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GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE

June 17, 2005

eveningsout

That's very unladylike, missy

Mayhem rules in two summer comedies

by Anthony Glassman

Both Cleveland and Columbus theatergoers will have the chance to traipse on the queerer side of life with a duo of productions bathing in the glow of the footlights.

Columbus' Contemporary American Theater Company presents Boston Marriage through June 26. To the north, Mercury Summer Stock continues the thread of ladies behaving as ... not quite ladylike with Ruthless! The Musical, playing through June 25.

Boston Marriage could be described as a meeting of Arsenic and Old Lace and The L Word a hundred years ago.

David Mamet, perhaps America's greatest living playwright, assumed the style of gay luminary Oscar Wilde for this 1999 play. It takes place at the turn of the 20th century, when women were expected to marry young and be cared for by their husbands.

Occasionally, two women would live together independent of male support in a “Boston marriage." Sometimes these were undercover lesbian relationships, sometimes they were not.

In Mamet's play, however, Anna and Claire are definitely on the Sapphic side. Engaging in linguistic legerdemain, a hallmark of Wilde's plays, the two hatch a plot to empty the pocketbook of a millionaire while simultaneously seducing his nubile young daughter.

CATCO's production stars Annie Fitzpatrick as Anna and Anne Diehl as Claire, and is directed by Jason Podplesky. Performances are in the Riffe Center's Studio One Theater at 77 South High Street. For tickets or information, call 614-469-0939 or go to www.catco.org. Mercury Summer Stock's Ruthless! The Musical is a campy tale of theatrical rivalry, murder and mayhem.

The story centers around cute and feisty elementary school student Tina Denmark

Dykes To Watch Out For by Alison Bechdel

THE

TEMPTATIONS

@2005 BY ALISON BECHDEL

467

MO HAS A

MASTER'S DEGREE.

IN LIBRARY AND INFORMATION SCIENCE.

NOW SHE'S SHARING A

GRADUATION NIGHT FUTON WITH

FIONA, THE DIGITAL SERVICES SPECIALIST.

THESE CONSERVATIVE EVANGELICALS WHO WANT TO MERGE CHURCH AND STATE WILL SCREW THIS COUNTRY WAY MORE THAN AL QAEDA COULD EVER DREAM OF. WE'VE GOT TO STOP THE REPUBLICAN MULLAHS!

NO, WHAT I MEANT WAS... UM, ACTUALLY. I'M AN EVAN GELICAL AND A REPUBLICAN

COME ON. WE'RE DONE WITH THE PROGRAM, WE'RE BOTH GOING BACK TO OUR SEPARATE LIVES. IT'S THE PERFECT OPPORTUNITY FOR A NO-IMPACT, HERMETICALLY-SEALED

TRYST.

YEAH, RIGHT. GOOD ONE. CYNTHIA.

NO, REALLY. AND IT'S SO HARD TO MEET PEOPLE. I TRIED THE RAINBOW REPUBLICANS, BUT THEY WERE ONLY FISCAL CONSERVATIVES.

GOD, FIONA, I...I REALLY WANT TO. BUT I CAN'T DO THAT TO SYDNEY.

GOD, YOU CRACK ME UP. LISTEN, D'YOU WANNA COME OVER TO MY PLACE?

ERIC SKARL

Pierre-Jacques Brault as Sylvia St. Croix and Angela R. Holecko as Tina Denmark in Mercury Summer Stock's Ruthless.

(Angela R. Holecko), who wants the title role in her school's production of Pippi in Tahiti, a musical continuing Ms. Longstocking's adventures.

When an obviously less-talented girl gets the role, Tina does what anyone in her position would do. She kills her rival, much to the chagrin of her mother Judy.

But Tina's agent-in-waiting, the somewhat shady Sylvia St. Croix (Mercury Summer Stock artistic director Pierre-Jacques Brault), fully approves of the course of action taken by her young talent, leading the musical spiraling out of control and into hilarity.

"Ruthless is about everything that is wrong and 'oh-so-right' about our society, our morals, our values and our pop culture icons," said Brault. He describes the musical's appeals as "Five words: Joan Crawford and Ethel Merman!"

For those unfamiliar with "summer stock,"

YOU WOULDN'T BE DOING IT TO SYDNEY, YOU'D BE DOING IT TO ME. THAT'S THE WHOLE POINT!

REALLY? UM...I'D LIKE TO. BUT I SHOULD WARN YOU. I'VE SIGNED A VIRGINITY PLEDGE.

HMM. I SEE YOUR LOGIC.

STOPIT IM GONNA PEE MY PANTS!!

MEANWHILE,

THE LONELY CYNTHIA HAS PARLAYED A RIDE WITH THE LOCAL LGBT CYCLING GROUP INTO DINNER, THEN COFFEE, WITH ONE CYCLIST IN PARTICULAR.

WILL

PASSION PRE-EMPT PRINCIPLE?

it differs from more traditional theatrical presentations in that there is a shorter rehearsal time and often a more limited run of the shows.

"In the world of summer stock, you whip shows out in rabbit-mating pace hard and fast,” Brault noted.

While Brault is living his dream, one he's had since "I was four and nearly drowned doing an Ethel Waters routine in my grandparents' Jacuzzi,” he is more than happy to share his advice on success in the theater world with other young men and women hoping to become thespians.

"Two words: sugar daddy,” he joked. “But seriously, don't take no for an answer in anything you aspire to do."

Ruthless is playing at Heskett Auditorium, 5771 Perkins Ave. in Bedford Heights. For reservations or information, call 877-212-7185,orgoto www.mercurysummerstock.com.

AND THATS THE LOGIC OF PRE-EMPTION. WE CAN'T JUST SIT BACK AND LET A BUNCH OF FUNDAMENTALIST

EXTREMISTS DESTROY THE FABRIC OF AMERICAN SOCIETY.

EXACTLY! THAT'S WHAT I'M ALWAYS SAYING!

ERHAPS

PERHAPS NOT.

NO!I'M SORRY,

FIONA! I JUST

CAN'T!

DAMN. I WAS REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO BEING ABLE TO SAY," WE'LL ALWAYS HAVE URBANA-CHAMPAIGN."

www.DykesToWatchOutFor.com

ROCK OUT PRIDE NIGHT, SATURDAY, JUNE 18TH SWAMP BOOGIE BAND!

WITH

Thurs., June 23rd, @ 7pm

Meet Kevin Kelley Newly-appointed member of Cleveland City Council

(Ward 16/Old Brooklyn neighborhood)

Open to the public. Sponsored by:

• The Nickel / Five Cent Decision

Free pizza

& soda!

• Lesbian Gay Community Center of Greater Cleveland (www.lgcsc.org)

• Cleveland Stonewall Democrats (www.clevelandstonewalldemocrats.org)

Susan M. Weaver

Attorney at Law

•

Bankruptcy

Estate Planning

• DUI

$5 @ The Door

•

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nicke

4365 State Road in Cleveland 216-661-1314

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Free Initial Consultation

Please make a note of our new number (216) 363-5220

Offices in Cleveland & Rocky River