An unhinged dive into power dynamics, sexual desire, and vulnerability that entangles queer sexuality with classical music and professional wrestling.
What are the blueprints of sexual desire and fantasy? In this unapologetic investigation of power dynamics and identity, Clayton Lee invites the audience to confront that very question through an intimate and unfiltered reckoning of his sexual and romantic history.
With deadpan humor and mischievous wit, Lee explores his childhood obsession with the professional wrestler Bill Goldberg and its lasting impact on him. Entangling queer diasporic sexuality and Bach’s classical compositions, this ever-evolving piece sets an unexpectedly tender stage where desires are both indulged and deconstructed, and the perplexing crossroads between dominance, submission, heartbreak and vulnerability are laid bare.
At times unhinged, and always deeply personal, Lee takes audiences through the fixations and speculations of sexual fantasy in a candid and thoroughly unconventional performance.
Photo Credit: Kenneth Koo
About the Artist
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Clayton Lee | Creator and Performer
Honorary producer for the On the Boards presentation: John C. Robinson and Maya Sonenberg.
The Goldberg Variations
September 17-19, 2026
Thursday, September 17 | 7:30pm
Friday, September 18 | 7:30pm¹
Saturday, September 19 | 7:30pm
Masked seating section available for all shows
¹ Post-show Talkback