So it's not entirely off brand that she's giving our state a little holiday treat with a mini tour. Sandyland Presents: "Stand with Texas," will show her support of student education, the LGBTQIA+ community and abortion rights. The three-night jaunt stops at the Kessler Theater this Sunday, Dec. 3.
"It's a really fun, groovy evening addressing what's happening around the country, and specifically Texas, a state I really love and have been coming to for years," Bernhard says of the concept. "There are so many layers to the state culturally. It's really a section of America and a reflection of where we are. It's a bellwether state. To me, Texas is so much more culturally and intellectually interesting — I'm not bashing Florida, but it's more of a barren landscape except for Miami and Saint Petersburg. You can't get a grip on Florida the way you can in Texas."
Because she was disturbed by the consistent shutting of libraries and chiseling away of women's rights under the aegis of Gov. Gregg Abbott, Bernhard had the idea of tying in a charitable aspect to the show, joining forces with local politicians, drag performers and surprise guests to raise awareness — specifically the reproductive justice organization NOISE FOR NOW and North Texas' grassroots Resource Center, which provides a range of services to the LGBTQIA+ community. Each stop varies a little in partnership focus. For example, her Houston appearance will highlight the statewide ban on books by supporting House candidate Lauren Ashley Simmons, who is standing behind public education. Bernhard will share the stage in Dallas with drag diva Bleach Please.
"She spoke so eloquently against Greg Abbott's shutting down libraries and turning them into detention centers," Bernhard says of Simmons. "It's a pre-election year, and there's so much on the line for women's health and education and so many other things, but we're not going to try and tackle every single issue. That's almost impossible to do. I personally won't be hitting you over the head with the obvious, though. My performances are very layered."
"I probably wouldn't have pivoted and shifted as much as I have had the world not become so polarized in both directions, right and left." – Sandra Bernhard
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Adding a little activism to the mix is par for the course for Bernhard, who has never shied away from controversy during her show business career. From her portrayal of one of the first out lesbians on television on the '90s sitcom Roseanne to her recent stints on the Ryan Murphy hits Pose and American Horror Story, she has taken on projects that mirror the same qualities she delivers on stage — vulnerability, bravery and radical honesty.
A pioneer of the one-woman show, Bernhard has parlayed this viewpoint into her Sirius XM radio show Sandyland, which helps keep her conversational chops up between tours.
"[My live shows] are a culmination of what I do on my radio show," she says. "I put the material together, so it's very topical, but it's also personal and day-to-day. I've pivoted over the years into topics that are not less controversial but more hands-on and personal. I probably wouldn't have pivoted and shifted as much as I have had the world not become so polarized in both directions, right and left.
"You've got to be quick on your feet, and you've got to be intellectual and emotional to stay ahead of the curve as a performer and an artist. I'll be able to push the envelope that makes people sit up and uncomfortable; it's not quite as blatant as it was 10 or 15 years ago."
In other words, you won't hear her discussing gun control, but she might talk about what it's like to be a 55+ woman in the world, also the subject of a television series she's currently co-writing with comedian Judy Gold. Now that the dust is settling from the Hollywood actors' strike, Bernhard hopes the idea will be produced. Still, she's perfectly happy delivering her mix of comedy, rock 'n' roll and activism to the people who need it most — Texans.
"Everyone thinks they're a performer and has something to say, and it usually dilutes the people who really have something to say," she says with a laugh. "But I'll bring my A-game to Texas, so let's make it happen!"
Sandyland Presents: “Stands with Texas” Sunday, Dec. 3 at The Kessler Theater, 1230 W. Davis St. You can also donate to the causes without attending.
