Moon written to educate, illuminate
Political theater strives to continue
T
he New Rose Theatre, which, like the rest
of the small theaters in Portland, has been
suffering Financial woes lately, is taking a risk:
the current production is a blatantly political
offering, shamelessly billing itself as a play
“about female oppression.” Ask for the Moon,
by Shirley Gee, author of Never in My Lifetime,
is a thematic script designed to educate and
politically illuminate communities in which it
plays.
253-542
Pat Coxman (Kat hay Duff, left) and Chris O'Rourke (Faith McDevitt) square off intheP ort land Women s
Theatre Company premiere production of Aden Ross’s comedy, Ladies' Room, through Nov. 10[_____
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Moon uses a split set to show a 19th century
cottage industry (lacemaking) and a contempo
rary sweatshop, and the continuity of labor
conditions from the pre-industrial era to the
current time.
New Rose—in its program—refers to itself
as an educational and political theater, and to its
current season as the ‘Temptation to Freedom
Season.” By producing plays which point out
social injustices, New Rose may be looking to
carve a niche for itself in Portland’s apparently
dwindling live theater market. Willamette
Week's recent cover article “Art to Art” stated
that Oregon Shakespeare Festival-Portland’s
entrance here is having a devastating impact on
smaller local theater companies. New Rose was
in Financial difficulty before OSF-P arrived, as
was Portland Civic Theater and others. In our
own community we see Echo Theater strug
gling to stay alive, along with the Portland
Women’s Theatre Company struggling to
maintain its space.
Theater audiences are staying away in
droves. Except at OSF-P. And why not? OSF-P
puts on superior quality productions time after
time. They have funds and the city-subsidized
space to make it happen. Lou Rowe of the New
Rose sticks his neck out and accuses OSF-P of
stealing (buying, actually) talent from the
smaller companies. Willamette Week points out
that the Willies and Drammys were shared
amongst all the talent of Portland, and that not
all the awards went to OSF-P. (Personally, I
would point out that none of the awards went to
gay theater companies, and I don’t think this
was an oversight—I think this was
discrimination. WW and Oregonian critics saw
gay theater in Portland, applauded ensemble
work and some individual performances, but
when award time came, somehow gay theater
was forgotten. Perhaps the Drammy committee
would appreciate hearing from our community
members to help jog their memories next award
season....)
The Sound of Lesbians
r
A new entertainment genre is born
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With the arrival of OSF-P, small theaters in
Portland arc beginning to face what those in
gay or political theater have always faced: a
shortage of donors. And they are beginning to
hear what alternative theaters have always
heard: funds arc given based on excellence.
They are also feeling what alternative theaters
have always felt: discriminated against. When
that happens, it is generally time for alliances to
be formed. Perhaps Echo, PWTC, Interstate
Firehouse, Stark Raving and other gay and/or
political theater companies might want to
consider banding together, creating some
awards of their own to help create visibility
(they don’t have to be competitive awards—
even the Drammys were not competitive
awards last year), to help create audience
interest, marketability.
Or is that asking for the moon? No. Ask for
the Moon is the current political production at
the New Rose. While the script is sometimes
tedious, and director Julie Akers could have
done a better job helping the actors vary their
voice levels to express emotion, the acting was
superior in some cases, and always above
average. Set, lighting and costumes were up to
New Rose par, which is to say excellent. The
New Rose has always attracted people who are
committed to providing high quality theater.
For several years now, New Rose has also
provided color-blind casting. This production is
multi-racial, and the ages of the women range
from early twenties to retirement age.
Peggy Edna Cooke played Lil to perfection.
Lil was Gee’s version of a woman who has
spent her life sewing, First as an artisan/
craftsperson, and finally as a production person
who can’t keep up and has to resort to stealing
from her co-workers’ batches, swiping work
tickets and pilfering buttons to avoid being
Fired. Cooke made this woman entirely
believable, in spite of the fact that the play
wright caused her to use the “f-word” several
times, which was completely out of character.
Cynthia Tennant, usually seen as the low
A
newcomer to professional comedy, Sally Women’s Day festivities in March. A month
Sheklow found her niche by creating her later, Sheklow performed the show for the
own entertainment genre: Lesbian Musical University of Oregon’s Lesbian and Gay Pride
Comedy Parody, a theatrical art form in whif)i Week kick-off event. The Sound of Lesbians
has since brought its smut and smiles to
a lesbian takes a popular, wholesome, main
audiences in Roseburg (“Closer to Holly
stream musical comedy and perverts it.
wood”), Bend (“Closer to Broadway”), Port
Her works-in-progress include Oklahoma,
land,
and at Gay Games III in Vancouver, B.C.
Came-alol and Wet Side Story. Her fust
Sheklow’s one-woman show inspires,
complete work in this genre. The Sound of
educates, shocks and delights!
Lesbians, was conceived when Sheklow and a
Café Mocha presents Sally Sheklow and
friend (Eugene funny woman Laura Philips)
wrote “My Favorite Things” as a way to let off The Sound of Lesbians Friday, Oct. 5 at 8 pm.
Tickets are $5-$7 sliding scale at the door. Café
steam on their way home from a lesbian sex
Mocha is located at 4108 NE Sandy in
workshop.
Portland. For information, call 288-9950.
Over three years in the making. The Sound
of Lesbians debuted at Oregon’s International
▼
class English maid in farces, or as a member of
the improvisational troupe Waggie and Friends,
here is one of the lacemakers, who is the
scapegoat of the group. She is as adept at drama
as comedy, but I long for the day when I can
see her in a role without that accent. In fact, the
entire play would benefit from a change of
venue. Set in England, the cast is required to
speak with accents that are sometimes unfamil
iar to a U.S. audience. And this country cer
tainly has its share of garment industry
sweatshops.
Even more sympathetic and evocative than
the script were the opening night pre-show
speakers. NRT introduced the audience to
Miriam Osthoff, co-president of the Older
Women’s League, who in turn introduced us to
the business representative of the garment
union. We were told that of the older people
living below poverty level today, two-thirds are
women; that retired women receive 76 cents for
every dollar earned by retired men; that the
garment industry is Fighting for its life in this
country as it competes with countries that
indenture 8 to 12-year-old girls and work them
10 hours, let them sleep two hours, work them
six more hours and then let them sleep for six.
Other countries have children working for 30
cents a week. The clothes they produce are sold
here alongside clothes produced in the United
States, for the same amount of money. We were
urged to check our labels.
Political theater is not something we will
Find on prime time television. Live theater costs
more, is more risky for the audience (you may
not like it, and you can’t change channels in the
middle of it, and you have to wait for intermis
sion to go to the bathroom), but people spend
their time and energy for little or no money for
bring it to us, and when they take the risk of
providing theater with a political conscious
ness, they deserve our support.
Ask for the Moon runs Wednesday through
Sunday, from now until Oct. 13.
T
AIDS Trilogy Continues
T
his month, triangle productions! opens its
Final play in its trilogy for AIDS: BENT,
written by Martin Sherman.
Jerry Leith,director of After the Rain, the
First play of the trilogy, returns to direct the
Final production. This play deals with a little
known historical fact of World War H, and the
Nazis’ treatment of men in the German concen
tration camps. This compelling show is sure to
keep you on the edge of your seats.
BENT previews at 8 pm on Oct. 18. Tickets
for that show will be $8. The play opens on the
following night, with tickets at $15. BENT runs
from Oct. 20 through Nov. 10, Thursday
through Saturday nights. Tickets shows are
$10. All dates are at the Firehouse Theater.
Tickets for both shows can be obtained by
calling either Fred Meyer FASTIXX at 224-
8499, or triangle productions! ^t 235-1170.