PW Presents: The T Party

By the time you enter the PW Downspace, the party has already started. Midori Cassou's '17.5 rendition of The T Party, originally created by Natsu Onoda Power, immediately brings the audience back to 1998, specifically to the "T.F. Green High School" senior prom. Here, little separates audience and cast, as all are encouraged dance, gossip, vote for prom royalty, and generally enjoy themselves, at least until something ruins the party...This immersive approach to storytelling sets the tone for the rest of the show, which features a multitude of episodes that deal with the experiences of people of marginalized identities and sexualities.  The audience is placed in the center of the action, sometimes forcing their participation in an endlessly complex conversation. In this way, The T Party addresses sensitive topics like transphobia, racism, and sexual violence in a non-instructional manner, laying bare the pain, discomfort, and occasional enjoyment of its characters."Characters" is perhaps an inappropriate word for The T Party's performing cast. In its last week of production, this show was more or less rewritten to better fit the experiences of the cast, many of whom belong to one or more of the various groups and communities addressed. The result is a series of scenes in which role assignments dissolve. The show's characters revert back to their everyday selves, discussing their own pain and happiness through poetry, monologue, and even humor. At these times, the audience feels much more like a friend being confided in than a detached observer. The courage of the cast to bring the most sensitive content of their own narratives to the stage is an evocative feat of self-love.The T Party truly is, as it states, "a love letter to the trans community, a declaration of support for people of marginalized identities." It provides support to the voices it represents and a valuable learning opportunity for those it sometimes condemns. While the show maintains its promise to be fun as hell and never stop moving, The T Party provides a much needed sincerity, temporarily turning the Downspace into home for any ailing heart.The T Party runs closes on Monday, March 13th at 8pm in the Downspace. Tickets are available at the box office an hour before the show.Image via