By Jude Cramer
Another bioplay in this theater season could feel redundant, given that memoir adaptations and tragic life stories have already dominated New York stages. But The Least Problematic Woman In The World, a new solo show from content creator Dylan Mulvaney, turns the genre on its head with a much-needed dose of camp.
Mulvaney’s story begins not with childhood, but as an angel version of herself moments before birth, hoping that in the next life, she’ll be reincarnated as the titular least problematic woman in the world. Tough luck: she’s Dylan Mulvaney instead.
With a barrage of clever metaphors and thinly veiled references to her real-world career, Mulvaney takes audiences on a ride through the milestones of her life, from surviving Catholic school to her “Days of Girlhood” TikTok series to the Beergate controversy that made her reevaluate her brand and her place as one of the most visible trans women on social media. Fans of Mulvaney’s will appreciate the nods to her best-known moments, while those less familiar with pop culture may sometimes be left adrift. But odds are they’ll be having too much fun to care.
Mulvaney’s story tackles all the themes you’d expect: the pressures of fame, the fuzzy lines around gender and sexuality, and the state of trans representation in an increasingly polarized America. Somehow, it never feels heavy. Whenever Mulvaney’s story could veer into preachiness, she instead steers into the skid, letting us know that she’s always been in on the joke.
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Though technically a solo show, there’s plenty of voiceover and video cameos from a who’s-who of queer culture, including Alan Cumming, Joe Locke, and Peppermint. Mulvaney also scored some high-profile writers for the show’s songs, including the musical minds behind Six and The Notebook, creating some seriously catchy earworms with lyrics you’ll have to stop yourself from singing in public.
When all is said and done, does angel Dylan get her wish to become the least problematic woman in the world after all? Spoiler alert: of course not. But Mulvaney’s messy, marvelous, madcap life—and the show it inspired—are all the better for it.
Fast facts: Dylan Mulvaney’s ‘The Least Problematic Woman in the World’
Dylan Mulvaney stars as herself in this campy and pop culture-packed one-person show, offering a lighthearted look into the false premise of “trans palatability.”
- Lucille Lortel Theatre, 121 Christopher St, New York City
- 90 minutes, no intermission
- Performances through October 19, 2025
- Want more Mulvaney? Check out her memoir, Paper Doll: Notes From a Late Bloomer
