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
▼
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WENDY WESTERWEUE^
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JULY 25-SEPTEMBER 2
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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
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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