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
___
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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