What light...?

I have always been in theatre. I have been an actress and a director. I have done anything and everything on the technical side, but one side I had never conquered was playwriting. I was perfectly happy being a minor actress and a lead technician. Two years ago, I acted in a program called P.U.P Fest, a.k.a Playwrights Under Progress Fest. Five plays are handpicked, cast, rehearsed, and performed by teenagers in grades 9-12. After that experience, I fell in love with P.U.P Fest and swore I would write a show and be picked to participate again—as a playwright.

Last year, I was too busy. This year, I felt like I needed to expand my horizons. The school year started, but my life was still a whirlpool with hardly a second to write anything, let alone a play. Months went by, and then it was April: the deadline was Thursday, and it was Monday. What the heck? I sat down, and in a matter of hours, I had a play. I zoomed it through a quick edit and sent it on its way to the theatre company. A few weeks went by, and I received a call. I had made it! Wow, best feeling in the world. Talk about cloud nine—more like cloud 39!

Playwright Charis Royal

My play, “There’s Something Wrong in Wonderland: A Romiet and Julio Story,” was a comedy-spoof wrapped up in a tragedy. Based on a twisted version of “Romeo and Juliet,” a high school boy named Jule falls asleep right before a Shakespeare test. The next thing he knows, he wakes up in the middle of “Romeo and Juliet,” as Juliet. The characters in Shakespeare’s original “Romeo and Juliet” land in some strange world: all the women think they are men, and vice-versa. There’s an obsessive “boy”-friend, an over possessive “brother,” a horribly biased cat, and a slightly insane nurse. The combination leads to a disastrous version of “Romeo and Juliet” that Jule with never forget!

The whole gender swap in my show and the confusion of whom, or rather, what gender the characters are, can be connected to how many LGBTQ youth don’t know how they identify. Many of my fellow youth at Youth First Texas are transgender or gender-queer. Many took years to realize who and what they are. Seeing actors who are not LGBTQ try to fit in these roles was eye opening, and I hope that when my play is performed again the director will play up the gender confusion, and the fact the “girls” in the show are “butch” and the Friar is feminine.

During the week of rehearsal, I met a group of people I will never forget. They brought my story to life, and I am so thankful to them for giving me a chance of a lifetime!

EDITOR’S NOTE: Earlier this summer, a group from YFT turned a regularly scheduled Open Mic night into a field trip to the McKinney Avenue Contemporary to show support for Charis and to see her play.

The cast stops for a group photo

Youth First Texas presents:
The 2nd Annual Youth Fashion Show:
“Give ‘Em Heel:Candy Extravaganza!”
Featuring youth designers and fabulous youth performers from YFT!

Thursday, July 8th 2010 at The Rose Room located upstairs at S4.
Doors open at 6:30 pm – $10 Admission.
Fancy Mocktails and Free Food!

All proceeds benefits Youth First Texas’ New Youth Center and Programming.

All ages welcome – Must have an ID to get in (School IDs will be accepted as IDs as long as they are picture IDs)

This is an Alcohol and Drug free event.

For information about becoming a sponsor, please contact Vic Rodriguez at v.r.rodriguez@live.com.

The film festival will be held on Saturday, June 19, 2010 (11AM to 5PM) in Addison. Tickets ($15) can be purchased at the DOA Blood Bath Entertainment website.

The event will be emceed by two of YFT youth: Efran Garza and Erika Ochoa.

Ms. Pandora Boxx poses with Victoria Fitzgerald.

Good things happen to those who wait. I never quite understood this quote until recently when I received a call with an invitation to meet some of the cast from Rupaul’s Drag Race, Season 2. I’ve always been a faithful fan, but never would I have imagined getting to meet the girls, who had performed at Fort Worth’s Rainbow Lounge the night before, and were in Dallas as guests of couture designer Nicolas Villalba.

As four other youth, Wilford Brown, John McKnight, Steven Richmond, and William Morvant, along with a volunteer and I walked into the nearby Villalba Design studio, we were all grinning and ready to see the beauty up close. We walked in and saw Tatianna, Jessica Wild, and my hero Pandora Boxx talking to the other guests. A few associates of Mr. Villalba approached us with greetings and asked questions about the show as well as Youth First Texas. Eventually Miss Pandora Boxx, with her platinum hair and ruby lips, came around to hug us; when it was my turn, I went dry-mouthed and started to shake. I did in fact manage to keep myself calm as we chatted with her and a local reporter. My enthusiasm made it obvious that I was a huge Pandora fan, so I was asked about my favorite quote from this funny lady. I simply said, “No quote, but I will always remember the time she fell as she,” to borrow from the show’s lingo, “sashayed away from the main stage.” After a short fun conversation with the queen of Campiness, we were soon approached by Miss Thing, Tatianna. With killer legs, chic chin length bob, and makeup so flawless it looked airbrushed, the 21 year old star struck an easy rapport with our group—probably because she’s so close to us in age. All of us had such a fun time talking with her. We asked lots questions, concerning RuPaul, life after the show, and, of course, all the back stage drama, until she had to step away to resume her fitting with Mr. Villalba. Soon after, we were united with all the girls, including sultry Jessica Wild, who explained that when not working as a drag superstar, she makes her living as a makeup artist. We took pictures and wrapped up for the night.

I said to goodbye to Pandora with a little tear and told her that she was my biggest inspiration and her story, so closely mirroring my own, meant a lot to me. She leaned toward me and said, as her voice cracked ever so slightly, “You’re so sweet.” I felt sad but also incredibly inspired. When I was hugging Jessica goodbye, she said to me, “One day you will be a beautiful drag queen. Never be scared of anything.”

And with that, I really had a bigger desire to be the hottest drag queen of my century and maybe one day become America’s Next Drag Superstar!

Tatianna poses with representatives from Youth First Texas

We are feasting on a delicious spread of RAINBOW colored pancakes, Scrambled Eggs, Bacon, and mixed fruit. There will also be juice galore and more! The price to eat is a suggested donation of $5.00. All proceeds benefit the GSA Activist Camp being held in north Texas at UNT.

The feast begins from 6pm-8pm in the parking lot of YFT. From 8-9pm we’ll be having the ceremony indoors.

FYI: The dinner will be held during BIG Group!

Invite anyone and everyone. It’s open to the public.

Celebrate the legacy of Harvey Milk, outspoken activist for the LGBTQ community, while Youth First Texas recognizes some of our own community “angels”.  Join us on Sunday May 23rd for a fabulous champagne brunch at Dish, the newest place to eat on Cedar Springs.

Seating is limited so get your tickets today.

I made special effort to get here, despite working long hours and living in Plano without a car. Today is “Gender Specific Toy Night.”

In Gender Identity Group we were asked to bring a toy that plagued or delighted us during childhood so we could unpack the emotions associated with it. At first I couldn’t focus on anything. Most of my toys were gender-neutral, with the exception of my action figures I played with like Barbies. I had Legos, chemistry sets, telescopes, microscopes, space ships, models, video games and other toys that were certainly nerdy, but not really gendered.

Then I remembered one toy of mine that was gender-neutral to everyone but my daddy: my Cabbage Patch Doll. He had spiky blond hair and blue eyes, “Because he’s my baby,” I often shared with other girls my age. I couldn’t quite understand why my doll was a boy when all the other girls had girls, so I fondly named him, “Boy”. As an adult I learned my daddy threw a fit when I first received him and anytime I went in public with him, which was constant until school started. The women of my family came to my defense and said there was nothing wrong with my behavior, which he begrudgingly accepted.

Although I grew out of my doll phase I still loved and prized him over all my stuffed toys. But at the age of 12 my daddy sold Boy at a garage sale while I was visiting my mom. I cried like I had lost a family member. I could see my daddy’s disapproval of my gendered behavior was much stronger than I realized and thereafter tried to “be a man” in his presence. My mother tried to console me by tearing into daddy but the damage was done.

Ever since, I’ve hoped to find another doll like Boy, but no such luck. So I went to Target the day before to get a generic doll substitute. I selected a doll with yellow yarn hair and blue eyes and purchased her with no discomfort or embarrassment. Only after talking with another girl tonight do I realized this was the first time I have ever made a purchase from “The Pink Aisle”. I remember being so drawn to that aisle as a child but feeling physically ill because I knew I wasn’t “supposed” to like them. I believed every patron would know my secret shame from my mere presence in the aisle. Now that I’ve grown up it’s easy for me to forget how far I’ve come. I know if I went back in time and told 8-year-old Dorian that she’d be buying dresses, makeup and babydolls without any trouble when she’s a grown-up she’d tell me I was full of it. The distance I’ve traveled absolutely amazes me sometimes.

On the National Day of Silence, hundreds of thousands of students from all over the country take a vow of silence to bring attention to anti-LGBT name-calling, bullying and harassment in their schools. Each year the event has grown, and now hundreds of thousands of students participate to encourage schools and classmates to address the problem of anti-LGBT behavior. Founded in 1996, the Day of Silence has become the largest single student-led action towards creating safer schools for all, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression.

Find out more about the Day of Silence by clicking on these topics:

• HISTORY
• FAQ
• 4 Truths about NDOS

This year, WE WANT YOU to participate!

Here are the instructions for the Flash Mob on Friday, April 16th:

DALLAS, TX – March 26, 2010  –

Representing the first time the project has focused on gay, lesbian, bisexual & transgender youth, unseenamerica originated in New York, under the Bread and Roses, the cultural arm of the largest labor union in the country.  This 8-week curriculum based community-based art project, taught by a professional photographer helped the 17- to 22-year-olds gain a stronger sense of self and community.  The youth artists are:  Jimmy Bounthavy, Zak Duffer, Rena Hampton, Chelsea Mauzy, Jesus Montelongo, David Negrete, Steven Richmond and Charlie Scarborough.

“We are excited to be able to provide this outreach opportunity,” said Diana Pollak, CAC’s Executive Director.  “Through the lens of donated cameras, these youth give us an inspiring collection of photographs which serve as testimonials to their unseen lives.”  The project is a collaboration with CAC and Youth First Texas, the only North Texas nonprofit solely dedicated to recreational, social, leadership and psychological needs of GLBT youth.

“We could not be more thrilled to be presenting the work of these amazing young artists.  The Cathedral of Hope is the world’s largest predominantly GLBT congregation, so it is a perfect collaboration,” said Dr. Tim Seelig, Director of Art for Peace & Justice.  “It is our hope that countless people will view the exhibit and thereby discover new insights into the lives of these wonderful artists.”

CAC is a non-profit community arts organization and school of visual arts geared to working artists and adult students of all skill levels.  Classes and workshops are offered in Jewelry, Fused Glass, Mosaic, Painting, Stone Carving, Metal Sculpture, Photography, Printmaking, Drawing, Ceramics and Clay Sculpture.

According to Ms. Pollak, CAC has become one of the top adult art education destinations within the North Texas area.  “Our mission is to provide a nurturing environment for people to discover, develop and express their artistic vision. CAC is not only a dynamic arts organization, it is also a thriving arts community which provides outreach to children and teens in the Dallas area” said Ms. Pollak.

The Creative Arts Center of Dallas was founded as a public arts center in 1965 and is now located on a two-acre campus off of Ferguson Road in White Rock Hills, four miles east of downtown Dallas.  Last year, more than 1,500 students took more than 350 classes and workshops at CAC.

The Creating Change Youth hospitality Subcommittee Presents…

The Mas-Queer-Ade Ball!

Headlining Vidur Kapur and Kit Yan
Join OUTmedia’s comedy sensation Vidur Kapur and renowned trans slam poet Kit Yan for an evening of spoken word and humor. Vidur’s credits include MTV LOGO, and NBC’s Stand Up for Diversity. Kit is a Curve Magazine favorite, OUTmusician of the Year nominee. Kit will premiere OUTmedia’s “Be Queer Buy Queer!” national video contest. Bring you cameras and be the first to enter! The event also features local queer youth artists, singers, and dancers. This is an alcohol and drug free event for all ages. A dance party for guests under age 24 will follow the performance.