apri! 16. 2004 - jU S t «Mit 45
DIVERSIONS
................ ▼................
It’s so
much nicer
with two
work and Directory (Q L A N D ) and
plagued hy war and economic recession, Gavio
hosted hy Poison Waters.
tas is somewhat of a miracle of community
QLAND outreach workers decked
determination and cooperation— rain forest
out in shawls and had wigs will make
regrowth out of dry grasslands, solar kettles
introductions between you and that guy
boiling water under cloudy skies, kids on see
wo of Portland’s
you have your eye on. “Some people have
saws pumping water.
most outstanding
a big problem with introducing them
“It’s a story you almost can’t believe is real,”
live performance
selves," says party organizer Kurt Hunter.
notes Lane, who is collaborating with Portland
groups— Bodyvox and
“We’ll be there to operate as icebreakers.”
lesbian composer Joan Szymko and the Viridi-
Third
Angle
New
O
nce
the
ice
is
chipped,
Yenta
will
tas choir, as well as Los Llaneros, a hand from
by Lisa B radshaw
Music Ensemble— are
let you gab for a moment and then hus
eastern Columbia, where Gaviotas is located.
collaborating for the
tle you along. If you and Mr. Hottie
Los Llaneros’ music sets the stage for the dance
April 22 and 23 pre
clicked, then you can reconnect later
company’s sensual and moving spectacle that
miere of Water Bodies.
on your own. Your yenta will make sure
tells the community’s hopeful story.
Bodyvox dancers
you’re well supplied with a mini safer-
Weisman will be on hand to sign copies of
and founders Jamey
sex kit. So thoughtful she always is!
his hook after the April 16 performance. Tick
Hampton and Ashley
Hunter says the matchmaking party
ets to Entusiasmo! are $20-$26 from
ortland queer women are m eeting each
Roland choreographed
is an example o f how Q LA N D strives
503-231-1232 or TicketsWest.
oth er in droves now th at Tart and Diva
the multimedia perform
to model safer-sex behaviors, not
have shaken things up at H olocene.
ance, which blends
preach about them. “Rather than just
dance, live music, film
saying, ‘Here’s what you should do,’ we
e
But you prohahly w on’t see Pauline
and other projections.
want to actually show them, ‘This is
M iriam there.
T h e new work is “a
what you do.’ ”
Being over 50, the cluh scene just isn’t
fantasia on the theme
T he fairly new organization “pro
Miriam’s thing. N ot being exactly a shy flower,
o f water,” says Daniel
vides opportunities for gay m en .. .to
either, she went ahead and started her own
K irk, who dances in
enjoy one another’s company,” Hunter
dating service.
the production along
continues, “while also keeping in mind
“N ecessity is th e m other o f in ven tion ,”
with his partner, Eric
health and wellness and making that
smiles th e proud ow ner o f Cruise C ontrol
Skinner, who also
not something that has to he a chore
Daniel Kirk and Eric Skinner
PD X. H er first singles event is April 25 at
helped choreograph.
hut something you can do and he per
You’d be disappointed if they
H obo’s.
Kirk and Skinner,
fectly happy doing.”
weren’t lovers
“Having suddenly and unexpectedly
who have been danc
Q LA N D is also sponsoring Men
So long cute boys of P laying It Straight
found myself single at the ripe age o f 50, 1
ing together for 15 years, just fin
Massaging Men the third Wednesday of every
spent the past few years looking
ished a tour o f Bodyvox s R everie at
month beginning April 2 1 . This massage
for avenues in w hich to find
the Joyce Theater in New York.
exchange combines intimacy and wellness, as
datable older w om en,” says
“T h e Joyce Theater is sort o f the
participants will learn how to give and receive
Portland’s new lesbian madam.
apex of contemporary dance,”
nurturing touch, to ask for what they want and
N oting she found herself “dread
explains Kirk. “It’s the equivalent of
to set boundaries around what they don’t want.
nd the queer television news just keeps
ing yet one more potluck” (th at
singing opera at the Met.”
Q LA N D is seeking more members to plan
rolling in.
one cuts across the generations,
T he couple have their own dance
future events. Call 503-281-2076 or visit
Apparently obsessed with proving just
doesn’t it?) and needing to take a
company, too: Skinner/Kirk Dance
www.qland.org.
how creepy gays can be, the Party Monster
break from political groups, she
Ensemble. “Eric and I have a chem
writing/directing team o f Fenton Bailey and
found her options “extrem ely
istry,” says Kirk. “Part of it is just
Randy Barbato premiere their latest documen
lim ited.”
because we’ve been dancing side by
Pauline Miriam
tary, T h e H idden F ü h rer: D ebatin g th e E nig
Although Miriam’s ultimate
side since 1989, and part of it is
prov ides fun .stuff
m a o f H itler’s Sexuality, April 20 on Cinem ax.
goal is to provide meeting opportu
because we’ve had this romantic rela
lor the ('Id hroad>
Based on the 2001 book The Hidden Hitler
nities for older women, any queer
tionship for 13 years. So there’s a con
n another one-of-a-kind collaboration, Port
by German historian Lothar M achtan, the gay
woman 21 and older can sign up
nection between us that is different
land’s D o Jump! Extrem ely Physical T h e
directors use recently discovered archival docu
for speed dating and then you’ll he
than I could possibly have with any other dancer.”
ater premieres E n tu siasm o!: A Show About
ments, film footage, photos and interviews with
shuttled into your age group at the event.
It’s not his imagination. Audience members
H ope April 16 to 18 at Newmark Theatre.
authors and professors to explore A dolf Hitler’s
Here’s what happens after you register at
see it, too. In fact, once after a show in which the
W hen the company’s lesbian founder, Robin
life before he rose to power in the 1930s.
www.cru isecontrolpdx .com:
couple performed a trapeze duet, Kirk “received
Lane, read a book called Gaviotas: A Village to
Meanwhile on a distinctly lighter note, Bravo
1. Bring $15 to Hobo’s at 4 p.m. April 25.
one of the best pieces of feedback I’ve gotten in
Reinvent the World by Alan Weisman, she was
has plans to begin production on Q ueer Eye for
2.
Hang out with a woman for eight min my career.” A woman approached him after the
“so moved and inspired," she conducted more
th e Straight Qirl. W e’re not making this up. Not
utes— long enough to find out if she could be a
show and said: “I’m not prying, but the whole
research on the small Colombian town and
content to have a meaningful, pioneering hit
stalker or has six other girlfriends or whatever,
time I was watching that, I was hoping you guys
attended a conference featuring the man respon
show where two groups who needed it— straight
hut short enough to avoid running out of
were lovers. In my mind, you guys are, and I’d be
sible for creating a paradise from a pile of sand.
and gay men— get together to bond, the network
things to say.
disappointed if you weren’t.”
Gaviotas is an experimental community
has clearly decided that saturating the audience
3.
Move on to another woman and do the
that has created ingenious solutions to envi
W ater Bodies shows at Arlene Schnitzer
with uninspired spinoffs is the way to go. Since
same thing.
ronmental problems, including power, hunger,
C oncert Hall. Tickets are $18-$39 from the
when do straight women need help shopping?
4.
Continue moving on to spend eight m in box office or Ticketmaster.
agriculture and employment. In a country
A nd, finally, the somewhat homophobic
utes with various women u n til....
yet strangely enter
5.
M eet-and-Greet intermission. This is
taining reality dating
where you can talk to anyone you want—
show P laying It
maybe get hack in touch with one of your
Straight has been
“dates” you particularly liked.
whipped off the air
6.
G o home (or go drink at the bar with
hat’s right, your yenta (aka Jewish grandmoth
due to had ratings.
some attractive woman) and wait for Miriam,
er, not Barbra in drag) is coming to town.
Fox promises to bring
er, I mean T h e Matchmaker to e-mail you the
it hack later in the
names o f women who liked you. (Careful, your
In fact, a whole army o f yentas will he on
summer when every
mailbox space could max out!)
hand from 9 p.m. to midnight May 7 at C .C .
one has forgotten
Speed dating is not a new idea, hut this
Slaughters
what’s going on and ’
one is based in Portland, and Miriam won’t
to help you
nolxxJy watches T V
let you forget it. Sh e plans to carry over the
find a date.
anyway. It was
dating events into other social activities for
It’s a Yenta
replaced with what
older women. “1 think that as a community,
M atch
are sure to he ratings
we fail to provide for our elders. Being a
making
grabbers: Totally O ut
recent elder, I feel the isolation, and 1 want to
Party, spon
rageous Behavior and
see it change.”
sored by the
World's Craziest
W ill Miriam he available at her own dating
HIV/STD
Videos J H
event? I’m not sure you could keep her from it.
prevention
“I’ve always been a mover and a shaker,” she
and wellness
(Compiled hy
concedes. “If Cruise Control succeeds, then I
organization
L isa B radshaw
may be able to realize my goal of providing fun
G et a little closer with Q L A N D Queer Love
and M eg D aly
D o Jum p! is back with its most ambitious production in 2 6 seasons
stuff for the old broads!” j n
during Men Massaging Men
A ction N et
It!
T
Old lesbians
organizing for dates
Ji
P
First Jeffrey Dahmer,
now this
A
Do Jump! is selling hope.
Are we buying?
I
It’s
yenta, dahlink,
not Yentl!
T