#killroys

Killroys for every situation

THE lisT comprises the 46 most recommended plays according to me. In order to be eligible, a play must be 1) by an author who identifies as trans or trans-ally* 2) expansive and original, not reducing trans IDs to tropes, tokens, fetishes, or exposition for cisgender people 3) plays I want to see and 4) among the most excellent seen or read by me OR by theater professionals whose opinions I respect. There are some lisT’ed plays that I have not seen or read, but I believe the playwrights to be worthy of the lisT either through direct communication or recommendations by my colleagues**. Plays by trans-IDed playwrights do not need to include trans characters to be lisT’ed. *For a trans-ally to make the lisT, she or he MUST have worked dramaturgically in some way with trans people during the process of writing the play, which must include at least one trans character. The trans-allies on the list worked with focus groups, hired trans dramaturgs, or simply asked trans people for critical responses between drafts of the plays, and thoughtfully considered the community’s feedback. **I am on the list myself because I made the list, and I believe the plays I write represent the criteria I consider lisT-worthy. As Jill Dolan asked in response to The Kilroys, “what list isn’t partial”? The Kilroys believe THE LIST will be an important resource for theater leaders in season planning, bringing American theater one step closer to knocking that 80% down to at least a more equivalent size. I hope The Killjoys lisT also helps move us closer to gender-inclusivity with a primary aim of visiblizing non-cisnormative genders in the playwriting community. To clarify, trans people who do not ID as genderqueer are not necessarily gender conforming. Trans queer and genderqueer do not hold the same meaning, although they can certainly cross over, as do many other identifiers. Where The Kilroys focus on women; the focus of this lisT is on people who publicly identify as trans and allies. Of course, I hope transwomen made it to The Kilroys, but even if they did, they have a place here as well. The Killjoys lisT also includes plays with intersex characters. I recognize that intersex and trans are two separate things that sometimes intersect and sometimes don’t, but I also recognize that there has not been a category for intersex inclusion yet. The Kilroys state that they want to encourage people to turn any feelings of exclusion from their List into action, get together with our own people, and choose our own action that will add to the conversation. The conversation among my people, to quote Joy Meads of The Kilroys, “has been stuck in this loop of ‘oh, the plays aren’t there,’ which they are.” And echoing Annah Feinberg also of The Kilroys, “yes, they’re right here.”