Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (June 1, 2007)
theater Plays for Gays Will the Drammys find something queer to honor at this year's ceremony? by Timothy Krause ~f ill anything queer top the bill at the later introduced us to the feminine predications of Well, the current awards season 2007 Drammy Awards? Hard to say, Act a Lady—arguably the most adorable, charming began with at least one holdover from but one thing is clear: Portland’s and utterly delightful gender-benders of the season. that genre, namely Artists Repertory gay theater scene has seen a stage * 1 Playing in tandem with Act a Lady was a little Theatre’s Theater District, a sensitive late-night nod called The Thugs, which included family drama about a conflict that, true After a long history with many incarnations, a giddy gaybee peeped among a corps of cubicle char enough, I only wish we’ve grown there were no more raves for Stark Raving Theatre— acters. No big deal, right? Well, not until The Portland beyond. But it wasn’t long before we a queer-friendly venue that turned up toes for gixxl Mercury decided to stand up for queers everywhere saw stories where queer characters lived last summer during the run of Vamp. Triangle and call out actor Kelsey Tyler’s interpretation as sorta like we live here in Portland. You Productions, on the other hand, continued genre offensively flamboyant. PCS’ self-proclaimed homo might argue “assimilated"; I prefer “inte reassignment out of the milieu of camp, drag and skin (and, incidentally, artistic director) Chris Coleman grated,” where we are on even footing (Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Pageant and nearly every then stepped in to defend Tyler’s pink fanny pack, with other characters and where our show before 2006) to the straight-cut, apple-pie arguing that (duh) diversity must be inclusive of perspectives are valued to advance the Plaids, warm-and-fuzzy dogs that sing and a nun-too- stereotypes. Merc reviewer Alison Hallett responded: story, gay-focused or not. Semantics? Perhaps. But it’s offended and who defines what’s progressive, what’s funny Christmas catechism in a church. What’s next? “The mere fact that a character is gay should not in not how a story affects being gay, but rather how diverse or what’s even a stereotype, for that How the Soccer Mom Solved the Mystery of the Mall! and of itself be funny.” being gay affects the story. matter...it’s also cool that live, local theater is ___ ___ of transition during the past year. Bisexuality complicated relationships in Profile Theatre's honorable production of The Sisters Rosensweig. One hopeful sign was the introduction of Key Which nixes my one-and-only chance at a career Think of local gay dramatist William S. Gregory’s playing the role of not only entertainer hut provoca Productions and Can’t Say 1 Do, a politically in comedy, but leads me to my point: Looking back Chateau Joyeux, in which a lesbian relationship was teur. 1 mean, seriously: When was the last time a charged musical about same-sex marriage from at the season’s 100-plus productions, I sense a change part-and-parcel to other issues at hand. Recall how Kellerized bus-and-truck production tapped your Rose City rookies. Though the production was ulti in the role we queers play. Remember how in the big bisexuality complicated relationships in Profile head as well as your wallet? mately tepid, it was hot to have spunky new kids on arts canon of life we’ve shifted from invisible inspira Theatre’s honorable production of The Sisters the block to fill Triangle’s gay-lovin’ hole. tion to subtle subtext, leaping from once-reviled Rosensweig. Or take note of Hand2Mouth Theatre’s Portland theaters, An increasing number of plays dragged up gender odious pervert to witty and clever sidekick? Then, wild and raucous Repeat After Me spectacle, which moments probably won’t even be mentioned at this issues. Jakers Productions snuck through the Back more recently, LGBTQ clicked as the entertainment seamlessly incorporated several same-sex encounters. year’s ceremony. The Fall of the House— a crazy four- Door in Silence, tiptoeing through an otherwise royal industry’s stock market ticker symbol, and we were And in One Day, the high-minded Sojourn week experiment in live, late-night serialized soap monster of boy-discovers-he’s-a-girl road trip. Friends center stage. Not yet as individuals, but as a people— Theatre—known for civic engagement story opera kicked up by those glam gams of The of Liberace shacked up with Daughters of Mary Kay our “lifestyle.” telling—shared not one but two queer days in the Bluestockings—didn’t have enough performances life of P-town. As a whole, to qualify for consideration. Who knew there’d be these were opportunities to an audience for four performances, far less the nec when club kids Sissyboy stripped The Maids of recogni tion. Northwest Children’s TV But even as we celebrate the creativity of the most exciting queer experience our lives beyond the essary eight? Yet this very funny and hip theater of Theater gave a whale of a sur “oh my God you’re gay” drama the ad-lib built a young and enthusiastic following prise when dear queer John (PCS’ unfortunate Bad Dates that came back each week to see spontaneous Ellingson played a frocked-up notwithstanding). candor improv’d around loosely scripted scenarios, Headmistress panting I for 5 Captain Ahab in Moby Dick: Perhaps the most charged including lesbian and bi storylines that were post-play discussions this sea honestly quite touching. The good news? Season The Musical, only to be topped son followed Many Hats’ Mutt, two is already in the works. by understudy Travis Brown’s a controversial new work by last-minute local scene-sealing queer dramatist Lava The 28th annual DRAMMY A wards ceremony, Alapai that dropped jaws with its hosted by award-winning gay director and actor And revivals of Hedwig semi-autobiographical response Andrés Alcala, will be held June 11 at Crystal might well be considered the to race mles faced by an African- Ballroom, 1332 W. Bumside St. Doors open at gays’ golden Nutcracker, even if American lesbian who didn’t 6 p.m., and the ceremony begins at 7, followed by an oft-ovated Wade McCollum know she was black until college. after-party presented by Portland Area Theatre continues to chase other roles The play wasn’t about the char Alliance. Admission is free. For details visit in skirts, as when he predict acter’s sexuality, but sexuality was www.drammy.info. ably, though ably, manned inseparable from her story. stand-in as wife Esta. I Am My Own Wife at Portland So while it’s kinda funny that TIMOTHY K rause is marketing director for Miracle Center Stage in that same cozy we’ve come to a point of arguing Theatre Group and concluding his third year on the about who is permitted to be Drammy committee. new subterranean studio that Queer dramatist Lava Alapai dropped jaws starring in Mutt, her semi-autobiographical play about an African-American college student who discovers she's black. f
