Just out., April 06, 2007, Page 26, Image 26

Blame Sally performs April 18 at Mississippi Studios.
Life· s a Bitch
Unlikely a tt may b , if the opportunity ever
ans to •ngagc m , vcrhal Juel with Bit h, walk
away. You will lo c. Ba<lly. Proof of Bitch' oral
prowe . i attere<l all over h r n w tour J fo re ,
Make This Break Thi (Kill Re k tar ), h r fir t lo
effort after a thrc - lbum tint a half of Bitch an<l
Animal.
"Un tick," th triumphant cello- and violin-
<lriven opener, ts the ton for Make This Break This,
which alternat m ni -depr ively betw en pie
an<l compact, p r onal and politi al, fearle and
weak. "I houl<l ju t top my mouth, pull it ff then
out, un ti k it fr m y ur <lick, take a I ng r ad trip,
kiss you goo<lbye, try not to cry and h pe you'll ome
ar und." Talk ab ut a m uthful.
The tow ring title tra k min imilar ground a
kooky lk' longer-wind d an wer to oft ell'
"Tainted Love, " whil "Almo t to the Water"
r vt its th relentle ly funky verbal pew f Bitch
and Animal' fin t work . Th fabulou ly furi ous
"Ri " i th late t in a long line of era k to take
Dubya to ca k for hi War in Error. While Bitch
claim d arli r in th re ord that he'd rath r "write
than fight," th r are I arly m worthy battle in
which h ' willing to parti ipate.
The nly mi t p, and a light ne at that, i th
10-minut collage of mu~tiple an wering ma hine
m ge t to mu ic and vo al that
bring th r c rd to a cl , but
v n that i empowering
enough to be forgiv n. At its
on lu ion, I found my elf
wi hing my fnenJ · would
con candy barrage m
with u h we t and
m morable me ag ' ·.
Now that Ani
OiFran o (who gave
Bit h nd nnnal th ir
auspt iou · tart on her own
Right ou Bahe Re ord )
n erncJ with
ng the rx 't laureat of
d •pr 10n, it'
·n oura 1 mg to h, V' te, r-
1 tnith- peaker like B,t h
to hak up th tat qu )
with her h aJ y fi lk-funk
t w.
- Jim Thump on
Bitch bring her
politicaNy charged,
pop-culture-driven
and deeply
personal songs to
town April 11.
Mexican-American lesbian author Myriam Gurba reads April 9 at Powell's.
held every second Monday at Albina Press Coffee Shop .
(6:30 pm. 4637 N Albina Ave. Cody Bambino
503-313-3636. cody@pridefoundation.org.J
O-LAND and loveTribe present a free men's core
strength yoga class to reduce stress followed by a free
men's restorative/yin yoga class to promote deep relax-
ation. (6:30-7:45 pm core, 8-9: 15 pm restorative. RSVP to
503-223-8822 or www.lovetribe.org/menspirit.)
Combining the spark of Michelle Tea, the comic angst of
Augusten Burroughs and the warmth of Sandra Cisneros,
Myriam Gurba has created a territory all her own in her
first book, Dahlia Season. Powell's Books presents a read-
ing with Elizabeth Ellen (Before You She Was a Pitbu/1) .
(7:30 pm. 1005 W Burnside St.)
TUE • APRIL 10
The Portland Area Business Association holds its
monthly meeting at MacTarnahan 's Taproom w i th
a presentation by Our House of Portland's John Oules .
(11 :30 am- 1 pm. 2730 NW 31st Ave. $7-$20 from
www.paba.com.)
(co\
Alberta Street Public House resurrects Suck My
Mic hosted by Tamara J. Brown every
Wednesday! (9 pm. 1036 NE Alberta St.)
W, Open
THU • APRIL 12
Elder Resource Alliance invites older members of the
sexual minorities community to meet each other, share
common interests and enjoy fun conversation every
second Thursday at Niki's Restaurant. (1 -3 pm. 736 SE
Grand Ave.)
WED • APRIL 11
Oregon Tradeswomen offers an information session at
the Portland Community College Workforce Training
Center in which participants prepare for high-wage, high-
skilled careers in the building trades and learn about
apprenticeships. (2-4 pm. 5600 NE 42nd Ave. Register at
503-335-8200, ext. 21 .)
Queer author Ariel Gore teaches the memoir workshop
The Language of Your Life Wednesdays through March
21 at The Attic . (10 am-noon or 7:30-9:30 pm. 4232 SE
Hawthorne Blvd. $290 from 503-963-8783 or
www.atticwritersworkshop.com.)
Dingo's wants its girls back! The lesbian-owned
bar invites you back to Girls Night Out
every Thursday. (5:30 pm. 4612 SE Hawthorne
Blvd. Print out a coupon for $1 off any margarita at
www.girlsongay.com.)
District hosts Salon Q, a monthly mixer for men and
women to socialize in a smoke-free environment. (7 pm.
232 NW 12th Ave.)
W, taco
Gay Playwright Collaborates with Fierce Females
Glass artist Jun Kaneko is on display through Ju
Kaiser Permanente presents Problem-Solving for Same-
Gender Couples Thursdays through May 17 at Interstate
Medical Office Central. learn decision-making, stress-
management and negotiation strategies and other
essential relationship skills to enhance your ability to
communicate more effectively and better deal with
conflict. (6:30-8:30 pm. 3500 N Interstate Ave. $90
member couples, $130 nonmember couples from
503-286-6816, ext. 1.)
Powell's on Hawthorne presents a reading by Hip Mama
founder Ariel Gore, whose new book, How to Become
a Famous Wdter Before You 're Dead, is an irreverent and
empowering guide filled with secrets they never teach you
in fancy master's degree programs to help aspiring writ-
ers turn themselves into buzzworthy authors. (7:30 pm.
3723 SE Hawthorne Blvd.)
FRI • APRIL 13
Hip Chicks Do Wine teaches a Wine and Cheese Pairing
Class. Cost includes a flight of seven wines paired with
four to five cheeses. (6-7 pm. 4510 SE 23rd Ave. $30 from
503-234-3790.)
(co\
.
Lesbian-owned Touchstone Coffee House throws
W, one final party to thank supporters for eight years of
connecting through community. Featuring live
music by The Snippet Birds, a potluck and drawings for
unique prizes every 15 minutes! (6-9 pm. 7631 NE Glisan St.)
.,,,
Eighteen year ago, a fi mal fri nd talk d Jonn Jorgen en into writing
a h rt auditi n pi ce fi r h r.
Though the gay Montana native ha b en inv lved in many a p cts of
th acer- acting, dir cting, horeographing and rage managing-Jergen n
n ver planned t be om a playwright.
He certainly didn't kn w at th tim that chi h rt auditi n pi ce w uld
v ntually v lve into a full work that w uld be performed in N w York ity,
t. Thoma , Mi ula, Mont., and now in P rtland.
Nonetheles , he wrote th audition piece for hi frienJ .
A ut 10 y ar later, wh nth y wer b th in New York, th ame fri nd
a kcd Jorgen n to write a fi w m r monologue . Unb kn wn t t him, h
al h ked 79- eat theat •r for a performan of hi ripe.
Jorg n n r lls: ") never really onsiJ red playwriting until I had to, until
I haJ chi deadlin ti king on m and a really in i tent friend who id, 'Yi , you
an.' When I tarted, I crually founJ I had pl nry c · y and writ about."
Thu , Other Women wa horn.
A reading of th work wa tag d at N w York ity' Trilogy Theatr in
2 . Then Jurgen en took it on the road with him, tinkering with th ripe
The monologues of Other Women celebrate fascinating, frank, funny and
b ·ewe n p rforrnan e in Montana anJ th U. . Virgin I land .
furious females who defy convention.
·
"Then I r ally th ught I wa all don with it," ay Jorgens ·n, who moved
to Portland in 2005.
Th ompany Je ideJ to in lude Other
Wh n h arrived in th
ity f Ro , Jorg ns n l oked fo r work a an Women in i
onJ a n.
a tor. uring auditto , h n ti ed that P rd nd emed to hav " n embar-
Roger p rti ul rly like th pi
ra ment of ri h " when it am co in r diblc a ere . In fa t, it m d to b au e it explore nd elebrate the life
J rg n that there w re 10 gr t a tre ' fi r very available rol .
exp ri n e of women with ut ali nating
J rg n n h ard bout Th Blu tc king , Portland' n w th ater compa- the m n in th audien c. "It' not
ny f " y it ," thr ugh fn nd wh wa · in olv d with th gr up. o he Menopause: The Mus ical, if you know what
J • td d to all up arti ·tt <lir t r Buffie Roger nd propo that The I mean," he ay .
Blu t kmg produ ' ther Women.
Th Blu to ki~g p ni rm the We t
The 1d aw mtti lly gr red with k pti i m. fter all, th ompany h d
oa t premier f ther Women thr ugh
be n fi rm d to h w a P rtl nd' femal th at r tal nt.
April 15 at Th at r Th atr , 3430 .E.
But th y gr d to read ov r th
ript. And th r t i ht tory.
Belm nt t. Ticke ar
12, 15 from
"We had nay a er until th y read it," ay Rog . "Then w had on
503-274-9 0 .
- Rebecca Ragain Jann Jorgenun