By Greg Hernandez
Actor-writer-comic D’Lo has played fictional characters on such television shows as Looking, Transparent, Sense 8, Mr. Robot, and Eastsiders. But in his newest solo stage show To T, or not To T?, an intimate reflection on taking testosterone and his experiences with transitioning, the Sri Lankan Tamil-American performer is entirely himself.
The show plays at the Los Angeles LGBT Center’s Davidson/Valenti Theatre each weekend in October.
“This is an offering to all of my communities: queer, trans people of color, immigrant, anybody who has been on the margins,” he tells LGBT News Now. “It’s my way of giving back to the community and contributing to community healing.”
D’Lo combines stand-up comedy and storytelling in the show and also delves into being a trans queer man who often passes as cisgender and straight.
“The show navigates a lot of terrain, such as being identified as masculine in this toxic masculine world and still having feminist politics,” he shares. “The show is meant to entertain and give you insight into what a trans masculine journey looks like.”
D’Lo likens the format of To T, or not To T? to solo Broadway shows done by the likes of John Leguizamo and Whoopi Goldberg.
“More than anything, I want to make you laugh,” he says. “My story is not reflective of every trans person, but I feel like it can start conversations and do all the things good art is supposed to do because we don’t hear a lot about the trans masculine population.”
D’Lo has been performing for more than 15 years and toured internationally with his solo shows. He says he relishes his return to the Davidson/Valenti Theatre which seats 50-75 people.
“I love the venue, and I feel like it is the perfect size for a piece like this,” he says. “I love performing at the Center in general. I know it is a rarity for any person to get a solo show produced in Los Angeles. It’s even more rare when it comes to the queer community. I feel very blessed.”
The show is written by D’Lo and directed by Adelina Anthony. It runs October 4–27: 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays; 7 p.m. on Sundays. (No performance on October 19; an additional performance on October 17).
For tickets or more information, visit lalgbtcenter.org/theatre.