PlayTime – issue 1048

Boys

BEEFY BASH
The largest attended bear dance party in the United States comes to Level One at the Midnight Shift on November 20. Bearracuda has regular parties across the US with Bears, Cubs, pups, otters, beefcakes, furballs and other wildlife! Head down from 9pm – tickets from $25 pre-sale from
www.daisytickets.com

ERECTILE ISSUES
The Albion Street Centre is conducting an online survey of Australian MSM on erectile dysfunction and the use of medications which help with erections, including Viagra, Cialis and/or Levitra. There’s a chance to win a $150 debit card by completing the survey, which takes about 10 minutes and is confidential and anonymous.
info: surveymonkey.com/s/msm_survey

BEARLY THERE
The new Bear Essentials website is now up and running, with the theme It’s A Bear’s World. You can find out all about the schedule of events for the festival, running from Sunday February 20 until Sunday, March 6 2011, at www.bearessentials.com.au.

Clubs

BIRTHDAY PARTY
Oxford Street’s Colombian Hotel celebrates its eighth birthday this weekend with three days of pirate-themed fun. From Friday November 19 to Sunday November 21, Alex Taylor, Beth Yen and Sandi Hotrod will keep the party going, while Maxi Shield will play hostess with the mostess.
info: www.colombian.com.au

DOLLED UP
The Midnight Shift has launched a brand new Friday night show, All Dolled Up, starring Charisma Belle and a bevy of supporting drag queens and dancers. The weekly event is the first full production drag show to be staged at the Shift in several years, and for $10 cover charge, guests are treated to a complimentary drink on arrival, entertainment all night, and a 2am main show. Plus all cloak room proceeds go straight to ACON.

Community

DEEPVALI
Join the Redfern Community on November 18 to celebrate Deepavali, the Indian Festival of lights, with Nayika Indian Dance, an evening of classical Indian dance, Balinese mask dance, and traditional Indian storytelling. info: www.nayika.org

TRANS DAY
On Saturday November 20, the Sydney Intersex, Sex and/or Gender-Diverse (ISGD) Collective will mark a Trans Day of Remembrance, commemorating the trans people lost to hate crimes and showing the defiance of the ISGD community. It’s all happening at the Serial Space, 33 Wellington St Chippendale – a workshop from 11:30am and a performance from 6pm. info: [email protected]

SEX FORUM
The Australian Sex Workers Association will hold a forum open to all sex workers at NSW Parliament House, Macquarie Street, on November 24 from 1:15pm to 5:30pm. Leading sex workers will speak about a range of sex work issues. Free for Alliance members, register at www.trybooking.com/HHS. Inquires: Cameron, 9326 4552, at Scarlet Alliance.

Free

STRIKE A POSE
Photographer Evan Cooper is looking for Sydney lesbian and gay couples for a new photo project, titled The Commitment Project. It’ll be a photographic exhibition of queer, gay and lesbian couples who have been in a committed relationship for 8.8 years or longer. The point of the exhibition is to highlight the fact that if queer couples can beat this statistic, we are entitled to the same rights heterosexual ones. If you would like to be involved, email [email protected] with The Commitment Project in the subject line.

ROCK ON
The next Sydney Rock ‘n Roll & Alternative market featuring a vast array of fashion and collectable stalls takes place on Sunday November 21 at Jets Sports Club, Tempe. The Rumjacks take their folk infused punk rock to the Sydney Rock ‘n Roll & Alternative market they will be joined by Handsome Young Strangers presenting their brand of Aussie bush rock madness plus Rockin and Swingin DJ duo Limpin’ Jimmy & the Swingin’ Kitten. The market opens at 11am and entry is free.

JINGLE BELLS
The City of Sydney is preparing to celebrate the festive season, kicking off with the annual Children’s Christmas Concert and Tree Lighting in Martin Place from 6pm on Thursday November 18. That same night, Hyde Park will play host to Christmas on the Green. It’s the first of several Christmas concerts taking place in the city through November and December – visit www.sydneychristmas.com.au for all the details.

Girls

GET WET
Monthly girls’ night Moist hits ARQ again on Friday November 26, this time with an Under The Sea extravaganza. Grab your fishing line and reel in a beautiful mermaid on the night, or groove along to music from DJs Sandi Hotrod, Sveta, Nat Noiz and more. $10 entry, 9pm onwards – and from 11pm-2am, the Arena is a strict girls-only space.

FASHION PASSION
Each year, the renowned Fashion Design Studio – known for its high-profile graduates like Alex Perry, Nicky Zimmermann and Dion Lee – puts on an end of year parade. A year’s worth of design, creativity and incredible hard work will be on show at Carriageworks from 6pm on November 17 in a 40-minute parade featuring the best of the best, under the watchful eyes of fashion industry insiders, TAFE institute alumni, media and other celebrity guests.

A SAD READ
On the Outside Looking In – My Life with Social Anxiety Disorder is the debut memoir by American author Daniela Grazia, and it’s a detailed account of her lifetime struggle with Social Anxiety Disorder (S.A.D.), coming to terms with her homosexuality, and growing up Italian Catholic in America. To order the book, visit
www.danielagrazia.intuitwebsites.com

On Screen

CRAZY TIMES
In 1972, American scientist Dr David Rosenhan proved that psychiatry, the science of the mind, couldn’t tell the difference between sanity and insanity. The insightful two-part observational reality series How Mad Are You? explores the fine line between the two, challenging some of the pre-conceived notions of mental illness along the way. Part two screens on SBS One at 7:30pm on November 23.

HOT GOSSIP
High society and low blows are back as the fourth series of Gossip Girl, a one hour drama about the scandalous lives of Manhattan’s elite, returns to FOX8 on Tuesday November 30 at 8.30pm. It’s all about the eye candy on this one – we can’t decide who we fancy most: Ed Westwick, Chace Crawford or Penn Badgley. Bah, why choose?

GO TROPPO
Tropfest is calling for entries for its 2011 competition and for Trop JR (the junior Tropfest, open to kids under 15 years). For 2011, Tropfest has entered into a new partnership with YouTube: for the first time entries will be received online through an all new Tropfest YouTube Channel. For submission guidelines, visit www.tropfest.com/au

Pubs & Bars

XANA – DO!
Xanadu will come to life once more on November 19 for a special Twenty10 fundraising event. The Xanadua-themed fundraiser will take place from 8pm at the Red Rattler Theatre, 8 Faversham St Marrickville. Performers for the night include Glitter Supernova, Xavier Moustache and Jade Starr, with DJs Matt Vaughan and Huckleberry Spin. The night is a strictly over-18s event for supporters of Twenty10
info: www.twenty10.org.au/in-xanadu

DEEPER
Deep Disko continues at the Colombian this Sunday with Phil Hudson, Matt Cahill, Dave 54, Soul Junkies, Danny De Sousa, and Mark Matthews live on sax from 10pm. Expect to hear the sexiest beats on Oxford St. The Lounge Bar will serve premium cocktails from 6pm-9pm for $10 to get the night off with a bang.

GET CRUISING
The Sugarmill in Kings Cross will celebrate its second birthday on November 18 with a cruise-themed party. No boys, not THAT kind of cruise – think tropical locales and luxury boating. It all kicks off from 6:30pm, when the venue will be transformed into the interior of a luxury ‘70s cruise ship.

Stage

SIX PACK
Not Quite Cabaret Presents A Six Pack of Plays, an evening of six short plays that will take you on an adventure of hilarious, quirky and romantic moments. Laid out in the traditional Cabaret-style in the Paddington Arms, each play is 10 minutes long, and there’s plenty of time for food and drinks in between. The season runs every Friday night at 8pm until Christmas. The last season sold out, so book now through Moshtix.

ARTIST’S PACT
Twelve young artists are on the verge of completing PACT’s Ensemble Program. Providing an opportunity for a group of emerging artists to engage with leading established practitioners, the fruits of their labour will be on show with Unsettlings, a performance that has been developed under the guidance of Cat and PACT’s associate director Julie Vulcan. It’s playing from November 18 to December 4 at the PACT Centre for Emerging Artists.
info: www.pact.net.au

VIVA LAS VEGAS
Burlesque hits the Factory Theatre for two shows only on November 24 and 25. A glittering, austere Las Vegas revue featuring comic recitation with musical interludes. See the distressed, the distorted and the disillusioned flaunt and parade their wares. Housewives, mothers, nuns and showgirls and exotic male dancers will shock and swish before your very eyes!
info: www.factorytheatre.com.au