wasn’t just a Superstar. Raised in the East Village, where her grandmother ran a notorious dive bar, Jackie grew up in the spotlight, scoring her first off-Broadway role in 1965 at just 17 years old. While her gender-bending looks drew attention downtown, it was the scripts she wrote, rewrote, and eventually tossed out in favor of zany onstage improvisations that ultimately earned her a reputation in New York’s queer underground.
at a series of struggling downtown theaters that were often raided by police due to their “deviant” performances. These shows helped trans icons likea topsy-turvy script about a sinking ship, written by Jackie in a speed-fueled haze in 1970, which best embodied the brazen creativity behind her work.took place over the course of a year and Jackie was determined to make it a success.