‘Ralph Kerwineo and the Refining Influence of Skirts’

Chris Holoyda’s New Play About Milwaukee’s Famous but Unknown Transgender Man

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In 1914 a local newspaper headline exclaimed “Milwaukee ‘Man’ Clerk Proves Girl Cora, Alias ‘Ralph Kerwineo,’ is Heroine of Unparalleled Venture.” It is one of many sensational headlines both the local and national citizenry would read over the course of the trial of Milwaukeean Ralph Kerwineo, nee Cora Anderson. Kerwineo had been arrested for disorderly conduct after his companion, Mamie White, with whom he had been living as her husband for 10 years, revealed his female birth gender to the police after Kerwineo legally married a local Polish girl, Dorothy Kleinowsky. Needless to say, not only headlines ensued.

For all its dynamics of gender identity, race and morality, aside from a few scholarly forays, there has never been a dramatization of Ralph Kerwineo’s story on stage or screen. Until now, that is.

Opening October 14 and running through October 23, Emerald Condor Production presents the world premiere of local playwright Chris Holoyda’s new play, Ralph Kerwineo and the Refining Influence of Skirts. (The original opening weekend of October 7 has been postponed.)

Based in part on historical research provided by Milwaukee historian Matthew Prigge, Holoyda’s play seeks to create an accurate portrayal of Ralph Kerwineo and the events surrounding his 1914 trial. Asked who Kerwineo is, author Holoyda offers a basic description but defers to the man himself for an answer.

“Ralph Kerwineo is a transman of color, part African and part Native American, who presents as Bolivian.,” he says. “I suppose there’s an argument that Kerwineo is a woman who decided to dress as a man to take advantage of socio-economic opportunities. But, in his own conception, he’s not a woman dressing as a man, he’s a Bolivian man.” When asked about his work’s point-of-view, he continues, “The first purpose of the script is to depict the history as accurately as possible. There was a lot of news coverage to draw from about ‘the woman dressed as a man living among us for 10 years,’ as it was put at the time. Being true to the character and true to his arc is in filling in what’s not available historically. In Kerwineo’s trial he puts forward his world view. Discounting his perception of himself does him a disservice. It’s important not to tell audience what to think but to tease out the themes and let them draw a conclusion.”

Honoring his Experience

A unique aspect is the fact that Kerwineo’s gender identity is male, something that is rarely addressed in depictions of transgender characters. “Fundamentally, the show honors Kerwineo’s experience as a trans man by not treating it in a superficial way. Most portrayals of trans characters are male to female with lots of focus on physical issues and dress. The trans experience is internal and those physical things distract from the internal experience,” Holoyda says.

Obviously, in an era when conformity was the norm, there are multiple layers to contend with in this story. Broadly, there are the interracial and socio-economic dynamics, the political and moral mind-set of pre-World War I America, the law and the justice system and, on a micro-cosmic level, the personal relationships and their emotional and moral conflicts. Then there’s the combined impact of all of it on the individuals.

Distilling that mash-up into a play sounds difficult enough, even without gender identity as the central focus of it all. With trans issues at the forefront of today’s LGBTQ political discussion, it’s a particularly treacherous social-scape for any playwright. In this case, perhaps more so because Holoyda is straight.

Getting the Story Told

Responding to today’s pervading skepticism by some that only those who live certain life experiences can write about them or play the roles that represent them, the author is realistic. While consulting with queer and trans individuals in writing the play, he is a pragmatic about his role in delivering the story. “I would hope skeptical people will come to see it. Ideally, they will find a lot in the themes and concepts to dig into. I feel it’s important to do the show to get the story out. Writers write about things outside their experience as do actors who perform roles outside theirs. After our version, if an all-trans company would take on the show and do it their way, it would be exciting. Theater is collaborative. To the extent that we don’t get it right, I hope someone takes it upon themselves to do it better,” Holoyda says.

The play’s director, Jarvell William, reflected on his role in bringing Ralph Kerwineo to life. “It’s definitely difficult because I’m not a part of the trans community. That particular identity is something that hasn’t been given its just due. In the early 1900s, he was classified as a male-impersonator. My approach is humanistic. I want to keep it in the forefront that this is a man who is not to be judged, no matter what the particular journey is. This is a real person. The real emotional connection is manifested in his motives and how he thinks. Because he’s a historical figure, that connection won’t too far removed from our experiences.” William says.

If you go, ticket information may be found on Emerald Condor Productions social media pages: facebook.com/InspirationStudiosLLC. Performances take place at Inspiration Studios, 1500 South 73rd Street West Allis, WI 53214