Go outside and sniff the air. Go ahead, do it. Nobody’s watching.That scent borne on the wind? That delicate, delicious aroma, slightly cinnamon-y, a little sweet, like orange and spice tea . . . You’ll only smell it once every two years.
It is the smell of an impending festival. Or, to put it more succinctly (and to paraphrase William Shakespeare), “By the pricking of my thumbs, the
Columbus National Gay and Lesbian Theater Festival this way comes.”
After being held sporadically across the country in the years preceding 2002, Frank Barnhart brought the festival to Columbus and made it a biennial event, six years after the last one before he took over.
Now in its third go-round from September 7 to 16, Barnhart faces the question the organizer of an event like that dreads: What is he looking forward to the most?
“Of course, we are excited and thrilled to have all of our performers involved,” he said diplomatically.
“It’s great that
Jade Esteban Estrada is returning for the third time with his final installment of Icons: The Lesbian and Gay History of the World. He has debuted all three of these productions at our festival in Columbus,” Barnhart noted.
“We’re also pleased to have Richmond Triangle Players returning for the second time and Ragged Blade from St. Louis making their third appearance,” he said.
In four years, the reinvigorated Columbus National Gay and Lesbian Theater Festival has found itself the center of attention in the drama world.
“Now that people are familiar with us, we’re much more in demand from performers and groups wanting to be included,” Barnhart said. “The festival has become so large that we can’t accept everyone who applies, which is too bad and wonderful at the same time.”
The size of the festival is one of the main issues that will have to be addressed in the coming years, according to Barnhart. He says that finding the venues for the shows is a constant battle.
“One of our largest obstacles in Columbus is viable performance space,” he pointed out. “We would like to see the festival continue to grow, and indeed, it could grow in size immediately if we had the space to accommodate all of the groups.”
“Also, we have received some minor national attention, but we would like to see a greater focus on this event around the country,” Barnhart continued. “We would also like to see increased involvement from Ohio performers.”
“There is a great deal of talent in the state and we would like to showcase it during this festival,” he concluded.
Festivals, however, do not exist in a vacuum. There must be a theater scene before there can be a theater festival. So how does Barnhart think queer drama is doing in Columbus now?
“I think it is still doing well,” he said. “There have been some noticeable changes since the ’90s when GLBT theater was at its highest point.”
“As GLBT issues become more mainstream, the need for GLBT art has become less prominent,” he posited. “However, throughout theater history, the pendulum has always swung both ways. It’s just a matter of time before GLBT theater will become the hot ticket again.”
©2006 Gay People's Chronicle
