By Mary Damiano

By Mary Damiano
Arts & Entertainment Editor
Gay Mormons are hot.
First there’s Steven Fales’s one-man show, “X’d: Confessions of a
Mormon Boy,” in which Fales details his excommunication from the
Mormon Church and his struggle with his homosexuality. The play is
on a nationwide tour. Then there’s “Angels in America,” in which one
of the main characters is a devout Mormon who struggles with his
homosexuality. The HBO film was a huge hit and walked off with lots of
Golden Globes. Now there’s “Latter Days,” in which a Mormon
missionary — yep, you guessed it —struggles with his homosexuality.
“I think there’s a mini-zeitgeist going on,” says C. Jay Cox, the
writer and director of “Latter Days.” “It’s interesting that people are
talking about it.”
“Latter Days” centers on Aaron Davis, a young man who leaves
his home for the first time to fulfill his religious obligation and be a
missionary for two years. While in L.A. he meets Christian, who lives in
his apartment complex. Christian makes a bet with his friends that he
can bed one of the good-looking Mormon missionaries and sets his
sights on Aaron. But neither expects the relationship to go as far as it
does.
Cox, who wrote the screenplay for the movie “Sweet Home
Alabama,” brings a unique perspective to “Latter Days.” He was raised
Mormon, as were the last five generations of his family. “After a while
it becomes an ethnicity,” he says. And Cox also struggled to come to
terms with his homosexuality. “For a long time, the Mormon Church
took the stance that there are no gay Mormons,” he says. “I think that
there are a lot of us who felt disenfranchised.”
While the film is not autobiographical, Cox says the film does
reflect some of his own experiences. Cox was a missionary, just like
Aaron in “Latter Days.” In fact, Cox got the idea for “Latter Days”
when he came across some photos of himself as a missionary. “I
thought, what if I could get the person I was then and the person I had
become in the same room? What would they say to each other?”
In “Latter Days,” the two main characters represent Cox at
different times in his life. Aaron, played by Steve Sandvoss, is the
young Mormon missionary struggling with
See LATTER DAYS on page Q2
www.ExpressGayNews.com • February 16, 2004 Q1
Q_COVERstory
The gay Mormon and the party boy
Spirituality and sexuality meet in ‘Latter Days’
LATTER DAYS from Q cover
his growing awareness of his homosexuality.
Christian, played by Wes Ramsey, is the L.A.
party boy, sweet, but eager to bed any
perspective conquest who comes along.
One of the most heart-wrenching parts
of “Latter Days” is how Aaron’s parents treat
him when they discover he’s been involved
in homosexual acts. His parents barely
tolerate him, and are disgraced by him. Cox
says that his own relationship with his family
depends on each family member’s
involvement with the Mormon Church.
“Some of them are pretty uncomfortable with
me, and some of them are very cool,” Cox
says. “I think some of them will see the film.
I don’t know about all of them.”
Of course any of Cox’s Salt Lake City
relatives will have to go elsewhere or wait for
the DVD in order to see “Latter Days.” The
city’s Madstone Theaters pulled the film from
its schedule two weeks before its release.
While executives at “Latter Days”
distribution company, TLA, say Madstone
caved into pressure from conservative
groups, officials at Madstone say the film
was pulled because it lacked cinematic merit.
“Latter Days,” which premiered locally at the
Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival,
has won awards from several gay film
festivals in Philadelphia, Los Angeles and
Seattle. “Latter Days” opens Friday, Feb. 20,
at several South Florida Theatres, including
the Gateway in Fort Lauderdale.
Sandvoss understands the religious
background of his character. He was raised
Q2
in a religious household and says there have
been times when he attended church six times
a week. “I didn’t have to fly to Salt Lake to
understand the dynamics of a family like
that,” he says.
Ramsey says that while he drew on his
own life to make Christian believable, he also
looked to his friends’ lives. “Christian is an
interesting person,” he says. “He fascinated
me from the very beginning because he is
very much seen as one thing at first and then
you realize there’s much more to it than that.”
The two actors, who are straight, had
no trepidation about playing a gay role. “I
was excited from the very beginning because
I realized it’s a wonderful story and it’s
challenging,” Ramsey says. “I was seduced
by the fact that I would get to do something
I hadn’t done before.”
“I felt like it was a miracle that I got the
role,” Sandvoss says. “It’s an incredible role,
really rich. If I hadn’t gotten a great vibe
from C. Jay, if it hadn’t felt like we really
connected, I might have felt differently. But
there was an immediate trust.”
Trust is a necessary ingredient to whip
up the sensuous, graphic love scenes in
“Latter Days.”
“It was tricky,” Cox says. “In a movie
where we’re talking about the possibility of
spirituality and sexuality coexisting, I felt like
it would be cheating if we backed off of the
sexuality of the story. The sexuality is built
into the story.”
In “Latter Days,” the sex is seen as a
transforming experience, with each character
www.ExpressGayNews.com • February 16, 2004
photo by Mary Damiano
Steve Sandvoss, C. Jay Cox and Wes Ramsey
learning something new about himself and
experiencing intimacy in a way he hadn’t
thought possible.
“I was much more interested in getting
the characters emotionally naked as opposed
to just showing off some skin, and the scene
is about that,” Cox says. “But at the same
time, sex can be a spiritual experience, and
I’d like to think that there is an element of
that in these characters.”
Sandvoss attributes some of the realness
of the big love scene to the fact that there
was a camera malfunction that day on the
set, allowing him and Ramsey lots of time to
rehearse the just-after-sex part of that scene.
“By the time we got to do the love scene, we
were already there.” he says. “It wasn’t like
we had to get nervous again.”
Ramsey and Sandvoss realize that
“Latter Days” could turn them into sex
symbols for legions of gay fans, a possibility
which they welcome. “I’m quite comfortable
with that,” Ramsey says.
“It’s like that ‘Sex and the City’ episode
when Kim Cattrall is trying to get this guy
started, and she says, ‘First you get the gay
audiences, and then everybody else
discovers you.’”
www.ExpressGayNews.com • February 16, 2004 Q3
Q_CULTURAL COCKTAIL By Mary Damiano
Porn in the U.S.A.
Jim McDonough goes for ‘Friction’;
Matthew Rush goes full-frontal
Writing Porn
Local writer Jim McDonough, who has
had nearly 70 of his erotic stories published,
has just added another anthology to his
credits. McDonough’s story, “Act of
Contrition,” appears in “Friction 7: Best Gay
Erotica,” the latest edition of the popular series.
“Act of Contrition” concerns a man’s steamy
encounter with a priest inside a confessional.
Although “Act of Contrition” appeared in last
year’s anthology “Saint & Sinners,”
McDonough, who is also the president of the
writers’ organization Lavender Writes, is proud
that he is singled out in the forward for “Friction
7.” Jesse Grant, editor of the “Friction” series,
said, “Jim McDonough continues the up-theass-of-the-establishment theme with a
scandalous confessional scene in ‘Act of
Contrition.’” The official release date for
“Friction 7: Best Gay Erotica” is Feb. 24.
McDonough also runs a really cool Web
site called QueerWriters.com, which lists
news, events, calls for submissions and
other useful stuff designed to keep gay
and lesbian writers informed. And for more
information on McDonough, visit
www.JamesMcDonough.com.
Making Porn
What can I say about “Making Porn,”
which runs through Feb. 29 at Cinema
Paradiso in downtown Fort Lauderdale? Well,
it does give the audience — 99.9 percent male
the night I went — plenty of yummy eye
candy. There’s full frontal to spare, and it
ends up being more of a shock when certain
actors actually appear clothed.
“Making Porn” centers on the gay porn
trade and begins in the pre-AIDS 1980s. Jack
Hawk, played by real-life porn star Matthew
Rush, wants to be a legitimate actor but makes
money on the side doing gay porn. When
his wife, Linda, finds out, she embraces
Jack’s sideline, and becomes his manager.
It’s an interesting dynamic to have a woman
goading a man into using his body for money,
even though he finds it degrading. It’s not a
nicer dynamic, just an interesting one.
Although it takes a while for the actors
— and I use the term loosely — to hit their
stride, they end up gelling nicely. In the
second act, the freewheeling attitude turns
somber when AIDS becomes a reality and
spoils everyone’s party, often tragically.
Although playwright Ronnie Larsen has
something to say here, this part of the show
is so rushed that the message gets lost in
poor pacing.
Q4
www.ExpressGayNews.com • February 16, 2004
If you’re looking for great plot and
originality, keep looking. But if you’re looking
to look at the sculpted naked bodies of some
hot guys, then “Making Porn” is the show
for you. For tickets, call 800-965-4827. For
more information, call 954-537-3181.
Curtain Up Awards
The great thing about the Curtain Up
Awards, which will be presented Monday,
Feb. 23, at the 26th Street Theatre in Wilton
Manors, is that it reminds us of how much
incredible local talent we have in South
Florida. Although there are usually only four
nominees in each category, this year the
Curtain Up committee upped it to five in order
to honor all the great work from the past year.
And of course, gay writers, performers and
gay-owned and operated theatres did
especially well. Just look at the nominees for
“Best New Work” — Both of Michael
McKeever’s plays last year, the comedy
“Running With Scissors” and the drama “A
Town Like Irving,” are nominated. David
Sexton is also nominated for his musical “It’s
a Fabulous Life.”
One of the most important things you
can do to help nurture our flourishing theatre
scene is to simply go to the shows and
support the theatres. You can start with the
Curtain Up Awards. It’s always a fun event,
with lots of high spirits and performances.
The reception begins at 7 p.m., and there will
be raffles for lots of terrific prizes. Best of all,
proceeds benefit the Theatre Audience
development efforts of the South Florida
Theatre League. Tickets are $20. To order
tickets, e-mail [email protected]
or call 954-568-9469. Tickets may be
purchased by mailing a check or money order
to Curtain Up Awards, P.O. Box 4901, Fort
Lauderdale, FL 33308. Come out and support
local theater.
Sophie B. plays Calliope
The folks at Calliope Fest, the women’s
music festival now in its third year, have
scored an especially sexy coup for this year’s
headliners. Adorable, bookish-looking Lisa
Loeb will perform Saturday, March 27, and
omnisexual siren Sophie B. Hawkins will close
the weekend Sunday, March 28. Calliope Fest
will be held at Young Circle in Hollywood.
The weekend’s entertainment features many
other popular women singers, including
Halcyon and the Diane Ward Band. Tickets
are on sale now. For more information, visit
www.CalliopeFest.com.
Heard It Through
the Gayvine
B y ffer
Ze
dy
n
A
Queers, Quotes and Quips of Interest
Everybody loves Florence
Florence Henderson, a.k.a Mama Brady, recently kept the crowd entertained at
Georgie’s Alibi in Wilton Manors. The showbiz veteran, in Fort Lauderdale for “The Florida
Follies” at the Parker Playhouse, sang, cracked jokes, asked some “Brady Bunch” trivia
questions and handed out prizes. When she asked what Mike Brady did for a living, about
100 guys in the bar shouted “architect.” Flo has proven to be the consummate professional.
She has shown up at appearances all over town, such as the Fun Under the Sun kick-off at the
Fort Lauderdale Museum at Art. Henderson always displays a gracious demeanor and looks
like a million bucks. The lady carries herself like a true star, and some of the younger
celebrities could learn a thing or two from her.
Linda’s loss to Luther and Richard
Luscious lesbian songwriter Linda Perry’s song “Beautiful” won Christina Aguilera
a Grammy for best female pop performance. But Perry lost the award of best song of the year
to Richard Marx and Luther Vandross for “Dance With My Father.” Vandross was the
evening’s sentimental favorite after suffering a near fatal stroke this past year, and delivered
a heart-wrenching speech via satellite. The R&B singer is widely believed to be gay himself,
but he has never addressed the issue of his sexuality publicly. When BET once asked Vandross
the question directly in an interview, he neither confirmed nor denied it, stating that he keeps
his personal life separate from his professional life.
Despite her loss, Perry looked the definition of rock and roll with a funky pinstriped
suit and her hair in an enormous Mohawk. Perry first found success in the music biz as singer
with the band 4 Non Blondes. Perry is now one of the hottest producers, songwriters and
collaborators in the music business today. Besides Aguilera, other acts she has worked with
include Pink, Faith Hill, Gwen Stefani and most recently Courtney Love on her new
album “America’s Sweetheart.”
New bar for North Beach boys
Karen Olin, owner of the popular Laundry bar in South Beach, is opening a new
watering hole called Boy Bar on Feb. 27. Olin purchased the old Bar 3 space on Normandy
Drive in north Miami Beach. Boy Bar will enhance the emerging gay scene of the North Beach
area, where two bars that cater to a gay clientele already operate.
Cox takes the stage
Michelle Williams is out, and Deborah Cox is in. On Feb. 17, Cox takes over Williams’s
role in the Broadway musical “Aida.” A source in New York says that a team of stylists and
designers are being put together to glam up Cox, and to mainstream her image. The dance diva
is already enormously popular with gay fans but has yet to hit it big with the general public.
Her handlers are hoping that help from big names in fashion like designer Marc Jacobs and
fashionista Andre Leon Talley will get her in the public eye.
www.ExpressGayNews.com • February 16, 2004 Q5
Q_CULTURALevents
2004:
Diaconate
Training
and
Certification Program — Light University, the
adult education program of the Sunshine Cathedral
MCC, has an ongoing program through which
interested individuals can prepare for the role of
certified chaplain, certified prayer practitioner or
certified community minister. For more information
or to receive a descriptive brochure and an
application form, please call Rev. Houts at 954462-2004.
Through Saturday, March 27: “Break the
Piggy Bank 50/50 Drawing” — This Sunshine
Cathedral MCC fund-raiser’s goal is to raise $10,000,
half of which will go to the bearer of the winning
ticket. However close to, or over-the-top of the
goal, the winning ticket holder will receive 50
percent of whatever is raised. Tickets are $25 each
and can be purchased from any Sunshine Cathedral
board member, in the Great Hall at the cathedral
between Sunday morning services or from the
cathedral’s office by stopping in or calling 954462-2004. The winner will be announced on
Saturday, March 27, at the Annual Cocktail
Reception of the Sunshine Cathedral Foundation.
The winner does not need to be present to win.
Through Monday, May 31: 2004 ACLU of
Florida Youth Scholarship Award — The
American Civil Liberties Union of Florida is
encouraging graduating high school seniors who have
been active leaders or participants in a civil rights
or civil liberties struggles to apply for the 2004
ACLU of Florida Norman Elliott Kent Youth
Scholarship Award. Each winner receives a grant of
$1,000 toward his or her college tuition. For
application information, contact Alessandra Soler
Meetze, ACLU communications director, at
[email protected] or 305-576-2337, ext. 16.
Thursday, Feb. 19: Sister Speak Open
Mike — All women are invited to share their poetry,
lyrics, music and performance art. $5 for supporters
and $3 for performers. All money collected goes to
women’s organizations. Pride Factory, 845 N. Federal
Hwy., Fort Lauderdale. www.sisterspeak.org,
954.772.0324.
Thursday, Feb. 19: Luncheon Meeting —
The Cities of Oakland Park and Wilton Manors
Chamber of Commerce is meeting for lunch at noon
at Thai Angel, 1672 E. Oakland Park Blvd., Fort
Lauderdale. Open to all interested businesspersons.
$15/members; $25/nonmemebers. Call Mike Levy
at 954-568-7755 with any questions.
Saturday, Feb. 21: ‘Building Bridges
Workshop II — UC Florida PAC presents free
political empowerment and community leadership
training. Includes registration, training, lunch and
certificate of completion. Workshops are:
“Community Mobilization and Empowerment” /
“Mobilizacion y poder comunitario” and “Lobbying
for change” / “Cabildeo para lograr cambio.” 9
a.m. - 4 p.m. at Unity Coalition’s Offices, 111 S.W.
Fifth Ave., Suite 205, Miami. 305-324-6393.
Saturday, Feb. 21: School Bullying
Prevention Seminar — 2 p.m. in the Bienes
Center Ceremonial Room, 6th floor of the Broward
County Main Library, 100 S. Andrews Ave., Fort
Lauderdale. The seminar, presented by Dr. Anne
Rambo, founder of SUPERB (Students United with
Parents and Educators to Resolve Bullying) and
Project YES, was devised to instruct teens, parents
and educators on what causes bullying and what can
be done to stop it. The seminar will feature
interactive exercises, multimedia presentations, and
student and parent guest speakers. For more
information, or to pre-register, call 954-357-7504.
Saturday, Feb. 21: ‘Creative Success
Works’ — This workshop provides specific tools
and techniques to enhance a writer’s creative flow.
Presented by Susan Schanerman, M.Ed., an author,
arts educator and creativity consultant. 10 a.m. – 1
p.m. at the Main Library’s Bienes Center. $40/
advance, $45/door. 954-357-7401.
Q6
www.ExpressGayNews.com • February 16, 2004
Thursday, Feb. 26: ‘International
Progressive Feast’ — This event is part of “The
Artful Dining Series,” which is designed to inspire
you and your palate as you dine surrounded by
artwork. The evening begins promptly at 7 p.m. at
the Broward Art Guild. Transportation to Las Olas
Boulevard will be provided. For information and
reservations call 954-523-4824 or inquire in person
at 530 N.E. 13 St., Fort Lauderdale.
Monday, March 1: Michaels and Dupree
Charity Benefit — Female impersonators, Azeliaa
Michaels and Destiny Dupree, unite for a special
benefit showcase at 9 p.m. at the Hideaway, 2022
N.E. 18 St. Free admission, two-for-one drink
specials, free food and 50/50 raffle. All are welcome
and encouraged to attend. All tips from the bar staff
and entertainers will be donated in full to a charity
organization. Join us in supporting struggling charity
organizations in our community. Call the Hideaway
at 954-566-8622 for event questions or directions.
Live Theatre and Dance
Through Sunday, Feb. 22: “Mamaleh! —
A new version of the off-Broadway hit musical tells
of the lifelong friendship between Jewish-American
women of different generations. The Broadway
Theater, 1455 S.E. 17 St. Causeway, Fort Lauderdale.
954-522-0274.
Music
Tuesday, Feb. 17: Italian American Music
Festival — 8 p.m. at Florida Atlantic University
Auditorium, 777 Glades Road, Boca Raton. 561297-3758.
Wednesday, Feb. 18: Hot Tuna — 7:30 p.m.
at Carefree Theatre. 2000 S. Dixie Hwy., West Palm
Beach. 561-833-7305.
Thursday, Feb. 19: The Four Tops —
Performing live in concert singing favorites such as
“Baby I Need Your Loving,” “Same Old Song” and
“Reach Out I’ll Be There.” 8 p.m. at Coral Springs
Center for the Arts, 2855 Coral Springs Drive, Coral
Springs. 954-344-5990.
Saturday, Feb. 21: Elvis Costello — 8 p.m.
at Mizner Park Amphitheater, 590 Plaza Real, Boca
Raton. 561-962-4109.
Saturday, Feb. 21: 2nd Annual Choral
Festival — The Fort Lauderdale Gay Men’s Chorus
performs at 7:30 p.m. at Sunshine Cathedral, 1480
S.W. Ninth Ave., Fort Lauderdale. 954-462-2004
Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 28 and 29:
Bette Midler — 8 p.m. at Office Depot Center,
2555 Panthers Drive, Sunrise. 954-835-8000.
Exhibitions
Saturday, Feb. 21 – Saturday, March 20:
Third Fine Arts Juried Exhibition —Featuring
paintings, sculptures and photographs. Opening
reception is Saturday, Feb. 21 at 6 p.m. Regular hours
are Tuesday – Saturday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Free
admission. The Schacknow Museum of Fine Arts,
7080 N.W. Fourth Street, Plantation. 954-583-5551.
Radio
‘The Norm Kent Show’ — Live from the
Floridian Restaurant on E. Las Olas Blvd., interviews
and commentary with Norm Kent. Weekday mornings,
8 a.m. – 9 a.m. on WFTL 1400 AM. The Call-In Line
is 1-866-432-1400. www.NormKentShow.com.
‘Bridging the Gap’ — Call-in talk radio show
dedicated to creating a better understanding between
the straight and gay communities, with host Rene
Bray. Sundays from 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. on WTAN
1340 AM. Live, worldwide broadcast at
www.TampaBayGay.com/BTG. 1-800-263-8559.
‘Issues Over the Rainbow’ — MarkyG hosts
this gay and lesbian early morning talk show. Sunday
mornings at 7:25 a.m. on PARTY 93.1 FM.
www.Party931.com.
Q_THEATERreview
Sisterhood on trial
Play explores betrayal among women
By Mary Damiano
Arts & Entertainment Editor
Can full equality ever be achieved? Is
complete solidarity possible? Or does human
nature get in the way?
These are some of the intriguing
questions explored in Carolyn Gage’s play
“The Anastasia Trials in the Court of Women”
presented by the Women’s Theatre Project.
The show is a fiercely funny exploration of a
women’s theatre group’s efforts to put
sisterhood before self-aggrandizement.
In the play, the Emma Goldman Theatre
Brigade has come up with a lottery system of
assigning roles, with each member drawing
her role from a hat before each performance.
While this is supposed to be an empowering
experience, the system means that everyone
must learn every part in the play. Also, Betty,
a stagehand, is forced to draw, even though
she doesn’t want to act, as is another member,
who’s too sick to perform.
This is the kind of delightful logic that
permeates “The Anastasia Trials.” Once
everyone has their roles, they begin the play,
a courtroom drama in which five women are
put on trial for denying Anastasia, the
youngest daughter of the last czar of Russia,
her identity. The betrayals of the women on
trial mimic the betrayal that go on in the
theatre brigade, as each member does what
she needs to either further her own agenda
or the mission of the group. The result is a
quirky mix of riveting drama, parody and
surreal comedy, in which the women in the
audience also play a part, by acting as judge
and jury and voting on the proceedings.
“The Anastasia Trials” boasts a talented
cast of nine women who dig into their dual
roles with gusto. Rebekah McCarthy
provides comic relief as the techie who can’t
remember lines and draws one of the biggest
roles in the show. Lela Elam scores a slam
dunk in a showy role as Amy, who’d leave
her sisters in the dirt for a paying gig.
Director Genie Croft keeps things moving and
allows her actresses to really let go in many
scenes, with a kind of barely-contained
chaos.
“The Anastasia Trials in the Court of
Women” is a terrific first production from The
Women’s Theatre Project, full of delicious
plot points, thought-provoking insights and
juicy acting.
The Anastasia Trials in the Court of
Women runs through Feb. 22 at the Old
Davie Schoolhouse, 6650 Griffin Rd.
Davie. For more information call 954797-1044.
Maximum_Volume
Pumping It Up with New Album Releases
Reviews By Andy Zeffer
Various Artists:
‘Lost in Translation Soundtrack’
(Emperor Norton)
It’s awards season, and Sofia Coppola’s
critically acclaimed hit “Lost In Translation” is
already a winner. Coppola grabbed a Golden
Globe as director for her film about two lonely
Americans in modern-day Tokyo. Now she is
the third woman in history to be nominated for
an Academy Award in the “Best Director”
category. The soundtrack to “Lost in
Translation” reflects Coppola’s vision, elegant
and dreamy. Coppola has an acute sense of
detail, and an ability to pick out the best in
hazed-out indie rock and sedate instrumental
lounge tunes. Her taste is beyond cutting edge,
the musical equivalent to a spread in Wallpaper.
Even with her first film, “The Virgin Suicides,” Coppola went with the coolest but most
obscure ’70s hits, instead of going for overplayed retro tunes.
There is a song by Air, whom Coppola used on “The Virgin Suicides” soundtrack; as
well as other instrumental acts, Sebastian Tellier and Squarepusher. Vocalist Kevin Shields
adds four perfectly blurry rock tunes. And the soundtrack ends with the Jesus & Mary
Chain classic “Just Like Honey.” This album is perfect chill out music.
www.ExpressGayNews.com • February 16, 2004 Q7
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www.ExpressGayNews.com • February 16, 2004