Scott Turner Schofield Calendar Dates

SPRING 2012

1/18 - Phillips Exeter Academy

Exeter, NH

Two Truths and a Lie reading 

for high school students

FALL 2011

10/6-8 St. Lawrence University

New York

Debutante Balls

Trans 101 workshops

Guest Lecturer in Performance and Queer Theory

Page to Stage Workshop

10/18 - Provincetown, MA

Becoming a Man in 127 EASY Steps

part of Fantasia Fair 2011

10/23 National Theatre of Belgium

Brussels

Becoming a Man in 127 EASY Steps

headline performance of

Festival des Libertés

SPRING 2010

4/27/10 - University of Tennessee

Knoxville
Two Truths and a Lie reading

Strange Bedfellows workshop

4/26/10 - Queens College
Reading from Two Truths and a Lie

4/22-24/10 - Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center

Becoming a Man in 127 EASY Steps**NO FRIDAY SHOW***

This Residency was made possible by an Anonymous Donation

administered by the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation.

3/29-4/4/10 - Theater Project
Becoming a Man in 127 EASY Steps

This Residency was made possible by an Anonymous Donation

administered by the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation.

Feb. 2010 - Princess Grace FoundationPlaywriting Residency Period

Dec. 10 2009 - Jan 20 2010 - Out North

Guest Artistic Director Residency Period

FALL 2009

12/4-5/09 - Painted Bride Art Center

Becoming a Man in 127 EASY Steps

presented by Painted Bride Art Center

Trans-Community Forum for Queer Youth at The Attic

This Residency was made possible in part

by an Anonymous Donation

administered by the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation.

National Performance Network Residency

11/17-18/09 - Brown University

Debutante Balls

Trans 101 workshops

10/14-16/09 - Trinity College
Dublin, Ireland

Underground TransitTrans 101 workshops
International Premiere and Show Retirement

10/4-9/09 - CDDB

Becoming a Man in 127 EASY Steps

Trans 101 for high school students

Page to Stage Workshop for high school students

International Debut!

9/18-19/09 - Real Art WaysBecoming a Man in 127 EASY Steps

Trans Community Forum

This residency was made possible by an Anonymous Donation

administered by the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation.

SPRING 2009

3/6-8 - Highways Performance Space

Los Angeles, CA

L.A.'s QUEER EXCHANGE + SAN FRANCISCO ARTISTS 

National Performance Network Residency

presented by 

presented by Highways

FRINGES-MARGINS-BORDERS

3/10 - Claremont College

Claremont, CA

L.A.'s QUEER EXCHANGE + SAN FRANCISCO ARTISTS 

National Performance Network Residency

presented by 

presented by Highways

FRINGES-MARGINS-BORDERS

3/12-14 - Sushi

San Diego, CA

L.A.'s QUEER EXCHANGE + SAN FRANCISCO ARTISTS 

National Performance Network Residency

presented by 

presented by Highways

FRINGES-MARGINS-BORDERS

3/24-26 - Butler University

Indianapolis, IN

Two Truths and a Lie reading

Trans 101 Workshops

4/3-5 - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Debutante Balls

Trans 101 Workshops

4/8-10 - Knox College

Galesburg, IL

Debutante Balls

Trans 101 Workshops

Page to Stage Workshop

Strange Bedfellows Workshop

Transgender Inclusion for Administrators Workshop

4/20-24 - The University of Kansas

 Lawrence, KS

Debutante Balls

Trans 101 Workshops

5/2 - The 17th Annual Houston Transgender Unity Banquet

Keynote Speaker

5/4-7 - University of Cincinnati

Cincinnati, OH

Two Truths and a Lie Reading

5/12-14 - DePaul University

Chicago, IL

Two Truths and a Lie Reading

Trans 101 Workshops

FALL 2008

10/8 - University of Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh, PA

Two Truths and a Lie Reading

Trans 101 Workshops

10/14 - University of Central Florida
Orlando, FL

Trans 101 Workshops
Page to Stage Workshop

Transgender Inclusivity for Administrators Workshops

10/16 - Rollins College

Orlando, FL

Two Truths and a Lie Reading

Trans 101 Workshops

Transgender Inclusivity for Administrators Workshops

10/23 - Illinois State University

Normal, IL

Debutante Balls

Trans 101 Workshops

11/8 - The Flynn Center

Burlington, VT

Words Can’t Describe

with S. Bear Bergman

Strange Bedfellows Workshop at UVM

11/17 - University of Wisconsin

Whitewater, WI

Transgender Inclusion Workshop

11/20 - Portland State University

Portland, OR

Two Truths and a Lie Reading

12/13-14- On The Boards

Seattle, WA

National Performance Network Annual Meeting Showcase

Becoming a Man in 127 EASY Steps

SPRING 2008

1/20-27- The Carnival Center

Miami, FL

Becoming a Man in 127 EASY Steps

Trans 101 high school workshops

Trans-Community Forum

National Performance Network Residency

1/28-2/3 - 7 Stages

Atlanta, GA

Becoming a Man in 127 EASY Steps

National Performance Network Residency

2/22-24 - The Midwest Bisexual Lesbian Gay Transgender Ally Conference

Debutante Balls

Trans 101 Worshops

3 /24-30 - Out North 

Anchorage, AK

"Becoming a Man in 127 EASY Steps"

Trans 101 Workshop

Page to Stage with incarcerated youthNational Performance Network Residency

6/19-22 - FRESH MEAT FESTIVAL

San Francisco, CA

Selections from Becoming a Man in 127 EASY Steps

MC

FALL 2007

10/2 - Franklin and Marshall College

Lancaster, PA

Debutante Balls

Trans 101 Worshops

  
10/19 - The Evergreen State University

Olympia, WA

Becoming a Man in 127 EASY Steps

Creation residency

Performance Studies Guest Lecturer

10/27 & 28- Capitol Hill Arts Center (CHAC)

Seattle, WA

Becoming a Man in 127 EASY Steps

World Premiere!

National Performance Network Residency

11/6-9 - Appalachian State University

Boone, NC

Debutante Balls

Trans 101 Workshops

11/12-19 - Legion Arts Center

Cedar Rapids, IA

Debutante Balls

National Performance Network Residency

Trans 101 Worshops

SPRING 2007

1/20 - The University of Wyoming at Laramie

The Southern Gents Tour

with Athens Boys Choir

Trans 101 Workshops

Strange Bedfellows Workshop

1/22-23 - Butler University

Indianapolis, IN

Debutante Balls

Trans 101 Worshops

1/27 - Femme Mafia Masquerade

Atlanta, GA

MC

3/5-10 - The Pat Graney Company 

Seattle, WA

Becoming a Man in 127 EASY Steps Creation Residency

Trans-Community Forum

3/23 - SUNY Purchase

Debutante Balls

3/25 - Colgate University

Hamilton, NY

Debutante Balls

Trans 101 Worshops

4/2-6 - Indiana University of Pennsylvania

Indiana, PA

Debutante Balls

Trans 101 Worshops

4/12 -Macalester College

St. Paul, MN

Debutante Balls

Trans 101 Worshops

4/15-16 - Yale University

New Haven, CT

Debutante Balls

Trans 101 Worshops

Page to Stage Workshops

Guest Lecture in Performance Studies

4/17-18 - The Playwrights' Center 

Minneapolis, MN

Becoming a Man in 127 EASY Steps

Creation Residency

4/17 - District 202 / Outward Spiral Theater 

Minneapolis, MN

Page to Stage Workshop

4/19 - University of Minnesota

Minneapolis, MN
Underground Transit

Trans 101 Workshops

4/25 - Emory University

Atlanta, GA

Trans 101 Workshop

4/27 - Marietta College

Marietta, OH

Debutante Balls

Trans 101 Worshops

Page to Stage Workshop

5/18 - Moxie Cabaret

Atlanta, GA

MC

FALL 2006

10/10 - Appalachian State University

Boone, NC

The Southern Gents Tour

with Athens Boys Choir

Trans 101 Workshops

Strange Bedfellows Workshop

10/11 - The University of Georgia 

Athens, GA

The Southern Gents Tour

with Athens Boys Choir

10/12 - The University of North Carolina at Asheville

Debutante Balls

Trans 101 Workshops

10/22 - International Drag KingCommunity Extravaganza

Austin, TX

Debutante Balls Selections

10/24 - Rice University

Houston, TX

Debutante Balls

Trans 101 Workshops

10/27 - The Forum at College of Santa Fe

Santa Fe, NM

The Southern Gents Tour

with Athens Boys Choir

11/1 - The University of Wyoming at Laramie

The Southern Gents Tour

with Athens Boys Choir

Strange Bedfellows Workshop

11/5 - Reed College

Portland, OR

The Southern Gents Tour

with Athens Boys Choir

11/6 - The University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA

Debutante Balls

11/12 - National Performance Network Annual Meeting

Cedar Rapids, IA

Debutante Balls Artburst

11/14 - Portland State University
Debutante Balls

SPRING 2006

1/13 - The University of Wyoming at Laramie

The Southern Gents Tour

with Athens Boys Choir

3/15 - The University of Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh, PA

Underground Transit

Trans 101 workshop

Page to Stage workshop

3/22 - Emory University
Atlanta, GA

Workshop of Becoming a Man in 127 EASY Steps

Sponsored by the Center for Women at Emory, The Office of LGBT Life

and the Department of Theater Studies

4/5 - The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Underground Transit

Trans 101 workshop

Transgender Inclusion for Administrators workshop

4/8-15 Touring with the Tranny Roadshow

 5/11 Queens CollegeCharlotte, NC
Underground TransitA benefit for Time Out Youth

5/17 and 19 - Hugo House

Seattle, WA

Debutante Balls

Presented by The Pat Graney Company

5/26-28 - Jump Start Performance Co.

San Antonio, TX

Debutante Balls

National Performance Network Residency

Page to Stage Workshop

Words Can’t Describe Community Performance

FALL 2005

9/13 - The Poynter Institute

St. Petersburg, FL

Underground Transit

Trans 101 workshop

9/23 - Southern Comfort Conference

Atlanta GA

Debutante Balls

10/7 - Agnes Scott College

Decatur GA 

The Southern Gents Tour

with Athens Boys Choir

10/17 - Bates College

Lewsiton, ME

The Southern Gents Tour

with Athens Boys Choir

Trans 101 Workshop

10/18-20 - Cornell University

Ithaca, NY

Debutante Balls

Trans 101 Workshop
Guest Lecturer in Performance Studies

11/7-9 - West Chester University

West Chester, PA

Underground Transit

Trans 101 Workshop

11/15 - Reed College

Portland, OR

The Southern Gents Tour

with Athens Boys Choir

11/16 - Portland State University

Portland, OR

Debutante Balls

11/17 - The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Underground Transit

Trans 101 Workshop

11/19 - TransGiving

Los Angeles, CA

Selections from Debutante Balls

11/20 - The University of California Los Angeles
Underground Transit

SUMMER 2005

7/29-30 - 7 Stages

Atlanta, GA

Words Can’t Describe

with S. Bear Bergman

6/16-18 - National Queer Arts Festival

San Francisco, CA

Debutante Balls

SPRING 2005

2/10-13 - The University of California at Santa Barbara

Debutante Balls

3/3 - Hampshire College

Amherst, MA

Underground Transit

3/4-8 - Emory University Brave New Works Festival

Atlanta, GA

Playwriting Residency for Turn Me On

with Sheri Man Stewart

3/15 - Columbia College

Chicago, IL

Underground Transit

Trans 101 Workshop

3/29 - Vassar College

Poughkeepsie, NY

Debutante Balls

Trans 101 Workshop

Page to Stage Workshop

3/31 - Butler University

Indianapolis, IN

Underground Transit

Trans 101 Workshop

4/3-4 - Wesleyan University

Middletown, CT

Underground Transit

Page to Stage Workshop

4/13 - Emory University

Atlanta, GA

Debutante Balls

5/16 - Northwestern University

Evanston, IL

Debutante Balls

5/15-29 - 7 Stages

Atlanta, GA
Wizzer Pizzer
by Amy Wheeler

FALL 2004

9/23-24 - The Chicago Single File Festival
Chicago, IL

"Debutante Balls"

WORLD PREMIER

10/4-7 - Emory University Brave New Works Festival

Atlanta, GA

School’s Out playwriting residency

with Mark Blankenship

10/12 - The University of Houston

Houston, TX

Debutante Balls

Trans 101 Workshop

10/15 - The University of North Carolina at Asheville

Debutante Balls

10/21 - The University of Virginia

Charlottesville, VA

Gay Marriage Here Today Community Performance

Page to Stage Workshop

Trans 101 Workshop

11/7 - LadyFest South

Atlanta, GA

Debutante Balls Selections

11/18-20 - The University of Wyoming at Laramie

Underground Transit

Trans 101 Workshop

Page to Stage Workshop

12/9 - GenderCrash

Boston, MA

Debutante Balls selections

SPRING 2004

April - The B Complex 

Atlanta, GA

Debutante Balls - first look

2003

11/7 - The University of Virginia

Charlottesville, VA

Underground Transit

10/11-12 - The University of Wyoming at Laramie
Underground Transit
Trans 101 Workshops

9/4-6 - sTaGes 2003: The First National Transgender Theatre Festival

WOW Cafe

New York City

Underground Transit

7/29-8/3 - The 27th Annual Meeting of ALTERNATE ROOTS

Winder, GA

Underground Transit

6/25-26 - HERE Arts Center and Dixon Place

New York City

Underground Transit

Part of the FUSE Festival

4/6-9 - AIDS OASIS Conference

Pensacola, FL

Underground Transit

4/3 - The University of North Carolina at Asheville

Underground Transit

1/9-18 - Actor's Express 

Atlanta, GA

Underground Transit

2002

10/21- Ondine & Co. 

Atlanta, GA

Falling as Sport

part of "Damaged but Not Dead and Other Hilarious Survival Stories" 

produced by EstroFest Productions

10/12 - LadyFest South 

Atlanta, GA

Underground Transit

9/29 - Southern Comfort Conference

Atlanta, GA

Underground Transit

9/27-10/6 - Theatre in the Square Alley Stage

Marietta, GA

Underground Transit

8/30-31 - Philadelphia Live Arts Festival

Fresh Fringe Curated Selection

Mumm PuppetTheater 

Philadelphia, PA

Underground Transit

6/22-28 - PushPush Theater 

Atlanta, GA

Underground Transit

Part of Vamp/ReVamp

March/April - Emory University

Atlanta, GA

Underground Transit

3/11 - Bennington College

Bennington, VT

Underground Transit

3/9 - Bard College

Poughkeepsie, NY

Underground Transit

2001

2/18 - PushPush Theater

Atlanta, GA

Underground Transit

part of SEEN+HEARD: Atlanta's Women's Arts Festival

produced by EstroFest Productions

12/1 -Charis Books & More

Atlanta, GA

Underground Transit

World Premiere!

Audience Response

Yours is the Best Press 

Organizing your visit here to SLU has been one of my favorite experiences in my 3 years here, in no small part because it was one of the clearest examples of students being inspired and energized and challenged to think both creatively and critically about their own lives and the world around them.

I attended Scott Turner Schofield: Becoming a Man in 127 Easy Steps on Saturday, 9/19.

What an exceptional show! I was so impressed with Scott's unflinching honesty about what it means to be transgender. He is an extraordinarily brave person with a truly innovative artistic voice. I was touched, enlightened and filled with laughter, all in the span of  a single performance.

Congratulations to Scott! I hope the awards keep coming his way.

 

I saw your show tonight at Real Art Ways in Hartford and wanted you to know how much I loved it. The "127 Steps" and "choose your own adventure" format was pure genius, I think.

i just wanted to thank you for your art. i'm not sure yet what it means to me-- a 20something, woman-born woman, married to a man (i guess i might fall into the "Questioning" category, whatever that means...)-- but i'm certain, on a grander level than just my own context, yours is great and necessary work.

Thomas King, a Canadian Storyteller and educator, wrote in his book (first a lecture series) The Truth About Stories: "the truth about stories is that's all we are".  that was the first thing that came to mind when i saw bits of your performance on YouTube. You give me hope in people-- in the ability to change people through stories and in the ability to trust people with stories. Thank you.

Just wanted to say that it was a pleasure working with you at DiverseWorks! At our staff meeting yesterday, we talked about how awesome your performance was and how the TG community rules in Houston. You have made such an impact on all of us! Anyways…

Just wanted to make sure you that got this fantastic review from The Rice Thresher!

http://media.www.ricethresher.org/media/storage/paper1290/news/2009/02/27/Entertainment/Thoughts.On.Schofields.GenderBending.Becoming.A.Man.In.127.Easy.Steps-3651627.shtml

Thanks again for performing at TransGiving. You stole everyone's heart and refused to give any of them back, especially Jason's. Now he sees why I think you and Ryka are both such special people, and he wants to understand more about transgendered and genderqueer folk.
Thanks again for presenting to our Counseling Center staff and guests last Wednesday morning, as part of your time at UCF. The feedback that I heard was very positive, and it seemed that everyone found your talk valuable. I enjoyed meeting you and appreciate your working with us on this.
Thank you so much for coming to Rollins this week and for speaking to us as faculty, staff and students. I found your presentation to be informative and inspiring, offering me a sense of clarity and compassion for a community I will admit I do not often think twice about. Thank you, thank you, thank You.
I wanted to tell you how fantastic you were! To put yourself out there like that takes a lot of courage and I applaud you for having the confidence in yourself to do that and share how wonderfully diverse yet ultimately, in a deeper sense, how similar we are. With such honesty yet keeping it light with your humor.
I just wanted to reiterate how much Jay and I enjoyed your show last night. Your story is a fascinating one, and beautifully told.
i was so touched by your performance.
there was a strong connection for me in watching it...... seeing that is was sooo very real.
not that i thought it wouldn't be , or that of it was made up. you are so very brave. i wanted to hug you, but when i shook you hand, i couldn't even talk because i wanted to cry. not from being sad, but just feeling like i wasn't alone.
it hit me very hard, because i've kinda been struggling for the past year with my identity, and all the labels there are to choose from. i don't want to have to choose, or have to explain myself and who i am to anybody.i am trans.but i always felt like i had to look a certain way.....to actually be able to use that, for people to understand me in this community.  but its me.its who i am. and i accept it. it made so much sense....made me so comfortable to watch you and hear you......i cried during your show. and i felt like the audience...maybe took some of things that you talked about differently than i did. i just understood it. i understood you. and i understood myself better than i have in recent months. i can't wait to read your book, to read all of your stories.....because some of them are mine too, you know?
I was at the Evergreen workshop performances and I was wondering how well the Seattle show went. 127 Steps was one of the most moving and dialectical things I've ever seen. I talk about it to all of my friends and what an intense experience the show was.
The flier hangs in my studio because it was something so thought provoking.

Appalachian State University residency report

Residency Location: Appalachian State University, Boone NC
Dates: 11/7-9/07
Performance: "Underground Transit"

Sponsors: TransAction, Office of Multicultural Student Development, [MANY OTHERS...]

Residency Schedule and Activities:

11/7: Arrive. 1pm: Class talk to English Composition class. Elizabeth Wilson, instructor.
3pm: Class talk to English Composition class. Elizabeth Wilson, instructor.
5pm: Class talk to English Composition class. Elizabeth Wilson, instructor.

11/8: 11am: Class talk to English Literature class. Elizabeth West, instructor.
1pm: Class talk to English Composition class. Elizabeth West, instructor.
3pm: Class talk to English Composition class. Elizabeth West, instructor.

Class talks stats:
Average attendance: 20 students

Impressions: As usual, some classes were more quiet than others. I regret that I did not perform in one class, I only lectured, and this was a mistake - performance is what hooks them!

One Composition class comprised of Criminal Justice majors who were initially very resistant (snickering, closed body language, text messaging), but who became very engaged when the focus turned to how understanding transgender identity and issues would benefit them as police officers and prison administrators. We discussed the current state of affairs in many jails and prisons (prisoners are not administered hormones, are often victims of abuse and assault) and looked for ways that they could approach this issue when they become a part of the prison system. I encouraged them to focus their research on trans issues in the prison-industrial complex for their upcoming mid-terms.

In the Literature class, I focused on the difference between theory and story: how labels do not create empathy or understanding, but stories do.

In all of my class talks at Appalachian State, I was surprised to find men leading most of the conversation. In most other places, men stay quiet while women ask questions and lead conversation. I noticed that both men and women ask the same questions; however, at App, I will note that the physics of what transpeople do in bed came up every time (this is a rare topic other places)!

Feedback:
"I asked my students the next day what they thought of your presentation. They were pretty uncomfortable -- and that's a good thing! Usually they don't remember anything we covered in the last class. After you, they were still present with the ideas you brought up, because they're still digesting them. I was really pleased to see them working so hard on the concepts you brought up."

11/9/07, 7pm: Community Workshop at Unitarian Universalist Congregation on gender oppression in Boone, NC and Appalachian State.

Attendance: 25. Comprised of TransAction and SAGA members; University administrators, faculty, and staff; UUC members, and Boone residents.

Impressions: A very liberal/radical/progressive crowd. Business owners were invited to discuss ways of making the community safe for people of all genders, but none attended.

I became uncomfortable during the conversation when we started using "they" and "them" to refer to the white, conservative Christians that make up a large part of Boone's community. I asked the participants to consider that "they" often talk about "us" with the same distaste, which usually makes for bad situations. "We are Them, They are Us," I said, and we shifted to discussing positive ways "we" can approach "them" to create a safe community for everybody. My partner, Carey Martin, brought up the Femme Mafia example: this group approached business owners and created visibility by holding regular monthly meetings in different restaurants, cafes, and clubs. They educated the establishments about femme identity by just showing up and patronizing the business. TransAction thought this would be a good idea for their meetings.

Feedback:

"I was glad you brought up the Us/Them thing. We do need to talk about things differently."

"Great facilitation."

11/9: 3:30-5pm: Workshop: Strange Bedfellows - Greeks, Jocks, and Queers.
Location: Grandfather Mountain Ballroom, Student Union Building
Attendance: 100. Comprised mostly of members of the Kappa Alpha fraternity as well as 2 sorority members (didn't record which sororities). TransAction and SAGA members attended in-full. Due to peak football and basketball season, only 3 athletes attended.

Impressions: Tough crowd at first! I feared I might lose all of the many Greeks who showed up as I introduced words and topics about sex, gender, and sexuality. I illustrated examples of how Greeks, Jocks, and Queers 1) each deal with similar (mis)impressions of their groups, 2) are actually all valuable leaders on campus, and 3) have many characteristics in common, and the crowd warmed. Splitting into small groups allowed each sector to interact with groups they might otherwise never connect with and cemented our path to getting to know one another. By the end of the session, plans were in the making for inter-group service projects and fund raising dinners.

Feedback:
"I never had the chance to talk to a gay person before."

"I never thought that I might be part of the problem as a queer person, that I might be causing the tension between Greeks, Jocks, and Queers. I always felt like a victim, but it's true, I have a lot of prejudices myself, and that's just as unfair."

"We can't change the campus climate overnight here. But this was a really good first step. We can bring this back to our chapters and try to make change in small ways. That would be a big thing, actually."

Performance: "Underground Transit"

Date: 11/09/07 (Friday night, 7pm)

Location: Grandfather Mountain Ballroom, Student Union Building

Attendance: 120

Impressions: Excellent crowd! Comprised mostly of people I hadn't seen before, as well as many class and workshop members. I couldn't believe so many people came out on a Friday night to a queer theater show, but that just goes to show that class talks and workshops really bring folks out! The performance went well. The Q&A after was in-depth. My mom and partner attended, which allowed questions about family and relationships to take on a deeper meaning -- their presence "authenticated" my answers.

Feedback:
"Thank you for doing this show. I feel I understand myself better because you said many things I have thought myself."

"I'm gay, and I have a lot of problems with transgender people. I just can't understand how you can be a man, but not a man, or a woman, but not a woman. I struggle with it because I want to be supportive, but I just don't get it. Tonight I understood it. You're a man, there's nothing else to it. And you have breasts and you look good in a skirt, but you're definitely a man. I get it now."

San Antonio Pre-Show

Scott Turner Schofield
Jump-Start Performance Company
National Performance Network Community Fund Grant Report

Narrative
My pre-residency with Jump-Start Performance Company in San Antonio, made possible by the Community Fund Grant, makes me believe that the community-based, multi-cultural, multi-issue work that I aim to make as a transgender solo artist is, in fact, completely possible—and totally exciting.

Before I arrived in San Antonio, JSPC members researched appropriate venues for me to network with community artists in and out of the many transgender communities in the city. When I arrived, we set up a schedule and laid out our goals:
1)Identify transgender individuals and communities in San Antonio who are active in performance, social, and/or activist circles.
2)Identify individuals and communities in San Antonio who would be allies to transpeople through art, personal solidarity, and/or social activism.
3)Identify transgender individuals and communities in Austin and Houston who are active in performance, social, and/or activist circles.
4)Identify individuals and communities in Austin and Houston who would be allies to transpeople through art, personal solidarity, and/or social activism.
5)Entice those people to speak and perform during National Performance Network residency for “Debutante Balls” at Jump-Start, May 26th and 27th.

The community element of the residency we envision for May looks like this:
What: Performance-Workshop-Networking opportunity for San Antonio-Austin-Houston artists who do with gender, in performance, what words just can't describe; Discussion forum for San Antonio transgender communities and our allies.
Why: To identify, celebrate and support trans communities and their allies in the region, talk about what matters to us, show off our work, smash some gender norms, and have a rockin' good time.
When: Friday, May 26, 8-11pm: “Debutante Balls” a 1-trannie show by Scott Turner Schofield followed by Cross-Cultural Trans-Community Forum for people of all genders.
Saturday, May 27, 2005 12pm-2am
12-2pm: Gender Performance Workshop with Scott Turner Schofield & Area Performers; 8pm: Words Can't Describe Regional Performance Showcase & Debutante Balls;
10:30pm: Drag BBQ!
What Else: EVERYBODY welcome & encouraged to participate—yes, You. Travel stipend for out-of-town artists ($100 Houston artists, $50 Austin Artists), $100 minimum honorarium for Words Can't Describe participants [paid for by the Community Fund Grant].

I translated this information into a flier, these fliers were disseminated at all of the events I attended.

A key factor in all of my work, and of course in this residency, is allyship. Artists are nothing without allies in their audience: trans artists need to be seen and supported by allies as well for our work (and our issues) to be valued. Drag shows are only so much fun because of audiences that include lesbian, gay, bisexual, and straight allies; I want to take all the fun of a drag show and infuse it with useful, community-building information through storytelling. Much of this pre-residency was spent drumming up interest among would-be performers and speakers, however the overarching goal is to outreach to communities of allies, whether they be other artists, family members, friends, or people who just happened to read the paper and want to know more about this “transgender thing”.

I began this work on Tuesday by attending Puro Slam, San Antonio's most noted (and notorious) poetry slam. I participated in the slam using moments from “Underground Transit”, my first solo show that is written in slam poetry style. The only openly queer, non-(biologically) male performer, I made it to the final round—only to be knocked out by a judge who insisted on scoring my work “6.9” every time, decreasing my final average. I plugged the show and made friends with two local performers: [name], who is on the National Slam Team for San Antonio, and [name] who does improv comedy. Both agreed to help promote the show in May, and may participate in the performance workshop for people of all genders. As a promotional activity, I am looking into headlining the May slam, which is populated mostly by Latino and Black men who love poetry no matter who's performing it, when I return to town.

Thursday is Drag Night in San Antonio; Company Artistic Director S.T. Shimi and I hit local gay and lesbian bars in full promotional form. We handed out fliers for the show and workshop, then met up with company members Monessa and Annelle for what became a singular experience, for me, as a connoisseur of drag.

I learned that San Antonio's drag scene is largely composed of transsexual artists, not artists who do not identify as transgender outside of the performance space (as is the case in many locales around the country). This means that the artists use hormones and/or have had gender-affirming surgery. This difference translates to performance which becomes, more seriously, about the body and the moves than about a campy performance of “someone else's” gender (which is differently valuable). It also makes for a lot more nudity! The performances I saw at The Saint were phenomenal—technically masterful dance pieces that exuded a sense of pleasure in the body of the performer (for him or herself). To be able to watch a transperson rock out and be sexy, and truly, un-self-consciously enjoy themselves felt like liberation to me, and was fun as hell.

I met a number of the artists that night, including the host, Erica Andrews. Andrews is San Antonio's most well-known drag queen. She expressed interest in participating in the Jump-Start program: the trick will be whether her busy schedule will allow it, and whether we can pay her enough to make missing a Saturday night of drag performance financially worthwhile to her. I also met a group of allies who call themselves The FeministDykeBitches; this group is organizing a pro-choice benefit outreaching to trans communities along common lines of sexual health and our mutual desire for freedom of choice when it comes to our bodies. They are spreading the word to other performers, and will hopefully participate in some aspect of the residency.

Another element to San Antonio's drag culture is its majority of artists of color. Too often, drag troupes and events such as “Words Can't Describe” are white-dominated, which leaves out entire communities of performers and the stories that come with them. Visibility is key for transpeople, so drag shows that exclude (for whatever reasons) artists of color do serious damage to the perception of who is and is not trans, who can or will not do drag. Such exclusion is usually a symptom of racially-divided communities at-large, but I feel it most acutely in drag events that would be so much better with a plurality of experience and participants. San Antonio's multi-cultural reality makes my goal of integrated performance truly possible—in fact, producing an all-white event here would be thankfully impossible!

On Friday, I traveled to Austin for the serendipitous 4th Anniversary of Kings'N'Things, Austin's premier drag king troupe (KNT). The group is predominantly white, however actively anti-racist (I observed through interactions and conversations among the Kings'N'Things). There were no transwomen performers in Austin, but biologically-female, “femme” performers did have an important presence. Another difference between the cities was academic: I observed a lot of gender theory and philosophy involved in the Austin performances—not so much about the body and the moves, but about word-play, sex humor, and camp. While the San Antonio Queens and Kings choreographed to pop ballads, the Kings'N'Things made elaborate skits out of such songs as “Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy” and “Whatever Lola Wants”. Hey, different strokes—both shows were fantastic, and if these communities come together for “Words Can't Describe”, the audience will benefit from a huge variety of well-executed work.


I brunched with members of KNT, who were very excited about the Jump-Start performance. Austin is slated to hold the 8th Annual International Drag KingCommunity Extravaganza (IDKE). Working with regional artists will strengthen their existing networking goals; given that this is the first IDKE to be held in the South, a strong Texas presence, hopefully encouraged at Words Can't Describe, will do much to promote the visibility of artists from outside the major urban drag centers. KNT agreed to promote the Jump-Start show around Austin and in their various web communities, and at least two of them will participate in the discussion and performance.

The next morning I brunched again—in keeping with our hope for a Drag Brunch during the Jump-Start residency! This time I met with Skot, an ex-member of the San Antonio Kings and founder of King'N'Play, an offshoot group of the San Antonio Kings. Skot will present a skit about bathroom problems and politics during the residency. Skot also connected me to Matthew Devreaux and Erik LaRue, with whom I have since been in touch; all three artists will promote and present for the Jump-Start showcase and discussion.


Further Goals

1.Connect with Houston performers and activists. Sixto Wagan of DiverseWorks is helping to spread the word via his contacts in the community, including HATCH (Houston Area Teen Coalition of Homosexuals).
2.Get commitments from performers and activists already solicited and organize the events according to the participants.
3.Promote! Promote! Promote!

On the Road from Austin

A convergence of events leads me to write, finally: today I saw a comic strip where the character said "I'd hate to have you waste perfectly good blog material by actually talking"; I am also in Austin, a city totally un-wired, that is, wireless. Free. For everyone. So I have no excuse.

I'm here to "network", in the least icky way possible, with the fabulous Drag Kings and other performer types. Today marks the 4th anniversary of Kings N Things, Austin's premier drag troup. Check em out at www.kingsnthings.org. I'm stoked to see what these boys have to offer, having just had my mind blown last night by the small but excellent Alamo Kings troupe in San Antonio. They performed with a larger group of "female impressionists", as their godmother, Erica Andrews, called them. (See her at www.simplyerica.com). I'll compare and contrast later tonight, after I see what these Austin Kings get up to. Ah, sweet antici





pation.

I'm here in the state of my birth to do my very first pro-theater show (in Texas), presented by Jump-Start Performance Company. I met the fabulous Steve Bailey, superb S.T. Shimi, and most holy Lisa Suarez in 2003 at the Alternate Roots Annual Conference. I performed "Underground Transit" for them, and we've been trying to figure out a way to collaborate ever since. Finally, the National Performance Network supported us in that endeavor. Hooray!

This week I've been meeting with local area folks, spreading the word about my performance ("Debutante Balls," May 26th & 27th), and trying to build up interest in the "Words Can't Describe" event we'll be hosting as part of my residency. I want to work with San Antonio gender performers of any stripe (but especially FTM/drag-king types, since the community here has little visbility), and we're hoping to make it a community-building effort for Houston-Austin-San Anontio regional performers (and activists...but those lines are so often so cross-hatched...). Yay space! Yay support! Yay gender! Yay politics as aesthetics and aesthetics as politics!!!

Ahem. I just hope that folks will come out and play...and then keep on keepin' on together.

I'm doing basically the same work in the very different community-locale of Seattle, WA, presented by the Pat Graney Company. That'll be May 17th and 19th at Richard Hugo House.

Here's the second part, at both venues, that I'm very excited about:

"Scott Turner Schofield | National Performance Network Residency | Trans-Ally Community Forum

Who: Transgender people of any identity or orientation (eg, people who in any form of language or philosophy identify with the word/concept/identity “Transgender”); People who share community with Transgender people; Allies to Transgender people; People who want to learn more.

What: The Trans-Ally Community Forum is a forum that privileges storytelling over rhetoric, and everyday issues over philosophical questions of identity. A diverse panel will be invited to tell short stories about their lives as transgender people, friends, family, lovers, allies, onlookers and bystanders to transgender communities in [$town$]. This will serve as a model for how the rest of the dialog will take place: participants (not the panelists) will then share their own short stories so that everyone in attendance will take home an idea of the realities of our intersecting communities, here and now.

This forum does not allow critique—no rhetoric, theory, or “calling out” of any “isms” that may be inherent in a person's story. Will will listen radically to one another, and listen to our own internal responses. In so doing, we will see where we stand, understand our issues and, hopefully, each others' intents. We can take this knowledge into further community work outside of this conversation, but here, we tell our stories, and listen to one another.

Why: Too often, communities get caught up in and divided by our own identities and our expression of them. Further, language and access to rhetoric defining what is or is not acceptable to progressive and/or “subversive” communities silences us, for fear we will offend or show ourselves up as imperfectly defined and/or executed. Sometimes, we need to just be who we are, think what we think, find community, and learn without fear of alienating others/isolating ourselves. Sometimes, we just need to take our own pulse, and listen to those of the people around us. The Trans-Ally Community Forum seeks to model a way of doing this, aims to create a space where, for just two hours, we can be individuals in community who are, or care about, or want to learn more about Transgender people. "


I feel like this event is a coalescing of so much thought and desire for action on my part. It's about storytelling; it's about being who you really are, imperfectly, in the community where you live; it's about listening and really hearing, without letting whatever axe you have to grind dull your empathy or your progressive learning. I hope that the people who end up participating will be able to work with that intention.

I have been so frustrated, lately, by people who would rather find the oppression in every sentence than the liberation in the expression of an ideal. Easy for this straight white guy to say, right? Except that I notice it more now that I'm a straight white guy who looks like all of those things. I'm still a radical feminist. I'm still the same person who was moved and educated and inspired to action by class-conscious, anti-racist, pro-choice queer nationalists (well...not all in the same person, but you get what I mean...). I'm fully aware that I need to be vigilant around the privileges suddenly being handed to me...but that's the thing. I know. And too many folks I meet these days don't trust that I know, because of the way my gender and race fit together now. It's a peculiar form of prejudice--one that I know I too have committed against white straight men in my life (before I became one). The downside to transition, eh? Hm.

Off now to see D'Lo perform "Ramble-Ations": A One D'Lo Show, at ALLGO -- the country's only statewide queer people of color organization (www.allgo.org). Again with the excited anticipation!