Name as you’d like it to appear: Kate Herreras-Zinman
Gender as you’d like it to appear: trans woman
City you live in and/or improvise in most: Tucson
Personal website or another project that you’d like to link to: https://linktr.ee/
Impro(v) Bio: I took my first improv class at the age of eleven. I started doing improv regularly at the age of fourteen. I recently took a two year break from improv, and I’ve JUST returned. I’m back with two indie projects I’m directing—an Improvised sitcom and an Improvised role-playing video game. If those sound interesting to you, go follow my Instagram @katetheboredomslayer! I feel very attached to narrative improv and musical improv. My favorite past projects include directing Your Favorite Movie Improvised and being Arizona Theatre Company’s teen improv education intern, leading their teen improv program, teaching classes and coaching rehearsals.
How does being trans/NB influence your impro(v)? I feel as though, since coming out, my improv is much more “me.” I’m proudly a very weird, nerdy person. I love comic cooks, genre movies, and video games. While I was in the closet, I was afraid to let that stuff be IN my scenes. Now, it’s more than welcome.
Do you play trans/NB characters often? I don’t think so. But I don’t think I play cisgender characters often either. Does that make sense? Rarely do I feel as though my character in a narrative or scene is cis OR trans. I don’t feel that cis should be the default in our society, and I don’t feel that my characters are generally explicitly one or the other.
How do you feel about cisgender actors playing trans/NB characters in impro(v)? No. Don’t. At worst, it might be pretty damn offensive. And, at best, you’re still speaking from a marginalized experience that’s very different from your own. You can try to simulate what that’s like, but I don’t think you can ever really understand it, and it’s not worth the risk that you might come across as offensive.
Besides announcing it, how might you know/show a character is trans/NB? That’s a great question, Stephen! I. . . honestly have no idea. The only things I can think of are little trans community in-jokes that cis members of the audience likely wouldn’t get. I think this is a great challenge though!
How do you feel about playing different genders generally, in terms of naming gender and of expressing it? I ABSOLUTELY think improvisers should be allowed to play characters of different genders. One thing that I’ve found really frustrating is that people are kind of afraid of misgendering me (which is fair, I probably do look a little sad when I get misgendered offstage), so, if I want to play a man, I have to make it ABUNDANTLY clear that I’m playing a man in a way that I don’t think cis female performers have to. I don’t get to “imply” that I’m a male character—I have to outright state it. That being said, I do have admittedly mixed feelings about cis men playing women onstage. I definitely wouldn’t say it should never happen, but I’ve definitely seen it feel pretty damn sexist on quite a few occasions. I don’t think the joke of anything should ever be “Heh, that’s what women are like.” Ugh.
Does your local impro(v) community know/understand your gender? If so, how has that been in terms of acceptance/understanding? My local improv community to me these days is a little different than what it’s been for me in the past. I’m working on independent projects where I get to choose who I work with. That means everybody involved is very respectful and understanding of my gender identity! But of course they are; I chose them. That’s a privilege not every trans person in improv has. I’m lucky. (If any of my team members read this, I love y’all!)
What are some things that teachers/directors/other performers can do to make sure trans/NB improvisers feel safe and welcome? Speaking just for myself (I know others may disagree), I REALLY love pronoun check-ins. They give me an excuse to let people know to she/her me at the top of a class. Like I said earlier, I don’t care so much about that in scenes, but when I’m out of character, using my correct pronouns is very gender-affirming! Pronoun check-ins make a bigger difference for me than people might think.
Thinking about examples of trans/NB characters across all media (Impro(v), TV, Movies, Plays etc), what are the best trans/NB characters or stories you’ve seen depicted? The worst? I’ll give you three for the best! I love the DC character Dreamer, portrayed by and often written by Nicole Maines of “Yellowjackets”! Her name is Nia Nal, and she’s a very cool trans superhero who often teams up with the Superman family. I also love Rose Noble from “Doctor Who”! Rose is an incredibly well-written character, and I love how central her being trans is to the story of her introductory episode. Nia and Rose are sci-fi badasses not in spite of being trans but because of it! I love them. Finally, I also love Alysia, Batgirl’s best friend. She’s a very well-rounded trans lesbian character, and she means the world to me. Growing up reading “Batgirl,” Alysia taught me that it was okay to be trans and still like girls, and that you could be trans and still be a healthy, kind person. I love Alysia. The worst? I’m not a fan of “Hedwig and the Angry Inch.” I know, sue me. I LOVE the music in the show, but I hate the show’s understanding of gender so much.
Who do you look up to/admire as a trans/NB person in impro(v) or the world generally? Zooey Zephyr is a very cool American politician, and she and her fiancé Erin Reed are just the coolest power couple. Zooey is doing great work for our country, and Erin is one of my favorite journalists working today. Love them both.
What’s something special that you and/or trans/NB performers have to offer? I think trans performers come in to spaces with a lot of empathy. Be that in a directorial role, in a performer role, or a producer role, trans people in the improv community really care about the part of improv that concerns itself with connecting with others.
Is there anything else you’d like to say about being trans/NB or impro(v) in general?: I want to see MORE trans improvisers. I notice there just aren’t many. Hell, I can count, like, maybe six including myself. Let’s make improv a more inclusive, safe place and get more trans improvisers.