Authentic, accessible and full of love.
Trans performance artist Krishna Istha is back with the second instalment of his epic transmasc pregnancy trilogy. And this time, he’s brought his mum.
To recap: Krishna’s first instalment, First Trimester, featured Krishna interviewing sperm donors live on stage in London, with the goal of starting a family with his partner Logan (also trans). 8 shows, 91 hours and 124 interviews later, they received 33 genuine offers of donation.
Sperm Donors Wanted!
Preceding the performance of Second Trimester, we were invited to watch the 10-minute Netflix documentary Sperm Donors Wanted!
Directed by Krishna’s partner Logan Rhea, this beautifully shot film looks back on the conception of First Trimester, featuring moments from the 124 interviews. Krishna shares his experience as a ‘transmasculine, non-binary, bisexual Aries’, his reasons for pursuing pregnancy, and the fun he had interviewing donors. A whole range of conversations from queer, trans and cishet donors shared their stories and unique motives for donation.
Sperm Donors Wanted! piques the first-time viewer’s interest, catching them up on what they missed in First Trimester. It summarizes the difficulty of trying to start a family with LGBTQ parents, but also shows bountiful hope and humour. By the end, Logan describes being bowled away by the human kindness he experienced live on stage. I was immediately invested in the continuation of the story in Second Trimester.
Second Trimester
I expected Second Trimester to follow similar themes of starting a family as an LGBTQ couple. Instead, we take a glimpse into the perils of parenthood through the life of Krishna’s mother and co-performer, Geetha Shankar.
Based off on argument several years ago between Krishna and Geetha that created a year-long rift, Second Trimester is an experimental performance powerhouse. The narrative jumps back and forth in time, switches between scripted and non-scripted, and features nods to Bollywood, green-screen drama and creating wind effects with a leaf blower.
The soft, furnished set and comfortable ‘Notflix’ scrolling sets the stage for not a strictly scripted play, so much as a relaxed, autobiographical retelling that tells a story in ‘seasons’. We’re in Geetha’s living room, and she is choosing to share her difficult past, to help us understand her point of view. We see the perspectives of two generations of experienced and prospective parents, through a colourful, animated lens.
The show felt authentic, accessible and full of love. A wellbeing room was located behind the studio, with soft furnishings and fidget toys. People were encouraged to stim, and move around as they pleased. Krishna and Geetha took frequent comfort breaks, often going off script and riffing in real time. Even a forgotten line became part of the show, and was held in gentle comfort. Krishna regularly checked in with Geetha to ask permission to share a particular memory tonight, adding a flexible, respective fluidity to the of retelling a true story filled with trauma and hardship.
I would highly recommend this show on its technical feats and unique storytelling alone, but the show also has a lot of heart, and important things to say about queerness, family and parenthood. If you’re a trans man with a mother, this show is for you. Even if you’re not (statistically more likely), I still recommend you watch it.
I am fully invested in Krishna’s future pregnancy, and I can’t wait to watch Third Trimester when it finally breaks the waters!
This show ran at The Lowry. Follow the tour here.