spotlight jason stuart
of the atrocities of our country. It’s the beginning, the roots if you will, of Black Lives Matter and I’m so proud to be a part of it. It’s long been my dream to work with great people and tell stories that move lives. You’ll be pretty busy doing the media rounds then; will you continue to do your one-man show at the Purple Room? I love doing the Purple Room. OnSaturday,
June 25, I’ll be there with the lovely comic, Dana Eagle from Last Comic Standing. I have a different comedy friend come in as a special guest every month. I’ll be bringing my stand-up comedy show I’m Only Gay on the Weekends, because I’m just getting too old to be gay every day. How long have you been doing the show and what’s it like? I’ve been doing it monthly since September 2015.
I was asked to do a show by the owner, Michael Holmes and we sold out. We were such a hit, we can bring the show every month. I feel so lucky to be working at such a beautiful room like the Purple Room. Michael makes it feels like you’re going back to the 1960s. The room is hip cool and kitsch. Where did the show’s title come from? You meanI’m Only Gay on the Weekends?As
you get older you just want to stay in bed, watchThe Walking Dead, touch yourself and think of Ryan
Reynolds...touch yourself and pray. Eat anything and you gain weight. So, I thought, I can only be gay on the weekends because I’m so busy doing other stuff. It’s exhausting having to be funny, dress right and all the
expectations...It’s just too much! What demographics does the show draw? Jews, middle-aged, gay men who think they’re younger than they are; rich, white couples, straight girls who bring their husbands and wonder why they’re attracted to me, and really cool, thirty- somethings, who know what’s cutting-edge. And yeah, more Jews. How has it evolved since opening? I’m able to play with the audience—tease them,
cajole them and make them feel like part of the family—also working in a lot of great new material. You know, like wondering why Ted Cruz looks like he smells his fingers after touching his underpants; discussing Donald Trump’s latest atrocity and wondering why Bernie looks like he’s standing up at a bar mitzvah saying, “Who’s going to get the centerpiece?” It’s been said it takes a village to raise a child. For a gay person, it takes the Village People. Does that even answer your question?
What’s the most unexpected thing at the Purple Room? The food is great. Way better than anything I’ve
ever had in a comedy club. Do you get regulars? A couple of straight couples have been coming
back every time I’m there. Now, I love straight people—I have two that clean my house—they’re nice people. One stole something, but I’m not gonna say anything. And you know, straight people are gay-makers. Clearly, because gay people are popping out everywhere like Pop Tarts. Oy, this one has frosting. Is there any back-and-forth with the audience? Yes. We seem to have a lot of straight women who
get drunk, loud and want a lot of attention. They drop their big purses on the floor. But, I’m very supportive, I hold up their hair while they throw up. How about the venue? Is it one you particularly enjoy playing, or is it just a matter of “a stage is a stage?” The Purple Room has been one of my favorite
places to work. It’s historic and has had shows with some of the most talented people in the desert. The food is fabulous, though I’m afraid to eat it because I’ve lost 10 pounds and I look incredible. Well, as incredible as a middle-age bald, Jewish guy with a beard can look. That’s what my therapist told me
to say out loud and or in print. Just remember, “I’m the daddy and I have candy.” Oh yeah, you can get a comedy CD of the same name on my website
jasonstuart.com for only 99 cents [laughs]. No really, it’s 99 cents. Anything to add? Last year you saw the comedy parity, “Hush up
Sweet Charlotte “ at the Palm Springs International Film Festival’s Cinema Diverse. It stars Varla Jean Merman, Mathew Martin, David Millbern and the legendary Mink Stole and me! I play a British journalist who sounds somewhere between Anthony Hopkins and Judi Dench. I look like Pee-wee Herman-meets-Inspector Clouseau. Funny, but not my most attractive look. The film is now
onvimeo.com.
The Birth of a Nation premiered in competition at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2016, Fox Searchlight Pictures bought worldwide rights to the film in a $17.5 million deal, the largest deal at the film festival to date. It is scheduled to be released in October 2016. For more information, go
tofoxsearchlight.com.
For more information (and a good laugh) about all things Jason Stuart go
tojasonstuart.com.
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RAGE monthly | JUNE 2016
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