Mel first appeared in this blog under the stage name Mr. GF.  Mel is our official athletics coach, twitter proofreader, America’s Next Top Transmasculine T-shirt Model, and all-around genderqueer First Lady of the Femme Show.

Tell us about your first Femme Show.

My first Femme Show was the Portland, ME show in the summer of 2008. My job was to sell t-shirts – and it still is! I had seen some pieces in smaller bar shows beforehand, but this was my first full-length show. I remember really enjoying the whole evening-long experience and getting a good vantage point from my seat at the t-shirt table to see how much the audience enjoyed the show. And I got to chat with some of the old dykes who had seen the show afterwards, and they said something to the tune of, “wow, I wish we had girls to see in shows like this when we were young!” That was really special. I also remember tearing up while watching Small Stone – it was the first time I had ever seen it. It’s my favorite Femme Show piece, I think.

What have you been up to since October?
Cooking, working, volunteering, sharing an ice bucket with the Captain of the Femme Team while we ice our hurt feet.

Why do you think the Femme Show is important?
The Femme Show is important because it makes us think! And the community dialogue that happens after people see the show makes our communities better. I’m borrowing from something Michelle Tea said, but queer art like The Femme Show gives us: “the singular importance of personal experience, the potential of literature and all art to bring about personal empowerment, to elevate community, and to make people feel connected to one another and to concepts larger than themselves.” Go femmes & friends, go!

What are you most excited about for the Femme Show in 2010?
Selling more t-shirts, carrying more polka dot suitcases, making more coffee for Maggie.

What is your favorite thing to do onstage? Least favorite?
Favorite: In 11th grade I had an English assignment to memorize a handful of lines from the Macbeth dagger soliloquy. Since I happened to have a HUGE crush on the teacher, I memorized the whole thing instead to prove my undying love for her.

Least favorite: I had to be the virgin Mary once in a church production of the Christmas story when I was growing up. That was total crap – I was really mad about it (I would’ve made a better Joseph than that chump Will Elliot). Also, in school plays growing up I always would audition for the mean guy (ex. Captain Hook), but I’d always end up the second in command. I was the King of the Winged Monkeys and Smee. How disappointing.

Sweet or savory?

I have a really pronounced sweet tooth, so I’ll say sweet. An important exception is breakfast/brunch, where I will almost always eat savory foods. It’s not that I don’t like pancakes, french toast, etc – it’s that when I ate those foods when was little I would ALWAYS, no matter WHAT, get maple syrup in my hair. Even though it was always tied back tightly, tomboy style, in a ponytail. Although my hair is buzzed and only 1/8 of an inch long, I’m still afraid I’ll get maple syrup in my hair, so I usually stick to the savory end of the spectrum for morning meals.

This entry was posted on Thursday, May 20th, 2010 at 7:45 am and is filed under musings. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.