Just out., June 17, 2005, Page 37, Image 37

to eventually find a position in a rural setting.
“These are the kids that need us,” he says. “That’s
where 1 think I could do the most g<xxl.”
He has he come active in the community since his
arrival here, and credits it tor re-energizing his spirit of
activism: “I’ve got to be loud again,” he says.
All the people gathered around the table are kxiking
forward to the Southern Oregon Pride celebration,
which has events scheduled throughout this month. The
community center is playing host to a number events;
volunteer coordinator and board member Leslie Sadur
notes that since the organization began, there has been
outstanding kcal media and business support.
Sadur, a retired banker, moved to Ashland two years
ago from Miami with her longtime partner. They had
heard that Ashland was relatively tolerant, but also
offered a small-town congeniality. Sadur works tirelessly
for the center and at many times during lunch is credit­
ed by the others for keeping it up and running: “She is a
support person for all the activists in town,” notes
Mancuso.
Although the assembled group sees conservative
Christians as the hotbed of right-wing action in the
area, they are all quick to credit the communities of
faith that have built bridges with the queer community.
In a town the size of Ashland, this takes guts. The
United Methodists, the United Church of Christ, the
Unitarians and the synagogue Emek Shalom have all
contributed to the queer community in a variety of ways,
from hosting gay-straight community dances to giving
money to the community center.
Although Ashland is not the mecca of queer
activism it once was at the height of the women’s land
movement and before AIDS, it is a place where people
feel the effects of their own visibility on a daily basis.
Their lack of fear encourages and motivates others to
resist bigotry and hatred.
Company executive director James Pate, is out sick that
Both Skinner and James recognize th.it the old-
day, but I’ve got the kx>t soldiers of the Grants Pass the­
money timber network that rules Grants Pass is not
ater revolution right here.
going to change easily, or with any speed.
Both men grew
"1 went to school at the same place as
up in Grants
my grandma,” says James. “Grants Pass
Pass and, after a
has been described as just like the ’50s
series of adven­
but with cable.
tures, decided to
You may recognize Tony James’
return.
name and face if you are a drama fan
Skinner lived
from Portland. He lived in Portland
in a couple of
and worked at the Northwest
different places,
Children’s Theater. 1 le was awarded
and when he
three Drammys for his work in various
came back he
productions. He decided to move back
started working
to Grants Pass during a difficult time,
for the ubiqui­
and he met Skinner when they worked
tous drive-
together in a production of Seven Brides
through coffee
for Seven Brothers.
Shane Skinner (left) and Tony James both grew
chain, Dutch
“Grants Pass has
up in Grants Pass, left and then came back.
Brothers. It was
changed a lot.
in this unlikely
Something’s changing,
hut that he met his first Radical
and I’m not sure what it
Faeries, who invited him up to
is,” he says. He thinks
Wolf Creek Sanctuary.
that it might be people
After his time there, Skinner
moving up from
realized he needed to go back to
California and that if
Grants Pass and do gtxxJ work: “I
there are progressive
V —
fl
feel my presence needs to be
people, they are staying
- -J'.,.. 1 "• Wl
here," he says. “I want to impact
pretty quiet.
rhe community at large, and I feel
“But 1 think this
that theater is a great way to talk
town is going to change
to people in rhe community.”
for the better in the
Part of Skinner’s plan was
next five years," he says
From left, Tony James. Alexxis Lombardo and
realized when Connect the Dots
Shane Skinner all do double duty in the office
hopefully.
of
Connect
the
Dots
and
behind
the
espresso
put on The Laramie Project and
Now the men are
machine at the Green Room.
held a series of community forums
scheming a prixluction of
about rhe subject of the play, which is based on more
Cabaret, but first a drag ball to celebrate Pride.
than 200 interviews with people in Laramie, Wyo., fol­
Their little enclave of queer youth culture does not
lowing the death of Matthew Shepard.
go unnoticed, and owners of a rival business have been
Although these forums got people talking, it was not
calling the police daily, reporting the typical problems:
until the second staging of The Vagina Monologues that
sex, drugs and nxk ’n’ roll, rhe later of which is the only
Connect tU T)ot6 and tke Gitem T coohl
Connect the Dots really felt the heat of conservatism in
vice present at the Green Rixim.
There are no Gay Straight Alliances in Grants Pass.
its community. Although Skinner and James perceive an
“Now that the cops know us, they’ve got our back,”
But there is the Green Rixim. When I walk in, the cafe
underground liberalism to the town, the production,
comments Skinner. But there is still the memory of
is filled with young people drinking coffee, talking and
which was meant to benefit the Women’s Crisis Support
when Wolf Creek was firebombed in the early ’80s and
playing games. About as wholesome as you could hope
Team, a kxral shelter, ended up creating such a commo­
no one did anything.
for, given that most of them, from outward appearances,
tion that there were letters to the editor in the local
Things are changing in Grants Pass, and as I drove
kxik pretty punk. Or gay. Or whatever. 1 try to reserve
newspaper for a month and a half. The Right to Life
out of town, I knew I would be coming back again,
my totally biased city judgment for one minute while I
organization of Josephine and Jackson counties wrote to
either to catch a play or just get to know this small town
seek out the people who run this place.
the fiscal sponsors of Connect the Dots, and the theater
underground a little better.
Shane Skinner and Tony James meet me, and I order
ended up losing approximately $40,000 in sponsorship
Continued on Page 38
a cup of coffee. Their boss, Connect the Dots Theatre
I revenues.
1
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