Briar/Rose at Theatre Off Jackson

"Briar/Rose" is the age-old story of a Princess banished by an evil Queen, with a twist: the “Princess” is actually Briar, a young trans man just discovering his identity. Along with a cast of Queer fairytale archetypes - Prince Charming, a rakish lady knight, a mysterious sorceress - Briar comes to terms with his identity and delves into questions of identity, family, and fate. The production is written and directed by James T. Washburn and features a cast and crew of local Queer artists.

The story takes familiar archetypes and tropes and uses them as a safe passage into exploring difficult concepts like identity, generational trauma, and the definition of family. Characters and plot points were borrowed mainly from the Grimms fairytales, with a dash of Slavic folklore and melodies taken from traditional Celtic music. While it has all the qualities of a typical fairy tale, it’s not necessarily intended for a young audience.

With “Briar/Rose,” Magpie will be pioneering a new way of funding the performing arts by running a Kickstarter campaign where supporters can pre-order access to a professional recording of the show (as well as tickets to the live performances). The campaign will be open for the month of May and feature a wide array of rewards for backers, including items like signed show posters, in addition to virtual and in-person tickets.

“Briar/Rose” performs live June 23rd-25th at Theatre Off Jackson, with the recording available to view indefinitely afterward. Virtual and in-person tickets can be preordered at a discount on Kickstarter from May 1st-31st, or on the Magpie website starting in June. For full accessibility information and content notes, visit the Briar/Rose site.

Magpie is Powered by Shunpike. “Briar/Rose” is funded in part by the Seattle Office of Arts & Culture.