On The Purple Circuit With Bill Kaiser Volume 12, Number 2 THE LGBT PRIDE AND CIVIL LIBERTIES ALERT ISSUE Welcome to On the Purple Circuit! Our international network exists to encourage, promote, Congratulations to Highways Performance Space in Santa and celebrate GLBQT theatre and performance Monica Calif. and AD Danielle Brazell on their 10th throughout the world. For an expanded newsletter and Anniversary! Founded by Tim Miller and Linda Burnham, other features, check out our Web site at they have been presenting on the edge performers for a www.buddybuddy.com/pc.html decade without government funding. So support them at 310-315-1459. This is our LGBT Pride and Civil Liberties Alert Issue! We are in critical times both as LGBT citizens and artists. We have a Submissions are being sought for producers to bring government illegally in power that would have no qualms mounted shows and performers to the 2004 Columbus about denying our civil liberties and freedom of expression. National Gay and Lesbian Theatre Festival to be held We need to be unified in opposing the so-called Patriot Act September 9-18, 2004. Deadline is November 1, 2003. For and any further measures to shred the Constitution. further information www.cngltf.com, 614-263-9448 or Act Out Productions, 2517 N. 4th St., Columbus OH 43202. While it shouldn't be "business as usual." We do need to Producers: you might consider bringing a production of Jane support our artistic and cultural groups from attack and also Chambers classic, LAST SUMMER AT BLUE FISH COVE (it financially now more than ever. Please contribute to your will be the 25th anniversary) or Doric Wilson's superb local and national organizations including The Purple Circuit. dramatization of Stonewall, STREET THEATER (35th By the way any contributions to The Purple Circuit need to anniversary). Contact TnT Classics for information at be made payable to "Bill Kaiser." [email protected] or 212-736-6279. The Lysistrata Project was an impressive anti-war theatrical Thanks to all our Subscribers, both new and renewing, to our event. On March 3, 2003 there were over 1000 readings in trusty volunteer columnists: Nathaniel Grey, Steven LaVigne, 59 countries many of them involving members of our Tom O'Neil, and Michael Van Kerckhove as well as all the communities including Margaret Smith's HAG Theatre in Theatres, Producers, Publicists and Individuals who sent Buffalo and Joe Watt's Theatre New West in Houston. In material for this issue including Frank Barnhart, Linda addition Queers Against War in Victoria, Australia performed Eisenstein, Francine Trevins, Margaret Smith, Tom Wilson for peace as they did at The Brava Center in San Francisco Weinberg, Barbara Kahn, Denny Hamann, Lawrence in April 2003 in "Against The Grain: Artists For Peace.” Vigils Helman, Jason Stuart, Jerry Rabushka, Jill Togawa, Victoria continue for civil rights and peace including one in West Kirby, Joe Lauderdale, Duca Knezevic, David Elzer, Jeffrey Hollywood on Fridays at 7pm at Santa Monica and San Solomon, Garry Allan Breul and Eric Bentley. Vicente Boulevards by OUT Against War: The LGBT Coalition for Peace and Justice. 818-953-5096. Special thanks to my associate editor Jim Russell, Web site manager Demian, and technical associate Sally Barron for Dr. Denny Hamann has written another inspiring musical, getting another issue out. I would like to dedicate this issue THE DREAM CATCHER about an eight-year-old boy living to Doric Wilson, the cast of STREET THEATER at the Eagle with HIV. However the real theme of the musical is about Bar, and the sensational Jade Esteban Estrada who also living your dreams in a world that says you have none. This directed the OutMusic Awards for a special theatre evening! show needs to be produced! The complete script and more information are available at www.thedreamcatcher.org or Work for Peace and Justice and Happy Pride, 707-869-9611, PO Box 1616, Guerneville, Calif. 95446. Bill Kaiser Editor Another inspiring work is THE WRESTLING SEASON, a fascinating teen play about peer pressure and tolerance by Laurie Brooks. Contact Joe Lauderdale at the Laguna Playhouse about rights at 949-497-2787 x207 or [email protected] áÝ Volume 12, No. 2 Page 1 romantic tale entrenched in the AIDS crisis, Jon Sims Center, San Francisco, April 2003 ON THE BOARDS The Dream Catcher a new musical by Denny Hamann, emotional charged story of a boy and his search for a dream Note: Descriptions are based on press releases or personal in a world that says he has none, Sunshine Cathedral knowledge. An “*” indicates a current or future show. The Theatre, Ft. Lauderdale, March 2002 information is subject to change, and shows may be Dutch Love by Claudia Allen, a hilarious look at all kinds of extended. Remember to see a gay or lesbian show tonight. love and all types of family, Bailiwick rep, Chicago, April- June 2003 Adam & Steve and Bar Stories by Keith Istre, Pat Eclipse by Andrea Lepcio, a twilight zone romantic comedy, Bourgeois, Tim Holt, Lewis Routh, and Ginger Snapp, Titans Theatre Company, NYC, April-May 2003 DRAMA!, New Orleans, May 2003 *The End of the Tour by Joel Drake Johnson, a dramatic The Altruists by Nicky Silver, revolves around a dedicated if comedy involving a mother and her daughter, a son and his disorganized and demented group of young radicals, Theatre lover a, a father and his best friend and one near dead cat, New West, Houston, April-May 2003 Victory Gardens Theater, Chicago, opened June 2, 2003. *Barbra's Wedding by Daniel Stern, comedy focuses on the 773-871-3000. www.ticketweb.com marital problems of a Malibu couple who live next to Barbra *The F Word by Jordan Beswick, Eric, a gay Manhattanite on the big day, Westside Theatre, NYC, opened March 5, and his Lesbian roommate Mary decide to have a child, The 2003 Actors Theatre at Source Theater, Washington DC, opened Bee by Prince Gomolvilas, the fascinating story of an May 3, 2003. 800-494-8497. www.boxofficetickets.com invisible gay Asian-American man and the African-American Finding Claire by Kim Merrill, biology is a trick, a seductive woman is the only person able to see him. Asian Stories in thing but dangerous, Theatre Rhinoceros, San Francisco, America Theatre, Arlington VA, April 2003 May 2003 *Before I Disappear with Alexandra Billings, from boyhood Frida Kahlo by Ruben Amavizca, the Mexican version of the to womanhood, the private history of a transgender star, Hollywood story, Grupo de Teatro Sinergia, Los Angeles, Bailiwick Repertory, Chicago, opened June 5, 2003. April-May 2003 773-883-1090. www.bailiwick.org Girls and Boys Together by Kevin Brofsky and Carol Blue Window by Craig Lucas, an exploration of human Polcovar, four, one-act plays, Milagros Theater, NYC, April alienation that includes a Lesbian couple, Alice and Boo, The 2003 Julliard School, NYC, April 2003 *Hairspray by Marc Shaiman, Scott Wittman, Mark *Book of Hours by Thomas Klocke, what happens when a O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan, adapted from John Waters' 14th century monk illustrating a prayer book begins to use hit film, Neil Simon Theatre, NYC, ongoing. 212-307-4100 two modern-day male hustlers as models, OUTlanta, Atlanta, *Hedwig and the Angry Inch by John Cameron Mitchell and opens October 3, 2003. 404-371-0212 music and lyrics by Stephen Trask, The Blue Barn, Omaha, *Breaking the Code by Hugh Whitemore, the story of Alan opened June 6, 2003, 402-345-1576, also another Turing, L.A. Theatre Works at Skirball Cultural Center, LA, production running in San Francisco July 9-13, 2003. 310-827-0889. www.latw.org Holy Cross Sucks! with Rob Nash, an epic solo show takes Breathe a new musical by Dan Martin and Michael Biello, a our 3 heroes through all four years of a Jesuit high school collection of 7 vignettes exploring gay and lesbian life from from 1981-1985, Vortex Repertory, Austin, May 2003 an inspirational view, SNAP! Productions, Omaha, March *Howard Crabtree's When Pigs Fly by Howard Crabtree 2003 and Mark Waldrop with music by Dick Gallager, New *Busted Jesus Comix by David Johnston, dirty comic Conservatory Theatre Center, San Francisco, opened May 7, books, horny teen-agers, "ex"-gays and "concerned" citizens 2003. 415-861-8972 collide, Moving Arts at LATC, February-March 2003; Invasion of the Brat from Hell by Jack Dowd, how to Abingdon Theater, NYC, opened May 22, 2003. 212-592- survive the wicked stepbrother's visit, The Daylight Zone, 1936 Philadelphia, April-May 2003 *Cloud 9 by Caryl Churchill, Quixotic Theatre at The *Jerker by Robert Chesley, if you have to ask you shouldn't Hudson, Hollywood, Calif., ongoing. 323-856-4200 come, Theatre New West, Houston, opened May 16, 2003. *Cock Tales, male monologues by Leon Katz, Lynn 713-522-2204 Manning, Jose Curz Gonzalez, Jeremy Lawrance, Bryan The Lady was a Gentleman by Barbara Kahn, a docu- Davidson, Felix Pire and Eric Trules, Elephant Theatre, Los comedy about the 19th century Lesbian actress Charlotte Angeles, ongoing. 323-769-5842 Cushman, Theater for the New City, NYC, March-April 2003 Cocks Have Claws and Wings To Fly, a comic look at a *Leopold and Loeb: A Goddamn Laff Riot, mixes Latino family trying to cope with a gay son and much more, explosive theater with ferocious dance and vaudevillian SDSU Experimental Theatre, San Diego, March 2003 humor to tell the story of the criminal-lovers who pioneered *Cocksucker: A Love Story by Ronnie Larsen, the enfant the “thrill kill,” The Anodyne Ensemble at The Tamarind terrible is back with a story about one of man's favorite theatre, Hollywood, Calif., reopened May 31, 2003.