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by Jim Farmer
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April 01, 2011 12:53 |
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Representations of lesbians tend to be rare onstage, much less African-American lesbians, but the play “Walk Like a Man” – returning to Atlanta Saturday for a one day gig —has a cast full of women and LGBTQ themes.
“Walk Like a Man” is adapted from Laurinda D. Brown’s book of the same name, a set of short stories which won a 2006 Lambda Literary Award. It deals, via dramatic monologues and vignettes, with issues such as same-sex domestic violence, gay parenting, rape, runaway youth, “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” inter-office affairs, new love/romance and HIV/AIDS.
In all, the book featured more than 20 stories; nine of the characters Brown wrote about are featured in the stage version. Shortly after the book’s release, the play was adapted and performed at D.C. Pride. It later became the first African-American lesbian-produced play to be performed Off-Broadway.
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by Bo Shell
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March 31, 2011 11:54 |
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Wednesday was a six-espresso-shot day for local playwright Timothy Gray.
It's the Wednesday before his company, Odd Man Out, opens "Shakespeare Follies" again in Atlanta, this time for a two-night benefit run April 1-2 at 7 Stages in Little Five Points. Proceeds benefit 7 Stages.
Between packing costumes, load-in at the theater and tech rehearsals, he phoned in to chat about the show and how he's managed to teach an old bard new tricks.
"I love Shakespeare so much," Gray says, "but I know everyone hates it because it was one of those things that was forced on us in high school, so I set this show up like a 1920s vaudeville show — little rapid fire acts, boom, boom, boom."
Gray, who is gay, writes comedies as a rule, and his approach to Shakespeare is no different. Promotional materials call the presentation a "bawdy romp through the most famous (and infamous) of Shakespeare's masterpieces" with “elements of cabaret and vaudeville, hilarious comedy and shameless T&A.”
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by Jim Farmer
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March 18, 2011 00:00 |
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Gay playwright Tennessee Williams would have been 100 years old this month. Just in time to honor that milestone comes the play “Confessions of a Nightingale.” It’s directed by Patrick McColery and stars Sid Shier, both of whom are gay.
The play, based on Charlotte Chandler’s interviews with Williams for the book “Ultimate Seduction,” takes places in 1983 near the end of Williams’ life. According to Shier, it’s basically a conversation with the audience about Williams’ life, his relationships (Williams never hid the fact that he was gay) and his career, including his successes and failures.
“He was very complex,” says the actor, who shares the common sentiment that most of Williams’ great work was done early in his career.
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by Jim Farmer
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March 04, 2011 00:00 |
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Actor’s Express, the gay-inclusive Atlanta-based theater company, is in danger of closing its doors unless the company can come up with significant cash by the end of this month.
Artistic Director Freddie Ashley, who is gay, sent out an email last week explaining the situation the company faces. “Our theatre is at a critical juncture — a true life or death moment. As you know from our many recent calls for support, we are fighting to make it through an extraordinarily difficult time for the arts in Atlanta. Decreased discretionary spending and a reduction in philanthropic support have dramatically impacted our revenues.
“Our staff and board have worked tirelessly to do more with less — cutting our spending while continuing to present works of the highest quality and importance. In spite of our efforts, though, we are faced with an impending deficit that quite literally threatens our existence,” the email explained.
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by Jim Farmer
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March 04, 2011 00:00 |
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It’s an iconic image: 17 eager dancers on a bare stage auditioning to get a role in an upcoming musical. “A Chorus Line” — the longest running American Broadway musical ever and winner of nine Tony awards — is about to return to Atlanta as part of the Gas South Broadway Series, with openly gay actor Paul Flanagan in the cast.
Flanagan stars as Al in the musical. Al is 30 years old, from the Bronx, and a very experienced dancer who is in the audition with his wife, Christine. “He is ready to settle down and is at the audition to settle down Christine,” he says.
The actor has been in “A Chorus Line” once before, back in a Hilton Head production when he was 20. He started with this tour back in the fall and will be with it until the late spring, when the tour goes international in Tokyo.
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