By Sister Dana Van Iquity
Sister Dana sez, “Have we all survived the DENAUGURATION (I can’t even use the proper word) of the Orange Ogre of Oligarchy & Plutocracy? Personally, I have not, and will remain in a democratic depression until it gets better.”
Meanwhile, art can help save us. Because ARTSAVESLIVES Castro studio and gallery presented yet another fabulous opening party at 518 Castro Street, hosted by studio owner, artiste extraordinaire THOMASINA DE MAIO with artists and entertainers culled from our local talent, and a bevy of beverages (wine, beer, soda, vodka punch) and bodacious bites (courtesy of handsome chef Mauro Brito)—all complimentary always. Over a dozen artists are displaying their craft all month long. Column space does not allow me to mention everyone, but I do have a few faves I want to call to attention. My two absolute favorites are MichaelStaleyDesigns.com with his stunning Swarovski crystals and Czech crystals meticulously embedded cow skulls, deer antlers, deer sculls, and a sparkling rainbow phallus; and GregoryConover.com with his amazing recycled wall hangings of a school of various fish, an Empire State Building, and an Eiffel Tower. I am thrilled to report that Jerry Frost has gone beyond his usual modern art mode to become an activist. For example, “American Indian Woman” stating, “Many women in the tribe raped by gold miners.” Irene Feiks has some lovely ceramic figurines on display. Michael Lownie (mlownie.com) has sculpted both large and very very small wall-hanging pieces, my preferred being “Freak Flag” and “Seeking Dali,” (with a tiny Dali twisted clock in hand) as well as his large colorful pieces of cartoonesque figures on canvas. Debbie Dorisal has an impressive head sculpture and a clever “Sisters” still life abstract painting. JohnstonPhotography.com is exhibiting some beautiful black and white photography.
Always included in De Maio’s magnificent reception parties is delightful live entertainment. Kristine Wilson—loud & proud dyke—emceed with a little comedy, saying, “You want a joke? Just picture me in a dress!” Whitney Moses gave a couple of sweet a cappelas for us fellas, and then a beautiful Amy Winehouse “Valerie.” Debbie Dorisal served up some super slam poetry with “A Soldier’s Fight.” Kat Marie Yoas—who has toured with Sister Spirit—took us via monologue along her journey from baby dyke to millennial lesbian. You may know the always incredible Alottte Boutte (real woman, stage name) from her many appearances at Beach Blanket Bingo. This night she favored us with a Janis Joplin belt-out version of “Take Another Piece of My Heart,” and then joined Whitney for a dazzling duet of the Roberta Flack “Killing Me Softly with His Song” torch song. What a way to end the night! It should be mentioned that De Maio also offers Every Tuesday 6–9 pm open mic/karaoke for anyone so inclined. Also, live models for sketching every Thursday, 6–9 pm. facebook.com/sfartslave
KREWE DE KINQUE (KdK) held our last festive fundraiser of the year at the Edge bar on Saturday, with current reigning KdK King Sergio and KdK Queen China Silk hosting the beer/soda bust. Many KdK members performed par excellence live on stage (just to name a few performers: King VII John Weber, China Silk, Marcy Playground, Imperial Prince Arthur, and Kelly Rose)—or sold raffle tix or Jell-o shots or staffed the door (that would be Door Diva Sister Dana). Krewe de Kinque was officially founded on Mardi Gras night, February 24, 2004, in San Francisco’s Castro district. It was on this date when a small group of us friends formed a fraternal organization, now known as Krewe de Kinque, to promote the culture and traditions of Mardi Gras celebrations worldwide while raising funds and awareness for charitable causes. We are a volunteer-based organization made up of individuals (straight and gay) who care about GLBT issues with an emphasis on diversity and inclusion. The Krewe’s diverse membership includes San Francisco GLBT community and business leaders, titleholders, members from San Francisco’s Imperial and Royal Courts, Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, the Bay Area Gay Rodeo Association, and the City’s leather, bear, and drag communities. All members embrace a commitment to serving the GLBT and greater community through volunteer efforts. Membership to the Krewe is by invitation to individuals who embody this same commitment to community service. Just e-mail us or meet us at one of our events to learn more about our club. KdK produces an authentic, charity masked ball (BAL MASQUE) annually shortly before the official date of FAT TUESDAY. A King and Queen are crowned at the Bal Masque and rein for one year. An annual TWELFTH NIGHT PARTY was held approximately 12 days after Christmas, and the new King and Queen were announced in a secret ceremony to the members only. This was a masked and costumed soiree that took place in the Castro. This year the fourteenth annual Bal Masque is entitled 14K GOLD and will be held on February 11 at The Cafe benefiting HOMOBILES. Also on actual MARDI GRAS TUESDAY, we always fill a bus full of revelers touring the gay bars with entertainment and refreshments galore. Both events are not to be missed! Tell ’em Queen VII Sister Dana sent ya! sfkinque.com
TONY VAGUELY (who was ill and could not be present in person—and with whom I can empathize fully, being in the strongholds of the demon bronchitis along with the rest us sickies) presented: “POE-POURRI 5“, Edgar Allan Poe‘s 208th Birthday Party Reading & Performance Art Shindig! Poe-Pourri returned for a fifth time this year to a new location at Dog Eared Books Castro. Guest Host and Master of Ceremonies was the always fantastic James Jeske, introducing the honored readers, dealing with raffle prizes, and offering free Poe birthday cake, nibbles & goodies, wine, and a total evening of fun! Featured readers were Johnny Ray Huston (journalist, artist & writer) with two moving poems (which he said were noteworthy during these totally terrible Trump times), “Alone” and “Dream within a Dream;” the incomparable Connie Champagne (SF’s legendary song bird and superb actress) actually SINGING Poe’s written onomatopoeia Bells with all the appropriate crescendos and decrescendos and tintinnabulation—brava!; James Jeske (artist and creative enigma) portraying an old-time radio host, Raymond DuPris (complete with past era commercials) enacting the terrifying 1849 short story excised Hop-Frog—with prerecorded sound effects and background mayhem to his two-character soap opera cast of creepies; Marilynn Fowler (KPOO radio host and actor) giving us the lovely haunting Annabelle Lee; and Russell Blackwood (of HYPNODROME fame—which venue alas and alack is doomed to leave us very soon) giving a shuddering re-enactment of the horrors of The Masque of the Red Death (which we enjoyed many months ago in its dramatic live form with Thrillpeddlers). This year’s Poe reading event promised to Fall like the House of Usher (get it?) on inauguration eve, and the theme was “fight horror with horror.” The event was free, but we passed the hat for donations to the AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION, which we will be desperately clinging to as the very uncivil ‘rump people dissolve our liberties one by one.
About 230 people packed the Stud for a night of communication and commiseration at TRUMPOCALYPSE, including Mark Leno, David Campos, Kimberly Alvarenga, and a diverse crowd of politicos, activists, and local personalities. The drink specials were “The Trumpocalypse” (Fireball whiskey, ginger ale and maraschino cherries), the “Nyet My President” (a white Russian with a thin orange skin garnish), and Moscow mules. Speakers were: former Assemblymember Tom Ammiano, David Talbot (new Chronicle columnist and author of Season of the Witch), Mia Satya (trans activist and newly elected to the Democratic Assembly), Yayne Abeba (activist and woman of color), 48 Hills editor Tim Redmond and publisher Marke B. Tom Ammiano had the crowd laughing with jokes about Trump’s obsession with his hand size and spray tan. David Talbot urged for unity and strength to face the incoming administration.
SISTER DANA SEZ, “SURE, THE COUNTRY IS GOING TO HELL WITH THE NEW ANTI-LIBERAL HEARTLESS REGIME AND THE PREDATOR-IN-CHIEF, BUT YOU CAN STILL ENJOY THESE UPCOMING GAY EVENTS!”
Please join the GLBT HISTORICAL SOCIETY for their new exhibition “BEARTOONIST OF SAN FRANCISCO: SKETCHING AN EMERGING SUBCULTURE.” Friday, January 27, 7–9 pm, The GLBT History Museum, 4127 18th Street. This is a new exhibition featuring the work of cartoonist Fran Frisch as a starting point for exploring the community of bears—a subculture that developed in the 1980s to celebrate older, larger, hairier, ruggedly masculine gay men who were largely excluded from standards of attractiveness in gay popular culture. The bear identity created positive self-images and an affirming subculture beyond the narrow concepts of gay masculinity and eroticism that prevailed at the time. The exhibition runs through May 2017 at the GLBT History Museum. $5 and free for GLBTHS members. glbthistory.com
“SILENCE! THE MUSICAL” is a musical satire of the scary creepy movie SILENCE OF THE LAMBS playing at the Victoria Theatre, 2961 16th Street, now through Saturday, February 25. A huge hit when it debuted at the New York Fringe Festival, Silence! The Musical went on to enjoy several successful runs, and it now makes its way to The Victoria Theatre in San Francisco. Created by Jon and Al Kaplan (music and lyrics) and Hunter Bell (book) as a parody of the 1991 Academy Award-winning thriller, this wonderfully fun and over-the-top spoof features Clarice, Hannibal, Buffalo Bill, and a singing chorus of tap-dancing lambs delivering outrageous songs and rapid-fire one-liners. In association with RAY OF LIGHT THEATRE, this hilarious CLOUD 9 production is really gonna slay you! silencethemusicalsf.com
RICHMOND/ERMET AID FOUNDATION (REAF) invites you to join cast members from the hit Broadway show “FINDING NEVERLAND” in a fun, musical, gender-reversal, cabaret-style show—BROADWAY BACKWARDS—where the girls get to sing famous Broadway songs usually sung by boys, and the boys get to sing the girl songs. For this one night only, cast members get to hang up their fairy dust and sing their hearts out along with special guests, comedian/Broadway star Bruce Vilanch, TV/Broadway star Jai Rodriguez and jazz diva Kim Nalley at Brava Theater, 2781 24th Street. reaf-sf.org
Their Most Imperial Majesties, Emperor Salvador Tovar and Empress Emma Peel, in conjunction with the IMPERIAL COURT OF SAN FRANCISCO and her Highness, Imperial Crown Princess EHRA AMAYA, invite you to celebrate UNITY, DIVERSITY AND LOVE through entertainment and a night of fun at DNA Lounge, 375 Eleventh Street, between Folsom and Harrison, on Sunday, January 29, doors at 5 pm till 9 pm. AIDS EMERGENCY FUND is the beneficiary of the Princess’ Gala, “ELEMENTS.” “We are facing great trials and tribulations in the LGBTQ community and this is the perfect time to show that we are united and we refuse to sink,” says Princess Ehra. “Through the toughest times, we choose to rise above. Our voices will be heard and our faith will never falter.” “United we stand, divided they get us one by one,” quote from Jose Julio Sarria, Absolute Empress I, The Widow Norton. aef-sf.org
Sister Dana sez, “As I witnessed on all the news channels regarding the Inaugural closing blessing of the Rev. Franklin Graham of the (anti-gay) Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, revvie dearest noted that the rain that fell that day was a Biblical blessing from God. Maybe he never actually read the Bible and that whole Noah’s Ark story with the flood killing almost everyone; because I tend to disagree, and I believe those were God’s very sad tears pouring down on the Trumpocalypse!”
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