| Subject: Jade Esteban Estrada: HISTORY IN THE MAKING |
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Lori Kellon
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Date Posted: 04:39:37 02/21/04 Sat
THE DALLAS VOICE
February 20, 2004
http://www.dallasvoice.com/articles/dispArticle.cfm?Article_ID=4157
HISTORY IN THE MAKING
Jade Esteban Estrada spotlights ultimate queer movers and shakers in one-man show
By Robert Ross
Contributing Writer
Who is Sylvia Rivera, anyway? And what does she have in common with the likes of Sappho, Michelangelo, Oscar Wilde, Gertrude Stein and Ellen DeGeneres?
Like those notable gays and lesbians from the past and present, Rivera has rightfully earned her place in queer history. According to legends arising from the ashes of the Stonewall riots in New York, this Puerto Rican drag queen single-handedly ignited a gay revolution. The story may be apocryphal, but many survivors from that June night in 1969 still believe that it was Rivera who first resisted the police. She simply removed a high heel and flung it at one of the intruders in blue.
When Jade Esteban Estrada opens his one-man show, “Icons: The Lesbian and Gay History of the World, Vol. 1,” in Dallas next week, he will tell Rivera’s story along with accounts of the more widely-known figures.
“Creating a work like this demands that I bring a different angle to the audience,” Estrada says. “Of course, everyone already knows a lot about people like Sappho and Michelangelo and Stein. So what I do is to spotlight the one moment in their lives when they make a difference. I wanted to get back to solo theater and do something I feel good about artistically.”
Estrada admits that portraying Ellen DeGeneres was especially challenging because she has received so much publicity. He places
her in a press conference when she publicly declares her sexuality — a sequence in the show that Estrada considers particularly dramatic.
Elegant old Oscar Wilde in Estrada’s hands receives rather irreverent treatment. He transforms the dandified Wilde into a vaudeville standup comedian who sings and even does a tap number. As Estrada accomplishes with all of the characters, he lets Wilde in his monologue and song not only to re-create his own era but also to relate his experiences to the present.
“I portray Sappho and Stein in a more serious vein,” Estrada notes. “You know, lesbians really love the show. I think they get ignored sometimes. For some reason I do lesbians very well. And I embrace the transgender community with Rivera.”
Estrada, who says his two main interests are history and gay-lesbian issues, carried out all of the research, wrote the monologues and composed the songs for each character. He changes costumes onstage as he makes the transition from one segment to the next.
After the show premiered at the 2002 Columbus National Gay and Lesbian Theatre Festival, a female dancer friend suggested that he show more skin. He took her advice and found that it livened up the costume changes — except the near nudity didn’t play well in the legendary theatrical testing ground, Peoria, Ill., where he says the audience “freaked out.”
A widely recognized Latino pop star, the 30-year-old Estrada also serves as a prominent spokesperson for the GLBT community and has received numerous awards for his contributions. Active in InterPride, he will be speaking at the organization’s 23rd Conference set in Reykjavik, Iceland, next October. Other appearances as “The Prince of Pride” — which he’s been called — have taken him to various parts of the world, including England, Greece, Japan and Puerto Rico, to speak on gay-lesbian issues.
An early supporter of Howard Dean’s presidential candidacy, Estrada admits that his favorite may fall by the wayside.
“We don’t always get our choices,” Estrada says. “But I feel that as a community, we must put our differences aside and support the Democratic candidate. The big picture is that we need to get Bush out of office. I plan to give a political speech after each show and encourage everyone to vote. If we can’t get it together as a community we’ll never have an agenda.”
Estrada grew up in a San Antonio military family, which produced three theatrical prodigies. Estrada’s brother and sister are both playwrights. Jade’s theatrical ambitions started early in his life.
“I was about 10 when I heard Boy George the first time. I guess my gaydar was already up and running. What I really admired was his freedom of expression,” Estrada recalls. “When I saw “Taboo” not long ago, it brought back memories of when I was a kid in San Antonio singing Boy George songs out in the garage. I remember saying to myself, ‘I want to move to New York, and I want to be a star.’ ”
Teatro Dallas, 1331 Record Crossing Rd. Feb. 24-29. Tue.-Sat. at 8 p.m. Fri. at 10:15 p.m., Sat at 3 p.m. and 10:15 p.m., Sun. at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m., 214-689-6492. www.teatrodallas.org or www.getjaded.com.
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