Queer Cats Journal of LGBTQ Studies

In “Dys-appearing/Re-Appearing: Trans Men Actors Resist- ing Cisnormative Theatrical Traditions with Phenomenal Stage Presence” Joshua Bastian Cole lays the groundwork for a theory of acting for trans men that incorporates an understanding of various symptoms of dysphoria, rather than labeling them undesirable “absences” that must be eliminated in the pursuit of a normatively-conceived stage “presence.” Using a de-pathologizing medical model of trans subjectiv- ity in combination with various phenomenological theories of trans embodiment, Cole explores trans men’s abilities to actively create a body in space and time. He argues that these creative survival techniques can be used as a the basis for a method for stage acting. He concludes with a postscript that provides an application for his ideas, an exercise which bridges the gap between social performativity and stage performance.