This show contains adult language, audience interaction, violence
Jon Kurkendaal-Barrett’s one-man show is so much more than I expected.
The Real Black Swann tells the story of Kurkendaal-Barrett’s anesthesia-induced hallucination. While in this dreamlike state, he meets and embodies William Dorsey Swann—America’s first Black drag queen—also portrayed by Kurkendaal-Barrett.
This is the story of two Black men born in vastly different time periods. Modern-day Kurkendaal-Barrett understands the rules and struggles of being a Black gay man in America, while Dorsey—born into slavery—chooses to stand tall and live authentically, despite unimaginable challenges.
Dorsey takes Kurkendaal-Barrett on a journey through his life and legacy, ultimately bringing him out of what he calls his “bubble”—a safe place that shields both himself from the world and the world from him. Along the way, Dorsey shares stories of his own life as a queer, formerly enslaved man in 1800s America, inspiring a personal reckoning in Kurkendaal-Barrett that cannot be ignored.
With themes of racism, homophobia and transphobia, the show evokes the names of all-too-familiar victims of racial violence—George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and for many Central Floridians, Trayvon Martin.
Kurkendaal-Barrett commands the stage, seamlessly embodying both himself and Dorsey with power and authenticity. While little is known about William Dorsey Swann—Kurkendaal-Barrett reminds us that American history often overlooks influential figures who weren’t white—his interpretation of Swann’s life is heartfelt and feels like the closest thing we have to the truth.
See “The Real Black Swann: Confessions of America’s First Black Drag Queen” at Orlando Shakes in the Blue venue May 25 at 8:05 p.m.
