The Motherf*cker with the Hat

Former altar boy Troy Harrison is a 33-year-old man who’s on a quest for blood and glory. Well, not literally. Though he is a tenacious actor on a noble mission to bring the stories of a Puerto Rican New Yorker to life on the Sydney stage.

Harrison is both an actor and on the production team of upcomingplay The Motherf*cker With the Hat. The show delves into the mind of former addict Jackie (Harrison) and his drink-loving high school sweetheart Veronica (Zoe Trilsbach) as they navigate their rekindled relationship under the guidance of sponsor Ralph D (John Atkinson).

Harrison himself describes it a little more poetically: “In a nutshell, the play’s about real people. It’s about fidelity. It’s about trust. It’s about relationships. It’s about moving your life forward and figuring out the things that are holding you back … in a very funny, abusive way”. And, we imagine it’s also about a hat that seems to fuck everything up.

The play is fresh from a six-time Tony-nominated stint in the Big Apple and is now being revived by newly created company Workhorse Theatre Co.. Harrison points out that although this performance might not have Chris Rock or Bobby Cannavale as the leading actors, it still pulls its weight.

“Obviously when you’vegot something on Broadway and something from an independent production house in Sydney, Australia, there are going to be differences. Most of it’s going to come from budget. There’s a lot of things that they were able to do that we just can’t,” Harrison tells Vertigo.

“We’ve done what we can to create a believable world for the audience, but there’s no real difference [compared to the original production]. The people on Broadway did the same thing as what we’re doing – just trying to find the truth in the characters and go on from there.”

Holidays + #Instagram

Following a recent trip to Australia’s other top dog city in Victoria, I can safely say that I’ll never take my iPhone or Instagram account for granted again.

People laugh and poke fun at those who even have an account that’s not Facebook – that too was once laughed at and mocked – simply because they deem it uncool or, as some people tend to put it these days, is “for mere hipsters and not us mortal folk.” Yes, I’m almost certain I didn’t just make that up in my head.

There’s a particular joy that comes with having the ability to achieve photographer genius in under 27 seconds with the use of another glorious Apple product. And then receiving a bulk of ‘likes’ from people who appreciate/admire your creative efforts is just the cherry on top.

Melbourne was a highly Instagrammable city (that too is something I don’t think I just made up), where delights and a European-style sense of street life paved the way for my photographic prowess as I captured all of the most glorious moments for the entire Instagramming public to see.

Out in Australia’s armed forces

While the United States only recently ended its Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy on gays in the military, Australia has allowed gay men and lesbians to serve openly since 1992.

Over the years, the Australian Armed Forces are becoming more and more socially accepting of those who are part of the queer community, active service people tell us. A tough battle for acknowledgment and equal treatment has finally resulted in a happier and healthier working environment.

Three service people of the armed forces who are members of DEFGLIS, the Australian Defence Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex information service, were kind enough to open up to Same Same about their time serving the sunburnt country thus far.

Born in Brisbane, Flight Lieutenant Nathan White (pictured above) has been in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) for just under a decade and hasn’t yet reached his highest potential. He tells us he has big plans for the coming years on the job.

White has wanted to fly since childhood, he explains. “I have since I flew the first time when I was seven years old and then I found out about Defence at about age 13 or 14, so I knuckled down, studied hard and got in.

“I did three years at university and then two years of flight training to get my wings. From there, operational conversion is six months. So, total that up and 5 ½ years later and you’re a qualified pilot,” he explains.

“I would like to be a flight commander. I think that would be really rewarding. I guess that’s my goal for the next five years with the next promotion.”

Why pulling a Monty Burns isn’t so bad…

With the horrible exception of the recent flooding dilemma* that’s sweeping across our sunburnt nation quicker than the chicken pox in a kindergarten classroom, the ‘bad’, rainy weather in Australia isn’t all that disastrous.

This here is however a direct reference to one Mr Monty Burns, a kind hearted character from everybody’s favourite primetime animated comedy series, Le Simpsons. What kind of man would show the slightest sense of evil if he still enjoyed the accompaniment of his teddy bear Bobo?

There was an episode a good few seasons back that put a spark in everyone’s eye brighter than lightning in a thunderstorm. Remember when Maggie got all ghetto and shot Monty after he abused his power? I’m talking about that occasion.

Blocking out the sun was a fabulous idea. I’m sure people all over the world in Arab nations and desert states were in full agreement that there are times in our summer periods when all we want to do is push a shiny red knob and have instant, controllable shade. There are miniature, more private alternatives in Australia which are known as pergolas and awnings, though they couldn’t possibly do the trick if we want to lay on the beach or bicycle through the breeze at Bronte without risking higher rates of sunburn, or worse, skin cancer.

Gillard makes deal with Christian Lobby again

The Prime Minister has assured conservative faith-based institutions that they’ll still be able to turn away gays and lesbians under proposed new anti-discrimination laws.

Under current law, government funded religious schools and hospitals have the privilege to turn away teachers and students from their institutions for not sharing their beliefs.

The Sydney Morning Herald reports that Julia Gillard and her Labor Party cohorts met up with the head of the Australian Christian Lobby, Jim Wallace.

“She has no intention of restricting freedom of religion,” says Wallace in regards to the legal rights of religious groups when hiring and firing.

The PM previously promised Wallace she would protect the institution of marriage as being between a man and a woman, as discovered in a filmed interview prior to her election in 2010.

The NSW Government has made a submission to the Human Rights and Anti-discrimination Bill 2012that proposes that the current law remain intact, continuing to provide a religious exemption for institutions who wish to dismiss staff and students who don’t stand on the same moral ground.

Sydney MP Alex Greenwich has announced that he will write to the PM “seeking her justification for allowing publicly funded religious providers free-range to discriminate against groups including gay and lesbian Australians.”

“The Prime Minister has a duty to protect those affected by discrimination, not those practising it,” he says.

“By allowing hospitals and schools to practice discrimination, the Prime Minister is supporting breeding grounds for homophobia.”

Greenwich will also request that Gillard meet with any who are suffering “as a result of the discriminatory practices of tax-payer funded religious service providers.”

Attorney-General Nicola Roxon released the draft bill late last year and received more than 3,000 submissions in response. The bill will mesh together five separate pieces of legislation into a single Act, aiming to strengthen protections for sexual orientation and gender diversity under federal law.

Openly-gay federal Finance Minister Penny Wong will push the bill through parliament. Once the bill is passed, older LGBTI and gender diverse people will no longer be discriminated against and refused refuge in aged care homes based on their sexuality and gender orientation.

Jim Wallace has made the Australian Christian Lobby’s view clear, but a wide range of other religious denominations have not yet stated their position.

 

Originally posted at SameSame on 16/01/2013

Queer Vertigo 2012 Preview

Super Awesome! filmmaking duo for marriage equality

It’s not just LGBTI filmmakers getting in on the crowdfunding craze – these two straight guys are hoping their Super Awesome film gets the green light to help promote marriage equality.

With actress Jane Turner of Kath & Kim fame volunteering her time and talents in support of the film project’s trailer, Australian actors Guy Edmonds and Matt Zeremes have come a long way in their ten years of mateship.

The two contemporary thespians first met when they starred in London and Australian productions of Holding the Man together back in 2002, delving into issues surrounding the love and death of two men with HIV, as based on Timothy Conigrave’s memoir.

They’ve dubbed their forthcoming musical comedy film Super Awesome! and have already been noticed in the USA in various media outlets – their trailer containing mock interviews with A-list celebrity interviewers such as Ellen and Graham Norton was an attention-grabber… there’s even Molly Meldrum.

Utilising crowdfunding giant Indie Gogo, they’ve described the film as “being about a couple of down and out buds, Mark and Gary, given one last shot of achieving their dreams.”

The two oddball characters in the movie are aiming to host the opening night of a massive international film festival on a budget of $250,000.

“It’s Rocky meets SuperBad set against the hilarious backdrop of two straight guys doing their best to write a musical about an issue they know nothing about – gay marriage,” they enthuse.

Speaking of something dear to him after he became close with a number of people following Holding the Man, Edmonds was recently interviewed by UK LGBTI news outlet Gay Star News, stating he thinks gay marriage is “one of the last great human rights issues facing the Western world’ but he and Zeremes decided to deal with it through ‘humour and entertainment as opposed to making a hard-hitting documentary.”

The two-person team has set a budget of $50,000 to be raised by December 31 this year so they can fly to England in January 2013 and commence filming of the final scene in London’s West End. Edmonds and Zeremes have already shot all the Australian scenes.

“The film speak about it’s [Marriage Equality’s] suckiness but does it through humour!”

Here’s hoping these two crazy cats have got some avid fans to help them reach their goal on time.

Watch the goofy trailer starring the actress behind your favourite curly-haired Aussie housewife by clicking here.

 

Originally posted at SameSame.com.au on 05/12/2012

The seven deadly things that’ll ruin your summer

If you have a good think, there’s probably a range of things that you could insert into your own list regarding things that always destroy your summer plans. Here’s guessing however that the seven things below have most likely ended up on your own lists at one point. So have a flick through whilst sipping that cocktail- it may very well be your last.

1. Flies

They’re the scum of all insects. At least ants seem cute and live in some sort of a family. Flies insist on buzzing around the barbeque as if you were cooking up roadkill found on a highway strip in Indiana. As one of mother nature’s most deathly creatures, I do wonder their point of existence. They’re the typical summer nuisance and not enough fly spray in the world could get rid of the colony dwelling in my backyard. Not even our dear friend Louie the Fly could be killed with ten tins of Mortein…

2. Bindies

Something resembling a flower with a sting like a bee, these weeds are the dread of shoeless children the country over. More ferocious than a wasp’s point, messing around in the garden was more of a torture than a treasure come summertime. Break out the weedkiller before you dare go barefoot on your own front lawn.

3. Old ‘tin-can’ trains

It’s just a shake, a rattle, a roll. That’s all there is to it for a typical ride on a K, C or V set train carriage on the Cityrail network. Tin cans until they hit the scrapyard or are transformed into a gimmicky tourist attraction in Eveleigh, these trains are noisy, airless time-sucking monsters. The asian megacities Hong Kong and Tokyo look down on Sydney’s train fleet in utter dismay, incredibly confused as to how the Fat Controller running Sydney Trains just can’t place an order for some more air-conditioned people movers. Gladys Berejiklian certainly has her work cut out for her when it comes to “fixing the trains”. Good luck, love, good luck.

4. Mosquitoes

Time to prepare your shopping trolley for copious amounts of Air-raid and anti-itching cream, because as the sun goes down and the moon comes up, so do a million of your worst nightmares en-masse. Mosquitoes are notoriously spiteful the world over. Blood-sucking demons known to spread malaria, they swarm underneath Australian patios and pergolas, waiting to strike with the swiftness of a ninja on steroids. Move over Edward Cullen, it’s time to mesh up the fly screens because these suckers are coming for your delicious blood.

Review of The Histrionic (Der Theatermacher)

The Histrionic is a deliciously devilish spin on the inner (and outer) most thoughts of every uber-egotistical actor to date. Served with generous lashings of frittata soup and performed to a tea by headliner Billie Brown, the Malthouse/Sydney Theatre Company collaboration will have the dullest of theatregoers giggling like Japanese schoolgirls.

Set solely in the inn of a rustic Austrian town named Utzbach, with a pigsty and numerous mentions of blood sausage to boot, actor Bruscon (Brown) struggles to patch together a workable performance of his ‘worldly masterpiece’, The Wheel of History.

Brown’s performance as self-indulgent Bruscon is exaggerated perfection, ringing true for an eccentric playwright who declares himself the greatest in “the history of the world.” Bruscon consistently critiques his family’s acting abilities and nitpicks at his wife’s ailing predicament (she’s allergic to the smell of pigs), drawing a fine line between narcissism and his misogynistic fanfare. Through and through, his brash personality is complimented with the supporting cast’s fine accompaniment.

Barry Otto sidelines as the twitching, terror-filled innkeeper, aiming to please his tempestuous guest. His performance was enriched by his wife and daughter’s humorous country-bumpkin background shenanigans, yet the entire play succumbs to Brown’s hedonistic, attention-grabbing monologues – a guilty eye-opening, hate-filling pleasure for all.

Writer Thomas Bernhard innocently criticises his Alpine motherland with insults ranging from a light-hearted attack of Austria’s ignorant infatuation with Hitler to the lack of culinary delights. Marg Horwell’s set design and Daniel Schlusser’s directorial skills shine through in the effectiveness of staging rampant familial chaos.

Tickets are well worth the student-friendly price tag. So save up the moolah for a cultural night on the town and rather than those extra puke-inducing vodka shots, consider a pre-performance cocktail at the Wharf Bar. Because we all enjoy being that little bit classy.

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★
By Ryan Auberson-Walsh

This review was first published online at the Vertigo Magazine website.

Silly Billy

Those moments when you decide to throw yourself in the deep end for a better outcome in the long run…. Well, Ah McCain, I’ve done it again.

This time however will definitely be advantageous to my future welfare though. I’ve taken on three different editorial positions on top of regular paid work and my university studies, so I’ll be a busy bee this coming semester. I am awfully excited about one of the publications though. It’s titled Querelle and is an annual magazine that coincides with a university-based conference for queer-identifying people called Queer Collaborations. This year at the conference James Wilson and I put in a bid for UTS (my university; University of Technology, Sydney) to run the editing and creative process. Thankfully we won the bid and have now got an opportunity to let our ideas flourish in the public eye!

So, with a fleeting request, I’d love for people to contribute in any way they possibly can. It would be best if you were living in Australia to understand the bulk of content we wish to produce, but we’re looking for international talent as well to provide a voice of what’s happening around the world. 

We’re looking specifically for journalists, writers, artists and photographers to send in their work that is based around queer-identifying people, or illustrates an insight into queer issues. The magazine launch won’t be till July 2013, but we’re hoping to receive timeless submissions within the coming months so the editing process can get underway! If you’re keen and would love to ask any further questions or send in a submission, simply email querellemag@gmail.com

Can’t wait to read some bold and beautiful work focussing on the LGBTIQ community of Australia.

Regards,

Ryan