DIVA sits down with Gayathiri Kamalakanthan and Elizabeth Green to talk about this new play
BY ELLA GAUCI, IMAGES BY MICHAEL BOFFEY
In Gayathiri Kamalakanthan’s play Period Parrrty, Krish is preparing for their period party in the aftermath of genocide. In Tamil culture, when a person has their first period, it should be celebrated, marking their transition into womanhood. But there’s one slight problem: Krish isn’t a girl, and they certainly aren’t going to be a woman. With the help of their friend Brenavee, Period Parrrty sees Krish get ready to throw the genderqueer period party of their dreams.
Written by Tamil writer and recipient of the Disabled Poets Prize Gayathiri Kamalakanthan (they/them), this groundbreaking new play will run from 23 October to 22 November in the Soho Theatre. Directed by Gitika Buttoo, the play stars Elizabeth Green (she/they) in the role of Krish. Ahead of this run, DIVA caught up with Gayathiri and Elizabeth to find out more about this new show.
Gayathiri had their own period party when they were 11. At the time, they just thought it was pretty cool to wear a sari and be the centre of attention. “I wasn’t in my queerness or transness. All my cousins had theirs, and I indulged in the happy Tamil affair.” For Tamil families like Gayathiri’s, preserving Tamil culture was vital. Following the Tamil genocide in Sri Lanka, Gayathiri explains that events like period parties “show community, stability and survival”.
But when Gayathiri got into their twenties and embraced their queerness and transness, they began to question the gendered nature of the period party. It was from there that the conception of the play Period Parrrty was born.
When Elizabeth first heard about the play, they were ecstatic to see that a non-binary character was at its core. “It’s such a moving story,” Elizabeth explains. “It’s human and deep. There are these universal themes of wanting to know ourselves, wanting to understand the world and wanting to be loved.”
There is a distinct lack of queer South Asian representation on stage, something Elizabeth is excited to change. “I’m half Indian, and growing up, I never saw people who looked like me. I always wanted to be an actor, but I just thought I wouldn’t be able to because no one looks like me.”
For Gayathiri, one of the key parts of the play is balancing the backdrop of the Sri Lankan civil war and Tamil genocide with conversations about queerness and also some good old-fashioned teenage angst and longing. “[The play] is maybe unexpectedly funny,” Gayathiri laughs.
While the play does touch on heavier themes, there is a romcom at its heart. When writing the play, Gayathiri made a conscious effort not to fall into the idea that writing about transness meant having to write about trauma. “There’s a fullness of a personality, right? I think that should be presented on stage.”
Period Parrrty is a play that all audiences can find something to relate to. But Gayathiri hopes that Tamil elders can find a piece of home in the play, something they have been denied. “So much of this is for them. There is a fear that the younger generation born here would mean we’d start losing our culture. I hope they will connect with the Tamil in the script.”
“I really believe in the power of theatre and storytelling to be able to give people a way into something that they don’t understand,” Elizabeth adds. “I’m really excited for people who don’t necessarily understand transness or don’t know anything about Tamil people [to come]. It’s a really exciting way for people to connect to the themes and learn.”
Tickets are available now at sohotheatre.com. Kali Theatre premieres Period Parrrty at Soho Theatre from 23 Oct – 22 Nov. Tickets: www.sohotheatre.com
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