Arts & Entertainment

Unequivocally gay

Oregon-based theater vet brings collaboration to Arena

Published

14 years ago

November 23, 2011

Patrick Folliard

‘Equivocation’
Through Jan. 1
Arena Stage
1101 Sixth Street, SW
$40-$80
202-488-3300
arenastage.org

Bill Rauch, director of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, brought his company’s ‘Equivocation’ to Washington for a collaboration with Arena Stage. (Blade photo by Michael Key)

Bill Rauch openly admits he has a gay agenda.

“Of course I do,” he says. “As a gay man I want to see LGBT lives reflected on the stage. For me it’s all part of the human experience.”

While “Equivocation” — the political thriller he’s brought to Arena Stage from the Tony Award-winning Oregon Shakespeare Festival where Rauch is artistic director — features a gay British monarch, it was the work’s clarity, force and theatricality that first caught his attention. “It’s a period piece that’s entirely contemporary in language and the way it explores the overlapping of politics, religion and art. As I read the script for the first time my heart began pounding harder and harder. That doesn’t happen very often.”

Set in 1604 London, playwright Bill Cain’s smart and entertaining play follows William “Shagspeare” and his theatrical troupe as they struggle to complete a royal commission about the Gunpowder Plot that both pleases King James I and isn’t entirely untrue. With six actors playing about 30 roles in several plays within the play, this darkly funny backstage story covers a lot of relevant territory including power, politics, religion, national security, terrorism, theater, father/daughter relationships, friendships and honesty.

A first-time collaboration between the Festival and Arena, “Equivocation” reunites the top-notch original cast (lead by Broadway actor Anthony Heald as Shag) and creative team from its 2009 world premiere production.

MORE IN THE BLADE: DUELING OTHELLOS

The last time Rauch worked at Arena was in 1993 when he staged “A Community Carol,” an inner-city take on the Dickens’ Christmas classic featuring a large cast of professional and nonprofessional local actors. Though the venture was risky, it proved both a critical and commercial success. It was also indicative of the work Rauch was doing with his then-troupe Cornerstone Theater Company (which co-produced the show).

Rauch attended Harvard where he majored in English and was heavily involved in campus theatrics. Shortly after graduating, he and some college friends including his now husband, actor/director Christopher Liam Moore, founded Cornerstone in 1986. Initially operating out of Rauch’s parents’ home in Northern Virginia, the company eventually traveled the country creating theater by collaborating with locals, typically in small communities. Since 1992, the company has been based in Los Angeles.

“It was a great run, but after 20 years with Cornerstone I was ready to move on. I became curious to know another kind of bigger theater. (Based in Ashland, Ore., the Festival is among the oldest and largest professional non-profit theaters in the nation and operates on a $30 million budget). He was named artistic director in 2007.

At the Festival, Rauch has gained a reputation for expanding the company’s scope, taking artistic chances and being an all-around nice guy. His staging efforts include an urban America 1970s-set “Measure for Measure.” The male actor who played Mistress Overdone, the brothel madam, portrayed her as a preoperative transsexual. She lands in jail where she is stripped naked and revealed to be a biological male. “It was an intense moment in the play,” he says. “For the character it’s a shameful experience. Some of the audience laughed. Others cried. There was a lot of discomfort.”

MORE IN THE BLADE: A NIGHT TO REMEMBER

Together 27 years, Rauch and Moore (who acts and directs at the Festival) have two sons, aged 11 and 6. They’re entirely different, says Rauch. The older loves sports and cars. He’s “all boy” (a term that Rauch loathes but deems apt nonetheless) and the younger is very much into everything princess. In fact, he regularly wore a princess gown to pre-school for two years. Both fathers are perfectly happy to allow their kids to express themselves in whatever way they choose, and fortunately, Rauch notes, Ashland is a progressive town.

Part of what drew Rauch to Arena is his longtime friendship with artistic director Molly Smith. In ways, he’s viewed her career trajectory — from small innovative company to important regional theater — as a template for his own. For some time, the pair had discussed Rauch brining something from the Festival to D.C.

“While I would have been proud to bring any of our productions to Arena, I’m glad it’s ‘Equivocation.’ The play is bottomless. There’s always something more to uncover. And it’s very political — that’s what makes it an especially good fit for Washington.”

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Calendar: Nov. 25

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This queer comedy show will warm you up

Catfish Comedy to feature LGBTQ lineup

Published

17 hours ago

January 31, 2026

Tinashe Chingarande

(Promotional image via Eventbrite)

Catfish Comedy will host “2026 Queer Kickoff Show” on Thursday, Feb. 5 at A League of Her Own (2319 18th Street, N.W.). This show features D.C.’s funniest LGBTQ and femme comedians. The lineup features performers who regularly take the stage at top clubs like DC Improv and Comedy Loft, with comics who tour nationally.

Tickets are $17.85 and can be purchased on Eventbrite.

Arts & Entertainment

Catherine O’Hara, ‘Schitt’s Creek’ star and celebrated queer ally, dies at 71

Actress remembered for memorable comedic roles in ‘Beetlejuice’ and ‘Home Alone’

Published

2 days ago

January 30, 2026

Matt Minton

(Photo courtesy of Pop TV)

Catherine O’Hara, the varied comedic actor known for memorable roles in “Beetlejuice,” “Schitt’s Creek,” and “Home Alone,” has died at 71 on Friday, according to multiple reports. No further details about her death were revealed.

O’Hara’s death comes as a shock to Hollywood, as the Emmy award-winning actor has been recently active, with roles in both “The Studio” and “The Last of Us.” For her work in those two shows, she received Emmy nominations for outstanding supporting actress in a comedy series and outstanding guest actress in a drama series.

In 2020, O’Hara won the Outstanding Lead Actress in a comedy series award for her work in the celebrated sixth and final season of “Schitt’s Creek.” She was also known as a queer ally and icon for her theatrical and often campy performances over multiple decades. In “Schitt’s Creek,” she played Moira Rose, the wig-loving mother of David Rose (played by series creator Dan Levy). David is pansexual, but the characters around him simply accept him for who he is; the show was embraced by the LGBTQ community with how naturally David’s sexuality was written and portrayed. That show ran from 2015 to 2020 and helped bring O’Hara and her co-stars into a new phase of their careers.

In a 2019 interview with the Gay Times, O’Hara explained why the show got LGBTQ representation right: “Daniel has created a world that he wants to live in, that I want to live in. It’s ridiculous that we live in a world where we don’t know how to respect each other and let each other be. It’s crazy. Other shows should follow suit and present the world and present humans as the best that we can be. It doesn’t mean you can’t laugh, that you can’t be funny in light ways and dark ways. It’s all still possible when you respect and love each other.”

Additional credits include “SCTV Network” (for which O’Hara won a writing Emmy), “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “Six Feet Under,” “Best in Show,” “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York,” and “Dick Tracy.” O’Hara also lent her voice to “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” “Chicken Little,” “Monster House,” and “Elemental.” O’Hara was expected to return for Season 2 of “The Studio,” which started filming earlier this month.

Calendar

Calendar: January 30-February 5

LGBTQ events in the days to come

Published

2 days ago

January 30, 2026

Tinashe Chingarande

Friday, January 30

Friday Tea Time will be at 12 p.m. at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. This is a social hour for older LGBTQ+ adults. Bring your beverage of choice. For more information, contact Mac ([email protected]).

Spark Social will host “RuPaul’s Drag Race S18 Watch Party” at 8 p.m. This event will be hosted by local drag queens TrevHER and Grey, who will provide hilarious commentary and make live predictions on who’s staying and who’s going home. Stick around after the show for a live drag performance. This event is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.

Saturday, January 31

Go Gay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Community Brunch” at 11 a.m. at Freddie’s Beach Bar & Restaurant. This fun weekly event brings the DMV area LGBTQ+ community, including allies, together for delicious food and conversation. Attendance is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.

Sunday, February 1

Go Gay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Community and Conversation” at noon at As You Are. This event is for those looking to make more friends and meaningful connections in the LGBTQ+ community. Look for the Go Gay DC sign on the long table near the front window. Attendance is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.

Monday, February 2

“Center Aging: Monday Coffee Klatch” will be at 10 a.m. on Zoom. This is a social hour for older LGBTQ+ adults. Guests are encouraged to bring a beverage of choice. For more information, contact Adam (adamheller@t hedccenter.org).

Tuesday, February 3

Universal Pride Meeting will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This group seeks to support, educate, empower, and create change for people with disabilities. For more information, email [email protected].

Wednesday, February 4

Job Club will be at 6 p.m. on Zoom upon request. This is a weekly job support program to help job entrants and seekers, including the long-term unemployed, improve self-confidence, motivation, resilience and productivity for effective job searches and networking — allowing participants to move away from being merely “applicants” toward being “candidates.” For more information, email [email protected] or visit thedccenter.org/careers.

Center Aging Women’s Social and Discussion Group will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This group is a place where older LGBTQ+ women can meet and socialize with one another. There will be discussion, activities, and a chance for guests to share what they want future events to include. For more details, visit the DC Center’s website.

Thursday, February 5

The DC Center’s Fresh Produce Program will be held all day at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. People will be informed on Wednesday at 5:00 pm if they are picked to receive a produce box. No proof of residency or income is required. For more information, email [email protected] or call 202-682-2245.

Virtual Yoga Class will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This free weekly class is a combination of yoga, breath work and meditation that allows LGBTQ+ community members to continue their healing journey with somatic and mindfulness practices. For more details, visit the DC Center’s website.