Event: To Bitter and Back Benefit Performance

Date: Saturday, May 21
Time: 20.00 - 23.00
Place: Space 916
916 N. Formosa Ave.
West Hollywood, CA

From the writer of "Naked Boys Singing" and star of "When Pigs Fly", David Pevsner, comes his "LA Weekly" nominated one-man musical.

All proceeds will benefit the completion funds for the documentary film, Corpus Christi: Playing with Redemption.

For more information and to make reservations, please visit our website http://www.corpuschristi-themovie.com/to-bitter-and-back.html

Corpus Christi by Terrence McNally
Paperback: 128 pages
Publisher: Grove Press; 1st edition (March 8, 1999)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0802136354
ISBN-13: 978-0802136350
Amazon: Corpus Christi

Named one of the best plays of the year by Time magazine

The New Yorker has called Terrence McNally "one of our most original and audacious dramatists and one of our funniest." He is the author of such critically acclaimed plays as Love! Valour! Compassion!, Master Class, The Lisbon Traviata, and Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune. In Corpus Christi McNally gives us his own unique view of the story of Christ, and in doing so provides us with one of the most vivid and moving passion plays written. McNally's play is an affirmation of faith and a drama of such power and scope that it has been hailed by audiences and critics alike as one of his best and most poignant works to date.

"One of McNally's best, most moving and personal works . . . His updating of the Christ story is witty but not patronizing, as sober and cleansing as a dip in baptismal water."-Richard Zoglin, Time

"Corpus Christi provides a frequently fascinating experience. . . . [It] explores a quest for faith by a segment of the population-homosexuals-that has for centuries been excluded and condemned by the pious God-fearing."-Erik Jackson, Time Out New York

"Terrence McNally's controversial new play is a moving, perhaps even spiritual experience."-Dick Schaap, ABC World News

Terrence McNally won Tony Awards for Love! Valour! Compassion! and Master Class as well as Tony Awards for Best Book of a Musical for Ragtime and Kiss of the Spider Woman. In addition, Love! Valour! Compassion! won the Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, and New York Drama Critics' Circle awards for Best Play. McNally has received two Guggenheim fellowships, a Rockefeller grant, and a citation from the American Academy of Arts and Letters.

Event: To Bitter and Back Benefit Performance

Date: Saturday, May 21
Time: 20.00 - 23.00
Place: Space 916
916 N. Formosa Ave.
West Hollywood, CA

From the writer of "Naked Boys Singing" and star of "When Pigs Fly", David Pevsner, comes his "LA Weekly" nominated one-man musical.

All proceeds will benefit the completion funds for the documentary film, Corpus Christi: Playing with Redemption.

For more information and to make reservations, please visit our website http://www.corpuschristi-themovie.com/to-bitter-and-back.html

Corpus Christi by Terrence McNally
Paperback: 128 pages
Publisher: Grove Press; 1st edition (March 8, 1999)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0802136354
ISBN-13: 978-0802136350
Amazon: Corpus Christi

Named one of the best plays of the year by Time magazine

The New Yorker has called Terrence McNally "one of our most original and audacious dramatists and one of our funniest." He is the author of such critically acclaimed plays as Love! Valour! Compassion!, Master Class, The Lisbon Traviata, and Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune. In Corpus Christi McNally gives us his own unique view of the story of Christ, and in doing so provides us with one of the most vivid and moving passion plays written. McNally's play is an affirmation of faith and a drama of such power and scope that it has been hailed by audiences and critics alike as one of his best and most poignant works to date.

"One of McNally's best, most moving and personal works . . . His updating of the Christ story is witty but not patronizing, as sober and cleansing as a dip in baptismal water."-Richard Zoglin, Time

"Corpus Christi provides a frequently fascinating experience. . . . [It] explores a quest for faith by a segment of the population-homosexuals-that has for centuries been excluded and condemned by the pious God-fearing."-Erik Jackson, Time Out New York

"Terrence McNally's controversial new play is a moving, perhaps even spiritual experience."-Dick Schaap, ABC World News

Terrence McNally won Tony Awards for Love! Valour! Compassion! and Master Class as well as Tony Awards for Best Book of a Musical for Ragtime and Kiss of the Spider Woman. In addition, Love! Valour! Compassion! won the Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, and New York Drama Critics' Circle awards for Best Play. McNally has received two Guggenheim fellowships, a Rockefeller grant, and a citation from the American Academy of Arts and Letters.

Shying Away by Kate Sherwood

I was a little worried starting this book since I was thinking that Quinn’s quest to find Aaron a good boyfriend, where good was not him, would have implied that for most of the story Quinn and Aaron would have been apart. But don’t worry, that is not the case and so the story worked for me even better.

When the reader is introduced to Quinn he is not doing a really good impression, he is not only promiscuous but also trying his best to appear detached and uncaring; true, he is reflecting a bit the attitude of who is in front of him, and indeed as soon as he meets Aaron, the attitude changes a little: when Quinn finds out that Aaron is a 22 years old guy trying to loose his virginity to a stranger, Quinn self-proclaimed himself Aaron’s protector and love affair’s counsellor, and decides that, since he, or other men like him, are not good for Aaron, he would help him finding the right boyfriend.

For the matchmaking skill of a common friend, Quinn goes to work for Aaron’s family horse farm, and here the difference in upbringing between Quinn and Aaron, and the reason why they are also so different as adult, comes clear: Aaron has the full support of both his parents than big brother, not only that, they are pushing him towards Quinn. And truth be told, even if Quinn continues to brushing him off, Aaron is totally into Quinn and no other alternative seems to work.

There is a light dose of drama, nothing really big, and the average tone of the story is light and sweet romance; the relationship between them is, from the beginning, really good, with Quinn who is able to read Aaron’s hidden desires to find a soul mates and having a romance and not only sex. On this regard, Quinn was right to deny Aaron, to refuse to have a one night stand with him and to forbid him to have it with someone else. Even when they move to the sex, still the tone is more sweet romance than fully erotica.

Aaron is really naïve, but not in a bad way; he is simply born and rise in a loving family, and as such he is open to the world and has a friendly attitude towards everyone. I don’t know what could happen if he was really faced with the big bad world, maybe the strength he derives from his own family would help him to face the challenge, but in any case, that is not happening, and Aaron will obtain his true heart desires.

http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=2271

Amazon: Shying Away
Amazon Kindle: Shying Away
Paperback: 240 pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (April 11, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 161581938X
ISBN-13: 978-1615819386

Reading List:



http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bottom.php?tag=reading list&view=elisa.rolle

Shying Away by Kate Sherwood

I was a little worried starting this book since I was thinking that Quinn’s quest to find Aaron a good boyfriend, where good was not him, would have implied that for most of the story Quinn and Aaron would have been apart. But don’t worry, that is not the case and so the story worked for me even better.

When the reader is introduced to Quinn he is not doing a really good impression, he is not only promiscuous but also trying his best to appear detached and uncaring; true, he is reflecting a bit the attitude of who is in front of him, and indeed as soon as he meets Aaron, the attitude changes a little: when Quinn finds out that Aaron is a 22 years old guy trying to loose his virginity to a stranger, Quinn self-proclaimed himself Aaron’s protector and love affair’s counsellor, and decides that, since he, or other men like him, are not good for Aaron, he would help him finding the right boyfriend.

For the matchmaking skill of a common friend, Quinn goes to work for Aaron’s family horse farm, and here the difference in upbringing between Quinn and Aaron, and the reason why they are also so different as adult, comes clear: Aaron has the full support of both his parents than big brother, not only that, they are pushing him towards Quinn. And truth be told, even if Quinn continues to brushing him off, Aaron is totally into Quinn and no other alternative seems to work.

There is a light dose of drama, nothing really big, and the average tone of the story is light and sweet romance; the relationship between them is, from the beginning, really good, with Quinn who is able to read Aaron’s hidden desires to find a soul mates and having a romance and not only sex. On this regard, Quinn was right to deny Aaron, to refuse to have a one night stand with him and to forbid him to have it with someone else. Even when they move to the sex, still the tone is more sweet romance than fully erotica.

Aaron is really naïve, but not in a bad way; he is simply born and rise in a loving family, and as such he is open to the world and has a friendly attitude towards everyone. I don’t know what could happen if he was really faced with the big bad world, maybe the strength he derives from his own family would help him to face the challenge, but in any case, that is not happening, and Aaron will obtain his true heart desires.

http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=2271

Amazon: Shying Away
Amazon Kindle: Shying Away
Paperback: 240 pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (April 11, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 161581938X
ISBN-13: 978-1615819386

Reading List:



http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bottom.php?tag=reading list&view=elisa.rolle

Man Candy Day: Bassili Hendy

Bassili Hendy, 30 years old, is the latest addition/addiction to Dylan Rosser's website, The Male Form. And he is another full frontal exclusive.

Basil is based in Toronto and Dylan Rosser was in Los Angeles when they did this photoshoot. It was February and the thought of going somewhere so cold to shoot was not appealing to Dylan, BUT it turned out Basil was heading to Miami for a vacation so they decided to meet up there instead.



( more pics )

Bassili is a very sweet, laid back guy and it was his first time doing a full frontal shoot. He seemed to find the experience quite liberating and they got some cool shots. Afterwards they went for a walk on the beach and then some lunch. Pity all shoots don't end that way. (Dylan's own words ;-) )

Man Candy Day: Bassili Hendy

Bassili Hendy, 30 years old, is the latest addition/addiction to Dylan Rosser's website, The Male Form. And he is another full frontal exclusive.

Basil is based in Toronto and Dylan Rosser was in Los Angeles when they did this photoshoot. It was February and the thought of going somewhere so cold to shoot was not appealing to Dylan, BUT it turned out Basil was heading to Miami for a vacation so they decided to meet up there instead.



( more pics )

Bassili is a very sweet, laid back guy and it was his first time doing a full frontal shoot. He seemed to find the experience quite liberating and they got some cool shots. Afterwards they went for a walk on the beach and then some lunch. Pity all shoots don't end that way. (Dylan's own words ;-) )

Taking Chances by Parker Grey

If I remember well, when Dark Roast Press was launched it focused on the dark edge of romance, and I had the wrong idea that they stuck to that; so when I picked Taking Chances, one of their last releases, I was really expecting to read a “dark” romance, maybe about some psychic tarot cards reader who corrupts an innocent baker… Well Taking Chances is not exactly about that, even if there is a tarot cards reader, Elijah (but he is not a psychic) and there is a baker, Gabriel (but he is not so innocent after all).

Gabe is a successful gay guy; he is 27 years old, already owner of his business and he is quite handsome: I liked that he was overtly beautiful, but more on the upper side of average, built but not fat, with a small pot belly starting, Gabe gave me the idea of a self-assured guy, able to give comfort but also passion to the right guy. Of the two who was really in need of a mainstay is Elijah: recently moved to Maine from a southern state, Elijah has still big issue of self-esteem to solve and he really doesn’t seem able to care for his own. He is scared by Gabe, I think he used the excuse of a tarot card reading he received to explain why he tried to push Gabe away at the beginning, but I think the real reason was that he wasn’t ready to face a relationship with someone who seemed so accomplished, someone who had already understood the fact of life. Truth, Gabe is not trying to push Elijah, or to make him a different guy, but that is beyond the point, Elijah needs to learn trust and love by himself.

This is basically a modern romance; the gay issue is there, in the past of one of the character, but after all our heroes are pretty free to enjoy their love; not only they have good friends by their side (Nate for Gabe and Annabel for Elijah, two characters I would have seen well together), but also Gabe’s family is supporting, so supporting that I actually had to check that Maine is not one of those states allowing same-sex marriage, since I was really seeing Gabe’s mother bent upon the idea to organize her own son’s marriage.

I also liked the setting, a small town with a lively centre where both Gabe than Elijah’s small businesses had a change to grow; not always these realities have the same chances in the big cities, and in a way, everything seemed more simple, any obstacle easier to overcome, and even the short distances seemed to help their love, allowing them to walk to each other business and home and to enjoy the life to a slower pace. The same slow pace they decide to adopt for their relationship, yet another point I liked: well into their story, the two of them had still to consummate their love, and that allowed a more deeper connection; something that maybe also intensified the fights, since for two like them who had a lot of time to talk, having still secrets to each other was even more hurting.

http://www.darkroastpress.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=49

Reading List:



http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bottom.php?tag=reading list&view=elisa.rolle

Taking Chances by Parker Grey

If I remember well, when Dark Roast Press was launched it focused on the dark edge of romance, and I had the wrong idea that they stuck to that; so when I picked Taking Chances, one of their last releases, I was really expecting to read a “dark” romance, maybe about some psychic tarot cards reader who corrupts an innocent baker… Well Taking Chances is not exactly about that, even if there is a tarot cards reader, Elijah (but he is not a psychic) and there is a baker, Gabriel (but he is not so innocent after all).

Gabe is a successful gay guy; he is 27 years old, already owner of his business and he is quite handsome: I liked that he was overtly beautiful, but more on the upper side of average, built but not fat, with a small pot belly starting, Gabe gave me the idea of a self-assured guy, able to give comfort but also passion to the right guy. Of the two who was really in need of a mainstay is Elijah: recently moved to Maine from a southern state, Elijah has still big issue of self-esteem to solve and he really doesn’t seem able to care for his own. He is scared by Gabe, I think he used the excuse of a tarot card reading he received to explain why he tried to push Gabe away at the beginning, but I think the real reason was that he wasn’t ready to face a relationship with someone who seemed so accomplished, someone who had already understood the fact of life. Truth, Gabe is not trying to push Elijah, or to make him a different guy, but that is beyond the point, Elijah needs to learn trust and love by himself.

This is basically a modern romance; the gay issue is there, in the past of one of the character, but after all our heroes are pretty free to enjoy their love; not only they have good friends by their side (Nate for Gabe and Annabel for Elijah, two characters I would have seen well together), but also Gabe’s family is supporting, so supporting that I actually had to check that Maine is not one of those states allowing same-sex marriage, since I was really seeing Gabe’s mother bent upon the idea to organize her own son’s marriage.

I also liked the setting, a small town with a lively centre where both Gabe than Elijah’s small businesses had a change to grow; not always these realities have the same chances in the big cities, and in a way, everything seemed more simple, any obstacle easier to overcome, and even the short distances seemed to help their love, allowing them to walk to each other business and home and to enjoy the life to a slower pace. The same slow pace they decide to adopt for their relationship, yet another point I liked: well into their story, the two of them had still to consummate their love, and that allowed a more deeper connection; something that maybe also intensified the fights, since for two like them who had a lot of time to talk, having still secrets to each other was even more hurting.

http://www.darkroastpress.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=49

Reading List:



http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bottom.php?tag=reading list&view=elisa.rolle