It was a packed house at the Castro Theatre last night for "An Evening With The Creators and Cast of Transparent." About 1,200 people were in attendance for the event, centered on Amazon's series about a transwoman finding her way in midlife. Cast and crew members Jay Duplass, Bridget Bedard, Our Lady J, and Trace Lysette all made appearances.
The night began with a VIP reception, followed by a panel discussion, where Transparent's cast and crew discussed their creative process and personal stories with Noah Cowan of the San Francisco Film Society.
Trace Lysette, who plays Shea on the show, opened up to the audience about her struggle to come out as transgender, which included a suicide attempt.
When Lysette embarked on her acting career in 2008, she only played cisgender roles. Her first acting teacher had told her not to disclose her "transness," fearing a lack of roles. But Lysette said that she didn't "feel whole" being in the closet.
After the death of Islan Nettles, who was bullied and beaten to death in Harlem in 2013, Lysette "hit rock bottom." Fellow actor and transwoman Laverne Cox introduced Lysette to an LGBT acting class, which helped inspire her to come out. She says she is now "living out loud," and is an LGBT anti-bullying and suicide prevention advocate.
"There's so much history here [in the Castro] with the LGBT movement," Lysette told us at the event. "I feel like it's coming home in a way, because this is where the revolution started. I feel honored to bring art here that is socially impactful, and I feel blessed to be a part of it."
Our Lady J, one of the show's writers, said that she felt at home in the Castro. "I feel I'm at home with peers," she said. "I tour as a musician and I come to San Francisco and perform here quite regularly. I feel like if it weren't a little chilly here and expensive, it would really be my home. I feel like it is the perfect place for this public premiere of the show."
After a Q&A with the audience, the film society screened the first three episodes of Transparent's third season, which will be released in full on Amazon tomorrow night.
