If you’re looking for a good, sexy, strong story about lesbians and their deepest desires look no further: Lesbian Love Octagon delivers a search-for-love story wrapped in social commentary with a side of schtick all set to the lush musical numbers written by Kim Kressal (book and lyrics) and Will Larche (music and additional lyrics).  Two hours with these women will have you smiling, laughing, and even wiping away a tear or two.  Most of all, lesbian, straight, or any flavor of sexuality that is only yet being defined, this musical will have you nodding in recognition at the ins and outs of finding (and keeping) love.

The fact that this play is reflective of Lesbian Culture is both the whole point as well as besides the point. Because while this story couldn’t exist without the lesbians, this is really just as much a story about self-discovery, friendship, loves – both eros and agape – and the bonds that exist between women before, during and after the fires of a relationship rise up between them.  However, “Lesbian” is right there in the title, so I’ll try not to let my own straight-gal lens narrow the focus or twist the intentions.

At the center of this very fluid Lesbian Love Octagon is Sue (Caitlin Lee Reid) who spends her time at the Lesbian Cafe, The Wimmin’s Bookstore, the Lesbian Bar and the Sex Shop down the street. A roving chorus of extremely pitch-perfect voices informs us that Sue – who has just been dumped by her lover, Darla, for Jerry … a female-to-male trans who also happens to be Sue’s ex as well – is one of the Lower East Side’s prize catches and this latest development will cause ripples all over the LES.

Those familiar with the late-90s NY Lesbian scene will recognize the cultural touchstones, but for those who don’t speak Sapphic the songs do a wonderful job of setting up a pretty clear picture of the lifestyle extolling and idealizing everything from Ani to The Hitachi Magic Wand.  Catchy, brilliantly rhyming, eight party harmonies will take you through the New York Lesbian scene step by step … for those who already live the life it’s a delightful homage to the culture which has far too few songs devoted to it – at least songs of this strong a caliber.

And don’t be fooled by the titles  of some numbers; “Pet Tranny”, “Dyke Drama and Tofu Scramble” may sound like songs written specifically for the buzz, but the earnestness with which these characters deliver their  songs exposes a richer underbelly which can’t erase the complexity of each character’s core – regardless of how many songs are delivered with a wink or a tongue-in … cheek.   Even “Vibration Salvation” could be just another stunt production number filled with sex toys, writhing bodies and over-the-top moaning, but in the hands of Kressal and Larche this deftly written number becomes pure carnal poetry – an orgiastic celebration of female sensuality and seduction, throbbing and wild with more jolts-per-second than the Hitachi Magic Wand it venerates. (And speaking of The Wand – one is raffled off during intermission so be sure to buy your tickets!  Ten bucks will get you as many as you can wrap around your waist – a great deal for some of us!)

While Lesbian Love Octagon is admittedly filled with lesbian stereotypes from the less-than-butch dyke to the high-femme dyke (“an extraordinary story about ordinary dykes and exploratory story about stereotypes”) these characters are written with a loving pen, each stereotypical trait not so much exploited as celebrated in order to more clearly define the roads these women forged for themselves -the shorthand they created, the personifications they devised based on specific needs and wants which existed quite specifically outside of the heterosexual society.  Here, in the safe, sacred spaces of lesbian bars, lesbian cafes, wimmin’s bookstores and yes — even the hallowed sex shop down the block, women who love woman can choose their roles or define their own.  They can move through their social circles and create new dynamics with each new partnership they form, and as each relationship ebbs and flows an imprint of each woman’s spirit is left behind, changing the way her ex will move forward with a new partner.  So, yes, stereotypes pepper this play – but only to explain how gender identity is constantly being re-defined as each new interaction spawns a new shade of expression.

To that end, “I’ve had it up to here / trying to define how I’m queer” sings Sue, bemoaning the fact that her ex, Darla (Kristian Espiritu), has just left her for Jerry (Jax Jackson) a female to male trans.  Darla is known around the haunts to be somewhat of an opportunist, a gender studies major who is bisexual, and her motives are questioned and discussed. “Darla is riding the wave, surfing the scene … Jerry’s not a person to her, he’s a commodity” and although she’s the first to cry “No straight privilege here!  We’re both still queer!” this grandstanding has Jerry feeling less like an equal partner in the relationship and more like Darla’s “Pet Tranny” (“Like I’m a pass for free Into any scene / When you’re seen with me … You wanted the late ’90s thing / Someone transitioning”).

As Sue moves through her days and nights she watches as her other friends struggle with their own “situations”.  Another ex, Wendy (Lindsay Naas), is finding it hard to commit to her girlfriend Jess (Ti Grieco) as Jess seems unable to shake her own ex, Chris (Taneisha Duggan) from her day-to-day routine … emailing her ten times a day and still engaging in little tiffs. (Ubiquitous Ex-Girlfriend). When every ex’s ex is an ex of yours it’s awfully easy to get confused, sure, to the outsider.   But on the inside of the octagon being one of the exes, or the ex of the ex just means that you have more insight with which to commiserate.  Sometimes it makes for a specific type of comfort, but if you’re not careful it just may salt the earth where the new relationship should be flourishing.

When Scout urges Sue to create an online ad Sue stammers through her self-description, unable to pinpoint exactly who she is, even as she notices that all the wimmin she sees “all like hiking and they all like cats and they all like radical feminist acts / and they all like Ani and Sleater Kinney and they all like girls who write Slam Poetry” (WWWDOT).

Ironically, it’s Jerry  who reminds Sue of who she once was :

I knew a girl / Years ago / Who was kinda goofy / With a boyish charm / And she loved B Movies / Skateboards / Joni Mitchell / And eggplant Parmesan …

If someone asked me to describe her / I would simply say / She’s a million things / And only one / Is that she’s gay

In the gorgeous ballad “I Am” Sue hits on the most important theme of the play, and of her story, and of every woman’s story -

Am I the same as Every other Dyke?
Well okay.
There is comfort in being the same
Sharing stories of love and of pain
We might all look a like
So a dyke is a dyke …

When it comes to the actual musical it’s as traditional as can be – filled with strong, well written songs that are catchy, layered and delightfully joyful as they do what all good musical numbers do: move the plot along and carry the deeper emotional twists of the characters.  The lyrics are beautifully crafted and one can hardly stop long enough to marvel at the gorgeous internal rhymes and still catch the meaning – but no worries, there’s so much information here that even if a little gets lost there’s still plenty to pick up.  And so, as the show comes rushing at you at 85 miles per hour, rather than duck you spread your arms wide and let this Lesbian Love Octagon wrap you in its embrace.

With every character getting their star turn it’s hard to catch your breath as each woman commands the stage in her own way.  From Jess whose voice is big and raw,  to the sultry purring of sex-shop maven Anya (Jenny Atwood), from the strong, powerful Chris  to the earnestly lilting GG (Jaimie Kelton), not to mention extremely talented Scout (Kelly Lockwood) who has the ability to swiftly move the scenes along and command a variety of the bigger production numbers and belting Lindsey Naas (Wendy) who is impossible to keep from beaming at every time she sings.  Ultimately though, while this is an Octagon, the center is Sue, and Caitlin Lee Reid is as undeniably charming, charismatic, irresistible and magnetic as she is meant to be.  From her first moment to her last this play belongs to her, and she has us all in the palm of her hand.

So, now, enough of my girl-crushing.  Go out and see Lesbian Love Octagon up close and personal while it’s still on the small stage because I guarantee – this is a show meant for bigger things if there ever was one.

**SAMPLE SOME OF THE SONGS HERE**

~~~

Lesbian Love Octagon
A Musical Comedy About Dyke Drama

BOOK & LYRICS
BY KIMBERLEA KRESSAL
MUSIC & ADDITIONAL LYRICS BY WILL LARCHE
DIRECTED BY KIMBERLEA KRESSAL

The Kraine Theater
85 E. 4th Street
New York , New York 10003
2nd and 3rd Ave

Click here for tickets  Price: $18.00

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There’s nothing funny about rape.  I mean … is there?  No.  Of course not.  It’s brutal, vicious  and terrifying, a crime that makes no sense, can be difficult to prove, and  - even in today’s society – leaves the victim stigmatized.  In fact, most victims are embarrassed to report their rape, let alone discuss it – even with (or, sadder still, especially with) close friends and family members.

Guaranteed - several of your friends have been sexually assaulted in some manner and you have no idea.  You may think you know everything about someone, but their rape is often a dark fact they’ve pushed down and hushed up which becomes their own dirty little secret rather than their unfortunate violation.  The rape will go with them to the grave.  Why?  Because it’s just easier that way.  Huh.

So, while there is nothing funny about rape, what CAN be satirized, parodied, explored and lampooned is the society in which there exists a crime where blaming and shaming the victim is routine.  A country where doubting the victim’s story and policing the victimized population by dictating what they should wear, how much they should drink, and how they should act is considered the norm. Start to understand the inherent foolishness and stupidity of this and frankly you’re looking at a play where the jokes just start writing themselves.   Then see that the play is written by Mariah MacCarthy and … well … suddenly a dark comedy about rape seems like it’s a play whose time has come.

Lysistrata Rape Play:  the title alone should be evidence enough that subtlety is not going to be the direction in which this play is going.  MacCarthy tends to do this pretty consistently: title her plays exquisitely boldly with definitions of what you will get upon arrival (see Genderfuck Cabaret , Foreplay Play or  Ampersand: A Romeo & Juliet Story).  It’s reminiscent of  that tried and true Chinese takeout you’ve relied on for years to get you through weekends and hangovers.  The menu says Chicken and Broccoli and what arrives at your door is Chicken and Broccoli.  The other thing MacCarthy tends to do pretty consistently: like that little Chinese gem around the corner, the secret to her success is the way she piles her story-lines high, not afraid to over-stuff the plot in an effort to get the point across.   And, like takeout … she’ll always deliver.

So, let me break it down for you.  Lysistrata Rape Play does, indeed, echo the classic Greek Lysistrata by Aristophanes in which women – in an effort to force their men to broker a peace – withhold sex from them.  In Rape Play, however in the wake of a particularly headline-grabbing rape that is being held out as a beacon cry for change, women are being urged to withhold sex from their men until all rape stops.  Sounds crazy, no?   It’s a situation that, even before you begin to wrap your mind around it, you can already find yourself poking holes through.  ”But what if ….?”  ”And what about the …?”  ”And does that mean all …?”  ”But wouldn’t that only mean  …?”  But of course  Lysistrata Rape Play  isn’t set up to present only one side – that would be the shortcut.  And if MacCarthy was fond of shortcuts she’d be the type of writer who wrote very different plays.  Ones that weren’t about gender identity,  group sex and now … rape. 

Rape is discussed, defined, debated, depicted, reenacted, committed, avenged, and ultimately … or so a perfect world would have you believe … eradicated.

In the not-too-distant future of MacCarthy’s Lysistrata Rape Play the US is run by a strong, willful woman who is both broad minded as well as tunnel visioned. She is, as some would describe her – both to her face as well as behind her back – vulgar … a description she seems to both toss aside as well as relish. It bemuses her for its very indication that she is a woman in a man’s world who is taking on a fiercely sexual issue and bringing her politics into America’s bedrooms.

She sets down a ban on sex and, while making it clear that it is more of a “voluntary” opt-in rather than a law, ad hoc patrols are set up throughout society to enforce the new “suggestion” leading woman to turn against woman should any be found breaking rank. This keeps the Matriarch’s hands clean while ensuring that, in essence, America has now become a police state.  America is now a nation where loving couples are terrified of expressing their devotion to each other for fear of punishment, imprisonment or even mutilation.  Even allies are considered enemies.  And the darkest enemies are lurking in the kindest hearts.

MacCarthy intentionally throws the net wide –  catching every possible thought, motive, issue, fallout, ripple, consequence – both intended as well as unforeseen  by her characters – in order to illuminate not only every issue, but every side of every issue.   During the course of Lysistrata Rape Play these textured, endearing and tremendously earnest characters allow us to walk a mile in their sexless-therefore-sexually-frustrated shoes.   How would it affect marriages?  Friendships?  Sexuality?  The sex workers?  The chain of power?  How would it corrupt?  How would it implode?  How would it change society’s structure?  How would people cope?  Who would stay and fight?  Who would run and hide?  Who would do things they never expected to do?  For better?  For worse?  Much, much worse?

Lysistrata Rape Play takes the topic and gives a series of “if / then” scenarios where each hero is all the more enticing because they are flawed, each “villain” actually makes sense, and there are degrees of good and evil that often meet in the middle.   MacCarthy’s gift is being able to write characters who are often at odds with themselves and who betray not only themselves but their best friends, their loved ones … and those they have no idea they are affecting.  Yet throughout, they clearly express their own confusion at their own actions in a way that defines their motivations.  While the audience may not identify with anyone in particular, there are moments when we identify with all of them at least once.

While I was cautioned that this was a simple workshop and not to expect a full-blown production I came away from Lysistrata Rape Play feeling strongly moved and affected by what I’d seen, and frankly didn’t see much lacking.  The performances where superb, the message was strong and the theme was fully realized, both in homage to the original Lysistrata as well as in the brand new world it was meant to capture.    If this was a simple first incarnation I can’t wait to see this play re-mounted.

Rape, it has been said over and over again, is not about sex.  It is about power.  The message here is: In the fight against rape, the way to combat its insidiousness is  diffuse its power.  With laughter … with knowledge … and with equally powerful messages.  So don’t be afraid to say the word rape.  And don’t be afraid to reclaim the power of understanding when it’s okay to laugh at the things that are ridiculous.  The only way to change something is to refuse to stay silent about it.

~~~

Lysistrata Rape Play was part of MicroFest and ran for 3 days only.  Look for future updates to find out more about when you can see a full scale production of this play.

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Would anyone today contest the notion that growing up gay, as the youngest only son in a traditional white Catholic family in Queens during the seventies, would not be easy?  Such is Vincent James Arcuri’s story, and in his one man, self-authored show, Becoming Butch, he delivers himself of it in an engaging comedic monologue. Vincent wasn’t one of those quietly gay boys (whoever they may be) but a real – shall we say? – screamer right from the checkered flag. There were three older sisters in the house and an atmosphere of femininity into which he fit right in. Until, that is – as a little boy who was supposed to do things “normal” little boys do – he didn’t. His father and uncles tried to wean him off Barbies and cheer leading and get him on to “harder” things, like baseball. At which his instinctual nature balked. At which Vincent sucked. It was the beginning of a fostered sense of inadequacy and self-rejection which many gay children experience, and prompted his prolonged stop-start campaign of becoming butch.

With so little in the way of external positive reinforcements available, is it any wonder he took an avid interest in the on-tap fantasy worlds television entertainment offered? Even here, however, perhaps something resistant and pugnacious was at work when he elected as his childhood role model Arnold Jackson, the character played by black actor Gary Coleman in Diff’rent Strokes. Arcuri dwells on the humorously inappropriate aspects of his youthful enthusiasms more than their psychological edge and import. In some measure those speak for themselves, as when he re-enacts a high school bullying scenario which abruptly shifts the tone and atmosphere of the narrative. It’s harsh and unsettling, devoid of the comic twist used to disarm the jibing critiques thrown his way by well-meaning, masculine relatives. Which speaks impressively of the degree of control Arcuri exercises over of his audience. Just how much of a “faggot” he really is occupies a huge part of his developing personality, and the trauma is suggested through recollections of incidents played more for laughs than for any claims  of sympathy. Sympathy, the broader reach of this performance, is something young Vincent rarely finds for himself; not until fears, tears, and years later.

All the TV soap bubbles propel young Vincent toward a career as an actor. But even in this would-be-make-believe realm he is told he is unacceptable, too much a type as himself, too “gay” to find favor with casting directors. He takes speech lessons and tries sports in order to butch himself up. It’s arduous and all but ineffectual. The breakthrough, believe it or not, occurs when he falls in love. A shift begins that launches him into the greater world, or at least to L.A., where dreams really can come true (for actors).

In essence it’s not a story that is unfamiliar, certainly to gay people or anyone in touch with them. There’s something generic about it, its insistence on the ordinariness of the social environment, the family dynamic of tough, straight-man dad; ever-approving, doting mother; extended family of types. Nothing in his story – from his childhood fears, to his Catholic guilt, and West Hollywood run-ins – partakes of the unusual, the strange. Can this really be the case, or are we being served an account that has been tamed, pruned of thorns; a history divested of anything that might be deemed too queer? There’s something gratingly mainstream in its address. A projected dial graphic, like something from a TV game show, regularly clocks score ratings for the butch factor in each episode.

As a performer Arcuri is captivating – sharp, funny, and convincing. He has a deft sense of comic timing and a highly expressive face that can swoop up and down the register with the flick of an eyelash. Enjoyable as this piece is, one feels that he could go much further without the weighted attachment to light entertainment. In the meantime though, perhaps he can be happy in the knowledge that he’s certainly a crowd pleaser.

~~~

BECOMING BUTCH
Writer: Vincent James Arcuri
Director: Gary Riotto (NY), Louis J. Cuck (CA)
From the streets of Queens, NY to life amongst the queens in West Hollywood, CA, Vincent’s coming-of-age tale takes audiences on a rousing journey through baseball, soap operas, speech lessons and more to redefine the true meaning of becoming butch.
1h 5m   National   Los Angeles, California
Comedy   Solo Show
Staycation: Family Vacation   Celeb-reality TV in Hollywood
www.BECOMINGBUTCH.com
VENUE #11: The Steve & Marie Sgouros Theatre
Fri 17 @ 3  Tue 21 @ 2:45  Thu 23 @ 6:30  Fri 24 @ 8  Sat 25 @ 5:45  Sun 26 @ 12

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2012 marks the centennial anniversary of the birth of British mathematician, Alan Turing, widely acknowledged today as the father of the computer. Internationally it has been dubbed Alan Turing Year, and Olympic torch bearers stopped before a commemorative statue of him on route to the London stadium in tribute to an, as yet, little recognized giant in the history of technological advancement. Winston Churchill opined that Turing’s decryption device helped to end WWII years earlier than might otherwise have been achieved. Turing’s life story, however, is a singularly harsh tragedy. A homosexual, in 1952 he was convicted of gross indecency with another man, and compelled to take female hormones as a therapeutic treatment for his “criminal” deviance, a procedure widely referred to as chemical castration. Just two years later he was found dead in his bed due to cyanide poisoning.

Alex Paul Young‘s theatrical piece, Pink Milk, is a highly personal, impressionistic work – a mash up of contemporary gay themes and biographical details from Turing’s life. Fueled by a righteous outrage and abandoned to a fantastical world of make believe, it dispenses with any sense of historical, cultural, or scientific accuracy, to present a free-form poetic narrative fused with dance and music. It’s an odd departure point from which to explore the life of a celebrated logician and mathematician, but that’s not all that’s odd about it. Young’s Turing, as a boy, develops a robotic playmate that runs on apples. In real life, the adult Turing was enraptured by Disney’s animated film, Snow White. Apples – plastic white ones and natural red ones – denote the stage boundaries, and actors regularly bite into one together as an indication of shared understanding. As a boy Alan is shown to be distracted by daisies growing on playing fields, and these engage him in life and death discussions. A glass of milk is another personified character, and the Pink Milk of the title is a somewhat strained symbol of tainted motherhood – both bloodied breast milk and TB-infected cow’s milk. Despite what grown-ups think or say, logic does not apply in young Alan’s world. Young’s unruly script, rendered in a somewhat textureless blank verse, gallops along on a dizzy note of abandoned self-indulgence. Its utter whimsicality can be hard to swallow.

What it does have going for it though is a relentless strangeness, a bold insistence on its own terms. The cheap sense of fatalism and overwrought lyricism are suddenly disrupted by a break out of music and synchronized ensemble dancing. The actors huddle in a group as a clubby electronica pop permeates, and a staccato, mechanical choreography takes hold. Apropos nothing, rigid arm thrusting and stiff-necked twisting are enjoyed, and it’s clubland 1982 again. At once bizarrely appropriate, and yet inappropriate, these instances have a distinctive flair and contribute a signature with its own peculiar gravitas. The troupe of seven young performers are utterly down when it comes to these movement passages and the sequences are as compelling as they are perplexing.

It really is too bad for the play’s Chicago-based company, White Elephant, that they found themselves booked in to perform here at the Gene Frankel Theatre. Originally devised for a surrounded stage forum, the presentation suffers in Frankel’s compressed space and traditional stage-facing-audience format. Gamefully Elephant string a line of audience seats along the back and side walls of the performance area, but this doesn’t fully suffice as an answer. Worse still, the Frankel’s regulations regarding noise levels means the music is played at an absurdly low pitch during dance segments, as if an elderly relative were trying to sleep next door. Energy levels are impacted accordingly.

A hard working cast let none of this really stand in their way. Everyone gives it 100 percent, with stand-out contributions by Casey Hartley as “The Authority Figures”, and Joe McManus who, as Turing, struggles to put some humanity into an abstracted, romanticized central character. Young is very lucky in his cast, and perhaps even more so in the directorial hand of Brandon Powers, who propels all along at a headlong tilt with unpredictable turns. Powers is additionally credited as joint choreographer and, as such, it can safely be said that he’s helped save Pink Milk‘s bacon. The original, catchy, and entirely on point music is by Visager. Anyone looking for a mature reflection on the life and contribution of Alan Turing is advised to look elsewhere. But if intriguing performance, gay themes, and fantastical whimsy are your bag, you’ve come to the right place. Drink your milk.

~~~

Pink Milk
White Elephant
Writer: Alex Young
Director: Brandon Powers
Choreographer: Brandon Powers & ensemble
Movement, nosebleeds, electronica, and a talking daisy. Lonely gay genius Alan Turing builds robots to replace his lost love. PINK MILK, inspired by the father of Computer Science, explodes themes of creation, destruction and eternal love.
1h 40m   National   Chicago, Illinois
Drama   Dance
Staycation: In Someone Else’s Shoes   Ride the Rollercoaster of Love
www.pinkmilk2012.com
VENUE #09: The Gene Frankel Theatre
Fri 10 @ 9  Sun 12 @ 4:15  Wed 15 @ 2  Sat 18 @ 9  Sun 19 @ 2

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Sure, Mariah MacCarthy’s new play, Magic Trick, is full of sexy goodness, what with its burlesque routines, girls kissin’ boys, girls kissin’ girls, full on nekkid scenes and all the steamy, flirty, hungry passion that can erupt between two (or three) people caught in a windstorm of lust and love and like and leaving. But scratch the surface of all the seduction and right below you’ll find a strong play filled with true emotion, hard choices, honest conversation, not-always-likable characters, and unanswered questions.

Magic Trick clocks in at over 2 hours but don’t let the run time fool you – the pacing of this show has it feeling much faster thanks to the solid direction of Christina Roussos who uses every opportunity to bring as much information to the audience at once so that each moment is filled to the brim with the identities of these individuals.

The story revolves around Bana (Diana Oh) the beautiful, sexual, confident, wheelchair-bound girlfriend of Eric (Nic Grelli) who, on the night we meet them, are in a club hooting and hollering their admiration for Clara (Kim Gainer) who is performing a sizzling burlesque number.  Talk turns to the couple taking the performer home, and while it doesn’t happen this first scene nicely sets up the parameters of Bana and Eric’s relationship, their views on their sexuality as a couple, and exactly where Bana’s paralysis falls on the spectrum of difficulty- for the couple, for Bana, and for the tone of the play. It also lets the audience in on the secret that Bana and Clara have already been involved for a while.   Additionally MacCarthy neatly informs the audience, with this first scene, that while Bana is paralysed this detail does not define her … it’s simply another one of her characteristics as much as her sense of humor; something to be taken into consideration, but nothing to be singled out.  Like setting up the chess pieces on a board, everything is now in place for the game to be played with a vengeance.

Hereafter MacCarthy plays hard and fast with the timeline mixing present day with flashback so vigorously that – even with the help of cue cards – it can be a bit of a task to sort out where you are in the story line.   If Magic Trick were a more linear story where “A” leading to “B” was the only thing you could rely upon in order for Sherlock Holmes to reveal the criminal in the end, all this jumping around would work against the plot. For Magic Trick, however,  it’s not necessary to follow the time-line as much as follow the need.  While cause and effect generally occurs in a linear way, our minds put the pieces together in an altogether different way, one which lines up events according to importance and flavor and color and texture and sight and sound … not time.  That’s something that McCarthy intuitively understands as she delivers her characters in snapshot moments of happiness, confusion, lust, honesty, despair and anger.

So while the relationship of Bana and Eric is a complicated one, so is the one between Bana and Clara – and the one between Eric and Clara.  Each coupling produces a different side to the individual and Gainer, Grelli and Oh are all fantastic at portraying not only the many different sides that one other individual brings out in them, but then the whole palate and range of different sides that another individual coaxes out.  We watch as Bana goes from loving Eric to experiencing feelings of emotional and physical betrayal.  She moves out  and on to a relationship with Clara – one which she does not label or define, even as Clara longs to define it.  In a powerful scene that highlights Gainer’s raw strength Clara – with Bana’s blessing – couples with Eric only to turn on him in a way that is unnerving to watch.

Whether it’s with a brooding strip routine that coincides with a scene of despair, dancing as metaphor, stripping in anger or baring one’s body because it’s easier than baring one’s soul, all forms of display are evident in Magic Trick - there to illuminate the person as a whole, not simply to titillate.  And while Diana Oh, Kim Gainer and Nic Grelli all strip seductively, with expert wickedness and nuanced allure there’s no mistaking that this play is not about baring skin but about baring emotions.  Which, once revealed to another, can’t be hidden again behind a feather boa.

~~~

Magic Trick
Caps Lock Theatre
Writer: Mariah MacCarthy
Director: Christina Roussos
Bana: Beautiful, paraplegic, missing. Eric: her (ex?) boyfriend, looking for her. Clara: That burlesque dancer they almost took home. Bana’s donning pasties, Eric’s losing his sh*t, and Clara gets naked and won’t leave. A love story with burlesque.
2h 40m   Local   Manhattan, New York
Drama   Vaudeville/Sideshow/Magic/Burlesque
Staycation: Ride the Rollercoaster of Love   My NYC Story
www.capslocktheatre.com/
VENUE #18: HERE Mainstage Theater
Sat 18 @ 12  Sun 19 @ 3  Tue 21 @ 4  Thu 23 @ 8  Sat 25 @ 7

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• GRIMM: A New Musical – Two Sisters, One Necklace (Fringe Festival 2012)
• The Connected: Bundle #1 (Fringe Festival 2012)

It’s 1958 and June’s life is complicated.  Not life-or-death complicated … certainly when it comes to all the basic necessities she seems covered.  At a glance, one might even say June’s life is perfect: she has a likable husband, Marty who has a good job which provides enough money for them to live well.  June certainly dresses nicely, outfitted in a fine array of fashionable dresses which set off her lovely figure and elegant air.  And she’s blessed with the flexibility to spend her days as she wishes – so she’s either shopping or volunteering as a docent at the art museum where she explains the Pollaks and the Dalis to the ladies who lunch.  So what … if, when she and Marty go out with other couples, she drinks a little too much scotch?  So what if her dream of being a painter was shut down by her loving husband who waved it away, dismissing it as a little hobby simply because none of her work sold?  So what if miscarriage after miscarriage only magnifies the emptiness of their home?  So what if their sex life is lacking, their conversations are strained, and the balanced of power is forever tipped in Marty’s favor? So what, indeed.

June and Nancy written by Michelle Ramoni tells of a time when women and their sexuality was a mystery — often to themselves.  Sex of any kind wasn’t discussed, so when marital discourse rears its ugly head for June (Ramoni) there’s not much to do about it except look on the bright side, slip into those heels and go shopping. While Marty isn’t a particularly dominating man he does what other men of the era do – he makes the money and expects his wife to look and act appropriately.  While he sets very few limits on her, the limits he does set echo those of society which are enough to keep her corralled in her place.  So when June meets Nancy (Gabrielle Maisels) - a lithographer who speaks her mind, walks with a confident air (yes, even swagger) and illuminates ideas that June hardly ever dared to think, is it any wonder she becomes attracted to this woman?

Soon enough Nancy excites and overwhelms June with electrifying conversation, bold ideas, and of course, potent sexuality.  A relationship between the two women begins as an intense friendship with Nancy slowly pursuing the responsive June in ever-shrinking circle of coy and not-so-coy advances.  Soon June, who had always identified as straight (quite possibly because it was the only choice put forth before her) finds herself awakening in more ways than just sexually.  The result is a heady mix of romance, excitement and secrets.

However, very real matters make their love complicated.  There is, of course, the obvious – a married, closeted woman figuring out her path.  A husband who must be kept in the dark and strung along.  A love that is so forbidden that it must be kept to the fringes of society. Two lives that must be maintained and somehow not drained while this clandestine romance is fed.  Ironic complications arise when Nancy, not June, is hesitant to be seen in a group of lesbians at a party with June. Interestingly she voices some truly real concerns of the time: in 1958 when it was hard enough to be accepted she didn’t want to risk alienation among her own for dating a “straight” woman.

Director Kate Holland sets up a beautiful space for this relationship to unfold; many fine touches carry this relationship through in a realistic and honest way reflecting the true portrayal of a conflicted pair who struggle not only against society but against themselves.  High marks go to Jeffrey Coyne who has the difficult job of portraying a husband who is just likable enough to make us understand June’s conflict, but not exactly worth sticking around for.  Coyne does an excellent job of delivering a character we can feel sympathy for, even as we know that, in June’s shoes, we’d be equally as unhappy.

Peter Daniel Straus as June’s long time friend Jerry is wonderful; though the role is much smaller than Mr. Straus’ talents he still was able to telegraph that lifetime of friendship that was so necessary for a woman in June’s position to hold on to.  His comic timing and the sweet and natural way he connected with June provided a welcomed bright note in a play heavy with emotional moments.

June and Nancy is both a universal story as well as a very personal one.  Some things will resonate, some things will illuminate, and in the end this outstanding production will leave you with a very real sense of compassion for two women whose need to be together is stronger than they’d realized.

~~~

June and Nancy
Stage Left Studio
Writer: Michelle Ramoni
Director: Kate Holland
When she unexpectedly falls in love with Nancy, 1950s housewife June is faced with the choice between duty and passion. Which path would you follow?
1h 30m   Local   Manhattan, New York
Drama
Staycation: Ride the Rollercoaster of Love   Time Traveler
www.juneandnancy.com
VENUE #07: The Kraine Theater
Fri 17 @ 8:15  Sun 19 @ 12  Wed 22 @ 7  Fri 24 @ 3:15  Sun 26 @ 4:45

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Trafficked

Benefiting: GEMS
Created by Members of Project Girl Performance Collective
Directed by Ashley Marinaccio

Show Times:

• Mon 6/4/12 – 4:00pm
• Fri 6/8/12 – 6:00pm
• Sun 6/10/12 – 5:30pm
• Sat 6/16/12 – 4:30pm
• Thu 6/21/12 – 5:00pm
• Sat 6/23/12 – 1:30pm

Answers by   various cast/staff members of TRAFFICKED including

Mildred Jones-Hamm (Performer), Monica Furman (Performer/Creator), Chioneso Bakr (Performer), Ashley Marinaccio (Director)

Karen Tortora-Lee’s Question
How did you come up with the title for your show?

Ashley Marinaccio: Trafficked tells the story of sex slavery and child exploitation through the eyes of fifteen young women. In an ensemble devised performance constructed by interviews, research and media, the cast puts a name and face to the thousands of undocumented girls and boys who are trafficked into the billion dollar sex industry each year. We chose to call our show Trafficked because it summarizes what our show is about.

Diánna Martin’s Question
If you were going to invite 5 people (from the past or present) to see your show – who would you invite … and why?

Somaly Mam – She is an activist who has dedicated her life to ending human trafficking. Her work has motivated this production. We hope that through our show we can help to raise awareness of people like Somaly Mam who are changing lives each day.

Gloria Steinem – As young feminists we deeply admire Gloria and feel that she has blazed the trail to let us be who we are today. It would be an honor for her to join us.

Eve Ensler – Eve has created a movement to end violence against women. She is our biggest influence. We would love for Eve to lead a workshop and talk back with our girls.

Michele Obama – We love the work that our first lady has done to empower women and girls in the United States and around the world. We have had the privilege of performing at The White House once and would love for Mrs. Obama to see
Trafficked.

Oprah – We want Oprah to see our work! She has changed so many lives and inspires us beyond words. We hope that our work will inspire Oprah the way that she has inspired us.

Antonio Minino’s Question
What is the biggest sacrifice you’ve made for your art and was it worth it?
Mildred Jones-Hamm (Age 21): The biggest sacrifice I made for my art is moving away from suburban Michigan, away from the security of family, my university,  and friends to create a life in New York City. To develop my art in a place which I knew nothing about. Not only have I grown more independent but I also seek the importance of art and the decisions in my life. I’ve learned there is security in nothing so in order to excel I have to be fearless and make bold decisions in my life and ART. Through this experience I have become aware of my self worth as a individual, I truly believe that everything happens for a reason with this I have broaden my horizons as a thinker, artist and achiever it was totally worth it.

Geoffrey Paddy Johnson’s Question
Was there any unexpected discovery made during the development of this production and can you share it with us?
 - Monica Furman (Age 16): I’m from Ukraine. I had no idea that Ukraine was a place of such immense sexual exploitation! I had never heard any family members talk about it, so I was very surprised when I came upon the information during my research for my character.
- Chioneso Bakr (Age 17): During production I learned that sex trafficking not only happens outside the US, but right inside my own city. To know that this issue is happening in my backyard, it makes the situation much more frightening.

Michelle Augello-Page’s Question
What do you hope the audience receives from the experience of seeing this show?
- Chioneso Bakr: The show should be the type of experience where audience would want to tell others about it. I would hope they would enjoy it, feel the acting, become emotional, and understand how serious sex trafficking is.

___

Planet Connections runs from May 30 – June 24 at The Bleecker Street Theater located at 45 Bleecker Street, New York, NY.  To purchase tickets to this or any of the shows click here.

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There is a very telling moment which comes two thirds of the way into Mariah MacCarthy’s play The Foreplay Play which is currently being produced by CAPS LOCK THEATRE  at a site-specific location (WAY off-off Broadway) in Williamsburg.  This dramedy about the tension which builds between two couples as they tentatively (and sometimes not so tentatively) lay the foundation for a night of orgiastic bliss has many titillating moments, but the one which encapsulated this show for me was probably the least sexual of the night.

After a series of awkward missteps, false starts, jumping the gun (but not without a few hot hot, drrrrrty, breathtaking, throw-you-up-against-the-wall, take-you-right-now-on-the-kitchen-counter moments) Kyle, the sole male of the intended foursome is strumming a guitar and the quartet has just finished a rousing rendition of Springteen’s Hungry Heart.  In and of itself  Hungry Heart is a beautiful moment – each character singing with completely different motivation: some with actual hunger in their heart, some with nothing more than Springsteen Joy, and others with the taste of a memory, perhaps.  Regardless of subtext, the four voices blend beautifully, and yet perfectly naturally – the way any four people with decent singing voices might automatically take the harmonies.  They all know the words, they understand the nuances, they enjoy the camaraderie the singing produces, and the moment is binding.  The telling moment comes right after, when three of the four decide to launch into Since You’ve Been Gone.

Nic Grelli, Lindsey Austen,Diana Oh and Parker Leventer (Photo by Kacey Stamats)

“I don’t know this song,” pouts Anika (Lindsey Austen) and soon her pout erupts into full-on anger.  She has a tantrum, runs from the room, and leaves the others feeling awkward, embarrassed, perhaps guilty, but – let’s be honest – a little smug.  We know something you don’t know.

Herein lies the key to good group ANYTHING – but for the purposes of this review we’ll stick to group sex.  In order for it to work, everyone has to be in harmony.  Everyone has to feel comfortable.  Everyone has to know where to pick up, where to leave off, where to come in, and when to hold back.  Moving forward when someone clearly doesn’t “know the words” to a certain song (read – doesn’t know the rules of a certain situation) is only going to lead to tantrums.

What The Foreplay Play illustrates and illuminates beautifully is that bringing the fantasy (again, of anything, but specifically group sex) into the real world is a daunting process even if all the clothes are laid out neatly on the bed for you beforehand.  Just because you have a piano and ten fingers doesn’t mean you’ll suddenly sit down and start playing Mozart.  Even further – simply because you can play the piano doesn’t mean you’ll be able to play a complete performance of all the Chopin Etudes.  And so – just because you like sex doesn’t mean you can have it with three other people you’re fond of without someone hitting a harsh note.  Perception is easy.  Reality is hard.  Or … let’s go with “difficult”.

The foursome of The Foreplay Play is made up of  Kyle (Nic Grelli) who is sweet, earnest and charming.  He’s manly and studly but he’s gentle enough to break down and fall apart when emotions overwhelm him.  (And this night is rife with overwhelming emotions of all types).  Kyle’s girlfriend is Anika (Lindsey Austen) - a yearning, tentative girl who fancies herself experimental but, when push comes to shove, can’t get out of her own way far enough to move past “vanilla” (which, to this crowd, is more of an insult than a subtle flavor choice).  They are hosted for the evening by Anika’s co-worker Isabel (Diana Oh) who is a power house of sexuality and seduction.  While Izzy doesn’t actively set out to seduce everyone in the room she is somehow the center of the sexual vortex here as both Kyle and Anika find themselves longing for her in ways that (if you’re an audience member with any sort of pulse) will have you catching your breath.  The quartet is rounded out by Isabel’s live-in lover Kelly (Parker Leventer) who is sure of herself, a self-professed Dom who dominates in rooms other than the bedroom and enjoys making others feel uncomfortable, even as she insists on ground rules and guidelines for the evening.

Throughout the evening of foreplay each gets their turn to take a spin in front of the mirror, as it were.  On display this evening for all of us (and for each other) to see are each character’s most charming qualities, their most annoying habits, their sexiest urges, their most awkward discomfort.  Separately and together they all find themselves acting out, taking the lead, taking a backseat, or simply bobbing along as they watch the inevitable happen.

The cast is strong, each delivering a nuanced performance which gives you an opportunity to side with them or against them depending on the flow of the evening.  Under Leta Tremblay’s fine direction the night is hyper-real.  The play is, as I mentioned, site specific – so this Williamsburg apartment (big by New York standards but rather intimate for a play) creates an immediate fly-on-the-wall scenario.  (Be warned that seating is limited and, like a game of musical chairs, there’s a rush for seats once the apartment door opens.  Latecomers will be sitting on cushions up front.  Those with knee problems who are loathe to sitting on the floor are, unfortunately, SOL).

The intimacy of the space allows Tremblay to give the characters a whole host of real-time actions to work with – actual dinner to be prepared, actual exits from the apartment to be made.  Tremblay also deftly balances all the craziness (Twister! Knife play! Costumes and fake accents! Spin the bottle!) with a solid anchor of gravitas so that rather than feeling MacCarthy is throwing a lot at the wall to see what sticks in terms of theme this feels much more like four actual people who are twisting and turning their way through a strange encounter in order to make it fit for all involved.  Unfortunately no matter how many games of Twister they play the right combination just won’t fall into place.

MacCarthy aims for – and delivers – a night of questions rather than answers.  A night of seeking rather than finding, and a night which flips over the rocks to explore the grime underneath.  While no one gets very naked, emotionally the cast strips bare and the four individuals share intimacies on a level much deeper than the simple exchanging of bodily fluids.  Ultimately sex is besides the point.  MacCarthy, in her Playwright’s Note, admits that the play “ends up being a celebration of love, not sex”.

CAPS LOCK THEATRE, on their website, states, “We like plays where people are at both their worst and their best; where people screw each other–or themselves–over, and have to find a way to deal with it; where people’s hearts hurt, or open, or blossom.”  I’d say that The Foreplay Play does all of this – and perfectly.

~~~

THE FOREPLAY PLAY

A new play by Mariah MacCarthy
Directed by Leta Tremblay
This play takes place at a site-specific apartment in Williamsburg - Brooklyn, NY
Location will be disclosed to audience members upon ticket purchase

Thursdays-Sundays at 8pm

April 19-May 6, 2012

Click here for tickets

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• The Un-Marrying Project: Passion Is Easy – Commitment Is Hard
• BITTEN – One Last Drink
• Songs Of Love: A Theatrical Mixtape (Fringe Festival 2012)

The Lambda Literary Foundation has selected 119 finalists for the prestigious 24^th Annual Lambda Literary Award, which identifies and celebrates the best of lesbian and gay books in the year of their publication. Finalist readings are being held in San Francisco, Seattle, Minneapolis, New York, Toronto, and Los Angeles.

On Friday, May 11, Lambda Literary Award Finalists will be reading from their selected works in NYC at  Bluestockings Books, 7:00 pm.

Confirmed authors for this event are: Anton Dudley, Paul Legault, Barbara Browning, Michael Schiavi, Bil Wright, Barry Brennessel, Glen Retief, Sacchi Green, Sally Bellerose, Dawn Lundy Martin, Jonathan Tolins, Serena Anderlini-D’Onofrio, Rafe Posey, Steven Haas, Colm Toibin, Michael Hames-Garcia, and Jafari S. Allen.

The awards, now in their twenty-fourth year, celebrate achievement in lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) writing for books published in 2011. Winners will be announced at a Monday evening, June 4th ceremony in New York at the CUNY Graduate Center (365 Fifth Avenue) with an after-party at Slate (54 West 21st Street).

Books from major mainstream publishers and from academic presses, from both long-established and new LGBT publishers, as well as from emerging publish-on-demand technologies, make up the 119 finalists, culled from a submission pool of approximately 600 titles represented from about 250 publishers.

More than 90 booksellers, book reviewers, librarians, authors, previous Lammy winners and finalists, and other book professionals volunteered many hours of reading time, critical thinking, and shared discussion to select the finalists in 24 categories. To view the full list of finalists, click here.

The Lambda Literary Foundation nurtures, celebrates, and preserves LGBT literature through programs that honor excellence, promote visibility and encourage development of emerging writers. For more about Lambda Literary, check out their website.

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• The Taint Of Equality, Or I Want Your Sex – 5 Things To Know About The Show Before You Go (2012 Planet Connections Festivity)
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Best Erotic Romance (Cleis Press, 2012) offers a sampling of work from some of the best authors writing in the erotic romance genre today. Editor Kristina Wright introduces Best Erotic Romance by saying, “These are the stories that touched my heart and ignited my libido, that made me think about the nature of desire and the unpredictability of the human heart. Each of these seventeen stories weaves love and passion so tightly that one cannot be separated from the other. And isn’t that what a lasting relationship is all about?”

Well written and provocative, the stories in Best Erotic Romance touch upon many different aspects of our sexuality and our expressions of sex within the context of our most intimate relationships. This is a book that celebrates the role of sex in our lives, and the need we have for intimacy, love, and passion. As a whole, the collection supports conversation, communication, and self-reflection. In the foreword, Shayla Black encourages readers to “embrace these stories for what they are: a true mirror of our inner needs, our longing to combine souls, to discover our truest selves. Explore. Fantasize. Wonder.”

Best Erotic Romance offers a wide range of stories which explore and reveal our most intimate connections, encompassing a vast array of situations, characters, and settings. The relationships in these stories are mostly heterosexual and vary from long-term marriages to first encounters. The characters range from unattached singles to divorced parents to married couples with children. These stories take place across the world, and are rooted in our relationships with the erotic, body and mind, heart and soul.

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Best Erotic Romance

Edited by Kristina Wright. Cleis Press, 2012. Foreword by Shayla Black

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What Happened In Vegas by Sylvia Day skillfully balances the genres of romance and erotica, combining traditional romance with scorching hot sex.

First Night by Donna George Storey explores the concept of marriage and anticipates the subtle changes that such a deep commitment can bring.

Another Trick up My Sleeve by Heidi Champa finds humor and depth in a couple’s quest to bring excitement back to their sex life.

Drive Me Crazy by Delilah Devlin is a lusty story about attraction and the push and pull of two characters as they reveal themselves to each other.

Once Upon a Dinner Date by Saskia Walker is a delightfully playful story that feeds upon the sensual exploration of sex.

He Tends to Me by Justine Elyot searches the place of love in a Dominant/submissive relationship dynamic.

Guest Services by Angela Caperton explores sex as self-empowerment, as the main character learns to take what she wants.

Memories for Sale by Andrea Dale is a story about a couple in a broken relationship opening up to communication and healing.

Blame it on Facebook by Kate Dominic finds the main character reconnecting with her past, and finding a path to her future.

The Draft by Craig J. Sorenson explores the powerful need for connection between two strangers who meet by chance.

To Be in Clover by Shanna Germain is a beautifully written story encompassing the wild, boundless nature of our sexual selves.

Honey Changes Everything by Emerald explores sex as a place of empowerment, as a couple finds strength in each other during a difficult time.

Cheating Time by Kate Pearce is a hot, heady story which engages and shows the love, passion, and sheer lust between a couple who take time to rediscover and reignite the fire between them.

Our Own Private Champagne Room by Rachel Kramer Bussel explores pop-culture sexuality and self-awareness as the main character actualizes her fantasy.

Till the Storm Breaks by Erobintica is a story about sexual openness and acceptance, as a married couple finds erotic pleasure between them rekindled through a threesome.

The Curve of Her Belly by Kristina Wright explores the concept of beauty and body image, as the main character struggles to see herself as the beautiful, sexy woman her husband sees, revealing a story of love, intimacy, and desire.

Dawn Chorus by Nikki Magennis is a story about the primal, emotional, natural expression of sex, as two characters crash into each other’s dark worlds, bringing to light the deep need we all have for connection with another.

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About Cleis Press

Cleis Press publishes provocative, intelligent books in the areas of sexuality, gay and lesbian studies, erotica, fiction, gender studies, and human rights. The largest independent queer publishing company in the United States, Cleis Press was founded in 1980 by Felice Newman and Frédérique Delacoste. Brenda Knight is Associate Publisher and Kat Sanborn is Editorial Associate.

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About Kristina Wright

Kristina Wright is an award-winning author whose fiction has appeared in over seventy-five anthologies. A member of the Erotica Readers and Writers Association, Romance Writers of America, and Passionate Ink, Kristina received the Golden Heart Award for Romantic Suspense from RWA. She is the editor of Steamlust, Dream Lover, and the bestselling Fairy Tale Lust.

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