F2M

F2M by Patricia Wettig

Synopsis: "It is parents’ weekend of Parker’s freshman year, but Parker’s very famous parents aren’t coming—which, trust him, is just as well. Confrontations both painfully funny and deeply poignant are sparked when Althea and Clarence show up uninvited, as Parker’s new gender identity is put to the test, and as the family must grapple with the difficult choices of the child they love." It is an exploration of the self within familial confines dealing with themes of transphobia, mental health, and tolerance.

Director: Bell Gellis

Stage Manager: Sarah Cacciapouti

Designers: Laura Garfien, Katie Brayson, Travis Burt, Emily Voight,

Actors: Juliana Gudiatis, Katie Brayson, Kilee McAtee, Gracie Farrar, David Olski, Jess Baran

My vision:

As this was part of a psychological study I took a very realistic/naturalistic approach. I made sure to use period accurate costumes and props as well as deep diving into what was going on at the time socially and politically both for myself and the actors during table work. Using Stanislavkian methods of building character from the inside out the actors were able to portray their characters naturally using their own mannerisms in order to not create caricatures of the characters.

Review:

"The cast had an incredible sense of chemistry with one another."

"The time paid off and what was left was a show that made the subject of gender easier to understand."

-Emme Aylesworth, The Maine Campus

'Behind The Curtains'

Staging F2M: A Study on Predictors of Which Demographics Identify and Sympathize With Transphobic and Non-Transphobic Characters Through The Play F2M by Patricia Wettig

Abstract:

This research is a part of my capstone project in Theatre, Psychology, and Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. This project analyzes queer representation both in history and in theatre/media, and also presents a psychological study on the predictors of which demographics are more likely to identify and sympathize with transphobic and non-transphobic characters within a particular play. As a case study, I directed the play F2M by Patricia Wettig (Wettig, 2012), which is a Trans narrative where transphobia occurs in a familial context. Audience members were, then, asked to participate in a survey consisting of several questions about themselves, as well as their reactions to the play. I hypothesized that there would be demographic differences (e.g., age, political orientation, religious affiliation, gender identity) in how participants respond to the play and with which characters they most sympathize. In this presentation, I will review the experience of putting on this performance in the context of representation/activism through theatre and share quantitative data from audience members to understand what predicts sympathetic responses to Trans (and Trans allied) and transphobic characters.

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