Boy - Auckland Arts Festival 2024 Photo: Supplied
Carly Wijs Photo: Screenshot
The true story behind theatre show Boy is both controversial and compelling. Appearing at the Auckland Arts Festival theatre and written by Dutch-born, Netherlands-based playwright Carly Wijs (Us/Them) is based on the life of twins, Bruce and Brian Reimer born in Canada in 1966.
Following a botched circumcision which left Bruce permanently scarred, his young parents sought advice from New Zealand psychologist, Dr John Money - then a pioneer in gender identity. Dr Money advised the parents to raise Bruce as Brenda. Brenda wasn’t told until her teenage years, and she had sensed something wasn't quite right.
With recent heated discussion about gender rights and identity, Boy feels particularly topical. But Wijs says it sails around the rim and edges of the discussions we’re having today.
“It’s really a tragic story about two young parents that find themselves in a very difficult medical situation but they have to make choices and they’re really not up to it. Intellectually, [in] age, and as parents.”
Dr Money is a key figure in the story. He coined a lot of terminology still used today including the phrase ‘gender spectrum’. But Wijs says things have otherwise changed a great deal.
“The way he thought about it - the way he treated the Reimer twins and the way he encouraged the parents to treat their children was a very binary way of thinking and we don’t do that anymore,” says Wijs.
Wijs says it’s always difficult not to push a moral message when writing and theatre is about studying the unimaginable.
But Wijs says the play doesn’t take a particular side.
“One the one side, it moves along with the discussion we’re having. On the other side it could be used by anyone completely opposed to gender diversity - it can be used as a prop for their point of view.”
Carly Wijs spoke to Culture 101’s Perlina Lau about the moral challenges of writing the show and why she’s drawn to real-life stories.
Boy is at the Herald Theatre, Aotea Centre from the 14-17 March.
