Just out., April 19, 2002, Page 43, Image 43

aprl 19.2002 »
Raised by his mother and grandmother, he went
of self-revelation. “You can let out as much as
from a repressed early childhood to fame as a
you want to. It’s your story and your catharsis.”
young actor with the Portland Civic Theatre to
Porter also has that indispensable tool in
teen-age hedonist, the latter fueled hy alcohol,
the arsenal of the chronically ill: a sense of
humor. He occasionally invokes his drag per­
which he thought of as “my magic.”
As an adult he balanced, ever more precari­ sona, “Ida Slapter,” and suggests they bring a
contortionist onstage to add to the fun.
ously, life in the fast lane as a high-powered
financial analyst with increasing blackouts that
Teufel detects a touch of hubris in Porter:
found him waking up in a Honolulu hotel, for
“He wants a chandelier like Phantom !”
And Hawkes reminds all that these shows
instance, without knowing how he got there.
already offer “every­
All parties
thing hut a helicopter
must end, and this
and an elephant!”
one did in 1986
Although it’s entirely
when Porter was
possible that this
diagnosed with
group is working on
HIV. At a turning
getting both.
point, he became
a crisis counselor
L iving with HIV:
for indigents and
P erforming W ell ­
a co-parent to
ness
III plays April 21
three kids with a
to 23 at Interstate Fire­
now former part­
house Cultural Center,
ner. He’s been
1530 N. Interstate
involved for the
Ave. Call for times.
past six years with
Kate Hawkes directs couples in Living with HIV:
Tickets are $8 from
another artist,
Performing Wellness III
503-823-4322. The
Greg Carrigan,
Well Arts Institute is at 503-636-2216.
who is also participating in the show.
Porter is excited, if a little nervous, about this
G ary M orris is a Portland free-lance writer.
project. But he knows ultimately he’s in control
jF!
Page meets stage
Cygnet Theatre re-creates the Algonquin Round Table
by
N .A .G .A .A .A .
Do you want to be part
of the biggest gay event
Portland has ever seen?
Volunteer your
time to help the
4000 athletes
that will be spending
one week in Portland.
August 18-25,2002!
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!
CTYTA
< 7 rQ
K aren K udej
presenting a well-rounded, balanced look at
ygnet Theatre’s original production Vitriol
this influential crowd.
& Violets: Tales from the Algonquin Round
Also known as the Vicious Circle, the
Table re-creates the roaring 7 0 s of New
group laughed hard hut drank harder, despite
York City where, for a decade, a group of
Prohibition laws. Some considered the Algo­
sharp-witted journalists, critics, poets, actors
nquin relationships to he codependent; many
and playwrights met daily for lunch at the
of the members had trouble maintaining other
Algonquin Hotel and became a driving force
relationships.
behind the
Dorothy Park­
arts and
er suffered
theater of
from depres­
the time.
sion
and
People
attempted
flocked to the
suicide.
Algonquin
By the early
hoping to get
1930s,
the
a glimpse of
Algonquin
this lively
Round Table
assemblage.
quietly dis­
Banter
banded and
abounded at
members
the round
moved on.
table with
Luisa Sermol (left) and Wendy Westerwelle in Vitriol
Harold Ross
Dorothy Park­
& Violets: Tales from the Algonquin Round Table
and his wife,
er’s caustic
Jane
Grant,
started
the
New
Yorker.
Others went
quips and the deadpan humor of journalist
on to win Pulitzer Prizes, Academy Awards and
Robert Benchley. Double-entendre exchanges
further literary honors.
between Harpo Marx and drama critic Alexan­
“Thematically," Moldovan says, “we wanted
der Woollcott are a highlight. Woollcott, por­
to look at the arc of their journey at that table
trayed hy Wendy Westerwelle in drag, was
and what happened to them afterwards...why
probably gay and thought to have been in love
did they unravel.7"
with Marx for years.
Billed as “an evening of wicked wisecracks,
When Edna Ferber, a pre-eminent female
urhane attitudes and ‘literary vaudeville,’ ’’ this
writer of the time, showed up one day wearing
production should amuse Algonquin aficiona­
a suit almost identical to one of the men, he
dos and virgins alike. J H
teased her, “Edna, you almost look like a man."
“So do you,” she promptly replied.
Cygnet Theatre presents VITRIOL & VIOLETS:
T ales from the A lgonquin R ound T arle
sing biographies, letters and texts from the
8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 7 p.m.
time, theater co-directors Louanne
Sunday from April 26 to May 18 at Russell Street
Moldovan and Shelly Lipkin, along with
Theatre, 116 N .E . Russell St. Tickets are $15
Sherry Lamoreaux, have written a script that
from 503-493-4077.
aims to recapture the era. Moldovan, who
directed Vitriol, explains that once the anec­
K a r e n K u d e j is a Portland free-lancer who
dotes were assembled, the challenge was in
appreciates sharp uit mixed in with a little of this
allowing the cast to “inhabit the characters
and a little of that.
truthfully.” She emphasizes the importance of
U
tu m U
Volunteer your time for the Gay
Softball Series 2002, and get
into all the official events as a
very special guest. Contact us:
volunteers@series2002.org
AND www.series2002.org
THANK YOU PORTLAND!
All of these companies have made a commitment
to help the Rose City Softball Association host
the 26th annual Gay Softball Worid Series
August 18-25,2002
on
If you would like to join them, please contact
sponsorship@series2002.org
Proud Sponsors
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^ U N I T E D
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®
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~
Hilton 200
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H rr ».ulwav
C o fU
I riuL-r
(t
Egyptian Room
G a i P ie d
Help us show everyone what Portland is all about...
If you would like to play in the Rose City Softball Association, teams are
forming now. Visit us @ www.portlandgaysoftball.com or 503-450-9999