Trans Theatre Artist Offers Personal Narrative in The Bridge Initiative's production of JUST BE, which streams through May 17

from our friends at The Bridge Initiative:

With legislation targeting trans youth being passed in Arizona, emerging local playwright Maybe Stewart's voice is critical. The workshop production of Stewart's autobiographical new play just be will be available to stream through May 17th, 2022 through ShowTix4U. The original performance in January, produced by The Bridge Initiative, was presented live and digitally captured at Tempe Center for the Arts. The digital release is bookended with the National Day of Silence (April 8th) and the International Day Against Homo-, Bi-, and Trans-phobia (May 17th).

just be uses Stewart’s personal narrative as a jumping-off point to discuss gender, trauma, and identity. The play is nonlinear, interrogates the audience's beliefs, and describes moments of Stewart's journey to self-acceptance as a trans masc non-binary, asexual, pan-gray-romantic individual. In light of the political climate, Stewart says, "This play is inherently part of the conversation because it is the story of a trans person, specifically a trans person who experienced childhood abuse and is now an adult who is advocating for other trans youth."

The workshop features emerging artists from diverse and often marginalized backgrounds. The Bridge Initiative, with help in part from a grant from the City of Tempe, provided Stewart with two months of rehearsal time to craft a movement vocabulary with the performers. Many of the artists had not worked together before and this development period afforded the creative team the opportunity to take crucial steps in the work's journey from idea to eventual full production.  

Given just be's timely message of acceptance and the challenge of producing theatre in a pandemic, the team captured a digital version to broaden its reach. Assistant Director Aleks Hollis has edited the footage captured by Ghese Productions to create a product intended to be consumed onscreen. The stream will be available at https://www.showtix4u.com/event-details/63739 with pay-what-you-wish pricing starting at $5 to ensure access.