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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (July 18, 2008)
JULY 18, 2008 theater justout 41 Peacock Productions, Inc. presents a Life's a Butch Gender-bending characters contain multitudes Pony minated history while contemplating the limits “Are you ready?" and possibilities of gender: What supposedly This is Portland Center Stage artistic direc makes a man a man, a woman a woman, and how tor Chris Coleman’s standard line when he faces have these concepts played into the history of the packed crowds at the theater’s annual Just humankind? Add Water Festival. And hy standard we mean German playwright Manfred Karge’s 1982 much-loved; Coleman imparts a furtive intimacy one-person piece Man to Man, which is receiving with the audience when introducing the world a new production in Portland, reverses Wixilfs premiere works-in-progress, known as PCS’ most trajectory: Rather than sliding from male to fe adventurous offerings of the year. Whether Cole male, its protagonist starts out as male and goes on man himself is ready or not, his hair is usually to assume femaleness—and takes up, chronologi cally speaking, almost exactly where Orlando left blown back by the immediate audience response: “WlXXXXXXXKXXXKXlo!!!” oft. (Interestingly, film versions of kith Orlando and In addition to the four staged readings that Man to Man were released in the early ’90s, kith with have traditionally comprised the heart of the fes Tilda Swinton playing the gender-traversing lead.) tival, a gaggle of events awaits you. But your queer Man to Man is an important (if unofficial) continua- eye for the JAW Festival will point you straight to ti<>n of Wixilfsproject—a gender-switching journey that spans from the 1920s and 1980s, when world Sally Oswald’s Pony. historical events caught the people of Germany Pony is a pitch-black queer drama based on Georg Buchner’s 1837 play Woyzeck, that hilari in the crossfire as that nation lurched from the ous German romp in which a man goes crazy after libertine Weimar Republic to the rise of Nazism undergoing medical experimentation and stabs to postwar American occupation/reconstruction his girlfriend. In working on the project Oswald and Gold War division. Every character in was, in her own words via Karge’s play—men, e-mail, “driving myself in women, old, young, sane trying to write a play about some hutches in some ultimately running to dozens of characters woods." in addition to central Oswald’s casting notes call for three characters to personage Ella-Gerick- le, a widowed woman be “self-styled masculine leaning genders,” including who takes on • her de parted husband’s male butch or transgender ac tors. Two other characters identity—is meant to be played by one ac are women, including a tor in a sort of onstage violence-prone answer to manifestation of Walt Buchner’s Marie. Whitman’s “I contain “I think it’s important multitudes.” In this to get gritty, complex and case, the multitudes will heartbreakingly honest por be contained within the trayals out there—especially Sally Oswald hopes to boost honest talented, accomplished serious images of masculine portrayals of masculine women and English actress Tarn women or trans men. Some trans men. Sinclair, in a produc how they continue to be ta tion presented by the avant-garde U.K.-based boo, even in queer media,” Oswald notes. theater company The Kelman Group. What she’s done about it is to co-found The group has a close connection to Portland: ButchCastingProject.com, a Web site connecting Founder Bob Lix.kwix>d, who is directing the play, butch-seeking producers with performers. Look for blog posts from Portland during the week lead studied and collaborated with the late Scott Kel man—a storied figure in American theater and a ing up to Pony’s JAW debut. long-term Portland resident—and the group, with Although Pony presents a dangerous world, its commitment to provocative, political perform its instantly recognizable characters, haunted by ance work across varied media, grew out of (and transition and change, pull the audience in. “I was named after) LixkwixxJ’s embrace of Kel want to write plays that give the audience space man ’s ideas and techniques. With Man to Man, its to be creative and sit with something strange and new,” Oswald shares of her aspirations, “and to enjoy sparks of unexpectedness in themselves.” The 10th JAW Festival runs through July 20 in Gerding Theater at the Armory, 128N.W. 11th Ave. For the complete schedule visit www. pcs.org/jaw. —Jessica Wallenfels Man to Man Virginia Woolfs famous, centuries- and gender spanning novel Orlando, published in 1928, illu third project here since 2003, The Kelman Group is offering to Rose City theatergoers perhaps its most ambitious work to date—a unique, challeng ing performance experience based in that foun dational queer theory that posits the malleability of gender once exposed to the liberating power of the human imagination. Man to Man runs through Aug. 2 at Hipkine Studio, 1847 E. Bumside St. Tickets are $8-$IO from 971-212-2554. —Christopher McQuain ©I I o benefit the A ud ria M. I.duards Scholarship b Saturday, September 13 Hosted In Patron Reception 5pm Show 6pm The Newmark Theatre Portland ( enter for the Performing Arts 1111 S\V Broadway s' Portland, Oregon Zp Maria I ickets Patron tickets $75.(Ml General Reserved Seating $25.00 PC PA Box Office - 1111 SW Bro I icketmaster outlets or J| www.tickoMnwter.coiii B Poison Waters Tickets J O u Sale 3 Naw! PeacockAfterDark.com The Revival Tour2 1
