Just entertainment
Sex and angst
A man purporting to speak of womens oppression from
womens point of view is risky at best, and in the case of
means..., not terribly successful
BY
S A N D R A
DE
HELEN
the human race in about 25 minutes. The
second act has Diane now living with Rita and
ichael Scott Reed’s third drama means
Camille, having left Rick and kids behind but
o f restraint, is in current production at
expecting to win custody the next day.
rainforest theatre, 625 NW Everett. This play (Really? With only a part-time job and living
is supposedly about the human will to live.
in an artist’s loft with a bisexual “slut” and a
It’s true one of the three characters — Rita •
lesbian ex-junkie? Yeah, rig h t) Camille is
suddenly attacked by an unknown man and
(Daryl) — has “HTV disease,” another —
thereby creates the dramatic climax of the
Camille (Charlene Femetz) fights off an
play.
attacker, and Diane (Debbie Kassner) leaves a
Denouement. It’s Christmas now. Rita’s
dead marriage after ten years, but this play is
actually about Camille’s decision to trust her
renowned rage and rhetoric are keeping her
alive, Diane got the kids (well, this is fiction
two closest friends with her vulnerability.
after) and they all exchange meaningful gifts.
Camille, not Rita, is the pivotal character
I believe it is honorable for any writer to
of means.,. She is the character to whom the
try to get inside the lives of characters unlike
climax happens — a climax that appears
herself or himself. It is a challenge to write as
without foreshadowing, then resolves to very
if you were a member of the opposite gender.
little indeed, and which seems to have nothing
I also believe it is a very different thing to
to do with the rest of the story.
attempt to write of the opposite gender’s
The story is that Diane returns to Oregon
where all three were college roommates.
experience, but I wish that men would stop
trying to do so for women. A man purporting
Camille has had a one-night stand with
to speak of women’s oppression from
Diane’s hubby Rick. Camille has also called
women’s point of view is risky at best, and in
Rita over “to make things more interesting.”
the
case of means, not terribly successful. As
Rita was lovers with Diane back in college
it is, there are too few women speaking for
before a menage a trois encounter with
women’s
experience of women’s oppression
Camille and Rita drove Diane away and
in a public format. When women’s and m en’s
eventually into the arms of Rick. Now she’s
productions
are equal in number, perhaps then
back, Rita has HIV disease, Camille is an
would be a good time to go public with one’s
artist with an indiscreet bisexual history, and
attempts at speaking for the other.
they all live happily everafter.
Meanwhile, gay men do no better speaking for
The first act races from anger and
lesbians than straight men are doing speaking
confrontation between Diane and Camille,
for straight women.
then Diane and Rita, to heavy sexual vibes
that make Camille and Rita seem like
This doesn’t mean Michael Scott Reed
ravenous monsters, from upset and angst in
isn’t a good playwright, or that you shouldn’t
record time. Debbie Kassner as Diane is
see this production. It has its flaws, the major
called upon to play every emotion known to
one is that it’s a “women’s issues” play
M
“Draw Yourself Out!”
A N N H IN D S, art m ed iu m
274-9591
written by a man, another is the climax that
appears from nowhere (it would have been
more logical for the attack to have come from
a formerly mentioned character such as Rick
or Elliott — either of which would have made
the whole story more interesting) and finally
that Rita is disappointingly stereotypical.
Reed created two excellent characters with
Camille and Diane, however.
The acting is also well done. Rita, the
dyed in the wool dyke, filled with her rage
and rhetoric, dressed in denim is very nearly
real as portrayed by Daryl. Charlene Femetz
is positively riveting to watch. Her Camille is
arrogant, smug, and hates her mother, but
Femetz makes us like her better than wussy
Diane or even valiant Rita, whose illness
alone should glean our sympathy and loyalty.
The set is luscious, lighting forgettable (in
other words, perfect) costumes predictable.
The theater is Portland’s most intimate and is
really a delicious little space. Seeing the
theater, the set, and — especially — Charlene
Femetz, is worth the ticket price.
▼
Burn this! is hot
onathan Fuller bums in Burn This!,
Lanford Wilson’s hot new play produced
in February by Oregon Shakespeare Festival
of Portland. Fuller plays Pale, the flaming
heterosexual who gives life to the play and
meaning to the life of Anna (Marilyn Jones)
who is the play’s pivotal character.
OSF’s production was very nearly
flawless. Dennis Bigelow’s direction was
brilliant — his subtle touches brought depth
and breadth to the characterizations,
particularly those of Burton (Marco Barricelli)
and Anna. Opening the play with the lighting
of a match instantly captured the audience’s
attention. Allowing the music to become an
album on the stereo which runs out and click-
click-clicks, vividly reveals Anna’s self-
absorbtion. These staging “tricks” are
J
particularly welcome because the script itself
doesn’t come to life fully until Larry enters
the stage. J. David Krassner plays this
sympathetic gay character so beautifully, we
have to believe he’s “really” gay. This
character is no caricature. H e’s funny as hell,
but he’s also caring, sensitive, intelligent and
nosey.
The story is one of love and conflict — old
as time and just as interesting as always. This
one is up-to-date, set in New York City with a
woman of the ’80s living with her two gay
male friends, one of whom (Robbie) has been
killed in a boating accident with his lover a
few days before the play opens. Anna has
returned from his funeral in Houston where
she had been cast in the role o f Robbie’s
girlfriend.
Robbie’s older brother Pale shows up —
the quintessential angry young man — drunk,
high, violent and hot. He’s so obnoxiously
full of life Anna can’t help falling love with
him. The fact that she already has a wealthy
and famous (but sexually cold?) boyfriend is
little deterrent.
Things happen and eventually we reach a
happy ending. But the story is not the story in
Burn This! It’s Jonathan Fuller. It’s the
script, the lighting, the set, the way four
people fill a huge stage so completely you
forget you’re sitting in an auditorium and
begin to feel you’re hiding in the shadows of a
New York loft eavesdropping on an incredibly
interesting situation.
Lanford Wilson must have had fun
sidestepping stereotypes when he wrote this
play. One particularly fun thing to watch is
Pale making tea, chopping vegetables and
cooking a perfect omelet center stage while
carrying on a conversation. Neither the gay
male nor the woman do ANY cooking,
cleaning, or picking up after others in this
production.
If OSF/Portland repeats its run of B um
This! do whatever you need to do to obtain
tickets.
— Sandra De Helen
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