Southern Comfort
by Julianne Wick Davis, Dan Collins

Name: Southern Comfort
Brand: Julianne Wick Davis
SKU: 9780573705458
Rating: 4 (2 reviews)

Off-Broadway

Southern Comfort Book Cover — Southern Comfort Cover

Highlights

Female

Male

120 mins 1990s Ensemble Cast Role(s) for Trans Actor(s) Unit Set/Multiple Settings Contemporary Costumes/Street Clothes

Awards & Recognition

Drama Desk Award Drama League Award Lucille Lortel Award

Winner! Two 2016 Lucille Lortel Awards Nominee: Three 2016 Lucille Lortel Awards, including Outstanding Musical Nominee: One 2016 Drama Desk Award Nominee: One 2016 Drama League Award

Synopsis

Based on the 2001 Sundance Film Festival documentary, Southern Comfort follows the last year of Robert Eads, a transgender man in Georgia, as he is diagnosed with ovarian cancer.

He surrounds himself with his chosen family, who are predominantly transgender, as they share monthly potluck meals.

Like any family, they have their own trials and tribulations, but ultimately they all seek acceptance for who they are in their own skin.

Press Reviews

"Critic’s Pick! “A sweetheart of a musical... it’s the spirited, tuneful country score and the colorful characters that draw us close to the emotional ups and downs of Robert’s family."
— The New York Times

"Beautiful and heartfelt show... bring the family."
— Deadline

"Movingly depicts the characters’ constant struggle for respect and tolerance from both family members and neighbors... Despite the serious subject matter, the show contains plenty of humor."
— Hollywood Reporter

"The beauty of Southern Comfort is in its centering of trans love and queer joy."
— Chicago Reader

Characters

Character	Gender	Age	Description
Lola Transgender woman: A tall, broad-shouldered woman; somewhat uncomfortable in her own skin. Professionally she still assumes the identity of John. Mid-forties.	female	—	Transgender woman: A tall, broad-shouldered woman; somewhat uncomfortable in her own skin. Professionally she still assumes the identity of John. Mid-forties.
Jackson Transgender man: A little elf of a man; full of warmth and mischief but struggling with a deep resentment and anger at the world around him. Late thirties/early forties.	—	—	Transgender man: A little elf of a man; full of warmth and mischief but struggling with a deep resentment and anger at the world around him. Late thirties/early forties.
Carly Transgender woman: Jackson’s girlfriend. A naughty Catholic school boy turned naughty Catholic school girl; tough, feminine and confident. Late twenties/early thirties.	female	—	Transgender woman: Jackson’s girlfriend. A naughty Catholic school boy turned naughty Catholic school girl; tough, feminine and confident. Late twenties/early thirties.
Sam Transgender man: A hefty, introverted man. He might almost be intimidating, were it not for his extremely gentle and somewhat sad demeanor. Late thirties/early forties.	male	—	Transgender man: A hefty, introverted man. He might almost be intimidating, were it not for his extremely gentle and somewhat sad demeanor. Late thirties/early forties.
Melanie Cisgender woman: Sam’s wife. Spirited and full of good humor, but apprehensive of the world around her. Early/midforties.	female	—	Cisgender woman: Sam’s wife. Spirited and full of good humor, but apprehensive of the world around her. Early/midforties.
The Storytellers (5) An onstage folk band that serves as the “orchestra” and storytellers for the show; acting as all the characters in the piece aside from the primary six. They are the passing time and the changing seasons, Robert’s parents, the haunting voices of his doctors, and so on. They serve as the storytelling backbone to our “Modern-Day Folk Tale,” while also embodying the environment/atmosphere/world around our primary characters – both physically and musically. They are individually referred to as ELIZABETH, DAVID, JOEL, LIZZIE and MORGAN.	male	—	An onstage folk band that serves as the “orchestra” and storytellers for the show; acting as all the characters in the piece aside from the primary six. They are the passing time and the changing seasons, Robert’s parents, the haunting voices of his doctors, and so on. They serve as the storytelling backbone to our “Modern-Day Folk Tale,” while also embodying the environment/atmosphere/world around our primary characters – both physically and musically. They are individually referred to as ELIZABETH, DAVID, JOEL, LIZZIE and MORGAN.
Robert Transgender man: A wiry, “electric” man in his fifties. He has the ability to seem like a wide-eyed child and a wise old prophet all at once.	male	—	Transgender man: A wiry, “electric” man in his fifties. He has the ability to seem like a wide-eyed child and a wise old prophet all at once.