Full cast photo (top left Clay, Baker-Lerner, top right Jael Scott, bottom left Jackson Taitano, bottom right Aviva Pearl Creation. c
Courtesy of Ziad Elkawlak
Ridgewood-based writer and comedian Aviva Pearl Creation is bringing her work to the stage with the debut of “Clay Mommy” at the Jonah Bokaer Foundation for the Arts in Brooklyn. The play will run from Nov. 8 to 10 at 304 Boerum St. #23.
“Clay Mommy” explores the complex relationship between a trans woman who leaves sex work and New York City to reconnect with her estranged Orthodox Jewish mother. Upon returning home, the protagonist decides to become a mother figure to a family friend who is beginning her transition. Using Kabbalah—magic from Jewish folklore—the protagonist brings a sculpture of her grandmother to life to receive guidance on how to be a mother.
The play features an all-trans-femme cast, including Pearl Creation, Jael Scott Clay Baker-Lerner, and Jackson Taitano. Puppets designed by local NYC drag king Sweaty Eddie portray male characters.
Pearl Creation, who drew from her own experiences for the play, said, “I’m Jewish. I grew up in a kind of religious background, and my parents are great. I know a lot of people from religious Jewish communities who have had estrangement with their parents, so I was thinking about that.”
The story of the Golem, a creature from Jewish folklore created to protect the Jewish community, also influenced the play’s narrative. Pearl Creation said, “I always thought that was a really cool story, and I thought it was very trans, like, of this creation of a creature that’s monstrous.”
At 23, Pearl Creation hopes to one day become a mother and feels the themes of motherhood in the play reflect her desire to nurture younger trans women. “I’ve known some younger trans women, and I’m like, oh, I want to take them under my wing. That’s very common in the trans community to mother somebody younger,” she said….
Read the full article here
