Take Me to the Circus

(and Tell Me Everything!)

8.13. Saturday, downtown Manhattan.

When I was away from New York, I used to think about what I’d be doing if I was there. Seeing friends was always top of the list, but also because many of them are creatives and I love seeing them still strutting their stuff. I also planned to be adventurous and go out to parts of the larger metro area that I would scarcely recognize now; they’ve changed a lot. Far Queens, Far Brooklyn, out towards Far Rockaway and Riis Beach. I left but the city just kept going. I have a lot of catching up to do. I did go to the TWA lounge at JFK upon arrival back in NY, just to toast my return. It was swanky and retro and fun.

On Saturday, I had two events on the social-cultural roster, both involving old friends. First was Circus Amok, a wonderful political fete started way back when by Jennifer Miller. In the 90s, I was dating one of her best friends and I spent a lot of time with her buddies, including Scott Heron, as they dreamed up acts in Jenny’s Brooklyn loft. I could never walk on the tightrope she had strung across the space. Scotty works as a professional clown, and stilt walker, and he moved to Nola years ago. He was up here recently painting the sets for the show on Saturday. He’s also one of the old-new friendships that I rekindled in Nola.

The show took place in Cortlandt Alley and was paired with a queerish art show at Artists Space, Attention Line. The gallery has also carried on as a great space for new and known talents all these years. The show was about to begin I arrived, and I was happy to see people I haven’t seen in, well, since I left. Early aughts.

I said hi to Jen first. She was wearing one of her classic ringmaster outfits: a slightly tattered, wonderful white woulda-coulda-be wedding dress. She has been doing circus and performance forever and is a great juggler. Her full beard is as fab as ever and her long hair was flying around as happily as she was, greeting arrivals, smiling with joy. Circus Amok’s last show was in 2018. The troupe varies, but there are always new kids learning tricks and the OG performers like Scotty, though he wasn’t here for this performance. The group has made circuses about things like climate change and our failing democracy, using rings and balls and tricks and sleight-of-hand as metaphors for what’s happening in the political zeitgeist. But Circus Amok is also serious about providing old school circus thrills like juggling and acrobatics, and silly costumes. There are always kids who sit in rapt delight at their shows, like their parents.

 I sat on the curb in front of a familiar band of musicians, including Jenny Romaine, another 90s pal, and Jessica Lurie, Ben Meyers, Lee Free and Mary Feaster. The band played warm-up songs that sounded like a klezmer band crossed with a marching band. The little alleyway got crowded. I spied some 90s pals. We took a minute to recognize each other. Is that you? That is you. Wow. Hey! I was with Anthony Viti, an artist and old friend, and we met Henry Scott, who used to publish OUT in the 90s and moved back here recently after years in West LA. It felt like a family reunion.

The jugglers were so fun. I was happy to see the younger gen and genderqueer would-be clowns and roustabouts. The highlight for me was a sweet, and rather moving tribute to our friend and colleague Urvashi Vaid, the pioneering LGBTQ activist, who died recently. The performers recited her many accomplishments, while waving a banner in her honor. I thought, oh Urv would be so happy seeing this. All these young gender fluid kids carrying her social justice agenda forward. That was great.

After that, it was hard to take in the art in the gallery for me. But it’s a good show, quite varied, and up for some more days. Check it out.

In the evening, I met two old pals, both writers and journalists, Betsy Andrews and Jeanne Baron, for a screening of Girl Picture, a film by the Finnish feminist director Alli Haapasalo, at IFC in the West Village. The film has been circulating widely in festivals, and this was a NY premiere. Our old ACT UP NY pal and director Maria Maggenti, who moved back to NY maybe a year ago now after years in LA, was hosting a post-screening conversation with Alli. The film is about teen girls, including young lesbians. I didn’t know much about it apart from that it had a 100% Rotten Tomatoes score.

I quite liked the film and won’t spoil anything by telling you the plot. I will say that I felt tense watching it, because of the predominant narratives about possible doom, and rejection and bad things that can happen to young teen girls with boys and coming out and all the drama. I kept expecting the worst, which, Alli agreed, says something, doesn’t it? The tropes around lesbian love and desire are so often negative. The film offers good surprises in that way. It was fun and fresh.

After, Maria and Alli chatted with the audience about what’s changed since Maria’s 1990s lesbo coming-of-age film, Two Girls in Love. Maria sees Alli’s film as a successor, updated for the new sexual times of today. The audience agreed that the Finnish film offers an accurate take on female adolescence and that’s it great to see friendships between straight and lesbian young women as portrayed. We all agreed that we like the way teen kids drape all over each other, boys and girls, more intimate than in our youth, their sexuality looser.

After the film, we had some wine. We discovered a great little resto/bar in the West Village with two lesbian owners, The Commerce Inn, that Betsy suggested. She’s a poet and also writes about food and spirits, and travel, and knows all the good and secret foodie places. I indulged in a full glass of wine that, sadly these days, might lead to a next-day headache. I’ve developed an intolerance to alcohol these past years, which sucks, because I like my spirits, especially whiskey, though I was never a big drinker. But I felt like celebrating a little. We all chatted about how lesbians are still rare to see on the big screen, and how great it is to see the young generation blowing up the gender boxes. And we toasted to Alli, who is very pregnant, and also planning a new film. I asked Maria about moving back to NY. She bought a house on Shelter Island, but is in the city for the summer, writing. We plan a catch-up.

I woke up Sunday without any headache, a small victory. I thought about Urvashi, and the growing-larger legion of her fans, the Urvies, who continue to honor her life and share her message in art and politics. Today’s post is in honor of her. We all miss you, Urv, and we love you dearly. Cheers, everybody.

Photo Credit(s): ACD 2022