S&M* by Gordon Portman,
directed by Nicole Stamp, with Duff
MacDonald, Sean Tyson and Alison
Lawrence. Presented by Seeing the
Emperor at the Factory Studio. August 2 at
10:30 pm, August 4 at 2 pm, August 5 at 8
pm, August 6 at 1 pm, August 9 at 10:30
pm, August 11 at 6 pm. Rating: NNNNN
it’s a well-known story. a young man from a small town comes to the big city looking for action and affirmation of his uncertain sexuality. But what if he connects with one of the highest-profile faggots in the theatre community?That’s the premise of Gordon Portman’s S&M*, a cleverly satiric piece that takes on the political right, some well-known gay playwrights and fickle public taste. It’s packaged as a series of rapidly intercut scenes that deal not only with the central couple but also with the parallel characters in a play invented by one of them.
“The style and structure came as the story did,” says the Saskatchewan-born Portman, who’s been in playwrights units at Buddies and Theatre Passe Muraille. His script The Watch For Sunrise is on Buddies’ schedule for next season.
“I wanted to make a point about the writing style of a particular playwright — who remains unnamed. To use it but take it deeper, so that I not only have a series of comic-book panels but also fill in those panels.”
In the show, Portman’s innocent figure, Jason, finds that whatever his sexuality, he’s not the kind of queer his lionized mentor, Greg, thinks is correct.
“I don’t intend that the play be a personal rant,” Portman confesses, “but part of me wants to expose the emperor for what I experience him to be, and what a fair number of other gay men see him to be. Maybe the preaching and inspiration that someone like Greg offers is too narrow in scope. Why should his politics and style of sexuality define the only correct way to be gay?”
OTHER SUMMERWORKS PREVIEWS
RICHARDTHESECOND written and performed by Matthew MacFadzean, directed by Rebecca Brown. Presented by Nation of Aslan at Artword. August 2 at 11 pm, August 5 at 8 pm, August 6 at 3:30 pm, August 9 and 11 at 6:30 pm, August 12 at 5 pm.
YAGAYAH – TWO.BLACK.WOMYN.GRIOTS written and performed by debbie young and Naila Belvett, directed by ahdri zhina mandiela. Presented by b current at Artword. August 2 at 9:30 pm, August 4 at 11 pm, August 5 and 12 at 2 pm, August 9 at 8 pm, August 11 at 12:30 pm.
PAGAN LOVE SONGS FOR THE UNINITIATED by Sue Balint, directed by Eric J. Rose, with Darryl Hinds and Alison Jutzi. Presented by Invisible Elephant at the Factory Mainspace. August 2 at 5:30 pm, August 4 at 4 pm, August 5 at 1:30 pm, August 8 at 8:30 pm, August 9 at 11 pm, August 11 at 2:30 pm.
EAST OF THE SUN, WEST OF THE MOON created by the company, directed by Kate Cayley, with Amy Stewart, Janice Rieger and Simone Rosenberg. Presented by Stranger Theatre at the Factory Studio. August 2 at 9 pm, August 4 at 3:30 pm, August 5 and 10 at 6:30 pm, August 7 at 8:30 pm, August 11 at 12:30 pm.
VAN GOGH written and performed by Bill Kischuck. Presented by Whiplash Theatre at Artword. August 3 at 9:30 pm, August 4 at 6:30 pm, August 6 at 12:30 pm, August 7 at 10 pm, August 10 at 8 pm, August 11 at 5 pm.
