Theatre Scene: Lili/Darwin Review

DARWIN DEL FABRO STUNS IN A PERFORMANCE OF BECOMING

One reason the queer community has found broader acceptance in America — generally speaking — is that most people today know someone who identifies as lesbian, gay, or bisexual: a family member, friend, or colleague. They’ve heard stories and recognize the humanity of the community. Sadly, while the “T” of LGBT stands for “Trans,” the same cannot yet be said of the trans community. Many Americans have never knowingly met a transgender person. Few have heard their stories, much less had the opportunity to consider their lived experiences. I bet many still confuse sexual orientation with gender identity.

If you’re ready to listen — to truly consider and sympathize with the journey of a trans woman — Lili / Darwin is an essential experience. Written and performed by Brazilian-born artist Darwin Del Fabro, the one-woman play marks her triumphant return to the stage following her gender transition.

Drawing inspiration from the life of Lili Elbe, one of the first known recipients of gender confirmation surgery, Del Fabro weaves together historical homage with her own personal narrative. Elbe’s story, famously portrayed in the 2015 film The Danish Girl and a 2023 opera by Tobias Picker, becomes a mirror and a guide as Del Fabro charts her own path toward self-realization. The result is part lecture, part memoir, part theatrical séance — a dual narrative unfolding across continents and decades, linking Copenhagen and Dresden in the 1930s to present-day New York and Rio.

Under Meghan Finn’s meticulous direction, the staging is spare yet evocative: three flats, two platforms, a chair, and a stool. Pete Betcher’s design, complemented by shifting lights and David Pym‘s projections, evolves with the storytelling, gaining texture and intensity as the performance deepens. Two elegant costumes and three stunning pairs of shoes (by Del Fabro in collaboration with Dior) add both style and symbolism to Darwin’s metamorphosis on stage.

But the play’s power lies most of all in Del Fabro’s performance. With a mic’d voice, she invites us into her heart. Her delivery is unforced, unguarded, and often poetic. Her passion soars, her anger rumbles, and her vulnerability radiates. I couldn’t take my eyes off her. At moments, the narrative blurs — was it Darwin or Lili speaking about the second surgery? About working retail in a perfume shop? But perhaps such fluidity is intentional, a reflection of the layered identities and parallel lives at play. When clarity is needed, listen to the play’s language to provide the clues.

Lili / Darwin is an act of courage, reclamation, and fierce humanity. You leave with greater insight, compassion, and a deeper understanding of what it means to become who you truly are.

A trans woman is not a doll, a fantasy, a secret, or a sin. She is a human being, one meant to be living to the end as a triumph. Like Lili / Darwin.

photos by Mari Eimas-Dietrich

Lili / Darwin, presented by Madalena Productions as part of The Tank’s annual LimeFest.

The Tank, 312 W. 36th St

ends on August 23, 2025for tickets ($20-$40), visit Lili/Darwin or The Tank