2023 Queerly Festival (Part 3)
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.
Funny Women of a Certain Age
Carol Montgomery is a veteran stand-up comedienne for forty years. She noticed her bookings never contained two females in the same show. She created a group to feature women comics over 50 years old. Showtime specials followed. Ms. Montgomery curated this selection for the festival and their camaraderie is evident. They have been in residency at the Kraine Theater for six years.
Of course Showtime wanted the women to be younger. She opens the show with their history followed by some targeted humor. When COVID subsided Target stocked prairie dresses. They are “a potato sack with ruffles and a bow”. She then asks, “How much weight do they think we gained during the pandemic?” Then the punch line delivers. “Just because we ate bread doesn’t mean we want to look like Laura Ingalls”. As it happens Target was ahead of its time. They knew Roe v. Wade would be overturned.
Three additional comics performed on this show. One was a recovering alcoholic who prefers the term “inactive lush”. Another laments how easily we offend each other. “Can we all agree that skim milk is not milk?” she asks. It’s “just white water”. Something we all can surely agree on.
Does God exist? Apparently the answer is yes. He sent the pandemic so she did not have to holiday with her argumentative family. In the final set, a dreaded trip to the dentist required some self-directed advice. “If you behave yourself, I’ll take you to the liquor store”.
Like all comedy shows there are highs and lows, blue humor and witty pokes at our society. You can even learn a few things. “Serial killing is a hobby”. “Assassin is a career”.
walkOver
Elena Freck’s probing and well-performed play considers life after “you’ve completed the first line of your obituary”. Martin was a teenage gymnastics phenom. He was also openly trans. A wrist injury ended his career and now he is broke. There are no sponsorships for trans athletes. What’s the next step?
A close friend and ex-gymnast carved out a second career as a sports writer. En is also trans. All Martin wants is his bong and the lighter. En offers sympathy and advice. He reluctantly goes back to his hometown. At a bar he meets Jenna who stayed local and is now a teacher. A small room in her apartment becomes his new world.
While the main character may be trans, the themes are universal. What does one do when the lifelong dream is no longer a reality at 25 years old? The play effectively uses two friends as positively influencing guideposts to ensure Martin does not travel down a quite possible destructive path.
The plot continues its believable trajectory and a missed bus becomes a reckoning moment as he makes phone calls. One is to his mother. “Was she like a Dance Mom or Allison Janney in I, Tonya” is a vividly asked question. A flashback to the injury is nicely staged with crisp body movements recognizable to anyone who watches the sport. An impressively executed scene on a very small stage.
Kyr Siegel (Martin), Miller Koppang (En) and Linda Shewokis (Jenna) are all very good inhabiting these characters. On stage physicality is notably fine throughout. There is a scene near the end when En returns. The tension created is earned by what preceded before. Jake Tolentino’s direction was additive to experiencing this play with extra nods to the lighting choices. walkOver is an excellent entry into this festival both in terms of content and quality.
The 9th Annual Queerly Festival is running downtown at the Kraine Theater from June 15 though July 3, 2023. walkOver will be performed again on July 2nd both live and livestreamed.