Florida Agenda

In response to the Editorial, “Wilton Manners” in the Florida Agenda, September 1, 2011.

Dear Editor,
Thank you so much for your piece on Manners, it is so true and you nailed the subject on it’s head. Manners are just no longer of high pri ority anywhere anym

ore, not in the supermarket, or the bars or even with our friends. It is a shame.

Sincerely
C G Michaels

Dear Editor,
Your piece on manners though true in a way came across as extremely condescending, you would do well to remember that manners aren’t just about opening doors, or waiting patiently in line, but in the way in which you address an audience.

Anonymous

In response to the Style feature, “Back to Black” in the Florida Agenda, September 1, 2011.

DEAR EDITOR,
Thank you for this piece, we need more fashion in South Florida. I enjoy these fashion pieces very much, as I would rather spend money on clothes than having to fork out the ridiculous amount charged for magazines these days and appreciate what you guys do for the community.

Sincerely,
Allan Cray

In response to the Theatre review, “Angels In America” in the Florida Agenda, August 25, 2011.

DEAR EDITOR,
I don’t think your newspaper should be promoting plays about AIDS.  We have had too much talk about that in the GLBT community and it just scares people.
Anonymous

In response to the Tiger’s Growl, “Assuming Being Gay is a Choice” in the Florida Agenda, August 25, 2011.

DEAR EDITOR,
I read with great interest the piece about making being a gay a religion. It is such an interesting take on the fact people believe it is a choice and as Dave Tigercub pointed out making being Gay a religion would circumvent a lot of the issues that plague the community. I look forward to hearing more on the subject and sign me up to the church!
Sincerely,
Mack

In response to Word Play, “To Poke, or Not to Poke” in the Florida Agenda, September 1, 2011.

DEAR EDITOR,
As a fellow technophobe I totally feel for Christian in his to poke or not to poke dilemma, having recently joined Facebook (I know about 10 years too late) I have also been inundated with poke requests from people I really barely know but are friends of friends, and, now I have thought about it, I am sure it’s not socially acceptable to be poking all your friends friends!
Rob Patton

A film review by Warren Day

A positive stereotype that both heterosexuals and homosexuals hold about gays is that they’re more creative than most and without them theater would be half what it is.

If that’s true, then why is it so hard to come up with a substantial list of great gay plays – that is, plays of lasting value that focus on the lives of gay men and lesbians? Give it a try and see if you don’t have difficulty in listing five masterpieces, much less ten, and if you remove the ones that deal with AIDS, you might have trouble naming three. Where is our “Death of a Salesman” or “Long Day’s Journey into Night?”

Even the best playwrights who were homosexual (Oscar Wilde, Tennessee Williams, Thornton Wilder, Edward Albee) produced no great work dealing openly with gays. In Tennessee Williams’ plays, the gay character is always dead before the curtain goes up  (i.e., Blanche’s husband in “Streetcar,” Brick’s football buddy Skipper in “Cat,” and Sebastian in “Suddenly Last Summer”.)

Some of the best known gay plays, the ones that originally broke the barriers, can seem quite dated today, such as “The Boys in the Band” and “Tea and Sympathy.” The exception to this is possibly “The Children’s Hour.”

And while Terrence McNally (“Love! Valour! Compassion!”) and Paul Rudnick (“Jeffrey”) may have given us some enjoyable and meaningful evenings in the theater, only a few would call their plays timeless classics.

So, almost by default, Tony Kushner’s “Angels in America” obtains the distinction (and the burden) of being called “the greatest gay play ever written”.  In dramatizing the moral quandaries of the AIDS crisis in 1985, in both public and private lives, it has umpteen awards to support that claim, winning both the Pulitzer and the Tony and, as a mini-series on HBO, a slew of Emmys and Golden Globes. Harold Bloom, the go-to arbitrator of such questions, put it on his list of the greatest works of literature in the western world.  For now, at least, it’s the “Hamlet” of gay plays.

And the Andrews Living Arts Studio (ADL) in Fort Lauderdale is giving you a rare chance, until September 4, to see this gay masterwork, a play not seen in south Florida for over a decade.

Granted, it’s so highly-acclaimed and that gays hold so prominent a role behind and in front of the curtain in Florida theater, why hasn’t it been staged more often?

For one reason, it’s a difficult play for a community theater to do because it’s actually two plays running seven hours total (ADL is doing only an abridged version of “Part I: Millennium Approaches”); the script is multi-layered, epic in its themes, and consistently shifts between reality and fantasy. “Angels” requires a level of acting and directing that’s hard for any company to achieve.

ADL deserves big kudos for attempting such a play. However, I cannot review intentions or ambition, only the results, and on that score it’s a very disappointing production. Anyone seeing “Angels” for the first time here would have no idea why it’s considered a great play.

The acting ranges from adequate to embarrassing, with at least three of the actors noticeably older than the characters they’re playing. That last point is not minor, since questions and struggles that occupy people 27 to 32 begin to strain acceptance when played by someone who looks at least ten years older than that.

Part of Kushner’s genius is how he uses mundane language to communicate profound meanings and humor to explore some of life’s darker moments; but in this production, the mundane stifles the profound and much of the poetry and laughter is lost in delivery.
After being assured they would be using the Broadway script, I found at least an hour had been cut, with whole scenes and characters gone, and with them some of the needed coherence and substance. Joe Pitt’s mother is now in only one brief scene, and Ethel Rosenberg is reduced to some spooky music.

The director still has some of the 11 actors play multi-roles, but he changes the careful schematic Kushner intended.  There was a good reason to have the Mormon mother play the male Rabbi, the Angel to play the nurse, and the same actor who plays Lewis’ lover be his trick in the park. That’s all changed in this production, and it’s to the detriment of the evening.

As to the larger question of why there are so few great gay plays, if you keep in mind that dramas focusing openly on gay issues and characters have only happened in the last 43 years of the 2500 year history of theater in the western world, then maybe it’s more understandable that there isn’t yet a longer list of classics.  That same period has also been a lean time in producing masterpieces on the lives of straights (hence all the revivals).

Instead, think about what a future Tennessee Williams or Oscar Wilde might write, or what they and others could’ve written if their times had been different.  If you remember that William Shakespeare wrote his most ardent love poetry to a young man, then just try and imagine the gay play we might have today if he’d been allowed his “Romeo and Romeo.”

As the angel says at the end of “Millennium Approaches,” “…the great work has (just) begun.”

What Are Best Gay Plays?

Remember this isn’t a list of the most enjoyable or personally meaningful, but simply what might be considered the best written of the plays that have their main focus on gay issues or a gay or lesbian character. In alphabetical order, my personal list would include:

• Angels in America by Tony Kushner
• Bent by Martin Sherman
• Boston Marriage by David Mamet
• Breaking the Code (about Alan Turing)
by Hugh Whitemore
• The Children’s Hour by Lillian Hellman
• The Dresser by Ronald Harwood
• Entertaining Mr. Sloane by Joe Orton
• Falsettos by William Finn
• Fifth of July by Langford Wilson
• Gross Indecency by Moises Kaufman
• Hedwig and the Angry Inch by John Cameron
Mitchell and Stephen Trask
• The Invention of Love by Tom Stoppard
• The Killing of Sister George by Frank Marcus
• La Cage Aux Folles, the musical by Jerry
Herman and Harvey Fierstein, original play by
Jean Poiret
• The Laramie Project by Moises Kaufman
• Loot by Joe Orton
• M Butterfly by David Henry Hwang
• The Normal Heart by Larry Kramer
• Take Me Out by Richard Greenberg
• Torch Song Trilogy by Harvey Fierstein

Let us hear your reactions, opinions  and suggestions by emailing AgendaReviews@aol.com

Andrews Living Arts Studio is located at 25 NW 5th Street, Fort Lauderdale 33301. Performances Thurs thru Sun at 7:30 p.m. till Sept. 4. Buy tickets for $24.95 at www.andrewslivingarts.com, or 800-838-3006. At the door, $29.95.

Casa de Campo – Dominican Republic

 Save Your Home

“Angels in America” Is It the Greatest Gay Play Ever Written?

A Workout With Balls! Adding a Swiss Ball Can Turn Exercises Into Challenging Maneuvers

Happy Hour They’ve Got You Covered!

In this week’s issue of Style & Entertainment we conclude our Entrepreneur Series of Profiles for August with Caleb Ben-Avram and Tim Slivinski, owners of The Naked Grape as they prepare to move to their new larger location in Wilton Manors. Paul Rubio discovers “Casa de Campo”, oceanfront and country extravagance fused together on the Dominican Republic’s southeast shoreline in Travel and we look at options for home loan modification in Home.
Warren Day takes on a review of the controversial play, “Angels in America” as well as looking at the top list of plays that have pushed boundaries and made people think in Theatre.

We also look at the hottest new web lifestyle program as Jumpmiami.com presents “Happy Hour” and we get up close and personal with Vixen, Chris and Josh. We sample the new standard for elegant, delicious and creative Asian cuisine at Dapur in Dining, Tom Bonanti helps you grab the balls in Fitness, with the use of the Swiss Medicine Ball and Jean Doherty lets us be the chef with a favorite Penne a la Vodka in Recipe.

We also have your favorites, Out in Florida and our State-wide Bar Guide.
Enjoy! H – AV

Aqua Foundation for Women Awards Scholarships

MIAMI, FL – The Aqua Foundation for Women awarded twelve women with scholarships, recognizing their academic success and commitment to giving back to the community. Recipients of the scholarships came from Broward, Miami-Dade and, for the first time, Palm Beach County. Scholarships ranged in size from $2,500 to $4,000, with a total of $40,000 dollars granted by the foundation.

The Aqua Foundation for Women is an organization dedicated to increasing the wellness and equality of lesbian, bisexual and transgender women.

Sidelines’ Teams Headed to Gay Softball World Series

WILTON MANORS, FL – Sidelines Sports Bar’s two softball teams, the Sidelines Cyclones (“C” Division) and the Sidelines Eagles (“B” Division), will be heading to Chicago to play in the 2011 Gay Softball World Series.

Over 160 teams from around the country, such as Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Fort Lauderdale, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, New York, Montreal and Vancouver, will converge on Chicago from August 29 to September 3, 2011, in hopes of coming home with the 1st Place Championship Trophy and year-long bragging rights.

White Party  Finds New Digs

MIAMI, FL – Care Resource has announced that the annual White Party will move this November from its long-time home at the Vizcaya to a new location, the Miami Sequarium. The 2011 White Party begins 7 p.m. Friday, November 25, and ends 6 a.m. on Saturday, November 26.

For over 24 years, the Vizcaya Museum and Gardens was the location of the annual fundraiser. In the fall of 2010, however, due to increasing rental costs, it was decided that the 2010 White Party would be the final one held at that historic location.

Each year, the White Party draws thousands of guests from around the world wanting to attend the “Crown Jewel” of HIV/AIDS fundraisers and is recognized as one of the oldest and largest HIV/AIDS fundraisers in the world.

Get your tickets to the new White Party at Miami Seaquarium and world-renowned Muscle Beach Party at half the price. Florida Resident Passes are now on sale for $75 and includes the all new White Party and Muscle Beach parties. The pass offers a 50% savings off door prices and is only available for a limited time to Florida residents with a valid ID. This pass offers an opportunity to experience the two headline events of the week at a discounted price. This is a limited time offer with limited quantities and at these prices the pass will sell out.

For tickets and more information on this year’s White Party, visit the website at www.WhiteParty.org.

Pride South Florida Elects New Board

FORT  LAUDERDALE, FL – Pride South Florida, the producers of the annual PrideFest held each spring in Oakland Park, have elected a new board of directors. The new board consists of Marc Hansen (President), Roger Handevidt (Vice President), Rocky Bowell (Secretary) and Sonia Mitchell (Treasurer). Board Members-at-Large include John Fugate, Michael Rohrs, Marc J. Scharphorn and Michael Tisdale.

Island House Key West Marks 35th Anniversary

KEY WEST, FL – Island House Key West, touted as the longest continuously operated gay guesthouse in the world, is celebrating its 35th anniversary in business and its 10th anniversary under its current owners, Jon Allen and Martin Kay, who transformed it into a leader among the world’s premier gay guesthouses.

To mark this milestone, Island House is offering all 39 rooms at $13, the price it charged when it opened in 1976, for the night of June 25, 2012. The special offer is available exclusively through a special sweepstakes. 39 winners will be chosen randomly among those who complete the entry form at http://apps.facebook.com/sweepstakeshq/contests/141910. Sweepstakes participants are also encouraged (but not required) to “like” Island House Key West at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Island-House-Key-West-Gay-Hotel-Resort/56402142064 and post a comment with the phrase “35 and fabulous.” The offer is valid through midnight on Labor Day (September 5, 2011).

Island House Key West began operating as a modest, 16-room all-men’s guesthouse in 1976. When Allen and Kay took possession in the late ‘90s, the ramshackle 39-room guesthouse sprawled languidly across several dilapidated buildings, sorely in need of repair.

“We are honored to have served more than 125,000 guests in more than a third of a century,” said Allen, “”We’ve never rested on our laurels. We pride ourselves on our focus on customer satisfaction and professional, attentive service. We’ve invested well over two and a half million dollars since purchasing the property.”

After a massive investment of capital and time, they unveiled the new and much improved Island House Key West in 2001, transforming it into Key West’s most luxurious and pampering oasis for men. Having spent so much on award-winning upgrades over the past decade, Island House is unmatched in its class.

To book, call (800) 890-6284 or visit www.IslandHouseKeyWest.com.

“Angels in America”

FT. LAUDERDALE, FL – The famed play “Angels in America” will be playing at Andrews Living Arts, 23 NW 5th Street in Fort Lauderdale with a preview on August 11 and opening on August 12, playing Thursday, Fridays, Saturdays and Sunday at 7:30 p.m. through September 12.

“Angels in America” is set in New York City during the mid-1980s and follows the interconnected lives of several people affected by the AIDS crisis.

From the tragedy of AIDS to the camp comedy of drag queens, “Angels in America” transports us from NYC to Washington, the Kremlin, the South Bronx and Salt Lake City,  while dealing with Jews, Mormons, WASPs, mixed ethnic cultures and switching between realism and fantasy.  There are intense spiritual experiences and frequent references to the Reagan Administration.

“Angels in America” first appeared on Broadway in 1993 and was included in Harold Bloom’s controversial list of what he considered to be the most important works in literature published in 1994.

Tickets on line at www.andrewslivingarts.com – click on Brown Paper Tickets – or by phone at (800) 838-3006. Limited seating. Tickets in advance: $24.95; at the door $29.95.

Bachmann to Speak at Anti-Gay Group Dinner

ORLANDO, FL – The Florida Family Policy Council has invited Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann to headline its annual policy awards dinner.

According to Think Progress, the FFPC raises hundreds of thousands of dollars every year to oppose abortion rights, “the gay agenda,” and Islam. In 2008, they successfully led the charge to ban same-sex marriage and civil unions in Florida’s state constitution.

By Cliff Dunn

Playwright Tony Kushner’s award-winning “Angels in America” is coming to Andrews Living Arts (ALA) in Fort Lauderdale for a four-week run. The play, set in New York City during the mid-1980s, follows the interconnected lives of several people affected by the AIDS crisis, including former Nixon and Reagan advisor Roy Cohn, who died in 1986 claiming to the very end that he was suffering from liver cancer.

ALA producer and “Angels” director Robert D. Nation says the production “will feature some of the finest actors in the South Florida area.”

The production first appeared on Broadway in 1993 and was included in Harold Bloom’s controversial 1994 list of the most important works in literature. “Angels” – which has not been seen in South Florida in over a decade – previews August 11, opens August 12, and plays through September 4, with shows on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at 7:30 p.m.

In Vino Veritas

To celebrate their establishment’s One- Year Anniversary, owners Scott Kraft and Paula Pace of The Mason Jar Café invite you to partake (responsibly) of their halfprice wine special – by the bottle or by the glass – throughout the month of August (just try not to overdo it).

Go, West!

South Florida Congressman Allen West was hoping for more of a warm welcome when he was invited by the Wilton Manors Business Association (WMBA) to address its members at a meeting in Hagen Park on August 8. Instead, the invitation drew heat (the prickly kind), including sharp criticism from gay activists.

Michael Rajner, Legislative Director of the Florida GLBT Democratic Caucus, wrote to members of WMBA saying that anything short of a cancellation of West’s visit would result in “community leaders and other social justice advocates” “boycott[ ing] any and all businesses” that are members of the business association.

The Republican West, a retired Army lieutenant colonel elected to the U.S. House in 2008 (his 22nd Congressional District represents the eastern part of Wilton Manors, then loops around to more politically conservative environs), opposes gay marriage, as well as the repeal of the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell ban on gays serving openly in the armed services.

Rajner said that West’s scheduled appearance at the Island City organization would fly in the teeth of the type of diverse community that Wilton Manors represents.

The association’s president, Celeste Ellich, said that West’s opposition to a number of gay rights issues shouldn’t disqualify him as an invited speaker asked to discuss matters related to business, debt and the economy. But Ellich, who ran unsuccessfully last year for a seat on the Wilton Manors City Commission, called a previously unscheduled meeting of the WMBA board on Monday, August 1, to determine the best course of action.

A source close to Open for Business says that as of this column’s writing, the August 8 meeting had been cancelled (which would seem to void the need to rescind West’s invitation, or put the embattled lawmaker in the equally awkward position of having to decline it at the last minute).

For his part, West didn’t sit out the controversy watching from the sidelines. In a letter to Ellich, West wrote: “I am concerned about individuals or organizations that would call upon a boycott and try to hurt hard-working small business owners only because an association wants to be better informed on business related issues that are taking place in Washington, D.C.” Stay tuned for the fallout.

Domestic Partner Tranquility

A report released last week by the Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics says that about a third of all workers in the U.S. has access to health care benefits for samesex partners. The findings, which were released July 26, are part of the first comprehensive count of domestic partner benefits by a federal agency.

Philip Doyle, the Bureau’s assistant commissioner, says that the results came about after officials added two questions about domestic partner benefits for samesex couples to the National Compensation Survey. The Survey – a sample of 17,000 businesses and local governments – found that 33% of state and local government employees have access to domestic partner health benefits for same-sex couples; in the private sector, that number is 29%.

The findings reveal that access to benefits varies depending on the type of job. Among the highest rates of access were had by business and financial managers, at 52%; in the service industry, only 17% of employees had access. (In total, 42% of service workers have access to health care; about a third of those had access to domestic partner health benefits.)

Among private employers, the regions of the country with the greatest access were the Pacific region (California, Oregon and Washington State), the Mountain region (including Colorado, Wyoming and New Mexico) and New England. The South is among the regions with the lowest access.

Among other things, the findings will allow researchers to track whether laws on same-sex marriage affect the availability of domestic partner benefits.

By the Numbers

According to the Urban Institute (“Facts and Findings from The Gay and Lesbian Atlas”), Wilton Manors ranks 3rd in the U.S. for percentage of gay residents, as a proportion of total population. (Wilton Manors has approximately 1270% more gay men per capita than the national average.) The Fort Lauderdale area in general ranks 4th in Metro areas (per capita). Oakland Park is ranked 6th.

If you’re “Open for Business”, you can contact Business Writer and Director of Sales, Cliff Dunn with your story at Business@FloridaAgenda.com