Last night I performed Transfigurations-Transgressing Gender in the Bible at Imago Dei Metropolitan Community Church in Glen Mills, PA (about 15 miles outside of Philly). I had a diverse audience of about 45 people -- college students, Quakers, straight, bi, trans and lesbian, young and old. I took my time with the piece maintaining a gentle meditative pace. For the ending when I reveal the identity of the narrator, I had instructed the light tech to dim the lights. Then as the closing music swelled, I asked her to raise the lights to their brigthest intensity. With the music playing, I exited. Always (up until last night) at this point the audience applauds, I wait 5 seconds then come out to take a bow. Last night I exited and then nothing. No one clapped. They sat quietly as the music played. I stood back stage puzzled, baffled. Now what do I do? Wait? Go out anyway? And I wondered for a moment, Did they hate it? Did I confuse them? Offend them? Bore them into a coma? After what ...
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The movie brings up HIV/AIDS up a lot. This moves me because of the many family members and friends lost to complications due to the AIDS virus. My cousin Madeline, from Puerto Rico, died three months after she received Jesus. A lesbian and a long time heroin addict, she lived in the South Bronx. I remember how sweet the love of Jesus felt as we sat together on her hospital bed and prayed or read or just cried.
I worked in the Lower East Side's Alphabet City for years and would return every day to my West 81st Street apartment by Central Park. Living in NY gave me a glimpse of so many worlds. Having a mixed raced family (my cousins are all half-Italian and Puerto Rican or Black or Irish or Filipino) gave me an opportunity to experience many New Yorks.
I'm not sure how non-New Yorkers respond to Rent, but I remember the days when everyone loved someone who was dying and living with AIDS.
The musical for me is so much about loving well the people in our lives for the limited time we have them.
But once the first note started, I knew I was in for something special. Boy was I right! Someone said to me that I needed to have my "homo card" revoked since I had never seen it. This should count!
Thanks for all you do, Peterson. Talk with you soon!
David