Wesleyan is full of plenty of radical speakers, but it’s safe to says are lacking in the “almost homecoming queen turned gender renegade” department. This absence was filled, temporarily at least, by Scott Turner Schofield, who performed his highly praised “one-trannie” show, “Underground TRANSit,” Monday in the WestCo Café.
Schofield gave the performance from the middle of four rows of seating. With two rows on each side of him Schofield transformed the café into a subway car, much like the ones he rode during his time in New York while coming to terms with his identity.
Besides the intentional arrangement of the seating, there were few material objects used in “Underground TRANSit.” The sparse setup worked to Schofield’s advantage and showcased his skills as a storyteller, poet and performer. There were several costume changes that reflected periods in Schofield’s life and complemented parts of the performance. Slipping in and out of a skirt, suit and shorts, Schofield revealed how easily we hide or expose who we are and how we feel. The costume changes were done onstage and made to fit seamlessly into the performance.
“I really enjoyed it a lot.,” said Megan Kasprzak ’08. “I liked the change of costumes; it was interesting and fluid.”
Despite the personal and sometimes saddening subject matter of Schofield’s performance, his resilient attitude and humor made the overall tone one of hope. One could not help but laugh at the thought of Schofield as a homecoming queen, and his frequent episodes of dance and song were particularly lighthearted and endearing.
One especially poignant moment in the performance started with The Cure’s “Boys Don’t Cry” blasting through the speakers. The song, a favorite at dance parties, played as Schofield spoke the lyrics. Pacing frantically back and forth, Schofield took out pictures of two people and appealed to the audience, “Have you seen my friends?” At the bottom of both pictures were birth and death dates.
“Brandon Tina! Marsha Johnson! Have you seen them?” Schofield shouted above the music.
Brandon Tina and Marsha Johnson were both killed for being transgender. In the movie of the same title, “Boys Don’t Cry,” actress Hilary Swank portrays Brandon Tina’s story. The mention of these two hate crime victims made the issues Schofield deals with that much more real. This scene also served as a reminder of the world outside Wesleyan in which there is considerably less tolerance for the transgender community.
“The pictures provoked an emotional reaction because you see these people’s images and right underneath are the years of their births and deaths,” said Ben Ansfield ’08. “I think he really succeeded in making us remember why there’s still a need for a dialogue on gender issues.”
Karen Oelschlaeger’07 coordinated “Underground TRANSit” and handled booking, scheduling and meeting school regulations. Oelschlaeger knew Schofield growing up and contacted him after learning about the focus of Schofield’s performances. In Oelschlaeger’s opinion, Wesleyan students are indeed ahead of most people when it comes to gender tolerance, but still have work to do to live up to their liberal reputation. When deciding whether or not to book Schofield to perform “Underground TRANSit” or his other act, “Debutante Balls,” Oelschlaeger considered the comfort level of Wesleyan students realistically.
“When booking the show, I asked him to perform ‘Underground TRANSit’ because I thought it would reach a broader audience and I thought the name was catchier,” Oelschlaeger said. “I think that the Wesleyan community as a whole is nowhere near where it could and should be and probably is perceived to be when it comes to gender issues in particular.”
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