Just out., June 01, 1987, Page 20, Image 20

Just entertainment
Reality overshadows Reagan satire
The purpose is not to show the wrongness of Reagan s
policies, hut to show what a close-minded buffoon he is,
and how dangerous it is to allow him the power he exercises.
BY
D O U G E
M A R T I N
S /
ap Master Ronnie,” though it
is being given an excellent pro-
duction by Storefront Theatre,
is still just a musical political satire, and
the genre is not very exciting. Mark Rus­
sell is the only person who comes to mind
who can do it well, partially because he is a
cleer lyricist and a lair songwriter, and
partially because he deals more with broad
trends in politics and life rather than
specific incidents.
“ Rap Master Ronnie” is very topical,
and even though it is being billed as “ con­
stantly updated” it seemed about two
weeks behind, which is more like decades
in terms o f political current events. The
show is at its strongest when referring to
major recurrent themes in Reagan's
administration, such as the resurgence of
the religious right and the government’s
attitude toward the Soviet Union. “ The
Empire Strikes First.” a fairy tale told by
Ronnie about the “ Evil Empire” and
acted out by the cast is marvelous and
makes much of the rest of the material
Watch for the debut
of the lust Out Pocket Book
at the 1987 Lesbian/Gay
Pride Rally June 20th.
bearable.
Garry Trudeau of Doonesbury fame
wrote the book, and has not made the
transition from the funny papers very well.
His humor, which is great in four-frame
segments, does not hold out for even the
length of most of the songs, let alone for a
full-length play. His comic strip approach,
though in many ways a propos for the
subject matter, seems to trivialise and
cheapen the points he is trying to make.
Quibbles about the script aside, this is
an enjoyable show. Director Bill Dobson
and choreographer Valarie Grudier
Edwards have assembled an energetic and
enthusiastic cast. They have kept the pace
fast and brought some real life to an
otherwise mediocre score. The actors sing
well and in tune, something often lacking
in local productions. The women, Julianne
R. Johnson, Karen Kirkevold, and Sue
Parks-Hilden, are especially good. Todd
Tolces keeps Ronnie constantly befuddled
and two steps behind what is happening.
The only problem with the performances
was a tendency to lose the words to the
pace and the dancing.
Juliann e Johnson a n d Shawn Rogers singing "I'm Proud to b e a Strict C onstrucitonist" in
Storefront's Rap Master Ronnie
Storefront has done its usual excellent
job technically; the sets, lights, and
costumes are just right, as showy and
cheesy as the Reagans themselves. One
really has to hand it to Storefront, they
consistently do high quality and (often)
exciting theatre on a relatively low budget
without looking like they are just scraping
by. I have never seen the Sumus mainstage
look so good. Their long-running sold out
shows are a sure indicator o f their quality
and success.
This show demonstrates yet again the
power, be it good or ill, o f the Reagan
Presidency. No matter how ridiculous
Ronnie is, his influence upon the nation
and the world cannot be ignored. The
purpose o f this play is not so much to show
the wrongness o f Reagan’s individual
policies, but more to show what a close-
minded buffoon he is and how dangerous it
is to allow him the power that he exercises.
Whether or not this play is the best vehicle
for the purpose, it is important in that it
keeps the weapon o f ridicule leveled at the
Administration, and that is probably the
most effective weapon available to us. It is
interesting that the funniest things in the
show were actually Reagan’s own and not
Trudeau’s. One wonders if a better show
could not have been made using just ex­
cerpts from Ronnie’s press conferences. •
Rosetown Ramblers
host square dance
convention
dance on Sunday, July 5, 4:30-6:30 p.m .,
in the Ballroom o f the Hilton Hotel. The
popular twop-step band Lone Star will be
playing. There is no charge for this event,
which is an official part o f the convention.
If you think you might be interested in
square dancing, you should try the Intro­
duction to Square Dancing classes which
will be held on Saturday morning and af­
ternoon, July 4. There will be no charge
for this class. Just stop by the convention
registration desk at the Broadway entrance
to the Hilton for directions.
The International Association o f Gay
Square Dance Clubs (IAGSDC) was
formed in 1983 and has a current mem­
bership o f almost 30 clubs. Each conven­
tion has grown not only in size, but also in
the number o f events held. These yearly
gatherings give dancers a chance to meet
and dance with people from other cities,
and also an opportunity to experience dif­
ferent styles o f dancing.
The Rosetown Ramblers will be starting
a new beginning square dance class in the
fall. Anyone joining the new class will
graduate in time to attend the 1988
IAGSDC Convention in Phoenix.
ore than 800 lesbian and gay
square dancers are expected to be
in Portland over the Fourth of
July weekend for the Fourth Annual Inter­
national Gay Square Dance Convention.
The host group this year will be the
Rosetown Ramblers, Portland's lesbian
and gay square dance club. The conven­
tion, being held at the Portland Hilton
Hotel, follows successful conventions in
Seattle, Denver and San Francisco.
Callers from the West Coast and Ten­
nessee will be participating, and dancers
from across the United States and Canada
will be attending. The largest groups will
be from New York, San Francisco, Seat­
tle, Vancouver and Miami.
The weekend will be Filled with dances,
workshops, meetings and social gather­
ings. The Portland Gay Mens’ Chorus will
sing at the Opening Ceremonies on Friday
night. A special tour o f the city will be held
on Sunday aftenroon. during which bus­
loads o f dancers will square dance briefly
at such sites as the Pittock Mansion and
Mt. Tabor, the tour will end at Pioneer
Courthouse Square for outdoor square
dancing in the heart of downtown Portland.
Members o f the Portland gay and les­
bian community are invited to a Western
Larry Murchison
Convention Secretary
228-7147
Explode the Rose ’87
c/o Rosetown Ramblers
P.O. Box 5352
Portland, OR 97228
•