I had the opportunity to speak with comedian, writer, and gay rights activist Justin Sayre, who will preview parts of his new comedy variety show I’m Gorgeous Inside this September through November. The recipient of numerous awards, including the 2012 Bistro Award for Comedy Artistry, Sayre’s latest is a reclamation of “slutdom.” I’m Gorgeous Inside is the product of an artist only deepening his relationship with his craft, and is a celebration of sexuality served up by a veteran performer once described by Edge New York’s Steve Weinstein as on his way to becoming a Downtown Manhattan institution.”
How long have you been affiliated with the NY and LA art and theater scenes?
I went to NYU for Theatre then worked in New York as an actor for many years. I started The Meeting eight years ago, so all in all about 15 years in New York. In LA, it’s been a newer journey. I’ve been out there for three years and performed quite a bit, but always came back to New York to mount new work.
How has your comedic style evolved between your two shows?
Well I’ve done a lot more than two shows. I’ve done solo works at LaMaMa and Dixon Place and The Wild Project. The Meeting was a different show every month for 8 years. I think my voice has certainly developed and deepened. I’ve learned to trust myself and to follow the thoughts as they come. I think after all that time, I know how I work and I know what I bring to the stage which as a performer is a tremendous feeling.
How do I’m Gorgeous Inside and The Meeting connect, if at all?
The Meeting was a grand adventure for me over eight years where I found my voice and began to truly know what I offer an audience. I think I’m Gorgeous Inside is the first in hopefully a series of opportunities to bring that to the fore. My point of view is the same and my voice still rings true to my thoughts and ideas but it’s time to shake things up a bit and I think I’m doing it with this new show.
When did you devise the concept for I'm Gorgeous Inside? How long did it take to mount the production? How many edits did you make to your original concept?
I started thinking about the idea over the summer and then sorted a lot of it out rather quickly. I knew I wanted to work with the brilliant [director] Kenny Mellman, who's a friend, and I wanted to try something new. Then my dearest [director] Dusty Childers came on with his singular vision and everything fell into place. There are always revisions and reexaminations in work, I think that is what makes live performance so exhilarating. And I like to work on that kind of highwire. Improv is always a key component of my shows, so there will be different jokes every night, believe you me.
What does I'm Gorgeous Inside have to say about gay culture and critique?
Well, it looks at a archetype we all revere, or maybe it's just me, of the Bad Girl. But it examines why and how and the deeper connections between strong women and strong queer people. If anything it's also an exploration of femme power. As a critique, though not an overt one, I think that it prioritizes femme power over masculine brutality indicates it has something to say and address with gay culture but also the culture as a whole.
Would you say I'm Gorgeous Inside encapsulates much of your experience becoming a more "sexually open" and "loving" person?
Who said I was either of those things? I want names. I don't know that the show talks about my sexual openness, though I've talked about it quite a bit. And As for being loving, I think or rather I hope that that comes through in the show. I'm not afraid to go there.
You once worked as a story editor for the now-canceled CBS comedy 2 Broke Girls. Has your experience writing for the sitcom influenced your approach to your new show in any particular way?
2 Broke Girls was an amazing experience working with some of the best writers and comedians in the business, but I think the show comes from me. I wanted to talk about subjects that are close to my heart and certainly shape my worldview. I was very lucky to work on a show with very talented and gifted people like Michael Patrick King, Michelle Nader and Liz Astrof, who all encouraged me to bring my voice to the show, but the voice and the point of view was there.
It goes without saying that the LGBT community has come under continued attack as a result of the Trump insurgency. Does I'm Gorgeous Inside wear its politics on its sleeve? Is it an inherently political piece? Would it have been an entirely different piece had Trump not won the election?
It's at its core political, in the fact that it's a celebration of women and femme power. That alone in the current climate is an act of resistance. But the show is not directly political and I don't think I will ever mention that Cheeto's name directly. I think we could all use a break from the constant torture. Moreso, the show is a way to get in touch with that “Bad Girl” in all of us. A chance to let our hair down and laugh, and remember that Bad girls can become "nasty women," and that it’s nasty women who change the world.
I’m Gorgeous Inside debuts at Joe’s Pub at The Public Theater from September 22 - 24. You can purchase tickets HERE.