Austin Writer/Performer in Hands Up! Gender Oct. 29 - Nov. 7

"I was welcome but felt unwelcome; visible but felt invisible," said Didi Reed of Austin as he addressed his experiences around gender in Tellin' Tales presents: Hands Up! Gender which runs virtually on Vimeo October 29 - November 7.

Tellin’ Tales Theatre curated a diverse group of writers with and without disabilities to share personal stories exploring their experiences and truths around gender. There is also a live performance on October 29 at 8:00pm at The Kedzie Inn, 4100 N. Kedzie in Chicago. The suggested donation is $10. Virtual tickets are $10 and available at https://www.simpletix.com/e/hands-up-gender-tickets-79392 Closed captioning and audio description are available.

Nine performers explore gender identity, gender expression and the effects of society in Live Lit performances. In addition to Reed, they include Lee Buell of Skokie, Molly Wiesman of Elmhurst, Linnea Kopp of Harvard, Pamela Palmersheim of Glenview, Mx. Jae Truesdell of San Francisco and Chicagoans Joe Lewis, Saanti Bonet' and Shui Sheppard.

When curating writers for the performance, directors Stephen Donart and Robert Teverbaugh paid special attention to having a broad spectrum represented. "Gender is one of those things where everyone thinks they have shared understanding, but when you unpack those opinions, most people don’t agree at all,” Teverbaugh said.

Hands Up! Gender is partially supported by grants from the Illinois Arts Council, Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and the Paul M. Angell Family Foundation.

About Tellin’ Tales Theatre:

Tellin’ Tales Theatre has just begun celebrating its 25th Anniversary. Founded in 1996, Tellin’ Tales Theatre was conceived by Tekki Lomnicki, Michael Blackwell, and Nancy Neven Shelton to promote and support a society where people of all abilities are accepted and equal, regardless of perceived ability. The mission of Tellin' Tales Theatre is to shatter barriers between the disabled and non-disabled worlds through the transformative power of sharing personal narratives. For more information, please visit www.tellintales.org