Two Rochester award-winners – PUSH Physical Theatre and storyteller Penny Sterling – have combined forces to create Someone No One Can See, which will make its world premiere at Blackfriars Theatre for nine performances: Friday, June 3 at 8 p.m.; Saturday, June 4 at 2 and 8 p.m,; Sunday, June 5 at 2 p.m.; Thursday, June 9 at 7:30 p.m.; Friday, June 10 at 8 p.m.; Saturday, June 11 at 2 and 8 p.m.; and Sunday, June 12 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $36, with discounts for students, seniors, military, and groups, and available at blackfriars.org/push-someone-no-one-can-see.
A mashup of PUSH’s gravity-defying athleticism and Sterling’s trademark wit and searing honesty, the new show explores the joys and fears of trying to live an authentic life. Sterling, who transitioned to her authentic self in her mid-fifties, had a half-century’s worth of introductions to make to friends and family who had no idea she was transgender. As she answered their questions, she discovered that she had the ability to express herself in ways that resonated with them.
“I like to say that I’m Transgender 101 for cisgender people. For whatever reason, I’m not only able but willing to use my stories to give people emotional and intellectual understanding of what it’s like to be transgender,” explains Sterling. “I use comedy because making people laugh helps people to relax and be willing to engage with my life. Transphobia is so pervasive that if we are able to move the needle even a fraction that will be a monumental accomplishment.”
“Transgender people are so often a target of misunderstanding, fear, hostility, and violence,” says PUSH Co-Founder/Co-Director Darren Stevenson. “We hope this show helps to foster understanding and compassion for queer folks, but it’s also for anyone who feels lost and is struggling to find their place in the world. PUSH’s goal is always to help people start conversations and continue them after they leave the theatre.”
Like all of PUSH’s works, Someone No One Can See began as a “creative collision,” in which artists “crash” their ideas together through improvisation. Sterling is not simply performing with PUSH acting out her words – she’s a participant in the physical interaction.
“This collaboration with PUSH has challenged me since I usually stand in one spot and talk,” she adds. “To be able to bring nonverbal movement into this show is an exciting new step in my own growth as an artist.”
This project was made possible by contributions from the National Endowment for the Arts, LGBTQ+ Giving Circle, and New York State Council on the Arts.
Current COVID-19 protocols for Blackfriars Theatre require that all audience members must be fully vaccinated (two shots plus 14 days). Proof of vaccination and a valid I.D. are required as are masks. There are no exceptions to this policy.
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