Theatre Review: It's Just Sex

By Philip Doyle

I am in a constant state of gratitude to the community of producers, directors, actors, and crews, who work tirelessly to provide live theatre.  The good people of the Denver metro area should thank their lucky stars for companies like The Edge Theatre. 

What happens when three domesticated married couples surrender to their wild sexual desires?  It’s Just Sex is a fun and thought provoking exploration of trust, lust, and fidelity. 

Some friends gather for an evening of drinks and social small talk.  What begins as a party game of “tell the truth” becomes a swinging husband and wife swap.  The ensuing uninhibited sexual romp is cleverly staged and extremely funny to witness. 

The post coitus action grapples with some pretty deep questions.  What constitutes cheating?  What is trust?  But not to worry, It’s Just Sex doesn’t get too bogged down with the issues that pop up when the sex stops.  This play is more fun than serious.  The sex is more playful than raw and raunchy.  And what could be an evening of couple therapy is an enjoyable, seductive game of wit and reckoning.  Seeing these characters bargain to discover their goal is a good time.  

The three couples come to the party harboring personal resentments and neuroses that can challenge their marriage.  Phil (Scott Bellot) has taken drastic measures to rekindle the sexual spark with his wife Joan (Patty Ionoff).

Lisa (Kirsten Deane) is frustrated by her husband’s failure to man-up.  Her husband Greg’s (James O’Hagan Murphy) assertiveness is crumbling under Lisa’s critical nitpicking.  I threw some extra applause to Kirsten Deane for her confident and well articulated performance. 

Kelly (Smara Bridwell) has been keeping a secret from her constantly horny husband Carl (Brock Benson).  Benson has become one of my favorite Denver actors.  He embodies his characters with sincerity and an appreciation that is a joy to watch.

In what could be a thankless albeit brief role, I acknowledge Rebekah Shibao for bringing some class and beauty as a hooker.

It’s Just Sex begins with three short scenes that had me surprised and a bit perplexed.  It was as though the show was rewound ten minutes before the real action started.   Part of me felt grateful to witness what occurs before the party starts.  The other part of me felt a bit robbed, like I had been prematurely clued in.  All is forgiven as the party starts, when the quick episodic pace that started the play, shifts to a more comfortable momentum. 

Almost all of the action takes place with six actors in one room.  Thanks to director Bill Smith, for his ability to keep the staging fresh and focused throughout. 

Playwright Jeff Gould has constructed a play that is much more than its eye-catching title.  It’s Just Sex is a swinging party where the guests share drinks, laughs, and themselves.

The Regional Premiere of It’s Just Sex by Jeff Gould

Presented by The Edge Theatre

9797 W. Colfax Ave, Lakewood, CO 80215

Runs June 29 – July 22

For tickets and more information visit

www.theedgetheatre.com or call 303-232-0363

I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change extended through October 14

Due to popular demand, Denver Center Attractions announces an additional extension of I LOVE YOU, YOU’RE PERFECT, NOW CHANGE to feature a new summer schedule and prices. For performances July 3 – September 1 all tickets to the Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday matinee performances are $24. The summer performance schedule begins July 17. Tickets are now on sale through October 14 at www.denvercenter.org or by calling 303.893.4100. 

Click here to check out the MileHighGayGuy review of I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change by Philip Doyle.

Theater Review: In the Next Room, or The Vibrator Play

By Philip Doyle

The following review contains adult subject matter.  This is not a warning, but rather a seductive tease.  I’m going to talk about vibrators.  While I have never been one to embrace the harmonic pleasures of such a device … I have been acquainted with people (you know who you are), who unabashedly relish the joys of achieving resonant frequency with electronic gadgetry.  So before I delve deeper into the subject I suggest that you just relax.  Breathe.  Don’t be so tense.  Trust me.  The more you let go, the more you will enjoy yourself. 

In the Next Room, or the Vibrator Play, is Sarah Ruhl’s Tony Award nominated play about the innovation of the electric vibrator.   It is set in the 1880’s, when human toil was meeting head on with high voltage electricity that powered an industrial revolution.  An exciting time when Thomas Edison began to introduce the light bulb into every home, dogs and elephants were being electrocuted for curiosity, and innovative sex toys became therapeutic medical instruments.

Calling this show a play about vibrators does not do it justice.  I guess for marketing purposes it can get tickets sold, but let’s not lessen it’s integrity.  Sure watching prim and proper women (and a man) discovering orgasm via a clunky hand-held appliance is funny.  I mean the zee-zee-ing of the noise alone is funny.  It’s damn funny.

What makes In the Next Room a great show is that it is way more than a Vibrator Play.  It is about transduction, the transference of energy from one system to the next.  On one hand you have electricity replacing effort, like the on and off switching of a light.  On the other hand, there is the intangible spiritual energy of intimacy, like the loving bond of a mother breast-feeding a newborn baby. 

Dr. Givings (Charlie Wingerter) has developed an electronic vibrator that remedies the build up of certain body fluids that cause hysteria.  Under the doctor’s supervision the rapid vibrations of his device cause a paroxysm, and a release of the congested fluids inside the womb.  Dr. Givings is devoted to the scientific method and any connection of his medical treatment relating to sexual pleasure is completely lost to him.  Wingerter portrays the good doctor with a scientific obsession and objectifying bedside manner. 

Mrs. Givings (Kaity Talmage-Bowers) is brimming with energetic curiosity.  Her attention shifts wildly in an attempt to discover her place in the world.  Kaity Talmage-Bowers gives her character an amusing sense of longing, a joy to watch. 

The first patient we witness surrendering to the pleasures of the vibrator is Mrs. Daldry (Aimee Janelle Nelson).  Mrs. Daldry is clearly damaged and lonely, and Nelson’s portrayal is ecstatically funny while remaining delicately sensitive.  Mr. Daldry (Arthur Pierce) finds his wife’s condition curious, but recognizes the need for her daily dose of vibration.

Annie (Linda Swanson Brown) is the dutiful doctor’s assistant.  She becomes an important emotional connection that the vibrator lacks.  Elizabeth (Lisa Young) also fulfills an important role as a wet nurse for Mrs. Givings.  Lisa Young has a magnetic emotional capability that becomes the beautiful human cornerstone of this play.

Leo (Adam Perkes) is the doctor’s male patient.  It seems that hysteria in men, while rare is quite common in “artists”.  Leo gives it up to the humming intrusion of the vibrator, and hoists this play’s second act up with foppish charm and wit.  Perkes is whirlwind of exquisite energy, an actor driven with confident intent.  For me, Perkes gives a performance that is well worth the price of a ticket.

There is a moment in the second act when In the Next Room shifts in energy.  The comic tone becomes something more meaningful and intimate. Like the alluring vibrato of a single sustained violin note, it brings you in closer.

If I owned a bowler hat, I would definitely tip it to Elliot Clough for providing the layers upon layers of period style costumes.  I also must acknowledge the rest of the crew for their outstanding effort.

My highest commendation goes to director Deb Flomberg, for embodying this production with moments of joyful hysteria while respecting the intent of the play’s message.  The result of her efforts transcend the shameless appeal of In the Next Room, or the Vibrator Play, proving it is so much more than the sum of its mechanical parts.

Equinox TheatreCompany presents the  Denver Premier of “In the Next Room, or the Vibrator Play” by Sarah Ruhl through June 16, Friday and Saturday at 7:30 PM at the Bug Theatre.Tickets are $15.

Theater Review: Forever Plaid

By Philip Doyle

There is a reason why Forever Plaid has been resurrected numerous times since its off-Broadway debut twenty-two years ago.  It’s a charming musical review.   The four male characters possess quirky yet endearing characteristics. The songs are catchy (and nostalgic for people of a certain age).  It can go from lighthearted camp and then become hauntingly and even eerily touching.  For the most part, Forever Plaid presented by the Spotlight Theater Company and the Firehouse Theatre Company succeeds in delivering a fun, toe-tapping musical experience.

Forever Plaid is an homage to male quartet groups of the 1950’s.  The action starts when four men descend to the stage and explain that they are The Plaid.  They have returned to the world after their untimely demise some forty years ago.  It seems that the car they were driving to a gig was t-boned by a bus of Catholic schoolgirls.  So, they have returned, “like Lazarus,” to our earthly plane to put on the show they never had the chance to give.

The songs range from lighthearted beat-bopping rhythms of  “Crazy ‘Bout, Ya Baby” and “Heart and Soul” to the romantic crooning of standards like “Love is a Many-Splendored Thing”. 

Under the Musical Direction of Timothy Kennedy, the numbers are solid in harmonious delivery.  He also plays the part of Francis, a high-spirited motivator of the Plaid. 

Paul Jaquith is energetic and fearless as Sparky.  Ken Paul portrays Smudge, the bass behind the song “Sixteen Tons”.  At the tenor end of the Plaid’s vocal spectrum is Adam Shelton as Jinx.  Shelton is as appealing for his melodic stylings as he is likable for his playful naiveté.

Each member of the Plaid has a delightful and earnest breeziness.  The heights of this musical review lie within the bond of its four characters.  After all, they have experienced life and death together.  They are a tight-knit cadre and this show finds its momentum when the Plaid bro-code is celebrated in song. 

Director Pat Payne has done a very fine job of staging this production that the nearly packed house seemed to love.  Trent Hines playing the piano upstage gives his own performance that endeared him to the audience. 

This collaboration by the Firehouse Theatre Company and Spotlight Theatre Company caught me by surprise.  As I walked into the theater I was a bit shocked by all the people in the audience.  People know a good thing when they see it, and I have a hunch they will be back for more.

Forever Plaid plays through May 13th at The John Hand Theater.

(Editor's Note: Forever Plaid is now a movie available online.)

Theater Review: The Busy World is Hushed

By Philip Doyle

Ignite Theatre kicks off its ambitious 2012 season with The Busy World Is Hushed. It is the only non-musical in a line up that includes The Great American Trailer Park Musical, Spring Awakening, Sweeney Todd, and Next to Normal. A deceptively modest season entry, The Busy World Hushed has more than enough provocative power to set the rest of the Ignite Theatre’s season ablaze.

The more you think about The Busy World Is Hushed, the more complex it becomes. On its surface it is a play about faith, family, and discovering life’s purpose. Its depths contain questions that confront our accepted beliefs of love, suffering, the frailty of existence, and our grandiose assumptions of life.

Playwright Keith Bunin has created a world that brings a widowed Episcopal minister Hannah (Mari Geasair), her doubting and wayward son Thomas (Tim McGrath), and a handsome, witty writer Brandt (Chris Silberman).

Brandt has been hired by Hannah to ghostwrite a new translation of a gospel. In the process Brant begins to coalesce Hannah’s random notes and thoughts into a book. He is also a gay man, and a dutiful son. Silberman's portrayal of Brandt is smart in purpose, and desirable in human frailty.

Hannah’s son Thomas never knew his father and has become somewhat of a journeyman. He prefers to wander through life on a quest to discover his self, and connect with his father’s spirit. Even in his youth he frustrated his mother by playing a game of “get lost," in which he would disappear to discover his ability to be self reliant. Tim McGrath plays Brandt with a perfect sense of laissez faire curiosity, and a dash of sexy rebel. This part could have easily come off as anti-establishment hippie, but McGrath gives us a very real person.

Hannah is a conflicted mother. She places her faith in God’s grand plan, yet struggles with translating her spirituality into real life. She has a disdain for the stained glass windows in her office because they are conveniently simple portrayals of the struggles of human existence. All of her books are stacked vertically, because she hopes desperately for the day her son will build bookshelves. Hannah is easily this play’s most complex character and Mari Geasair plays her with convincing honesty.

Director Bernie Cardell provides a view of the world that will have you asking the right questions. The audience is provoked by situation and not by preaching or boisterous lectures. It is my favorite part of live theatre: A seductive perception that incites you to think.

I greatly appreciate how a gay love affair between the two male characters is handled with a respectful, objective, sense of realness. It could have been a trite plot device about homosexuality conflicting with Christianity, but this play transcends all that.

At one point Brandt says that he is, “Looking for God, and all I see are the empty spaces where he is suppose to be.“ The Busy World Is Hushed never presumes to give the answers, and you will leave asking some powerful questions.

The Busy World Is Hushed - A Play By Keith Bunin; Directed By Bernie Cardell, Starring Mari Geasair, Chris Silberman and Tim McGrath. Plays March 23rd - April 15th - Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30p Sundays at 6:00p. For tickets or more information click here.

Film Review: Codependent Lesbian From Outer Space Seeks Same

By Philip Doyle

Now this may sound a bit crazy but… I assure you… I’ve witnessed it myself:  There are Alien Lesbians playing in Denver!

Codependent Lesbian from Outer Space Seeks Same has been playing at film festivals from New York City to the Castro.  It has been the buzz in the snowy streets of the Sundance Film Festival to the sunny ocean side of Rio de Janeiro.  At long last, Madeleine Olnek's clever comedy has landed in the mile high city.

This film is a silly and endearing sci-fi homage that forays bravely onto the lavender screen.   I think it would be a disservice to provide an overly critical analysis of such a whacky and enjoyable experience.  It would be like showing up to a pool party in a tuxedo.  This wingding is free of formality, so set your switch to fun.

The action starts when the inhabitants of the planet Zots discover that having too many emotional feelings will destroy their ozone. To rid themselves of emotion, the aliens travel to earth to fall in love and have their hearts broken.

The alien love stories that ensue are funny and at times quite touching.  On the streets of New York City, the aliens stick out like a sore thumb, and are as amusing as they are socially awkward. 

Our human hero, Jane (Lisa Haas), falls hard for Zoinks (Susan Ziegler).  Lisa Haas is a Denver native, and had members of the audience rooting for portrayal of Jane.  Ms. Haas has the uncanny ability to be unique, quirky, and utterly sincere.   A delight.

At the risk of being a buzz kill; I could compare this film to the vintage nuttiness of Ed Wood’s movies.  I guess I could go even further to say this film is a delightful blend, a meritage if you will, of reminisces from John Water’s early production values and Woody Allen’s occasional overlapping dialog.  But see there?  I just weighed this fun flick down with fancy expectations. 

I guess my most helpful suggestion would be that Codependent Lesbian from Outer Space Seeks Same is like a really fun party. The more who attend, the merrier.

CODEPENDENT LESBIAN SPACE ALIEN SEEKS SAME plays at the Denver Film Center 

from March 30-April 5.

Theater Review: Confessions of a Mormon Boy

By Philip Doyle

Confessions of a Mormon Boy is Steven Fales’ autobiographical one-man play that is a triumphant revelation in honesty and personal pride.  It is a story that is written and performed by a man who has journeyed through an array of challenges and arrives at his destination, on the stage before a grateful audience.

Fales’ experiences are at times funny, occasionally heartbreaking, and brutally candid.  A confession of a gay man’s longing for acceptance in and eventual excommunication from the Mormon Church.  He shares a life that includes marriage, fatherhood, and divorce.  He later engages in a show-and-tell about having been an escort in New York City, and painfully recounts the trappings of recreational drug fueled sex. 

Often times, one-person autobiographic plays come off as being self-indulgent … but not this time. 

This is a well constructed account that reveals a man who is loving, smart and driven.  Fales doesn’t wallow in a constant mea culpa of trials and tribulations.  Rather, through this shameless confession, he adorns himself with the powers of self-recognition.  In my world, Steven Fales is a super hero in the gay justice league.

Let’s face it, it takes some serious cojones to write and perform a play about your own life. From beginning to end, Mr. Fales has an ability to present his material with a confidence that isn’t the least bit presumptuous. Personally, I admire that kind of assertive charm. 

Steven Fales’ has taken the proverbial lemons of life, and now sells a very thirst quenching lemonade.  I strongly urge you to go have a taste.

Confessions of a Mormon Boy is sure to bring a smile to your face.

Confessions of a Mormon Boy plays at Denver's Dangerous Theatre
Saturday, March 31st at 2:00pm and 7:30pm
Sunday, April 1st at 2:00pm
For tickets visit: http://dangeroustheatre.ticketleap.com/mormon-boy.

An electrifying time at the Vintage Voltage Expo!

By Philip Doyle

I admit that with great pride that I am a techie.  I am also an early adopter, (a person who acquires the newest technology as soon as it’s available).  The result of my technophilia can almost be considered borderline hoarding.  Periodically I rid myself of the accumulation of old radios, speakers, and music gadgetry by practically giving it away during occasional garage sales.

Today I live practically clutter free.  I have tiny digital devices that gather my extensive music collection from something they call the cloud.  All my media stuff is out there … in the air … somewhere.  That is something that is hard to get used to.  The cloud is so ethereal.

Denver's Vintage Voltage Expo has fulfilled my nostalgic need for tangible audio tech.  It is a convention of like-minded media enthusiasts, who gather to celebrate the resurgence of vintage electronics, vinyl records, guitars, and other collectables.

As I began to wander around the Ramada Plaza Convention Center, my attention was drawn to a row of old classic radios.  It was a linear evolution of technology.  Some of the sets were opened up, revealing large vacuum tubes. (The invention of the vacuum tube and the transistor, were giant leaps for mankind.)

Back in the day, in the long long ago, radios and record players were so much more than electrical appliances.  They were often large, substantial pieces of art.  The Voltage Expo honors these innovations with a display of lovingly restored and preserved radios, phonographs, and so much more.

I have heard how families would gather around the radio and listen intently, staring at the illuminated radio band dial.  They had to focus, because there wasn’t playback, or a thirty second skip feature. The radio itself was the center of attention.

The adjoining conference room had dozens of vendors, selling restored sound equipment and records.  It was like going through a technology time line.  Nostalgically walking past some tables displaying relics of my past.  Stacks of amplifiers and fancy Bose speakers.

There were guitars, and other knickknacks that I know nothing about, which brings up a good point about the Expo: There are collectors and experts all over the place.  I love that!  The room was brimming knowledgeable expertise.

Finding it impossible to resist, I began to go through old LP’s and 45’s.  I came across an old record that I had when I was a kid, a rare LP of Flip Wilson's stand up act that my brother used to play over and over.  I learned my first dirty joke from that record.

Remembering one of my dearest friends who is Tina Turner’s #1 fan, I began a quest for her early releases.  Vying against other fanatical LP fans, I eventually came up with a handful of Ike and Tina classics.

On my way out, some people were gathered around a tall man in a white lab coat.  His name was Richard Rew, representing the air and space museum called Wings Over The Rockies.  Mr. Rew was terrific.  He demonstrated scientific concepts like magnetic fields, frequency, and electrical current.  His enthusiasm and teaching skills would be the envy of Mr. Wizard.

I left the Denver Vintage Voltage Expo with an increased understanding of electromagnetic radiation AND five classic Ike and Tina records.  How cool is that?!  I tip my hat to Dana Cain Events, for recognizing the increasing popularity of classic tech.

Theater Review: Extra! Extra! Great Wall of China Torn Down!

By Philip Doyle

As I sat down in my cozy seat in the Ricketson Theatre, shortly before the house lights dimmed, I grabbed my iPhone to turn it off.  I see a “news notification” on the home screen.  “Yikes!” I say to myself.  Thinking it was important I read the headline: “Teabow Says He’s Taking It One Day At A Time.”  I turn my phone off wondering who in the world thought that was important news?
**********************************************************************************

Back in late 1899, a period of time when Denver was slowly evolving into a more modern city, some news reporters decided to fabricate their own news.  They met at the Oxford Hotel, had a few drinks, and came up with one doozy of a headline:  "OLD WALL MUST GO!  The Great Wall of China" is being torn down.

Thus begins Great Wall Story, a play that is based upon actual events.  Set in time just prior to the turn of the twentieth century, this production mirrors current day news hype and media scandals.  It begs the question, “What is news?”

Written by Lloyd Suh, Great Wall Story is set in old Denver.  Scenes are presented with projected pictures of what our city used to look like.  The Capital building.  Union Station.  An old saloon.  As a Denverite, I recognized some locations, and sometimes the projections were ghosts of places that no longer stand.

Great Wall Story is at its best when it didn’t pander to my personal nostalgic connections to the city.  This play shines when its century old events mirror our current headlines.  For example, a character describes a time when his father shot and killed a man he had perceived as a potential threat.  Sound familiar?

Finding themselves at a loss of reportable events, three newspaper writers devise a plan to spice up a slow news day.  Mike Hartman plays news writer John King, a man of a certain age who enjoys a stiff drink and a good story.  Jacob Knoll is newsman Al Stevens, a co-conspirator of the Great Wall hoax.  Christopher Kelly portrays Jack Tournay, who discovers that his son Charles (Gabe Koskinen-Sansone) is whittling away at his father’s fraudulent news reporting.

The idea that The Great Wall is being demolished is significant enough to gain attention, and since China is such a distant and closed off place, the story is difficult for others to verify.  The concocted news eventually travels to Chicago and New York, where it comes to the attention of Joseph Pulitzer, a news magnate of his day, (played with great charm and wit by John Hutton).

Amongst the competitive company of publishing moguls like William Randolph Hearst; Joseph Pulitzer wastes little time sending some of his people to Denver, including Harriet Sparrow to investigate.  Merritt Janson, who is a formidable and charismatic actor, plays Harriet Sparrow.  Janson is the only woman in this show, and she really grabs the bull by the horns with great confidence while maintaining her womanly ways.  She is the strength behind this “one-woman show”.

Actor Larry Paulsen provides this production with a joyful momentum.  He takes on six different roles in Great Wall Story, and he does each part in an independent and amiable fashion.  My favorite moment was when Paulsen declares, “There ain’t no clear way to mark the past from the future!”  It is a moment that invokes an existential question of life’s journey from generation to generation.

Great Wall Story would be great fun for proud Denver natives.  My mother, for example would adore every second of it.  But for me, if not for the competence of its charismatic cast, this play would become fodder for school field trips to a Denver history lesson.  

I suggest that Great Wall Story is at its best when it provokes questions of time, place, and events.  The idea that, we mark our lives from event to event, and that reading the news places markers in the slippery slope of our lives.

Great Wall Story plays through April 22nd at The Ricketson Theatre, Denver Center for the Performing Arts. For tickets or more information visit www.denvercenter.org/buy-tickets/shows/greatwall/home.aspx.

Theater Review: Black Stockings

By Philip Doyle

I have a confession to make.  

There is a strong possibility that I’m in love … with Denver's Dangerous Theatre company.  I just got home after seeing my first show produced by them and I’m smitten.  It might be a long-term thing, or maybe just a hot one-night stand.  All I know is that my heart is filled with love for the work that the Dangerous Theatre is trying to do.   

For me it’s the stuff from which dreams are made. 

The Dangerous Theatre allows attention to be paid to original works, and plays that are new to Denver audiences. Because of the high cost of theatre production, their focus is not on technical spectacle.  It’s not about breathtaking sets and laser light shows. It’s not about the gloss - it’s about substance.  The Dangerous Theatre puts emphasis on script, and the actor-to-audience relationship. 

Black Stockings is Peter McGarry's comedy/drama featuring Trish and Donna, two bawdy female prostitutes from Manchester, England.  These seductively dressed ladies engage the audience in a friendly chat and a warning to expect plenty of expletives.  They ask if anyone is familiar with Bertolt Brecht (playwright) and Kurt Weill (music composer), creator of The Threepenny Opera.  (Note:  It is not important to be familiar with Brechtian themes to enjoy this show. But the mention of Bertolt Brecht had my inner-theatre geek champing at the bit. Trish and Donna are quick to justify the importance of the services they provide.  In their view prostitutes are pacifists who alleviate men from aggression.  Jokes are made, “Better laid than never!”  Sex toys are used as fun props.  Donna makes light of Trish’s complaints of the physical aches and pains that come with the profession. 

Then the play begins to challenge the audience with questions of what constitutes morality.  Trish shares her experiences that can only be judged as unbearably horrific.  She exposes the darkest side of human nature, parlaying cruelty upon cruelty into a brilliant didactic monologue. 

Brittany Lacour plays Trish.  There is no way to adequately express my sincerest praise for her performance. But I’ll try. Lacour is utterly captivating.  She possesses a commanding emotional intensity.  As Trish, she grabs you, straps you in, and shares her experience with you.  Let me put it this way, there is an anatomically correct sex doll standing up stage (I mean really, there is), and when Lacour was rocking my world with her performance, I forgot the doll was even there!  I hope that convinces you.  I mean honestly … Brittany Lacour is a phenom.

And Winnie Wenglewick is as bold and smart an asset to the play as Donna as she is in her role as director.  She should be commended for her brave contribution of this great theatre work that would otherwise go unrecognized. 

I hope my love affair with the Dangerous Theatre continues.  I can appreciate stripping the shiny commercial spectacle out of the theatre equation to expose the heart of the art form. 

Black Stockings plays at The Dangerous Theatre March 2 and 3 at 7pm.Tickets are $20.

Theater Review: Southern Baptist Sissies

By Philip Doyle

My fellow brothers and sisters… before I commence, give me the opportunity to drag my old soapbox out of the closet…  Allow me the opportunity to regale you with some high praise for two of our community’s essential institutions:

First, let us praise ELEMENT, Denver’s Gay Men’s Wellness Initiative.  The efforts of the good people of ELEMENT strengthen our community by inspiring all of us to lead healthy lives.  Through programs that include The Mile High Meth Project, Boyfriend University and the Volunteer Outreach Touch Team, they have empowered us with the tools to grow as a community and to love ourselves. 

Second, there has been a resurrection of gay theatre in Denver.  Guided by the divine hand of Steven Tangedal, we can all look to a future that celebrates our artistic diversity by the Theatre Out Denver production company. 

Let us raise our hands to your computer screen and recognize their love.  It is time to rise up and embrace their noble efforts and show our support for this worthy cause.  For goodness sake, go bare witness to Southern Baptist Sissies.

Southern Baptist Sissies written by Del Shores explores the emerging sexual awareness of four gay young men living in the zealous center of the Bible belt. Fans of Del Shores may remember his play “Sordid Lives” that was followed by a LOGO television series of the same name.  

The young men in Southern Baptist Sissies follow a path of inspired comedy and heart breaking sorrow.  The play is presented within two diametrically opposed settings of a Baptist church and the local gay bar, one representing religious structure and the other sexual freedom.  We watch the characters journeying both worlds, searching for love and acceptance.

The conflicted and inevitable journeys of the four male leads are presented with a respectful emotional conviction under Steven Tangedal’s competent direction.

James O’Hagan-Murphy, Brock Benson, Preston Lee Britton, and Stefin Woolever, are perfectly cast as the plays four conflicted and likable heroes.  O’Hagan-Murphy never misses a beat and provides the momentum of the show.  Stefin Woolever, delivers a character with a beautifully honest innocence that impressed me.

Todd Black as the preacher approaches his character with a subdued realness, a wise choice for a character that could otherwise be an overbearing caricature.  Linda Suttle portrays a misguided and conflicted parent.

David Ballew and Samara Bridwell provide a welcome laugh as drunken gay bar pals.  They are exaggerated, boisterous and catty cliché’s that we all can relate to. 

Did I mention the hot strippers? Oh yes, there are cameos by Cisco Yocisco and Bobby Lindsay from Boylesque. 

So, my brothers, my sisters … as I step down off my soapbox let me remind you of this:  There are times in our lives, especially during the election year, when we are confronted with judgmental deprecating righteousness.  So, it is time to rise above!  Testify!  Love yourselves and each other.  

 Show your support and go see Southern Baptist Sissies!  Amen.

Southern Baptist Sissies is presented by ELEMENT and Theatre Out Denver. All proceeds will benefit The Denver ELEMENT that provides HIV education, prevention and outreach efforts to Denver's gay/bi male community.

Southern Baptists Sissies plays Friday and Saturday evenings between Feb. 24 – Mar. 24 at 8pm at Crossroads Theater, 2590 Washington at Welton in Five Points. For tickets visit http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/218171.

Theater Review: I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change

MileHighGayGuy's Way Gay Reviewer Takes on a Way Straight Show
By Philip Doyle

Before I begin, I would like to provide the following disclaimer: It should not come as a surprise to anyone that I am WAY gay. This is a review of a musical that happens to feature universal themes of straight relationships. It is a lighthearted cabaret musical that has appeal for everyone from the WAY gay, to the WAY straight. So chillax ... read what I have to say ... and if you’re feeling it, go and enjoy yourself.



I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change attempts to present the satirical and brutally honest quirks of the heterosexual mating ritual. The dreams and desires of the characters are relatable to all aspects of the interpersonal social gamut.

The book and lyrics written by Joe DiPietro are clever and cute if occasionally predictable. It is an amusing musical journey that explores dating, sex, marriage, and parenthood.

Some of the musical numbers, including “Always a Bridesmaid” are sharp-witted gems that build to a triumphant conclusion. “Why? Cause I’m a Guy” touts men filled with testosterone driven goofiness. “I Will Be Loved Tonight” is a beautiful and optimistic ballad that pops up contrary to other songs that border on tongue and cheek deprecation.

Each member of the cast of Love, Perfect, Change possesses a range of comedic and vocal talent. Daniel Langhoff is at his best when he immerses himself in character. Shannan Steele shines when she embraces a calm honest realness.

Robert Michael Sanders is great fun to watch. He has an amiable presence that is a rare delight. Lauren Shealy is also a unique and joyful talent, brimming with energy and the likeability of a young Mary Tyler Moore.

There are times when this production struggles to maintain a fresh approach, as each musical vignette repeatedly comes and goes. The short episodic nature of the song-to-song, lights up-to-lights down structure becomes a bit of a challenge to the audience’s patience.

At its best I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change celebrates the playful uniqueness of its cast.


I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change runs through June 24th at the Garner Galleria Theatre.
Tickets are available at www.denvercenter.org or by calling 303-893-4100.