My Valentine to James Broughton & Poetry

This week marks the opening of the full length one-act production of "ECSTASY FOR EVERYONE: A Theatrical Celebration of the Poetry & Art of James Broughton"and I am indeed feeling ecstatic for it! James, I am ready to "beguile the rest of the world with the seductions of your frisky gospel"

It's been quite a year. It was last February when "Kitten" & David, the Radical Faeries from SF came to LA to promote the upcoming documentary film "BIG JOY: The Adventures of James Broughton". I knew I wanted to be involved in honoring James, but I didn't quite know just what I was getting into. But once I started reading his poetry, I knew there was a powerful piece of poetic theatre to be made. The blessing of James's partner Joel Singer, the guidance of Mark Thompson, the championing of filmmaker Stephen Silha, the coaching of Sky Palkowitz, and many others have come in to give this piece such loving wings.

So, February 14th may be Valentine's Day, but come February 15th I'll be sending up a vibration of love into the cosmos with the theatrically staged reciting of James Broughton's exquisite poetry.

Get your tickets NOW to experience the ECSTASY!
http://ecstasyforeveryone.brownpapertickets.com/

Saturday, February 15, 22, & March 1 @ 8pm
Sunday, February 16 & 23 @ 6pm 

Spirit Studio in Silverlake
3711 Evans Street (off Hyperion)
Los Angeles, CA 90027

"Come! Convalesce with me in the clarity of wonder 
Together we can dawdle in the hotbeds of heaven
And dance untrammeled in the palaces of wisdom!"

Ecstatic Alignment in ECSTASY FOR EVERYONE

“Bring your orbits into harmony - time to plant starseed in one another’s eyes”

5 performances begin Feb 15 - more info hiveworld.org

Counting down. 2 weeks until the opening of the show. Yesterday I had one of those “aha” moments as if my inner being had suddenly moved into some sort of cosmic alignment. I felt the harmony of my actions, saw the bigger picture of my life in play, and gained an appreciation for what already has been and an excitement for what is yet to be. I’m feeling the ecstatic bliss of working on ECSTASY FOR EVERYONE. Sure, there is a lot of work to do yet, but I’m feeling great about the show and my connection to the material. The more I rehearse, the more the words are taking root inside of me, and I feel that my life thus far has created a fertile landscape for its growth.

I have been swimming lately, and enjoying the way the movement in the water is making me feel. Admittedly I have been out of shape - enticed by many festive feast indulgences and using my busy busy activities as an excuse for not having enough regular exercise. But this show has activated me. I am indeed in a process of training, both the body at the gym and yoga mat, and in mind with the rehearsing and memorization. Creating a full length show of this scale is putting forth a good challenge to reach for. I think about the athletes training for the upcoming Olympics and the extreme amount of focus and discipline they manifest. Their dedication is why so many will be watching them in awe. Then of course my mind goes out to those who don’t have access or ability to the level of support and skill that Olympians do, and to all the people in Russia and other countries where being queer/gay has dire consequences. I feel very privileged in my life to live as open and free as I do. The community in LA is full of gay cultural riches. It may in fact, be too much and overwhelming at times, but right now I am in sincere appreciation for all those gifts. I feel that my creation and process of putting on ECSTASY FOR EVERYONE is making good on the opportunities I am granted.

from Arboretum/Ash 2006

And this show fits in so perfectly with the body of work I have already been doing over the past 13 years as a performance artist and 26 years as a multimedia artist (counting since age 13 when I got my first videocamera and made movies). I’m 39 years old and aware that the time is flowing by. I’m not a youngster anymore - there are certain things as a performer I just can’t do anymore (or at least not without aches and pains or other consequences). But this is exactly why I love working with James Broughton’s material - he is an eternally young trickster and his poetry is so utterly vibrant it brings out the inner child to frolic. In this piece I get to take all the years and various experiences of creating lush, sensual, homoerotic, fantastical, magical performance art and put it to use with the exquisite body of work that James Broughton brought forth into this world. It makes so much sense - the arc of my work over the years and now this piece of the cosmic puzzle allows me to appreciate and see the bigger picture.

from Cavafy's Caress 2011

I see connections to the show I did called “Cavafy’s Caress” - about the gay poet Cavafy. In fact it was because I did that show, that I recognized one could be created from James’s poetry. I see connections to my unorthodox spiritual cabarets - soulful singing and storytelling plays well with Broughton’s wise words - and I’ve even crafted three songs out of his poems. I see connections to my days in the Invisible Theater were we created some rather wildly amazing archetypal performances ranging from profound to campy for an intimate and mostly gay audience. I see connections to the various productions for Rachel Rosenthal or at Planet Queer/Queer Mondays/Phyllis’ Garage. It’s making sense to me, and I am in sublime appreciation of that.

from Confessional 2009

Sometimes I feel that I “should” be doing more for human rights around the world. It pains me to sit by while the world continues to mistreat and/or demonizes gay people. There are indeed amazing strides that have been made, but the battle is far from over. But I don’t feel I’m sitting by casually - I am incredibly active, and truly feel that I am doing my small part by creating a show like this, if nothing else because I can. And because it brings to life the words of a great man who deserves greater recognition in this day and age. And because it is so free and expressive of a show that celebrates sexuality and life, and will leave people feeling uplifted. My rehearsals for it are certainly bringing me to a euphoric state - it takes a lot out of me, but if it can be a fraction of as thrilling for those to see it as it is to perform, then hooray - that’s my little part to play in this crazy world we live in. I feel so utterly grateful for the opportunity to create and share this work.
Ok, back to work - only two more weeks - training, training!

“This is an alleluia of life - This is the humming of humansong.”

from Red Lights 2006

from Invisible Theatre Dreams & Desires 2006

from The Myth of Snowflakes 2005

A Taste of ECSTASY FOR EVERYONE from The Palm Springs International Film Festival

The richness of James Broughton’s poetry and films continues to surprise and delight me. It is now just three weeks to go before the LA opening of “ECSTASY FOR EVERYONE: A Theatrical Celebration of the Poetry & Art of James Broughton”.

I’m of course excited and nervous for presenting this new work and tribute to a fascinating figure, that the documentary “Big Joy: The Adventures of James Broughton” does so wonderfully in examining in depth. I was invited to perform a 10 minute excerpt from the show after screenings of the film at the Palm Springs International Film Festival and had a marvelous time. It was very energizing and encouraging to present a short section of the show to rapt and attentive audiences who just freshly witnessed James’s unique life on screen.

You can purchase your tickets for the show in advance at this link here:
http://ecstasyforeveryone.bpt.me/
Tickets in advance are just $13 for regular seats and $20 for VIP treatment, which includes reserved seats & a complimentary drink

with Stephen Silha co-director and producer of BIG JOY

Happy ReBegin 2014 Blissings!

Greetings!
Best wishes to you in this brand new 2014! Here’s hoping that the turn of another year finds you well and full of blissings in body, mind, spirit, and soul.

We always end the year with a flurry of activity (also known as the holidaze). In recent years I’ve found myself really desiring to turn within around this time of year, responding to the natural winter cycle and need to "hibernate".

January is one of the most fabulous months for carving out some personal space to ground oneself with intentions for the year ahead. Of course we can create resolutions, but it’s also a wonderful time to honor the previous year’s accomplishments and lessons learned from any set-backs or unfinished goals.



January is named after the Roman deity Janus, and you don’t have to believe in any kind of two-headed god, to contemplate the archetypal concepts and relevance that fresh beginnings have to our modern lives. Here is a link to a video I created last year about Janus Geminus for anyone who isn’t familiar with January’s historical roots.

What always fascinates me the most is how the month of January (and February) were once considered outside the measure of calendar months, a span of time in between the 1st month of March and 10th month of December, where people could cleanse themselves from the past year and prepare for the future. A time to stretch out, take care of our inner needs, and reflect upon the sunlight growing gradually longer each day (for the Northern hemisphere at least). It truly fascinates me how our modern societies measure of time is still based upon long gone cultures and evolved customs.

But now is the time for ReBegin. Renewal and rejuvenation. I wish you all generous amounts of time to cultivate and connect with your inner personal needs.

I took some time to cast reflection upon the year that was. For those who would like to join me on the journey of review, you can find me sharing some highlights here.

I took some time to gaze into the possibilities of the year ahead. Several exciting creative projects are in development and I look forward to sharing more about them over the course of the year.

The most immediate upcoming event that I am eager to share is the premiere of a brand new full length one-man, one-act show called “Ecstasy For Everyone: A Theatrical Celebration of the Poetry & Art of James Broughton.” I had no idea of the adventure I was in for when I set about creating a 10 minute piece for the after party of the “Big Joy: The Adventures of James Broughton” documentary premiere in San Francisco last June.

I became entranced by James’ poetry and knew that I had to bring an hour long performance of his words to life on stage somehow. The last two weekends of February and first one of March will bring the first incarnation of the show in Los Angeles as I prepare it for a gigs in San Francisco and beyond. More details about the show can be found here or in blogs to come!