Celebrated Nonbinary Composer and Writer Brings LGBTQ+ Superhero Saga to Life
The curtain has fallen on Ballyhoo Theatre’s pioneering pilot production of “Shapeshifter: A Queer Comic Book Musical,” penned by Truth Future Bachman. The performances took place at The Black Box Theatre in Edmonds, but Ballyhoo intends to unveil a “behind-the-scenes” documentary chronicling the making of “Shapeshifters” this coming fall.
“Shapeshifters” unfolds as a dynamic musical multiverse, a realm dedicated to LGBTQ+ superheroes. This production was a blend of entertainment, education, and empowerment, as the young ensemble interweaves their personal LGBTQ+ experiences with scripted content and musical compositions crafted by Bachman (they/them/theirs).
Jing Jing Wang (they/TA), who embodies the character Switch, shared “this is the most queer show” in which they played a part. “The vast…majority of people working on the show as well are also queer. I didn’t think that would impact me as much as it did, but it was really…nice to know I was in community,” they said.
Wang continued: “I feel like Truth, the creator of the show, really made it so there are two products, one is the show you see on stage, which requires… prompts where we wrote our own answers – which is what you heard – and, also, the other part, which I think is equally important, is the kind of community relationship connections that making this kind of improvised theatre collaboratively creates.”
Leading the charge is Ballyhoo Theatre, a LGBTQ+-led nonprofit. The production reached Seattle with the blessing of Bachman, a nonbinary composer, vocalist, and wordsmith. While still in the workshop phase in New York City, Bachman maintained a virtual presence via Zoom, guiding and connecting with the cast and crew. Come October, they are poised to unveil their own spin-off musical centered around the Cardinal character at the esteemed Lincoln Center.
Tenille Manson (R) plays Cardinal in Ballyhoo’s production.
Steering this imaginative journey is Ballyhoo’s creative team, directed by Shileah Corey (she/her), the founder of the theatre company and artistic director since its inception in 1998. “This show is very much a celebration and it doesn’t pigeon-hole based on certain types of queerness,” she said. “It is speaking…about queerness in general, allowing people to inject their own DNA into it.”
The cast delivered a compelling series of performances, each narrating and reinterpreting their own tales. Taylor Aguiar (she/they) flawlessly embodied Dr. M. Among the talented ensemble, three faces stood out: TJ Gose (he/him) as Mel (L), Drew O’Donnell (they/them) as Atlas (R), and Ella Swenson as Shadow, each leaving a memorable impression.
As the curtain falls on “Shapeshifter,” Ballyhoo is already embarking on auditions for its upcoming production of “Ride the Cyclone,” authored by Jacob Richmond, scheduled to grace The Black Box Theatre’s stage on November 3rd.
To learn more about Ballyhoo Theatre and its upcoming productions, please visit www.ballyhootheatre.org.
To watch a Q&A with the cast and crew, click here. Production stills courtesy of Ballyhoo Theatre.
