“MANIFEST PUSSY” A Journey of Trans Liberation, a west coast premiere

IN CELEBRATION of OC TRANS* PRIDE

The LGBT Center of OC & DeColores Queer OC with Breath of Fire Latina Theater Ensemble and WTF Friday proudly present the west coast premiere of

“MANIFEST PUSSY”  A Journey of Trans Liberation

by SHAKINA NAYFACK, TRANSGENDER ACTRESS AND ACTIVIST

Directed by Shaun Peknic | Music Directed by Jacob Yates | Featuring Original Songs by Nikko Benson, Julianne Wick Davis, Joe Iconis, Michael R. Jackson, Teresa Lotz, Lauren Marcus, Sam Salmond, Zoe Sarnak,  Shaina Taub, and Joel Waggoner | Developed with Support from Musical Theatre Factory, The Eugene O’Neill Theater Center, Playwright’s Horizons, and Joe’s Pub

“MANIFEST PUSSY – A Journey of Trans Liberation”  is a journey of trans* liberation that follows the time leading up to and through Shakina’s gender transition. Weaving together songs and stories from her previous tour de force solo musicals One Woman Show and Post-Op (Both shows were originally produced by Musical Theatre Factory and premiered at Joe’s Pub at the Public Theater in New York), Manifest Pussy blurs the lines between the sacred and profane, combining storytelling with cutting-edge spoken word and glitter-rock vocals, and featuring original songs by New York’s hottest up-and-coming songwriters!

With the passage of HB2 in North Carolina  the Manifest P*ssy toured with stops from Raleigh, Ashville, Wilmington, Charlotte, Greensboro, Chapel Hill and Durham. Funds raised at these shows were donated to local LGBT organizations. A portion of proceeds for the west coast premiere will go to benefit the victims of Orlando.

“I look forward to returning home to perform in Southern California and more specifically Santa Ana, a community I hold close to my heart. In New York City, my transition has been very public and widely accepted. My shows have opened up a fantastic dialogue about what it means to transcend the gender binary, politically, socially, sexually, and spiritually. I can’t wait to share this performance with my hometown and help bring pride and empowerment to Transgender people and their allies in Orange County.” -Actress/ Activist Shakina Nayfack

About the Artist: Originally from Southern California, Shakina has enjoyed an eclectic career as a performer, director, writer, producer, and social activist. In 2015 she became the first transgender woman to receive a Lilly Award recognizing the remarkable contributions to the American Theatre made by women. Her autobiographical rock musicals One Woman Show (2013) and Post-Op (2015) both premiered to sold-out houses at Joe’s Pub, and will be returning to the Public Theater for encore engagements in June, 2016. The shows bookended her groundbreaking KickStartHer campaign to crowd-fund gender confirmation surgery. Shakina was also recently seen in Manuel Versus the Statue of Liberty at the New York Musical Theatre Festival, where she was presented with an Outstanding Individual Performance Award for her portrayal of Lady Liberty. This summer she will be joining the cast of the Hulu original comedy series “Difficult People.” www.shakina.nyc

**Venue is generously donated by The Yost Theater.