Name: A playful exploration of gender performance
Uploaded: 2020-11-18T21:20:29Z
Duration: 17 min 3 s
Description: From the stage to everyday life, theater educator Jo Michael Rezes studies queer identity and the spectrum of gender performance — in its success and failure. Aided by a delightful introduction of campy charm, Rezes explores the freeing potential of playing with gender to better understand ourselves, each other and the spaces we inhabit.

From the stage to everyday life, theater educator Jo Michael Rezes studies queer identity and the spectrum of gender performance — in its success and failure. Aided by a delightful introduction of campy charm, Rezes explores the freeing potential of playing with gender to better understand ourselves, each other and the spaces we inhabit. 

A playful exploration of gender performance

Gender is less a fixed destination and more an ongoing rehearsal, shaped by daily experiments and playful mistakes. In one acting class, two students failed to convincingly perform as fraternity brothers, prompting laughter and the realization that gender is a social construct, not a rigid script. Despite more people seeing gender as a spectrum, fear of 'failing' at gender still causes real harm, as nearly half of transgender individuals have faced harassment. Embracing supportive failure can help everyone understand, express, and accept the wide range of human experiences.