York's Belmont Theatre is excited to premiere a brand new play by New York playwright Reggie Barton just before Pride month 2024! The play, Bridge, centers on four women who play cards together regularly, and the result when one of them reveals she is trans.
“My mother plays bridge,” explains the playwright, a gay man, “and one day when she was telling me how close she is to all her bridge partners and how they all know so much about each other, I found myself thinking, What if there was one big thing about them that you didn’t know? So, I set out to write a play about that idea.”
Barton said he didn’t at first think the “thing” would be about gender identity, but when he read former New York Times film critic Molly Haskell’s book about her sibling’s transition, My Brother, My Sister, the idea began to simmer. Later on, Barton met up with Haskell’s sister, and the three of them had long talks on the subject, which resulted in Bridge.
Belmont Director Chris Koslosky, a cisgender woman, found the script charming and touching, but quickly realized that without the help and support of the trans community, the play was not likely to succeed. She was fortunate to connect with Mary Almy, a trans woman who is a board member with York’s Rainbow Rose Center. Mary will serve not only as assistant director but also as consultant on the project.
“I want the lead role of Sally to be played by a trans woman,” Koslosky explains. “For one thing, it’s a great opportunity for a trans actress to play a role that can be both comfortable and self-affirming. But most of all, I think it’s the most authentic and respectful way to cast this role.”
The script describes Sally St. James as “stylish, intelligent, cordial, well-traveled, and accomplished.” No age is given for Sally, but Koslosky speculates she would most likely be over forty (she’s traveled extensively, and is interested in joining a bridge club!). Auditions will be held around the middle of March (no firm date has been set yet), but anyone interested in trying out or learning more about the play are encouraged to contact either Chris (gazpacho56@gmail.com) or Mary (malmy@rainbowrosecenter.org) for more information.
