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DECEMBER 1g, 2005____________________________________________________________________________________________________
II! IHIIi l!00E23O67qO4857YEAHIHBEUIEUI
A Year in Theater
Nancy Sellers
Beats Cancer
Exit stage right, enter stage left
by Jaymee R. Cuti
Former Our House leader
speaks candidly
ortland’s theater scene saw much com
P
by Jaymee R. Cuti
ancer survival, a change in directors and demolition of a
C
motion in 2005 with the emergence of
new playhouses and the retiring of others.
building mark the major changes at Our House of Portland
in 2005. Nancy Sellers had led the residential care facility for
Portlanders said hello to the only pro
people with AIDS since 1999. When she stepped down in
fessional musical theater company in
January after being diagnosed with uterine cancer, board
town when Stumptown Stages opened Urinetown,
chairman Wayne Miya took over as interim executive director.
its premiere production. The company began when
Our House also underwent major renovation. The original facility,
associate artistic director Gary Wayne Cash joined
built in 1959, was demolished last month, and rebuilding has begun.
artistic director Kirk Mouser earlier this year. The
company aims to stage original musicals with social
Sellers spoke with Just Out about beating cancer and her plans for
messages.
the future.
2 Boards Productions opened its second play,
Dog Opera, a second-generation AIDS play. The
Jaymee R. Cuti: How is your health?
Nancy Sellers: My health is great. I completed all of my treatment,
company, which formed in the summer, is led by
Jamie Lynne Powell-Herbold, who is bisexual.
surgery, radiation and nine months of chemotherapy, and I’m fine.
Everything’s clear.
Nancy Sellers considers cancer
a challenge to be a good
Buddhist.
"The idea of simple theater, that theater is two
boards and a passion, has always interested me,”
Wade McCollum croons at a promotion for his
musical. One.
he said.
JRC: Congratulations. Are you planning to return to Our
House?
NS: I can’t say I’m quite ready. I’m still involved with Our House. I’m going to help them with their capital
brainchild One, an original rock musical interpre
campaign. I just started to feel well enough that I’m giving myself a break to do things with my kids and a little
tation of Siddhartha, the story of Buddha. One,
bit of traveling. I’m giving myself about six months to regain my strength and build stamina. Then I’ll think about
which aspires to land on Broadway, debuted at Wonder Ballroom, a new venue owned by arts promoters Mark
Theatergoers embraced actor Wade McCollum’s
Woolley, Chris Monlux and Howie Bierbaum. Once a boarded-up build
what my next steps are.
borhood, the historic building is now drawing a variety of national an
which includes a cafe and art gallery.
JRC: What was most unexpected about the experience?
NS: The mental part of cancer was so much of a surprise to me. I couldn’t believe how tired I could be men
McCollum landed a prestigious award from the Los
tally. I had some silly notion I could read all these books I haven’t read, but the treatment was so assaulting that
Angeles Drama Critics Circle Awards in 2005 for his perform
at times I didn’t have the energy to turn the page.
ance in the title role of Hedwig and the Angry’ Inch.
This year marked the fourth and final installment of 2 Gyrlz
Performative Arts’ Enteractive language Festival, a multimedia
JRC: How you feel about stepping down from Our House?
NS: They’re in great hands. Wayne Miya is a very solid executive director. He brings a lot of skills to the job.
spectacle of regional and global artists converging for a month
to explore interdisciplinary and pan-genre themes, before an
He stepped right in from basically the day I announced I was leaving and made a huge commitment.
audience.
Founders Lisa Newman and Llewyn McCobb plan to revive
JRC: What perspective has surviving cancer afforded you?
NS: I think if you really paid attention with cancer, you could be a good Buddhist. The first thing cancer’s
the festival in a new format in 2007. The group is on hiatus as
done is it really slowed me down. It was a habit to have my life filled full of details and lists. You just have to
Newman prepares for a one-year master’s program at
learn to take it one day at a time and be as present as you can because you never knew how you were going to
Darlington College of Arts in Devon, England. By spending a
feel from one hour to the next or one minute to the next. I certainly think cancer makes me say I have to live
year in Europe, the pair plan to explore and participate in fes
at a pace that allows me to take good care of myself. If that means sacrificing some other things, so be it.
tivals throughout the continent.
There is more depth in my relationships, and 1 have to spend good time with my grandkids and my daugh
Don Horn, who founded Triangle Productions 15 years
ter and son and friends. I don’t think I was doing that before. That’s the way 1 ought to live every day, regard
less of whether I have cancer or not. There’s great opportunity for a whole lot of life right now. ©
ago, ended the season with a smash hit, The Rocky Horror
Show starring McCollum.
Hom announced his semi-
retirement, vowing to produce one choice play every year with
Triangle, one of the oldest gay-identified theater companies on
the West Coast.
QntuiK-
Richard
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