Trans* Intersectional Poetics and Two-Spirit Queerness: Firebird Tattoo by Ty Defoe

Abstract Queer theory and theater, mixing social discourses, political engagement, and aesthetic experiment, have developed a rich and fertile performance landscape in the United States. Lately, a number of new plays have examined some unexplored alleys such as the lack of intersectional and trans* subjectivities and their role on stage. Among those works, Firebird Tattoo (2021) by Ty Defoe stages a stimulating reflection on the voices of the past that can help the audience build a better future. The play focusses on the coming of age of Sky, a budding Two-Spirit, caught between the demands of the Ojibwe and Oneida traditions, embodied by Ma, and the guidance of her deceased Two-Spirit father Eagle/Landa Lakes. Sky will find her own path, taking a personal and poetic journey to face the tensions of growing up in divided worlds. This article highlights how Defoe manages to create characters that deal with the contradictions that weigh on Native Americans today and how performance can thwart the double erasure of history and queerness. The play bridges divisions between worlds thanks to what this paper describes as a trans* intersectional poetic. It then discusses the queering of time that is deployed to create fluid perceptions and break the mold of stereotypes, allowing queer Two-Spirit emancipation.