JULY 19, 1996 GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE 21

EVENINGS OUT

The good, the bad, and the ugly during the month of June

by Jimmie

First the news: Cleveland gay bar Over the Rainbow has closed its doors as of June 2! Gone are the Monday nights featuring Twiggy and Melissa Ross sharing emcee duties and showcasing impersonators and strippers. All is not lost, though, U4ia is the new home for the dynamic duo and the show of many years. You won't be seeing these girls in the unemployment line!

Also, 600 St. Clair, the restaurant/club, has been sold, and I hear that Tony and Patrick will be relocating to Florida and opening a new restaurant. I actually worked at this establishment for about five hours one

night and must admit that the food is exceptional (and this is saying something coming from me, being the snooty bitch that I am!) One must check out the jazz club downstairs after dinner, too.

My good, good friend, comic Georgia Ragsdale, brought her act to U4ia on June 14 before a most patient crowd. Slated to begin at 10 p.m., the sound check lasted for about an hour, and featured two men broadcasting the number "two" over and over. Also, here's a tip... if you're a sound tech who is overweight and showing butt crack, do not stand on the stage with a spotlight on you for over an hour--not pretty!

Ragsdale's opening act, Deirdre Mackey,

performed several songs with acoustic guitar-very Joan Baez-like. Ragsdale performed for over an hour, which was amazing given the long drawn-out situation. Look for her to gain greater popularity in the future!

JIMMIE

black and white. And to think that I left the Mr. U4ia pageant early for this! There was not enough liquor in Cleveland to have saved this night! I must admit, though, that I only had one contact lens in, so I was experiencing "technical difficulties." I can't imagine how bad this show would have been if I could have seen it with both eyes. I do have to give Ernie credit though, the guy had nerve (or is it verve?)

JIMMIE

A fresh look at the life of England's "bon vivant"

by Tamara Murphy

The Cleveland area has long been blessed with access to terrific theatre, and the current offering from the Cleveland Theatre Company is certainly no exception. A Wilde Evening is a highly original, powerful and fresh look at the life of Oscar Wilde.

Written by Gordon Williams, a native Ohioan and winner of multiple awards, in-

"What he repented of was the wasting of his gift; the casting of pearls before swine."

Plate, a passionate artist who glittered with intensity, spoke of growing up gay, with no examples of the strength and beauty of what he is. Plate saw in his preparation for this role" a way of finding a role model. This became not only about his redemption, but mine as well."

Williams' treatment, and Plate's portrayal, indicate more a search for purity. Act II is what Plate re-

fers to as a

"dark night of the soul," where Wilde finds forgiveness--not only for his former lover Lord Alfred Douglas for his apparent desertion of Wilde, but forgiveness for himself. Wilde forgave himself

Rick Shartzer, Pamela Clay and Scott Plate in A Wilde Evening. for wasting his

cluding a number of Emmys and a Silver Medal from the International Film Festival of New York, A Wilde Evening uses Wilde's letters, transcripts of his infamous sodomy trial, and original dialogue to create a rich drama infused with passion, wit, and brilliance.

Director Wayne Turney, another Emmy Award winner, and a Cleveland favorite best known for his work with the Cleveland Play House, refers in his directors' notes to Wilde's insistence that he never repeated himself in style. Indeed, Turney and Williams seem to take this cue from Wilde.

A Wilde Evening is a stylistic changeling which in Act I flits from place to place and topic to topic, reflecting surface brilliance off of each newly exposed facet. As Act II begins, the brilliance is stripped away, leaving a darkness seething in its depth. Gradually, though, the dark is once again illuminated; this time with a light, which seems to radiate from the very heart of the piece, infusing it with warmth and strength.

The dynamics of the play mimic those in Oscar Wilde's life. At one time the toast of English society, revered for his scathingly incisive wit, Wilde was tried and convicted of sodomy and sentenced to two years hard labor. While historical interpretation has indicated that Wilde repented of his "evil" while imprisoned and died shortly after his release a broken man, Williams' treatment offers a different view. Scott Plate, the veteran actor charged with the enormous task of playing Wilde, says of Wilde's “repentance":

gift, for allowing himself to

become fodder for a mass of hangers-on without true caring or comprehension.

Plate is drawn to the constant examination of inversion in the work. The ugliness seething behind the successes of Wilde's early years, evidenced in his vilification by the same people who had sung his praises such as a short time before, and the underlying beauty and strength that Wilde finds within himself amidst the pain and filth of prison life. "The very power of his ideas are what enabled him to escape from the squalor he was in." explained Plate.

Indeed, the themes explored come dangerously close to home. Artists are coming under increasing pressure in reference to the "morality” of their work. Gay visibility is at an all-time high, but antisodomy laws remain on the books in twenty states. As Plate explained, "Gay is not only now-it is not a time, nor an era-but always."

A Wilde Evening is a vital and important piece of work. From the dance-hall style moments to Wilde's "dark night of the soul," the piece is exceptionally wellwritten, and well-played. Joining Plate is an ensemble of both experienced and student performers, and they all contribute to the outstanding production. The only disappointment was the tiny audience. Why there aren't more bodies in those seats is a puzzle.

A Wilde Evening continues July 20, 21, 26, 28 and August 2, 4, 10, and 11 at Cleveland State University's Factory Theatre. For ticket information, contact the box office at 216-687-2109.

Georgia Ragsdale

Second news flash: Cleveland gay bar Memoirs is no longer called thus, they are now S-E-X. Whatever... no comment!

June ended in horror at Numbers on the 30th. This is the story: Ernest Kohl (whom/ what-ever) "performed" to a crowd of about 35, give or take one or two people. This had to be seen to be believed. (huh, Missy?) I had flashbacks of Elvis performing when he was overweight and had no business being there.` Ditto!

Kohl was billed as an "exclusive you won't want to miss" showtrust me, you could've missed it. The photo in the ad in that other paper must have been airbrushed major, but then even "Urkel" looks good in

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Ernest Kohl

Akron mentions have to acknowledge the passing of two locals, DJ Bill Bradley from Adams Street bar, and Carousel Dinner Theater performer and artist in his own right, and also a long time friend, Mark Thomsen. Their passing is our loss.

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