novemher 13.20Ü4 *
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THEATER
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hat do Nazi Germany and George W.
Bush’s America have in common?
More than you may want to know,
suggests an upcoming prixluction by
Theatre Vertigo.
The play in question is A Bright Room Called
Day, written in 1987 by Tony Kushner, the gay
author of Pulitzer Prize winner Angels in Ameri-
ca. Using poetic language and stark imagery, he
compares the rise of Hitler and fascism in early
1930s Germany with Ronald Reagan’s ultra-
conservative presidency in the 1980s. In his
notes, however, Kushner encourages theater
companies to update the play to reflect current
political situations.
Theatre Vertigo has stayed true to most of
the play, especially the scenes that depict a
group of German artists and societal misfits
whose lives and freedoms are threatened by
the rise of fascism. In the original version, a
modern-day American Jewish woman named
Zillah interrupts the 1930s storyline to rant
about Reagan. But in this production, she
takes fire at our current president, evoking
not-so-subtle parallels between Dubya and
Hitler.
Gary Norman, an outspoken gay Portland
actor with a prominent role in the play, recent
ly met with Just Out to discuss Bright Room and
its implications for queers.
Save the country
W
N
orman is a hairdresser at London Influence
downtown. His previous theater credits
include What the Butler Sate and Christmas
with the Crawfords at Triangle Productions and a
recent production of Man of La Mancha by
Lakewtxxl Theatre Company in Lake Oswego.
In Bright Room, Norman portrays Baz, a
member of a leftist circle of friends and an
Upon landing the role of Baz, Norman did
research on fascism and the treatment of homo
sexuals in 1930s Germany.
Tony Kushner parallels Nazi Germany
and GOP America
S
B
by
tephen
T
l a ir
Gary Norman (left, with Julie Starbird) stars in A Bright Room Called Day as Baz, a persecuted
homosexual under a fascist regime. Sound familiar?
employee at the Berlin Institute for Human
Sexuality. Prior to the rise of the Nazis, Baz
enjoyed a thriving gay culture in Berlin, filled
with nightclubs and drag bars. But the emerging
Nazi movement condemned homosexuals
because they did not reproduce the Aryan race.
Norman likened Baz’s plight to the strug
gles that face queer Americans under Bush’s
leadership.
“During an interrogation, my character is
flat out told that they’re building a concentra
tion camp for people like him because they
knew he was gay,” he said. “Now we’ve had this
twisted measure wanting to ban gay marriage,
which I think is ridiculous. I got married this
year. Bush wants to amend the Constitution.
He wants to write discrimination in it against
gay people. I’ve heard that the evangelical
Bible-thumper movement is getting bigger and
bigger. They’re so hypocritical and hateful.
They’re the most un-Christian Christians I’ve
ever seen or heard.”
Prior to starting this production, Norman’s
only exposure to Kushner’s work was through
H BO’s miniseries of Angels in America. He fell
in love with Bright Rocnn on his first reading.
“It’s beautiful and thought-provoking,” he
said. “I knew I had to be a part of the produc
tion. I do like doing musicals, hut it’s not my
first choice. I’d rather do something that’s got
some meat on it. If I wasn’t cast, I was going to
volunteer to help costume it.”
heatre Vertigo considered producing
A Bright R am (Called Day last season hut
decided to pass it by. “It made the cut this
year," Norman said, “which is pretty interesting
given what’s going on in the world, or this
country' anyway.”
Bright R am is no period piece about prob
lems that are over and done with. “It really
points out that what’s going on there could he
going on in any city in this country right now,”
Nonnan explained. “It doesn’t have to be
Berlin in 1933.”
It’s mind-blowing, Nonnan said, that Hitler’s
rise to power and his crimes against humanity
were ever allowed to happen “If our country
continues to go the way it is going, people will
start to see the similarities.”
True, Bright Rtxm isn’t the most cheerful
holiday play you could drum up. But it’s certain
ly one of your best shots to see provocative and
substantial theater this season.
“We’re hoping that people have seen
enough Christmas Carols and SantaLand Diaries
and they’ll take a chance and come see some
thing fresh,” Norman said. jH
A B right R com C alled D ay plays 8 p.m.
Thursday through Saturday and 7 p.m. Sunday
frcm Nov. 26 to Jan. 1, 2005, at Theater
Theatre, 3430 S.E . Belmtmt St. Tickets are
$15 frcm www.theatrevertigo.org.
S tephen B lair is a cat lover", a Jrmi Mitchell
fanatic and a Portland free-lance tenter. You can
unite him at cleo97206@yaha).com.
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