On the Purple Circuit with Bill Kaiser Volume 9, Number 1 the SIDNEY MORRIS ISSUE
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On The Purple Circuit With Bill Kaiser Volume 9, Number 1 THE SIDNEY MORRIS ISSUE WELCOME TO ON THE PURPLE CIRCUIT! An ongoing issue is censorship of the arts. CORPUS CHRISTI is an example with the outrageous imposition of a We exist to promote GLQBT theatre and performance fatwah against Terrence McNally after the London throughout the world and invite you to join in that endeavor! production. Also closer to home was the difficulty that Daylight Zone had in finding a space for their production- This is the Sidney Morris Issue. Sidney is one of our pioneer Kudos to Theatre Double in Philadelphia for providing space! Gay playwrights. Based in New York his plays are part of our culture and still available for production. While in poor health, Lastly I want to speak again about the treatment of he is still writing and has an important message for Playwrights. We would have no productions without them. I producers in his article DO US! in this issue. He also is the really feel that PC theatres have to be as responsible as first interviewee of my Oral History Project and I thank him straight ones about scripts. If you have a staff shortage-find for that (as well as Tom O'Neil who did the interview and Ty some volunteers to either read for you or send unsolicited Wilson who did the camerawork). scripts back in their SASEs in a reasonable length of time. I know that Producers have their share of woes too and we all As you know I believe in theatre and activism. Briefly I want have to work together to keep the excitement and creativity to mention four issues: GLAAD, US Immigration , Censorship of our culture flowing. and Treatment Of Playwrights. First, I want to follow-up about GLAAD's accepting $100,000 grant from Coors. Here I join in mourning the passing of Maggie Task and Ted on the West Coast there has been a boycott of Coors in the Bales. I commend former AD of Theatre Rhinoceros, Adele GL bars for years, first because of their labor policies toward Prandini for all her important work in San Francisco and GL employees and now because members of the Coors former literary manager of The Ivy Theatre, Mary Casey for family that get the profits give money to our mortal enemies. her vision in starting a Lesbian theatre in Los Angeles with A lot of GL groups have started to accept Coors money, Marian Jones and nurturing our city's playwrights. which is a ploy to break the boycott and get that GL bar money. I, and others, wrote to Joan Garry, ED of GLAAD This past year saw many new plays in Los Angeles including about this issue. Instead of discussing it, GLAAD made it Luis Alfaro's intriguing next generation AIDS play STRAIGHT known they would not discuss it further, period. And this from AS A LINE; William Hoffman's RIGA, Bayla Travis’ THE a group that promotes dialogue in the show biz industry. DYKE AND THE PORN STAR; Celebration's staging of TOO Their arrogance has made me not renew my membership. In OLD FOR THE CHORUS, a musical revue that touches on the meantime I was on the theatre subcommittee. I voiced ageism in our community; the male version of Sondheim's my opinions when asked by email to volunteer for a GLAAD MARRY ME A LITTLE; and my favorite production of the event. The powers that be there tried to dismiss me from the year, VOLUPTUOUS MADNESS with the Fabulous committee before the voting year was over. They did not try Monsters. This year has great promise too with the Ivy's to dismiss me because I violated the rules of the theatre staging of Dee Jae Cox's LETTERS HOME, an emotionally committee but because they will not tolerate dissent. moving account of a Lesbian witch hunt in the military which shouldn’t be missed! Another issue that has come to the forefront is US Immigration policy toward binational same sex couples. This This issue of OTPC is a little more compact as our funds are is the heart of Tim Miller's wrenching new piece GLORY limited. Please, if you receive a subscription notice, renew at BOX where he and his Australian partner Alistair will be once or if you aren't a subscriber become one today! Thanks facing the decision of what country they can live in. Another to Sally Barron, Eric Bentley, Howard Casner, David Dillon, example for our theatre world is that of Charles Lago and Linda Eisenstein, Kim Garfield, Tom W. Kelly, Barry Lowe Chip Snell. They have operated theatres in San Diego and (from Australia), Sidney Morris, Gerald Semas, Francine L. Los Angeles and produced many plays for the purple circuit Trevens, Publicists and others who sent press releases, our community. Charles is being deported to England. donors and subscribers and Jim Russell for making this Congressman Nadlor is sponsoring a bill to change INS issue possible. Also, an apology to Shoshana Henri for the policy. Contact your representative urging support, and misspelling of her name in the last issue. The spellchecker contact the LG Immigration Rights Task Force at: just tried to change it again. She will be appearing in the www.loveknowsnoborders.homepage.com Uptown Gay and Lesbian Alliance's Cabaret 2000 on Mar 18,2000 at Los Angeles Theatre Center; 323-258-2555. Have a creative year and No on Knight! Bill Kaiser, editor Volume 9, No.1 Page 1 Fabulous Lypsinka Show, Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras; ON THE BOARDS Feb.-Mar. 2000. *Falsettos by William Finn and Jame Lapine, triangle productions, Note: Descriptions are based on press releases or personal Portland, Apr. 21-May 21, 2000; 503-239-5919. knowledge. An * indicates a current or future show, Family Secrets with Sherry Glaser, Howie Baggadonutz at Echo Theatre, Portland, Jan-Feb, 2000 information subject to change, shows may be extended so Favorite Names For Boys by Richard Barrett, a boy who wants to check them out and remember to see a Gay or Lesbian show be the next DeNiro in the heartland of Australia is guided by a soft- tonight. hearted drag queen, Q Theatre, Sydney; Feb.-Mar. 2000. Flesh And Blood by Robert Coles, meet the men of Rod Steel *Adam's Wedding by James Rosenfield, a new comedy about the Productions, Vortex Theater, NYC; Dec.-Jan. 2000. wedding of the year of Adam to his stripper Buddhist boyfriend! *Four-Letter Words written by the members of Sacred Fools Wings, NYC; opened Feb. 5, 2000; 212-627-2961 Theater Company about love and race in 8 short plays, Hollywood, *Attic by Sam Sommer, a memory play, Wings, NYC; opened Feb. opened Feb. 15, 2000; 310-281-8337. 5, 2000; 212-627-2961. *Glory Box with Tim Miller, a funny, sexy, emotionally charged Another American Asking and Telling with Marc Wolf, a mature work that journeys through love, Gay marriage and the heartbreaking, life affirming performance based on his interviews struggle for immigration rights for Bi-National Gay and Lesbian with Gays in the military; The New Group Theatre, NYC; Dec.-Jan. couples, Highways, Santa Monica, Feb. 2000; & Sushi Performance 2000. Space, San Diego, Jan. 2000; & P.S. 122, NYC; Dec. 1999, and on Baby X by Champion Decent, notions of a traditional family tour. smashed, Belvoir Street, Sydeny; Feb.-Mar. 2000. Go By Night by Stephen House, one boy's collusion with the reality Back Pocket by Michael Jeffrey, Gay footballer faces dilemma of of big city life, Downstairs Theatre, Sydney; Feb.-Mar. 2000. coming out to the fans; Gasworks Theatre, Melbourne; Nov. 1999. *The Harvey Milk Show by Dan Pruitt and Patrick Hutchinson, The (Bad) Boy Next Door with Tony Valenzuela, his interesting, concert version, New Conservatory, San Francisco, opens May 20, diverse and controversial life in person! Coast Playhouse, West 2000; 415-861-8972. Hollywood; Jan.-Feb. 2000. *Hedwig and the Angry Inch by John Cameron Mitchell, Jane Big, Bad, and Beautiful by Alicia Fernandez the poignant story of Street Theatre, NYC; ongoing; 212-947-8844; & Henry Fonda being a woman of size; Jumpstart, San Antonio; Jan.-Feb. 2000. Theatre, Hollywood; Oct.-Jan. 2000. *Big Dicks on Stage by Steven Dawson, "if you show it, they will Homme Fatale: The Joey Stefano Story by Barry Lowe, come", actually it's more about a playwrights integrity; Out Cast Midsumma Festival, Melbourne, Feb. 1-12, 2000, Blue Room, Perth Theatre at Stables Theatre, Sydney; Feb.-Mar. 2000; 9250 7799. Festival Fringe, Feb. 15-26, 2000. *The Big Hoover by Antay S. Bilgutay, a screwball comedy about *How I Learned to Drive by Paula Vogel, Ensemble Theatre, Gay men, Bea Arthur and the quest for love; OutWard Spiral, Sydney; opened Jan. 13, 2000. Minneapolis; opens Nov 17, 2000; 612-343-3390. I Hope Someday to Be Glad He's Alive with Terry Baum." A tragic *Boy Meets Boy by Bill Solly and Donald Ward, concert version, farce focusing on a middle-aged Lesbian and her mother responding New Conservatory Theatre Center, San Francisco, opened to the offstage crisis of the dyke's father being saved, mangled then Feb. 9, 2000; 415-861-8972; & 6@Penn Studio, San Diego, the full saved again through the miracles of modern medicine; Venue 9's play, Nov.-Dec.1999. Women's Work Jubilee, San Francisco; Jan. 2000. Boyfriend for the Holidays by Holland MacFallister, a romantic Invention of Love by Tom Stoppard, A. E. Housman meets Oscar comedy; Wings, NYC; Nov.-Dec. 1999. Wilde in this fantasy encounter, American Conservatory Theater, Broadway Ballbusters, a man-bashing musical revue directed by San Francisco, Jan-Feb, 2000 Allen Sawyer and John Karr with musical direction by Alan Fricke, It Started with a Lie! by Paul Vander Roest, a hilarious look at Gay Theatre Rhinoceros; Jan.-Feb.