Press release:
TRANSGENDER ACTRESS AND ACTIVIST SHAKINA NAYFACK ANNOUNCES VENUES FOR HER MANIFEST P*SSY TOUR IN NORTH CAROLINA JUNE 11 – 19, 2016
With the recent passage of North Carolina’s HB2 Law, aka “The Bathroom Law,” and its message of exclusion, high-profile corporations and celebrities have spoken out, canceled events or threatened sanctions if the law is not repealed. Last month, transgender actress and activist Shakina Nayfack launched a crowd funding campaign on YouCaring.com to raise money to bring her Manifest P*ssy Tour to North Carolina. With the success of the campaign and the amazing groundswell of support from local presenters and organizations, Nayfack is proud to announce the venues for her North Carolina leg of the Manifest P*ssy Tour. The tour will begin on June 11 through 19 with stops in Raleigh, Ashville, Wilmington, Charlotte, Greensboro, Chapel Hill and Durham (more stops may be added). Funds raised at these shows will be donated to local LGBT organizations. Manifest P*ssy Tour of North Carolina will be bookended by two performances at Joe’s Pub at the Public Theater in New York City, June 8 and 23
Manifest P*ssy combines two solo shows, written and performed by Nayfack, ONE WOMAN SHOW, which tells the story of her life leading up to her ultimate transition, and POST-OP, which follows the six weeks she spent in Thailand before, during, and after the surgery. Both shows were originally produced by Musical Theatre Factory and premiered at Joe’s Pub at the Public Theater in New York.
“We are thrilled about the outpouring of support in response to our announcing this tour; I look forward to performing in the beautiful state of North Carolina while following the law as it is currently written,” says Nayfack. “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. The passage of HB2 is not only hurtful, but has a much wider implications than most people realize. I very much appreciate the vocal and quick actions taken by such people as Bruce Springsteen, Pearl Jam, and Stephen Schwartz and companies such as PayPal, Google and the NBA. In their strength to stand up and speak out, I find my strength to bring my story to the very place that my community is being excluded. I hope people will support this tour and help bring pride and empowerment to LGBT people and their allies in North Carolina.”
Venues include
06/11/2016 Rock Shop Music Hall Fayetteville, NC Proceeds to benefit the RAAIN 06/12/2016 The Pour House Music Hall Raleigh, NC Tickets $10Proceeds to benefit the LGBT Center of Raleigh 06/13/2016 The Altamont Asheville, NC Tickets $14-$25Proceeds to benefit the QORDS (Queer-Oriented Radical Days of Summer) 06/14/2016 Juggling Gypsy Cafe Wilmington, NC Ticket $10 (cash at the door) 06/15/2016 UpStage Charlotte, NC Tickets $10Proceeds to benefit Charlotte Trans Pride 06/16/2016 The Crown at the Carolina Theatre Greensboro, NC Tickets $10Proceeds to benefit the QORDS 06/17/2016 Local 506 Chapel Hill, NC Tickets $10: 06/19/2016 The Pinhook Durham, NC Tickets $10Proceeds to benefit the QORDS 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.
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