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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (July 19, 2002)
» ¡uly 19. 900? 42 DIVERSIONS ....................▼.................... Slave Master haunts Portland clubs Go directly to jail A fter two rousingly successful summer dance parties, Alley Productions is back with Prison Camp 2002, a theme party to benefit Camp Starlight, which is open to kids whose lives are affected by HIV. This year’s bash starts 8 p.m. July 27 back in that alley at 2119 N. Kerby Ave. Portlanders Jim Feild and Barry Pilip started Alley Productions solely to throw the costume parties annually in order to benefit worthy causes. Past recipients include the American Diabetes Association, Esther’s Pantry, Neigh- borhood House and Our House of Portland. Last year’s Walk Like an Egyptian drew nearly 800 partygoers, according to Feild. This year Alley asks that you “assume your role” as a prisoner, guard or visitor. “You can imagine what people can become,” says Feild, who envisions couples showing up with one in charge and the other in ball and chain. “Those who don’t want to dress up,” he notes, “can just come as a visitor.” The sponsor also promises a laser light show that will “stop you in your tracks and make your escape impossible” as well as a special surprise on the warden’s agenda. Two drink tickets and prison food come with your $20 admission; after that you have to bribe the guards for more. Feild works in construction and transforms the outdoor area from a space between two buildings to the chosen aesthetic fantasy every year. Other amenities come from area businesses. “It’s a collective group of vendors I work with,” Feild explains, “that donate in-kind or discount their services so we can put this thing together. We just want to do a fun theme party that can make a difference for a charity.” To attend Prison Camp 2002, reserve your space (it’s limited) at 503-244-3363 or www.alleyproductions.com. It's a gay sunshine day P ortland’s Love Makes a Family sponsors its second annual G ay Day at Oaks Park from noon to 7 p.m. July 28. Tire event includes a picnic (you’re encouraged to bring a potluck dish) and all the regular fun stuff the park has to offer in the way of rides, skating rink, cute little train and cot ton candy. In case you’re concerned about all those kids whose parents happen to be straight, don’t fret— O aks Park will let them in, too. “Love Makes a Family is for ail families, so we expect to have all kinds of families there," executive director Bon nie Tinker says. The nonprofit has underwritten the cost for the entire day with help from generous Portland sponsors; admission is free, but you’re encouraged to make a donation. Tinker also notes that some financial aid is available for kids who can’t afford ride bracelets and that “we welcome contribu tions from those who can’t make it to pay for some other low-income child’s bracelet.” For more information call 503-228-3892 or e-mail paul@lmfamily.org. They have no inten tion of being outed.” Dunne himself has decided to just not worry about it. “I know I’ll always work,” he remarks. You can still see this cute gay boy in Phantom through July 28 at Keller Auditorium. And to the last day, he’ll be taking advantage of our fair city. “I love the architecture down here,” he says, “and Powell’s— love it.” So pat yourself on the back, Portland, for being such a fabu lous city and treating queer passers-through “very good,” accord ing to Dunne. “I’ve made some new friends.” s the Phantom haunts the opera, so does William Patrick Dunne haunt the gay clubs of Portland. The New York actor, who plays the Slave Master in the “Hannibal" scene of The Phan- tom of the Opera, is taking advantage of his stay down town, which he refers to as “the Greenwich Village of Portland.” A few words with Dunne will have you hanging your head in shame that you don’t go out more. “I’ve been to all of ’em,” he gleefully states. “I’ve gone to The Embers...we were guest stars at Darcelle’s the other night; she was terrif ic. They had us stand up and say hello to all the brides-to- be. I love Silverado. Scandals is my favorite bar. Glenn is the owner; he’s fantastic.” Diorama Dunne, who won’t divulge of fetish his age but claims he’s “old estem States enough to know better,” has Center and been with touring with Phan 2 Gyrlz tom for four years now and Be the slave to William Patrick Performative Arts plays no less than 13 different Dunne’s Slave Master in The Phantom play host to an parts onstage. “Twelve costume of the Opera Aug. 2 appearance changes,” he sighs, noting that by San Francisco performance art group La about a third of the musical’s $9 million budget Pocha Nostra. Two of the infamous and cultur is for wardrobe. ally radical organization’s best-known artists, Previous to Phantom, Dunne toured with Guillermo Gomez-Pena and Juan Ybarra, will Cats and played the Scarecrow in the national perform Mexotica: A Living Diorama of Fetishized tour of The Wizard of Oz (opposite Phyllis Other 7:30 p.m. at the Reed College Student Diller as the Wicked Witch). In the ’80s he was in the kids shows This Side Up and Kids Union. Cost is $8-$ 12 at the door. La Pocha Nostra has challenged audiences World, which he says “are still being shown today on retro Nickelodeon.” for six years now to think about complex cross- cultural issues with brash, in-your-face images Being musical theater, Phantom includes sev and productions. The constantly evolving com eral gay actors in the cast, but only Dunne is out munity of cross-generational, intercultural and in the open. “Since television and movies and theater are much more closer-knit now, if.. .you interdisciplinary artists engage in discussions of globalization, migration and hybrid identities, come out, it can hinder your possibilities for among other pertinent issues of our time. work,” he pauses, “still in this day and age.” When fellow actors discovered he was being G6mez-Pena, an immigrant from Mexico interviewed by Just Out, Dunne reveals: “They City, is one of the original members of La Pocha. said, ‘Oh, one of those.’ And they were gay. His work includes video, audio, installations, poetry, journalism and perform Guillermo Gome:-Peña shocks ance arts in areas as diverse as and delights in M exotica: immigration, the politics of lan A Living Diorama of Fetishized guage, technology and gender. A Other Aug. 2 regular contributor to NPR’s All Things Considered, he was the first Chicano/Mexicano artist to receive a MacArthur Fellowship. Mexotica is an interactive per formance that invites exploration of new ways of thinking about gender, race, class, ethnicity, identity and cultural stereotypes. Audience members are encour aged to come dressed “as your favorite cultural fetish.” For more information contact 2 Gyrlz Performative Arts at 503-318-6860 or www.2gyrlz.org. Visit La Pocha Nostra at www.pochanostra.com. W Oh, baby S erendipity is the driving force behind Lisa Goddard and Katie Grindeland’s baby, scheduled to be bom in October. A friend donated sperm, and, after only one try and without the medical estab lishment, Grindeland became pregnant. Now the couple are holding a fund-raiser July 26 at the Cup and Saucer Café to offset the high legal cost for Goddard to adopt the baby. The two met 3 1/2 years ago in the café; Grindeland was a customer and eventually worked up the courage to ask Goddard, who works there, out on a date. The event runs from 7 to 9 p.m. and features Portland Taiko drummers, refreshments and a raffle. Cost is $7-$9 sliding scale. Though both women did not always want to have children (Goddard was leaving the decision up to the universe), they are now ready to be equal parents, partially thanks to an incredible queer network. “If we hadn’t had community support, we wouldn’t be pregnant right now,” Goddard says. For both mothers-to-be, the reasons to adopt are clear. Grindeland wants to be sure her bio logical connection to the child doesn’t make her more a parent. Goddard agrees and is eager to use Oregon’s laws that allow lesbians to adopt— a privilege that’s allowed in only eight states. While they are anxious about the financial implications of the adoption, Goddard and Grindeland are happy and deeply in love— with each other and with the life they are building. They hope that the fund-raiser and the support they’ve found so far are the begin nings of a community of queer parents. “I feel very strongly that this is a community baby,” Grindeland says. “We have been blessed.” — Nadia Cannon A Portland date for Melissa! elissa Etheridge has added a few shows to her summer tour, and, by golly, Portland is one of them. G uess she felt sorry for all those dykes having to drive to W oodinville, Wash. Sept. 1 is the date set for her show at Keller Auditorium. Funk and soul singer R osey will open. Tickets are $58.50-$79.50 from all Ticketmaster outlets. Also gracing the Rose City with a summer show is ex-Smiths frontman Morrissey. The British post-punk hero gamers as many stage- rushed kisses from boys as girls yet remains allu sively sexually ambiguous. (Popular word has it he’s straight but likes kisses from boys anyway. Hmm.) Morrissey plays the Roseland Aug. 24. Tickets are on sale now for $29.50 from Fastixx or www.hob.com. M jn Compiled by L isa B radshaw
