She + They: Trans Couple Gives Genre-bending Exclusive About Love, Transition, And Regional NZ.

(Headline abbreviated, original headline: SHE + THEY: RURAL NORTHLAND TRANS COUPLE GIVES A GENRE-BENDING EXCLUSIVE ABOUT LOVE, TRANSITION, AND REGIONAL NEW ZEALAND.)

SHE + THEY is a window into the ordinary, extraordinary, and surprising discoveries encountered by a transgender couple with a personal, non-political account of a life, love, and hormonal gender transition together.

With a provincial life in rural Northland, transgender couple Willow (SHE) and Ren (THEY) are mildly "small-town famous.” Already a long-term couple, their relationship takes an exciting new direction when each simultaneously begin their journeys into gender-affirming hormone therapy. While welcoming physical changes, unexpected shifts in their internal worlds have a seismic impact on the way they each relate to cis (not trans) men and women, themselves, and each other.

In this deeply honest storytelling/live Q&A show (audience questions gathered pre-show), the couple offer insights into their journey through a year on hormones together with sketch humour and grace. Month by month, both share the exciting and humbling changes of becoming more themselves, while traversing the gap between testosterone and estrogen. Willow and Ren share the surprising joys and heartbreaks of re-mapping their way to loving themselves and loving one another, all over again.

Hosted by Aunty Dana’s Op Shop (supporting Gender Minorities Aotearoa) just on the heels of Wellington Pride, this timely premiere invites audiences of all ages into domestic surroundings to gather their closet treasures truly first-hand. Arrive early to write down your questions…all welcome!

The NZ Fringe season is the first of what will become a national tour throughout regional New Zealand later in 2020.

SHE + THEY (Wellington season) is the recipient of Kakano funding through New Zealand Fringe and Creative New Zealand.

Award-Winning Zir Productions ("Ze": queer as f*ck!, I'm an Apache Attack Helicopter, Blood Relative) is based on the Ze/Zir gender neutral pronoun. Zir Productions’ mission is to produce works of storytelling, comedy, theatre, and live art that work to take audiences on an experience of connection "beyond all binaries.” Ren has been nominated and awarded for dramatic storytelling and comedy for previous works.

Nominations: FringeWorld Comedy Award 2016, NZ Fringe Development Award 2018,

Awards: Artistic Risk Award 2016, Bravest Show Award 2018, Comedy Award - Best Use of Awkward Silence 2016

Written and performed by Ren & Willow Lunicke. SHE + THEY is Ren Lunicke’s fifth autobiographical show and their first collaboration with Willow, who has been a significant muse in previous’ show content.

Title: SHE + THEY

Length: 60 min (+after-talk)

Location: Aunty Dana’s Op Shop

130 Riddiford Street

Newtown, Wellington

https://auntydanas.com/

Cost: $15 ($10 conces)

Ticket Web: https://www.fringe.co.nz/show/43782

© Scoop Media