A Little Bit Not Normal

by lillie franks
directed by Lane Michael stanley
cohesion theatre company
november 19-december 6, 2015

A Little Bit Not Normal by Lillie Franks was a world premiere production and the start of the Trans Voices Workshop Series. The piece was written and directed by transgender individuals with a transgender main character played by a transgender actress. Too often, trans people are not allowed to tell our own stories in mainstream media. To put on Trans Voices, Lane won the Creative Baltimore Fund – Mayor’s Individual Artist Award, and Trans Voices in turn won Best Stage Series from Baltimore City Paper’s 2016 Best of Baltimore.

Praise for A Little Bit Not Normal

"Depicting the more routine experiences of the trans* community will go a long way in achieving Cohesion Theatre's goal of fostering an understanding that despite our differences, we are all human. Our similarities far outweigh our differences. Kudos to Cohesion Theatre Company for their Trans* Voices Workshop Series and, notably for including the trans* community in the process."
DC Metro Theater Arts

"A truly unique and engaging experience, A Little Bit Not Normal is relatable and compatible beyond the gender issues it raises. Everyone has a family with which to have issues...add gender into the equation and it makes for a fine and informative as well as entertaining evening in the theatre."
Theatre Bloom

"When a play that involves superheroes and talking cats that date deities reflects real life, it's doing something right."
Baltimore City Paper

"Playwright Lillie Franks expertly launches us into an intricate and enjoyable comedy/drama that explores the multi-faceted nature of our experience, and the challenges of sharing and understanding the experiences of others."
What Weekly

"This worth effort opens a window into lives and issues that matter, while serving up a fair number of laughs on the side."
The Baltimore Sun

"[This production] does not suffer from a lack of authenticity. Franks is trans*, as is Alice Stanley, the director, and Erica Burns, the lead actress (this casting is another place where Stanley and Cohesion step absolutely right)."
The Bad Oracle

Named #9 Stage Production of 2015 by Baltimore City Paper

Photos by Kevin Stanley Photography