus Blossom (concubine) roles. Exhausted from demeaning parts she flees to Europe and hangs out with Marlene Dietrich, Paul Robeson and Josephine Baker.
Her father equated acting with prostitution. Her race limited her opportunities but also came with insults. A Producer notes “I suppose you can’t see well due to the shape of your eyes”. A visit to China unearths similar backlash as the people were not happy with her chosen roles and the costumes she wore.
Anna Mae Wong: Persona was staged as a developmental reading. There is much material covered. In addition to racism, there are sapphic dalliances. The work could be enhanced by solidifying the period language. Calling someone “the bee’s knees” is incongruous with “what happens in Berlin, stays in Berlin”.
The subject matter, however, insightfully portrays rampant systemic racism. Her great successes such as Shanghai Express are reminiscent of another marginalized actress of the period, Hattie McDaniel, who took maid’s roles in order to work (and people looked down at her as well). Fulfilling one’s dreams is the grand motif here and the ending nicely foreshadows Ms. Wong’s contribution to future generations.
Paper Kraine
Since 2016 this monthly variety show has been performed to showcase works in development curated around a theme related to an nonprofit organization. For the Queerly Festival, all ticket sales and a passed hat are directed to the Ali Forney Center which offers LGBTQ+ youth shelter and services. This show’s tone is a jubilant “ok to try new things” and “ok to fail” environment. Halleloo!
The first act was a dance piece entitled “Don’t Panic” which considered how one starts a new sapphic relationship. Mirror image movements eventually morph into playful couplings.
“Rights in Education” was an interesting solo piece by Floridian who has a complicated relationship with his anti-gay home state politics. Some history was proffered including the tale of a gay nightclub in 1937 separately raided by the KKK and police. A true story of a 1959 M/M wedding was approved by the Florida legislature as “nothing violates state law”.
A hilariously conceived and executed clown act followed. “What are you?” bellows the loud deep voice toward the performer onstage. You cannot be both an angel and a clown. This evolves into a silly yet pitch perfect and unique commentary on gender norms. The angel is told to do it more “precious”. The voice advises “if you can’t pick one gender, I mean performance, everyone will think you’re weird”.
The next act was “inspired by short attention spans”. Nicole Kidman welcomes us to her TikTok about Scientology. She is not a fan. Quick scene change and he’s playing with a Snow White doll. A true crime television segment gleefully highlights a grisly murder. We meet an old friend (Jesus) and then a carrot is eaten. These frantic vignettes are creative lunacy which actually hold together through a story arc of sorts.
All We Know of Love and Fire was a sampling of songs from a new musical in development Three young women open with their message “love is all there is”. Love forlorn is the vibe of this piece with some nice harmonies sprinkled throughout. A nod to Stephen Sondheim is always welcome too.
The Luddite was an interactive AI play between an onstage actor and a character on a phone. A promising premise needs a little plot tightening. However, the impact of social media is sharply skewered. “Live public disclosure is the closest thing to a trial these days”.
The final act was a short burlesque strip tease by a queer Palestinian person who owns “two identities experiencing erasure”. As Bridget Everitt sings “and then they bounce, bounce, bounce”. If this is a representative sampling of the work assembled each month then Paper Kraine is a diversion worth exploring.
The 9th Annual Queerly Festival is running downtown at the Kraine Theater from June 15 though July 3, 2023. Paper Kraine is also a monthly curated event at this venue