Man Boobs: Play Tackles Body Image, Sex, and Identity

via WindyCityTimes, by Tony Peregrin

A gym-built body and ripped abs ("cum gutters" in porn parlance) can make some gay men fizzy with lust, but when it comes right down to it, being with a partner who is simply comfortable in his own skin can be an even bigger turn-on—an idea that is at the center of the J. Julian Christopher's play, Man Boobs.

The Chicago premiere of Man Boobs— a dark comedy about love, body image and acceptance—opens Pride Film and Plays' 2012 season. In the one-act play, Christopher, 34, a college professor and veteran of the New York International Fringe Festival, introduces audiences to "Spence," a librarian, and "Marty," a macho truck driver who tries to get his paramour into bed—unknowingly pressuring him to reveal more than his overweight torso.

Directed by David Zak and starring Rick Heintz as Spence and Michael Hampton as Marty, Man Boobs opens Saturday, Feb. 18, at 7 Mary's Attic.

In Australia to catch the premiere of Man Boobs, Christopher fielded questions via e-mail about the play and its impact on audiences.

Windy City Times: Let's start with the title of the play: Man Boobs. Why did you select this particular title for your play?

J. Julian Christopher: Honestly, I just thought it was a funny title! I thought it was catchy and [captured] exactly what the play is about. The title doesn't ruin the reveal of the play; a lot of people think there is a revelation about Spence being self-conscious about his body, but to me that isn't a revelation. The play is about how [body image] drives Spence to handle relationships.

Man Boobs also has double meaning for me. A "boob" is often a term for someone acting stupid—and Spence and Marty both act like boobs at certain points in the play.

WCT: Is Man Boobs autobiographical?

JJC: Man Boobs is slightly autobiographical. Spence is based on myself, and Marty is an amalgamation of various men I have dated. I have sabotaged relationship after relationship based on my poor body image, and it is just now, as I have come into my 30s, that I have begun to come out of this idea of what my body "should" look like and embrace the one I have.

WCT: A recent study revealed that almost half of the gay men surveyed would give up a year or more of their lives to have a ripped, gym-body. How do the results of this survey register with you, both as a gay playwright and as a member of the bear community?

JJC: Well, I am definitely a proud member of the bear community, and I honestly hate the findings of this survey—although I think that they are, sadly, quite accurate.

Five years ago, I would have been one of the respondents to this survey who would have given up a year of my life [for this], but I think there does come a time when you finally wake up and look in the mirror and you say "Screw it." That doesn't mean throwing caution to the wind and not taking care of yourself, but it means you start to not care about your ideal of what a perfect body is because it is just that—an ideal.

The play directly deals with the findings of the survey. Spence, the main character, would probably be one of the survey respondents who would voluntarily give up a year or more of his life to look a certain way.

Truthfully, the survey says less about "gay vanity" and more about what we think makes us a better man. This thinking is skewed, and that is why the bear culture exists as it does now, in absolute defiance of that societal norm.

WCT: Man Boobs toured Montréal and Quebec in 2011 and premiered at The Midsumma Festival in Melbourne, Australia, this month. Does it surprise you that the play has struck such a chord with audiences around the world?

JJC: I am not surprised that the play is connecting with people all over the world. I think that body image and self-worth are universal themes. I am, however, often surprised by how audiences react to the piece. Audiences have gasped upon seeing the unapologetic sexuality in the play.

In the beginning, I tried to wrap my brain around why this was happening, but I think it is because straight and gay audiences are not used to seeing two large men explore their sexuality in a truthful and honest way, in a context that is not comedic—and they enjoy it!

In queer theater, we don't really see these kinds of images and it can be quite jarring.

I truly believe that it is still socially acceptable to discriminate and make fun of overweight or obese people, so when Marty and Spence kiss and are enjoying their sexuality in a truthful way, I think that makes most audiences uneasy—purely because it's something they don't see often or have ever seen.

WCT: If the overt sexuality of the play makes some audience members titter in their seats, I have to ask: Do the guys do more than simply kiss on stage?

JJC: The play has lots of sexuality in it. There is nothing more than kissing, but clothes do come off and the kissing is definitely sexual in nature, and much more than just a peck.

WCT: In a recent column on Gay.net titled "No fats, femmes or … the ugly side of online dating," the writer notes that online dating has always featured gay men candidly stating what they want from a partner or fuck buddy in terms of physicality—but with the immediacy afforded by technology and apps like Grindr, these physical expectations have actually gotten more extreme. Do you agree?

JJC: I think that online personal ads are based on the ultimate sexual fantasy. I have also seen personal ads looking for overweight men, men with small penises and men with flat feet. I think that personal ads ultimately serve on purpose—sexual fulfillment.

If people are on Grindr looking for dates, then there is a bigger issue at hand. Finding someone you connect with or a future partner is a different story. I think, inevitably, we learn that what we thought was "our type" isn't always the person we end up with.

WCT: You also produce a Web-based drama series, BULK, which follows the character of Leo Durán as he returns to the New York City bear scene after a devastating break-up. Are you trying to reach the same audience with BULK as you are with Man Boobs?

JJC: I created this series along with D.R. Knott. We wanted to give voice to underrepresented communities, and I believe that the bear community is one of those communities.

The series does have a similar audience as Man Boobs, but that's not to say that I don't want other audiences who are not bears to think that these shows are not meant for them.

I write about relationships—and these guys just happen to be big and furry. I think both BULK and Man Boobs celebrate the sexuality of the bear culture, and the notion is that these characters are real men—they just happen to be larger.


Read the rest

AIDS at 30: Eric Rofes and Positively Thriving

by Alex Garner, via LGBT POV

“I’ll do it only if I can be funny.”

That was my response when Eric Rofes told me he was creating a play about HIV called, The Infection Monologues. This project was Eric’s first foray into writing for the stage, and true to form, he approached it with trademark determination.

Eric was an incredible force in the queer community and a booming voice in the gay men’s health movement. He was an expert on how gay men found ways to survive the epidemic, make sense of the new post-protease world and find ways to thrive culturally, politically and sexually. Eric saw this piece as a way to break new ground on conventional thinking about things like stigma, risk-taking and unprotected sex.

Read the rest.

Deconstructing the HIV Stigma and Drama re:Nashville Dinner Theatre’s Production of Rent

Those of us who live it know that people with HIV sometimes die of stigma. It may not have been written on their death certificates, but we’ve been present when stigma was the true cause of death. 

by Mark Hubbard

Disclosure: F. Daniel Kent, the writer of last week’s Rent Violations: Nashville Dinner Theatre Evicted from Dining Out for Life, and I began our friendship about ten years ago when we met through mutual acquaintances shortly after his HIV diagnosis. I’m one of several folks Kent leaned on for moral support (but not for content) during the time he was writing the piece. The two of us move in a couple of the same circles and we share what I like to call the “gay Broadway gene.”

For the record, this article was not his idea. I wasn’t there at the Rent rehearsals and I haven’t seen a performance. Although I know and admire one cast member, I don’t know any of the individuals quoted or written about in the article. I am only involved in the Nashville theater scene as an occasional audience member.

I’ve been looking back over the past week and trying to find meaning in the midst of what has at times devolved into a pissing match. I keep reminding myself that there are things I believe, things I know, and things that I can never know.

I know that word got to me and others in the community about fear and stigma on the set of Rent before Kent ever mentioned it to me.

I know that Nashville CARES’ involvement was a rather late development, occurring only after Kent had been working on the article for some time.

I know that Kent was very determined to get this story right. Early on he decided that if key and corroborating sources would not go on the record, he would not write the story. I also know that he was more patient than usual – waiting days and weeks to talk to those involved.

I believe that my friend had nothing to gain and everything to lose, including his considerable reputation, should he fail to write the story responsibly. Kent has worked on both sides of the stage in music and in theater for sixteen years, and is extensively networked in the entertainment field. In addition to writing prolifically for local and regional media, he has published articles on artists like Jennifer Hudson, Keith Urban, and Nicole Kidman in and on national media outlets like the OutInAmerica.com, the Bay Area Reporter, and US Weekly.

Those familiar with his work know that he often uses the simple Q&A style made popular by Interview magazine. What are often phone interviews are always recorded. I asked Kent whether that applied to the unnamed sources in his story. “Everything I did was recorded,” he replied. “There was fear of reprisals; there was fear that they’d be removed from the show. In order to get the story, I had to promise certain parties that their anonymity would be guarded.”

Nashville is too big to call a town and too small to be considered a city by those who live in a real one. That can present challenges. Kent deals with them in media, I deal with them in HIV advocacy. We wear a lot of hats, and it’s difficult to keep the roles cleanly delineated. We have to constantly think about how actions in one arena might affect us in another. We can’t afford to accumulate enemies. There are often too few allies sharing the load, and sometimes the fact that information can’t be shared with them for extended periods of time is stressful.

Subsequent to the publication of his story on Examiner.com, Kent invited a group of friends, some out of town guests and the replaced actor to accompany him in seeing the show. Invitees were told to be on their best behavior and that given the scenario, admittance was not assured. During his interview, theater owner and co-director Kaine Riggan had offered to “comp” him and a couple of guests so that they could evaluate the show on its own merits. Kent admits that he probably brought more guests than expected but also asserts that he was unable to reach Riggan to discuss this despite making repeated calls during the day. There was a confrontation after the show that revolved around Riggan’s desire to have the story taken down. He had been working to intimidate Examiner.com into doing so, and was eventually successful. Kent promptly moved the story to his own site, NowHearThis!

The dialogue continued the next day in an embarrassing Facebook exchange for which both parties were in my view responsible. Riggan seemed to think Kent’s integrity was for sale – that some deal could be made for him to withdraw the article. Kent, on the other hand, succumbed to the temptation to exploit that by offering to trade the story against a rather lengthy and detailed set of demands. While his intention was to address each of the very real harms that had been inflicted, I think it was a mistake for Kent to step into a role better filled by others in the community. I also think Riggan’s suggestion that the article should be removed was ridiculous.

Neither of the two are innocents. Both admit having very strong personalities. Kent confesses he can be a confrontational loudmouth. Riggan describes himself as a tantrum throwing closet redneck. I believe Kent has at times been too easily sucked into the personal drama and needs to examine his own complex motives. I believe Riggan responded to the story with desperate, unwarranted legal threats and innuendo; he and his defenders have at times falsely accused Kent of dishonesty while propagating mistruths of their own. Kent needs to let his excellent work stand on its own merits. They both protest too much, methinks.

There are a few other things that are clear to me.

Nashville CARES is a large, long-established, highly respected organization that consistently exhibits careful judgment and exceptional public relations skill. Their decision to remove the Nashville Dinner Theatre from the Dining Out for Life website speaks for itself.

Had Kent wished to maximize personal embarrassment for Riggan, he could have. He certainly failed to mine a wealth of material in the recorded interview. Had he wished to write a one-sided story, he wouldn’t have featured the categorical denials by both Riggan and Creative Director Vance Nichols.
Riggan has a reputation among the theater community in Nashville – one made up of positive and negative elements. The dinner theater crowd seems to have cheered his more traditional productions over the years both downtown and at the suburban senior center location where he was previously in residence. The facility where his new company resides has been lauded for its historical character. On the other hand, it’s known that Riggan departed two previous positions amid controversy, hard feelings, and accusations.

I can never know whether Byron Rice’s replacement was directly related to his HIV status. I can never know what went on in the head of actress Joanne Coleman, who was apparently shocked by Byron’s frank acknowledgement that he is HIV positive.

Whether it was a sincere disclosure or a ruse, Riggan’s claim that he and other staff thought that an individual would prefer being let go because of his HIV status over being let go based on his fitness for the part is telling. It appears to me that this production was mounted by a company whose management did not possess the cultural understanding necessary to do so with integrity.

I don’t want to see Nashville Dinner Theater or its production of Rent fail. Having multiple theater venues in Nashville means variety and options. As a gay man living with HIV/AIDS, though, I get nervous when folks who don’t share or truly understand my experience try to explain or portray it.

The cast who threatened to walk if the show was mutilated are heroes. I believed it when one of them emailed to say “what matters most to me is that someone was touched, moved, and inspired to think more deeply and more broadly about their lives...and to experience compassion for this human experience.” Byron Rice is also a hero for bravely owning his positive HIV status.

Those of us who live it know that people with HIV sometimes die of stigma. It may not have been written on their death certificates, but we’ve been present when stigma was the true cause of death. My friend F. Daniel Kent is my hero because even though he was faced with a difficult, personally affecting story, even though he stood to gain very little, he dared to investigate and tell the tale when no one else would.

Rent Violations: Nashville Dinner Theatre evicted from “Dining Out for Life"

Author F. Daniel Kent is a LifeLube ally, a fellow PLWHA, and a freelance journalist for a number of local and national media outlets.  Earlier today, he broke the news story below. One of his journalist colleagues commented that it is, "probably the best in-depth piece on a community controversy I've seen in a long time."

Daniel comments:

This could be the most important piece I have EVER written. As the narrative slowly unraveled over two plus weeks of interviews, research and consultations, I was amazed to find a story I could not have imagined in almost 37 years of life, almost 20 years of covering arts & entertainment around the country, and as a person whose HIV has lived with him for almost 13 years. One last thought: If this is happening in the 'Athens of the South', how much worse is it in less fortunate places? How much worse is it in your own back yard? This story is proudly dedicated to every person who has gone before me and struggled to make the voice of education heard over the fray and to all you who are still here and are yet to come. This is why we fight.

Here's the story, via NowHear This!

After a grueling production schedule including numerous casting delays, alleged vandalism and an impromptu cast walk-out protesting changes to the script, Nashville Dinner Theatre’s current production of the Broadway hit musical Rent has hit yet another violation. Nashville CARES, Middle Tennessee’s high profile non-profit HIV & AIDS support organization has removed the venue from their official Dining Out for Life list of participating restaurants after allegations that the show’s Co-director and theatre owner Kaine Riggan supposedly dismissed actor Byron Rice (who is HIV+) from the show due to his HIV status.

Read the rest.

Got Five Dollars?

Nice little video by Covalent Immunology encouraging people to pony up for vaccine research. The Cast includes Lady Bunny, Justin Bond, Ben Andrews, Angie Pontani, Kristen Renton, Thea Gill, Wilson Cruz, The Pixie Harlots, and Hydeia Broadbent.

Who's that Queer?

Brought to you by Pistol Pete

Alexandra Billings, actor, teacher and activist is the Grand Marshal for this year's Chicago 40th Annual Pride Parade. Alexandra has dozens of stage, television and film roles to her credit. In the last few years she has had guest-starring roles on hit television shows including and in 2007 she completed her first film, "Socket" directed by Sean Abley.

Alexandra has starred in numerous plays at the Torso Theatre, Bailiwick Theatre, Healthworks Theatre, Light Opera Works and also the Steppenwolf Theater. She also appeared in plays in New York City and Los Angeles, including Larry Kramer's pivotal AIDS piece, "Just Say No" playing Nancy Regan to Gregg Louganis' "Jr." That year (1999) she shared a cover of the Advocate with Gregg Louganis, she had a feature in POZ magazine, and she was chosen as one of the Chicago Tribune's Top 10 People of the Year.

Alexandra, who along with her wife Chrisanne, moved to California in 2004, returns to Chicago frequently where she is a (summer) teacher at Steppenwolf Theater. She is also an Artistic Associate at the Bailiwick Theatre and About Face company member.

Alexandra will be riding in a classic car near the front of the Pride Parade on Sunday June 28.

Sources: Chicago Pride Calendar; Wikipedia

Who's that Queer?

Brought to you by Pistol Pete

Tennessee Williams was an American playwright who won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama for A Streetcar Named Desire in 1948 and for Cat on a Hot Tin Roof in 1955. In addition, The Glass Menagerie (1945) and The Night of the Iguana (1961) received New York Drama Critics' Circle Awards. His 1952 play The Rose Tattoo received the Tony Award for best play.

Williams' homosexual relationship with Frank Merlo, a second generation Sicilian American who had served in the U.S. Navy in World War II, lasted from 1947 until Merlo's death from cancer in 1963. With that stability, Williams created his most enduring works. Merlo provided balance to many of Williams' frequent bouts with depression and the fear that, like his schizophrenic sister Rose, he would go insane.

He gave American theatergoers unforgettable characters, an incredible vision of life in the South, and a series of powerful portraits of the human condition. He was deeply interested in something he called "poetic realism," namely the use of everyday objects which, seen repeatedly and in the right contexts, become imbued with symbolic meaning. His plays also seemed preoccupied with the extremes of human brutality and sexual behavior: madness, rape, incest, nymphomania, as well as violent and fantastic deaths. Williams himself often commented on the violence in his own work, which to him seemed part of the human condition; he was conscious, also, of the violence in his plays being expressed in a particularly American setting. As with the work of Edward Albee, critics who attacked the "excesses" of Williams' work often were making thinly veiled attacked on his sexuality. Homosexuality was not discussed openly at that time, but in Williams' plays the themes of desire and isolation reveal, among other things, the influence of having grown up gay in a homophobic world.