Men are Trash… is a semiautobiographical exploration of love, sex, and self-discovery. I began developing it in 2023 at Ohio University, where I earned my MFA. As a Queer Brazilian artist whose style inhabits the intersection of drama and performance art, I felt misplaced in the casting process at OU, so I decided to create a show that showcased and challenged my artistry. The first version was staged at OU in February 2023, with Tyler Everett Adams as dramaturg and director, and Conrad Gothard as stage manager and producer. At that time, it was mostly a rant about Grindr, hookups, and romantic relationships I had, with a final reflection on my desperation to feel chosen by someone and where it stems from (spoiler alert: I have daddy issues).

I let the project rest for a few months and resumed writing after life presented me with new material for the script. The updated version features a character going through a messy breakup, prompting him to download Grindr. It offers a richer and more nuanced plot, intertwining hookup narratives with memories of romantic relationships and my love for Lana Del Rey. It pushes boundaries, challenges the current societal cynicism around love and reliance on relationships, and celebrates one’s authentic, flawed, and vulnerable self. Men are Trash… is raw and graphic. Sometimes vulgar, sometimes poetic. Comedic and dramatic. Ambivalent like me. Like all of us.