High school can be hell for anyone, but queer and gender non-conforming kids face another level of anxiety or scrutiny as they just try to get through each school day. Cynthia is a student who sometimes feels that she doesn’t fit in anywhere. She hangs with the boys, but they don’t accept her fully. When the Pink Ladies begins to take formation, Cynthia feels, for the first time, that she has a say in her own identity in school. Played by the marvelous Ari Notartomaso, Cynthia is someone we can all look up to–no matter the age.
At the end of episode one, Cynthia, Olivia, and Nancy join Jane to show their support during a student council assembly. The first defiant yell of, “Vote for Jane!” comes from Cynthia before she turns around and moons the crowd. Her future Pink Ladies sisters follow suit before scattering out and taking the T-Birds car. Cynthia is the one who yells her support for Jane first, and there is a power in acting before thinking sometimes. It shows Cynthia’s loyalty and her willingness to throw herself in the face of what she thinks is right. No matter the consequences.
While Cynthia thrives with her friends, she struggles when she’s alone. She has a crush on Lydia, a girl from the drama club, and Rise‘s inclusion of Cynthia’s is important for viewers to see. With so many queer and transgender people under attack in the real world, Cynthia’s presence is vital for visibility. Notartomaso, who identifies as non-binary and uses they/them pronouns, is taking this moment to show people that queer and gender non-conforming people have always been there. They are here in 2023, they were here in the 1980’s, and they were here in the 1950’s when Rise is set.
In a painful scene at the dance in episode 8, Cynthia is rejected by Lydia and she lashes out at her date, Shy Guy. When he is uncomfortable with her kissing him, she tells him, “If you were a real man, you’d like it.” A lot of media creates trans or non-binary characters as automatic saints or victims, but Rise gives room for Cynthia to learn as well. All of these conversations about masculinity and gender is something that Notartomaso is very excited to lean into.
Above everything else, Notartomaso is having an absolute blast playing their part. Being able to balance the heaviness of real-world trauma with song and dance is no easy feat, and their performance is full of gumption, pluck, and unadulterated joy. Now that is truly the “new cool.”
Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies is streaming now on Paramount+.
