Drama Tops Presents DRAMA TOPS, THIS IS FOR YOU

Join Elby Brosch on Jan 28th-30th at Washington Hall for the world premier of his first evening length dance production. This work is an expansion of Falling Short which premiered at On The Boards in Northwest New Works 2018. As a trans masculine dancer and choreographer, Elby tells his story through duets with a non binary dancer, Jordan Macintosh-Hougham, and a cis man, Shane Donohue. Combining his extensive work in drag and cabaret, with research into masculinity, and a lifetime of dance training, the Drama Tops was born in artistic partnership with Shane Donohue. Jordan Macintosh-Hougham has recently joined Drama Tops rounding out expression, perspective, and dynamism. You may have seen the Drama Tops perform at Velocity in Fall Kick Off the past 2 years, at Kremwerk in Family Meal and Catharsis, in Heels! At Cha Cha, and at a pop up party at Photon Factory.

Drama Tops derives from years of Brosch working with drag artists; BenDeLaCreme in productions of Beware the Terror of Gaylord Manor and To Jesus, Thanks for Everything, Jinkx and DeLa; Scott Shoemaker in :Probed!; Cherdonna Shinatra in Worth My Salt; and Lou Henry Hoover in There Once Was a Man. Blending this together with his experience dancing for contemporary artists; Mark Haim in Hot Air presented in Full Tilt; Heather Kravis in excerpts from The Green Surround in Fall Kick Off; and Christin Call in What is Home. Elby Brosch began making work with Shane Donohue three years ago with the creation of a solo on two bodies. The dynamic between their trans body and cis body has created beautiful moments of frustration, competition, tenderness, and comedy.

This piece first began a year ago when Brosch felt compelled to create work sharing his experience being trans and having existed on both sides of the gender divide. Society painted new norms and expectations onto his body as it transitioned from perceived female to perceived male. This gave him a unique perspective on masculinity in our society. In this work, toxic masculinity is splayed open and gutted using queer humor. The potential beauty of masculinity is revealed through tenderness and empathy. Past, present, and future are woven together with strands of memory and longing. Identity is embodied through relationships between parts of a whole.

Brosch says about his work, "My identity drives me to dance. I believe that empathy builds connections between individuals and between groups. So much of the trans experience is relatable; feeling uncomfortable in your own body, wanting it to look or feel different; feeling like you don't quite fit in with any groups around you; feeling like you don't understand the social norms your surrounded by, but pretending like you do. These are common experiences that get heightened in a particular way in the trans experience. If you understand my struggle, we are bonded, and you have become my ally. I believe in generosity and vulnerability as political acts. I have titled this work "Drama Tops, This is for you" because it is for anyone who understands how if feels to be different."

Drama Tops, This is for you
Jan 28-30 / 7:30pm
Washington Hall 153 14th Ave in the Central District

Tickets $25 Standard / $15 Subsidized
Open Rehearsal Sept 27 noon-1pm / Velocity Dance Center

To post a comment, you must register and login.