The character that interests me more than anyone else in "Execution of Justice" is Sister Boom Boom. She is a minor character in all of this but she is so extremely different from everyone else. She is radical compared to most people. The fact that she is so very separate from everyone else is probably significant in some way, but it is pretty clear that she is not a pivotal character. It is almost because of this fact that she becomes even more interesting to me. Clearly her role as a drag queen nun is in direct opposition to Dan white (especially his strict Catholicism and disgust towards the LGBTQ+ community).
Her role then, could be to demonstrate a stark contrast in society of 1970s San Francisco. She represents everything that Dan White hates and hence, she humanizes the side opposite to him. Sister Boom Boom could just be a foil for the cop, particularly in their alternating speeches at the beginning of the play. I will need a lot more research to uncover information about Sister Boom Boom and Emily Mann's reasoning for including her in the play.
What is Sister Boom Boom's purpose?
How did Sister Boom Boom fit into the society of San Francisco?
In an early search, I found that Sister Boom Boom ran for district supervisor of San Francisco in 1982. This would have been right around the time of the play being premiered. How exactly it all lines up would be hard to examine but it probably would have been very poignant and meaningful (whether positive or negative) to have this show being performed as she was running for office. The publishing date also falls very close to Dan White's release, which could be another influencer. That, however, is another beast in and of itself.
What does it mean that Sister Boom Boom was running for office near the play's premiere?
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