After sixty cosmetic surgeries and procedures to remake her body Nina Arsenault considers herself a queer artist and a queer art object. Her metamorphosis from an awkward man who once resembled character actor Crispin Glover (Marty McFly’s dad in Back to the Future) into a silicone bombshell has been the subject of numerous television programs, radio interviews, and print articles. Nina quickly became annoyed with others making narratives of her life. She also wanted the final word on lighting and camera angles. She took control of her own voice and image in a series of outrageous, touching and hilarious columns in Fab! Magazine called T-girl. After these stories of plastic surgery, life in the sex trade and romances with thuggish tranny lovers she went on to write for The National Post. Her articles are now required reading at several Canadian universities in gender studies and sociology departments. In 2007, Pride Toronto and Toronto’s mayor, David Miller, honoured Nina with the prestigious “Unstoppable Award” for her cultural contributions to our understanding of sex and gender and for embodying the theme of that year’s Pride celebration. That year she was also offered a Honourary Fellowship at the University of Toronto’s Sexual Diversity Studies Programme. (She already had two postgraduate degrees in theatre.) On television, Nina has played a steroid raging female body builder for OutTV’s gay sports/ comedy show Locker Room, a tranny dominatrix with a heart of gold on Global’s Train48 and a 1970’s porn star on Maggie Cassella’s variety show The Vent. In 2008, theatre legend Sky Gilbert wrote Ladylike specifically for Nina to star in. (“Nina, every time I see you I’m inspired to put on a dress myself!” –Sky) After performing Ladylike in Hamilton and Toronto Nina took what she learned and created her own one woman show, The Silicone Diaries. It opened to standing ovations in Saint John, New Brunswick. This year Nina added businesswoman to her moniker when she started her own multimedia arts company, VenusMACHINE, to handle the financial aspects of her creative work. Her company has produced the sell out show I Was Barbie at the queer comedy festival We’re Funny That Way and Buddies in Bad Times’ Pride Festival. The Silicone Diaries premieres at Buddies in Bad Times as part of their official 2009/10 main stage theatre season in November. In between writing and performing Nina lectures at Canadian universities and is also a Jessica Rabbit and Barbie impersonator/ party decoration-for-hire.
31 Responses to “Bio”
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Chayne Says:
August 23rd, 2009 at 12:14 amalls i have to say is *FIERCE*…..xoxo
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Mark Says:
September 5th, 2009 at 8:46 amYou are walking, talking, fabulous, fierce proof that someone so “different” can succeed. I’m sorry if that comes to you the wrong way. You inspire me in so many ways, and I just want you to know that. I came out because of you.. and I’ve never looked back.
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Clayton D Says:
September 13th, 2009 at 12:19 amNina, I am so excited about the Silicone Diaries and am so happy it is being performed here on your home turf!
I’ll be in the front row honey
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Wowsera Says:
November 8th, 2009 at 5:08 pmYou’ve taken your world by the horns and directed it to your ends. Way to go, Nina. You continue to inspire us all!
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Barry Says:
November 18th, 2009 at 3:13 am“The Silicone Diaries” was beautifully done and very moving. Thank you Nina for a wonderful evening. You truly are a beauty!
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Fiodor Dostoivesky Says:
June 25th, 2010 at 9:30 pmbrilliant lecture at NYU. As an heterosexual man who has had plenty of TG encounters, I can say it was right on the money. Lucky NYU gender studies majors. Still in the sex trade? I go to Canada every now and then…
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Summary of Season 30, 2009-2010 « Nakai Theatre Says:
June 29th, 2010 at 11:07 am[...] • Fresh from a premier at Canada’s celebrated queer theatre, Buddies In Bad Times,transsexual Nina Arsenault presented The Silicon Diaries • Whitehorse’s Brian Fidler and his new show Broken, Hazel Venzon’s Embrace and [...]
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