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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 1, 1990)
personality shows his many-faceted talent. Bob McGranahan plays Lloyd the evangelist Surprising groans and healing laughter as a real-life convict might. Rather than depicting a stereotype, he leads us into his web Puns pepper play about Bob the beast-boy and traps us into believing the plight of the beast-boy. national television talk shows. John Steinkamp is Bob. His shy persona B Y S A N D R A D E H E L E N The wife has her nervous breakdown. Bob is shines through the unbelievable physical stunts left caged and starving while the farmer teases required of this role. The actor must be abso him with a bird feeder. When the farmer falls in a ditch. Bob unlocks his cage, drags the lutely uninhibited, but seem vulnerable and he title, Lloyd's Prayer", is only the Fust dead innocent. man into it and eats half of him. Not to worry, of a multitude of puns employed by Bob’s journey leads him away from Lloyd, other half shows up later to complain about playwright, Kevin Kling. The prayer in this the to attempting a sexual encounter with the angel, ingratitude of children. play belongs to Bob the beast-boy, who has the Next to taking a job in a freak show, to returning to to adopt Bob is Lloyd, a recently been inexplicably raised by raccoons. When he released convict his tree, and finally, to contemplating suicide. immediately sees the chooses to stick his hand into a man-made trap, economic value of who He and the script have come full circle. the beast-boy: Ninety-five he begins his spiritual journey that leads him to percent of Bob’s body With great contributions from George is hair. Lloyd begins by and through zany, yet dark, experiences. He can attempting to draw visitors to a freak show, but Comall (set), Debra Bruneaux (costume), and no more tell you who his father is than he can realizes he can earn money quicker via Mike Holcombe (lighting), director Dennis tell you the ingredients in a hot dog, but before quickly Bigelow (Oregon Shakespeare Festival evangelism. He convinces both Bob and the the evening is over, he learns even that secret. producer) creates an evening of magic which congregation that he is trying to save Bob’s won’t soon be forgotten. soul, but the chances are slim due to Bob’s This play is not a gay play. However, it is background and inability to speak. about not fitting in with the rest of society, The angel of the Lord (Laurie Holland) about the need for love and acceptance, and appears in the body of the town beauty queen about the universal quest for spiritual guidance. and provides the very necessary spiritual Its sensitivities are universal, and the laughter it guidance for Bob, Lloyd and us. She has a provides is healing. The script is a cornucopia of twisted cliches, remarkable number of quick changes to Lloyd's Prayer is being presented by the mixed metaphors, literary allusions and puns— accomplish, flies across the stage in a squeaky Artist Repertory Theatre (A.R.T.) at the Wilson only one of which draws the traditional harness, on a trapeze, skates onstage, rides a audience response of a grown. The lack of scooter, tap dances, plays the wife/mother, the Center for the Performing Arts, 1111 SW 10th, 242-2400, 8 pm, Thursday-Saturday, through groans were replaced by absolute howling on angel, the beauty queen, the wife transformed opening night. August 11. into radical lesbian and back again. Bob is captured by a barking farmer and his Duffy Epstein likewise plays numerous There will be two benefit performances for long-suffering wife who predicts her own roles: Dad, Boss, Porpy, and Peter, the talk unbelievable future—she will have a nervous the artists on Wednesdays, August 1 and 8, show host. His ability to alter his character breakdown, fall in love with her lesbian 8 pm. from a barking redneck to an enormous boss to therapist, write a famous book and go on a smoking fish to a nervous television ▼ T WENDY WESTERWEUE^ Ï v'.'W r* -A #* * * } JULY 25-SEPTEMBER 2 ' • STOREFRONT 3RD ANO BURNSIDE THEATRE CALL 224-4001 YES I AM AN A R TIST Also available: YES, I am a m odel 100% cotton. M. L. XL Phone or mail ok - $ 12.95 YO ! VINNIE 721 S W 10TH • 228-4800 Popular "nuns" to stay longer f you still haven’t seen Nunsense, go for it. It will be held over until August 26th. The month of July was sold out and further extensions may be necessary. Sylvia’s Class Act Dinner Theatre will continue to offer the popular Sunday brunch as well as the dinners. Check Out About Town for specifics. I ▼ Echo to stay open • PORTABLE HOT TUBS By SOFTUB • PIPIN G H O T PO O LS 293-8110 RELAXATION THAT FITS ALMOST ANYWHERE Gail Witte. G.R.I.. Sales Associate Your Centra! Oregon Real Bepd Estate Connection • Sunriver • Sisters Farms • Acreage • Residential L -> | C a ll T o ll F re e 860 ^ 874*3549 WitMar REALTORS® IMCORPORATED IQ l Ri till numi V tw o rt ^CONNECTION \ r V n • " * • •«m rn «m ih » M « w « In Oregon 503 * 388*0100 354 N.E. Greenwood • Suite 100 • Bend. Oregon 97701 just out Y 2 8 Y August 1990 E cho Theatre will remain open! The theatre will continue to produce original dance and theatre performances but will have to decrease the number of movement classes it currently offers. What they would prefer is to get $10,000 more and be able to add to an already fine performance space. Upcoming at Echo Theatre is a night of “lezzie laughs and dancing” featuring Sally Sheklow in her one-woman show, ‘The Sound of Lesbians” and the all-gal dance band the Saddle Soars. Showtime is Saturday, August 18 at 8 pm. Echo is located at 1515 SE 37th and Hawthorne. Echo board member and producer Howie Baggadonutz attended the National Lesbian and Gay Theatre Conference in Seattle July 8 and 9. "There’s a lot of theatre companies and producers around the country who have trouble finding affordable, quality spaces to do shows in. Portland is lucky. We have the Portland’s Women’s Theatre Company and Echo Theatre. As the right wing tries its damndest to silence queer culture through their assault on the NEA, it’s become more evident to me that our visibility is vital to our survival. I am, therefore committed to keeping Echo’s doors open and will continue to present openly gay and lesbian performers on its stage.” To help out at Echo call 231-1232. The Tudor Tappers rehearse their number for the 1989 Daedalus Project, an AIDS benefit. (This photo was taken during the technical rehearsal prior to last year’s performance.) Last season’s benefit, organized by Rex The Daedalus • Rabold, raised more than $21,000, which was donated to several local organizations specializ Project ing in AIDS support and education. Both Edmondson and Rabold feel the Daedalus / The Daedalus Project, an AIDS Benefit, Project give the Festival company a creative JL returns for its third season on the Elizabe means of showing they care and it helps unite than Stage. On August 20, members and friends OSF with concerned members of the commu of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF) will nity. perform a varied program including “a lot of Tickets for the Daedalus Project will go on song, a lot of dance, some serious thought and sale at the box office, (503) 482-4331, on some tribute,” according to James Edmondson, August 1. The minimum donation is $10; larger who originated the show and will coordinate contributions are welcome. the 1990 benefit. —OSF Playbill
