Gina Young

Gina Young is an American writer, director, playwright, songwriter and performer. They are a vocal member of the LGBTQ community and is openly queer and nonbinary, using both she and they pronouns.[1] She is a member of The Dramatists Guild, The Ring of Keys, and The Kilroys.[2][3] They are a winner of the HUMANITAS/PLAY LA Prize,[4] and the Jane Chambers Award for Playwriting[5] for their play Femmes: A Tragedy.[6] She was previously known for recording and touring with the music and performance art group Team Gina, which disbanded in 2010.[7][8]

As a performer, Young has been called "hugely talented"[9] and reviews of her performance touring with the It Gets Better musical said she "captivated the audience with her folksy mezzo sound and easily relatable performance as an actress."[10]

Young is also the creator of the popular SORORITY performance salon which has been presented by the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles,[11] and the conceptual project Feminist Acting Class, which has been presented by the Women's Center for Creative Work.[12] Academic Daisy Marsden says, "Young challenges the traditional, hierarchical structure of a learning environment and challenges conventional notions of gender, drawing attention to the oppressive structures in place."[13]

Young's project BUTCH BALLET, presented by REDCAT in the Summer of 2017, is a groundbreaking movement-theater piece created for and with a cast of butch women, trans men and gender nonconforming performers from diverse backgrounds.[14][15]