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icks in Blues
\ued from the cover
me about the Portland production of
ay.
ps for an Alabama Sky is a huge, costume-
top-heavy show. I change clothes every
leave the stage— 14 times!
do you prepare for shows?
depends on my level of fear and anxiety
___ hd the character. For this show, 1 didn’t
what was going on in the gay community
^ | g the Harlem Renaissance. 1
ed how vibrant, prevalent and
J it was. It was amazing the
mt of work that those individ-
^B p ro duced, and the regard in
they were held was extraor-
dw
What’s wonderful about Guy?
He’s this openly gay, nonapologetic, terribly
practical, well-centered, well-rounded, straight
forward, witty, funny, charming, strong, pas
sionate, central character who happens to be
gay...a character with a voice that is close to
my own.
What is it about Guy’s character that you
admire most?
His fearlessness. He gets bashed, but it
doesn’t break his stride. He’s out of work, but
he still lives as though he were living in Paris
drinking champagne. His best friend says and
does some pretty despicable things to him, but
he’s very forgiving. And finally, his courage. To
be that well-adjusted is what 1 love. I get to
le play is set in 1930. W hy
irlem so alive at that time?
■ was just reading the other day
t the night life, the parties, the
H ies— it was incredible. W hite
H ms and the mafia filled Har-
with lots of money. T here was
b i d d e n interest in fine art that
an Americans were creating,
came very vogue and fashion-
Many of those artists had
moneyed patrons. T h a t’s
1 the art got out to America and
■ rest of the world.
Bdow many people are in the
■jf
Angel (Cynthia Jones) and Guy (Timothy McCuen
Piggee) share a laugh
te two central characters are
and Angel [a blues and jazz singer],
ly’re best friends. They were both prosti-
J s in Savannah, Georgia, and they moved
■ o Harlem as part of the great migration
l r World W ar I. In all, the play has two
Ten and three men, all A frican Ameri-
| What is the play about?
It’s about dreams.
I What is your character’s dream?
| Guy cannot abide living in a country that
not value him first of all as a black
lan being, second as a homosexual, and
id as an artist. So it’s his agenda to move to
is and design clothes for Josephine Baker,
it’s his dream.
inhabit someone for two and a half hours that
is supremely well-adjusted.
What’s Guy’s flaw?
H e’s perfect. You want him to be your friend
more than anyone— if I only knew that man. I
only hope to lead a life as clear as that charac
ter’s. He’s a survivor. Being black in this soci
ety, particularly at that time, it was hard; he
had to survive.
Why an “Alabama sky”?
There’s a young man who shows up on the
scene from Alabama who initiates the play’s
complication.
What do you still have to do to get ready
for the show?
drive with Pride
Guy had a conch. I might have to have my
hair relaxed if I can’t find the right wig. Guy is
a designer. So he’s not about to be out of fash
ion. He was very much the vanguard of fash
ion. It was relaxed. You looked like Billy D.
Williams or Cab Calloway or Duke Ellington
or Langston Hughes. They’d use lye or other
chemicals on their hair.
Do you like your job?
I adore my job. I’m the luckiest
man in the world. I’m also a full
time faculty member at C or
nish School of the Arts in
Seattle. I teach text analysis
and audition techniques. It’s
great to have some impact on
a student’s life. I’m instantly a
part of something very
ancient— it’s the gift that you
must give back. I love it.
Make your sales pitch to
potential theatergoers.
You have an opportunity
to see and learn some
thing you don’t often
get a chance to see....
How often do you get
to actually see a posi
tive portrayal of a gay
character in a lead
role? You’ll get to hear
Josephine Baker’s
music, you’ll get to
listen to Duke
Ellington, and you
get to submerge
yourself in a time
period and subject
matter that you
may not know.
This play is terri
bly witty and
funny, it’s fun to
watch, and it’s
beautiful to look at.
Karen Gjelsteen’s set
is phenomenal, and Jeff
C one’s costumes are
amazing. If you’re gay
in Portland and you
don’t come to see this
show, you’ve truly
missed out. It’s for
you, for crying out
loud! T h at’s why I
hope the GALA night
is really well attended. I
think it’s an opportunity
for Portland to come
out and support something that is wonderful,
positive.
And you get to see Timothy Piggee, who
looks damn good!
■ B lues
A l a b a m a S ky previews Feb.
for a n
19 through 24, opens Feb. 25 and runs through
March 18 in the Newmark Theatre of the Portland
Center for the Performing Arts, 1111 S.W.
Broadway. For ticket information, call
(503) 274-6588.
The special G A L A performance
for the gay and lesbian community is
Feb. 29; it is followed by a party
with the cast at Frontline (formerly
Hamburger Mary’s), 1135 S.W.
Washington St.
L ake P erriguey is a Portland
attorney and culture maven.
He can be reached at lake-
jameslaw@yahoo. com.
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