A boy in a billowy, flowing, white gown informally steps onto stage,

casually saying hello, and quickly becomes engaged with the audience.

     Jade Esteban Estrada (half in costume) offers us sweet greetings and warm welcomes before he asks us to state who is an icon to us, living or dead, famous or unknown, and to explain why. As each person answered, I was racing through my heart and mind, running through the few icons I feel were powerful enough for me to call an "icon". I dreaded giving my response, because I know of no "icons" who are as obvious as what other people were saying. While others find Oprah Winfrey, Mother Teresa, Princess Diana, and Miles Davis to be their icons, I find Jane Roberts and Elizabeth Fraser to be mine. See what I mean.

     When I stated who my icon was (I had chosen Elizabeth), there was so much confusion and "what?" and "who?" and gawking that I quickly changed to the most recognizable name of inspiration to me: Björk!

     Ahhh… they all nodded as if that explained everything.

     Suddenly, we segue into the performance as Jade begins to transform, to complete his costume, by throwing on a large, mass of golden, curly hair, and altering his voice. His first icon is emerging and the play has begun.

     Jade takes us through 6 major icons across time, seeming to focus on their pivotal part in history, using monologue, singing, and dancing. He begins with Sappho, the famous lyrist from Lesbos, whose wealth and aristocracy allowed her to explore her sexuality, making her the first "lesbian" in recorded history (the word "Lesbian" is derived from "Lesbos", the island). Though her freedoms were attributed to her status, there is also strong evidence to support that sexual exploration was not an issue in her time. Nonetheless, Sappho created a world of poetry and inspiration (Plato called her the 10th Muse!), but time, culture, and ignorance have reduced her to mere slang.

     For the next hour or so, Jade flips through the pages of history, moving from one icon to the next, leaving you more and more engrossed, inspired, and even emotional. As he channels Michelangelo (sculptor, painter, architect, and poet), Oscar Wilde (poet/playwright), Gertrude Stein (poet, playwright, feminist), Sylvia Rivera (transgender veteran of Stonewall), and Ellen DeGeneres (modern day comedienne), he does not mock them or make them into caricatures. Although entertaining, Jade's icons are wrought with insight and each one offers a profound contribution to the overall message of the performance: We've come a long way in learning to accept each other, and we have a long way to go.

     Jade doesn't overshadow his characters with a perfected portrayal of them, nor does he distract you with strained efforts to actually perform impressively, instead he seems to honor each icon with his casual and playful approach. Bad wigs, adorable, fumbling costume changes, random interactions with the audience, big Broadway singing voices; these make the play more like watching a magical child playing dress-up, except with a complexity and wisdom that is not lost in the fun. There are moments you may be thoroughly surprised by your lack of knowledge, (one woman stated that she had never heard Oscar Wilde was gay!), other times you may be moved to tears by the realization of what has been contributed to the freedoms we take for granted as a people. Gay, Straight or in-between, adult, teen, parent or grandparent, this performance is about PEOPLE, about our freedom, and about accepting one another.

     This performance may be called "ICONS: The Lesbian and Gay History of the World", but it is not about gay pride, politics, or power; it is about humanity and the overlooked contributors to the on-going struggles for absolute freedom for all of us to be who we are, no matter what we are.

     Jade has been featured on Graham Norton, and has an extensive and notorious history of writing, acting, and singing, boasting a powerful resume dotted with several awards and praises. He is one of the most famous people you may have never heard of… but you will!

     Jade is currently beginning his tour to promote the sequel, "ICONS Vol. 2," wherein he will invite us to explore Alexander the Great, Queen Christina of Sweden, Susan B. Anthony, Billie Jean King, Harvey Milk and 9/11 hero Mark Bingham.

    

©2004 New York Cool