Circus-themed play Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls explores gender identity, to April 23
Carousel Theatre’s heartwarming production stars non-binary drag icon Rae Takei, aka Rose Butch, in the lead role
Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls cast. Photo by Rick Chung.
Carousel Theatre for Young People presents Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls at the Waterfront Theatre on Granville Island from March 31 to April 23.
IN LADIES AND Gentlemen, Boys and Girls, local non-binary drag icon Rae Takei, aka Rose Butch, plays a nine-year-old who is assigned female at birth and named Fiona. As he comes out as a boy called Fin, the joy-filled production moves through his playful experiences—complete with mermaids and circus acts— as his family begins to understand his gender identity and he embraces his true self for the very first time.
Written by Dave Deveau and directed by Jennica Grienke, the new co-artistic and co-managing directors of Carousel Theatre for Young People, it’s the pair’s first piece of programming under the organization’s commitment to tell inclusive stories for youth.
“We couldn’t be more excited to bring this timely story to children and families as our first production together,” Deveau and Grienke said in a release. “We’re confident it will make your hearts grow a couple of sizes.”
The company’s Drama School has developed a special Educator Resource Guide for teachers and parents to help kids learn about gender identity after seeing the show, which is aimed at audiences aged seven to 12.
In addition to Takei (CBC’s Canada’s A Drag), the cast and crew feature many queer, trans, and non-binary artists from different communities.
The play’s opening date, March 31, is International Transgender Day of Visibility.
For more information, see CTYP.
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