Arts & Entertainment
Janet Mock becomes first trans woman of color to direct and write a TV episode
The ‘Pose’ episode ‘Love is the Message’ made history
Janet Mock has made history as the first transgender woman of color to write and direct an episode of TV with the recent “Pose” episode “Love is the Message.”
Mock posted a throwback photo from the episode’s filming in honor of the episode airing on Sunday.
“This was taken under the amber light of the #posefx ballroom on my first shoot as a Director. Donāt let the smile fool you: I was nervous af about doing something I had never done before, a job that seemed to be reserved for white men, a position in the industry that rarely invited women and/or people of color to sit in the directorās chair,” Mock writes.
She also praised Ryan Murphy for supporting her when she was unsure about embarking on a job she didn’t have experience in. Mock also shared that she also supported herself through her own self doubt.
“I doubted whether I had the skills and experience to be a director. But I was pushed by @mrrpmurphy who told me I could (‘youāre naturally bossy…like me’) and used his Half Initiative to make it happen. But still I had to talk myself through self-doubt (like so many ‘firsts’ have done before me) by saying, ‘You wrote this script. You know these characters. You helped shape them, make them, move them. You got this, and your whole life as a black trans girl with all your experiences have prepared you for so many unknowns ā from being the first in your family to go to college, to get a masters, to work as a journalist, to leave the safety of telling others stories to actually tell your own story, to write two memoirs that centered #girlslikeus, to be the first trans woman of color to be hired in a writerās room…and yes, the first to write and direct an episode of television. You can do this, will do this and are deserving,'” Mock continued.
Murphy praised Mock’s work on the episode tweeting, “Iām more proud of tonight’s ep of POSE co-written with the extraordinary Janet Mock than almost anything Iāve ever done. Janet directed this episode with class & heart. Again she breaks down walls & barriers & makes history as the first trans woman of color to direct an ep of TV.”
Iām more proud of tonight’s ep of POSE co-written with the extraordinary Janet Mock than almost anything Iāve ever done. Janet directed this episode with class & heart. Again she breaks down walls & barriers & makes history as the first trans woman of color to direct an ep of TV.
ā Ryan Murphy (@MrRPMurphy) July 8, 2018
Mock also received special shout-outs from the “Pose” cast and Janelle MonĆ”e.
Get ready for the directorial debut of @janetmock. The first trans woman of color to direct an episode of television. Ep. 6 of @poseonfx is a masterpiece, co-written by Mock and @mrrpmurphy ‘Love Is The Message’ will have you bawling. TONIGHT on @FXNetworks at 9:00PM EST #posefx pic.twitter.com/ibbYCQIzsn
ā Billy Porter (@theebillyporter) July 8, 2018
@janetmock anything you touch turns to gold. Thank you for your direction, your presence your writing and for breaking barriers in the motion picture world. @StevenCanals @MrRPMurphy thank you for making this happen. Season 2 must happen. & it Will be seasoned ferociously.
ā IAM (@IndyaMoore) July 9, 2018
When searching for answers to receive reasoning, of why life has it ways of dealing with humans,wether it be happiness or sorrow, what do you do?FIND OUT TONIGHT ON @poseonfx #PoseFX 9pm easter standard time on @fxnetworks SHOUT OUT TO my sis #JANETMOCK @janetmock Are You Ready? pic.twitter.com/YqVztPwC4t
ā Mj Rodriguez (@MjRodriguez7) July 8, 2018
I still remember @janetmock coming in between takes & grabbing my arm and being so kind and so gentle telling me I did a good job and I honestly felt so incredibly grateful and I still am. Iām so happy to have been part of her directorial debut. Keep breaking ground sis! #PoseFX
ā Johnny Sibilly (@JohnnySibilly) July 9, 2018
I love you Janet . You are what we have been waiting for . Genius . @janetmock https://t.co/pBQLuv3pLb
ā Janelle MonĆ”e, Cindi (@JanelleMonae) July 8, 2018
Citrine, Andromeda and Silver WareĀ Sidora celebrated their birthdays at JR.’s Bar with a drag show on Saturday, Nov. 2.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
Theater
Signatureās fresh take on classic āForumā
Actor Mike Millan says āitās like a new work in many waysā
āA Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forumā
Through Jan. 12
Signature Theatre
4200 Campbell Ave.
Arlington, Va.
$40-$126
sigtheatre.org
For out actor Mike Millan, Signature Theatreās production of āA Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum,ā couldnāt feel fresher.
Set in ancient Rome, the 62-year-old Tony-winning hit (music with lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart) borrows from Roman comedy, farce, and a dash of bawdy vaudeville to the tales of slaves, soldiers, courtesans, and a lovesick young man.
Millan plays Hysterium, a nervous slave in the House of Senex, whose tagline reads āI live to grovel.ā
āIāve never done āForum,ā so to me itās like a new work in many ways,ā he says. āAnd because itās older and has a classic musical point of view and weāre doing it now, itās as if weāve been given a lovely opportunity to make it our own.ā
And indeed, they are doing just that. Directed and choreographed by Matthew Gardiner, the Signature production is introducing new bits and playing with gender: the central character Pseudolus, a sly slave role created by Zero Mostel, is played by Erin Weaver; Erronius is played by Sherri Edelen in drag; and two male actors and one nonbinary actor play courtesans.
Though Millan, 35, is based with his partner in Los Angeles, he regularly travels to New York and is pleased to make Signature in Shirlington an additional destination on his bicoastal work journey. Recently, the affable actor took time to talk about Signature and āForum.ā
WASHINGTON BLADE: A little about the brilliantly named Hysterium, please.
MIKE MILLAN: As a gay actor, I can say that Hysterium is one of the gayer characters Iāve ever played. Heās a sort of fop and heās in drag most of the second act. How can you not see him as a queer character?ā
When the part was written it was sort of gay coded and now itās just abundantly clear, you donāt think twice about it.
BLADE: āForumā is unapologetically fun. Is now the right time for a romp?
MILLAN: The show comes with a level of escapism that is really infectious. During these tense times, it feels great to be doing a silly musical. Weāre doing fart jokes in tunics, and the material and jokes really hold up. Youāll feel better leaving than when you came in.
BLADE: All that and a Sondheim score too?
MILLAN: Heās the reason Iām here. In high school, I discovered his āInto the Woodsā and remember locking myself in my room until I knew every word to āGiants in the Sky.ā
āPassion,ā āFollies,ā I love it all. Heās so singular because he writes from a perspective of acting and storytelling; Sondheim touches me in a way that feels quasi-religious.
When I think about the number of times I sang āLast Midnightā alone in my car, it fills me with a joy that Iāve never gotten from any other composer or jukebox musical.
BLADE: In 2022, you played Idina Menzel super fan Jeff in āWhich Way to the Stageā at Signature. Are you glad to be back?
MILLAN: Yes, Iām happy to be employed. Itās a tough business. Not only are we asked to be great singers, dancers, actors, and performers but weāre asked to have a social media presence and to be the most popular kid in school.
Signature provides a safe environment to try something new and different, to experiment with a community that respects doing that. Also at Signature, it never feels like any audience members are being dragged by their partners to see a show. Itās a supportive community.
BLADE: Speaking of partners, do you miss being away from home?
MILLAN: Sometime itās nice to have that time away from each other; it builds a little mystery.
BLADE: Will your performance change between now and January?
MILLAN: In recent years, Iāve changed my acting approach from cracking the code on how to play a character to inviting the audience on a journey and making them part of the process.
I was raised in musical theater, but by doing comedy, standup, and improv, Iāve come to find the joy of failure freeing. And I like being part of a changing show. I like the idea of somebody being able to say āI was there the night Patti LuPone yelled at the guy who took a picture.ā
BLADE: An unexpected moment.
MILLAN: Of course, I go in with certain things I have planned out, but I like the element of excitement that anything might happen. And I think the audience should feel that way too.
The flight over to Barcelona was uneventful and landed on-time in this beautiful city. I was met at the airport by a very nice taxi driver I had pre-arranged through booking.com. He drove me to my hotel, the Barcelona Continental, on the Ramblas. It was a little disappointing. They neglected to tell those booking the road in front of the hotel was dug up and therefore you needed to be let out of the taxi across the Ramblas and had a long walk with your luggage. It is really old and not redone, except for the bathrooms, those are nice. But I would not recommend it.
I was early and they couldnāt get me checked in for a few hours, so had coffee and then met my friend Simone, also staying at the hotel. She had checked in a couple of days earlier and had the same reaction to the hotel I did. But that didnāt stop either one of us from enjoying Barcelona in all its beauty. I donāt sleep on planes, so the first day was spent relaxing and wandering aimlessly past cathedrals, long shopping streets, and wonderful little side streets off the Ramblas. Simone took off to do her shopping with more specific plans. It was an early night for me and we met again in the morning for coffee and spent a wonderful day together, shopping, walking, and seeing some great street performers. Then it was dinner with friends who we would be boarding the ship with the next morning. They kept predicting rain. It did come late at night and continued through us heading to the port to board the ASCENT. Because of the broken-up roadway we got a little wet heading to the taxi stand, which didnāt make us feel any better about the hotel.
It was a short ride to the port, and soon the beautiful ASCENT came into view. Boarding was easy and then suddenly the cruise was beginning. A walk around the ship unveiled some beautiful artwork, and small changes from the rest of the EDGE series ships I have been on. But it still felt like a welcome home. I headed to deck 15 and the Retreat lounge to meet some of the 70 people I would be traveling with. Scott and Dustin of My Lux Cruise had planned a sail-away party for all of us in their beautiful Iconic suite. They will be hosting a number of events during the cruise, which makes them such great travel agents, and friends. Another friend, the extraordinarily talented Andrew Derbyshire, who would be performing that evening, was there. He was on the ship for only one night, getting off in Alicante to head home to the UK the next day.
I joined friends, Scott, Mike, and the irrepressible Jason, for dinner in Luminae, the dining room for the retreat. It was to be a night where dinner came first and then the show. At 9 p.m. we were seated in the third row of the beautiful theater, to hear Andrew. He didnāt disappoint. He is better than ever. He has an incredible voice and such great stage presence. I, and everyone else, were just so sorry he wouldnāt be staying on the cruise with us. He reminded us he has been working with Celebrity for more than eight years and is one of their biggest stars. He also hosts their Pride month events doing so with great panache. As a young man Andrew performed in the West End in London, and has been a star performer for much of his life. Then it was off to The Club for a little disco music, and then off to bed with a satisfied smile on my face to complete day one on the ASCENT.
Day two began with a knock on the door of my cabin with delivery of coffee, juice, and a bagel. I sat down to write, which I do every morning, and then headed to the gym for my first workout on the ship. It was empty, which was great, and the sun had come out and the view from the lifecycle made it fun. After the gym I headed to the retreat lounge and met some friends and had a cappuccino. The sky started to get gray and clearly it was going to rain in Alicante, our first stop. But that didnāt stop anyone from walking around the town. I was getting the best feeling this was going to be a great cruise.
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