Opening eyes

Vincent Gau hopes eventually his musical drama about coming out as transgender will hit the national stage, but it seems appropriate for the show to debut in the hometown where his story started.

A workshop concert of “Reflections” opens tonight at Clarkston United Methodist Church, with actors performing the dialogue and songs that comprise the two-act piece.

By its nature, the play speaks to LGBTQ+ individuals, but just as much, or maybe even more, it’s for the family, friends and community who grapple with what it means to know, accept and love someone who’s trans.

“It’s really a universal message, told from the viewpoint of someone who, right now, currently, especially in this country, is so misunderstood,” Gau said. “And just taking that person (who) is the target audience of hatred right now and saying ‘Hey, like, we do all the same things you do.’ ”

Lorelie Faulk, who plays the character at the center of the story, has known Gau since middle school. Faulk’s participation in “Reflections” began when the two played opposite each other in the Lewiston Civic Theatre’s “Little Shop of Horrors” last year.

The story, while not entirely autobiographical, draws heavily on Gau’s experiences coming out as transgender at age 15. But the perspective, Faulk said, isn’t just of the person who is transitioning, which makes the show more accessible for audience members of different backgrounds.

“Yes, it tells the story of a trans experience, but it also has the viewpoints of everyone that transitioning’s life touches,” said Faulk, whose pronouns are they/them.

In “telling how someone gets to find that crucial part of themselves,” the show explores self-acceptance and acceptance from others, they said, themes “everyone has had to deal with … in some way or another.”

After graduating from Clarkston High School, Gau moved to New Jersey in 2019, returning to Clarkston last year.

He started writing the script for “Reflections” four years ago on a flight to Los Angeles where he interned with a nonprofit program called Broadway Dreams. There, he met Bálint Varga, “an incredible, crazy musician” and music director for Broadway Dreams, who agreed to write the music for the show.

“I’m so blessed to have him,” Gau said. “I knew nothing about writing for musical theater before. I do all the lyrics; he does all the music.”

Now, Gau and Varga have the opportunity to record a studio cast album in New York, an important step in bringing the musical to the stage. Proceeds from this week’s workshop production will go toward the studio fees — about $25,000 — involved in making that happen.

The musical’s first public performances come at a time when transgender issues are discussed increasingly frequently, though not always accurately, in political and cultural discourse.

“I believe it’s going to be very educational,” Gau said. “Bálint and I have always said that our No. 1 goal in writing this show was to educate and inspire.”

Performing the concert workshop in the Lewiston-Clarkston Valley, where “not a lot of LGBTQ+ voices are heard,” feels important, Faulk said, noting queer people gradually are becoming more visible in the community.

“We see things like Celebrate Love, and we have Pride now, and I think it’s really important that this show is starting here,” they said.

Performing the workshop at a church both fit the show’s narrative and solved the issue of securing a space on a limited budget.

The Rev. Cody Stauffer, pastor at Clarkston United Methodist Church and Lewiston First United Methodist Church, has performed with the Lewiston Civic Theatre. The LCT director, Nancy McIntosh, helped Stauffer and Gau connect.

Offering the church as a venue was an easy decision.

“It was kind of a no-brainer to me to say ‘Yeah absolutely, please use our space,’ ” Stauffer said. “Our goal at our churches is to (try) to remove any barriers or walls, or even appearances of excluding anyone. We want to be churches that are inclusive of folks in the LGBTQ community.”

Finding a leader in the Christian church as progressive as Stauffer, someone “truly trying to spread the word of Jesus and the gospel … and just loving everyone and taking care of your community and … washing the feet of people lesser than you, if you will, like in biblical terms, it’s just really amazing,” Gau said.

Elements of “Reflections” are based on his Catholic upbringing, Gau said, including “a big part” of the lead character’s internal struggle.

“Every queer kid who grew up religious has had a moment where they are on their knees and going ‘Do you still love me? Am I gonna get into heaven? Everyone’s telling me no, but I don’t know.’ And I’ve had many of those moments, and I know there’s been many more besides me.”

He and Varga avoided “being pointed” with the show’s dialogue and lyrics, creating a narrative Gau hopes ultimately will appeal to people of all religious and political stripes, during this time of polarization.

“It feels somewhat lucky that the show is ready to take off in this instance where the country, it seems, is so divided on what they think it means to be transgender,” he said. “And I hope that this show can gain mainstream attention just because I think if people truly watched it with an open mind, if people just truly came to watch a human story come to life, that their perspective would be changed.”

He was careful not to demonize different views, he said, writing with empathy for each character.

“One of the main characters is the father, who’s a conservative dad and is unaccepting of his child, and even we humanize him,” Gau said “You know, he has his reasons for thinking like he does. Is it hurtful? Yes. But how does having a child transition, how does that affect you as a parent? It’s all meant to be non black and white. Because right now things are so black and white. And it’s not. Life isn’t.”

Crafting characters who grapple with that nuance and complexity wasn’t a stretch for Gau; that aspect of the show is autobiographical.

“My parents were polar opposites, almost, when I came out,” he said. “My mom was very accepting, and my dad — it took him a bit longer. He is totally accepting now, but at first it was trying for him.”

Not only is Lance Gau, Vincent’s dad, accepting now, he’s one of the stars of this production, playing the father of the trans character. 

Stone (she/her) can be reached at mstone@inland360.com.

IF YOU GO

What: “Reflections” — a workshop concert.

Where: Clarkston United Methodist Church, 1242 Highland Ave.

When: 7 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday; doors open at 6:30 p.m.

Cost: $20 adults; $15, 18 and younger.

Of note: This is a workshop concert, not a full stage production. The show is not appropriate for young children because of adult themes and language.