Charm

Meet Mama Darleena Andrews, a 67 year-old transgender woman and the inimitable etiquette instructor at “The Center,” an organization for Chicago’s homeless and LGTBQ youth. Her students are united by a feeling of other-ness in the heart of a city that’s left them behind. But for “Mama Darlin,” triumph over poverty and prejudice begins with lacing up and fitting in—playing the part with class and with charm. Based on the heartwarming true story of Chicago trans icon Miss Gloria Allen of the Center on Halsted, and staged by trailblazing director Natsu Onoda Power (The T Party), this enchanting story of hardship, wit, and an indomitable Mama’s love is a “portrait of pain, kindness, and an LGBTQ community in transition”(Time Out Chicago).