‘This musical wouldn’t make sense without transvestites,’ say actresses from ‘Priscilla, Queen of the Desert’

Showing in São Paulo, “Priscilla, Queen of the Desert” tells the story of three drag queens with completely different profiles who cross the Outback desert in Australia to perform on the other side of the country.

The means of transport is the Priscilla bus, where the trio’s coexistence, initially truncated and thorny, unfolds into a bond of friendship and mutual care, in which each member deconstructs their taboos.

Reynaldo Gianecchini, who plays the protagonist Tick, and Diego Martins, who plays the young drag artist Felicia, share the stage with Wallie Ruy and Verónica Valenttino, two trans actresses who take turns playing the role of Bernadette Bassenger.

Protagonism and ‘transcestrality’

“We come from different schools and that’s what brings plural colors to the play,” says Wallie, a product of Teatro Oficina, by Zé Celso Martinez Corrêa (1937-2023). “It’s been very enriching to see the different schools in dialogue and this is reflected on stage. Giane plays Tick, who has issues and taboos that intersect with Giane’s own narratives. Diego is the youngest of the group and this show has his face, this showgirl thing, kind of like RuPaul. And Bernadette is the welcoming matriarch,” he describes.

For the duo, bringing Bernadette to the stage is a recovery of their own ancestry, or, as they say, “transcestrality”. “It wouldn’t make sense for this musical to happen if there weren’t transvestites playing transvestites”, continues Wallie.

“For the first time, we are reclaiming this place that is ours,” agrees Verónica. “Bernadette is a transgender character who has always been played by cisgender men. In addition to representation, we work on proportionality in this show, which is another great triumph,” she says.

The two, who had known each other for a long time but had never worked together, crossed paths during the first round of auditions. They rooted for each other, who knows, maybe they would act together? They ended up being selected for the same role. “It’s really nice to be able to share the creation of this character with Verónica,” says Wallie.

“Doing this show today, sharing this character with another transvestite, is what justifies this production. When we talk about employability and inclusion of the trans population in the job market, we also talk about proportionality: it is important that it is not just one, but that there are many,” says Verónica.

Paving the way for new trans artists to see themselves in a position of possibility, and not just an “unattainable dream”, is what drives the duo beyond the stage. “There’s a phrase I use a lot: you’re going to be someone’s ancestor tomorrow,” says Wallie.

Trajectories

Almost a decade ago at Oficina, Wallie Ruy began her career with independent performances, always loaded with political context. She has been on open TV and streaming in “Carcereiros” (Globoplay), “Aruanas” (Globo), “Spectros” and “Reality Z” (Netflix). She was awarded a Kikito at the Gramado Festival for the film “Marie”.

“It was at the Oficina theater that I realized I could be a trans artist, creator and protagonist of my own story. I am also the daughter of Zé Celso and he continues to be my reference, not only him but this entire space”, says she, who wrote and starred in the musical “Wonder – Vem pra Barra Pesada”. Inspired by the trajectory of Claudia Wonder, the show earned her a nomination for the Shell Theater Award. Currently, she divides her time between the stage and acting classes for TV, cinema and advertising at Senac.

Verónica Valenttino’s origins date back to the collective As Travestidas, created in Fortaleza 20 years ago by her and Silvero Pereira, among others. She starred in shows such as “Brenda Lee and the Palace of Princesses” and “Theory of King Kong”. She was the first trans actress to receive the Shell and Bibi Ferreira awards, both for “Brenda Lee”.

“Priscilla, Queen of the Desert” is showing in São Paulo until September 1st.