Auditions for rock musical "Rent" set for Feb. 3-5

"Rent" cast performs "Seasons of Love" on Broadway on Broadway in 2005

Auditions for the rock musical "Rent" will be held on Sunday, February 3, 6:30-8:30 p.m., Monday, February 4, 4:30-6:30 p.m., and Tuesday, February 5, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Call-backs will be Wednesday, February 6, 6:30-8:30 p.m. All auditions held at the Historic Atlas Theater in downtown Cheyenne

Here's more info from the Cheyenne Little Theatre Players web site:

To audition, we ask that you sing a song from the show "Rent" or another contemporary musical. You may bring your own accompanist or an accompanist will be provided. There will be no cold readings of dialog. We may ask you to sing a song from the show after your initial audition. You will also be learning and performing a short dance. For call-backs, we will be assigning songs from the show "Rent," including duets.  

IMPORTANT!! The Director, Brenda Lyttle, is looking for singing actors who are confident and fearless. "Rent" is an adult show with adult roles, language and situations. The characters must be believable and real. The singing must be strong and confident. This show is set in the Lower East Side of New York City. Racial diversity is crucial. We  strongly encourage singing actors of African-American and Hispanic descent to audition.  

Go to this link for more details: Rent Auditions

University of Wyoming hosts Pink Prom Nov. 2 in Union Ballroom

From a UW press release:

Friday Night Fever, Spectrum, and ASUW are co-sponsoring a Pink Prom at 8 p.m. on Friday Nov. 2, in the Union Ballroom.

Pink Proms have the purpose of creating a welcoming atmosphere for the GLBTQ community who may have not had a friendly experience at high school proms. The dance will be themed as a fall festival prom and will last until midnight.

Additionally the movie “The Campaign,” staring Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis, will be showing in the Union Family Room at 6:30, 9:00, and 11:30 p.m.

For more information on the Friday Night Fever events please visit www.uwyo.edu/cac. Information about Spectrum can be found at uwacadweb.uwyo.edu. Information regarding ASUW can be found at www.uwyo.edu.

This event is sponsored by Friday Night Fever, Spectrum and ASUW. Individuals needing assistance to attend this event should contact the Campus Activities Center at (307) 766-6340.

Mondo Guerra of "Project Runway All Stars" to speak March 23 at UW

From a UW press release:

"Project Runway All Stars" finalist and season eight runner-up Mondo Guerra will speak Friday, March 23, at 7 p.m. in the University of Wyoming Union Ballroom.

He also will guest judge for "The Condom Couture" fashion show that begins at 9 p.m. Friday in the Wyoming Union Ballroom. Friday Night Fever and FACE AIDS sponsor the program to bring awareness to issues of sexual health and HIV/AIDS in a relaxed and entertaining atmosphere.

"UW student designers have created condom-inspired designs and will take the runway to win first-place and a cash prize," says Kat Nicola, Friday Night Fever marketing chair.

"Recognized for his impeccable construction and styling, masterful mix of prints and fearless use of color, Mondo will speak about his experience on ‘Project Runway,'" Nicola adds.

After Mondo emotionally disclosed on "Project Runway" that he is HIV-positive, he became a dedicated advocate for HIV/AIDs awareness. He and fellow "Project Runway" alumnus Jack Mackenroth have partnered with pharmaceuticals company Merck for the HIV and AIDS education campaign "Living Positive by Design."

In addition to raising awareness about HIV/AIDS and FACE AIDS, the event will also raise funds for Partners in Health, an internationally recognized health care provider.

Photo: "Project Runway All Stars" finalist and season eight runner-up Mondo Guerra will speak Friday, March 23, at 7 p.m. in the University of Wyoming Union Ballroom.

Anti-racist author and educator Tim Wise is keynote speaker for 16th annual UW Shepard Symposium

From a UW press release:

Tim Wise, anti-racist essayist, author and educator, is the keynote speaker Wednesday, March 28, for the University of Wyoming's 16th annual Shepard Symposium on Social Justice. Wise will speak from 4:30-6 p.m. in the Wyoming Union Ballroom. "Identities: Dismantling the Boxes" is the theme of this year's Shepard Symposium, which runs March 28-31.

Wise, who is among the nation's most prominent anti-racist writers and educators, has been called "one of the most brilliant, articulate and courageous critics of white privilege in the nation," by best-selling author and Georgetown University Professor Michael Eric Dyson.

Wise is the author of six books, including the highly acclaimed memoir, "Affirmative Action: Racial Preference in Black and White"; an essay collection, "Between Barack and a Hard Place: Racism and White Denial in the Age of Obama"; and his recent book, "Dear White America: Letter to a New Minority."

In 1997, former UW College of Education faculty members Omawale Akintunde and Margaret Cooney organized the first symposium, then called "The Symposium for the Eradication of Social Inequality." Since then, the symposium has evolved into a major national conference that engages participants in discussion and analyses of strategies and actions that can eliminate social inequality.

Honoring the work of the Shepard family and the memory of their son, Matthew Shepard, a UW student and social activist who was murdered in 1998, the symposium's name was changed in 2002. That spring, the Shepard Symposium received funding from an anonymous endowment given to UW to pursue social justice activities throughout the campus.

The symposium is a living reminder of the need for information and dialogue about social justice concerns in America and beyond.

"We want people to deconstruct and interrupt the ways in which proscriptive identities are forced upon members of marginalized groups by society," says Chair Angela Jaime in explaining the latest theme for the symposium. "Specifically, we hope that attendees will critically examine the ways in which society forces people to identify with certain membership groups."

Various presentations will be made during the symposium. Highlights include:

Beth Loffreda, UW Department of English associate professor, will present the plenary speech, "The Consequences of Identity," at the noon luncheon Thursday, March 29, in the Wyoming Union Ballroom. She is the author of "Losing Matt Shepard."

Bridget Kisling, a junior music therapy and psychology student at Anna Maria College (Paxton, Mass.), will use a life-size version of the 1950s Barbie doll to shed light on how the media plays a significant role in shaping a young girl's sense of body image. Her presentation is Friday, March 30, 1:45-3 p.m., in the Wyoming Union Big Horn Room.

An endnote student panel discussion, "Boxed In," will be presented Friday, March 30, at 11:30 a.m. in the Wyoming Union Ballroom. UW students will discuss complex and misunderstood identities.

The second annual Shepard Symposium Friday Night Party is from 10 p.m.-1:30 a.m. at the Library Bar and Grill. All proceeds benefit the recognized student organizations that have contributed time and efforts to the Shepard Symposium. Tickets are $5 at the door or $4 in advance, and can be purchased at the symposium.

For more information about the Shepard Symposium, visit the website at http://www.shepardsymposium.org/, or contact Jaime at (307) 766-3991 or email jaimea@uwyo.edu.

Photo: Tim Wise will be the keynote speaker for the 16th annual Shepard Symposium on Social Justice.

At "Out West at the Autry" in L.A. on Feb. 27, Sen. Al talks about new book and his longtime support of LGBT rights

Wyoming Sen. Al Simpson of Cody will be featured at "Out West at the Autry" Feb. 27 at the Autry in Griffith Park in Los Angeles. How did Sen. Al wind up at an event that in L.A. that celebrates Western art and writing and LGBT issues? It goes beyond the fact that he is the subject of a new biography, "Shooting from the Lip: The Life of Senator Al Simpson." In a Feb. 7 post, writer Gregory Hinton, who grew up in Cody and just finished a research fellowship at the BBHC, muses on how he found common ground with Sen. Al on the issue of being gay in Wyoming. Read the Autry blog post here.

Gregory Hinton discusses preliminary findings of BBHC research fellowship

"Colonel William F. Cody, 1889," by French painter Rosa Bonheur.
Courtesy of the BBHC.

This news comes from Gregory Hinton and describes the first phase of his research fellowship at the Buffalo Bill Historical Center in Cody: 

I would like you to be the first to know the preliminary results of my recent research at the Buffalo Bill Historical Center as a 2011-2012 Resident Fellow. The title of my talk was Out West with Buffalo Bill. 

The primary objective of my research was to analyze the art, artifacts and papers of the BBHC for evidence of LGBT history and culture in the American West, particularly as it related to Buffalo Bill's Wild West. 

For a month, the museum was at my disposal.  I roamed the galleries, interviewed BBHC curators, scholars and educators, and most importantly, was privileged to read The Buffalo Bill Papers in the McCracken Library.  

My primary advisers were Jeremy Johnston, Director of the Buffalo Bill Papers, Mary Robinson, Director of the McCracken Library, John Rumm, Curator of the Buffalo Bill Museum and Emma Hansen, Curator of the Plains Indian Museum. World renowned Buffalo Bill scholar Paul Fees also offered me key guidance. 

On December 16, I gave an informal talk on my preliminary findings at the monthly "Wellness of Mind" BBHC lunch meeting. The entire staff of the museum attended. The audience included Senator and Mrs. Alan Simpson and BBHC President Bruce Eldredge and his wife Jan. The talk was, I believe, historical, educational, humorous and emotional.

To read an excerpt of Hinton's BBHC presentation, go to Out West with Buffalo Bill.

Free screening of "Out in the Silence" tonight in Laramie

From Jeran Artery at Wyoming Equality:

The American Civil Liberties Union of Wyoming is proud to partner with Wyoming Equality to present a film screening of Out in the Silence, followed by a discussion about Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender (LGBT) issues in Wyoming. The aim of this event is to expand public awareness about the difficulties that LGBT people face in Wyoming, and to promote dialogue and action that will help people on all sides of the issues find common ground.

This event is free and open to the public.

ABOUT THE FILM: Out in the Silence captures the remarkable chain of events that unfold when the announcement of filmmaker Joe Wilson’s wedding to another man ignites a firestorm of controversy in his small Pennsylvania hometown. Wilson’s journey dramatically illustrates the universal challenges of being an outsider in a conservative environment and the transformation that is possible when those who have long been constrained by a traditional code of silence summon the courage to break it.

Cody Institute awards resident fellowship to Gregory Hinton for "Out West at the BBHC"

Wyomingarts wrote in the spring about Gregory Hinton’s project, Beyond Brokeback. UW Theatre and Dance Professor John J. O'Hagan directed a one-hour staged reading of Beyond Brokeback for the 15^th annual Shepard Symposium on Social Justice on April 8 at UW in Laramie.

Beyond Brokeback was adapted for the stage by Hinton from the book Beyond Brokeback: Impact of a Film written by Members of the Ultimate Brokeback Forum, a web community which formed in the aftermath of the release of the award-winning film, Brokeback Mountain. The story was written by Wyoming author Annie Proulx. It was first published in The New Yorker and was in her book Close Range: Wyoming Stories.

The Ultimate Brokeback Forum, comprised of people from all walks of life -- country, city, gay, straight, men, women, young, old -- received over 500,000 posts in the first year. Excerpts of essays, poetry and music inspired by the film was presented along with the song "Meet Me on the Mountain," written by noted composer Shawn Kirchner. 

Beyond Brokeback was originally performed at the Autry National Center Museum of the American West in Los Angeles on December 11, 2010, in commemoration of the fifth anniversary of Ang Lee's seminal western film, Brokeback Mountain. 


Greg Hinton will be bringing his expertise to his hometown of Cody this fall. He sent this news release:

I am very proud to announce that the Cody Institute of Western American Studies at the Buffalo Bill Historical Center in Cody has selected me for a Resident Fellowship for my abstract "Out West at the Buffalo Bill Historical Center."  

 “Telling stories, sharing culture, and staking claim to the mother lode of Western American history for all diverse cultures is the mission of Out West. In particular, scholarship before the twentieth century in the area of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender western studies is incomplete and therefore underserved. A survey of the hidden histories of these communities through the examination of the vast assets of the Buffalo Bill Historical Center will lay an important foundation for future scholars in this unique, fascinating, and expanding area of Western American Studies." 

This award was highly competitive and I am honored and frankly humbled to be included. I hope to take my residency in November/December of 2011 and report my findings with an article and/or documentary and a public presentation in the fall of 2012. I am particularly grateful to the Autry National Center for their early generosity and vision. Thanks to you all for your interest and encouragement in the Mission of Out West.

UW Shepard Symposium presents "A Slice of Rice, Frijoles and Beans" April 7

The theme for this year’s Shepard Symposium on Social Justice at the University of Wyoming in Laramie is “CREATE: Activism Toward Social Justice.”

The Shepard Symposium entertainment will be provided by "A Slice of Rice, Frijoles and Greens," from 8:30-10 p.m. Thursday, April 7, in the UW Education auditorium.

"A Slice of Rice, Frijoles and Greens" is a multicultural extravaganza that brings together African American, Latina and Asian American artists for a program of spoken word, music, movement and song. The artists open windows into their own worlds through personal tales. Though each "slice" may be different, "rice, frijoles and greens" makes a statement that entertains as it enlightens, taking audiences beyond cultural borders.

Paulina Sahagun performs excerpts from "Nahuatl - Now What?" her Hi-Tech Aztec-in-Gringolandia Self-help Extravaganza. From the mercado in Guadalajara to bad-hair days in LA, there is only one question: Does she know how to make tortillas? 

Dan Kwong performs "Birth Interview" and "Song for Grandpa," stories of growing up in Los Angeles in a Model Minority family gone haywire. 

Chic Street Man, singer/songwriter and blues guitarist, brings it all home with his acoustic ballads, funky rhythms and jazzy upbeat originals.

For a complete agenda for the symposium, visit the Shepard Symposium website at http://outreach.uwyo.edu/conferences/justice/ .

Shepard Symposium marks 15th year with staged reading of "Beyond Brokeback"

The 15th Annual SHEPARD SYMPOSIUM ON SOCIAL JUSTICE COMMEMORATES the 5th ANNIVERSARY OF BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN WITH STAGED READING OF BEYOND BROKEBACK IN LARAMIE on April 8.

Assistant Professor John J. O'Hagan of The University of Wyoming Department of Theater and Dance will direct a one hour staged reading of Beyond Brokeback for the 15th Annual Shepard Symposium on Social Justice on Friday, April 8, 11 a.m.-12:15 p.m. in the Union Ballroom of the University of Wyoming in Laramie.

Beyond Brokeback was adapted for the stage by Cody, Wyoming's, Gregory Hinton from the book Beyond Brokeback: Impact of a Film written by Members of the Ultimate Brokeback Forum, a web community which formed in the aftermath of the release of the award-winning film, Brokeback Mountain. The story was written by Wyoming author Annie Proulx. It was first published in The New Yorker and was in her book Close Range: Wyoming Stories.

The Forum, comprised of people from all walks of life -- country, city, gay, straight, men, women, young, old -- received over 500,000 posts in the first year. Excerpts of essays, poetry and music inspired by the film will be presented, including the song "Meet Me on the Mountain," written by noted composer Shawn Kirchner.

Beyond Brokeback was originally performed at the Autry National Center Museum of the American West in Los Angeles on December 11, 2010, in commemoration of the 5th Anniversary of Ang Lee's seminal western film, Brokeback Mountain.

The event is free but registration is required.

See http://www.shepardsymposium.org/ for more details.

Speakers for the symposium include Cherrie Moraga, John Corvino, Mary Cowhey, and A Slice of Rice, Frijoles, and Greens.

Award-winning "Kicked Out" features foreword by Casper's Judy Shepard

Casper's Judy Shepard wrote the foreword to the new anthology edited by Sassafras Lowrey, "Kicked Out." Last night, the book received a major literary award. Here's info from Lowrey's web site:

Last night Kicked Out received a HUGE honor and was not only included in the American Library Association’s Over the Rainbow booklist for 2011, but was also included in their Top 11 books of 2011!    Being included is a tremendous honor, and one which will help get Kicked Out into even more libraries across the country, and thus the hands of folks who need its messages the most. You can see all the books included in the top 11 as well as the full Over the Rainbow book list here

I’m so grateful to the American Library Association’s Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Round Table and its Jurors  for honoring Kicked Out.

Here's a description from the book jacket:

In the U.S., 40% of homeless youth identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer (LGBTQ). Kicked Out brings together the voices of current and former homeless LGBTQ youth and tells the forgotten stories of some of our nation’s most vulnerable citizens. Diverse contributors share stories of survival and abuse with poignant accounts of the sanctuary of community and the power of creating chosen families. Kicked Out highlights the nuanced perspectives of national organizations such as The National Gay & Lesbian Task Force and The National Alliance Against Homelessness and regional agencies, including Sylvia’s Place, The Circus Project and Family Builders. This anthology, introduced by Judy Shepard, gives voice to the voiceless and challenges the stereotypical face of homelessness. To learn more, visit us online at KickedOutAnthology.com

Cody native Gregory Hinton interviewed on NPR about his "Out West" series at the Autry Museum

This info on the Autry Museum's "Beyond Brokeback" and other offerings in its "Out West" series comes from Wyoming native Gregory Hinton:

Below is a link to our L.A. National Public Radio affiliate which has an interview of me about Out West and includes a copy of the speech I gave for our first event. This might be of interest to you if you wish to reprint it. It mentions Ucross, my Wyoming history, and includes a nice quote from Al Simpson and Annie Proulx. You should also be aware that my interview with Brian Kahn on Yellowstone Public Radio's Home Ground is being aired tomorrow at 6:30 and will be available on podcast.

http://www.scpr.org/news/2009/12/10/out-west-series-autry-national-center/

http://www.yellowstonepublicradio.org/programs/local/home_ground.html 

"Brokeback Mountain" goes "Beyond Brokeback" at the Autry in L.A. Dec. 11

The Autry in L.A. describes itself as "California’s only museum and cultural center dedicated to the history, art, and stories of the American West. Located in Griffith Park, the Autry features special exhibitions, lively programs, and hands-on activities for kids." While the Autry isn't exactly commuting distance from Wyoming, it is interesting to note that one-time Wyoming resident Annie Proulx wrote the story that started it all. "Brokeback Mountain" was in her collection Close Range: Wyoming Stories, with color illustrations (in the hardcover first edition) by noted Denver artist William Matthews. Annie also shared the Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar for the film, now celebrating the fifth anniversary of its release. According to Variety mag, New York's City Opera had plans for a "Brokeback Mountain" opera until the 2008 economic collapse -- and the departure of its artistic director -- caused it to shelve the project.