Bock, a New York City resident, said The
Thugs explores “how fear is created and what
it’s like to be afraid of something you don’t
know about.”
The play also provides an unflinching look
at office life. “It’s strange,” he thinks, “that we
live in a business world but so often we write
about family and love instead of work.”
Harrison, a Minneapolis resident, said he’s
interested in “the social acceptability of drag.”
He came up with the idea for Act a Lady while
doing research in a small town in southern
Minnesota. At a local museum he found hun
dreds of 1920s photos of men dressed as
women.
“Some looked like lumberjacks in wedding
gowns,” he said. “Others put great care into
how they kxiked.”
In the play, cross-dressing brings out latent
homosexual desires in some of the men.
For a complete listing of JAW/West events
and ticket info, visit www.pcs.org.
—Stephen Blair
Conduit jump-starts
new dance works
Gay writers Adam Bock (left) and Jordan Harrison will premiere their plays-in-progress during the
Just Add Water/West Festival through July 17.
Yamhill St. Tickets are $10-$ 14 sliding scale
from 503-221-5857.
—Rebecca Ragan
Scream come true
See the Light
A one-man show written and performed by
native Oregonian Ezra LeBank will raise
money for several queer-friendly charities this
month.
The Lynx Company’s A Light in the Dark
explores the moment of death when a person
desperately needs to find some closure and pur
pose in life before letting go ergirely. The play
is presented in six parts: The End, The Politics,
The Struggle, The Poetry, The Breaking of the
Shell and The Beginning.
“A Light in the Dark is about searching for
life in the moment of death,” LeBank told Just
Out. “At our core, withstanding all our differ
ences of race, sex, religion, etc., we all have to
As if the creative challenges of choreogra
Who is Sarah Bettens? She has written
phy aren’t daunting enough, Portland artists
international radio hits, including “Not an
also struggle to find decent rehearsal space.
Addict,” “Believe” and “Almost Happy,” has
Conduit Dance is addressing that need with
been awarded gold and platinum records in
Charged: The Conduit Commission Project, which
Europe and has been featured in Rolling Stone,
co-director Tere Mathem calls a mini-residency.
Vogue, The Chicago Sun-Titnes and Billboard.
Three choreographers were selected from a ptxtl
But despite her many accomplishments to
of applicants and given a set number of rehears
date,
Bertens is feeling like a first-timer now.
al hours each week in the Conduit studio.
That’s because rhe former singer for Belgium
In addition to providing valuable rehearsal
band K’s Choice has gone solo with her new
space, the three-month project also acts as a
record, Scream, a personal
forum for choreographers to receive feedback
“exorcism” telling the story of
from their peers. Charged has “created an envi
the dissolution of her mar
ronment where you can not just be creative,
riage and her coming out as a
but also have some suggestions about it, more
lesbian.
than just working alone in the studio,” says
“I had been wanting to do
Mathem.
this for a long time,” says
Several weeks into the project, an open
Bettens. “It’s a whole new
rehearsal for the public offered choreographers
challenge, and it makes me
another avenue for dialogue and fine-tuning.
feel like it’s my first record.
“It’s been incredibly useful to perform in
Everything has a new level of
front of other people along the way,” says
excitement to it, especially
Monster Squad choreographer Tahni Holt.
touring.”
Holt’s work for Charged is a solo titled
Scream finds Bettens taking
“Island Desk: My Teeny Tiny Knowledge of
risks as an artist, swaying
Nothing,” an adaptation of a larger piece that
between hard-charging rock
will be performed in the fall in collaboration
and pure pop bliss to create a
with Marty Schnaps and Chris Larson.
sound that goes beyond any
Lesbian choreographer Catherine Egan has
thing she’s done before. With
worked as movement director for several the
K's Choice singer Sarah Bettens comes out as a lesbian on her
just 10 days in a Los Angeles
ater companies and toured with Imago
solo debut, Scream.
studio to lay down most of the
Theatre’s Frog? pnxluction. Her company,
face death, and in that primal dance, we find
tracks, her overworked voice t<x>k on a rough
Eggshelled, will be presenting two pieces for
our common ground, searching for a life that
ness that gives the songs an edge. According to
Charged. “Scribble” is the more dancerly, says
heats our bkxxl and gives us a vitality that is
Bettens, “The whole record sounds more raw.”
Egan, and is set to an electric guitar version of
tmly worth dying for.”
Last summer she ttxrk her new material on a
Bach’s “Suite for Cello Number One.”
Proceeds benefit Metropolitan Community
test-drive
through
several
of
Europe
’
s
biggest
“The one with five {dancers] is ‘A Day.’ The
Church of Portland July 15, Basic Rights
festivals, often playing in front of crowds of
score is a day in rhe life of a working stiff with
Oregon July 16 and 17 and P’nai Or Education
more than 20,000 people.
abstracted movement from daily activ
Fund July 23 and 24-
Bettens was thrilled with
ity,” says Egan.
“These organizations are centered on build
the fan reaction. “The
Sinead Kimbrell of SpugMotion is
ing
progressive communities for those of us who
shows were amazing—the
choreographing “Duet D” for dancers
do not necessarily find strong community in the
K’s Choice fans were
Dorinda Holler and Beth Rankin.
mainstream of this culture, be it due to religion
really
excited
that
I
’
m
The theme is relationships, and the
or sexual orientation,” says LeBank, who is
doing something differ
ftxnwork is influenced by Kimbrell’s
heterosexual. “1 also want to encourage these
ent, and people who
background in Irish dancing.
communities
to embrace social theater as a
didn’t know me from
The Charged program is a pilot at
sacred communal space where all are not only
K’s Choice really
this point, bur Mathem and Conduit
welcome, but necessary.”
responded to the new
co-founder Mary Oslund hope to
A Light in the Dark plays 8 p.m. Thursdays
songs. It was way beyond
make it ongoing.
through
Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays
my
expectations.
”
“Charged is exciting to us.... It
until Aug. 7 at Back Door Theatre,
Ashleigh Flynn opens
allows us to solicit applications for our
4319 S.E. Hawthorne Blvd. Tickets are
9 p.m. July 19 at Imbibe,
programs to help artists, to sponsor
$10-$ 15 from 503-287-8737 or
2229 S.E. Hawthorne
them and shelter them,” says Oslund.
thelynxcompany@yahi x ».com.
Blvd. Cover is $10.
Performances of Charged are 8 p.m.
—Jim Radosta JF1
-JD
July 28 to 30 in Suite 401 at 918 S.W. Ezra LeBank
4 days/3 nights - $265-365 per person
(sliding scale)
3 days/2 nights - $200-300 per person
(sliding scale)
Join With-
ioo * lesbians
for a magical
women-only
weekend at
Breitenbush
Hot Springs
resort in
Central Oregon,
2 hours drive
from Portland
• Cozy heated cabins
and 3 delicious
vegetarian meals daily
• Hot springs pools and
lithium sauna
■ Hiking trails through
Oregon's old growth
forest
• Swimming hole with
crystal clear cold water
available
• Craftswomen space
• Amazing talent show
• Drumming circle
• Dancing
Registration deadline is August 1, 2005.
fees must be paid in Jult at that time.
For registration form call 503-284-0722.
or visit www.womeninthewoods.com
oj ..’a. I j
"k r "nr
b Q 1 ‘ ; j
so little
t? 1 - x 1
(check out page LU)
our friendly advertising
staff awaits your call
(*03) 236-12*3
•