QTPOC Artist Be Steadwell’s Queer Musical Debuting at Mills College in Oakland

Breakups. Are. Rough. And when you add extra complexity of being queer or trans, the amount of emotional labor required to heal reaches entirely new levels.

From road trips with the chosen queer fam to a new buzzcut, the end of a relationship drives folx to find solace in different activities. When it was time for QTPOC composer and vocalist Be Steadwell to rebuild after the end of a 5-year relationship, they decided to take a more creative approach to healing from heartache: writing and directing a queer musical.

Steadwell is bringing their stories of love, loss, and intimacy to life in A Letter to my Ex, an LGBTQ-affirming musical debuting April 10 – 13 at Mills College in Oakland, CA.

What’s even more exciting than a qtpoc musical about queer heartache is the fact that all of the musical’s leads are queer and trans people of color.

“My work is for people like me. Black women. Queer women. People of color. Trans folx. I think our communities need it the most,” affirms Steadwell. “So when casting, I knew the leads needed to be queer people. In fact, most of the cast is people of color and mostly queer.”

Steadwell also felt that when telling the story of queer loss, it would be important for the cast’s performance to come from an authentic place of understanding.

“As queer people of color, especially as black women, when you’re essentially fighting constant trauma from the world, finding love is a really significant thing. Finding that safe space and someone who sees you as you is meaningful,” reflects Steadwell. “So, when you lose that – possibly the only place in the world where you felt safe – it can be devastating.

That experience was important to bring to the piece. It’s not just a love story. It’s the love story from the perspective of a queer black women.”

But A Letter to my Ex is not your typical musical. Folks can expect a collage of music, movement, and film, narrating one character’s journey through the ups and downs of love.

“I act as the narrator in the show,” explains Steadwell. “My role in the story is to read the letters and set up the memories. The memories take form as scenes, dance and song.”

Proceeds from A Letter to My Ex will benefit Mills College’s Black Student Collective.

Be Steadwell is a singer-songwriter from Washington DC. A blend of soul, acapella and folk, Steadwell calls their music queer pop. In her live performances, they utilizes looping, vocal layering and beatboxing to compose their songs on stage. Steadwell’s original music features earnest lyricism, and affirming LGBTQ content.

You can purchase tickets to A Letter to my Ex here. Learn more about the musical here.