It’s not uncommon for independent performance artists to have a multitude of talents, but Jamez Terry, co-founder of Tranny Roadshow, may be raising the standard. Terry will be playing a rare Out Impact Showcase with Modern Day Pinocchio for a donations-only early show at The Soapbox on March 15th at 8 p.m.

Modern Day Pinocchio, a.k.a. A.J. Bryce, is a musician and the founder of Trans Genre, which is mostly an online-based community for trans-performance artists of all kinds. Bryce distributes CD compilations of trans artists and tours to promote them. Having worked with the national and international trans-performance community, his stop at the Soapbox will bring with it an alternative excitement in live entertainment, including a co-performer whose “zine-writing, fiddle-playing, story-telling and circus-loving performances” also includes the smarts of an historian and radical organizer. Receiving critical acclaim, Jamez Terry, a.k.a. Vermicious Knid, co-founded the the Denver Zine Library, which quickly became one of pre-eminence in America and even was featured on NPR’s Weekend Edition.

“I started reading zines when I was in high school, maybe 14 or 15,” Terry says, “and, pretty quickly after that, I started contributing to others, writing little articles. By the time I was 16, I started writing my own zines—really, I just never stopped. I have published probably 50 or 60 of them over the years.”

Even though Terry writes less nowadays, it doesn’t keep him any less busy. In fact, he relates his first zine-reading to his introduction to stage performance.

“I started going to zine conferences all over the country, presenting at them,” he says. “I had the opportunity to be in some really great zine shows. I had pieces in the Baltimore Museum of Art, the Minneapolis Center for Book Arts show and for different juried collections, which made me recognize that I had something more to offer than just on the page.”

By working in multiple queer activist settings, Terry has provided trans-education at conferences, schools, churches and nonprofits around the country. In addition to Trans 101, he has conducted workshops on HIV prevention for trans youth; zines and the trans community; working with trans survivors of sexual assault; and addressing trans issues within radical communities. Terry believes there are a lot of misunderstood aspects of trans culture and transgender portrayal in the media.

“Trans people get murdered, fired from their jobs, can’t find housing,” he says. “There’s all this narrative out there about how tragic our lives are. Certainly, there’s truth in that—all of those things happen, but it’s not the only piece of our lives, not the only way our lives can go. For many of us, being trans is something we are excited about or proud of, or comfortable with at the very least.”

By focusing on it as a celebration of trans life, it strips the topic of negativity. It becomes inspirational for all to face its challenges together. “What do we have that we want to show off and celebrate, share with the world about what gives us joy and inspiration, what talents we have, that we’re a vibrant community?” Terry asks rhetorically. “I think those messages are not being stated in the show, but they come through.”

Once a resident of DC, Terry’s politically charged activism has shifted. No longer is he protesting the streets of the capital and marching for community and art activism. Instead, he’s going national.

“I see the work that I do with the Roadshow, and with the fan community in general as a form of activism,” he says. “I’m much more inclined to activism through art, or encounter really locally based community activism than I was 10 years ago. I certainly always thought of myself as an activist. I think that when we believe in things, or want things out of the world, we have to work to create them.”

Terry will be introducing a new performance at the Soapbox this weekend for a special Out Impact Showcase, featuring Modern Day Pinocchio. “Normally, I tour with the Tranny Roadshow in this group context where I’m doing these 12- or 15-minutes spots,” he says. “Here, I only have one touring partner and we’re each doing full sets. So, I get to explore the kind of things I haven’t had the opportunity to do on stage, and integrate multiple aspects of my performance interests.”

With humor and storytelling at the forefront of his performance, it will be a vivacious evening of entertainment. “I am more interested in the context and the build-up,” he says, referring to his show as having “a Garrison Keillor or a Mark Twain sense of humor.” With the help of music, poetry and a community of support, multiple elements will complete the night.

Hear the extended interview with Jamez Terry on “Executing The Vision” on Out Impact Radio (OutImpactRadio.com). For more information on Jamez Terry and Tranny Roadshow, visit www.trannyroadshow.com.