A new year ... time to move on to the next FOURPLAY short, AUSTIN, which will be making it's way in the world soon. Simply put, it's the story of young couple, Kai and Lily, who debate independence vs conceiving over the course of an evening and arrive at a startling compromise. Below is part one of my interview with Atticus Rowe who plays Kai.
1) What were your first feelings about being approached to play your role in AUSTIN? First thoughts after reading the script?
My first feelings about playing Kai were apprehension and fear. Not because I was worried about being able to play the part or understand the character, but more because of the parallels that I felt with Kai's life and his relationship with Lily and the precipice at which they stood. It's quite a bit scarier to explore things that are true and meaningful, rather than playing at something you need to create.
2) What, if anything, helped you prepare to play your role?
I was recently married when we started production and I would say that the experience of having recently taken a big step and discovering what that step meant helped me significantly. It's funny how you may think, "Oh, I took this step. Now, I am here." and you think you'll stay there for awhile, but before you know it, you're either thinking about, talking about or taking that next step. There always seems to be a next step and if you are in a relationship and you respect each other, one tends to be waiting for the other to be "ready" and then when they are, the other may have backed off!
Thoughts for the day, and in general, how I feel about what we are trying to accomplish with FOURPLAY that perhaps is out of step with the times, but hopefully speaks to some eternal truths that remain constant. The last of the short films that make up the series has wrapped, so now just in post-production land for 2011. Happy Holidaze! - Kyle
Romanticism is precisely situated neither
in choice of subject nor exact truth,
but in the way of feeling.
- CHARLES BAUDELAIRE
The moment of desire ! the moment of desire ! the
virgin
That pines for man shall awaken her womb to
enormous joys
In the secret shadows of her chamber : the youth
shut up from
The lustful joy shall forget to generate and create an
amorous image
In the shadows of his curtains and in the folds of his
silent pillow.
Are not these the places of religion, the rewards of
continence,
The self-enjoyings of self-denial ? Why dost thou
seek religion ?
Is it because acts are not lovely that thou seekest
solitude,
Where the horrible darkness is impressed with
reflections of desire?
- WILLIAM BLAKE
Part five of art critic/educator Andy Campbell's (bold) interview with Paul Soileau, Aliya in 4PLAY: SF, and Chloe, consultant and inspiration for Aliya. Photo above from Paul's performance as "Christeene" in Los Angeles this summer during OUTFEST at the "Bears In Space" party. I love the mash up of high-and-low with the McDonald's signage in the background... although I don't know which is high or which is low? - Kyle
When you were at Folsom, Paul, you did something really genius, that I wish I had been there for. Your drag performance persona Christeene Vale does this balloon dance and for this particular performance you attached the balloons to a butt plug, right? And you inserted the butt plug and then let it fly after dancing with it. Did it actually fly? Was there enough helium in it to lift the butt plug?
Paul: Yeah, one of my dancers, T. Gravel, he was involved in a situation where he had to lift his dick with balloons for a performance and it took twelve large balloons to lift it. So we figured…
And does that mean he has a big dick?
Paul: A big ol’ dick. Oh, I don’t know. It was flaccid when he had to lift it, and he just said it took twelve for him. And his partner, who was doing it too, took a couple more. So they were always fighting about that.
"I’m two balloons more than you!"
Paul: Men! Men! But we knew we were going to need twelve, but we wound up with fifteen helium balloons, and we just tied them to this red jelly butt plug and I did my dance. And then at the end – it was outdoors – and I pulled it out at the end of the little intro dance and let go, and it flew right over a church and it disappeared.
Did you feel the pull of the balloons while you were dancing?
Paul: No, actually it kept…I needed some lubrication, and my friend, all he had was this fancy French lotion, which was so damn silky, and that thing kept wanting to fly out of my butt the whole time. Damn French lotion, it was angel silky.
Paul: Another thing on this trip to Folsom was that it was the first time I had ever met Chloe. And I was dressed up as skanky Christeene, who is just trash, and then the most elegant woman in the world, Chloe, came out.
Scott: Well, when I first saw Christeene, I had to go downstairs and let her in my building. So I had to descend the stairs, and there’s Christeene at the bottom of the stairs –
- where she belongs –
Scott: - where she belongs. I had to convince myself to open the door. And I looked at her, and I was like, okay wait, I do know this person. And I open the door and all of a sudden I realized I spent two-and-a-half hours getting dressed and this bitch is wearing a pillowcase. I’m not shitting you. And looked gorgeous, I have to say. I wasn’t quite sure what was make-up and what wasn’t. It was lots of brown stains everywhere, and I was a little bit scared to give her a hug, but I was so happy to see lovely Christeene.
Paul: It really was like sushi going out with chicken fried steak. It was just tragic.
Scott: But the best part was being in public with you at a bar and people looking at us, trying to figure out, how the fuck do those two know each other? Where did they meet?
It was Folsom, so were those bears all over you?
Scott: The bears were all over us. Paul: The bears loved us. It was amazing.
Scott: The bears loved Christeene… A lot of them were really familiar with Christeene's music and videos. A lot of them were major fans. They knew all the words to her songs. It was this wonderful experience of, I think, people being fascinated and repulsed at the same time, which is a fun place to be, if you think about it.
Part 4 of art critic/theorist Andy Campbell's interview w/ Paul Soileau (aka Aliya) and Chloe, cross-dressing sex-worker script consultant, regarding their work together on FOURPLAY: SAN FRANCISCO. - KyleHave you ever faked a kink, Paul?
Paul: Have I ever what? What do you mean a kink? It can be anything – like being into micro-penises, I don’t know. Paul: Not in my personal life. No, no, I don’t think so. Unh-unh.
Would you like to?
Scott: You’re not a faker, Paul!
Paul: No, it’s not like work for me. If I were doing what Scott does, I’d fake the kinks for sure, but personally, no.
That’s so selfish.
Scott: Does it always have to be your way, Paul?
I think the answer is yes, a big yes.
Scott: What a selfish kind of lover you are!
Paul: I know. I am. I’ll try any kink, though, but I won’t act like I enjoy it if I don’t. But I’ll sure as hell try them out.
Scott: You’ll try anything once!
Paul: My sex-life is like a Piccadilly buffet.
I want you to go into that more.
Paul: Well, my favorite is chicken fried steak.
Does everything have to be fried, Paul?
Paul: No, no…I’ll eat some broiled chicken… But you won’t like it.
Scott: And he’ll let you know.
He’ll let you know. He’ll tell you.
Scott (imitating Paul): No, I’ll try it, but I didn’t like that.
Paul: You have to try it, dammit!
What did you eat today, Scott?
Scott: I had a beautiful smoothie. It made me very happy. Oh, and sushi, I had sushi for lunch.
Is that it? You need to eat more!
Scott: It’s only 7:30 here, honey.
Oh, that’s right. That was the Jewish mom coming out in me…
Scott: And I had two clients this afternoon, and trust me, I ain’t gonna eat no fucking chicken fried steak before I have to work.
No shit.
Scott: Literally, no shit. Literally, it doesn’t happen. We keep it nice and light.
Paul: Yeah, Scott’s very elegant with everything he does.
And you are not, obviously.
Paul: No, I try, but I’m a poser. I try to be all elegant, but once you get into it, you’ll be able to find out.
Vous parlez Français? Oui? Then here's a link for tickets to FOURPLAY: SAN FRANCISCO at Montreal's Image+Nation Festival on Fri, Oct 29th, 9 PM at Theater Hall Concordia (see link for directions to theater).
And more info on a new FREE screening in San Francisco's bay area at Stanford in Palo Alto on Fri, Oct 29th from 6-9:30PM. I'll be participating in the Q&A via Skype and possibly Chloe might be in attendance.
Pt 3 of Andy Campbell's interview w/ Paul Soileau (Aliya) and Chloe, 4PLAY:SF's project consultant. Click here to see Pt 1 or Pt 2. - KyleNow I want to know about this film that you two collaborated on, FOURPLAY: SAN FRANCISCO. In it, Paul, you play a fictionalized version of Scott's sex-worker tranny persona Chloe and, well, you toe-fuck a quadriplegic. What was it like seeing Paul play you?
Scott: Surreal, a bit surreal, and incredibly flattering in one sense, and bit nerve-racking. We actually did some of the filming in my actual apartment here, which is where the character – instead of calling her Chloe, she’s named Aliya in the film –lived. And we did some of the filming in San Francisco, but the actual scene of the session between Aliya and the quadriplegic gentlemen was actually filmed in Austin, Texas and I wasn’t there for that. But it was remarkable how accurate it was and how incredible Paul was. The subtleties and the sensitivities, you know, he really got it. And that has to do with all different levels, starting on working on the script with the screenwriter and director to make sure the sensitivity level was there.
I’ve read some of your writings about your work and one of the things I’m really interested in is this idea of empathy that you talk about, and this idea of coming to your work from a place of non-judgment. And I’m actually wondering if in that process of empathy and non-judgment you feel like there’s a way that you can connect to those that you’re working with.
Scott: Absolutely. I mean, I feel like in any kind of therapeutic situation – and that is how I view it – that there is going to be transference and counter-transference. What that means is that, if the client comes in and he typically is a depressed or lonely person, and he’s trying to sort of scab that situation over with sex, I feel that. I feel that sadness. I see people who are really, really lonely and desperate for that touch of human skin and to have their own skin touched. And that’s sort of a sad situation, and I definitely feel that. I think anyone who is sort of present in that situation and goes through it multiple times after a course of years is going to feel that.
And do you feel like it works the other way, too?
Scott: Absolutely. I feel like I have the power… well, typically, if I’m not in the best of moods, I don’t work. I try to make sure that I’m in the right frame of mind to give people what they’re really coming for, to be open to that. And if I’m having a bad day or something like that, or I’m tired, I would just rather not work, ‘cause that’s just not fair to them. It’s one of the ways that I safeguard against that kind of counter-transference to them, by not working when my head isn’t in the right place.
I was wondering if their kinks become your kinks?
Scott: Oh, interesting. Yeah, um, Paul – I think this is where you and I might connect, ‘cause there’s a lot of acting that goes on. Even if I’m not particularly into a certain situation – if I’m not into rimming, if I’m not into fisting, if I’m not into S&M spanking or whatever – I can pretend like I am. I feel like that’s part of the job. That’s what they’re paying for. I’m not saying I lie to the client, necessarily, but I feel like I can throw myself into the role. As soon as I get in the role of Chloe, I’m ready to be that sexual dynamo and the fantasy that the client has when they arrive at my apartment.
Paul: You really want to make that person feel amazing, right? Verbally, you don’t have to go there, you don’t have to shove your fist up their ass, but you sure as hell can make them think you would, because they’ve brought it up and you’re turned on by it.
Scott: Exactly. You’re absolutely right, Paul. And interestingly enough, the dynamic in most of my sessions is that they’ve come to please me, actually. You know, the whole tranny/chick with a dick thing is about all these men being able to be submissive. So it really puts me into this perfect kind of place to really control the situation. Oftentimes, it’s not really about what turns them on. Occasionally it is, but usually it’s about me sort of guiding a situation and having them sort of figure out what turns me on. Or me telling them, “Let’s do this. This really gets me hot. That’s good.” Because they’re there to please me.
Part two of the BUTT interview btwn Chloe and Paul Soileau and Andy Campbell. See part one to get up to speed. - Kyle
Do you put pictures of yourself on the interwebs, Paul?Paul: On the interwebs? Yes, there's a lot of Christeene floating around on the interwebs. A lot of video of her, because she's a musician.
In what sense is she a musician?
Paul: Well I see her as this poor little piece of shit who has found one little gold nugget in her life. So she's going all the way with it. She's like Mike Tyson: an animal on stage and a baby when you talk to her.
So I hear you're an art collector, Chloe…
Chloe: Yes, I am.
Is that it? Is that all I get?
Chloe: (Laughs) Yes, the answer is yes. I collect lots of things: shoes, clothing from specific periods like space-age pop, vintage movie posters, and also art. I collect the posters because very shortly the cinema will die, and we won't actually go to the theater anymore. It's already happened to the porn theaters I used to love in this country. So I started collecting vintage porn movie posters. I have quite a collection.
Do you collect anything, Paul?
Paul: I was gonna ask Chloe real quick – where do you keep your posters? ‘Cause they’re not up at your house.
Chloe: No, they’re not. I want to have them framed. So I have them in tubes in one of my closets.
In tubes! In the closet! Where they belong! Are you a collector, Paul?
Paul: No. I like shit art. I just love, I get really inspired, by art I find on streets, in garbage cans, or by friends of mine who are trying hard.
Too hard?
Paul: Too hard. Oh, much too hard. ‘Cause if it’s hanging on my wall, they know that it’s there for a reason. That I like to giggle at it, you know. I just like innocent, innocent, crappy art that makes me giggle a lot and taps into that rascal baby in me, you know. Chloe: Maybe you should collect those little Precious Moments figurines.
Paul: Oh, my Mam-maw does that she has a lot of those. She had the magnets. She had the figurines, but her refrigerator was like the Mecca of Precious Moments.
What kind of things would they say again? I know I’ve seen them, but I can’t remember what they would say. Like “Today Is the Pits”? Or what would they say?
Chloe: I’m sure they were more positive than that…
Paul: No, they weren’t tongue-in-cheek…
I guess that’s what I want them to say.
Chloe: That’s what they should say!
Paul: They were really strange. They were like these creepy, naked doll babies holding hands and it would read “Love is a gift…Don’t Waste It.”
And those just make you uncomfortable.
Paul: Yeah, those just make me like…I don’t wanna go over to someone’s house and have Precious Moments lying around. You know, or I’m out the door. Only Mam-maw gets to have the Precious Moments. But I am painting. I have this dream of having a room in my home that’s covered in paintings of my most favorite women in the world. I mean, I’m sure a couple of men will slip in there… But, I don’t just pick on shitty art – I make it myself.
You’re a practitioner?
Paul: Yes, I practice the art of crap.
To keep us warm on the festival circuit this fall, posting a series of interviews that Andy Campbell, queer art historian and writer for the Austin Chronicle, did with Paul Soileau (star of 4PLAY: SF) and Chloe, the film's inspiration. Originally intended for publication in BUTT... but the pink-paged fools turned it down because they were "confused" (FYI - I love BUTT magazine, seriously!). Maybe something was lost in translation? Who knows, I think it's pretty funny and as always, informative. - Kyle
Paul Soileau a Louisiana-born performance artist living in Austin, Texas who is best known these days for his performances as Christeene Vale, was recently hired to play the part of a tranny sex-worker who works over a quadriplegic gentleman caller in the first of an omnibus of shorts about deviant sex called FOURPLAY. The film, which premiered at this year’s Outfest Film Festival, is based on the real-life experiences of a cross-dressing sex worker in the Bay Area who goes by the name of Chloe during the working evening hours. Getting Paul and Chloe together is a study in opposites played out through personae: The classy Chloe and the equally trashy Christeene. A teleconference was clearly in order…
Andy: You guys are settling in for the night?
Chloe: Right!
Paul: I’m laying in my bed.
Let’s have some pillow talk. How would you two describe “The Ladies” in your life?
Chloe: The ladies, as in our ladies?
Yeah.
Chloe: Ok I thought you meant my grandmother…
I’ll ask about her later. So prepare.
Chloe: Oh no… uh oh…
Paul: Well, I'm a little horse today because of my ladies. I have two ladies: Rebecca Havemeyer, a burnt out 1930s starlet, and Christeene, the number one cum-dump of Austin, Texas. They're polar opposites.
Well what would they have to say about you, Paul?
Paul: Rebecca would probably think I was real sweet - a nice young man. And Christeene would probably just want to fuck me. A lot. Can I say that?
No, please self censor.
Paul: Are you serious?
No! Don't censor. Give it all. What about Chloe?
Chloe: Chloe's my main lady - she's my only lady, in fact. It's interesting… I'm a little jealous of drag queens because they get to change their looks, but because my lady is a working lady who has actual pictures out there online to seduce potential clients I have to be the same lady over and over.
But you change your looks a little bit - I've seen the photos.
Chloe: Sure! The persona has to be pretty consistent, though. I also feel that whatever look I have up on the ad has to be consistent with what they see when they open the door. You never know what people fetishize. There have been situations where I've had my ad up featuring pictures of Chloe with long hair, and then I decide because it's hot outside to slap a short wig on my head, and so when the client opens the door I get "Oh, I thought you had long hair."
And so do you run home and get a different wig?
Chloe: No, no, no, no, no, not at all. No, I say "Oh, I got it cut! Ha ha!" and just play it off. I mean, these guys, not always the sharpest tools in the shed. They don't even know it's a wig half the time.
Paul: Yeah, because it's real!
Bless them!
Chloe: Right?! Bless them!
SAN FRANCISCO will play at the Austin Gay and Lesbian International Film Festival (AGLIFF) next Saturday, Sept 11th at 7PM at the Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar. The film was chosen as the festival's centerpiece short, so it will play in front of Rob Epstein's new feature HOWL, about poet Allen Ginsberg. Also, AGLIFF nominated SAN FRANCISCO for the prestigious Iris Prize, the most coveted and lucrative international prize for queer short films, with cash prize of £30,000! Thank you AGLIFF! - KyleFor Tickets: http://www.originalalamo.com/Show.aspx?id=7707
