A Horn Pokes Prop 8 -- Theatre Secedes From California

There were more demonstrations against Prop 8 over the weekend, a tear in the fabric of the same sex marriage opponents' coalition and some lingering, judicious, Rodney King-like insistence that everyone just sober up and behave.

Maybe that's not a good choice of phrases, given that Rodney himself is a star on VH-1's Celebrity Rehab, where the doc who runs the program should actually be more embarrassed about the whole melodramatic mess than the growling, mumbling, weeping formerly famous patients he treats.

But moving back to real reality, the ongoing Prop 8 protest march has taken a new avenue, one with a little flair and even some sense of humor (all for that!).

San Francisco's Theatre Rhinoceros, which describes itself as "the world's oldest continuously producing professional queer theater," has seceded from California so that it can provide, Rhino director John Fisher told independent theater critic Chloe Veltman, "an extraterritorial state that recognizes, encourages and condones same sex marriage." So the company's main stage becomes something like the US Embassy in Syria, where people can take safe refuge in what they consider a hostile environment.

Not really. But not entirely kidding, either.

"This is a publicity stunt," says John Fisher, "but not for the theater. It's a publicity stunt for same sex marriage."

Rhino isn't living up to the ferocity of its emblematic, muscular beast. In fact Mr. Fisher has jumped on the more diplomatic wagon. The secession "is a way of making a statement without demonizing a certain group of people. There's a lot of hate speech out there about who as a group is responsible for getting the proposition passed. I think that's spurious."

While the act of separation from California "expresses our disappointment with the State (and the state)" of things here, "it's all in fun," says Mr. Fisher. "We will not, like the 1776ers defend our theater with blood. It's not that dramatic, it's theatrical."

It's only the main stage that's become it's own, independent territory, Rhino is quick to note. The rest of the theater premises remains a California entity for all those pesky things like taxes and business status.

So, there's only one thing lacking to make this production complete: a Governor of the State of Rhinoceros.

Given the current polling and possible wreckage of his campaign to run California, not to mention the appeal of what could be spectacular ceremonial robes and crown created by the Rhinercos props crew, I'd nominate Gavin Newsom for that job.

It all has a certain Marx Brothers, Rufus T. Firefly/Freedonia charming madness to it. And let's not forget, the motto of that fictional country was: "Land of the Spree, and the Home of the Knave". Seems like a great fit for our mayor.

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Comments

[BSERIUS]

so then the Fire Fighters and Police and Waste Mgmnt can leave them alone too