Reykjavík Grapevine - 14.01.2005, Blaðsíða 19

So you’re not gay, then?
No, I am not. It’s pretty
funny - people have gotten
upset with me, saying I have
no business writing about
the gay lifestyle. But really,
I wasn’t trying to. I was
writing, more than anything,
about homophobia. Trying
to understand it. Explain it.
Rationalize it in my head. And
the toughest part has been
making the main character
(who is homophobic), a
sympathetic, likable (or at
least, not wholly detestable)
person. His feelings come
not from hatred, but from
insecurity, fear, and a terror
of the unknown. His feelings
towards homosexuality are
not universally shared, but
the place they come from sort
of is.
I´m Not Gay, the Movie
Why have you chosen to express
yourself by writing plays rather
than, say, screenplays? What can
the stage contribute that other
media can not?
What I love about the theatre
is the immediacy of the
audience. When it works, the
response is palpable, fresh, in-
your-face, un-ignorable. Plus,
they’re a whole lot cheaper to
produce! A screenplay takes
LOTS of resources, people,
and money in most cases
But I am working on a movie
adaptation of I’m Not Gay.
You have an MFA in
playwriting. Can you learn to
write in school?
What you can learn is how
to write under pressure, how
to meet deadlines, but really,
the only way to learn writing
is through trial-and-error,
practise your craft.
Chris Rock and Charlie Chaplin
You have stated that you use
humour to make people laugh at
things they don’t want to laugh
at, such as racism or teenage
murder. Do you use humour
mostly for its own sake or do
you use it as a form of social
commentary?
A little of both. The trouble
is, comedy for comedy’s sake
grows old pretty quickly.
I don’t believe in telling
jokes that ultimately have
no meaning. My favourite
stand-up comedians are folks
like Chris Rock and George
Carlin, who are very funny,
but always toss in political
and social barbs into the mix.
It creates an almost bitter
aura around the comedy, and
that’s really where my work
comes from, too. Lately, my
influences have been Charlie
Chaplin and Buster Keaton.
They consistently touched on
major social issues, such as
Hitler, poverty, and racism.
What is the Walt Disney World
College program? Are you to
playwriting what Justin, Britney
and Christina are to pop?
No, actually, I’m more like the
guy who pretends to be sweet
and innocent so he can get
naked pictures of Christina’s
ass at the Christmas party. Not
that those are hard to get these
days…
Mitsubishi Repo Man
I heard Mitsubishi Motors was
trying to repossess your car?
Have they? Will a hit in Iceland
solve the problem?
No, I borrowed money from
my brother and have since paid
him back. A hit in Iceland
would certainly not hurt my
wallet, but I doubt it will
have a long-term impact on
it. Now, if I have several hits
in Iceland, well then, that’s a
little different…
What do you know about
Iceland? Are you coming over for
the premiere?
I had a fairy godmother
named Þórdís Elva
Þorvaldsdóttir agree to
translate the play. She was
a huge fan of my work from
our college days since she was
an exchange student here in
the US. I have seen Þórdís’
photos, and have met several
of her friends when they came
to visit. I would love to show
up for the premiere but money
is still an issue. Plus, I am
directing another one of my
plays for the Riant Theatre’s
Strawberry One-Act Festival
in New York City. If Ég er
ekki hommi! continues to run
through the end of February,
I have promised Þórdís that I
will fly up there and see it.
I AM NOT GAY
by Valur Gunnarsson
February sees the European premiere of Daniel
Guyton’s play I Am Not Gay at Loftkastalinn theatre. We
asked the erstwhile playwright some questions.
Masters of the Macabre
To their credit, Menntaskólinn í Hamrahlíð
have put on a stage production of The
Nightmare Before Christmas (Martröð á
jólanótt) that takes deep bows to that modern
master of the macabre, Tim Burton. The
stage and costuming are literally translated
from Burton’s full-length animated feature
and are for the most part well done, though
some set pieces seemed rickety to the point
of being dangerous. Attempting to recreate
on stage the darkness of Halloweentown
while lighting the actors well enough to be
seen poses a problem the lighting tech didn’t
quite seem to master. Only the occasional
use of the theater’s disco ball saved the day
(or night!). Danny Elfman’s inspired musical
score was well-sung by the players despite
guffed sound cues and oddly inconsistent
mike levels. A promising beginning and
action-filled ending were bookmarks for
scene-ettes that could very well have played
out in half the time.
by Maria Alva Roff
Showtime
The Nightmare before Christmas
16. January
23. January
29. January (Final show)
Loftkastalinn theatre
I am Not Gay will open on January 22nd
at Loftkastalinn theatre
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