Seattle Gay News
Issue 46, Volume 43, November 13, 2015
Arts & Entertainment Broadway and TV star Tituss Burgess feels fortunate to be accepted as a Gay performer
Openly Gay Broadway musical star Rodney Hicks speaks to SGN about his career and new role in Seattle Rep’s Come From Away
Tituss Burgess – Dirty Sugar via backstage.com
by Albert Rodriguez SGN A&E Writer SEATTLE MEN’S CHORUS “HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS” BENAROYA HALL November 28 - December 21 WITH SPECIAL GUEST TITUSS BURGESS November 28 & 29 ONLY The most wonderful time of the year just got a little more wonderful. That’s be-
cause besides Santa Claus, Tituss Burgess is coming to town. Whether he’ll arrive on a one-horse sleigh is another thing all together. The Emmy-nominated star of the hit comedy “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” is headed to the Emerald City to perform with the Seattle Men’s Chorus for the first two upcoming seasonal concerts, “Home for the Holidays,” on November 28 and 29 at Benaroya Hall. Burgess began his career in theater, appearing in four Broadway musisee tituss burgess page 6
Rodney Hicks in Come From Away – Photo by Kevin Berne
by Miryam Gordon SGN A&E Writer COME FROM AWAY SEATTLE REPERTORY THEATRE November 13-December 13 Rodney Hicks is a talented musical theater performer, husband to Portland Center Stage’s artistic director, Chris Coleman,
and has originated multiple roles in Broadway musicals to great acclaim! He is ready to open the brand new musical, Come From Away, at Seattle Repertory, November 18, after a lauded run at co-producer La Jolla Playhouse. (Previews at Seattle Rep begin November 13.) Come From Away is a heart-warming story about a little known aspect of the see rodney hicks page 7
Pacific Northwest Ballet: Mulligan anchors
“Emergence”
delicately nuanced A stunning collection of works by new Suffragette beautifully choreographers
Pacific Northwest Ballet company dancers in Crystal Pite’s Emergence, which PNB will present as part of a mixed rep with three other works, November 6-15, 2015 – Photo by Angela Sterling
by Sharon Cumberland SGN A&E Writer PACIFIC NORTHWEST BALLET “EMERGENCE” MARION OLIVER MCCAW HALL November 6-15
In “Emergence,” a collection of works by new choreographers, Pacific Northwest Ballet is demonstrating its status as one of the top dance companies in the world. Covering a full range of styles from classical see “emergence” page 5
Suffragette – www.makers.com
by Sara Michelle Fetters SGN A&E Writer SUFFRAGETTE Now playing In 1912, the Women’s Suffrage movement in Great Britain is losing steam. London-based Women’s Social and Po-
litical Union (WSPU) founder Emmeline Pankhurst (Meryl Streep) urges her followers to amplify their acts of civil disobedience, doing so in order to force the police to take increasingly militant action against them that will hopefully catch the eye of the press, Parliament, King George V, as well as the general public at large. Pharmacist see suffragette page 9
2 Seattle Gay News
November 13, 2015
Celebrating 41 Years!
Justin Bieber launching world tour in Seattle in March by Albert Rodriguez SGN A&E Writer Belieb it or not, it’s happening. On March 9, 2016 Justin Bieber will open his upcoming “Purpose” world tour right here in Seattle, a performance scheduled to take place at Key Arena. The pop superstar and tabloid magnet announced North American dates for next year’s tour that will run through July 18, 2016 with stops in Las Vegas, Kansas City, Atlanta, Washington DC, Boston, Fargo, Miami, and Pittsburgh, to name a few. Most of the dates are single-night shows, but The Biebs will appear backto-back nights in Los Angeles, Brooklyn, Chicago, and Toronto. The five-month road trip centers around the release of Bieber’s new album, Purpose, which has already produced two smash hits, “Sorry” and “What Do You Mean?.” An expected slate
Justin Bieber – AEG Live
of concerts overseas, possibly in Europe and/or Asia and Australia, will be revealed at a later date. Over time, the 21 year-old has felt more comfortable with having Gay admirers and dealing with questions about his sex life and sexuality, most recently as-
suring his global fan base that he’s straight in a Tweet that read, “I’m not gay but even if I was that’s not an insult.” Tickets for Justin Bieber go on sale November 20 at 10 a.m. via axs.com.
Ellie Goulding announces April concert at Key Arena by Albert Rodriguez SGN A&E Writer You’re in luck, if you missed Ellie Goulding at Bumbershoot! But you’ll have to wait until April. That’s the bad news. The good news is that she’ll perform indoors, unlike early September when she appeared to a big crowd gathered outside at Memorial Stadium. The British pop singer will perform April 2 at Key Arena, as part of her “Delirium World Tour,” centering on the release of her new album of that name. Goulding will stop in 39 cities on the North American leg of the tour with an expected slate of European concerts not yet announced. “Lights,” “Outside,” Anything Can Happen,” and “Love Me Like You Do” are some of the songs you’ll probably hear when she comes to the Emerald City next spring. Opening for her will be London-based duo Years and Years. Tickets, priced between $35.00 and $50.50, are on sale now at axs.com; Delirium featuring “On My Mind” and “Something in the Way You Move” is available at all record stores. Maroon 5 has announced a Seattle show almost a year in advance, landing its “Fall 2016” tour at Key Arena on October 11. The Grammy-winning six-piece is launching their road outing in San Antonio on September 3 and will touch down in New Orleans, Charlotte, Baltimore, Cincinnati, St. Louis, Portland, and Oakland, to name a few cities. Unless the band intends to release a new album between now and then, they’ll still be promoting 2014’s V, featuring the global smash “Animals.” Tickets for the Maroon 5 concert, which includes supporting acts Tove Lo and Phases, go on sale November 14 (10 a.m.) at LiveNation.com,
Visit us online www.sgn.org
Ellie Goulding – AEG Live
all Ticketmaster outlets, or charge by phone 1-800-745-3000. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Bonnie Raitt is coming to Seattle as well. The blues-pop artist will appear April 20 at the Paramount Theatre to promote a new album entitled Dig in Deep, which has no specific release date yet. Although the SoCal native has been recording music since 1971, it took 1989’s Nick of Time album to earn the veteran musician a mainstream audience when it took home three Grammy Awards, including the coveted Album of the Year prize. Tickets for Bonnie Raitt are priced between $40.25 and $95.25. Opening the concert will be The California Honeydrops.
ater (May 25). It’s about that time, y’all. As the year winds down, we’re compiling our lists for the Best of Music 2015. From our favorite albums and singles to the best live concerts we witnessed from January through December, plus our picks for the very worst in music. Local artist Allen Stone, currently on a national tour following the success of his major label-released album Radius, will provide us with an exclusive interview that will include some of his personal favorite tunes and highlights of the past year. December 18 is the issue date for the Best of Music 2015 spread; be sure to grab a copy that weekend and take it with you, if you’re traveling for the holidays.
Other shows to announce are Brad Paisley at the Tacoma Dome (February 13), Vance Joy at the Paramount Theatre (February 24) Jennifer Nettles with Brandy Clark at Emerald Queen Casino (March 3), Judy Collins at Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley (March 8 and 9), Patti Lupone at Edmonds Center for the Arts (April 21) and Mount Baker Theatre in Bellingham (April 23), and Buddy Guy at Tacoma’s Pantages The-
Finally, don’t forget that the Earshot Jazz Festival runs through November 18 with live performances scattered throughout the city, including Brad Mehldau Trio on November 13, Sara Gazarek & New West Guitar Group on November 16, and back-to-back closing shows by Hugh Masekela on November 17 and 18. For complete information, go to earshot.org.
November 13, 2015
Seattle Gay News 3
Seattle Shakespeare Company presents Mother Courage and Her Children
Tirck Danneker, Chesa Greene, Jeanne Paulsen, and Spencer Hamp in Mother Courage and Her Children – Photo by John Ulman
by Miryam Gordon SGN A&E Writer MOTHER COURAGE AND HER CHILDREN SEATTLE SHAKESPEARE COMPANY Through November 22 Jeanne Paulsen provides a strong and appropriately stalwart performance of the title character in Mother Courage and Her Children at Seattle Shakespeare Company. This is perhaps the most well-known of Bertolt Brecht’s plays, though it’s seldom performed. The character’s real name is Anna Fierling, but she’d been given the nickname Courage while dashing among fighting
soldiers to sell them moldy bread. She’s to small businesses what Trump is to towers: the ultimate example, augmented by PR. Brecht wrote the play on the eve of World War II, but to avoid censorship set the play during the 1600s, able then to opine on current affairs using long ago history. Two soldiers begin by mocking the nearby town for “doing anything they please” and “not even knowing each other’s names” as a consequence of the awful state of affairs that peace brings. Peace has no order. A cast of many characters, the play is focused on a period called The Thirty Years’ War between 1618 and 1648. The period itself was a series of conflicts that morphed from a Protestant/Catholic war into one regarding the French vs. The Hapsburgs
for dominance in Europe. Fierling and her three children wander the countryside selling her wares and trying to stay above the conflict. War brings the opportunity for great profits and reliable shortages filled by smart peddlers. This is what Anna counts on. However, she also believes deeply in her ability to exempt her family from the troubles others find in war – to her deep disappointment. They doggedly (or some might think cynically) work to survive by selling wares that soldiers need, making their profit off the war machine. But during the course of their journeys, she loses each child. Eilif (Trick Danneker) is attracted by the glory of joining the fight. Swiss Cheese (Spencer Hamp) works on the side of the Protestants until the Catholics overrun him. Despite his mother’s attempt to buy his freedom, he is killed. Kattrin (Chesa Greene) is left to guard the cart while Mother goes to town, and when the town is attacked, Kattrin tries to beat a drum to warn the town – saving the town but losing her life. Mother Courage is a woman who can be lauded for her dogged survival instincts, but at the beginning of the play she has three children, and at the end of the play she has none. Yet she trundles on. She also does not appear to learn from her own mistakes and contributions. That is directly what Brecht wants us to think about her. Is she strong for sacrificing or blind to her own contributions to her children’s fates? Brecht meant this to be a polemic against war. We are deep into the longest war in U.S. history and on the verge of being pulled deeper into an undeclared war
in Syria, so we have much to identify with. Brecht points out that there is always a war somewhere. It has always been true on this Earth, since civilizations began. This production includes music written for Arena Stage’s (Washington, DC) production of this play, though the play is always intended to include music. The cast of this production includes some excellent singers and some actor/singers who keep tune and do a credible job. The idea of the songs is not to sing them excellently, though. Brecht wished to use them to push the audience “out” of the play experience, to help with the alienating effect he was going for, many times as commentary for what is happening. The alienating effect might work a bit too well, here. While the cast does a good job, by the end, the effect is close to making the audience not care. There are hints that more humor can be used, even in this very dark play, but some of the humor that is apparent is thrown away. Director Jeff Steitzer usually takes advantage of humor, so it seems unusual for him to skip what would be helpful to grab for. This is a solid effort from Seattle Shakespeare Company. But it can’t be said to be an exciting success. For more information, go to www.seattleshakespeare.org or 206-733-8222. Discuss your opinions with sgncritic@ gmail.com or go to www.facebook.com/SeattleTheaterWriters. More articles can be found at miryamstheatermusings.blogspot. com.
Nothing magical about this Madrigal History Tour by Rod Parke SGN A&E Writer THE KING’S SINGERS: “MADRIGAL HISTORY TOUR” ARTHAUS MUSIK BLU-RAY A note of caution: Don’t assume, just because a video is a new release on Blu-ray, that it is a recent production with modern technical standards. The new Blu-ray disc I’m about to describe was a six-part, madefor-TV series back in 1984, and it’s video and sound make no attempt to be any better than what TV sets in the UK of that era could reproduce. Thus, we now get to pay the Blu-ray premium for washed out colors, fuzzy picture, and flat, cramped stereo sound lacking any sensual appeal, with weird and very limited dynamics. The only advantage of the Blu-ray medium in this case is that the program, too long to fit on one DVD, does in fact require only one Blu-ray disc. And it’s not just the technical specifications that are dated here. The whole manner of presentation smacks of 1950s school room stuffiness, allowing no personality to peek through. The talking heads, mostly members of the group, could hardly make it more obvious that they are reading from
4 Seattle Gay News
a monitor. And the cover is particularly misleading in saying the program has subtitles. Indeed, the choices of subtitles as shown in the title page of the disc are English, German, and French. Imagine my surprise upon finding that the madrigals, a musical form in which the texts are of central importance, are NOT subtitled! Rather like false advertising, don’t you think? This 3-1/2 hour Blu-ray disc is called The King’s Singers: “Madrigal History Tour.” It features the six members of that fine group (as of 1984) and The Consort of
November 13, 2015
Musicke led by Anthony Rooley. Putting the above complaints aside, the program is an excellent, if rather dry, textbook on the historical development of madrigals in Italy, France, Spain, Germany and England. The lessons are narrated in English by the members of The King’s Singers and A nthony Rooley. It’s these lessons that are subtitled, NOT the madrigals themselves. But I’m afraid that much of the intended effect of these lessons is lost to those not speaking Italian, German, Spanish or French because the all-important words of the madrigals fly by without comprehen-
sion. In five sections (after a lengthy introduction), the King’s Singers take you to France, Germany, Spain, England and Italy with examples from each introduced by different members of the group. These introductions are in English, but the madrigals themselves have subtitles only in the original language! No matter how many times you interrupt the program and choose English, you get the French subtitles (or the German, Spanish, etc. of the country being discussed). Of some mild interest, the madrigals are performed in historical locations that could have been the birthplace of each. If you’re looking for a good, but very dry lesson in how madrigals developed in the various countries, this is the disc for you. If you’re looking to enjoy madrigals in their many forms, I don’t recommend this series of dry lessons because the sound is so unappealing that it might turn you off to the musical form altogether. Reviewer Rod Parke can be reached at rmp62@columbia.edu.
Celebrating 41 Years!
“emergence”
point-shoe movement of the women into an evocation of insect-like animals that is so compelling your attention is riveted – litballet in the Balanchine mode to a fantasti- erally riveted – to the stage. The audience cal reinvention of dance vocabulary, the au- leapt to its feet cheering at the end of this dience is alternately delighted and wowed dance – we had no other option. I honestby works of increasing intensity. I left Mc- ly can’t remember being so flabbergasted Caw Hall with my head spinning and a re- by a ballet in my long life of ballet attennewed sense of how lucky we are, here in dance. “Emergence” deploys thirty-eight Seattle, to live where a company of great dancers in its strange world – half are baredancers is exploring all that is fresh and chested, tattooed men and the other half new in an art form based on ancient rules are women in black leotards with slightly and principles. wing-like bustles who remain en pointe in In addition to presenting a season of the waves of vertical movement while whisperold favorites we love – “Romeo et Juliette,” ing counts (“one-two-three-four-five-six“Coppélia,” “Nutcracker” –Artistic Direc- seven-eight”) in hushed, buzzing fashion. tor Peter Boal continues to offer works that The men, in contrast, are like a phalanx are truly modern and speak to this genera- of b-boys whose tattooed backs and paration of audiences. “Emergence” is not only military movement make their sharp, sithe title of a mind-blowing spectacular by multaneous motion seem both threatening Canadian choreographer Crystal Pite, but a and mesmerizing. As these two opposing reference to the entire program of original groups begin to merge with each episode works by choreographers who are leading – either with one androgynous figure inthe way into the future. The fact that two troduced in the male group or with the feof these dance-makers are women, one is males, in a lock-stepped line, approaching African-American, and one is so young the males who tumble at their feet – the two that he’s still a member of PNB’s corps de worlds begin to adapt to one another to create a third world. Pite was inspired by reading about the social organization of bees and then seeing a parallel with the organization of classical ballet companies. The soundscape by Owen Belton suggests what you might hear if you lowered a microphone into a termite hill or a bee colony. Since this kind of music is difficult to dance to, Pite uses a type of choreography that relies upon the dancers watching one another for cues that trigger movement, such as “When Emily moves, then I move.” This results in wave-like patterns of natural movement that retain the organization of traditional choreography while imitating the social structure of swarming insects. If all this sounds like something you can’t imagine – you can’t imagine it. You have to see it to believe it. Pite has used the familPacific Northwest Ballet corps de ballet dancer iar movement of ballet in Chelsea Adomaitis in Price Suddarth’s Signature, which PNB entirely new configurations is presenting as part of EMERGENCE, November 6-15, 2015 – that startle and fascinate. Photo by Angela Sterling I love this woman. I want ballet is an indication of how determined to see everything that emerges from her this company is to open the world of inter- strange mind. national dance to underrepresented classes of artists. Seattle audiences also deserve “Signature” (2015) – credit since this bold commitment to the Choreography: Price Suddarth new is made possible by the willingness This new dance, to variations on Vivaldi of subscribers and dance-lovers to turn up by Barret Anspach, uses a string quartet for Peter Boal’s pioneering ventures. Our situated in the highest box in McCaw Hall reward is to be first in line to see the flow- as a classical echo to the modern interpretaering of new art by a fantastically capable tion of Vivaldi happening in the orchestra. company of dancers and new dance-mak- Suddarth, who dances in the other works ers. Here are the dances, in reverse order of in the “Emergence” program, is the chopresentation, that you should be sure to see reographer for this ambitious dance that before they finish on November 15th: uses duets, septets, octets, and a duodecad to move dancers in reflecting and simulta“Emergence” (2009) – neous patterns. Though young, Suddarth Choreography: Crystal Pite is ambitious, using almost the entire comWords cannot express the thrilling pany and democratically mixing the prinstrangeness of this astonishing work. It cipals with the corps members and soloists starts with a dancer emerging, in awkward, in intermingled groups. His use of arms is jerky movement, from an invisible chrysa- as important as the legs and feet, with all lis, and proceeds through alternating male/ thirty-six dancers using windmill-type female groups to express two worlds of movement to create huge effects. This is a creatures as they merge and re-form into a wonderful dance, full of intelligence, comcohort. This may not sound like a story-arc plexity, and verve. for a ballet, but Crystal Pite has re-thought In my notes I wrote “I think this guy is the form, introduced hip-hop vocabulary great – better than Justin Peck.” Justin Peck for the men and manipulated the classical is a young choreographer who has emerged continued from cover
Visit us online www.sgn.org
Pacific Northwest Ballet corps de ballet dancer Dylan Wald in Jessica Lang’s The Calling, which PNB will be presenting as part of EMERGENCE, November 6-15, 2015 – Photo Angela Sterling
from the New York City Ballet corps de ballet into the dance-makers spotlight. PNB commissioned “Debonair” from him last season and we will see his “Year of the Rabbit” later in the season – a dance that was the subject of a documentary, “Ballet 422” shown in film festivals last year. Though it’s hard to judge on the strength of a single work, the power and surprise of Suddarth’s “Signature” is as worthy of glowing predictions of future greatness as anything seen in “Ballet 422” – though with “Year of the Rabbit” coming to PNB in 2016, we can all decide for ourselves. “The Calling” (2015) – Choreography: Jessica Lang The most memorable aspect of this very short dance is the massive skirt that surrounds the dancer – who could be either a man or a woman, but in this case is the very handsome Dylan Ward. He is barechested and encircled by a white pleated skirt that extends outward from his waist to a five foot or so circumference. Spread over a black floor, it is both a restraint and an ornament to the dancer, whose turning movements wind him more and more into a pillar as the skirt wraps around his legs. As in “Signature,” the dancer’s arms become central to the composition, while evermore dramatic gestures develop to the haunting tones of the medieval “O Maria, stella maris” sung by mezzo-soprano Sarra Sharif. This mysterious, theatrical piece provides a meditative transition from the perky “Sum Stravinsky” to the large-scale works that follow in the second half of the program. “Sum Stravinsky” (2012) – Choreography: Kiyon Gaines
The first dance of the evening is a bright blue homage to George Balanchine, in which Kiyon Gaines, a former PNB dancer, uses the Balanchine vocabulary to move his colleagues around the stage to the music of Balanchine’s good buddy, Igor Stravinsky. This music, which sounded strange and exotic to an earlier generation, sounds welcome and familiar to us, yet has lost none of its excitement. Gaines creates three acts – five couples, a duet, then four couples – to show off the innovations that Balanchine brought to the ancient French rules of ballet. Ballerinas sweep their legs in front of them in a sassy circle before executing a step, they cock their hips and tip-toe with arms flung wide in gestures we have come to recognize as typically Mr. B. Like Stravinsky’s music, they were a shock to the dance world when first seen, but are now a welcome reminder of how Balanchine was able to break out of the restrictions of formal styles while retaining the elegance and art that audiences so love. Gaines has given us a beautiful review of this style that enables us to see the evidence of it in the new generation of dance-makers such as Suddarth and Peck, and in more established choreographers such as Wheeldon, Forsythe, and Ratmansky. Or, if ballet genealogy is of no interest to you (and why should it be?) you can just sit back and enjoy the charm and artistry of these dances, executed with unerring precision and good humor by PNB’s brilliant young artists. Thanks go, as usual but not routine, to Emil de Cou and the PNB orchestra for the wonderful execution of this marvelous range of music. “Emergence” is on at McCaw Hall through this weekend, November 15. www.pnb.org or (206) 441-2424.
Pacific Northwest Ballet principal dancer Maria Chapman in Kiyon Gaines’ Sum Stravinsky, which PNB is presenting as part of EMERGENCE, November 6-15, 2015 – Photo by Angela Sterling
November 13, 2015
Seattle Gay News 5
Tituss burgess continued from cover
cals before adding television and film roles to his resume; his voice can be heard in The Angry Birds Movie set for a spring 2016 release. On a quick break while filming the next season of “UKS,” the Georgia-born actor-singer called into Seattle Gay News to preview his shows with the Chorus and talk about what ever topic came up. For ticket information and dates for the remaining slate of holiday concerts, log onto SeattleMensChorus.org or call (206) 388-1400. Here’s what Tituss Burgess had to say to the Seattle Gay News: Albert Rodriguez: What comes to mind when you hear the word “Seattle”? Tituss Burgess: Rain and seafood. Rodriguez: How much time, or how many days will you spend here? Burgess: It’s going to be a rather quick turnaround. I wish I could stay longer, but I’m filming here in New York, so I only have that Saturday and Sunday, unfortunately, and then I take a red-eye back. Rodriguez: Can you tell us anything about the performances with the Seattle Men’s Chorus, like what you’ll be doing in the shows? Burgess: Well, I do know we’re going to do a gorgeous arrangement of “A Gift to Be Simple” that myself and the Seattle Men’s Chorus are cooking up. I think the message of this song is so key to the LGBTQ community, so I’m anxious to perform that. Rodriguez: The holiday season is upon us. How will you spend the holidays this year? Burgess: I always have a huge Thanksgiving here at my house; myself and my friends cook. It’s actually one of the things I look forward to the most. I’m not a big Christmas person, honestly. I like all the lead up to Christmas, but the actual Christmas Day I turn into a Chinese person, or rather a Jew, and I just want Chinese food. (laughs) But I like all the holiday music, and ice-skating, and all things Christmas in New York. I wish it were one long month of a festive atmosphere that didn’t have to end on the 25th. Rodriguez: What kind of music do you listen to? When you’re on a plane, or have some time to yourself, what music or artists do you gravitate towards? Burgess: I’m partial to anything Renée Fleming sings, I can tell you that. I love Janelle Monae. But I don’t have one particular thing I listen to, although I was on a plane a couple months ago going out to LA and Annie Lennox’s recent concert that she filmed (“Nostalgia”) – man, oh man, was it brilliant! So I’ve had that on repeat. Rodriguez: You mentioned that you’re filming at the moment. Are you filming “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”? Burgess: I am indeed. I’m on set right now. Rodriguez: When you wrap up filming “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt,” do you
6 Seattle Gay News
have any Broadway or TV projects you’ll be working on? Burgess: I am currently in pursuit of the rights to a movie of a great pop star that is no longer with us, and if all goes well I’ll be writing something for Broadway with Rick
there is no resemblance between me and Season 1 Titus. Season 2 Titus, there’s a little more of me in there. He’s more vulnerable, falls in love, so we get to explore that. But I’m an introvert and do not enjoy a great deal of attention, contrary to popu-
Tituss Burgess in “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” – Eric Liebowitz / Netflix
Ellis, who wrote Jersey Boys, which is the second Broadway show that I did. And that takes up a great deal of my creative energy when I’m on set, and then there’s a couple of films coming down the pipeline, and then in the spring The Angry Birds Movie is out, an animated film that I did, so I have that to look forward to. Rodriguez: I saw the previews for Angry Birds. It looks cool! Burgess: Oh, it’s so cute! It’s great! Rodriguez: Congrats on your Emmy nomination. Did you have fun at the awards? Burgess: It was the time of my life! It was not even on my radar a year and a half
lar belief. People do think I am Titus with one “s”, but I’d rather stay home and make a meal for my friends and play piano and make them sing for me. Rodriguez: At what point in your life did you know you had talent – that you could sing, you could dance – and could pursue a career in entertainment? Burgess: I had great teachers who fostered that in me, but I don’t know that I took it seriously or thought that this was going to be a viable career choice until much later in my adult life, after college and then I thought, “This is what I’m going to do. I can’t imagine doing anything else.” Although, I think if I weren’t performing I’d
Tituss Burgess in “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” – Eric Liebowitz / Netflix
ago, that is the honest truth, and to be included on a list of such esteemed creative types, it was amazing. I will treasure it for as long as I live. Rodriguez: Are there any similarities between the real Tituss and Titus on “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”? Burgess: Other than our love of theater,
November 13, 2015
probably be a chef or a psychologist. Rodriguez: Is the acceptance level different between Broadway and television for LGBTQ actors? Burgess: I have to be honest with you, that’s not a question I’ve had to process, only because I’ve experienced nothing but acceptance and I’ve been so fortunate to
work. It doesn’t matter a great deal to me how people feel about my creative choices or my personal choices. It matters that we allow everyone to do just that, to choose, but I don’t know that I’ve experienced anything other than full-on support, and I’m lucky in the way of television because we live in a world now where we’re finally beginning to normalize homosexuality and being lesbian, or being whatever it is that we are, but I have everyone who came before me to thank for helping the television world embrace all human beings, and not just zeroing in on heterosexual people. And in the theater world, c’mon (laughs)...it’s full of Gay people; you’re encouraged to be yourself there. Rodriguez: Matt Damon recently suggested in an interview that Gay actors should keep their personal lives to themselves; in other words, to stay in the closet. Do you think it’s still important that LGBTQ actors and public figures, such as Caitlyn Jenner, come out publicly? Burgess: Didn’t Matt Damon and Ben Affleck write Good Will Hunting? Rodriguez: Yes, they did. Burgess: Here’s my answer. What if Matt Damon never came out as a writer and people were only willing to accept him as an actor? I think LGBTQ people have an obligation to assist. I think our closets are a bit heavier than the heterosexual world because they came in having the scales tipped in their favor. Unfortunately, the conversation is just starting and we need to continue that conversation. If I had a me on TV when I was a child, who would I be now? So I think that remark is based on a bit of ignorance to what it means to be out. I think if you’re a good actor, your job is to make a convincing case so that the audience can divorce you from the role you’re playing, on film or on TV. If you can’t do that, then one of two things is occurring: you’re either not doing the job very well, or the audience is not very smart. That’s my answer. Rodriguez: Growing up, one of the ways my mom figured out I was Gay was the posters of Scott Baio and Andy Gibb pinned on my bedroom walls. Did you have any celebrity crushes as a kid? Burgess: Scott Baio!! (laughs) No, I just thought that men were hot and I didn’t feel that same way about women. I adored women. Lena Horne was a huge influence on my life and I watched her interviews, her poise, her classiness, and then that inevitable musicianship. It was the likes of her and the likes of Diana Ross, whether they knew it or not, giving me permission to be me. I don’t know what that subtextural information was, but there’s an authenticity they have that I identified with and I knew that in my every day walk in life, whether I’m ordering a pizza or writing a Broadway show, I want to do it to the best of my ability and be fully human inside it.
Celebrating 41 Years!
rodney hicks continued from cover
aftermath from 9/11. When planes were caught enroute to or over the United States during the FAA’s no-flight mandate closing U.S. airspace, planes had to land somewhere. 38 planes were grounded in Gander, Newfoundland, Canada! It is a tiny town (population 9,651 in 2001) unaccustomed to so many visitors, but the town sprang into action to support all 6,579 passengers and crew who arrived that day. A talented roster of performers, including locals Eric Ankrim, Chad Kimball, and Kendra Kassebaum create this ensembledriven piece playing multiple roles. Directed by Christopher Ashley, artistic director at La Jolla, the production is still being heavily updated by writers Irene Sankoff and David Hein (My Mother’s Lesbian Jewish Wiccan Wedding). They are certain to be working to bring the production to Broadway, though the exact route there is unknown at this time. Rodney has been seen on Seattle stages twice. He performed at the 5th Avenue Theatre in 2002 in Hair, and in 2012, he starred as Jim in Big River at Village Theatre. Rodney spoke with SGN about his career, including originating characters in seminal musicals, such as RENT, The Scottsboro Boys, and now Come From Away. Rodney actually met Jonathan Larson, the celebrated creator of RENT, when Rodney was cast in Larson’s young-audiences musical, Blocks. Blocks performed in NYC middle schools, and covered subjects such as child abuse, prejudice, and expressing your feelings. Rodney says, “Ironically, I played a young Gay 16 year-old [in Blocks] who was not comfortable in his own skin. The parallel was something I struggled with for a very long time. It was art imitating life. I was afraid I was Gay. All I knew about being Gay was AIDS. I thought I didn’t want to be Gay. “I was so in denial, I was engaged to a young woman. I thought, ‘I like this girl and she’s awesome and has a child. Instant family – score!’ I was attracted to men but I was terrified. Had it not been for RENT I would have married her out of responsibility and pleasing your family.” Rodney says, “[Blocks] was when I first became friends with Anthony Rapp and Yassmin Alers – she is starring in On Your Feet on Broadway now.
“I came from Mansfield University in Mansfield, PA. I was majoring in communications and minoring in theater. But I wrote, produced and directed two films while in school, and after the second year my acting professor told me I shouldn’t be here. I auditioned for a show, Mark Twain the Musical, got the role of the Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court – who had always been white. They wanted to shake things up. “I was able to get a manager and she said, ‘You need to be in New York.’ I was so not ready inside. I had all this talent inside but I knew nothing about the business – I just wanted to be on Broadway! “I was cast in RENT in December 1995, and we began rehearsal two days later. It was all wonderful until Jon [Larson] died suddenly. [Larson died of a brain aneurysm.] This is someone who was our friend, we had meals with him, had been to his home. So my Broadway debut was done in mourning. “At that time I had no real concept of what originating a role was. I was simply going off of instincts and following along with all of the seasoned actors who I was blessed to be in the cast with.” [Original cast members of RENT included Anthony Rapp, Idina Menzel, and Jesse Martin.] Rodney continues, “You get the script but [the creators] don’t know who you’ll play. So many things are rewritten and cut and added. That’s part of originating a role. It is what serves the piece. I learned on the job what that all meant. “Ten years later, I was cast in the revival as Benny the landlord. Michael Grief, the show’s director, allowed us to re-discover a character without having to model it after another actor’s interpretation who came before. That usually doesn’t happen when you replace someone.” Another original role was Clarence Norris in The Scottsboro Boys (Broadway, 2010). This musical was based on a true story from the 1930s. To get out of trouble, two white prostitutes accuse nine black teens of rape, while on a train stopped in Alabama. The teen boys were arrested and prosecuted and sentenced to death! They became a national news item and though they won a new trial, they were reconvicted. Rodney says, “The role wasn’t as flushed out in all of their previous readings and workshops. After I was offered the role, as in any show, roles begin to be written for
the actor portraying it. It’s a common and most beautiful thing when you create a role from scratch. But what was special about Scottsboro Boys is I was playing someone who was based on a real person so they were able to incorporate more of his story into the piece. “Originally Clarence was not the adversary to Haywood Patterson (the lead). They pumped it up so Clarence was an opposite energy to Haywood. They then become friends at the end. The show closed abruptly on Broadway after two month! A lot of black people did not embrace it, but they didn’t see the show! Those who saw it loved it! “I subsequently took on the lead role of Haywood Patterson in the Philadelphia Premiere of the show at The Philadelphia Theatre Company in 2012. I was honored with the prestigious Barrymore Award for Outstanding Leading Actor in a Musical. Both productions were directed and choreographed by Tony Award Winner Susan Stroman. In Philly, we were sold out and from a predominantly black audience!” Now Rodney has another chance to originate a role in a production aiming for Broadway. He is Bob in Come From Away. He says, “All 12 of us are ‘leads’ and we also all play all these other people. These are real people based on interviews. The person who Bob is based on is Italian and older. In all the other readings, Bob was white and Jewish. I have been a part of the production since the Seattle workshop last year. “When I was asked to be a part of this piece, they didn’t know who I would be portraying until rehearsal began. When they told me my primary character was Bob, I began doing my actor work in creating him. I make a backstory about every character! So, Bob (in my imagination) is a lover of comic books, conspiracy theories and initially is skeptical of the friendliness people are exhibiting. He just doesn’t get it. He learns how not to be afraid of people he was taught to be wary of. That work is where the actor comes in – to fill in the interpretation. “I also have an African character. One day I was asked by our director Christopher what I thought his name was. I didn’t want to bullshit an answer and African names have a great deal of meaning and purpose. So I went back to the hotel and researched. I came up with Gwandoya. It means ‘met
with misery.’ He is terrified for his life, so he met with misery on the flight – they don’t speak English, they speak Swahili, and I looked for a name that encompassed what he goes through in the show. It was an honor to be asked to name my character. “We all remember exactly where we were on that day (9/11/01). I was in New York City, on the Harlem River Drive trying to get to my acting job. It was jam packed at a standstill and I watched the 2nd Tower fall! My aunt was at Ground Zero. I remember being outside my car on the freeway. It was devastating. With this show, the irony is that I’m playing one of two characters from NY and my character’s name Bob is my dad’s name. “[The musical] resurfaces the tragedy that the day brought, yes, but what it also does is reminds us to be grateful and thankful for the hope that came out of that time. That, to me, is what this piece is about. “The beauty of live theatre – there’s always an evolution of character that happens during the course of a run. What was great and working in La Jolla may be different in Seattle in regards to the feel and energy of the tone of the show. I absolutely love creating a character. Especially in a show like this where we get to create more than one specific person to inhabit. The fact that it is all based on real people adds another level of happiness for me.” Rodney has made his home for the past four years in Salmon Creek, WA with his husband, Chris Coleman and two dogs, Trevor and Logan. You can read more about him at www.rodneyhicksnow.com. In January 2016, he will be back in New York, he says, “with both feet in and ready for whatever the universe has in store for my continuing career. My husband and I will be bi-coastal. I took four years to make my personal life my priority. Now that it’s firmly rooted, I’ll go and work to have the career I have always been afraid of having. I’m finally in a place in my life where I don’t have fear of success. We’re just going to make it work.” For information about Come From Away, go to www.seattlerep.org or call 206-443-2222.
Original cast from the La Jolla Playhouse production of Come From Away – Photo by Jim Carmody
Visit us online www.sgn.org
November 13, 2015
Seattle Gay News 7
An interview with Sarah Gavron – director of Suffragette
Sarah Gavron – www.telegraph.co.uk
by Sara Michelle Fetters SGN A&E Writer Director Sarah Gavron didn’t rest on her laurels after her first theatrically released feature Brick Lane met with almost universal acclaim back in 2007. While pondering a number of follow-up narrative projects, she found herself obsessing over the documentary Village at the End of the World. Released in 2012, it chronicled the inhabitants of a small Northern Greenland township with a population of 59 human souls, the small, deeply personal endeavor putting an intimate spotlight on those eking out a living in one of the harshest environments on Earth. But, even then, she was beginning to be drawn to another story, one revolving around the women who struggled and fought for the right to vote in England at the turn of the 20th century. With all that was going on in the world, with the skirmishes being fought in the Middle East and in Afghanistan, with women the world over beginning to demand equal pay for equal work, looking back at this era in history just felt right. On top of that, much to the filmmaker’s shock, the suffragette movement in Great Britain was a story that, for all intents and purposes, had somehow never been told inside a major feature film. This was a slight she felt up to the challenge of ending. “I couldn’t believe nobody had done it,” says Gavron with frank honesty “I couldn’t believe it hadn’t been told before now. I was quite shocked by that.” The filmmaker was in Seattle to show off her new film Suffragette starring Carey Mulligan, Brendan Gleeson, Anne-Marie Duff, Romola Garai, Ben Whishaw, Helena Bonham Carter and, in a small, if vitally important cameo, Meryl Streep. Sitting down for a few minutes at a local downtown hotel, we briefly chatted about all the disparate influences that led her to make the movie, the filmmaker teaming with Shame and The Iron Lady screenwriter Abi Morgan to help her bring it to life. “Going into the research with Abi, we found all these stories about women that were just so contemporary and resonant,”
8 Seattle Gay News
recalls Gavron. “Stories about women being abused in the workplace, about sexual violence, about the gender pay gap, about police surveillance, these are all stories we’re hearing about right now, not just a century ago. They all seem to resonate with what is taking place across the world. The parallels were just so obvious.” “We wanted the story to be about an ordinary woman, not someone like Emmeline Pankhurst, who does appear in the story. We wanted it to be about a working woman who would sacrifice so much for the fight but without whom victory would not have been possible. This was always the starting point for both Abi and I as we started putting all the pieces together.” Thus was born Maud Watts, a laundry worker who had been giving herself body and soul to her employer since before she was a teenager. Portrayed brilliantly by Mulligan in the film, the character is a
composite of a number of real stories Gavron and Morgan came across while doing research. It was through these actual accounts of women who had lost, suffered and persevered that led them to ultimately construct the character as they eventually did. “We found three women whom essentially all helped Maud come to life,” the filmmaker recollects. “We drew on them. We thought, how do we make these accounts accessible to an audience? What is it about their stories that draw us in? We found Maud in this research. If you read those unpublished diaries, memoirs and letters you find women who worked at a laundry in East London who got involved in this activism, women who sacrificed their families, their very lives, in order to get the right to vote. It’s heartbreaking, yet also inspiring, and those were key emotions Abi and I wanted to tap into.”
As to the prescient nature of the narrative, while Gavron would like to take credit for crafting a motion picture that taps right into the middle of so many conversations in regards to women’s rights around the globe, she fully understands just how big a part coincidence played as far as that was concerned. “The movie found its moment,” she admits. “While we were indeed inspired by much of what was going on, the simple fact is, had this movie been made 15 years ago, 10 years ago, maybe even five years ago, it’s doubtful people would be paying as close of attention as they are right now. I’m sadly not sure the world would have been ready to hear it; so, in that way, we were lucky and it was a little bit of happenstance.” “But we were conscious of what was going on. Make no mistake. When the police archives in Britain opened in 2003, they revealed this massive surveillance operation against the women in the suffrage movement. It just blew our minds. All of these police, going undercover, taking pictures of these women with cameras concealed on tripods. How they were ordered to attack these women so brutally. It revealed so much, and all of it seemed so relevant.” “We never wanted to make a piece of history that you would feel distanced from. We wanted to make a film that reminded you how hard-fought this battle was. Wanted to remind people just how far we’ve all come. But we also wanted to remind people what was still at stake, what could be lost, while also reminding [viewers] about how there are so many women in the world who are still fighting for basic human rights. There are 62-million women in the world who do not get an education. One in three women experience sexual violence in their lifetime. It’s all very relevant, and it’s all part of our story set over a hundred years ago.” One of the keys to the film is the fact that Maud refuses to proclaim herself a suffragette for much of the motion picture. She’s a mother. She’s a wife. She’s a worker in a laundry. She is all of those things and more, but she does not consider herself a revolutionary. She is just doing what she
Sarah Gavron on set – Pathe Productions Ltd. via yumagazine.co.uk
November 13, 2015
Celebrating 41 Years!
feels is right, and in the process becoming the type of unsung hero movements of all types need playing a vital role if success is to eventually be found. “I think that is so true,” says Gavron. “If you look at it, look at history, it’s often working people, working women, working men, who have been the backbone of change. So much of these sorts of movements are born out of inequality. Working people begin to question the situations they are in, they begin to evolve, and that’s usually were the spark as it pertains to change is initially struck. They’re fighting for their rights.” As far as cinematic parallels go, the closest companion Suffragette can claim is arguably the 1979 Oscar-winning classic Norma Rae with Sally Field. But, in that movie, the lead character’s rebellious fire is lit by a man, her clamoring to get her factory unionized driven by her relationship with men. Here, this story, it’s all propelled by women, every second of it, Maud’s passions for the movement initially stoked by her growing friendships with characters portrayed by Duff and Carter. “We’re so used to, in cinematic narrative, that, if you have a female character, she’s often the girlfriend, she’s the wife, she’s the prostitute, she’s the sidekick, and even if she’s the protagonist, you’ll still have a man leading her where she will need to go,” proclaims Gavron. “It’s all so tiresome. We didn’t want to go down that road. Not only did we want to put women at the front of this fictional story, they were at the
front of this story historically, the historical record shows us this time and time and time again.” “We do have some great men in the film, and, of course, they all have different shades, but this story was always about these women who spurred one another on and found the support they needed in amongst themselves. They crossed class, crossed ages, all in order to come together as one during this battle.” It is curious that, for most at least, the most effective and long-lasting movie focusing on the suffragette movement in England is Disney’s Mary Poppins, a fact not lost on the filmmaker. “I love that movie, too,” she admits with a laugh. “That song [“Sister Suffragette,” sung by Glynis Johns] really is infectious. But it is the sanitized version, isn’t it? She’s a little bit patronized during that moment. Through today’s lens it’s probably a little offensive, but the movie is just so good I don’t think anyone would care to notice.” “But, in all seriousness, it’s extraordinary to say, but the [suffragette movement] was not on the curriculum when I was in school. It wasn’t taught, and it’s only very recently that it has worked its way into the lesson plans in the U.K. But it’s still only barely touched on, and students do not get the full story. We had a number of female advisors on the movie. All of them made sure to remind us constantly how big a battle it was to have these stories recognized by universities as being important. It was important to us to keep things like this in
mind as we were making the movie.” Then there is the conversation running rampant throughout Hollywood, the one a film like this can’t help but be a part of whether the filmmakers wanted it to be or not. With the outcry over directorial opportunities for women far from equal in comparisons to what is offered to their male counterparts, Gavron understands just how big an anomaly Suffragette is. “I do think these conversations have been constructive,” claims the director. “You’ve got actresses like Patricia Arquette talking about sexism in Hollywood. You’ve got powerful people like Meryl Streep calling attention to the inequity as it pertains to film crews. Our culture in so many ways is reflected by the cinema. We need to have diversity behind the camera. Our children need to be seeing these stories. It’s kind of crazy, isn’t it? But the fact that all of this is part of the conversation now, it’s so positive.” “For me, it’s all about role models. In my early 20s, when I saw women like Jane Campion making films, Mira Nair, Kathryn Bigelow, Claire Denis were all making films, I thought to myself it was all possible, I could be a director. Anything seemed possible.” As far as this film goes, it’s impossible to imagine it working nearly as well as it does had Mulligan not been cast as Maud. It’s a sentiment the filmmaker wholeheartedly agrees with. “We always wanted the caliber of cast that we ended up with,” states Gavron. “There are a lot of times
you get pushed into certain directions for financing and marketing reasons, not because you want to fill the roles with the best possible actor. That was thankfully never the case here. We wanted to bring together this wonderful, eclectic group of British talent – and Meryl, of course – and see them all on-stage together. To see it happen was just marvelous.” “With Carey, there is no doubt having her around was a great thing. She can say so much without saying a word. That’s such a rare quality. You see these tiny little shifts and you know what she’s feeling. And she’s playing a character who is so internal, especially at the beginning, and it was so critical that we had someone like her who could convey so much just by the camera being held on her. That’s why we went for the close-up. Carey holds that camera so brilliantly. She’s amazing.” Ultimately, though, Suffragette will rise or fall based entirely on how general audiences react to the central human journey at the heart of these historical events. Gavron isn’t worried. “When you watch the film, you realize how big the moment was, how this movement represented more than just getting the right to vote,” muses the director. “I hope that young people feel that sense of urgency. That they are inspired and realize that they need to be counted, that they need to use that vote to make positive change in the world. The film meant a lot to us as we were making it. I now hope it means a lot to the viewers who take the time to watch it.”
suffragette continued from cover
Edith Ellyn (Helena Bonham Carter) is a passionate follower who agrees with this decree, using her position of relative authority to quietly urge like-minded women to cause as much havoc as they comfortably can. Working-class wife and mother Maud Watts (Carey Mulligan) has been working in the same laundry since she was a young child, her loving husband Sonny (Ben Whishaw) able to say the exact same thing. But while she has risen to a place of authority, he still makes more money than she does. On top of that, he isn’t the victim of all types of sexual advances and derogatory putdowns, and watching newcomer Violet Miller’s (Anne-Marie Duff) beautiful daughter Maggie (Grace Stottor) put up with similar advances is almost more than Maud can bear. As far as contrivances go, writer Abi Morgan’s (Shame, The Invisible Woman) script for Suffragette is full of them. Not only is Violet a dedicated follower of Emmeline Pankhurst, but Maud’s trusted pharmacist just happens to be Edith Ellyn herself, so when the former starts to suggest that her new coworker might be interested in speaking about her time in the laundry, it’s the latter that makes the hard sell convincing her to do it. There are numerous additional coincidences, not the least of which take place during the film’s climax, and while I’m not about to ruin anything, let’s just say who it comes down to as far as catching the eye of the King is concerned is hardly surprising. Be that as it may, the movie, directed by Sarah Gavron (Brick Lane), is an invigorating, delicately nuanced journey into important historical events. While Maud is fictional (reportedly a combination of a number of real life women all rolled into one), a lot of the events and situations she ends up a part of did in fact take place. Gavron and Morgan manage to investigate these moments with refined simplicity, achieving a
Helena Bonham Carter, Carey Mulligan and Meryl Streep in Suffragette – newbostonpost.com
winsome grace that enhances the emotions that run through things beautifully. Maud’s evolution from timid everywoman to committed activist happens naturally, with uplifting electricity, making all of her travails and hardships pack a powerful wallop in the process. Mulligan is magnificent. While I can’t say if I enjoyed her work here more than I did her similarly stunning turn in Far from the Madding Crowd from earlier this summer, what I can say is that the young actress has delivered two of the best performances I’ve seen in all of 2015. She makes Maud’s journey believable throughout, the scenes of her coming to grips with what her actions as a suffragette has meant in regards to her marriage and her relationship with her adoring son shattering my heart. She makes these decisions believable, her growing activist streak blossoming in the face of the shocking and brutal injustices assaulting her. Mulligan’s fearlessness is stunning, and I seriously doubt I’d have enjoyed the
Visit us online www.sgn.org
film near as much had she not been a part of the proceedings. Her equal, somewhat unexpectedly, is Brendan Gleeson. He’s Inspector Arthur Steed, the man responsible for keeping the suffragettes in check and also charged with finding where Emmeline Pankhurst is hiding. Not only is he a solid foil for Maud, his personal ambiguity in regards to the law in question is juxtaposed with his steadfast determination to do what is required. Gleeson underplays things nicely, his reactions to the violence and underhanded tactics used to keep the women in their place even though he understands they’ll only have the opposite effect is absolutely wonderful. Streep’s involvement is more or less nothing more than a quick cameo, so anyone seeing the movie solely for her will undoubtedly be disappointed, while Whishaw’s arc, as good as he might be, is frustratingly underdeveloped. As for Carter, while she’s fine, Edith is sadly onedimensional, and it’s hard to not get a little
annoyed at her as she keeps pushing Maud and the others to get more ambitiously destructive in their civil disobedience. Duff, however, is wonderful, and while Violet doesn’t do anything unforeseen, the way the actress gets where she’s headed is still wonderful, a late scene where she must grapple with whether or not to continue the fight thanks to an unexpected pregnancy marvelously brought to life. The line between historical fidelity and narrative creativity isn’t always a comfortable one, and there are times I did wish the filmmakers had taken a more documentary-like approach, especially as it pertained to the more violent and disturbing clashes with the police. Yet, overall, Gavron’s approach is spot-on, and the way she allows Maud to tell her own story at her own pace only augments the emotional purity of all she endures and overcomes, giving Suffragette a universality that’s sublime.
November 13, 2015
Seattle Gay News 9
Addiction drama Smile a Silverman tour de force
Sarah Silverman and Josh Charles in I Smile Back – www.fandango.com
by Sara Michelle Fetters SGN A&E Writer I SMILE BACK Now playing
Suburban housewife Laney (Sarah Silverman) loves her husband Bruce (Josh Charles) and adores her two children Eli (Skylar Gaertner) and Janey (Shayne Coleman) with every ounce of her heart. Underneath the surface, however, she’s suffering, refusing to take her bi-polar medication, instead retreating into a world of drugs, alcohol and clandestine sexual promiscuity with family friend Donny (Thomas Sadoski) to ease her psychological pain.
But when her actions put her own kids in jeopardy Laney reaches out for help, hoping counseling and rehab can put her back on track and return her to being the devoted wife and mother she desperately wants to be. Adapted from Amy Koppelman’s bestselling novel, with a script by the author and relative newcomer Paige Dylan, director Adam Salky’s (Dare) addiction drama I Smile Back doesn’t exactly break from Hollywood convention. Not a lot happens that’s unexpected, and a number of the conversations, especially the ones between Laney and her rehab therapist Dr. Page (Terry Kinney), are rather traditional. Yet the movie is mesmerizing most of the way
through, Koppelman and Dylan’s script showing a kind of restraint that’s impressive, refusing to belabor any of its points or beat the viewer over the head with its messaging. More, it builds to an impressively nondescript finale, leaving things in an authentic state of emotional disrepair that’s devastating, forcing me to hold my breath as school lunches were prepared and a front door clicks potentially for the very last time. All of which would be moot if Silverman weren’t up to the challenge of making it all work. Known more for her stand-up comedy than for her dramatic skills, the actress nonetheless knocks it out of the park, digging deep in order to mine psychological terrain that’s brutally and uncomfortably complex. Silverman believably plays up all of Laney’s sides with electrifying dexterity. Not for a single second did it cross my mind that this wasn’t a woman who wanted to be the best mother possible, held back by a condition that left her questioning all she knew as well as everything she held dear. There are moments of deep, penetrating beauty to what Silverman accomplishes. A sequence near the end where she meets up with someone she hasn’t seen in decades (portrayed by veteran character actor Chris Sarandon) is perfect, his revelations about his life now compared to when he knew Laney as a child shattering in their cruel honesty. The way Silverman reacts, the dif-
fering emotions running across her face, all of it hits home, making what happens next all the more destructively riveting thanks to her magnificence. The rest of the cast does what they can, but by and large they sadly disappear into the background. Charles, in particular, is a minor disappointment, and other than a scene where Bruce refuses to hear a confession from his wife he unconsciously already knows the actor rarely rises to the same magnetic level of his co-star. The subplot revolving around Laney’s affair with Donny is also a minor letdown, and if not for a terrific moment of shock washing over Silverman via a startling, unforeseen revelation there’s little about this section that’s not exaggeratedly contrived. All the same, Koppelman and Dylan’s screenplay does impress, the fact they’re more than willing to leave so many questions unanswered allowing the audience to put many of the pieces together for themselves cutting well against the grain. They understand Laney on a deeply personal, exhaustively intimate level, thus the place they leave her story at might not be heartwarming but it sure as heck ends up feeling real. I Smile Back might not rewrite the addiction or mental illness melodrama rule book, but that doesn’t make it any less affecting, Silverman’s spectacular performance alone making the price of a ticket well worth spending.
Well-intentioned Crisis a satirical disappointment by Sara Michelle Fetters SGN A&E Writer OUR BRAND IS CRISIS Now playing Political operatives for hire Ben (Anthony Mackie) and Nell (Ann Dowd) have come to the secluded, mountainside home of famed “Calamity” Jane Bodine (Sandra Bullock) to talk her out of her self-imposed retirement. They’re on the campaign for former Bolivian President Castillo (Joaquim de Almeida) as he fights to regain his old job over a decade after voters ousted him from office. His poll numbers are at rock bottom and he’s looking for all the help he can get, Ben and Nell believing they’ve found just the person to help turn things around and get the campaign running on the right track. Jane isn’t sure why she’s allowed herself to get talked into taking this job, but the moment she sets down in the country and sees her arch nemesis Pat Candy (Billy Bob Thornton) is handling frontrunner Rivera (Louis Arcella) old interior fires geared towards political combat are instantly reignited. For her, this race is oddly personal, and while she doesn’t know the language that doesn’t mean she still can’t come up with political messages Bolivians of all socioeconomic backgrounds won’t respond to heart and soul. With the race tightening things catapult towards Election Day, the fate of an entire nation hardly mattering to Jane or Pat as they work to persuade vot-
10 Seattle Gay News
ers to cast their ballots for their respective candidate as victory is all either operative cares about. Our Brand is Crisis, written by Peter Straughan (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy), directed by David Gordon Green (Joe, George Washington), produced by George Clooney and Grant Heslov (Good Night, and Good Luck.), is inspired by Rachel Boynton’s outstanding 2005 documentary of the same name. Chronicling a real Bolivian election, it analyzed how U.S. political and marketing tactics influenced that country’s 2002 presidential race, showcasing how a delegation – led by James Carville, no less – turned the tide for unpopular alsoran Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada, their underhanded techniques leading him to victory. Viewed through a satirical lens, the filmmakers go out of their way to paint a picture of political strategizing that’s as disturbing as it is terrifyingly universal. It’s about how Madison Avenue and the corporate elite use every tool and tactic at their disposal to sway public opinion, veterans of these marketing battles finding a variety of ways to convince as many as they can to vote how they want, even if doing so goes directly against what is actually best for them personally. As such, it all feels particularly prescient what with a new presidential contest in its early stages here in the U.S., the line between what’s happening in the film in Bolivia and what’s going on in this country not as far removed as one might initially think. Or maybe not. Part of the problem is
November 13, 2015
that, as solid as many of Straughan, Green and company’s observations might be, none are fresh or original. The movie’s satirical jabs at the political process are familiar across the board, and not a single thing anyone says or does is near as shocking as it needs to be in order for the film to resonate on a meaningful level. It’s pretty standard stuff, most of the narrative elements content to roam along the surface, the script rarely, if ever, digging deeply enough to matter as far as the bigger overarching picture is concerned. None of which applies as it pertains to either Bullock or Thornton. These two are wonderful, the duo engaged in a delicate, passionately fiery tango fueled by mutual admiration and riotous disdain. They’ve lived, loved, lied and lost, found victory in failure and lost part of their soul every time one of their candidates came out of an election a winner. Each actor is so good, so fully committed to what is going on and the journey each of their characters is on, that they elevate the film one full level above any it ever could have ascended to without them, giving things a feeling of potent urgency I wholly responded to. The rest of the cast, which also includes Scoot McNairy, Zoe Kazan and relative newcomer Reynaldo Pacheco, is equally up to the challenge, yet none of them – save de Almeida, who is excellent – are given near enough to do to make a concrete, lasting impression. On top of that, Straughan’s script, while filled with a number of nice moments, is tonally inconsistent, never striking a solid balance between drama
and comedy, thus muting the satirical jabs to the point they barely land. More, it’s almost as if he wants to have his cake and eat it to, a third act shift towards redemptive seriousness not coming across as minutely genuine. As for Green, a talented director, it’s almost as if he’s channeling all sides of his creative facades with this film, and that’s not necessarily a good thing. While it’s apparent the man who helped bring stories as different as Snow Angels, Prince Avalanche, Pineapple Express and The Sitter is at the steering wheel, I can’t say elements of all of those features (and others) trying to coexist is a positive. The ribald and maudlin, the grotesque and serious, the melodramatic and the deathly serious, they all sit beside one another, the shifts in focus and tone oftentimes jarring. Yet there is no dismissing Our Brand is Crisis entirely. As already stated, Bullock and Thornton are superb, while Green’s control of the technical elements is as strong and as confident as ever, Tim Orr’s (Seeking a Friend for the End of the World) sensational cinematography deserving of special recognition. But the movie never achieves greatness, the satirical points it’s making too obvious, the dramatic transformations too inauthentic. It’s another one of those well-intentioned, nicely crafted efforts I wish I liked more than I actually do, making it a head-scratching disappointment that’s as frustratingly unsatisfying as anything I’ve seen this year.
Celebrating 41 Years!
Visit us online www.sgn.org
November 13, 2015
Seattle Gay News 11
12 Seattle Gay News
November 13, 2015
Celebrating 41 Years!
Visit us online www.sgn.org
November 13, 2015
Seattle Gay News 13
14 Seattle Gay News
November 13, 2015
Celebrating 41 Years!
Intimately detailed Spotlight an investigative triumph
Michael Keaton, Liev Schreiber, Mark Ruffalo, Rachel McAdams, John Slattery, and Brian d’Arcy James in Spotlight – joyceschoices.com
by Sara Michelle Fetters SGN A&E Writer SPOTLIGHT Now playing Newly installed Boston Globe editor-inchief Marty Baron (Liev Schreiber) would like the paper’s prestigious “Spotlight” team, led by editor Walter “Robby” Robinson (Michael Keaton), to take a look at an old, still simmering story involving child sex molestations concerning local Catholic priests. These tales have been looked at
before, but never in an aggressive way, and while projects editor Ben Bradlee, Jr. (John Slattery) isn’t certain there’s a story, he’s more than willing to allow his best reporters an opportunity to dig in and see what’s what. Robby’s team, Mike Rezendes (Mark Ruffalo), Sacha Pfeiffer (Rachel McAdams) and Matt Carroll (Brian d’Arcy James), seasoned journalists all, are willing, ready and able to give the available materials covering the case a good looking over, all coming to a conclusion there’s more going on than initially met the eye. Led in multiple
directions, aided by one resolute attorney, Mitchell Garabedian (Stanley Tucci), while sent in perplexing circles by another, Eric MacLeish (Billy Crudup), all are aghast by what they are uncovering. They all realize they’ve uncovered something that has the makings of becoming the crime of a still young century, one that will rattle pillars, not just in Boston or in Rome, but everywhere around the globe where the Catholic Church plants a footprint. Spotlight is stunning. Writer/director Tom McCarthy (The Visitor, The Station Agent) crafts a journalism procedural that’s one of the best I’ve seen in ages, maybe since Billy Ray’s 2003 stunner Shattered Glass, his film a meticulous, thought-provoking examination of the Fourth Estate at work that’s as timeless as it is extraordinary. Looking at the Pulitzer Prize-winning group of reporters who would uncover a scandal the repercussions of which are still being felt today, the film is a step-bystep descent into unfathomable depravity that’s unsettling on an almost primal level. Yet, the sense of hope, the feeling of justice, the knowledge that, by doing their job, this team did something, not just important, but heroic, all of this is here, allowing the film to exit on a euphoric coda that’s absolutely superb. Comparisons to All the President’s Men are inevitable, and while I can’t say McCarthy’s latest rises to the same stratospheric heights as Alan J. Pakula’s Oscar-winning classic, a strong case can certainly be made it belongs on the same playfield. Both do a
terrific job of showing journalists fighting the good fight, going through the motions of uncovering information, dealing with sources and putting the pieces of a larger puzzle together with beautiful, crystalline clarity. They also take stories that, in lesser hands, could have become something dry, maybe even tedious, and make something mesmerizing out of them, suspense born from discovery as characters learn unspeakable truths that rock them to their very core. The movie features 2015’s most impressive ensemble, each and every one of them delivering performances deserving of acclaim. Outside of the paper, Tucci might impress the most, and while his scenes are few he infuses them with a sense of purpose and a feeling of fearless humanity that drips off of the screen. Crudup is also quite good, his character’s motivations and feelings as to what has happened, as well as what is currently going on, never entirely as they appear, the actor portraying this duality with oily self-assurance. As for the Globe reporters, editors and staff, all are good, Schreiber and Slattery doing the most with the least out of any of the supporting players McCarthy takes the time to focus on. But it is the core group, the quartet of dogged journalists portrayed by Keaton, Ruffalo, McAdams and James who make things sing, each given room to evolve and grow as the story they’re dissecting blossoms into something beyond see spotlight page 16
The Peanuts Movie is a hit, Charlie Brown! by Sara Michelle Fetters SGN A&E Writer The Little Red-Haired Girl (voiced by Francesca Capaldi) has moved in across the street, and Charlie Brown (Noah Schnapp) is smitten. Lucy (Hadley Belle Miller) still thinks he’s a blockhead, and Peppermint Patty (Venus Schultheis) would rather go play hockey, so getting advice from them won’t do a lot of good. Linus (Alexander Garfin), however, thinks he should walk across the street and introduce himself, while little sister Sally (Mariel Sheets) just thinks it is amusing her big brother has a crush on someone. Yet, no matter how hard it gets, how neurotic he sometimes might become, there’s always his trusted dog Snoopy (Bill Melendez) right by his side, proving to be this boy’s best friend come what may. There is nothing flashy about The Peanuts Movie. There is nothing big. There is nothing bold. There is nothing extreme or out of the ordinary. There is nothing going on that lifelong fans of creator Charles M. Schulz’s timeless characters or aficionados of either classic animated holiday special (1965’s “A Charlie Brown Christmas” and 1966’s “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown”) will not recognize. All-in-all, other than the somewhat flashy 3-D CG animation, this is an exceedingly safe motion picture, never for an instant risking its family-friendly G-rating for anything that could be construed as even slightly beyond the pale. And that, as far as I’m concerned, isn’t
just fine, it’s practically perfect! The greatest risk going into this production was finding a way to refuse the temptation to take any risks. Schulz’s comic strip, the animated efforts that were created under his direction or with his blessing, all of that speaks to a world of kids being kids filled with universal highs, lows and complicated in-betweens young and old alike can relate to the world over. That a new high-profile feature would be content to stay within the confines of this said world speaks volumes in regards to its creators, director Steve Martino (Ice Age: Continental Drift) and his crew refusing to gussy things up or add unnecessary bits of freneticism just to bow to modern cinematic kid-movie conventions. With a script by Charles Schulz’s son Craig and grandson Bryan (with an additional assist from the latter’s writing partner Cornelius Uliano), it isn’t a surprise this new film knows so confidently what will work in Charlie Brown’s world and what will not. They allow the story to play like a series of loosely connected vignettes with a central thread running between all of the segments that holds them all together beautifully, never losing focus on who their main character is and the core goodness that fuels all of his actions. While Charlie wants to please the Little Red-Haired Girl, wants to make himself look like a hero to her, he’s also instantly willing to put those aspirations on hold when others are in need, a sequence during the school’s talent show an adorable reminder of just that. All of this is juxtaposed with Snoopy’s
Visit us online www.sgn.org
The Peanuts Movie – 20th Century Fox & Peanuts Worldwide
consistently ingenious flights of fancy battling the nefarious Red Baron in the skies above France during WWI, his trusty yellow-feathered companion Woodstock (also voiced by Melendez) with him every step of the way. These sequences are gorgeously animated, filled with eye-popping colors and rapturous backgrounds that are continually stunning. On top of that, these little asides are just plain funny, making me chuckle often and out loud to the point I almost worried I was making a fool of myself. Does the movie knock one out like those timeless animated specials do? Does it
pack the same sort of wallop, leading the viewer to a state of joyous tears that warm the heart and tickle the funny bone, both at the exact same time? Not quite, but it does come awfully close, building to a splendid conclusion that had me grinning so broadly I felt a little like Lucy greedily ogling her next five cents. The Peanuts Movie might not be anything more than what it is expected to be, but, just as importantly, it isn’t anything less than that, either. To paraphrase a speech made once upon a time in a pumpkin patch, there’s no hypocrisy to be found in any of this, just sincerity, pretty much as far as the eye can see.
November 13, 2015
Seattle Gay News 15
spotlight
sign and Wendy Chuck’s (San Andreas) lived-in costumes, the parts fit together handsomely. In fact, the only misstep might be veteran composer Howard Shore’s (Fargo) moderately dreary score, but I’m not entirely certain I’d hold to that opinion if push came to shove, the director using it with such subtle restraint my feelings on this matter could easily change with subsequent viewings. In the end, though, it is how one relates to the core narrative on a personal level that is key to the film’s overall success. McCarthy makes this investigation personal, universal, its intimate vivisection of this complex, destructively abhorrent tale impossible to turn away from. But the real glory is how the filmmaker shapes things into a chronicle of inspiration and hope, Spotlight giving center stage to unsung warriors for truth who understood telling the story right, without embellishment, without melodramatic editorial excess, was the greatest victory of them all.
continued from page 15 imagining. They’re all strong, and I’m not sure I thought any one of the foursome was better than any of the others, and while I’d maybe give Ruffalo the slight edge, that’s only because the tenacious Rezendes is deeply involved with some of the more explosive discoveries. That said, my favorite sequence involves McAdams, Pfeiffer going about doing the normal door-to-door drudgery crackerjack investigative reporting requires only to suddenly find herself face-to-face with one of the priests she just happens to be researching. Her reactions, the way she so quickly and quietly comports herself back to normal after allowing the initial shock to hit her for a precious few seconds, it’s as magnificent a moment as any I’ve seen this year, made even more so by the almost blasé admission of guilt that subsequently follows. For McCarthy, Spotlight is an acrossthe-board triumph. From Masanobu Takayanagi’s (The Grey) documentary-like cinematography, to Tom McArdle’s (Win Win) exhilarating editing, to Stephen H. Carter’s (Kill Your Darlings) astute production de-
Cancer melodrama Miss You Already worth shedding tears over by Sara Michelle Fetters SGN A&E Writer MISS YOU ALREADY Now playing Jess (Drew Barrymore) and Milly (Toni Collette) have been best friends since grammar school. They have seen one another through first kisses, bad romances, marriages, careers and kids, and no matter what’s going on they’re still willing to drop everything to be at the other’s side in moments of need. But neither is prepared when Milly gets diagnosed with breast cancer, especially when it happens at the same time Jess gets unexpectedly pregnant with her first child. Now these two BFFs are facing a battle unlike any they’ve encountered before, and even with their respective husbands (Dominic Cooper, Paddy Considine) doing what they can, they still know doing this together hand-in-hand is the best option available. In ways that count, director Catherine Hardwicke’s (Twilight) cancer melodrama Miss You Already is a big, brash and bold weepie in the grand old Hollywood tradition. One can easily imagine a scenario where Bette Davis or Susan Hayward might have been playing one of the two leading ladies, where Robert Wise, Vincent Sherman or Douglas Sirk might have elected to sit in the director’s chair. Writer Morwenna Banks’ script hits all the anticipated marks, knows exactly which buttons to push, everything building to the expected tear-filled coda guaranteed to have the majority of those sitting in the theatre grabbing Kleenex and smudging their eyes dry. Furthermore, much like so many of those films from the 1940s and ‘50s, Hardwicke manages to get so much more right than she does wrong, allowing the inherent emotions of the situations to speak for themselves. Better, she grants room for her two talented actresses to breathe, giving
16 Seattle Gay News
them ample space to make their respective characters their own, thus crafting extra bits of complexity and nuance Banks’ screenplay could never have created on its own. The movie is an enchanting wonder for the majority of its running time, and while no one would ever claim it to be the most original property to enter the multiplex, that in and of itself doesn’t make the finished feature any less enjoyable. There are so many beautiful moments. The early montage showcasing the depth and breadth of Jess and Milly’s friendship.
overcome with joy. Every second of this works, and even if nothing is shocking that didn’t make my reactions less genuine. I could have done without Barrymore’s voiceover. I get the point of it, why Hardwicke and Banks went this narrative route, but in all actuality it isn’t necessary, a youare-there approach potentially more effective. The syrup can also get squirted on a little thick; and while this is par for the course as far as these kinds of melodramas are concerned, considering just how sincere much of the film can feel, the moments
Toni Collette and Drew Barrymore in Miss You Already – youtube.com
The heartrending silence when a still shellshocked wife has to tell her husband she’s got cancer. A spellbinding timeout with a movie makeup wizard (played by the divine Frances de la Tour) trying on wigs. The subtle grace of a stiff-upper-lipped British mother (a superb Jacqueline Bisset) quietly, and secretly, snagging a lock of her only daughter’s hair after it had been freshly shorn from her head. How a loving wife reacts to news of a pregnancy she never dreamt possible coupled with the reaction of a daddy-to-be getting news that has him
November 13, 2015
where this isn’t so are more noticeable and obvious because of this. An entire subplot involving Wuthering Heights and an obsession with the British moors, while cute, is presented a smidge too heavy-handedly, the confrontation this aside builds to creating problems that felt a little too inorganically shoehorned in for my taste. But Barrymore is marvelous, and it’s always nice when a film comes along to remind us just how underrated a talent this actress is. She has a way with a sideways glance that’s always unforeseen, her come-
dic timing remaining as pitch-perfect as ever. Additionally, she and Considine make a terrific couple, while her chemistry with her co-star is downright spectacular. As for Collette, she’s awesome, and I’m not sure there is another word for it. So much of what she does could have been overplayed, could have become so broad and larger-than-life Milly would have been an insufferable pain in the butt to be around. Instead, the actress, while refusing to cut corners or play down her character’s rougher, more off-putting edges, makes this woman an invigorating three-dimensional warrior whose faults and virtues intermix like a fine wine. She’s extraordinary, and even when the script dipped into schmaltz Collette somehow manages to make things feel authentic even when I knew in my heart they were anything but. For Hardwicke, this is her best film since her wonderful debut Thirteen. It is a celebration of her talent, a movie that proves those of us that were singing the director’s praises back in 2003 weren’t doing so just for the heck of it. She does a fine job orchestrating events, allowing warmth and humor to intermingle with the more depressive and hard-edged bits in ways that are spontaneous and unrefined, thus allowing the film to resonate on a deeper level. There is a confidence to Hardwicke’s direction that she hasn’t displayed in eons, easily since Twilight (which, say what you will about the series as a whole, it’s still the only one of the four worth a darn), her passion for the project evident throughout. Miss You Already isn’t an earth-shattering achievement, and I do think that the story’s penchant to drip into overt sentimentality can be annoying. But Barrymore and Collette bring their “A” game, while Hardwicke’s stewardship is gloriously strong. This is a melodrama I can easily get behind, the tears I shed I did so gladly and, more than that, one’s I’d happily do so again if given the opportunity.
Celebrating 41 Years!
Visit us online www.sgn.org
November 13, 2015
Seattle Gay News 17
Meetings Events Activities
FOR A CALENDAR LISTING: Send details to: SGN, Attn: Community Calendar, 1605 12th Ave, Ste 31, Seattle, WA 98122. SGN phone: 324-4297. Fax: 3227188. E-mail: sgn2@sgn.org. INCLUDE: Date, time, location, contact phone # for publication (if possible), brief description of event & sponsoring organization. DEADLINE: Tuesday 5pm. ACCESSIBILITY: Is your event accessible to LGBTQ people with disabilities? See Jean’s List webpage www. scn.org/activism/calendar/disabilities.html for Marla Nonken’s disabilities accommodations lists. NOTE: Phone numbers accompanying listings are within area code (206) & locations of meetings/ events are in Seattle unless otherwise noted.
community calendar
SATURDAY - November 14
Burlycon Striptease “Exper-tease” (11/12-11/15). Hilton Seattle Airport, 17620 International Blvd. More than 600 burlesque performers, fans & aficionados from around the world will gather for the 7th annual convention. www.burlycon.org. For conference tickets: brownpapertickets.com/event/832996. For event tickets: brownpapertickets.com/event/2211771 A Gathering of Men in Edmonds. 8:15-11:30am. Edmonds UUC, 8109 224th St SW, Edmonds. Meets 2nd Saturday each month. Men gather monthly for drumming, singing, storytelling & sharing of life experience. www.agatheringofmen.org Seattle Frontrunners Fun Run. 9am. Greenlake (outside Evans Pool). Every Saturday. GLBT running & walking club sponsors weekly runs, monthly potlucks, track & field activity, annual Run With Pride. 448-8518. www.seattlefrontrunners.org. Seattle Goodwill’s 2015 Glitter Sale (11/14-11/15). 9am-6pm. 1400 S Lane St. Shop for designer, vintage & unique one-of-a-kind items, clothing & accessories for sale. www.seattlegoodwill.org/glittersale-faq JAKE Talks presents: HOME. 3-7pm. Distillery Lofts, 1735 Westlake Ave N. “This edition of JAKE Talks focuses a lens on how we as individuals of our own created path generate a sense of community + connection as well as how we might learn to allow others to participate alongside that journey - contributing to the richness of our ever-evolving Queer experience.” Tickets: $25. www. jake-talks.com. Oasis Youth Center in Tacoma - For Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender & Questioning Youth, Ages 14-25. 6pm-12 midnight. Call for location & details. Every Saturday. (253) 671-2838. www.oasisyouth center.org. (Also meets Thursdays & Fridays 4-10pm.) Rainbow Duplicate Bridge. 6pm. Bus-accessible Central Area location. Every Saturday. Games also on Tuesdays & Thursdays. $4 fee includes coffee & snacks. For more information visit www.rainbowbridgeclub.org or email rainbowbridgeclub@gmail.com Out to Dance: Dance Double Feature (11/12-11/15 & 11/19-11/22). 7pm. Gay City Calamus Auditorium, 517 E Pike St. A Queer dance double feature including “TwoFold Pulp” from Ariana Bird & “Kiss the Boys, Make Them Cry: Iteration 2 (cryinboyzclub)” from Nathan Blackwell. Includes nudity, explicit content & consumption of alcohol. Tickets: general admission $15, sponsor $20, students & seniors $12. strangertickets.com/ events/29689117/out-to-dance-doublefeature Seattle Men in Leather Boots & Buzzcuts. 8pm12midnight. The Cuff Complex, 1533 13th Ave. Barbers & bootblacks will be available to trim your hair to a regulation length & spit shine your boots ‑for a recommended donation of $15 per service benefitting SML’s club charity. Please donate more for flat tops, tall boots & other large tasks. Daddy Kelley will be doing boots & Daddy’s boy Jason will be doing buzzcuts along with additional bootblacks & barbers to be named. seattlemeninleather.org “Water by the Spoonful” (10/23-11/14). 8pm. West of Lenin, 203 N 36th St. Seattle premiere of a Pulitzer Prize-winning drama. Elliot returns home from Iraq & struggles to find his place in the world. Written by Tony nominee Quiara Alegria Hudes. Directed by Julie Beckman. www.theatre22.org
SUNDAY - November 15
Burlycon Striptease “Exper-tease” (11/12-11/15). Hilton Seattle Airport, 17620 International Blvd. (See Saturday listing for details.) Seattle Goodwill’s 2015 Glitter Sale (11/14-11/15). 9am-6pm. 1400 S Lane St. Shop for designer, vintage & unique one-of-a-kind items, clothing & accessories for sale. www.seattlegoodwill.org/glittersale-faq Gay Men’s Bowling in Lynnwood. 9:30am. Brunswick Majestics Lane, Lynnwood. 9:30am Every Sunday. Spectators welcome. Join us for lunch afterwards! Sponsored by the Snohomish County Gay Men’s Task Force. For info email John at johndmarsh@mac.com; www.gaysnohomish.org Ethyl Forever Car Club, Pacific NW Region Lambda Car Club Monthly Tire Kick/Social. 10:30am. Randy’s Restaurant, 10016 E Marginal Way S (south of the Museum of Flight). Meets the 3rd Sunday each month. Open to all LGBTQ persons & friends who have an interest in the automobile, not just collector or performance vehicles. ethylforever@hotmail.com Seattle Tennis Alliance Social Doubles. 10:45am. Tennis Center Sand Point, 7135 Sports Field Dr NE. Cost: $12 for members, $15 non-members. To REGISTER visit www.seattletennisalliance.org
18 Seattle Gay News
November 14 thru November 22 No experience needed. For youth up to age 22. FREE. Snacks provided. The fall program ends with a showcase on 12/16. Receive a $50 stipend for performing. For more information, contact Randy.Wiger@seattle. gov; 883-6110. Pozitively Me! 6:30-8pm. Gay City Health Project, 517 E. Pike St. Every Monday. A group and conversation about HIV for Gay & Bi men newly diagnosed and for Gay & Bi men facing the challenges of living with HIV longterm. www.gaycity.org. Freely Speaking Toastmasters. 7pm. FredLind Manor, 1802 17th Ave. Every Monday (except holidays & the last Mondays in August & December). Seattle’s only LGBT speaking club. www.FreelySpeaking.org Lotus Sisters South End/Columbia City Meditation & Dharma Discussion. 7-8:30pm. Meets 3rd Monday each month. Call 206-725-3608 or 434-5521 for details and location; www.LotusSisters.org. (Not wheelchair accessible.) Orca Swim Team Workout. 7-8:15pm. Seattle University, Connolly Athletic Center, 14th Ave & E Cherry St. (See Sunday listing at 5pm.) PFLAG/Bremerton Monthly Meeting. 7pm. St Paul’s Episcopal Church, 700 Callahan Dr, Bremerton. Meets 3rd Monday each month. PFLAG/Puget Sound: 3257724. PFLAG/Everett Monthly Meeting. 7pm. First Congregational Church of Everett, 2624 Rockefeller Ave, Everett. Meets 3rd Monday each month. PFLAG/Puget Sound: 325-7724. Trans Youth Group. 7-8:30pm. Lambert House, 1818 15th Ave. Every Monday. A chance for youth to talk with others about their experiences & concerns related to identifying as Transgender. www.lamberthouse.org Lambert House Art Night. 7:30-9:30pm. 1818 15th Ave. Every Monday. Bring your ideas & let’s have some fun. 322-2515, www.lamberthouse.org Washington Gender Alliance Support Group Meeting in Shoreline. 7:30pm. Center for Human Services, 17018 15th Ave NE, Shoreline. Meets every Monday. For information email info@washingtongender alliance.com Queers, Crackpots & Fallen Women AA. 8-9pm. SASG, 303 17th Ave E. Every Monday. Open women only AA group. 322-2437; www.sasgcc.org.
TUESDAY - November 17
Meditation for GBT Men. 11am-1pm. Cal Anderson House, 400 Broadway. Suitable for beginning & experienced meditators. Sponsored by Dharma Buddies. Contact Forrest Rode, 920-6117, Mike Chin (509) 990-0007, or Doug Allison, doug.l.allison@gmail.com. www.dharmabuddies.org. (Women may wish to contact our sister meditation group at www.LotusSisters.org.) Just for Today. 12-1:30pm. SASG, 303 17th Ave E. Every Sunday. Drop-in 12-step (Narcotics Anonymous) group open to anyone in recovery. 322-2437; www. sasgcc.org Paths to Recovery Al-Anon Family Group. 12-1:30pm. Seattle University Student Center, 901 12th Ave, Room 122. Every Sunday. LGBTQ supported. The Al-Anon Family Groups are a fellowship of relatives & friends of alcoholics who share their experience, strength & hope in order to solve their common problems. We believe alcoholism is a family illness & that changed attitudes can aid recovery. Greater Seattle AIS 24-hour number 625-0000; www.seattle-al-anon.org Rain City Soccer Club - Ripple Effect. Every Sunday afternoon. Location varies. Ripple Effect soccer team plays a weekly recreational scrimmage game for Gay guys in Seattle. Perfect for guys looking for more relaxed play, who are just getting back into soccer, just learning the game and/or want to supplement their competitive play with a recreational team. To sign up visit www. raincitysoccer.org LGBTQ Allyship Social Justice Leadership Institute Training - Open to the Public. 1-5pm. Washington State Labor Council, 321 S 16th St. Allyship is dedicated to building leaders who are the most impacted by disparities within our community. We believe in making accessible the skills and analysis in building an intersectional and knowledgeable LGBTQ group of dynamic leaders. At this training Dana Robinson, Director of Communications of the Legislative Department of the City of Seattle (volunteer), will speak on advocacy and earned media, and Mike Andrews, president of Pride at Work, will speak on the importance of unions for LGBTQ middle-class and low-wage workers. If you are interested in attending this free training, please email info@allyship.org or just come and join us! Seattle Prime Timers Monthly Potluck Social & General Meeting. 2-4pm. Seattle First Baptist Church Recreation Hall, 1111 Harvard Ave (at E Seneca St - enter thru glass doors on Harvard Ave.) Meets 3rd Sunday most months. Bring a dish to serve 6-8 people. $4 door fee covers hall rental. www.seattleprimetimers.org.
November 13, 2015
Orca Swim Team Workout. Sun: 5-6:15pm; Mon/Weds/ Fri: 7:30-8:45pm. Seattle University, Connolly Athletic Center, 14th Ave & E Cherry St. Every Sun, Mon, Wed & Fri. Pre-registration required. Orca Swim Team workouts are for both competitive & recreational swimmers. www.orcaswimteam.org Seattle PolyFidelity Discussion Group Potluck Meeting. 5-7:30pm. Meets 3rd Sunday of odd-numbered months at a poly-friendly location. PolyFidelity welcomes persons of all sexual orientations who are interested in discussing responsible alternatives to monogamy. Followed by a Poly Party. For more information & location, www.scn.org/~spg Shame to Grace Sunday SAA. 6-7:30pm. SASG, 303 17th Ave E. Every Sunday. SAA is a fellowship of men & women who share their experience, strength & hope with each other so they may overcome their sexual addiction & help others recover from sexual addiction or dependency. Seattle SAA helpline 237-8828, SAA International Service Organization 1-800-477-8191. SASG 322-2437; www.sasgcc.org Pride League Bowling. 6:30pm. West Seattle Bowl, 4505 39th Ave SW. Every Sunday (except during the summer). Regular league bowling. Jeff, 932-3731. Out to Dance: Dance Double Feature (11/12-11/15 & 11/19-11/22). 7pm. Gay City Calamus Auditorium, 517 E Pike St. (See Saturday listing at 7pm for details.) Noche Latina - Latino Night. 10pm. Neighbours, 1509 Broadway. Every Sunday.
MONDAY - November 16
SOBER - On Meds. 1-2pm. SASG, 303 17th Ave E. Every Monday. 12-step group open to anyone in recovery & living on a medicine regimen. 322-2437; www.sasgcc.org Strength Over Speed. 2-3:30pm. SASG, 303 17th Ave E. FREE drop-in support group (not a 12 step) for Gay & Bi men who desire recovery from meth. For information visit www.strengthoverspeed.org. SASG 322-2437; www.sasgcc.org Seattle Women’s Commission Meeting. 5:30-8pm. Municipal Bldg, 600 4th Ave Rm 221. Meets 3rd Monday each month. SWC is a 20-member volunteer advisory board that advises the Mayor, City Council, & all City of Seattle departments on matters concerning women & women’s rights. Meetings open to the public. 684-4537. Bearing Witness: Performing Arts Program for Queer Youth of Color & Allies. 6:30-8:30pm. Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute, 104 17th Ave S. Meets Mondays thru 12/14 with performing arts professionals.
Safe Schools Coalition Monthly Meeting. 3-5pm. Planned Parenthood, 2001 E Madison. Meets 3rd Tuesday most months (schedule varies in summer). The Safe Schools Coalition: A Public-Private Partnership in Support of LGBT youth. All are welcome at meetings; lots of volunteer opportunities are discussed. 632-0662 ext 49; CRISIS LINE: 1-877-SAFE-SAFE; www.safeschools coalition.org. LGBTQ Questioning & Allied Youth Drop-in Group in Renton. 6-8pm. Renton Area Youth Services (RAYS), 1025 S 3rd St, Renton. Meets every Tuesday. Confidential. Snacks provided. Bring friends or come alone - anyone 12-18 is welcome. Questions? Call Sarah Hardin, 425-271-5600 ext 155, or email sarahh@ rays.org Strength Over Speed. 6-7:30pm. SASG, 303 17th Ave E. FREE drop-in support group (not a 12 step) for Gay & Bi men who desire recovery from meth. For information visit www.strengthoverspeed.org. SASG 322-2437; www.sasgcc.org Diverse Harmony. 6:30-9pm. Seattle First Baptist Church, 1111 Harvard Ave. Every Tuesday. Diverse Harmony is the nation’s first Gay/Straight Alliance Youth Chorus. Youths ages 13-22 are welcome regardless of sexual orientation. www.diverseharmony.org Queer Young Females Group - For Female-Identified Youth, Ages 22 & Under. 6:30-7:30pm. Lambert House, 1818 15th Ave. Every Tuesday. Topics range from family issues to school happenings to like/lust/love relationships. All Queer females welcome. Come discuss how smart. strong Queer women live their lives. 322-2515, www. lamberthouse.org Tuesday Night Sex Addicts Anonymous (GLBTQI). 7-8:30pm. All Pilgrims Christian Church, 500 Broadway E (enter at 509 10th Ave E; buzz in, Dickson room). Every Tuesday. SAA is a fellowship of men & women whose primary purpose is to stop addictive sexual behavior & help others recover from sexual addiction. Seattle SAA helpline 237-8828. SAA International Service Organization 1-800-477-8191. Over 40’s Group - For Lesbian Women 40 & Older. 7-8:30pm. University Congregational Church, 4515 16th Ave NE, Pilgrim Room. Every Tuesday. Open group for Lesbian women, 40 & older, in every stage of coming out or being out. Lots of social activities in addition to Tuesday meetings. 545-3521. Rain City Jacks. 1st & 3rd Tuesday each month at 7pm; 4th Sunday each month at1pm. West Queen Anne/ Interbay. Location & membership details provided upon request. RCJ is a traditional jack-off club. Friendly, sexpositive, non-profit and private. Membership required. Adult men only. Enroll at the door. www.raincityjacks. org, email info@raincityjacks.org or call 1-888-809-5035. Rainbow Duplicate Bridge. 7pm. Bus-accessible Central Area location. Every Tuesday. (See Saturday listing at 6pm.) Different Drummers. 7:15-8:30pm. Every Tuesday. Hand drumming classes for Gay men. Learn traditional African & Afro-Caribbean rhythms & basic hand drumming techniques. Drums are provided. For info & location call Dennis at 363-4500 or www.outdrum.com
Celebrating 41 Years!
What About Me? 7:30-9pm. SASG, 303 17th Ave E. Every Tuesday. Drop-in social, support & discussion group for Gay & Bi men of all ages. 322-2437; www.sasgcc.org Spiritual Empowerment. 7:30-9pm. SASG, 303 17th Ave E. A group for all LGBT & friends of any spiritual belief to explore how spiritual practice can enrich their life. 322-2437; www.sasgcc.org Seattle Otters Water Polo Team. 8-9:30pm. Medgar Evers Pool, 500 23rd Ave E (at E Cherry St). Every Tuesday & Thursday. GLBT & GLBT-friendly co-ed water polo team is open to all who want to play. Otter Hotline 414-8797. www.otterpolo.com. Seattle Poetry Slam. Doors 8pm, Show 8:30pm. Rebar, 1114 Howell St. Every Tuesday. A spoken word poetry event that features a weekly open mic, feature poet, and slam (poetry competition). Come out and express yourself. LGBTQ- & QTPOC-friendly; all genders welcome. $5. 21+. seattlepoetryslam.org
community calendar
WEDNESDAY - November 18
Mature Friends Morning Exercise/Health & Fitness Get-Together. 10am. Ballard Odd Fellows Hall Bldg, 1706 NW Market St. Every Wednesday. An hour of health-related activities, followed by a walk around Greenlake & lunch at a local restaurant. www.maturefriends.org True Colors: Connecting LGBTQ Teens in Shoreline. 4-5pm. Every Wednesday. Discussing your important issues, building a supportive community. For information, location & to REGISTER call Lindsay Bagley 362-7282 x 8018 or email lbagley@chs-nw.org GLOBE (GLBTQ Loving Ourselves, Becoming Empowered): A Support Group & HIV/STD Prevention for Youth (14-20) in Everett. 6-8pm. CCA Building, 3331 Broadway - Bottom Floor, Everett. Every Wednesday. Sponsored by PFLAG Everett chapter. David/Brenda, (425) 263-2908. globeleaders@hotmail.com The Rowing Team Peer Recovery Group. 6-7:30pm. All Pilgrims Church, 500 Broadway E. Meets every Wednesday. This peer recovery group provides a safe & supportive faith community to share your recovery journey with, God answers our prayers & sends us a boat. Sometimes rowing furiously for yourself & sometimes for others. All are welcome. Seattle Gay & Lesbian Book Club. 6-7:30pm. SASG, 303 17th Ave E. Every Wednesday. Discuss the best LGBT novels with other book-lovers in a safe, comfortable conversation. Come once or come every week. Check our website for this month’s book. http://faculty. washington.edu/swittet/SGLBookClub/ SASG 322-2437; www.sasgcc.org Lotus Sisters Meditation & Dharma Discussion North. 6:15-8pm. Ravenna Bryant neighborhood. Meets every Wednesday. Call 525-7295 for location. www. LotusSisters.org. Seattle Frontrunners Fun Run. 6:30pm. Volunteer Park (in front of Black Sun across for museum). Every Wednesday. (See Saturday at 9am.) HIV/AIDS Support Group. 7-8:30pm. SASG, 303 17th Ave E. Every Wednesday. Please arrive by 7:00pm. FREE peer-facilitated emotional support group for HIV+ men who are newly diagnosed or newly dealing. 3222437; www.sasgcc.org Ingersoll All-Trans Drop-In Support Group. 7-9pm. Seattle Counseling Services, 1216 Pine St, Suite 300. All Transgender, Gender Variant, Gender Queer, Gender Questioning, allies, family & friends are welcome. This is a drop in group to get & give support, social interaction & information for the whole Gender community. www. ingersollcenter.org Seattle Movie Bears Movie Night. Check website for details. Every Wednesday night. Gay & Bi men enjoy a movie at a local theater with opportunity to socialize before & after movies. More info: http://groups.yahoo.com/ group/seattlemoviebears; or e-mail: seattlemoviebearssubscribe@yahoogroups.com Mature Friends Weekly Bridge Group. 7:30pm. Call for location. Every Wednesday. All levels welcome. MF is a social organization for Gay men & women, 40 years & over. www.maturefriends.org Orca Swim Team Workout. 7:30-8:45pm. Seattle University, Connolly Athletic Center, 14th Ave & E Cherry St. (See Sunday listing at 5pm.) Washington Gender Alliance Open Support Meeting in Everett. 7:30-9pm. Everett United Church of Christ, 2624 Rockefeller Ave, Everett. Every Wednesday. Trained peer facilitators lead a structured support meeting helping people deal with issues of gender identity & expression. All adults are welcomed, including those who are questioning, allies, or identify as FTM, MTF, Transgender, Queer, or Intersex, among others. (360) 445-2411; www.washingtongenderalliance.com. Border Riders Motorcycle Club Meet & Greet. 8-9pm. The Cuff Complex, 1533 13th Ave (at E Pine St). Meets the Wednesday before the 3rd Saturday each month. BRMC provides a social & educational fraternity for individuals interested in recreational motorcycle touring. www.borderriders.com
Oasis Youth Center in Tacoma - For Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender & Questioning Youth, Ages 14-25. 4-10pm. Call for location & details. Every Thursday. (253) 671-2838, www.oasisyouthcenter.org (Also Fridays 4-10pm & Saturdays 6pm-12 midnight.) Q Hour. 4:30-5:30pm. Orion Center, 1828 Yale Ave. 1st & 3rd Thursday each month. A group for LGBTQ youth 13-21 & their allies. Sponsored by Youthcare. FREE. 622-5555 x 212. QLaw Mentorship Reception. 5:30-8pm. Seattle University Student Center, Leroux Room, 901 12th Ave. The goal of the Mentorship Program is to help prepare law students & new attorneys for successful careers. All mentors, mentees, and QLaw members are invited to attend. www.q-law.org Shifting Gears. 6-7:30pm. SASG, 303 17th Ave E. Every Thursday. Drop-in support group (non 12-step) for anyone of any orientation or gender who desires recovery from drugs or alcohol. 322-2437; www.sasgcc.org B-GLAD (Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian, Trans & Questioning Adolescent Drop-In Group). 6:30-8pm. Call for location. Every Thursday. Sponsored by Youth Eastside Services, which offers many programs for GLBT youth. (425) 747-4937. Conversations Across Generations: Rent Control. 6:30-8:30pm. Washington State Labor Council, 321 16th Ave S. Join Allyship as we converse accross generations regarding affordable housing. Why are LGBTQ youth & seniors particularly vulnerable when it comes to finding affordable housing & how can the generations come together to fight for an affordable Seattle? www. lgbtqallyship.org Seattle Commission for Sexual Minorities. 6:308:30pm. Municipal Bldg, 600 4th Ave, Room 221. Meets 3rd Thursday each month. SCSM is made up of 15 THURSDAY - November 19 volunteer members who work to ensure that the City Alcoholics Anonymous “Safe & Sober Group.” of Seattle fairly & equitably addresses sexual minority 12noon-1pm. SASG, 303 17th Ave E. Open meeting of concerns. Meetings open to the public. 684-4514. Boys’ Group - For Male-Identified Youth, Ages 14AA. 322-2437; www.sasgcc.org. BABES Women’s Support Group/Lunch Meeting. 22. 7-8:30pm. Lambert House, 1818 15th Ave. Every 12 noon-2pm. Call for location. Every Thursday. The Thursday. Youth take the opportunity to talk about issues BABES Network is a peer led agency; a sisterhood of that relate to their everyday lives, with the facilitation of a women facing HIV together. 720-5566 or 888-292-1912; male volunteer. 322-2515 ext 16. www.lamberthouse.org GLBT Legal Clinic. 7-9pm. Meets the 3rd Thursday www.babesnetwork.org. Seattle LGBTQ Employees for Equality (SEqual). each month. QLaw Foundation holds a monthly legal 12noon. Seattle Municipal Tower, 700 5th Ave, Room clinic addressing the legal needs of LGBT individuals & 4070. Meets the 3rd Thursday of every month. Open couples. Volunteer attorneys provide FREE 30-minute consultations. For info and to schedule an appointment, to the public. call 235-7235. Clinic volunteers return calls on Tuesdays between 12noon-3pm. www.q-law.org/legalclinic
Visit us online www.sgn.org
FRIDAY - November 20
Transgender Day of Remembrance AA Ageless in Recovery. 12noon-1pm. SASG, 303 17th Ave E. Meets every Friday. A drop in AA group for older & wiser people 55+. www.sasgcc.org Re-Parenting Ourselves. 12noon-1pm. SASG, 303 17th Ave E. Meets every Friday. A peer support group for adult children of any addiction. www.sasgcc.org SLAA Road to Recovery. 12noon-1:30pm. SASG, 303 17th Ave E. Meets every Friday. Ongoing 12 step group for sex & love addicts. www.sasgcc.org Oasis Youth Center in Tacoma - For Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender & Questioning Youth, Ages 14-25. 4-10pm. Call for location & details. Every Friday. (253) 671-2838, www.oasisyouthcenter.org (Also Thursdays 4-10pm & Saturdays 6pm-12 midnight.) Strength Over Speed. 6-7:30pm. SASG, 303 17th Ave E. FREE drop-in support group (not a 12-step) for Gay & Bi men who desire recovery from meth. www.strengthoverspeed.org. SASG 322-2437; www.sasgcc.org First Fridays in Yakima. 7-9pm. 223 N 1st St, Yakima. Meets 1st & 3rd Fridays. Social, support, education & advocacy group for the Yakima area GLBTQ community & their allies. All are welcomed & invited. (509) 576-0276. www.gayakima.com/1stfridays.html Lambert House Queer Movie Night. 7-9:30pm. Lambert House, 1818 15th Ave. Every Friday. Lambert House is a nationally-recognized activities & resource center for GLBT & questioning youth, ages 14-22. 322-2515, www.lamberthouse.org Out to Dance: Dance Double Feature (11/12-11/15 & 11/19-11/22). 7pm. Gay City Calamus Auditorium, 517 E Pike St. A Queer dance double feature including “TwoFold Pulp” ‑from Ariana Bird & “Kiss the Boys, Make Them Cry: Iteration 2 (cryinboyzclub)” from Nathan Blackwell. Includes nudity, explicit content & consumption of alcohol. Tickets: General admission $15, sponsor $20, students& seniors $12. strangertickets.com/ events/29689117/out-to-dance-doublefeature Rain Country Dance Night. 7-11pm, lessons at 7:15pm. The Cuff, 1533 13th Ave. An evening of country-western dancing for the LGBTQ community. FREE. www.raincountrydance.org. All-Star Women Jam. 7:30-10:30pm. Spinnaker Bay Brewing, 5718 Rainier Ave S. Join Beth Wulff (keyboard), Kelli with an “I” (drums), Patty Mey (bass), plus lots of great vocalists such as Megan Wilde, Margo Tufo, Elnah Jordan, Dawnzella, SassyFras. Marlee Walker and more; plus jamming instrumentalists including Cherie Adams (guitar) and Carolyn Lee (saxophone) who will be celebrating her birthday, so the party will be ON! Enjoy nummy soul food truck and premium award-winning beer made by the only all woman-owned microbrewery in the state of Washington. www.bluestodo.com GenderFierce TranscenDance. Doors 7pm, Performances 7:30pm, Dance Party 9:30pm-12midnight. The Vera Project, Seattle Center, north of the Key Arena, inside the Seattle Center campus near Republican St & Warren Ave N. FREE Queer youth variety show & dance party. Celebrate the gender & sexuality spectrum for a night of fun & Queer community love. Hosted by Aleksa Manila & Jade Vogelsang. Metro routes 1, 2, 8, 13, 32, D Line. Out to Dance: Dance Double Feature (11/12-11/15 & 11/19-11/22). 7pm. Gay City Calamus Auditorium, 517 E Orca Swim Team Workout. 7:30-8:45pm. Seattle University, Connolly Athletic Center, 14th Ave & E Cherry Pike St. (See Friday listing at 7pm for details.) St. (See Sunday listing at 5pm.) PFLAG Bellevue/Eastside Monthly Meeting. 7-9pm. First United Methodist Church, 1934 108th Ave NE, LGBT Friday Night Al-Anon Family Group. 7:45pm. Bellevue. Meets 3rd Thursday each month. http://com- Seattle Counseling Service, Rainbow Room, 1216 Pine munity.pflag.org/PFLAGBellevue. Contact us at info@ St at Melrose Ave. Every Friday. (See related listing Sunday at 12 noon for detaiils.). Greater Seattle AIS bellevue-pflag.org or 425-483-6642. 24-hour number 625-0000; www.seattle-al-anon.org “Taste of Square Dancing” - Puddletown Squares LGBT Modern Western Square Dancing Club Hosts GaYme Night 4 the LGBT Community. 8pm-1am. Free Square Dancing Evening. 7-9pm. St Andrew’s SASG, 303 17th Ave E. Meets the 3rd & 4th Friday of evChurch, 111 NE 80th St near Green Lake. No prior ery month. Board games, cards & fun. www.sasgcc.org square dancing experience is required. Singles and SATURDAY - November 21 couples are all welcome. Puddletown’s beginner classes (See previous Saturday for ongoing activities.) start January 7 - a 20-week series of square dance lessons every Thursday at St. Andrew’s Church. For Lambert House Queer Rec. 1pm. 1818 15th Ave. 3rd information visit puddletownsquares.wordpress.com Saturday each month. Outdoor & indoor adventures for Rainbow Duplicate Bridge. 7pm. Bus-accessible youth ages 22 & under. www.lamberthouse.org Central Area location. Every Thursday. (See Saturday “The Taste of GSBA - Cabaret.” 5:30pm - small plates, listing at 6pm.) silent auctions, Wine District, hosted drinks; 7pm ‑ fourBuddhism & Recovery. 7:30-9pm. SASG, 303 17th course dinner, live auction, and show-stopping BroadAve E. Every Thursday. A meditation/recovery group. way musical entertainment. Sheraton Seattle Hotel, 1400 6th Ave. Special guest entertainment: Robbie 322-2437; www.sasgcc.org Gay Fathers Association of Seattle. 7:30-9pm. Group Turner. Black tie or red carpet glamour attire requested. Health, 201 16th Ave E, Central Bldg, Lower Atrium. The entire night benefits the GSBA scholarship fund. Every Thursday. Support meetings for Gay fathers & Tickets: $250 individual. www.thegsba.org; 363-9188. Gay men who are currently or previously married. Safe, Claire Michelle Burgess at Transgender Day of Reanonymous, non-judgmental environment of caring membrance. 7pm. First United Methodist Church, 1934 fathers & friends. You are not alone. For information, 108th Ave NE, Bellevue www.clairemichellemusic.com community events & “questioning” visit www.gfas.org or Out to Dance: Dance Double Feature (11/12-11/15 & our message board at http://groups.yahoo.com/groups/ 11/19-11/22). 7pm. Gay City Calamus Auditorium, 517 E gayfathersseattle Pike St. (See Friday listing at 7pm for details.) Gay Male Sexuality & Relationships. 7:30-9pm. Riip & Vic Together At Last! Doors 6pm, Show 7pm. SASG, 303 17th Ave. E. Every Thursday. A discussion Egan’s Ballard Jam House, 1707 NW Market St. Victor group that is strictly focused on sexual topics and rela- Janusz & Christine Noel Riippi deliver a one-night-only tionship issues related to being a Gay male. 322-2437; cabaret show. $12 in advance, $15 day of the show. www.sasgcc.org www.brownpapertickets.com/event/2444467 Debauchery. Doors 7:30pm, Show 8pm. Neighbours SUNDAY - November 22 Nightclub, 1509 Broadway. Queers stripping for Queers in a hot, anti-oppressive space, raising money for (See previous Sunday for ongoing activities.) organizations that serve the Queer community. The Seattle Prime Timers Rap Group. 12:30pm. 303 17th show features stripteases, lots of audience interaction Ave E. Subject: When is feminine behavior attractive & even birthday lapdances on stage! Be sure to bring in men? Metro routes 8, 10, 12, 43. www.seattleprime plenty of dollar bills - a portion of the proceeds goes to timers.org non-profits providing health & social services within the Queer community. Tickets: $10 in advance; $15 at the No Safeword Writers Group. 1pm. Meets 4th Sunday each month. NSWG exists to provide mutual support door. www.lilydivine.com for members’ efforts. Support is in the form of critique Seattle Otters Water Polo Team. 8-9:30pm. Medgar & commentary on each other’s work, information about Evers Pool, 500 23rd Ave E (at E Cherry St). Every publishing opportunities, & discussion of issues facing Tuesday & Thursday. (See Tuesday listing at 8pm.) writers. NSWG’s primary focus is erotic writing - but they
November 13, 2015
Seattle Gay News 19
welcome anyone who writes. The only requirements are to write, to attend, & to be respectful. For info & location, NSWG@sexpositiveculture.org; www.nosafeword writersgroup.org (Also meets 2nd Tuesday, 7pm.) Rain City Jacks. 4th Sunday each month at 1pm; 1st & 3rd Tuesday each month at 7pm. West Queen Anne/ Interbay. Location & membership details provided upon request. RCJ is a traditional jack-off club. Friendly, sexpositive, non-profit and private. Membership required. Adult men only. Enroll at the door. www.raincityjacks. org, email info@raincityjacks.org or call 1-888-809-5035. Out to Dance: Dance Double Feature (11/12-11/15 & 11/19-11/22). 7pm. Gay City Calamus Auditorium, 517 E Pike St. (See Friday listing at 7pm for details.)
community calendar
COMMUNITY RESOURCES
Allyship - an organization of LGBTQ individuals fighting for economic and social justice. www.LGBTQ Allyship. org, allyship@yahoo.com, 279-8169. American Veterans for Equal Rights - www.aver.us Bellingham/Whatcom County - www.theslowlane. com/guide.html BiNet Seattle is a mixed gender, social group for Bisexuals, their partners & other Bi-friendly folks - www. binetseattle.org. Bremerton/Kitsap County - www.outwestsound.org Central Washington University GALA Hotline: (509) 963-1994. DIFFA/Seattle (Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS). 763-8885; www.diffaseattle.org DOMESTIC VIOLENCE & SEXUAL ASSAULT: Crisis Clinic, 461-3222 (24 hour line); King County Sexual Assault Resource Center (KCSARC) - 24-hour crisis line for information, support, & medical & legal assistance: 1-888-99-VOICE; Northwest Network - support & advocacy for Bisexual, Trans, Lesbian & Gay Survivors of Abuse & Dating Violence, 568-7777 (voice), 517-9670 (tty), www.nwnetwork.org; Pierce County Domestic Violence Helpline: Teresa, (253) 798-4166; Seattle Counseling Service for Sexual Minorities - offers on-going support groups for men: 323-1768; Seattle Police Dept Domestic Violence Unit, 684-0330; State Wide Domestic Violence Hot Line, 1-800-562-6025. In an emergency call 911. Report domestic violence and sexual assault. Equal Rights Washington - 324-2570; www.equal rightswashington.org Everett/Snohomish Cty - www.gaysnohomish.org Freely Speaking Toastmasters - www.freely speaking.org Gay City organizes events & activities for Gay & Bi men & offers anonymous & confidential HIV/STD testing at the Center for LGBT Health, 517 E Pike St. More info or to schedule an appointment, 860-6969. www.gaycity.org Gay & Lesbian National Hotline (GLNH): 1-888-THEGLNH (1-888-843-4564). Non-profit, peer-counseling, information & local resources telephone hotline for GLBT people across the country. GLSEN/WA - Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network - 330-2099; www.glsenwa.org Greater Seattle Business Association (GSBA) - 3639188; www.thegsba.org HIV/AIDS Program, Seattle/King County Dept of Public Health, provides confidential/anonymous information about & testing for HIV/AIDS. 205-7837. For a comprehensive list of HIV/AIDS service organizations see the GSBA Guide or visit www.thegsba.org or call Lifelong AIDS Alliance, 328-8979. Imperial Sovereign Court of Seattle & the Olympic & Rainier Empire - www.facebook.com/ISCSORE; www. imperialcourtofseattle.com Lambert House - 322-2515; www.lamberthouse.org LGBT Library - 517 E Pike St. Open Mon-Fri 2-8pm; Sat 2-5pm. A wide range of fiction and non-fiction for the LGBT community and allies can be borrowed free of charge. LGBT MS Connection - 250-5002; LGBTMS Connection@gmail.com. Support group for LGBT persons with MS and their partners and their caregivers. Lifelong AIDS Alliance - 328-8979, www.lifelongaids alliance.org MEN: Gay City: 860-6969, www.gaycity.org; Knights of Mantra: 329-0886, www.jetchapterkofm.com; Mature Friends: Gay men & women 40 & over, www.mature friends.org; Northwest Bears: www.nwbears.com; The Olympians: www.TheOlympians.net; POZSeattle: www.pozseattle.org; Q-Squared: www.qsquared.org; Rain City Jacks: 888-809-5035, www.raincityjacks. org; Seattle Gay Couples: www. seattlegaycouples. org; Seattle Men in Leather: www.seattlemeninleather. org; Seattle Prime Timers: Gay & Bi men 40 & over, www.seattle primetimers.org. MUSIC: Diverse Harmony: www.diverseharmony.org; Rainbow City Band: 1-866-841-9139 ext 2126; rainbowcityband@onebox.com; www.rainbowcity band.com; Seattle Men’s Chorus and Seattle Women’s Chorus: 388-1408, 323-0750. www.flyinghouse. org. Northwest Lesbian & Gay History Museum Project - gayhistnw@aol.com Northwest Rainbow Alliance for the Deaf - www. nwrad.org Out & Equal Workplace Advocates/Seattle Regional Affiliate supports the work of LGBT employees and the growing number of ERGs (Employee Resource Groups) making a difference within local companies. www.outandequal.org/affiliates/seattle PARENTHOOD: Families Like Ours provides a gateway for LGBT families interested in adoption: 441-7602, www.familieslikeours. org; Family Works offers support, information & activities for LGBT families: 694-6727, www.familyworksseattle. org; Gay Fathers’ Association of Seattle offers support groups & social activities:
20 Seattle Gay News
www.gfas. org; Proud & Loud Families - Northwest, www.meetup.com/proud-and-loud-families-northwest, plfnorthwest@aol.com; Queer Parent Networking Dinners: 568-7777, info@nwnetwork.org; Rainbow Families of Puget Sound: www.rainbowfamiliesps.org PFLAG is the national organization for parents, families, allies, and LGBTQ people united for equality with chapters in Seattle, Bellevue/Eastside, the Puget Sound region and across Washington state. PFLAG Seattle: 206-325-7724, info@pflagseattle.org, and www.pflag seattle.org; PFLAG Bellevue/Eastside: 425-4836642, info@bellevue-pflag.org, http://community.pflag. org/PFLAGBellevue; PFLAG Pacific Northwest: www.pnwpflag.org; PFLAG Washington state: www. pflagwsc.org. PEOPLE OF COLOR: Asian/Pacific Islander Queer Network Program at API Chaya, 467-9976; Center for MultiCultural Health, 461-6910, www.multiculturalhealth.org; Entre Hermanos, GLBT Latinos/as, 322-7700, www.entrehermanos.org; Ile LaiLai, 7813565, iya@ilelailai.org; Men of All Colors & Cultures Together (MACCT), 923-8313, macctseattle@yahoo. com, www.macctsea.org; Nubian Pride Productions, nubianpride@gmail.com; People of Color Against AIDS Network (POCAAN) offers rapid HIV testing, M-F, 10am-5pm, 322-7061, www.pocaan.org and on Facebook; Seattle Two Spirit, SeattleTwoSpirit@ hotmail.com; Sistah 2 Sistah, LBT women of African descent, 322-7061, 255-8951; Sistah Sinema, www. sistahsinema.com, info@sistahsinema.com; TrikoneNorthwest, GLBT South Asians, (425) 985-4376, www. trikonenw.org; Two-Spirit Honor Project, 1-866-6850164; U.T.O.P.I.A. Seattle. Pride Foundation - 323-3318; www.pridefoundation. org Project NEON is a program of Seattle Counseling Service providing FREE information & services to Gay & Bi men to reduce health risks associated with methamphetamine use. 323-1768. www.crystalneon.org Public Health-Seattle & King County Online Comprehensive Health Information for Sexual Minorities: www.kingcounty.gov/healthservices/health/personal/ glbt.aspx Q Law: The GLBT Bar Association of WA - 682-6711; www.q-law.org; Q Law GLBT Legal Clinic - 235-7235. Resource & Referral Line can connect you to LGBTfriendly resources throughout Puget Sound and beyond. Call 323-LGBT Mon-Fri 2-8pm; Sat 2-5pm. At other times leave voice mail and your call will be returned. Or visit www.gaycity.org to view list of resources online or through Facebook.
November 13, 2015
Safe Schools Coalition - www.safeschoolscoalition. org; 451-SAFE (451-7233). SEAMEC interviews, researches & rates candidates for public office on issues of concern to the LGBT community. 905-9941, www.seamec.org Seattle Area Support Groups & Community Center (SASG) is a non-profit organization that builds community and cultivates powerful, healthy lives by providing emotional support and personal development services to those affected by HIV/AIDS, the Queer communities, and those who love them. 322-2437; www.sasgcc.org Seattle Commission for Sexual Minorities - 684-4503. Seattle Counseling Service for Sexual Minorities is a community mental health service for GLBT persons & their families. 323-1768. Seattle Out & Proud - 206-322-9561; www.seattle pride.org Seattle Police Department Sexual Minorities Community Advisory Council: kim.bogucki@seattle.gov Seattle PrideFest - www.seattlepridefest.org Servicemembers Legal Defense Network - (202) 328-3244; www.sldn.org SHIFT: A Peer Recovery Network - www.shift recovery.org Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, The Abbey of St. Joan - 860-3666; www.theabbey.org Snohomish Health District HIV/AIDS Program provides free confidential/anonymous HIV counseling & testing 9am-5pm Monday-Friday, until 7pm Tuesdays. (425) 339-5298. Social Outreach Seattle (SOSea) - www.facebook. com/socialoutreachseattle South Sound Q Calendar - LGBTQ events in Tacoma, Olympia & Sound Puget Sound area; www.South SoundQCal.com SPORTS & RECREATION: Bent Car Guys: www. bentcarguys.org; Border Riders Motorcycle Club: www.borderriders.com; Bottom Dwellers Scuba Club: www.bottomdwellers.org; Capitol Hill Cyclers: join their Facebook group or email capitolhillcycling@ groups.facebook.com or jordan.l.simonson@gmail.com; Cascade Flyers: www.cascadeflyers.org; Different Spokes Bicycling Club: www.differentspokes.org; Emerald City Mudhen Rugby: www.mudhenrugby. com; Emerald City Softball Association: www.emerald citysoftball.org, www.eteamz.com/womensecsa; Ethyl Forever Car Club: ethylforever@hotmail.com; Festival of the Babes: www.festivalofthebabes.com; Olympic Yacht Club: www.oycnw.org; OutVentures: outdoor
education & recreation activities, www.outventures.org; Pacific Northwest Gay Rodeo Association: www.pacificnwgra.org; Puddletown Squares: www.puddletownsquares.org; Rain City Soccer: www.raincitysoccer.org; Rain Country Dance Association: a country-western dance organization catering to the LGBTQ community but open to all, www.raincountrydance.org; Sea Dawgs: LGBT ice hockey - SkateSeaDawgs@gmail.com and on Facebook; Seattle Frontrunners: www.seattlefront runners.org; Seattle Gay Basketball Association: www. seattlegaybasketballassociation.com; Seattle Orca Swim Team: www.orcaswimteam.org; Seattle Otters Water Polo: www.otterpolo.com; Seattle Quake Rugby: www.quakerugby.com; Seattle Tennis Alliance: www. seattletennisalliance.org; Seattle Unified Bowling Association (SUBA): magee98106@aol.com, www. teamseattle.org/bowling.htm, www.theprideleague. com, Century 21 League; Seattle Volleyball Club: www.seattlevolleyballclub.com; Ski Buddies: www. skibuddies. org; Team Seattle Gay Sports Network is an umbrella organization for a wide range of local GLBT sports activities, 367-4064, www.teamseattle.org (see website for comprehensive list of sports clubs); Triangle Recreation Camp at Bender Creek: recreational camping for GLBT folks. Must be 21; ID required. trc@camptrc.org, www. camptrc.org, 1122 E Pike St #1069, Seattle 98122-3934. Strength Over Speed - www.strengthoverspeed.org Tacoma/Pierce County - Rainbow Center, 2215 Pacific Ave, Tacoma, a resource center for the LGBTIQA community of Pierce County, (253) 383-2318, www. rainbowcntr.org TRANSGENDER: Emerald City Social Club: (425) 827-9494; Gender Alliance of the South Sound: www. SouthSoundGender.com; Gender Justice League: www.genderjusticeleague.org; Gender Odyssey: www.genderodyssey.com; Hermanos Trans Latino & Foreign-Born Support Group: 322-7700; Ingersoll Gender Center: 329-6651, www.ingersollcenter. org; The New BoyZ Club: www.olympiaftmgroup. webs. com; Olympia Trans Discussion Group: www. facebook. com/pages/Olympia-Trans-DiscussionGroup/262449878114; Washington Gender Alliance: (360) 445-2411, www.washington genderalliance.com WOMEN: BABES: support groups for HIV+ women. 720-5566, 1-888-292-1912; Festival of the Babes: www.festivalofthebabes.com; Lesbians Over 40: 7220729; Mature Friends: Gay men & women 40 & over, www.maturefriends.org; Older Lesbians Organizing for Change/WA State Chapter: gloria@oloc.org, mary@oloc.org, www.oloc.org; Pacific Northwest Lesbian Archives: www.pnwlesbianarchives.org; RainshadowWomen: RainshadowWomen@aol.com; Seattle Girls of Leather: www.sgol.org; Tacoma Lesbian Concern (TLC): www.tacomalesbianconcern.org; WOWS: a fun, member-driven social group for Lesbians, http://groups.yahoo.com/group/womenofwest seattle; YWCA Women’s Health Outreach: providing low or no-cost mammograms for income eligible 40+ LBTQ individuals. Follow us at http://lbtqhealth-ywca.blogspot. com, twitter.com/ingridWHO or email lbthealth@ywcaworks.org, 461-4493. YOUTH: B-GLAD (Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian, Trans & Questioning Adolescent Drop-In Group): Youth Eastside Services offers many programs for GLBT youth, including B-GLAD, (425) 747-4937; Diverse Harmony: www.diverseharmony. org; GLSEN/Washington State (Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network) & Washington State GSA (Gay-Straight Alliance) Network: GLSEN works to create safe schools for LGBT students. WA GSA Network supports youth-led GSA’s to fight harassment & homophobia in Washington state schools. 330-2099; www.glsenwa. org; www.wagsa.org. GLOBE (GLBTQ Loving Ourselves, Becoming Empowered): a support group & HIV/STD prevention program for GLBTQ youth, 14-20, in Everett, (425) 263-2908, www. globeyouth.org; Health Education Youth Outreach: for LGBTQ youth, ages 16-24 - Jessica Hatlo, 206957-1665, jessicah@llaa.org; It Gets Better Project: www.itgetsbetter.org; Lambert House: an activities & resource center for LGBT youth, 14-22, in Seattle, 3222515, www.lamberthouse.org; www.MatthewsPlace. com; Oasis Youth Center: for GLBTQ youth, ages 14-25, in Tacoma, (253) 671-2838, www.oasisyouthcen ter.org; Parents, Family & Friends of Lesbians & Gays (PFLAG)/Puget Sound: 325-7724, www.seattle-pflag. org; Pizza Klatch: weekly lunchtime support groups for LGBTQ youth in Thurston County, www.pizzaklatch.org; Prism: for LGBTQ youth, 14-21, in Puyallup - Cherise. Alexander@ multicare.org; www.facebook.com/PuyallupPrism; Proud Out Wonderful (POW!): for LGBTQ youth, 13-21, in South King County, 206-326-9112, www. facebook.com/proudoutwonderful; Q Youth Resources: in Kitsap County - 360-698-3335; www.kchaf.org; Queer Youth Space: 206-495-9963; www.queeryouth space. org; Renton Area Youth Services (RAYS): LGBTQ, questioning and allied youth drop-in group, ages 12-18 Sarah Hardin, 425-271-5600, ext 155; sarahh@rays.org; Safe Schools Coalition: www.safeschoolscoalition.org; 451-SAFE (451-7233) (non-emergency), 1-877-SAFESAFE (1-877-723-3723) (crisis line); Seattle Young People’s Project (Queer Youth Resource Board): 860-9606, www.sypp.org; Teen Link: 461-4922, 1-888431-TEEN; The Trevor Project: 866-4-U-Trevor; www. thetrevorproject.org; True Colors - Connecting LGBTQ Teens: in Shoreline, 362-7282 x 8018, lbagley@chs-nw. org; Vista Youth Center: for LGBTQ, questioning and allied youth, ages 14-21, in Kennewick, 509-396-5198, www.vistayouthcenter.org; YouthCare/Orion Center: 622-5555; YouthCare/Isis Program (Transitional Living Home for LGBTQ Young Adults, 18-22): 5228412; Youth Suicide Prevention Program (OUTLoudGLBTQ): 297-5922, ext 116, 1-800-273-TALK, www. yspp.org
Celebrating 41 Years!
Volunteer Park
• BACON MANSION
E. PROSPECT ST. • SHAFER MANSION E. ALOHA ST.
12TH AVE. E.
E. ROY ST.
16TH AVE. E.
15TH AVE. E.
13TH AVE. E.
• B&B ON BROADWAY E. ROY ST. • UNDER U 4 MEN
E. VALLEY ST. 14TH AVE. E.
11TH AVE. E.
FEDERAL AVE. E.
10TH AVE. E.
BROADWAY AVE. E.
E. WARD ST.
E. MERCER ST.
MALDEN AVE. E.
BROADWAY E.
• THE CANTERBURY E. REPUBLICAN ST. E. HARRISON ST.
• BROADWAY GRILL
10TH AVE. E.
11TH AVE.
E. HOWELL ST.
.
• CLUB Z BATHS
• THE STRANGER
NAGLE PL.
Cal Anderson Park
• LAMBERT HOUSE
BROADWAY
Seattle Central Community College
HARVARD AVE. E.
• LINDAʼS • BILLʼS OFF BROADWAY
C.C. ATTLEʼS• TOMMY GUN• THE SOCIAL•
B&O ESPRESSO • BOYLSTON AVE.
BELMONT AVE.
E. DENNY WAY
• SUPERSTAR TATTOO
E AV
P
• UPS STORE
• HILL HOUSE
• NEUMOʼS
N
RE
T.
S IKE
• SIMPLY FRAMES & MINER GALLERY E. JOHN ST.
• THE LOBBY • PLATINUM RECORDS
• SEATTLE EAGLE
GAY CITY HEALTH PROJECT •
• NEIGHBOURS
.
E AV
• BAUHAUS • BALTIC ROOM
BO
T.
ES
PIN
• GLOʼS
R
O
AY EW
IV OL
• AURIFICE • R PLACE • HONEY HOLE SANDWICHES • TOYS IN BABELAND
IN
W
HO
• TRAVELERS • THE FEED BAG
. ST
M
L
EL
SUMMIT AVE.
• REBAR
• STEAM WORKS
A EW
ST
• THE CRESCENT
T.
S RT
• GSBA
DENNY WAY
E. THOMAS ST.
• JULIAʼS
METRO CLOTHING CO. • STUDIO 229 • PANACHE • LAUGHING BUDDHA TATTOO •
BELLEVUE AVE.
• SEATTLE COUNSELING SERVICE FOR SEXUAL MINORITIES MELROSE AVE.
HAIR CONNECTION•
E. OLIVE ST. THE SGN GLSEN ONYX LEATHER • SEA-MEC
BATHS
CLUB Z - (men) 1117 Pike near Boren - 622-9958 HOT HOUSE SPA & SAUNA - (women) SW corner of Pike & 11th (stairs behind Wildrose) - 568-3240 STEAM WORKS - (men) 1520 Summit - 388-4818
RESTAURANTS & BARS
88 KEYS - 315 2nd Ave. S. - 839-1300 BALTIC ROOM - 1207 Pine St. - 625-4444 THE BOTTLENECK LOUNGE
2328 E. Madison St. - 323-1098 C.C. ATTLE’S BAR & GRILLE 1701 E. Olive Way - 726-0565 THE CANTERBURY - 534 15th Ave. E. - 322-3130 CHANGES IN WALLINGFORD 2103 N. 45th - 545-8363 THE CRESCENT - 1413 E. Olive Way - 720-8188 THE CUFF COMPLEX 1533 13th Ave. - 323-1525 DIESEL BAR - 1413 14th Ave. - 322-1080 DOUBLE HEADER - 407 2nd Ave. S. - 464-9918 GLO’S - 1621 E. Olive Way - 324-2577 JAZZ ALLEY - 2033 6th Ave. E. - 441-9729 JULIA’S - 300 Broadway Ave. E. - 860-1818 KREMWERK - 1809 Minor Ave. #10 - 682-2935 THE LOBBY - 916 E. Pike St. - 328-6703
•WILDROSE • HOT HOUSE
ON
E.
E. PIKE ST. • CHOP SUEY • MADISON PUB • DIESEL BAR • PONY
MAE’S CAFE 6412 Phinney Ave. N. - 782-1222 MADISON PUB - 1315 E. Madison - 325-6537 NEIGHBOURS - 1509 Broadway - 324-5358 OUT WEST - 5401California Ave. SW POCO WINE ROOM 1408 E. Pine St. - 322-9463 PONY - 1221 E. Madison St. - 324-2854 PURR - 1518 11th Ave. - 325-3112 R PLACE - 619 E. Pine - 322-8828 RE-BAR - 1114 Howell at Boren - 233-9873 SEATTLE EAGLE - 314 E. Pike - 621-7591 TOMMY GUN - 1703 E. Olive Way WILDROSE - 1021 E. Pike - 324-9210
RETAIL SHOPS
CASTLE SUPERSTORE #17 206 Broadway Ave. E. - 204-0126 THE CRYPT - 1516 11th Ave. 325-3882 DOGHOUSE LEATHERS 1312 E. Pike St. - 257-0231 EMERSON SALON - 909 E. Pike St. - 323-7437 METRO CLOTHING CO. 231 Broadway Ave E - 726-7978 ONYX LEATHER - 1605 12th Ave. #8 - 328-1965 PANACHE - 225 Broadway E. - 726-3300 STAN’S ADULT SUPERSTORE 9630 16th Ave. SW - 762-3299 TABOO VIDEO - 1012 1st Ave. - 622-SEXY TOYS IN BABELAND - 707 E. Pike St. - 328-2914 UNDER U 4 MEN 709 Broadway Ave. E. - 324-6446 WILD AT HEART 1111 NW Leary Way - 782-5538
IS AD
ST.
M
E. UNION ST.
LA CONNER
THE HERON INN & WATERGRASS DAY SPA 117 Maple Ave. - (877) 883-8899 info@theheron.com
OLYMPIA
DARBY’S CAFE 211 5th Ave. S.E. - (360) 357-6229 LOVER’S 3959 Martin Way E. Suite D - (360) 456-7300 JAKES - 311 4th Ave. E. - (360) 956-3247 URBAN ONION 116 Legion Way - (360) 943-9242
PORT ANGELES MAPLE ROSE INN 112 Reservoir Rd - (800) 570-2007
SPOKANE
ANDY’S 1401 W. 1st Ave. - (509) 747 - 0304 IRV’S (Drag Shows) 415 W. Sprague Ave. - (509) 624 - 4450 NYNE BAR AND BISTRO 232 W. Sprague Ave. - (509) 474 -1621 SPOTLIGHT LOUNGE 321 W. Sprague Ave. - (509) 624 - 0722
TACOMA
BAR MYX - 1212 California St. - 425-610-4071 LOVER’S - 112 SE Everett - (425) 353-3607 LOVER’S - 3402 Broadway - (425) 252-8754
CASTLE SUPERSTORE 6015 Tacoma Mall Blvd. - (253) 471-0391 CLUB SILVERSTONE 739½ St. Helens Ave. - (253) 404-0273 THE FANTASY SHOP 2301 6th Ave. - (253) 272-6640 LOVER’S 7002 Tacoma Mall Blvd., #F - (253) 475-2271 THE MIX - 635 St. Helens Ave. - (253) 383-4327 RAINBOW CENTER 2215 Pacific Ave. - (253) 383-2318 SHAKABRAH JAVA CAFE 2618 6th Ave. - (253) 572-2787 TANDEM FOR GEAR, CLOTHING AND ACCESSORIES 3019 6th Ave, Ste. B - (253) 301-3026
KENT
TUKWILA
BELLINGHAM
LOVER’S 193 Telegraph Road - (360) 752-1862 RUMORS CABARET 1119 Railroad - (306) 671-1849
EVERETT
LOVER’S 25801 104th Ave. S.E. - (253) 852-1720 THE VOYEUR 604 Central Ave. S. - (253) 850-8428 NASHVILLE’S SPORTS BAR (Drag Shows) 114 - Railroad Ave. N. - (253) 852 - 0909
Visit us online www.sgn.org
• POCO WINE ROOM
• THE CUFF COMPLEX E. PINE ST. • PURR • THE CRYPT • POST OPTIONS • DOGHOUSE LEATHERS
E. UNION ST.
SEATTLE
• THE GASLIGHT INN
November 13, 2015
LOVER’S 530 Southcenter Blvd. - (206) 248-5085
WENATCHEE
THE CELLAR CAFE 240 N. Mission St. - (509) 662-1722
Seattle Gay News 21
_______________________________
10 housemates
14 Help wanted
10 housemates
14 help wanted
_______________________________
_______________________________
11 for rent
11 FOR RENT
19 19 home services
HOME SERVICES
_______________________________
_______________________________
12 12 housing wanted WANTED HOUSING
20 health & health & well being
_______________________________
13 13 housing for sale
HOUSING FOR SALE
_______________________________ real estate REAL ESTATE _______________________________ SEATTLE’S TOP GAY REALTORS Buying a Home? Choose a Top Seattle Gay Realtor Offering FREE Buyers Representation! Relocating anywhere in the country? Visit: WWW.GAYREALESTATE. COM 37/6 _______________________________
20
WELL-BEING
_______________________________ ENERGY/BODYWORK Therapeutic massage. 29 years experience. Relaxation, major/ minor injuries, chronic muscle pain. Small Queen Anne home office/studio. Massage table or massage chair. Convenient parking. (I’m a Gay-friendly straight male graphic artist, web author.) First session 50% off = $45/1.5 hours (travel extra). By appointment only. References available. Chris Pringer, Reiki Master, 206286-0899. If you get a voice message mentioning “extension #,” please hang up and call back again. Brochure, testimonials, etc. via chalicebridge.com/BMIBrochure.html. 44/21 _______________________________
21
21 licensed LICENSED massage MASSAGE non-sexual
- NON-SEXUAL
_______________________________ RELAXATION and DEEP TISSUE massage on Capitol Hill. Last minute appointments welcome until 9 pm. Jeff, LMP, 206-6500542. www.broadwaymassage. com. 45/3 _______________________________ EXCEPTIONAL BODYWORK Given by highly trained LMP. I specialize in injury treatment, acute, chronic, and repetitive stress motion. I have a studio on CapHill, and one just north of the UW. Insurance accepted. Matt Shafer, LMP, 206-235-7766. 46/12 _______________________________
22 for sale
22 FOR SALE
_______________________________ MOVING SALE Selling a GE air -conditioning window unit (11” high x 18” wide), oak dining room table & four chairs, entry table with mirror, four framed posters, blue silver bench, centerpiece arrangement, & a few miscellaneous items. Call Bob for details: 206-329-9935. 47/3 _______________________________
37 BODYWORK
38 MEN
37 bodywork
38 men
_______________________________ AMAZING BODYWORK! Deep tissue, erotic bodywork by handsome, hairy-chested, hung therapist. Reasonable rates. Photos, phone number and reviews at website: www.amazingbodywork. com. Robert. 43/6 ________________________________ EROTICALLY CHARGED nude full body rubdown from playful top, stimulating the senses. Get seduced. Incalls in Renton area. Scott, 206-355-4469. 37/3 ________________________________ DADDY BEAR The magic touch of bodywork. 12 noon-9pm. I’m known for my gifted hands. 206-328-5828. 45/3 _______________________________ GREAT MASSAGE given by highly-trained, clean-cut, handsome guy. I have two private studios, one on CapHill, and one just north of the UW. Call/text Matt, 206235-7766. In/out calls. 46/12 ________________________________
________________________________ RAIN CITY JACKS Seattle’s own JO Club, RCJ hosts three group jack-off events every month. Hot, friendly, safe fun! Adult men only. 888-809-5035. info@raincityjacks.org; www. raincityjacks.org. 03/12 _______________________________ FREE & ANONYMOUS HIV & STD COUNSELING/TESTING Walk-In or by Appt GAY CITY HEALTH PROJECT 517 E. Pike St. MON-FRI: 3pm-8pm SAT: 12:30pm-5pm More Info & to Schedule Appt 206-860-6969 _______________________________ SEATTLE PRIME TIMERS A social organization for Gay and Bisexual Men over 40 and their admirers. www.seattleprimetimers.org; info@seattleprimetimers. org SGN/ _______________________________
Low-cost carrier Spirit Airlines launching Seattle service to LA, Las Vegas by Albert Rodriguez SGN A&E Writer Are you wanting to fly away to Los Angeles or Las Vegas for the cost of a bus ticket? Your dreams have been answered! Lowcost carrier Spirit Airlines will begin nonstop service from Seattle to both cities next spring with inexpensive fares, potentially less than $50 one-way. The Florida-based airline made an official announcement on November 5 during a brief reception at Gina Marie Lindsay Arrivals Hall at the south end of Baggage Claim inside Sea-Tac Airport. Two daily flights to Los Angeles, at 9:10 a.m. (11:55 a.m. arrival) and 9:20 p.m. (12:05 a.m. arrival, next day) will begin on March 24, 2016. Service to Las Vegas initiates on April 14, 2016 with two daily departures as well, at 6:25 a.m. (8:55 a.m. arrival) and 3:05 p.m. (5:35 p.m. arrival). If you book a round trip, the return flights from Los Angeles are at 6 a.m. (8:30 a.m. arrival) and 6:10 p.m. (8:40 p.m. arrival), and from Las Vegas you will depart at 11:40 a.m. (2:20 p.m. arrival) and 10:01 p.m. (12:41 a.m. arrival, next day). Spirit will operate Airbus A319 aircraft for the LA flights with
22 Seattle Gay News
145 seats and Airbus A320 planes with 178 seats to Las Vegas. Spirit is a no-frills airline. Passengers basically pay for a seat and the fuel. Only one personal item – purse, backpack, shoulder/tote bag, small duffel bag, etc. – is free; all other carry-on items and checked bags will cost extra. Printing your boarding pass at home or work will save you up to $10 because the airline charges for airport assistance and printing fees. On board, all refreshments and snacks, even water, are available for purchase. That’s right, there are no complimentary soft drinks, coffee, juices, or water – you have to pay for them. Seat assignments come with a fee, too, so if you don’t mind where you sit on the plane then you’ll be just fine. For those wanting extra leg room, Spirit offers the Big Front Seat, roomier business class seating at the front of the plane, but it will also cost you more and it doesn’t include any other amenities, such as complimentary drinks or food. From Los Angeles, the airline connects to 14 cities, 19 from Las Vegas. In total, Spirit operates over 350 daily flights to more than 56 destinations in North America, Central and South America, and the Caribbean. If you’re planning to travel internationally with Spirit from Seattle to Lima or Guatemala City or the U.S. Virgin Islands, to name a few, you’ll probably have
November 13, 2015
Spirit Airlines – Spirit Airlines
to take at least two flights to get there because the bulk of connecting flights to Latin America and the Caribbean depart from Florida. Still, you might end up paying less money than you would with another airline. Free Spirit is the airline’s frequent flier program, and it costs nothing to join. Additionally, the $9 Fare Club operates more like a Costco membership than an airline rewards program, allowing you to receive discounted fares instead of the usual perks
(accrued miles, lounge access, etc.). So, if your travel budget has heavily restricted the options on where you can go for vacation, or kept you from visiting relatives due to the cost of a plane ticket, Spirit now provides a way to finally get your feet off the ground ... literally. Flights to Los Angeles and Las Vegas, or elsewhere, are now on sale at spirit.com.
Celebrating 41 Years!
Visit us online www.sgn.org
November 13, 2015
Seattle Gay News 23
24 Seattle Gay News
November 13, 2015
Celebrating 41 Years!