Deanna Haynes holds a Master of Fine Arts degree in Theatrical Design & Technology from Louisiana State University and spent over twenty years as a Professor of Theatre and Speech, lending her talents to more than eighty theatrical productions across nearly every discipline of the craft. Today, she works as a standardized patient in Nashville, Tennessee, and is training to become a certified Life Transition Coach serving the LGBTQ+ community. She lives in Middle Tennessee with the best boy in the world, a black Lab mix named Poncho.
In January 2026, Deanna published her first book, Aunt Joan's Cabin: A Year's Journey to Joy, a collection of journal entries written during her first year of social transition. Rather than the hostility she braced herself for, she found that most people met her with curiosity rather than contempt, asking questions about what being trans means, what it feels like, and whether love is still possible. She began sharing her journal entries to help answer those questions, and the response from trans, non-binary, and cisgender readers alike encouraged her to gather them into a book. Written by a trans woman, her stories carry lessons in fear, privilege, sexism, hard-won insight, and awareness that speak to anyone trying to reframe their life, hold their footing, and find joy. It is my pleasure to welcome Deanna Haynes to The Heroines of My Life.
In January 2026, Deanna published her first book, Aunt Joan's Cabin: A Year's Journey to Joy, a collection of journal entries written during her first year of social transition. Rather than the hostility she braced herself for, she found that most people met her with curiosity rather than contempt, asking questions about what being trans means, what it feels like, and whether love is still possible. She began sharing her journal entries to help answer those questions, and the response from trans, non-binary, and cisgender readers alike encouraged her to gather them into a book. Written by a trans woman, her stories carry lessons in fear, privilege, sexism, hard-won insight, and awareness that speak to anyone trying to reframe their life, hold their footing, and find joy. It is my pleasure to welcome Deanna Haynes to The Heroines of My Life.
Monika: I have to start with a confession: I have three aunties who are my best friends and confidantes, the women I call when I need real talk and no nonsense. So when I saw your book was called Aunt Joan's Cabin, I felt like I already knew I'd get along with you. Is there an "Auntie Deanna" energy you bring to the people in your life, and if so, what's the best piece of advice this particular auntie has ever handed out?
Deanna: I love that you have those “aunties” to serve as your confidants! I didn’t really have that growing up; my extended family was not particularly close in the way most families seem to be. I do think I might have that “Auntie” energy. I don’t think it is anything that I consciously do, but basically comes down to two traits. The first is feminine energy; I am very grateful that I feel I truly possess it. Many people are really drawn to feminine energy, and it is directly related to the second trait.
My therapist shared with me when I started my journey that “authenticity is a magnet.” Wow, were they ever right! I think that is what most people are reacting to when they encounter me and other trans people. I think the best piece of advice I have ever given out is encouraging young people to follow their dreams and to understand that you don’t have to have everything figured out by the time you turn twenty-one. Experience life, discover who you are. What you’re doing today doesn’t necessarily have to define whom you’ll be or what you’ll be doing tomorrow.
|
| "Experience life, discover who you are." |
Monika: Before we get into the deeper stuff, I have to nerd out for a second. You have an MFA in Theatrical Design and over twenty years as a professor, with more than eighty productions to your name. That's a lot of sets, costumes, and probably a few backstage disasters. What's the most chaotic "the show must go on" moment you've ever had to design or fix your way out of?
Deanna: I love a theatre nerd! There have been so many “the show must go on” moments. They range from a student actress who vomited and passed out before her entrance (the stage manager went on with less than a five-minute notice) to an actor forgetting they were on a set and slamming a door with such force that it passed the doorjamb and could no longer be opened, thus trapping the actors on stage without an exit.
For me personally, though, it was a university production of the Stephen Schwartz musical GODSPELL. The young man playing the role of “Jesus” quit as we were entering tech rehearsals. There was no understudy. I stepped into the role with just a couple of rehearsals. I was older than the next oldest cast member by a minimum of twenty-five years. This was pre-transition, and I told my friends I was playing “big, fat, gay Jesus.” But I got to sing one of my favorite songs, “Beautiful City.” I sang my heart out, and during one performance I looked out into the audience to see my dad crying. It was an amazing experience.
Monika: Given your decades in theatre, I'm curious how you saw transgender characters and stories handled on stage over the years. Were trans characters written and cast thoughtfully, or did you see the same tired stereotypes that television and film have leaned on for so long?
Deanna: There has been a slow evolution in commercial theatre and its presentation of trans and/or nonbinary characters. Theatre has a long tradition of men playing women on stage; that obviously doesn’t equate to trans characters, of which there are few.
Monika: Are there any older theatrical characters that, looking back today, you think can be interpreted through a transgender or nonbinary lens?
Deanna: One example in the modern era of what now I would consider a nonbinary character would be “Anybodys” in the musical West Side Story. Most audiences assume she is simply a “tomboy,” but the age of the character and the name “ANY body” easily suggests there could be more to it. “Anybodys” is a minor character; her sex/gender is never discussed in the libretto. The nice thing about the character is she is not presented as a bad person; in fact, she is someone who cares about and helps her friends. Her characterization is amazing considering the piece is from 1959.
Monika: What about productions that actually presented a transgender character more explicitly? Is there a particular example that stands out to you?
Deanna: The 1976 Ed Graczyk play Come Back To The 5 & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean comes to mind as an example of a trans character (“Joanne/Joe”) presented on stage in a Broadway production. There are certainly aspects of the script that are problematic, including a shock reveal and the fact that both on stage and in the film adaptation, the present-day “Joanne” was portrayed by a cis actress while a cis actor portrayed “Joe” in flashbacks.
Monika: Another production that is often mentioned in conversations about gender identity is Hedwig and the Angry Inch (1999). How do you see Hedwig in that context?
Deanna: Hedwig is considered by many to be an example of a trans character on stage. “Hedwig” is an amazing character; however, they are not actually trans. The creator of the piece, John Cameron Mitchell, has stated that the character is genderqueer. “Hedwig” is a victim of abuse and suffered a botched “sex change” operation. The character is often portrayed by cis performers on stage, though Mitchell, who is nonbinary, originally portrayed “Hedwig” on stage and in the film adaptation.
Monika: It sounds as though theatre has gradually moved from representing gender-diverse characters through the lens of others to giving trans performers more opportunities to tell their own stories. Have you seen that change firsthand?
Deanna: There have been many trans actresses who have created their own opportunities by successfully telling their stories on stage in the last couple of decades.
|
| "Hedwig is considered by many to be an example of a trans character on stage." |
Monika: Was there a more recent production that made you particularly hopeful about the direction theatre is taking?
Deanna: The recent Broadway musical adaptation of the film Some Like It Hot made some changes to the characters. The plot revolves around two cis men forced to disguise themselves as women to escape the pursuit of mobsters. I had read that the creators planned to make one of the men nonbinary. I was fearful of how this change would be handled but was amazed at how brilliantly it was presented. There were tears streaming down my face when this bit of dialogue was exchanged:
Joe: I don’t even know what I’m supposed to call you, Jerry or . . . or Daphne.
Daphne: It doesn’t matter; as long as it is with love and respect.
Daphne: It doesn’t matter; as long as it is with love and respect.
Monika: That is such a beautiful exchange. What was the reaction from the audience?
Deanna: The line received applause in the theatre. The character of “Daphne” was portrayed by a nonbinary performer. Progress has been made. We must make sure that it continues.
Monika: Have you known, or worked alongside, transgender performers, designers, or colleagues in the theatre world? What was their experience like within an industry that prides itself on inclusivity but doesn't always live up to that reputation?
Deanna: I have worked with many members of the LGBTQ community in the theatre, but to my knowledge, I have not worked with a trans person. Most of my work has been in university theatre, so I have worked with many students who were gender fluid and/or questioning. I have had to have conversations over the years with some of those performers about their willingness to portray cisgender characters. I have also always taken the opportunity to include their identities on stage whenever I could. On the flip side, I’ve had cisgender actors make it clear to me that they would not portray LGBTQ characters, not out of solidarity but out of embarrassment.
Monika: As a teacher, what did you try to teach your students about being an actor and about taking on roles that might challenge them personally?
Deanna: I always tried to teach my students that the life of an artist, and in particular the life of an actor, is about being open to new challenges. In recent years, we have evolved to where there is much more discussion about cis actors playing non-cis roles. It has always fascinated me that entertainment is really the only industry that is allowed to practice hiring policies that anywhere else would be recognized as discriminatory. You can still post casting notices seeking African American, Asian, overweight, short, buxom, etc. actors.
Monika: Looking at the theatre industry as a whole, do you think it has become more inclusive, or is it still fundamentally shaped by the same old structures?
Deanna: Regarding the industry, it was and still is very cis-driven. Commercial theatre must make money to exist. That is not meant as a criticism, but it has always resulted in a world that leans cis and white. I say that as someone who spent their theatrical career presenting as a cis white male. I do believe that great strides have been made in recent years, but there is still much work that needs to be done.
|
|
"I think the most important thing for our community is visibility." |
Deanna: Certainly, going through the lived experience of transition changes one’s perspective. Age and other factors affect it as well. If I were producing a play about a trans woman’s story on stage, I would want it to be honest; yes, I know that sounds cliché. I would desperately want to avoid the devices often used in the media: a shock reveal; a sociopath; “I’m a man trapped in a woman’s body!”; a scene where she stumbles in heels and smears lipstick on her face; screaming about using a public restroom, etc.
I think the most important thing for our community is visibility. The thing to get right would be to show that we are just people. I would love to see a portrayal of a trans person that demonstrates that we have much more in common with our cis counterparts than they have ever imagined.
Monika: These days you work as a standardized patient, presenting scripted symptoms and histories so medical students can practice real clinical encounters before they ever treat an actual patient. What drew you to that work?
Deanna: I lucked into my job; my therapist saw a posting for an opening and passed it on to me. It is such a natural extension for me after spending so many years in the classroom. I am overwhelmingly honored to be a small part of the training for these young future physicians.
Monika: What have you learned from working with medical students, particularly about the importance of communication and compassion in medicine?
Deanna: The best part of the job is that in most of the cases we do with the learners, the focus is not actually the diagnosis of our ailment but the communication and rapport they share with their “patient.” I have had the opportunity to portray general patients; psychiatric cases; doctors and nurses; a wicked teacher who doesn’t want to accommodate a student with special needs; etc. I truly enjoy working with young people, and the med students are no exception. I am always impressed because they are under great pressure and usually exhausted, but most of them excel at showing compassion and concern for their “patient.”
Monika: Has the experience ever been personally affirming for you, or changed the way you think about the younger generation?
Deanna: My job can also be amazingly affirming at times; I had a young man say to me the other day, “You remind me of my mom.” Young people give me such amazing hope for the future. Going through so many exams, I do have a different perspective when I go to my actual doctor. Sometimes my real doctor appointments feel like I’m in the middle of another simulation.
Monika: You're also training to become a certified Life Transition Coach for the LGBTQ+ community. Between the theatre background and the coaching path, it sounds like you've spent your whole career helping people either play a role or step into one for real. Do you see a throughline connecting all these chapters of your professional life?
Deanna: Absolutely. Full disclosure, I have been very busy, and I have put my coaching training on the back burner. I have always thought having people speak to me about what is going on in their lives an amazing honor. It is a responsibility that I take very seriously. It is another space where I think authenticity plays a major role. People feel most comfortable talking to people who are real. As a professor, I always told my students the truth. They did not always appreciate the things they heard but almost always would thank me for not simply telling them what I thought they wanted to hear.
I had always taught at small liberal arts colleges; I cannot tell you the number of students that have “come out” to me over the years. I have always treasured the trust they placed in me by doing that. I do struggle a bit with the idea of a coaching career because I have never been comfortable with the idea of charging people to speak with me.
All photos: courtesy of Deanna Haynes.
© 2026 - Monika Kowalska
No comments:
Post a Comment