Soulpepper Theatre will present The Guide To Being Fabulous at the Michael Young Theatre in Toronto from October 24 to November 12…
Award-winning actress, trailblazer, and icon, Sandra Caldwell is an inspiration within and beyond the Trans community. Now, Soulpepper Theatre is set to present The Guide to Being Fabulous, featuring stories and original songs that follow the icon’s journey from a pickpocketing youth to a star of stage and screen.
Created by and starring Caldwell and directed by Soulpepper’s artistic director Weyni Mengesha, The Guide to Being Fabulous runs from October 24 to November 12, 2023 at the Michael Young Theatre, Young Centre for the Performing Arts, as part of the Her Words Festival.
“How fortunate I am to be able to tell my story in my way, surrounded by care, love and respect,” said Caldwell.
Caldwell transitioned to presenting publicly as a woman in her early 20s, but she didn’t come out for decades for fear that the news could devastate her and her career. In 2017, after getting the lead role in the play “Charm” based on the life of fellow black trans woman Gloria Allen, Caldwell revealed publicly for the first time that she was herself trans.
The Guide to Being Fabulous is a 90-minute showcase of Caldwell’s journey as she joins the frontlines of the Stonewall riots, the New York Ballroom scene, parties at Studio 54, and performs everywhere from the Moulin Rouge to Broadway. But it’s not all glam and glitz, as her prison time in Montreal and New York can attest to. And while Caldwell has often been recognized as a star of stage and screen, few people know just how iconic and unbelievable her real-life story is.
“Soulpepper is incredibly honoured to be working with Sandra Caldwell to bring The Guide to Being Fabulous to our stage,” said Mengesha. “Her incredible life’s story as a trailblazer is powerfully told through an electric performance of story and song. Sandra’s magnetic charisma has filled the rehearsal hall with such energy and joy, and I can’t wait for audiences to experience that magic.”
The Guide to Being Fabulous is part of the Her Words Festival, a festival of new works and works-in-progress from Canada’s most exciting female playwrights and emerging voices, as well as candid community conversations with industry leaders.
Caldwell’s story is as inspiring as it is incredible, and her decades of experience are a testament to survival in a world that denied her existence.
The Guide to Being Fabulous starring Sandra Caldwell
When: October 24 to November 12, 2023 at 8:00pm (Mondays are dark). Weekend and Wednesday matinees at 2:00 pm and Pay What You Choose Tuesdays.
Previews: October 24 to 27, 2023 at 8:00pm Opening Night: October 28, 2023 at 8:00pm
Where: Michael Young Theatre, Young Centre for the Performing Arts, 50 Tank House Lane, Toronto
Approx. Runtime: 90 minutes (no intermission)
Price: Tickets range from $25.00 to $65.00
For more information or to purchase tickets visit www.soulpepper.ca.
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