Not A Gimmick – Equity for Transgender Actors

Ryan J. Taylor and Sis

“You can’t implant something that is not inherently there in the story or character, that’s what I think. Just to do that, that becomes gimmick casting. It’s trying to force something that isn’t natural.”

This statement was released from an interview with Cameron Macintosh, a renowned theatrical producer, regarding the casting of trans actors. Macintosh’s opinion is, unfortunately, not an anomaly. In a review of archives of  so-called transgender-inclusive television, GLAAD found that “transgender characters were cast in a ‘victim’ role at least 40% of the time” and “transgender characters were cast as killers or villains in at least 21% of the catalogued episodes and storylines.”

In addition, many portrayals of trans people have been reduced to mockery or even disgust. Take, for example, the trope of cisgender men vomiting as a result of potential intimacy with trans women, as explored in the recent Netflix documentary Disclosure. Or the transphobic narrative of Tootsie, which will begin its national tour run this Fall and perpetuates the joke of a “man in a dress.”

In a world where 54% of trans people have a history of intimate partner violence, 47% have experienced sexual assault, nearly one in ten are physically assaulted, and 29% have been denied healthcare based on their gender identity, the comment cuts deeper than the theatrical realm – it represents a devastating history of violence against the trans community.

Today, Monday, September 6th, trans actress and activist Sis will lead the Trans March on Broadway, an opportunity to start a long-overdue conversation about the lack of trans equity in the theatre industry. But the fight does not stop here. There is still an incredible amount of work to be done.

The first action is clear: to create a space of safety. Although all actors feel some sense of anxiety around auditioning and seeking work, transphobia adds an additional obstacle to the trans actor’s audition experience. “As someone who started acting presenting cis-male and is now presenting as a non-binary feminine person, the opportunities are a lot scarcer,” shares actor Ryan J. Taylor. “And you have to take that moment for yourself and say, ‘Hmmm, would it be safe to even audition for this show?’ [There’s] the added layer of fear of wondering if the person behind the table or behind the computer viewing your audition is a tolerant person who can see past gender and binary expectations.”

When asked when she has felt a lack of safety in a theatre setting, Sis is also candid about her experience.  “It’s almost like, any time I’ve done it,” she shares. “The majority of the time, it was not [safe]. I was very insecure, and I wasn’t understood and I wasn’t accepted. And when I did theatre in college, it was always the minorities vs. [everyone else], or if it wasn’t that, it was me vs. everyone else.” It is not enough for trans actors to feel accepted. They need to feel welcome and supported – in the audition room, in the rehearsal room, and beyond. “Positive encouragement and the sense of family in the theatre world should include trans and queer people,” Taylor affirms. “On stage and off.”

Secondly, it is imperative to cast trans actors in many roles demonstrating depth, emotional growth, and opportunities to truly showcase talents. Trans actors are often “typed out” of roles that are actually suitable for their skill set and forced into a box where they are not able to hone their craft truly. “There have been a plethora of [these] experiences,” shares Taylor. “Many instances of being encouraged to audition for a typically cis-female role. I was not publicly non-binary in college, but I was the same Ryan; eyebrows, tunic tops, and heavy contour. [There have been] many instances of being typed out of something because of the transphobia and queerphobia engrained in our minds.”

Although it is crucial that trans characters are portrayed by trans actors, and Taylor emphasizes the importance of positive trans representation in storylines, this should not be where the opportunities end.

 “[Once], I was cast as Ally in Mamma Mia!” Sis explains. “And when I was cast, I thought it was one of the dads because this is just when I had begun my transition.” When Sis was informed of the content of the role, she was thrilled. “To be seen in that way and to be able to do the role as I did it was an amazing experience. I was received very well, and it was a great time because I was able to be myself."

Taylor shares their favorite theatre experience as well – a performance as the Nurse in Romeo + Juliet with Shakespeare in the Club at The House of Yes. “I felt like myself, but within the Shakespearean world,” they say. “I was playing a ‘mother’-esque role which I would say is my sweet spot. And I would say that role fully opened my eyes that I will be spending the rest of my life playing females or non-conforming people. It was that moment of ‘yes I can do this, I can do it well, and people believe that I can.’”

It is important to recognize that, despite a slight shift in the industry, inclusion for trans actors has still not been achieved in casting. “The theatre industry fails in equity for transgender or queer or non-conforming actors in a constant promise of inclusion or ‘gender-blind’ casting when it’s really just some super minor ambiguous move towards inclusion,” Taylor explains. “The main obstacles are, in my opinion, someone’s genitalia factoring into where we ‘type’ them. Unless we’re doing Equus, but even that could be a really beautiful moment to have some trans inclusion.” They further advise cisgender actors to be aware of personal contributions to the problem. “[Don’t submit] for a specifically queer role if you are not a part of the community,” they affirm, “regardless of if you’d make a fabulous Angel in Rent.”

It is also critical to acknowledge that prejudice within the theatre industry, and society at large, is intersectional. Sis emphasizes the importance of addressing all systemic issues – racism and classism, to name a few – as part of the fight for transgender equity. “It’s not just opportunities for trans actors,” she explains. “I think it’s opportunities for all performers. If we create an equitable space, then we can begin to have a conversation about what that looks like on trans performers and what that looks like on black performers.. . .If we’re fighting for liberation of only trans people, then there’s a lot of people that get missed in that. And there’s a part of my identity that gets missed in that.”

Further, it is crucial that power within the theatre industry is redistributed.  Without this shift, trans equality will never become a reality. “[There needs to be] varied people with varied experiences making decisions,” Sis points out. “Cis white bodies, gay or straight – and mostly gay, white men – are trying to make decisions for everybody else. And it’s not correct. . .We look at clout and we look at credentials and we look at money. And that is not innovative because who gives a fuck? People don’t care about that shit. People want innovation. People want shit that is gonna push the needle forward. And if we put our money and interest and energy into [that], that’s how we’re gonna change the world. But theatre – she’s not giving right now.”

One thing is for sure: trans people are worth so much more than a “gimmick.” Taylor puts it best.

“Gimmick casting is the most cancerous term I’ve ever heard,” they say. “I’m only a Gimmick when I finally get to play Miss Mazeppa.”

The Trans March on Broadway will begin today, at noon, starting at Sheep’s Meadow. For more information, please follow Sis at @ucancallmesis.

Sis (she/her) is an actress and activist. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram at @ucancallmesis.

Ryan J. Taylor (they/them) is an actor, writer, and freelance makeup artist. Follow them on Instagram at @ryanjtaylor.