Arts & Entertainment
Queery: Collin Ranney
The ‘Best Little Whorehouse’ set designer answers 20 gay questions
Collin Ranney (Blade photo by Michael Key)
Now that he’s done with his master’s program in theater design from University of Maryland, Collin Ranney is “giving D.C. a year.”
As a freelance designer — he designs sets and costumes — it’s “a little scary” but also, he says, “definitely doable.”
One of his first post-school gigs, Signature Theatre’s “Best Little Whorehouse in Texas,” opened in previews this week, a show he began designing back in March. He’s in meetings now at Studio Theatre for upcoming show “The Invisible Man.”
“I think it’s the element of escape,” he says of his career choice. “Being able to go other places whether it’s literally, figuratively or emotionally. Not that my life is horrible and I’m trying to get away from it, but that element of being able to let myself go somewhere for a few hours in a dark room is great.”
The 25-year-old Buffalo, N.Y., native was a performer in high school and college but eventually moved more into design work. He still sometimes performs as his drag alter ego Birdie LaCage or sometimes sings karaoke out with friends, but professionally he’s content working behind the scenes for now.
He and his boyfriend of a year and a half, Michael Armstrong, live together in Logan Circle. Ranney’s hobbies are inextricably tied to his work — scale models, drawing, shopping, making headdresses, drafting and sewing. Though he does enjoy going out with friends, dancing and show tunes nights at JR.’s for fun. (Blade photo by Michael Key)
How long have you been out and who was the hardest person to tell?
Coming out was a process for me over a course of a few years. The hardest person to tell was certainly my younger brother. For a while, I felt as though I would somehow disappoint him and suddenly become less of what he had always looked up to his whole life. Eventually, I realized that my being gay was a part of what he had always looked up to.
Who’s your LGBT hero?
I find “hero” to be such a strong word. I don’t know that I would categorize any one person as my hero, but I am grateful to all the gay men who have come before me and my generation. They have allowed being gay to be a norm today.
What’s Washington’s best nightspot, past or present?
Town. I love having the option of hanging out or chilling with friends in the quiet room, to dancing on the floor (and sometimes the boxes), to catching up with my favorite queens.
Describe your dream wedding.
Liza Minnelli and swans on a rooftop at night!
What non-LGBT issue are you most passionate about?
No rhinestone left behind! And of course, Elaine Barrish for president (If you don’t get that reference, watch “Political Animals” — it’s brilliant!)
What historical outcome would you change?
Changing history seems like it would cause quite the domino effect on everything that came after, but I still would have taken those damn pills away from Judy Garland before she overdosed!
What’s been the most memorable pop culture moment of your lifetime?
When Cher ended her farewell tour. And of course when Tom Cruise came out —oh wait, did that happen yet?
On what do you insist?
Laughter. Oh, and feathers and rhinestones!
What was your last Facebook post or Tweet?
“Whoring it up over at Signature. Make sure to come see the show next week. Scenic design by yours truly.”
If your life were a book, what would the title be?
I joke about this often actually, and being a Type I Diabetic, I would say: “Where’s My Glucometer? The Life and Times of Collin Ranney.”
If science discovered a way to change sexual orientation, what would you do?
Me personally? Nothing. But I think it should be required for everyone to get a day pass to experience the other side.
What do you believe in beyond the physical world?
There’s something beyond the physical world?
What’s your advice for LGBT movement leaders?
Dress better.
What would you walk across hot coals for?
That depends on how bad this side of the coals is — I like my feet.
What LGBT stereotype annoys you most?
That there’s such a thing as “tops” and “bottoms.” Versatility makes the world go ‘round.
What’s your favorite LGBT movie?
“Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.” How can one not adore that movie?
What’s the most overrated social custom?
Currently? Grindr. Show your faces (even if it means putting on some make-up) and get to the bar, boys! You can still show your torsos there, just wear a nice deep V.
What trophy or prize do you most covet?
Hmm. The Tony Award feels obvious, but it’d be nice. Though I don’t feel I need one to quantify my art, it would be nice.
What do you wish you’d known at 18?
To write everything down. It’s going to be hard to remember it all when it comes time to make my Lifetime Original Movie.
Why Washington?
Because for me, it’s where I’ve grown beyond childhood. It’s where I’ve found people, other than my family, whom I love. It’s where my career has inevitably begun and where I feel part of a community.
Theater
Out dancer on Alvin Ailey’s stint at Warner Theatre
10-day production marks kickoff of national tour
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
Through Feb. 8
Warner Theatre
513 12th St., N.W.
Tickets start at $75
ailey.org
The legendary Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater is coming to Washington’s Warner Theatre, and one of its principal veterans couldn’t be more pleased. Out dancer Renaldo Maurice is eager to be a part of the company’s 10-day stint, the kickoff of a national tour that extends through early May.
“I love the respectful D.C. crowd and they love us,” says Maurice, a member of esteemed modern dance company for 15 years. The traveling tour is made of two programs and different casting with Ailey’s masterwork “Revelations” in both programs.
Recently, we caught up with Maurice via phone. He called from one of the quiet rooms in his New York City gym where he’s getting his body ready for the long Ailey tour.
Based in North Newark, N.J., where he recently bought a house, Maurice looks forward to being on the road: “I enjoy the rigorous performance schedule, classes, shows, gym, and travel. It’s all part of carving out a lane for myself and my future and what that looks like.”
Raised by a single mother of three in Gary, Ind., Maurice, 33, first saw Alvin Ailey as a young kid in the Auditorium Theatre in downtown Chicago, the same venue where he’s performed with the company as a professional dancer.
He credits his mother with his success: “She’s a real dance mom. I would not be the man or artist I am today if it weren’t for the grooming and discipline of my mom. Support and encouragement. It’s impacted my artistry and my adulthood.”
Maurice is also part of the New York Ballroom scene, an African-American and Latin underground LGBTQ+ subculture where ball attendees “walk” in a variety of categories (like “realness,” “fashion,” and “sex siren”) for big prizes. He’s known as the Legendary Overall Father of the Haus of Alpha Omega.
WASHINGTON BLADE: Like many gay men of his era, Ailey lived a largely closeted public life before his death from AIDS-related complications in 1989.
RENALDO MAURICE Not unusual for a Black gay man born during the Depression in Rogers, Texas, who’s striving to break out in the industry to be a creative. You want to be respected and heard. Black man, and Black man who dances, and you may be same-sex gender loving too. It was a lot, especially at that time.
BLADE: Ailey has been described as intellectual, humble, and graceful. He possessed strength. He knew who he was and what stories he wanted to tell.
MAURICE: Definitely, he wanted to concentrate on sharing and telling stories. What kept him going was his art. Ailey wanted dancers to live their lives and express that experience on stage. That way people in the audience could connect with them. It’s incredibly powerful that you can touch people by moving your body.
That’s partly what’s so special about “Revelations,” his longest running ballet and a fan favorite that’s part of the upcoming tour. Choreographed by Alvin Ailey in 1960, it’s a modern dance work that honors African-American cultural heritage through themes of grief, joy, and faith.
BLADE: Is “Revelation” a meaningful piece for you?
MAURICE: It’s my favorite piece. I saw it as a kid and now perform it as a professional dance artist. I’ve grown into the role since I was 20 years old.
BLADE: How can a dancer in a prestigious company also be a ballroom house father?
MAURICE: I’ve made it work. I learned how to navigate and separate. I’m a principal dancer with Ailey. And I take that seriously. But I’m also a house father and I take that seriously as well.
I’m about positivity, unity, and hard work. In ballroom you compete and if you’re not good, you can get chopped. You got to work on your craft and come back harder. It’s the same with dance.
BLADE: Any message for queer audiences?
MAURICE: I know my queer brothers and sisters love to leave with something good. If you come to any Ailey performance you’ll be touched, your spirit will be uplifted. There’s laughter, thoughtful and tender moments. And it’s all delivered by artists who are passionate about what they do.
BLADE: Alvin Ailey has been a huge part of your life. Thoughts on that?
MAURICE: I’m a believer in it takes a village. Hard work and discipline. I take it seriously and I love what I do. Ailey has provided me with a lot: world travel, a livelihood, and working with talented people here and internationally. Alvin Ailey has been a huge part of my life from boyhood to now. It’s been great.
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’
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.
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