Street Children
About the show
Vertigo Theater presents a new drama exploring the repression, romantic idealism, and high cost of living experienced by the transgender and queer community in late '80s NYC. More…
The story follows the intertwining journeys of three young characters who are reeling in the aftermath of their beloved street mother’s cruel murder. Ultimately, they must choose between the thrills and camaraderie of life as they know it, and the safety and stability of a quieter existence—albeit one potentially defined by isolation and ostracism.
"The production embodies the painful dichotomy of the lives it portrays. Breathtaking scenes of the '80s ballroom culture, alive with vogue, club music, and glittery garb are starkly interrupted by plights of poverty and violence...'Street Children' does not feel like a relic of the past...Pia Scala-Zankel’s dialogue is vibrant and uninhibited. Direction by Jenna Worsham gave the piece a musical fluidity, highlighting the gorgeous talents of the ensemble cast." Full Review
"An affecting and saucily funny new play...The director, Jenna Worsham, has elicited fine work from the entire cast, bringing alive a subculture that's rarely explored with this compassionate detail...'Street Children' addresses with pinpoint emotional clarity how stigmatized, exploited and at risk transgender youth once were—and, particularly those from economically disadvantaged families or conservative cultures—sadly no doubt still are." Full Review
"The outstanding diverse ensemble constantly populates the stage, going about their lives and participating in sumptuous scenes of vogue dancing...With vogue as her M.O. or gestus, Worsham perfectly propels the play forward with explosions of energy...It’s worth experiencing the play for the voguing alone, though nothing can take away from the lead characters’ performances...'Street Children' is a timely piece, presented just blocks from where these stories are rooted...Go see it." Full Review
"Blisteringly authentic...'Street Children' is one of those plays that is bound to have a prosperous future...And with a future in mind, the script can be even tighter and even stronger...Director Jenna Worsham captured the time with great ease...Where Worsham could have done more was utilizing the ensemble in a more purposeful manner...'Street Children' is a necessary story that does more than bring awareness of a past. It’s a teaching tool that can inform our future." Full Review
"Scala-Zankel flounders when it comes to crafting drama—overwrought dialogue, meandering scenes—though the piece is a welcome reminder of histories this island still holds…The dance breaks, it turns out, are the best part of the show…Scala-Zankel's dramaturgy could use some of that same rigor. The plot needs a ruthless edit, while the dialogue veers toward the melodramatic, with characters shouting their subtext and leaving little to our imagination." Full Review
See it if you want a provocative look into the lives of a family of LGBTQ youth who congregated at NYC's Christopher Street Piers in the late 1980's
Don't see it if you have a difficult time watching depictions of prostitution, gay-bashing, and other hardships experienced by marginalized LGBTQ youth.
Also From the scenic and sound design, to the extraordinarily detailed cost... Read more Read less
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