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Profile of a Zen Master with AIDS
Hand 2 Mouth Theatre will
be giving a performance on
the true life story of Zen Mas
ter Tommy “Issan” Dorsey.
The play, entitled "The Pos
ture Queen,” will be shown
from Aug. 10 through Sept. 2.
From Tom m y “ Is s a n ”
D orsey's hot days as a cute
young sailor among the well
muscled men of the US Navy,
to an impressive stint as a gor
geous female impersonator.
Tommy Dee experienced a de
scent into drug and alcohol
addiction traveling across
small town America with the
Drag Revue “Party of Four".
"The Posture Queen" contin
ues with Tommy’s psyche
delic introduction to Zen Bud
dhism and a slow, long ascent
up the ranks of enlightenment.
In his final years Tommy
turned his Zen compassion
towards the AIDS epidemic.
converting the Hartford Zen
Center into one of America’s
first AIDS hospices and fight
ing desperately to give vic
tims a death with dignity.
Tommy’s final triumph oc
curred as he approached his
death by AIDS. Ordained as
an Abbot, the highest honor
for a Westerner, Tommy died
as one of the most respected
and adored Zen teachers in
the country.
History According to
a 103-Year Old
B y G eorge D awson and R ic hard G laibma >
A P i .NUIN B<><>«2()01
In this re-
m a rk a b le
G e o rg e D a w s o n and R ic h a rd G lo e b n a n
book, George
D aw so n , a
103-year-old
s la v e ’ s
g ran d so n
w ho learned
to read at age
9 8 , r e f le c ts
on his life and
o ffe rs v a lu
able lessons
in living and
One m a n » ««troordtnar y iowrney through »he 20tk tentwry
a
fre sh ,
and how he learned la read at age 98
f r i s t h a n d
v ie w
of
A m erica d u r
ing the tw en
tieth century.
R ic h a rd
G 1 a u b m a n
c a p tu re s
D a w so n 's ir
re s is tib le
v o ic e
and
view o f the
w orld, o ffe r
ing in sig h ts
into h u m an
ity, history, hard sh ip s.an d happiness. From segregation and civil
rig h ts, to the w ars and the p resid en ts, to defining m om ents in
h istory, G eorge D aw so n ’s descrip tio n and assessm ent o f the last
century inspire readers w ith the m essage that — through it all — has
sustained him ; “ L ife is so good. I do believe it’s getting b e tte r.”
Is
. ■ » t ;
As a relative newcomer to
Portland, Hand 2 Mouth The
atre will capture the width
and breadth of this modern
day saint’s remarkable story.
The Hand 2 Mouth Theater
arrives from several years
spent making cutting edge
work, and doing theater with
youth in Poland, Romania
and M acedonia. Hand 2
Mouth incorporates move
ment, imagery and sound into
their performances in an in
novative. highly evocative
and poetic manner.
The Hand 2 Mouth The
atre is located at the Rose
City B allroom , 700 N.E.
Dekum and Martin Luther
King, Jr. Blvd. A benefit for
the Cascade AIDS Project
will be given on opening
night, Aug. 10. For more in
formation and to make reser
vations, call 503/283-3311.
The Hammer is Back!
Rap Artist M.C. Hammer’s Mission for God
M.C. H am m er’s on a m ission to revive the positive aspects of rap
and clean it up a bit. He is focused on God, his family and his new
ventures. Ham mer will return to Portland on Aug. 26 to give a talk
and sing at the 11 a.m. Sunday service at the New Beginnings
Christian Center, located at 7600 N.E. Glisan St. Arrive as early as
8:30 a.m. to insure seating. This is a free event. Childcare is provided
for kids 6-years-old and younger. For more inform ation, call 503/
256-6050 or go online to w w w .new beginnings.org.
Legal Sendees
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Com prehensive W ills & Y early Updates
Debts, Dispute Decisions, Divorce
And more
$ 2 6 .0 0 or less per month
For more in fo rm a tio n c a ll
Norman Ross
at
(503) 757-8409