Superswitcher (Taikanaksutin) is a children’s play that explores gender roles and gender identities. Unbeknownst to the people of the World, space aliens from another dimension are responsible for giving children their sex, male or female, before birth.
Hanna is a little girl living with her family in the suburbs. Her parents believe in strict gender roles and keeping up appearances, even though they secretly enjoy hobbies they don’t think are suitable for themselves because of their respective genders. Hanna is not happy with these social rules, and is given a switcher by an alien, with which she can become a boy. But being a boy is not easy either. Must one be of one gender or another, or care about what other people think?
6GN or 6F
1. THE WRONG CARD
A lofty hall in heaven. Genderless, incorporeal souls are lined up, waiting to find out where in the universe they will be sent. The line advances. SOUL 1 (later known as Hanna Metsälä) reaches the reception desk. The ALLOCATOR sits behind the desk, which full of cards in every color of the rainbow, each neatly separated from the others in its own pigeonhole. Near the desk stands the Quality Control Device, which has one large signal light, which is turned off. Somewhere behind the Allocator and the desk looms a large gate.
THE ALLOCATOR:
This way please, honored souls.
SOUL 1 (whispers to Soul 2):
What are we waiting for?
SOUL 2 (whispers):
The cards. Each soul gets one.
SOUL 1(whispers):
Why do we need a card?
SOUL 2 (whispers):
They say that card determines the planet you go to.
THE ALLOCATOR (hands a light blue card to Soul 2):
Here you are. Next!
Soul 2 exits through the gate, the Quality Control Device doesn’t react. Soul 1 proceeds to
the desk.
THE ALLOCATOR (gives Soul 1 a pink card):
Here you are. Next!
SOUL 1:
Honored Allocator, could I possibly get some other color? The soul that was here a moment ago got a light blue card. And someone else got a yellow one.
(...)
[English translation from the Finnish by Salla Viikka and Kristian London.]
