Femmes: A Tragedy
Written and Directed by Gina Young
Presented by SORORITY
In association with the Los Angeles LGBT Center
March 11, 2023
Renberg Theatre
Gina Young’s award-winning Femmes: A Tragedy is the story of a painful, public breakup set against the backdrop of the modern urban queer subculture. When the overly selfless curator of a burlesque show, Marigold, finds out that her girlfriend is cheating on her with a hot bartender named Callie, her friends– an activist, an academic, a babydyke, a diva, and a party promoter– are thrown into gossip and division despite their best feminist intentions. As the word spreads from friends to social media to the community at large, contemporary queer politics are satirized and celebrated, ultimately ending in a showdown between Marigold and Callie, at a burlesque festival.
Partially inspired by Clare Boothe Luce’s 1936 play The Women– which daringly focused on relationships among women and left all the men offstage– Femmes leaves butches and masc-presenting queers unseen, so to appreciate and understand femmes– in all their glory and complexity. Femmes: A Tragedy is a Winner of the Jane Chambers Award for Lesbian Playwriting and is published by NoPassport Press.
SORORITY
Founded, curated and hosted by Gina Young, SORORITY started in 2016 as a late night k-hole for new short works by women, trans and queer performing artists. Exploding almost overnight from a small Los Angeles salon into a huge and supportive community of creators with a cult following, SORORITY has gone on to produce staged readings, cabarets, YouTube content and events that defy description at venues including The Hammer Museum, Rockwell, The Lyric-Hyperion, Los Angeles Performance Practice’s LAX Festival and Barnsdall Gallery Theatre, spawning a new generation of live performance in Los Angeles, and countless spin offs.
Performance Information
Runtime
2 hours 15 minutes, including one intermission
Suitability Suggestions
Femmes: A Tragedy is recommended for ages 15+ and includes strong language.
Masks are currently required for all performances.
Creative Team
Writer, Director: Gina Young
Associate Producer: Arianna Lemus
Cast
Allie Wessel (I Hate You Too)
River Gallo (GLAAD Award Winner, Ponyboi)
Wilder Yari (The CW’s The 4400, The L Word: Generation Q)
Michelle Tea (acclaimed author and performer)
Nea Ching (Vida, Transparent, Looking)
Natalia Carballosa (Hex the Patriarchy)
Emma Irene Olson
Aleis Work