In Dublin at the Project Arts Centre’s Cube, Krishna Istha stages a groundbreaking show, First Trimester. The unique performance piece explores the journey of a transgender couple aspiring to have a family. Volunteer sperm contributors are interviewed on-stage by Istha, propelling them into a deep self-reflection.
The staged set-up is an appealing interpretation of a fertility clinic’s consultation room. Substituted for the usual clinical décor are chic furnishings like side tables and lamps, with an overall warm, orange glow emanating from a gazebo tent.
The interview process is a rich and engrossing experience. Istha randomly generates questions to ask the donors. These questions are designed to challenge traditional stereotypes both biologically and culturally, and they also give insight into the donor’s own parenting style, their relationship with their parents and the implication of this relation on their parenting approach.
The performance serves to debunk common preconceived ideas about parenting and challenges the audience’s own assumptions. For instance, one donor quotes from Kahlil Gibran’s ancient poetry, reminding parents that their children are not mere extensions of them but life manifesting itself independent of them.
The interviews play out against the backdrop of infomercials airing repeatedly to remind the audience about the challenges faced by queer individuals in becoming parents. The performance becomes a moving dialogue on parenthood, predilections, stereotypes, cultural attitudes and more.
The show runs through to September 21 as part of the Dublin fringe festival at the Project Arts Centre. It stands out as a comforting tonic in the times we live in; a man, a father to grown-up children, is unbothered when asked his thoughts on Istha undergoing hormone therapy or if his child were queer. His nonchalant response serves to undermine the fears propagated by those critical of gender diversity.