Interstate
Reviewed by Socks Whitmore
East West Players
Through June 26
RECOMMENDED
“What do I give up to become who I am?”
This is just one of the many questions that Interstate, a new full-length musical by Melissa Li and Kit Yan asks of its central characters as they travel across the United States on missions of the heart. Based on the true story of the queer band Good Asian Drivers, this stage show tells two intertwining tales: that of the poet/singer-songwriter musical duo Queer Malady, aka best friends Dash (a transgender man) and Adrian (a cisgender lesbian) on their very first national tour, and the lonely Kentucky-born Henry, a trans man at the very beginning of his gender journey who finds meaning in Queer Malady’s music and in sharing his own story online via blog. Each character sets out with a clear idea of who they are and where they’re going, but as wires cross and new obstacles roll into their paths, the tangled messes that follow lead them to rethink their inner states.
The book of Interstate netted its writers the 2021 Kleban Prize, an annual award given to musical theater writers of extraordinary promise, and the honor is well-earned. The intersectionality of queer and Asian identities is a notion rarely explored on stage, but this show does so brilliantly with the nuance and authenticity that only lived experience can provide. The music and lyrics meet the book at its level; the vocal harmonies, the skillful use of the ensemble across character types, and the outstanding vocal performances from the East West cast—including an especially stunning belt from Kristian Espiritu as Adrian—make for an exemplary storytelling experience from start to finish.
One major theme is masculinity through the lens of those desperate to be seen as the men they are. Dash, who has completed his physical and social transition, compares himself to Adrian’s butch girlfriend and exhibits insecurity about being seen as incapable or weak. He takes instruction from his father on how to be a man, but his efforts to seem strong and confident ultimately lead him into toxicity and harm those around him.
Another unique element of this story is the insider’s look at being a transitioning transmasculine person of faith. Henry, whose primary communities are his church and his school, navigates the beginning of his physical and social transition by coming out on his blog and to individual people in his life. He turns to his pastor for answers on how Christianity and his identity can mesh, and holds to his beliefs even after he experiences rejection from those around him. We even witness him learn how to administer his own hormone shot for the first time, an action quite possibly never before portrayed on stage. A tip of the hat to Jaya Joshi (the actor who plays Henry, for displaying incredible queer courage by openly sharing their chest with the audience both bound and unbound.* The moment the audience collectively aches when Henry excitedly shares that he has figured out how to use duct tape to bind is a heartbreaking, yet unexpectedly communal experience of unspoken understanding.
In the past, writing and casting intersectional roles has often been met with the challenge of, “but isn’t a bit much for someone to be all of those things?” Interstate is living proof that intersectional roles can be written and filled with talented people who authentically check every box. Many applause to the show’s team for telling stories that had not yet been told before, and paving the way for them to be told again and again.
*Chest binding is a dysphoria-relieving practice for transmasculine people that involves using a chest binder or other materials to compress breast tissue for a flatter appearance. The use of duct tape for this purpose, while historically common, is well-known to be damaging to the body and is highly discouraged.
David Henry Hwang Theatre, 120 Judge John Aiso St., Los Angeles; June 24 & 25, 8:00 PM // June 26, 7:00 PM. https://eastwestplayers.org/interstate/ Running time: 2.5 hours including one 15-minute intermission
