To T, or Not to T?
Reviewed by Taylor Kass
The Los Angeles LGBT Center’s Lily Tomlin/Jane Wagner Cultural Arts Center
Extended through December 14
RECOMMENDED
To take testosterone or not to take testosterone? That is the question. The solo performance piece To T, or Not to T?, written and performed by trans actor D’Lo, tackles even more questions, like: How do male-identifying folx like D’Lo embrace masculinity without falling victim to the patriarchy? Does passing as a man mean relinquishing visibility as a trans person? Will living his most authentic life bring D’Lo closer to his culture or push him away from his family? Even Hamlet would be stumped.
D’Lo begins the story of his life in Lancaster, California, where he grew up as the child of Tamil-Sri Lankan immigrants who loved him fiercely even as they struggled to understand his sexual orientation, his gender identity, and (gasp) his career as an artist. He slips back into his childhood self, a young person who idolized Queen Latifah and experimented with gender expression as he navigated personal tragedy and the pitfalls of growing up queer. He describes coming out as a lesbian in college, drinking to numb his unhappiness, and finding his life partner. He asks himself what kind of man he wants to be — and whether or not that includes taking testosterone.
With direction from Adelina Anthony, D’Lo plays a vast array of characters, from childhood friends to family members to drunk girls in a club. While Anthony’s staging and D’Lo’s vocal and physical versatility go a long way toward differentiating characters, things do get confusing when D’Lo plays more than two different people in a scene.
His portrayal of his father is the most tender and complex of all, especially in his recreation of the speech his father had given at D’Lo’s wedding. His dad cracks jokes, charms the audience, and uses male pronouns for the first time to refer to his son. D’Lo portrays his parent with reverence and empathy, and an unwavering love and understanding of the elder man’s own traumas.
The performance is relentlessly energetic and avoids a common pitfall of solo work — a pace that drags. The show feels personal as well as presentational, with a few hilarious winks to a knowing audience of LGBTQ folx and allies alike. Projection design by Meena Murugesan is playful, clean, and engaging, bringing extra detail to D’Lo’s story.
Solo performance is at its best when it is intimate and multifaceted. D’Lo is exuberant, warm and lovable, even in his pre-show speech — yet he doesn’t shy away from sharing his vulnerabilities as he describes the heartbreaks and victories on the road to knowing himself.
The Los Angeles LGBT Center’s Davidson/Valentini Theatre, 1125 N. McCadden Pl., Hollywood; Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 7 p.m.; extended through Dec. 14. (323) 860-7300 or www.lalgbtcenter.org/theatre. Running time: 60 minutes with no intermission.
