75 Inches @ Ars Nova

Last night, I attended Dick Scanlan’s new one man show – 75 Inches - at Ars Nova.

The main thrust of his monologue detailed his experiences as a drag queen in the show “Pageant” and inter-dispersed with the many experiences that brought him to that point and beyond. His telling of the show’s run in Orlando that involved the colorful couple who ran the theatre, the hoodlums that stole his corset and the details of final day of the show – when the electricity was shut off – was a wonderful journey to take with him. Dick’s poignant stories about his father were heartfelt, showed the love they had for each other and a showed a father’s championship of his son.

His ruminations about his childhood and time at Carnegie Mellon, being kicked out for being too effeminate – in the theatre department! - were a revelation in a person’s evolvement into who they are and how they got there. One of the most affecting portions of the evening was his telling of his journey through the AIDS crisis, his own battle with the disease and the freedom he found.

While the monologue could be tweaked - possibly shortened in some places - Dick’s story telling is natural, easy going and engaging. It was a very personal look into a life exposed.

A lovely evening topped off by…. my sitting next to my favorite female Broadway performer – Sheri Rene Scott.