GAYLETTER

Max Steele is a 29-½ year old Brooklyn-based artist, and a modern-day renaissance man if ever there was one. Writer of the psychedelic porno poetry zine Scorcher, member of queercore goth rap duo B0DYH1GH, actor who’s graced La MaMa and LOGO TV, performance artist, and “go-go boy of the damned” at New York’s queer punk party QxBxRx, his is the boundless talent that inspires and sort of intimidates. His effortless charm, obvious intelligence and humor, however, make him refreshingly approachable – his cheeky smile practically jumps out from his words.

We got to chatting with him about his upcoming show, Mapplethorpe (pronounced MAPplethorpe, like a map), his final project as Artist in Residence at Brooklyn Art Exchange (BAX). The California-native talked about the show itself, his artistic inspirations, moving to New York and what we can expect to see from him in the future.

 
Hey Max, thanks for taking the time to chat with us! Your new show, Mapplethorpe, is just days away — how are you feeling? I feel equally thrilled and terrified. I’ve workshopped songs and stories from the show at various clubs over the last year, but I haven’t done the full show in front of an audience, and I think an important part of the show will be the presence and feedback from the crowd. I’m looking forward to it as a party.

First of all, you’re an actor, musician, go-go dancer, writer, poet — have I missed anything?  …

Abi and I went to the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center to see the ballet Snow White and Oh hell no! it was no Disney affair, I was like “Where the hell are the seven dwarfs? No Grumpy? No Sleepy?” Now seriously, Ballet Preljocaj‘s Snow White more closely resembles the mood and narrative of the 1812 German fairytale penned by The Brothers Grimm — it’s dark, mystical, delightfully evil and even scary at times. The ballet does feature all the classic elements, an amazing 40 ft. high magic mirror, the poisoned apple and a version of the glass coffin.

There is a powerful pas de deux with the catatonic Snow White and strapping prince that culminates in her revitalization that truly delights. Choreographer Angelin Preljocaj “focuses his story on the wicked Step-mother’s narcissistic determination to maintain her beauty and ability to seduce despite her advancing age.” Sounds quite modern to me. The music is intriguing with a score by Gustav Mahler interspersed with electronic music, sets by Thierry Leproust and costumes by none other than Jean Paul Gaultier. Don’t dawdle, you only have until Sunday’s matinee to see this show!

$25-$125, Performances through Sunday, April 27th, David H. Koch Theatre at Lincoln Center, NY, NY. …

The comedian and downtown ‘it’ boy Cole Escola just got elected to be our first ever out-of-the-closet gay president, well not really, but he has a brand new show on April 25th, that he’s performing at  The Duplex Cabaret Theater — the show is titled ‘The First Gay President goes to Paris.’ We think Cole would make a great president for this county, he’s funny, sweet, short, loves to wear many different hairstyles, loves to wear grandma dresses, has a nice walk and he happens to be gay. We had the chance to ask Cole a few political questions and we even managed to fit in to his very tight schedule an 18 minute photo shoot.

How are you going to become the first gay president? All I have to do is ask.

What American president do you hate the most? Millard Fillmore. I can’t STAND Presbyterians.

What would be the first piece of legislation you would enact? I’d re-build the Berlin wall.

Who would be the first man? Nobody. We need a single President way more than we need a President belonging to any other minority group. Spouses and children are an abhorrent distraction. The fact that nobody’s realized that makes me absolutely sick.

How did you come up with the idea for this show? I’d love to take credit for it but it was God’s plan, not mine.

Is anyone else in the show? Sort of.

How long do you think it will be until we get the first gay president?  …

Daniel Smith, the lead singer of TheSwimmingPools, wrote a play last year called ‘Fuck You, I’m Romantic‘ and he will be performing it for the first time, and one night only, on Tuesday, April 22 at The Wild Project. Daniel told us that the play is about “a man who wakes up one morning to find that his trash has returned, and it keeps returning… I’ve been telling people that it’s Groundhog Day meets Charlie Chaplin inside Samuel Beckett‘s apartment.”

Daniel has been acting, performing and dancing for years, but this is his return to a “proper” theater. “The real story is about waste and consumption and how we are placing ourselves in peril with our carelessness.”  The show is playing on Earth day, Daniel tells us to expect “a funny, weird, hopefully inspiring commentary on how we are all caught in a web of unnecessary waste and over consumption.” I totally agree with Daniel, there are too many assholes out there treating our planet like a garbage dump —  she will soon have her revenge.

$10 IN ADVANCE/$15 AT THE DOOR, 8:00PM, THE WILD PROJECT, 195 E. 3RD ST. NY, NY.

  …

Stephen Petronio has run his dance company for thirty years — no small feat in the demanding world of dance. We were fortunate enough to attend the stellar gala celebrating this momentous anniversary at the Joyce Theatre with a program that featured a new solo performce by Petronio called ‘Stripped‘ set to Philip Glass‘s Etude No. 5 with a costume intervention by artist Janine Antoni who sewed silk ties end to end that were wrapped around Petronio’s head then systematically unwrapped. For this piece, “Mr. Petronio loads himself with 30 gestures as well as a series of emotional states some recalled from his youth and with these materials he enacts his choreographic process onstage” — to great effect I may add.

Also on the bill is Petronio’s piece from 1999 ‘Strange Attractors Part l‘ a classic of sorts in it’s tension between chaos and order as well as the world premiere of ‘Locomotor‘ which is all about moving backwards — literally. The piece, which incorporates dancers moving backwards at break neck speeds with searing elan, has an original score by electronic/hip hop innovator Clams Casino and costumes by Narciso Rodriguez, with a peek-a-boo back. This collaboration works seamlessly as most of Petronio’s do, I say Bravo and look forward to thirty more years!

‘Strange Attractors Part 1’ Pictured: Nicholas Sciscione, Natalie Mackessy, Jaqlin Medlock and Davalois Fearon.

‘Locomotor’ Pictured L-R: Josh D Green and Jaqlin Medlock.

‘Locomotor’ Pictured: Barrington Hinds and Nicholas Sciscione. …

The 22 year-old from Monterey Rhyan Hamilton is currently in his final year at Marymount Manhattan College, where he’s studying Communications with a concentration in Creative Media. Speaking with him, it’s clear that Rhyan has a very clear sense of himself. He’s approachable, articulate and so passionate when he gets to talking about his upcoming project, I Want Them to Turn Black, that it’s impossible not to share in his excitement. The event, set for May 17^th, is a definite must. Hosted by Amanda Lepore, it will feature live sound by The House of Pain, a live-streamed performance by Lady Alchemy and the work of a number of New York City based artists.

We got to talking with Rhyan about his vision, his inspirations, and what we can do to help.

Hey Rhyan! Tell us a bit about yourself. First off, thanks for having me! I’m a fashion videographer, model, drag artist and Bay Area transplant based in Brooklyn. And curator, I suppose you could add to that list. And I’m also pursuing a rap career, but that’s another interview.

So, what is I Want Them to Turn Black? I WANT THEM TO TURN BLACK is a multi-media salon exploring Beauty, Monstrosity, and Fragility through the lenses of performance and new media. It’s a celebration really, of individuals who use their physicality to make art.

This interest in beauty, monstrosity — does it come from someplace personal? When I moved here from California in 2010, I never really had exposure to this kind of world — that manifests itself from standing out from everyone else. …