
December 8, 2005
Bradford Louryk's Christine Jorgensen Reveals
to Play Dodger Stages
By Cara Joy David
Christine Jorgensen Reveals, created and performed by Bradford Louryk, will return off-Broadway later this month. The one-person show, which played at the 59E59 Theatre this summer, is scheduled to begin a limited engagement at Dodger Stages on December 29.
"I've wanted to do a longer run in New York since I was last here," Louryk told Broadway.com. "This piece is about the extent that a person will go to in order to externally realize what they fundamentally understand about themselves. People seem to like it very much-some people find it very funny and some people are very touched by it."
In the show, Louryk brings his lip-synched recreation of America's first famous transsexual's only recorded interview to life. George Jorgensen always knew he was different. In 1952, he traveled from New York to Denmark to undergo a sex change operation. When he returned as Christine, she was the subject of curiosity and controversy.
Christine Jorgensen Reveals is a piece about personhood and the nature of humanity in which Jorgensen--displaying extraordinary intellect, charisma, poise, and grace--speaks candidly about her sensational life. The interview used by Louryk was recorded in 1958. It took place between Jorgensen and Nipsey Russell and only exists in the form of a vinyl recording. For the stage show, Louryk lip-syncs to Jorgensen and Rob Grace appears via a pre-recorded television video lip-synching to Russell's words.
The show, directed by Josh Hecht, previously had acclaimed engagements at 59E59 (where it ran select dates from July 12 through July 28) and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival (playing August 6 through August 29). Andrew Burnet of The Scotsman wrote of the show's Edinburgh mounting: "An extraordinary homage to Jorgensen's assurance and intelligence, [it] gives a fascinating insight into the society to which she returned after undergoing surgery in Denmark. Louryk's performance is beautifully poised, but what really stands out is the technical achievement." The show will play Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays on Stage 5. Itshares the theater with Naked Boys Singing!, which plays Fridays and Saturdays. Christine Jorgensen Reveals has all its show times at 8pm while Naked Boys will play Fridays at 10:30 and Saturdays at 6pm and 10:30.
Christine Jorgensen Reveals is scheduled to run through the end of January.
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