“Hir” Here (Hear Hear)
The object belongs to hir who just came here or didn’t you hear? Many of us are beginning to hear about a new personal pronoun, pronounced ‘here or hear’ that is a combination of his/him/ her. Taylor Mac is the author of “Hir” a critically acclaimed new play celebrating the use of gender-neutral pronouns and gender neutral existence. For writers it may be an improvement to ‘he, she or it’ for every occasion; it certainly takes the lilt out of literature.
It is also too early to determine whether ‘Hir’ is critically acclaimed because it is edgy and trendy; new works must always wait to pass the test of time. Playwright, Taylor Mac (or judy as a preferential referential personal pronoun) has certainly written a piece which is either sensational or sensationalizing the trans-gender experience. In the plot of “Hir” a deeply troubled soldier (Isaac) returns from Afghanistan. He finds that his young sister Maxine is in the process of transforming herself into himself, in other words, hirself and taking hormones. He finds that his father Arnold (a man once somewhat macho) has had a stroke and is also taking hormones providing by his mother. Isaac’s mother, Paige, has taken charge of the household and is making up for lost time. She resents husband Arnie for his past abuse and is determined to punish him for the 30 years she suffered in the same starter home. It is unclear whether the nature of Arnold’s abuse came from his behavior or his masculinity. The entire family is clearly dysfunctional, but while mom Paige seems most able to cope with the outside world she is obviously the one who has gone completely over-the-edge. She has disavowed her past self as a wife, and along the way she has eliminated any connection to her children and motherhood. There is, in her madness, a lack of humanity that is evil and startling. Perhaps the appropriate personal pronoun for Paige is ‘it’ to indicate level of humanity rather than sexual identity.
Kory Kight-Pagala directs a group of extremely competent actors on a cluttered set. One of the actors spends a considerable amount of time sitting in a chair with his back to the audience. Although he has few speeches, he may have some great reactions that the audience misses. Outside of this staging fault, Kight-Pagala does a very competent job of directing the actors.
- Christine Lanning plays Paige, the mother without a heart. Her character behaves as if everything is normal, although it is clear that she is quite mad. Lanning shows her rage at her life, blaming her husband for his abuse, and apparently her/hir/its children for being born.
Grant Brittan is husband, Arnold, the victim of a stroke. He does a masterful job of representing the powerlessness of a stroke victim as he accepts his wife’s determined emasculation. It is easy to see that his character will never recover from the ravages of his debilitating stroke, and also clear that he could make some recovery in a different environment that does not include the hormones his wife forcibly provides.
Dakota Lee Bryant is son, Isaac. He is a soldier, and it is clear from his initial appearance throughout the show that he suffers from his experiences. However, the hell he faces at home will never allow him to recover. Bryant delivers a performance that shows that hell skillfully, as he fights for his family and against his family members.
Matthew Lee Zodrow is son, Max, still transitioning from Maxine. He is also a typical rebellious teenager, and he seems to glory in his mother’s loss of control. Zodrow’s performance reveals a youthful state, clearly not old enough to make important decisions. He is obviously much too young to make the physical transition, and he may be too young to take the hormones his mother gives to help him become a male.
While Taylor Mac intends to depict a dysfunctional family, in this production he reveals a more important familial breakdown. The head of household is quite mad, criminally insane. The obstacles faced by her family may have been out of her control, but she now controls the outcome and that outcome is utterly hopeless.
The subject matter is of some interest to members of a number of alternate life-styles however, the hopelessness may be uncomfortable. Most patrons, regardless of their own positions or opinions can appreciate the play for what it presents and how skillfully it is presented.
“Hir” is being presented at the Civic Center in the City-Space location. Performances are at 8:00 pm and tickets and information are available at the Civic Center box office at 405-297-2664.