Ridgewood-based writer and comedian Aviva Pearl Creation is bringing her work to the stage with the debut of “Clay Mommy” at Chez Bushwick, a branch of the Jonah Bokaer Arts Foundation in Brooklyn. The play will run from Nov. 8 to 10 at 304 Boerum St. #23.
“Clay Mommy” explores the complex relationship between a trans woman who leaves sex work and New York City to reconnect with her estranged Orthodox Jewish mother. Upon returning home, the protagonist decides to become a mother figure to a family friend who is beginning her transition. Using Kabbalah—magic from Jewish folklore—the protagonist brings a sculpture of her grandmother to life to receive guidance on how to be a mother.
The play features an all-trans-femme cast, including Pearl Creation, Jael Scott Clay Baker-Lerner, and Jackson Taitano. Puppets designed by local NYC drag king Sweaty Eddie portray male characters.
Pearl Creation, who drew from her own experiences for the play, said, “I’m Jewish. I grew up in a kind of religious background, and my parents are great. I know a lot of people from religious Jewish communities who have had estrangement with their parents, so I was thinking about that.”
The story of the Golem, a creature from Jewish folklore created to protect the Jewish community, also influenced the play’s narrative. Pearl Creation said, “I always thought that was a really cool story, and I thought it was very trans, like, of this creation of a creature that’s monstrous.”
At 23, Pearl Creation hopes to one day become a mother and feels the themes of motherhood in the play reflect her desire to nurture younger trans women. “I’ve known some younger trans women, and I’m like, oh, I want to take them under my wing. That’s very common in the trans community to mother somebody younger,” she said. “I also have a younger sister who’s trans…we’re very close, and I feel very protective of her.”
Pearl Creation explained that the strained relationship between the protagonist and her mother sheds light on the challenges many trans people face when coming out to their families. “I feel like that’s a very common experience with trans people. I think even, like, with myself, when I first came out, I had some issues. I would say nothing super major, but it’s hard,” she said.
A graduate of New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts with a degree in dramatic writing, Pearl Creation has written numerous plays, films, and TV scripts. “Clay Mommy” is the first play she has produced entirely on her own.
She hopes the play will resonate with a wide audience, especially with mothers of all kinds. “I would especially want people who are moms themselves to see it, in whatever capacity, in a chosen way or in a literal way,” she said.
Pearl Creation also hopes younger trans people will attend the play and relate to its themes. “It can be hard when you’re young and a trans person, and you’re trying to figure things out. A lot of the connections you had before are untenable, and you’re in these…scary situations a lot of the time,” she said. “I feel like that’s what the characters in the play are experiencing.”
“Clay Mommy” will run from Nov. 8 to 10 at the Jonah Bokaer Foundation for the Arts, 304 Boreum St., Brooklyn. Tickets are available here
