Mars Storm Rucker is a nonbinary performer at the moment starring as Whatsername within the Mark Taper Discussion board’s reimagined manufacturing of “Inexperienced Day’s American Fool.” This collaboration between the Middle Theatre Group and Deaf West Theatre options each Deaf and listening to expertise, integrating American Signal Language (ASL), and spoken English.
Described as a high-energy rock musical, “American Fool” follows three younger males who depart behind their mundane suburban lives to confront habit and search function. The story, set to the music of Inexperienced Day’s seventh studio album, unfolds within the aftermath of 9/11.
Though Rucker was not aware of American Fool past its title observe, they had been conscious of the one “Jesus of Suburbia.”
“For me, I really like Inexperienced Day by way of my love of rock. I really like rock music, and I really feel—I do know—Black individuals created rock,” mentioned Rucker. “As with most genres, we’ve created it, and I see sturdy parallels between gospel music and rock. That’s a part of my enjoyment in how I sing rock.”
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Raised in Houston, Texas, Rucker shared, “That’s an enormous a part of who I’m. I’m very, very Southern.” They later studied on the College of Oklahoma and, ultimately, on the Manhattan Faculty of Music, specializing in musical theatre.
Rucker defined that their identify was impressed by the character Mars Blackmon in Spike Lee’s “She’s Gotta Have It,” which was additionally a household nickname.
“Once I was youthful, I used to be paralyzed on the age of six, and I recovered from that miraculously,” mentioned Rucker. “I really feel like quite a lot of my life has been about persevering by way of trauma and oppression… I really feel like my identify completely represents who I’m.”
Rucker identifies as a proud Black, queer, nonbinary individual, including that their queerness aligns with their Blackness.
“That goes again to African and Indigenous practices of not aligning with gender,” they defined. “That was Eurocentric and positioned on Black our bodies.”
Rucker described their character Whatsername as sophisticated. Whatsername, who can be nonbinary, is in a codependent relationship with a person battling drug habit.
“There’s no identify for the character, so it’s onerous to convey autonomy to a personality that has no identify. However on this present, we’re attempting to inform the story of a associate holding house for somebody going by way of [drug] abuse,” mentioned Rucker.
“Oftentimes, once you’re in that house, you’re attempting to avoid wasting them, however sooner or later, you [realize], ‘That is the work you must do by yourself, and I can’t make you handle your self and heal your self.’”
Rucker believes that Whatsername in the end learns to prioritize self-care.
“I believe, as Black individuals, we’ve simply been taught to try this on a regular basis, and in order that’s sort of how I method the character,” mentioned Rucker.
“I’ve been raised and taught to handle everyone else… however generally you neglect to handle your self.”
Rucker is worked up to work with deaf artists within the Middle Theatre Group manufacturing of “American Fool,” particularly Black deaf people represented within the present. They’re additionally wanting to make clear the distinctive challenges confronted by Black deaf individuals.
“I believe that’s one thing we’re superbly highlighting,” mentioned Rucker. “The oppressions and stereotypes about deaf individuals and breaking these perceptions—I really feel like I might be an ally in that house.”
