Real Me is the story of a family in transition; two siblings have near-opposite reactions when 'Mom' comes out as 'Papa.' Teen-aged Blair is unbelievably supportive, whereas 7-year-old Iris is unsure. When Blair later comes out as non-binary, Aunt Jane fights with Papa over the children, but Iris and Blair come to his defense. Although Iris struggles at first, she finally realizes, "Momma's gone…but I've got the best Papa in the whole world!"
Premiered at Roseneath Theatre in Toronto, September 2024, to school groups from the GTA, followed by a wheelchair accessible performance for all ages at Thatz Showbiz Theatre in York, Ontario.
These shows were produced by Under the Bus Productions and Hanlon's Point Productions in association with Roseneath Theatre and Thatz Showbiz Theatre.
Keywords: Transgender, Trans, Cisgender, Non-Binary, 2SLGBTQ2IAA+, LGBT, Gay, Lesbian, Feminist, Black, Anti-black racism, empathy, acceptance, pride flags
Genre: Musical/Theatre for Young Audiencces
Run time: 70 minutes
Suitable for Students 10+
Content notes: Contains misgendering and ableism about neurodivergence; this is counterbalanced by a lot of positive messaging.
Cast size: 4 minimum
Male roles: 2
Female roles: 2
Trans/Non-Binary roles: 1 Trans Masc, 1 Non-Binary, AFAB
Other: 'Female' and 'male' roles could also be played by trans performers.
Musician roles: One pianist, preferably trans, or the music could be pre-recorded.
Casting notes: There are detailed notes in the beginning of the script about the characters backgrounds, ages, etc. The important thing about this script is that it was conceived by trans people for trans people. There is no reason why any of the "cis" characters couldn't or shouldn't be played by trans actors including Aunt Jane, who was portrayed by Brie Doyle, a trans woman. In a time and an industry with so few trans roles, and often those having gone to non-trans people, it's time to flip the script. No pun intended.
