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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 20, 2004)
» lehruary 20. 2004 40 D IVER SIO N S .....................▼..................... Revisiting Sodom It if it ain't broke, don’t fix it t’s hard not to break into a smile at a club night phe nomenon. That sudden rush of energy for some random night that becomes, through word of mouth, a veritable sensation— that’s just plain endearing. Hence my following praise of—and ultimate concern for—Quarters Night at C .C . Slaughters and Tart at Holocene. Gay bar Slaughters, always popular on the weekends, now (originally no doubt in response to certain specials the Oregon Liquor Control Commission won’t let us write about) is packed to the rafters every Thursday with queers— all kinds of ’em. Recently when 1 went, nearly half the crowd was female, and ages ranged from barely legal indie kids to gtxxl oP C .C . regulars. There’s also a straight contingent (gay is the new hip, after all), but not in a bad, frat-boy way, more in a “can’t we just all get along?” way. All in all, quite an impressively diverse display of merriment. But, uh-oh. A cover charge appeared for the first time this month. And a line seems to be forming outside by 10:30 p.m. even though the place clearly isn’t full. The villagers are starting to grumble. Partners Bruce Rice and John Houston bought the bar about six months ago and made improvements right away— a new lighting and sound system and light remodeling, which, Rice says, has helped make Thursdays even more popular. The admission charge covers the cost of the added staff, and the line, he insists, isn’t self-imposed, except “by the fire marshal.” He admits other clubs squeeze patrons in tighter, but Slaughters won’t. “It’s a health issue,” he says. “If we have a fire, I don’t need people jam-packed in there.” Speaking of jam-packed, let’s talk about Tart. Tart, Tart, how do 1 love thee? I love thee to the depth and breadth of my queer girl soul. The second Sunday at Holocene routinely reaches maximum capacity. That means about 250 are inside— by 7:30 p.m. This thing is big, and, with its chic hip-hop and world DJs and its ability to bring women out of the woodwork (believe me, I go out a lot. I have never seen most of these women. Where have they been?), the fever sur rounding it is high, high, high. It has potential to stick around a gixxl long while. Which is why the postcards at Fehmary’s Tart terrify me. “Diva,” they announce, “A Sophisticated Queer Girl Extravaganza!” It’s another gay girl night at Hokx:ene. Two women created Tart— one of them will continue it, while the other, Katharine Sprecher, will head up Diva. “I had so many women coming up to me and asking for more,” explains Sprecher. In January “we were 150 people over capacity, and we had to turn people away from the dtxir.” "This second night, premiering Feb. 29 and then continu ing every fourth Sunday, will ease that crowd. And that’s what scares me— a gtxxl thing pushed beyond its capacity. Turning away 150 people is unfortunate, but it keeps them on the edge, waiting, hoping they’ll get in. It keeps them showing up for the hottest ticket in town. Tart is a full blown scene , and it now may have found a way to dull its own edge. Sprecher, who plans different kinds of fun live perfor mances during Diva and who indeed has experience in these kinds of clubs in San Francisco, says there’s rixrni for both. Please, please, great gay Gtxl, let that be true. There is a fine line between protecting and serving your customers and pushing them just far enough to bring the whole thing crashing down. No doubt the number of dykes in the Port land metro area can support two nights at Hol<x:ene. No doubt we can afford $2 to get into Slaughters. The ques tion is, will we? j n I Connect the Dots Theatre Company cast more than 50 Southern Oregon actors in The Laram ie Project Making connections in Southern Oregon S | ft-overlooked tale: After God burned up all the Stxlomites and Lot’s wife turned to salt, Lot’s naughty daughters got Dad drunk and used him to become pregnant with sons who would be sworn enemies of Israel. How’s that for moral purity? And how’d you like to see a picture? Celebrated New Mexico artist Gerry Snyder invites viewers to his series of paintings and drawings that turn violence, incest and conquest into a bucolic car- toon. F ar from Here is on display through March 14 at Lewis & Clark College’s Hoffman Gallery, 0615 S.W. Palatine Hill Road. Bulbous and colorful intersex characters float against Eden-like backgrounds, enacting biblical and other myths. “Within an ani mated world, all things are possible,” says Snyder. Using cartoonish figures, he challenges viewers to consider the uncomfortable aspects of common myths. Morality is in the eye of the beholder, his paintings suggest— or, rather, on the tongue of the storyteller. “Our lives are built on a set of self-constructed narratives that basically suit our needs,” he explains. “Everyone’s creating them selves and the world coastantly.” Enter Pepper LaBeija, a Harlem drag queen featured in the film Paris Is Burning. Snyder also raises to mythic stature people like La Beija who he sees as “dis tinguished by their humanity” and whom he wants “to be part of our history.” The paintings are beautiful and eerie and cool and worth the trip. ince Grants Pass’ Connect the Dots Theatre Company opened its d(x>rs in January 2003, executive directors James Pate and Shane Skin ner have wanted to produce The Laram ie Project. Now, just over a year later, Southern Oregon will experience the dtx:udrama through Feb. 25. An eclectic cast of more than 50 lcx:al actors will tell the story of the aftermath of Matthew Shepard’s murder. Bobhi Kidder, theater instructor at Rogue Community College, is directing. She calls the play “brilliant,” saying it’s “about a brutal murder. It’s about a community becoming aware. It’s about the courage to forgive." Pate and Skinner’s goal for Connect the Dots is to J jjl eaf & Hearing O U T deal with social issues through community theater. Reach marks an They designed a three-part prelude to the play called auspicious two years “For All That We Are,” f<x:using on the history of Feb. 28 with a Second hate crimes and acceptance in Southern Oregon. Judy Anniversary Gala at the Shepard was a featured keynote speaker in January. Gerry Snyder’s balloony, cartoony interpretations of Red Lion Hotel’s Win Connect the Dots has six projects slated for 2004, various colorful personalities are on view through dows Lounge, 1021 N.E. including The Vagina Monologues in March. The Grand Ave. March 14 at Hoffman Gallery Laramie Project runs Feb. 2 0 to 22 at Rogue Com The nonprofit organi munity College in Grants Pass. Tickets are $10-$ 12 from Service zation offers queer American Sign Language classes and social Drugs or Connect the Dots. The show then plays Feb. 25 at the events, including a unique comedy night that has become increas Craterian Ginger Rogers Theater in Medford. Tickets are $8-$ 16 ingly popular with both the deaf and hearing communities. “What from the box office or 541-779-3000. started as a fund-raiser for us has turned into a community educa tion tool,” notes member Jeska Duckworth. “We reach out to as much of the community as possible by creating a space that welcomes everyone in everything we do.” The gala includes a sampling of deaf come his year’s diverse crop o f dy skits, a silent and live auction, African- Academy Award nominees inspired dance and D J Harmony. Entry is $8 actually reminds us why we or $10 for two, and all pnxieeds go toward get excited about these annual office space. Contact DHOR at 503-235-0840 accolades in the first place. (voice) or dhor@deafvision.net. The 2004 nods include un expected unknowns from as far away as New Zealand (Whale Ruler’s Keisha Castle-Hughes), Iran (House (if Sand and Fog’s Shohreh Aghdashloo), Benin (In America’s Charlize Theron should run away with the riangle productions! offers up a bit of cir Djimon Hounsou) anti Japan (The O scar for Best Actress, while G us Van Sant cular, sexular fun in its new show Circle Last Samurai's Ken Waranabe). may well amble off with the Independent Spirit through March 6 Queers have lots to look for Award for Best Director Based on Austrian playwright Arthur ward to, as well. Here’s who we Schnitzler’s 1897 play in which a character think deserves to take home trophies: Cold Mountain was overrated, Renée Zell from each scene interacts with a new character • Best Actor/Supporting Actor: It weger stole every scene from Nicole Kid in the next scene until a full-circle connection would he great to see Lost in Translatum's man—with some Sapphic subtext to boot. is made, triangle has queered up the normally Bill Murray (hee!) and The Cooler’s Alec • Best Documentary: Give the gold straight relationships, bringing an additional Baldwin (woof!) at the ptxlium, but to Capturing the Friedmans, an exposé element of emotional and sexual questioning drama queens should root for Mystic about a pedophilia scandal that shattered to the popular story, which has also been River’s Scan Penn and Tim Robbins. Sure, a family (including gay CJjegonian adapted by filmmakers and novelists. their acting was stellar, but c’mon; This is Howard Friedman). “People are searching for love through sex a pivotal election year, and we need some The Oscars air 5 p.m. Feb. 29 on ABC. ual contact,” says triangle’s Sherry Okamura, juicy political speeches from these out The really cool kids, however, will tune in “with mixed results.” spoken liberals. the day before for the infinitely edgier Circle is at Theater! Theatre!, 3430 S.E. • Best Actress: Charlize Theron Independent Spirit Awards hosted by Belmont St. Tickets are $17-$23 from channeled lesbian serial killer Aileen queer trashmeister John Waters. Our fin 503-239-5919 or TicketsWest. J H Wuomos in Monster, delivering the gers are crossed for gay Portlander Gus year’s best performance in any category. Van Sant, tapped for directing Elephant. Compiled by L isa B radshaw , M ec ; D aly , • Best Supporting Actress: Although Check it out 9 p.m. Feb. 28 on Bravo. j n C helsea F ine and J im R adosta Two years and counting We’d like te thank the academy T ■k é triangle comes full Circle t ;
