ABSTRACT
In essence, play is a metaphor for a healthy form of creativity and exchange. “The play is the thing,” Hamlet used to “catch the conscience of the king.” Here, the play in question involves a story which set people’s eyes on an alternate reality, setting in motion a compelling social drama. It begins with a cabaret singer-Jose Sarria-whose enaging performances got people thinking about their lives. It is one thing to break through a theatrical fourth wall; it is quite another to use a public performance to help a people reimagine a right to their city. Yet, as the years of Sarrias’ performances continued, this is just what happened. The populace of a city was cajoled, teased, and seduced into participating in a culture-shifting social drama full of riots, police, bartenders, civil rights battles and drag queens. Chapter 1 explores the dynamics of just such a performance in freedom.
