OREGON S LGBTO NEW SMAGAZINE ------- i FEBRUARY 4. 2011 onstage* and 2001. The play explores the evolution of pro­ gressive gay tolerance, juxtaposed by the decay of the environment in which the play unfolds. What is ultimately taboo and frightening in the scenes set in the post-World War II Midwest ap­ pears not entirely so in the scenes set in the begin­ ning of the 21st century. The farmhouse, as meta­ phor for the old way of thinking, is crumbling, while at least the bond between these two aging men endures. As part of Profile’s unique theater mission, each season focuses on a single playwright. The cumulative result connects the work of the author to the product seen onstage, which provides the audience a peek into the process from the writer’s viewpoint. Blessing made the trek to Portland from the East Coast, where he heads up the graduate playwriting program at Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University, to con­ sult on and participate in rehearsals and audience talkbacks. Aside from sitting in on a few Thief River rehearsals and answering questions from the cast and crew, Blessing was previously present for productions of his plays When We Go Upon the Sea and A View of the Mountains. “Lee’s accessibility to the actors and director made for a richer understanding of the text and an even greater appreciation of this unique op­ portunity to bring such a singular play to life,” continues Unger. “On a couple of occasions, [Blessing] said to us that we had gone past what he had envisioned for a moment—that we had found some other colors in it that were intriguing to him,” says di­ rector Pat Patton. “I’ve done a lot of Shakespeare and you don’t get to talk to him much. If you want to cut something, you just cut it. Here, you’ve got the man sitting there in the house with you.” In experiencing Thief River, the compelling quotient isn’t necessarily found in the sum of its parts. A tangible resolution is tough to grasp, and the sad void of reconciliation between Gil and Ray is anticlimatic in the best way possible. Closer to the point, Thief is more acutely the weighing in on a slice of time—politically, sexually—that, though seemingly distant, continues to proffer ac­ tivism and understanding in equ^l measure. “I’d like audiences to leave with a sense of how exceptional and precious a lifetime of devotion is between any two people,” says Blessing. “I’d also like them to be able to use the play to reflect on how extraordinary a time it has been through which we’ve all just lived. When I was young, it could be worth your job, even your life, simply to say you were gay. The fight goes on, of course, and will have to. But our progress—everyone’s, the whole society’s—has been impressive.” J0] 35 M BREAKFAST ALL DAY + NIGHT FULL BAR! ESPRESSO! Between North Gay & Gay. LEBANESE RESTAURANT« 1318 SE Hawthorne, Portland, OR 97214 2201 N. Killingsworth, Portland, OR 97217 503.235.1254 fa x: 503.236.8457 503.735.4652 11 :30 a m - 9 p m M o n - S a t 12 - 8 :3 0 S u n d a y T hief R iver previews Fri., Feb. 4 at 7:30 p.m., then opens Sat., Feb. 5 at 7:30p.m. A Matinee Talk- back will be held Sun., Feb. 6 at 2 p.m. Stagings con­ tinue Feb. 9-27, Wed.-Sat. at 7:30p.m. and Sun. at 2 p.m. at Theater! Theatre! (3430 SE Belmont St.). Preview tickets are S12-S16, regular tickets are S15-$28. Call 503-242-0080 or visit proflethe- atre.org. YOUR FIRST COURSE FOR LUNCH. DINNER. JAZZ. All organic. All sustainable. C A F F E M I N G O SIMPLE ITALIAN COOKING dinner 7 nights a week 807 NW Twenty First • Portland 503.226.4646 y \ 503 223.0070 800 NW 6th Avenue n! Union Station . WilfsRestaurant.com Shandong cuisine of no rth ern china fid ilift? PIZZA & S A N D W IC H E S LOCAL M IC R O B R E W S COCKTAILS 7 1 6 N W 21 S T PORTLAND. OR 503.295.494*'* breakfast luach dinner happy hour brunch. 7 am - 11 pm tues -fa 9 am • midnight sat. 9 am • 2 pm sun nw 20th & keorney (503) 295 64 87 www cafan el com W W W .M E L T P O R T L A N D .C O M ngredients^preparfefdaily • a new look at classic dishes open daily 11-2 30 lunch Í4-9 30 dinner happy hour special«.