Threads review, mnfringe show 1: Transition: a Story of 2 Trans People Becoming Themselves; exactly what title says PLUS amazing live orchestral music and singing, which lifts everything basic to another level - 4 stars
Transition: a Story of 2 Trans People Becoming Themselves is worth seeing for the musical performances alone. This is original chamber music, performed by a live chamber orchestra of 12 musicians, and two classically trained singers (who also happen to be trans), all conducted by the trans composer, lyricist and playwright of the show Emily Boyajian. The two actor/singers, Gillian Guantt and Kymani Kahlil, are also fine in the dialogue portions of the show, but they both really come alive as performers when they sing. It’s a whole other level of acting for them. There’s great joy, there’s a deeper connection to one another, and their acting just levels up, like a switch gets flipped. The music sections of the show really are its secret weapon.
“I’ve been looking forward to this day, dreaming of it for a long time.”
Transition has a simple story to tell. Two friends (Guantt and Kahlil) are coming out as trans by posting online, doing so together with their laptops side by side for moral support. Scenes alternate with songs. Each time we return to dialogue, the friends are checking in with how things are going with family, friends, co-workers and acquaintances on their coming out journey. The text portions of the show are its weak point. They’re not bad, by any stretch. They’re just pretty basic. There’s a lot of statistics in the conversation that don’t feel entirely natural. The dialogue works best when the two friends are talking about specific people in their lives and the details of their day to day routines are changing and evolving. They feel more like real people. It also felt at the first performance as if the script parts weren’t memorized, and these performers were better at reading music and performing than they were at reading a script while performing (different set of muscles, entirely understandable).
“Even though the closet sucks, it’s also safe.”
As the piece evolves, I think the production team can lean more on the music than they currently do. The music covers a lot of the same territory the scenes do, and does so in a more economical and emotionally effective way. Just as a random example, I found it surprising and wonderful how moved I was to hear the names of Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera sung to music, as opposed to simply hearing the names spoken. That applies across the board to any and all content. Anything that’s covered in the songs, you could remove from the dialogue entirely. The music is the show’s greatest strength.
“I’m going to buy some pants with really big pockets.”
And because of that I’m gonna list all the musicians here because they should also be recognized: Dea Bruzelius (flute), Joshua Dieringer (viola), Liz Draper (double bass), Stephanie Knapper (cello), Harlie Lane (French horn), Amanda Mastrian (bassoon), Isaac Mayhew (trumpet), Leah Meyer (violin), Ashley Ng (violin), Alex Pritchard (clarinet), David Thompson (oboe), Jason Wells (double bass). Professional, beautiful work from all the musicians involved in this show.
“The person in the mirror that you really want to see.”
Transition: a Story of 2 Trans People Becoming Themselves is such an earnest, well-meaning show, with its heart on its sleeve that there were times I really had to fight my inner cynic not to smirk at some lines or lyrics (“We’re on a journey, a gender journey,” even when sung, pushed my limits, for instance.) But if you meet the show where it lives, you’ll be rewarded. It’s very uplifting overall, and when the music kicks in and the performers sing, this Fringe show really soars. Don’t miss the music, it’s some of the best in the festival this year.
4 stars - Highly Recommended
Here's some handy links to coverage of shows I've seen in the Fringe this year getting 5 and 4.5 Stars (Very Highly Recommended), 4 and 3.5 Stars (Highly Recommended) as well as the shows ranking 3 stars or less; also links to this year's Top 10 list and Top 11-20 list, also a full list of all returning favorites to this year's Fringe, plus a link to ALL the 2024 Minnesota Fringe Festival coverage.
While I have your attention, please VOTE :)
Minnesota is currently in the early voting period
for our Congressional and local primaries (I had the U.S. Senate,
Congress, and the Minneapolis school board on my ballot) - final day to
vote in the primary is Tuesday, August 13th, but you don't have to wait
until Fringe is over, go vote right now :)
Early voting for the Presidential Election itself in Minnesota starts on Friday, September 20th.
We're lucky to have a lot of time to get our voices heard, so cast your
vote, and then make sure everyone you know and love is registered and
gets to the polls to vote. Election Day, your final date to vote, is Tuesday, November 5th.
As a queer playwright and theater maker, I want a government that's compassionate and competent enough to keep us all safe and healthy, keep theaters open and running, and personally, I'd just like to be legal myself and keep the weirdos out of government and out of my personal business (and the things I post on this blog, for instance). We all have our reasons, so let's make sure we get the leaders we need and deserve, and get our friends, family and co-workers to raise their voices, too.
Find where to vote and what's on your ballot (with links to candidate websites) and other resources at the Minnesota Secretary of State's website.
For other resources on how to register, volunteer or donate, locally or nationally, check out Vote Save America.
Vote. Raise your voice. We're not going back.
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