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Queer Theatre in digital form.

 http://www.mydeo.com/videodownload.asp?Y… <–progressive download video

 http://www.mydeo.com/videorequest.asp?XI… <—streaming link

Once again I’m at work. I still really like my job because I can see cool photos and do my homework at the same time. But mostly I’m processing New York and my future. Jess is the reason I became a major. Really she and Tori didn’t give me any option about it. And seeing her in New York, she wants me to move there and try acting. I’m torn. I don’t think I’m cut out for the professional theatre world. I have realized a few things about myself: I want a 9-5 job so I can go home in the evenings, I want a steady job, I dislike NYC, and theatre is harder than physics. You may all quote me on that because it’s very true.

That being said physics can be kind of boring. It’s a sure thing yeah, and it can be exciting I just dont know. Sad thing? the deciding factor in grad school vs being an actor: health insurance. If I dont continue with school I lose it, if I do I only have it for another year, so Im not too sure. The only thing Im sure of is a phd takes 7 years and a masters takes 2…I think im going to get the masters.

Real life scares me. But that’s pretty much a good thing.

    I don’t know why I titled the entry Stretched. It just seemed to fit. Yesterday I tried out some new technology as Reggie Sully and I all needed audio recorders for two meetings each. So I borrowed Sully’s video camera, and when it ran out of tape, I used my digital camera as an audio recorder.  I interviewed Paul Adams of the Emerging Artists Theatre first. He told me a lot of what I expected, which later Miguel confirmed. They both said that they don’t approach roles from the characters sexual orientation, it’s just like playing any other character that you are different from (which is all of them). So then why is it important to do the work of queer theatre? Simply to represent the voices of playwrights who wish to write a queer play, or a play with queer characters. Assuming of course that the plays are good. Then why are there so many more gay people in the theatre. Miguel gave two possibilities: 1. There are just as many gay people everywhere, just not out because theatre is a safer welcoming enviorment. 2. Why are there so many black people in sports? Less racism. He beleives the same to be true of theatre, less homophobia. I still need to mull it over.

Today Reggie and I are interviewing Doric Wilson and seeing part of a staged reading between shows. It’s going to be a packed day. So I’m spending this morning blogging and reading some scripts. plus its very very rainy out.

Some things that Ive done that Im not sure Ive blogged about: 

Went to the MoMA- Learned that I like art, and that Sully can cry

Waited by the stage door at Passing Strange and met Stew the playwright and narrator

Went to Grand Central terminal- and got lost in it

The Peforming Arts Library- was much more thrilling to Donna than myself, but still saw a Peggy Lee tape.

Bethesda Fountain- Was nice to just sit and sketch

Drama Book Shop- Now has lots of my money

Went to Strawberry Fields- It was interesting that this man would lay flowers over the imagine circle every day. there is still so much love for the beatles.

Went to the friends building- I think I mean they all look the same to me, but the people I was with said it was the one, now I’ll have to watch friends to check

Shopping on Canal st-specifically in chinatown before lunch with my brotgher. I bought some wonderfuly crappy gifts for people.

Panna II- Dear god

TKTS booth- Really there was no line, but there werent many shows left to choose from either. Passing Strange was still amazing.

Cruised through Bryant Park- Cause it’s under construction, not much to see. And Katie where are the bathrooms?

Spent some fun times on Christopher St.- Amazing little sex/gay shops.

Tried to find the mexican place in Hell’s Kitchen- not sure if it was the right place, but it was very good, you could get a full basket of fried plantains for a dollar.

Eaten all kinds of street vendor food- hot dogs, pretzels, gyros, chicken and rich with white sauce…

Been all over Central Park

Gotten lost in Licoln Center a couple of times

Went to Ground Zero

Plus all my interviews and shows. All I can think of is the Calvin and Hobbes book The Days are Just Packed.

 Yeah, class. Today I sat in on Performing Identites at Pace. I recorded the class, but had to promise not to post it since they were doing first rehearsals of scenes. The concept of the class is reversing gender since it is only a social construct. You could see the scenes transform from stumbling readthroughs to being more well rounded. Lisa would throw out ideas and concepts, and one of the most feminine girls in the class would become more masculine than I thought possible. And these students were not your typical actors, yet they were so comfortable they tried anything, even the most ridiculous. Basically they delt with gender steryotyping. Men are to talk longer steps and make themselves bigger, women are to be quieter, smaller and have more intonation in their voices. Dr. Ray felt shakespeare was the basic queer theatre.

For the full interview see below:

  

So then I grabbed a slice with my friend Rob who goes to Fordham and then schedualed another interview with an actor friend of Jenna’s. I hope she knows I’m mailing her some chocolates later on.

Tonight we saw South Pacific and it was amazing. I’ve always shyed away from musicals, especially classical ones. I always worried about being bored after three hours of two steps away from an opera. But tonight just confirmed that I’ve grown into them. The music was beautiful, and I loved just listening to it.

Tomorrow I have two interviews and lunch with my brother. But I can at least sleep in a little bit. I can’t beleive how close the trip is to over. I also can’t beleive how many last min interviews I got. 

Or day. Today has been amazing, really made up for yesterday. After I got an interview with Doric Wilson and all of his closest gay playwright friends, I got an interview with the Artistic Director of the Emerging Artists Theatre Paul Adams. And I have an audit on a queer theatre course and interview tomorrow. Finally Im getting to do some research! The bar was a bust for talking to people last night, I tried to talk to 7 people, the first three were from london and didnt get my project, the next was from sweeden and didnt speak english, nor did his friend, the guy at the coat check didnt speak english and the other two guys were jennas friends.. But Natalie was very very good.

Passing Strange Was Amazing.  It was a mix between a rock concert and a play, but so honest, not your typical musical. Stew (the playwright and narrator) spoke with reggie donna and I after.  I told him how much I loved the strong base that I could feel in my chest and how it made the show a full experience and he said they had to fight for that every inch of the way and that the producers didnt want it. Weird it made the show for me.

We grabbed some mexican in Hell’s Kitchen and now Im off to August Osage County.  

let me just link to his wikipedia site, which he told me to go to, so I assume it is up to his standards of accurate. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doric_Wilson

He is one of the most influencial gay activists and playwrights. He was writing openly gay plays before the stonewall riots of 1969 and then participated in all three nights of the riots. He founded the first professional gay theatre The Other Side of Silence (TOSOS) which has been revived to TOSOS II.

http://www.tosos2.org/

I’ve been invited to interview him for an hour prior to the reading of I Know My Own Heart at 6:30 which I’m going to a portion of before our show at 8. And he’s going to introduce me to all the other gay playwrights and actors there prior to the reading.

This is an amazing oppertunity to delve into queer theatre history and present. I’m very excited.

The past wo days have been a trip. Yesterday we returned hats and walked all around down there to find a pinkberrys. unsuccesfully. then reggie and I went to the dramabook store and I saw a design book written by Rosemary Ingham. Which was pretty cool. Then I went on my own to Grand Central which was impossibly huge. I didn’t know my left from my right in there, but I did buy an overpriced map to navigate myself. From there I took the 7 train to transfer and get to ground zero. while on the 7 I saw a woman across from me reading 101 sex tips lookingR self concious about it. made my day really. then the juxtaposed ground zero. I spent about half an hour sitting there. Now September 11th things annoy me. Call me evil but I find it to be a terrible thing the way our country waves that bloody shirt. So you wouldnt think I would sit there for so long. I just spent time aknowledging the whole thing for what it was, a tragedy. But I wont buy a sept 11 pin or weep at the site or say it justifies the war. But it was calming just to sit. Then I went to what I thought was a zoo cause my map said so. Turns out its a wildlife reserve..for ducks. But I sat on a giant rock and enjoyed myself. THen donna and I went to the performing arts library. I saw a peggy lee video and laughed. Ended up napping, having dinner and going to see Gypsy.

Today I was supposed to have an interview with Ann Pellegrini. But google maps lied and sent me way uptown when NYU is downtown. So no interview. little life lessons. Now Im off to lunch with jess and to get tickets to Rent.

Today a giant group of us went to the MoMA. I have been forever stubborn about hating art. I announce to all how boring I think it is and how I never get it. But secertly, I have always enjoyed modern art. I’m a pop art kind of girl. I love the simple geometry and colour of a piece. I was blown away by the sheer size of the Monet they have. I wanted to desperatly get to the Van Goughs…but when I got there I was completely distracted by Rousseau again it was the strong simplicity and yet utter complication of his work. I enjoy modern art because I can experience it with having to analyze it nessecarily.  I was finally able to take art at my own pace. Plays don’t wait for you to catch up. Here’s my favorite example of simple geometry and colours. 

And then I saw Picasso’s Harlequin and I couldn’t help but to laugh at it, not at it but because of it. The painting brought me joy and reminded me of Phil Hooper, who played harlequin in a show I was in. It was nice to laugh out loud in a museum.

 So then we went to Christopher St. I wandered around the gayberhood. And let me tell you, it’s a bit more risque than DuPont Circle. here’s some images of that. I loved it.

 

  

I also went to the friends building right before Grace. I’m pretty tired so maybe I’ll comment about the shows later. But the tour Natalie gave us was amazing. She is one funny lady. Seriously if anyone ever gets the chance to talk to Natalie Joy Johnson, do it, she’s a blast.

Today was let’s wander around NYC Team Amazing day. tonight is not so coherent typing because I’m tired. In fact I dont see myself as going out at night after the shows so much, I don’t know how people do it.

Today we went all over this city, including to harlem when we wanted to be in central park. I love getting lost, I reccomend everyone do it at least once. it helps you learn where you are, how to get unlost and that getting lost is infact not that bad at all. just leave enough time for adventures.

First I was dissapointed by Bryant park which is being re-done, and Katie there are no bathrooms there, much less the best bathrooms of 2002. then the getting lost to harlem and finally to central park. where i spent some time sketching the angel of the bethesda fountian. it was nice and calming in the park. I let my sketch take form out of a cartoon, clearly still a 5 min sketch, but not a cartoon, it’s nice to know I can actually sketch. We climbed a big rock and sang the lion king like you do and people watched. We grabbed a hot dog and wandered our way to The Seagull…one day I will understand that show, but not yet.

Then the best part of the day. PANNA II! (indian restaurant) first of all there are 3 indian restaurants all next to eachother, each with a doorman beggin you into his establishment: “Hey! it’s nice to see you again come in! “,”reservations for two? I have your table!” etc. we walk in and it is smaller than a single wide trailer and covered with hanging twinkle lights of all forms. Julie Hodges dream. and the food was pretty awesome.

 

Then we caught Next to Normal, which despite what much of the class thought, I found to be a great experience. I was terrified and enthralled by the idea of medicine failing, both in the baby’s physical health, but more in the inability to cure Diana from her mental instability. It is up there on my nightmare list, to be incurably insane. another one is to be medicanly numbed, and she deals with both. And I don’t know hwy I was so in love with Gabe. I’ll have to ponder about it some more, but I loved his relationship with Diana, and I didn’t want her to get better. Maybe that’s the scary part of insanity, you dont want to be cured.

Tomorrow it’s off to many fun museums and maybe ground zero or the drama book shop. I need to hit up that list and really get to know the city. Good nightg NYC

But if I thought about it I would have remembered from davids scene in directing. I actually knew pretty much nothing going into the theatre tonight. Let me put it this way I was shocked to read that it was set in Germany in the 1890’s. I was even more surprised at how relevant the theme was to my life. And I was reminded of Refer Madness a bit. Go with me on this one. Refer Madness is all about how horrible pot is for you and how it will ruin your life. It ends up with people dying everywhere and turning into cannibals. And this seems like how horrible and life ruinining sex is. The difference being it was the adults view on sex and education that led to two deaths and the destruction of a young man’s world inSpring Awakining not this extreem and exagerated misuse of a drug. What should be normal and natural is shameful to even hold knowledge about.

I will hopefully post more of a reaction tomorrow, but for now I’m going to sleep so that I may explore in the morning.

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