LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth |
Student CAMP: Theater Rats |
by Kristen Minor |
I've decided that I no longer live at home. It's where I sleep, and that's about it. The reason for this, of course, is because I am an intern for the Henlopen Theater Project. HTP is housed in my high school, and I swear I'm spending more time there now than I did the latter part of senior year. Okay, I'm exaggerating. But not much. I can't complain about the lack of time at home, though. I've had an incredibly amazing month. The highlight by far was watching my play, Stones, be performed by professional actors. For those of you who braved the weather to come and see the play: Thank you, thank you, thank you. (Several of you asked for a copy of the scriptthey will soon be available in the CAMP office. I only ask that you donate a dollar for the Kristen Minor photocopying expense account.) The cast was amazing, as was the director. The best thing about the whole experience was that it made me want to write another play. I've started another one that I'm working on in my free time (all ten minutes a day) and it's another one act. I wanted to start writing my epic full-length play, but then I realized that the vast majority of my writing consists of columns that are a thousand words or less. I'm not up to "brevity is the soul of wit" yetI'm still working on "brevity because I've run out of stuff to say." My life as a theater rat has had several other high points. For starters, I got to meet John Ritter. He's an incredibly sweet guy who put up with my incessant questions about his stint on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Bruce Davison was also quite nice, although I didn't get to take him to the X-Men movie. (He plays the senator in it.) I had visions of having a loud conversation with him. "So, Bruce, what was your motivation in this scene? Yeah, just how did he move in that costume?" HTP just finished it's run of Marc Wolf's Another American: Asking and Telling. I have to say that it was one of the best plays that I've ever seen. I've never seen a one man play before, and seeing Marc's seamless transition from one character to another was jaw dropping. (This is really starting to sound like a commercial, isn't it?) One thing I enjoy about being an intern is that I get to use a lot of power tools. It makes me feel butch. Since my girlfriend Marie and I are collectively about as butch as the average male art teacher, it's a nice thrill. Backstage at a theater can't be more different than what the audience sees. For starters, it's a real straight boy's club. Oh, and everyone is extremely pale. The all-black clothing doesn't help. Since we non-contract HTP interns are all female, we spend our spare time attempting to subvert the patriarchy. We mostly do this by saying, "subvert the patriarchy," and by plotting the overthrow of the head intern while sweeping the stage. It's quite brilliant, actually. Although I haven't been able to get out much lately, I've been wishing that I could get to the movies. More specifically, I want to go see But I'm a Cheerleader. I've heard mixed things about it yes, but damn it, a gay teen movie is a gay teen movie. I wish the film festival would magically decide to have a summer preview. Heck, I wish that gay movies would suddenly start developing plot lines. Am I the only one who has noticed a lack in film and book quality in all things queer? When we're good, we're very good, but 80% of the lesbian books/movies that I have ever seen... I liked because they had gay people in them, not because they had a gripping plot. We as a community need to demand better entertainment. Also, more kissing. If I have to watch one more movie where the single gay kiss is the showcased event of 100 minutes, I am going to protest by burning a rainbow sticker in front of Lambda Rising while singing "We Shall Overcome." I think there should be a gay television network. Other than Lifetime, I mean. It should be called something like GBC. Or, to be all inclusive, GLBTC. Oh, forget the letters; let's just call it Queer TV. Queer TV could feature such things as Xena marathons, fashion shows, coverage of all things gay, and high quality entertainment. I would personally attempt to start a TV show based on a bunch of well-adjusted gay people in high schoolsomething that, according to the networks, could be a fantasy show. As we all know, gay people in high school only have one kiss a year with someone who is having a sexuality crisis. Then, after that very special episode, it's back to lusting from afar. If I sound frustrated, I am. If I sound rambling and incoherent, that's because I'm writing this at two in the morning before deadline. (Wait... I write everything at two a.m. before deadline. Never mind.) On a side note, I have not received any applications for a new youth columnist for next year's Letters. Questioning and confused teens with good grammar send in those applications! Tomorrow I have a day off, thankfully. I'm going to spend it sifting through Dartmouth mail. I have purchased my computer for next yeara Mac G4. I feel good about it because I'm no longer officially supporting the Evil Empire. I'm still waiting to get the list of people that I'm rooming with, though. I've been thinking about it more and morewhat is the best way to come out to a roommate? Should I wait until I get to know her or just tell her up-front? If she's a sorority girl, should I leave around handcuffs, dress in black, and hang up a rainbow flag to see if I can scare her away? Should I bring my treasured pictures of Jodie Foster, Alyson Hannigan, and Gina Gershon? Can I live without said pictures? So many questions. By the way, if any of you faithful readers of Letters would like to meet my girlfriend and me, just come to an HTP play. We're the ones in black making incredibly cutesy faces to each other while handing out programs. |
LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth, Vol. 10, No. 10, July 28, 2000. |