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EDITOR’S NOTE
WHO’S AFRAID OF THE BIG, BAD QUEERS?
I
had assumed that no one would emerge from job function could be weird. Oddly, this was something Fussell himself the last, desperate throes of Florida’s resistance to same-sex marriage as a bigger horse’s ass seemed to recognize back in 2012, when he than Attorney General Pam Bondi. It was Bondi, was seeking office: “As Clerk,” he pledged on after all, who continued to spend your tax dollars his campaign website, “I will endeavor to make to defend the state’s gay marriage ban even after a every customer feel respected and well served in federal judge ruled it unconstitutional, even after his or her interactions with this office.” Except, the Supreme Court turned aside her last-ditch he forgot to mention, if he disapproves of what appeal. Up until the bitter end, under the guise those customers do with their genitalia. Fussell’s not the only clerk pulling this crap of seeking “clarity,” Bondi’s minions wondered in a legal briefing whether, maybe, just maybe, — clerks in 14 mostly small, mostly Panhandle the federal court’s ruling applied to only one gay and Northeast Florida counties, including Clay couple in only one Florida county. (That’s not and Baker, have done the same thing — but he how the Constitution works, Pam.) represents the largest and most metropolitan area, And even then, after (what I imagine to be and the one that has to most to lose from being a very exasperated) U.S. District Judge Robert lumped in with those other backwaters. It’s not just Hinkle responded on New Year’s Day that, yes, that Jacksonville same-sex couples can get legally his ruling meant that clerks of court all over the married today — albeit not at the courthouse — state could, and in fact should, issue marriage and legally fired for being gay tomorrow, thanks licenses to same-sex couples beginning Jan. 6, to the City Council’s unwillingness to extend the Bondi’s office issued a statement claiming that human rights ordinance. It’s also that this is yet another embarrassment “the injunction does not require a clerk to issue licenses to same-sex couples other than the for a city that doesn’t need it. It was just last plaintiffs [in this one case], but the court stated month, you’ll recall, that our current Biblethat ‘a clerk of court may follow the ruling.’” This thumping City Council president freaked out was a kernel of truth buried in a mountain of over a photography exhibit at an art museum bullshit: Yes, the judge didn’t say they had to do and a local GOP official went on a racist Twitter it, only that they should, and if they didn’t, they’d rant, both of which made national headlines. And now this. get the bejesus sued out of them, and they’d lose. Is it any wonder Jacksonville seems so stuck All of this led Tampa Bay Times political editor Adam C. Smith to label Bondi a “modern- in the mud, so unable to gain any mojo, as Shad Khan would say? These day Anita Bryant” — things — anachronistic to my mind, George values and an inability Wallace would have to progress — aren’t made a better analogue disconnected. Cities that — for her stalwart If you are a judge/lawyer/ look backward don’t refusal to bend to the congregation/Internet-ordained Elvis move forward. inevitability of progress, impersonator and you’re willing But here’s the good for her insistence on to perform same-sex marriage news: We’re better than placating her right-wing ceremonies for what the clerk of this. We’re better than base and antagonizing court would have charged ($30) or less, the gay community. the Clay Yarboroughs shoot me an email. I’ll list these Still, I’m not sure and the Don Redmans services in a future column, and Bondi can lay claim to and the Ronnie Fussells. we’ll carve out a special section the title of this saga’s And our better angels for them in our forthcoming biggest dick after what are stepping up. Already, Book of Love issue, out Feb. 4. transpired last week. area judges and law By the time you read firms and progressive this, gay people will have congregations have married in Florida, now volunteered to fulfill the the 36th state in the union to permit same-sex duties that Fussell and his homophobic staff nuptials. That is an amazing thing, considering have shirked. And while the city’s titularly that it was just six years and two months ago that Democratic mayor, who can’t bring himself 62 percent of the state’s voters enshrined antigay to even back the HRO, quite predictably discrimination in our constitution. The arc demurred, the local Democratic Party popped of the moral universe has bent toward justice. its head up to forcefully demand that Fussell Public sentiment has shifted. A court ruling that reconsider, pointing to a Florida statute that just a few years ago would have drawn outrage prohibit clerks from abruptly discontinuing and protests and stern denunciations from every any function that serves the trial court. At the pulpit in the land was instead mostly met with a least, a prominent LGBT source told me, a lawsuit is likely. collective shrug. Here’s my contribution, small though it may Mostly. There are still those attempting to stand athwart history and yell stop. And among be: If you are a judge/lawyer/congregation/ them is Duval County Clerk of the Circuit Internet-ordained Elvis impersonator and Court and former Jacksonville City Council you’re willing to perform same-sex marriage President Ronnie Fussell. Last week, Fussell ceremonies for what the clerk of court would — displaying all the maturity of a 3-year-old have charged ($30) or less, shoot me an email. — announced that if gays can get married, well, I’ll list these services in a future column, and his office just doesn’t feel comfortable with that, we’ll carve out a special section for them in our forthcoming Book of Love issue, out Feb. 4. so no more courthouse weddings. For now, even if Ronnie Fussell makes us “I believe marriage is between a man and a woman,” Fussell told the Times-Union. want to pound our heads into our desks, let’s “Personally it would go against my beliefs to remember that love and fairness have won out, perform a ceremony that is other than that.” and that this state is a more just and verdant It’s a good thing his is a religious post, not place today than it was a few days ago. an elected office that represents a diverse, Jeffrey C. Billman pluralistic community, otherwise elevating his twitter/jeffreybillman personal bigotry over the performance of a basic jbillman@folioweekly.com
HEY YOU!
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RON JOHNSON musician, author, folkie Age 61 I was wandering around the annual Will McLean Festival down toward Dade City some years ago, performing there with Tammerlin, and with that day’s set and workshop done, I was killing time before dinner. I happened up to the campsite of my friend, Sarasota folkie Carl Webb. Festival-scene etiquette usually dictates that after meet-and-greet, the songs get swapped, and Carl sang what to me was a real folk song, “Rescue Train” by Ron Johnson. “Real” because it was about a time and place and a momentous event. “Rescue Train“ was a fictional first-person account of the loss of a train and hundreds of workers supposedly being carried to safety from the great hurricane that struck the Keys in the 1920s. No one survived. The tune is a chronicle told by the engineer, all in a dark, driven B-minor. “Rescue Train” had won the Best Florida Song category a few hours earlier, and Carl had already learned it. It took a while before I met Ron, as musicians’ paths are discursive enough at times not to cross too easily. We had mutual friends, and in time became acquainted at folk jams and a few house concerts and at White Springs. I learned that he was on the opposite side of the political fence, although more a happy warrior than an archconservative. He wrapped up our first heated discourse with an invitation to pick with his group at Barberville, and a pissing contest of divisiveness vanished ’neath the veil of good times and good music. Ron’s passion was Florida. Unbeknownst to most, our state has one of the richest threads of folk music in the nation. Our troubadour tradition has gifted us with poets laureate in spades with the likes of Gamble Rogers, Will McLean and Bob Patterson. And Ron Johnson now rightfully stands among them, if for nothing else than the book he penned and published, North Florida Folk Music: History and Tradition. I was privileged to play on his final record, History & Tradition, being invited before he got the news in July of his illness. That made the work in the studio doubly tough for me. Half songs of Florida and half of destiny, he lightened the mood with death jokes, which could have come only from the immense courage with which he faced cancer. He ended my recording session with an invitation to play the songs at a festival in Eustis in October, which musicians look forward to, as it is usually fall’s first respite from the summer’s heat. He passed a month before that festival. It seems as if Ron Johnson was with us until his final moments, promoting his book, finalizing his CD, and doing a round of final performances for his (to paraphrase Woody) “So Long, It’s Been Good To Know You” tour. I last saw Ron at a book gathering, and we spoke about the CD — and then there was a moment when our eyes met and I was able to glimpse his eternity. God keep him. — Arvid Smith
KATIE D’ELIA musician Age 27 “I actually met her working at the Brick Coffee House,” Jimmy Bayer says. “She managed Hemming Plaza Jewelers around the corner, and she would come in and get coffee. And she was just beautiful.” That was 2009, a lifetime ago. Bayer, leader of local indie rockers Memphibians and a cofounder of Infintesmal Records, pauses to reflect, two fingers of Knob Creek swirling elliptically in his hand. It’s been four months since Katie D’Elia 12 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | JANUARY 7-13, 2015
died, right before his eyes, in a room at Shands, surrounded by her family, third-generation Italian immigrants who raised her right. A University of Florida grad (she took classes with Tim Tebow), classically trained on the French horn and glockenspiel, D’Elia took greatest pride in her tambourine skills. Memphibians was the only band she ever played in; she joined while they were recording their first album, and she appears on everything they’ve ever released. Grief is situational; grief is relative to the life that’s lost — such a light, extinguished too fast and too soon, leaving just memories. A future planned out, reduced to vapor trails fading out against the darkness. It’s way too much for the mind to process, but Bayer has fought the sadness like a honey badger on bath salts, and he’s done it for her. She’d joked about saving him from being part of the 27 Club, only to become its most recent member, through no fault of her own. D’Elia was one of an estimated 10,000 people who died this year from acute myeloid leukemia, or AML. She never saw it coming. No signs, no warnings, no time to prepare or say goodbye. A really bad headache became a coma within hours, and she never woke up. Her last show was just five days before she died, and it was their best show. It was filmed and recorded, but it’s unclear if it will ever be issued to the public. Of course, it’s hard for friends and family to listen to it, but it’s even harder not to. — Shelton Hull
PAUL FIGURA photographer Age 51 “Stop and look at the moon.” Paul Figura said that to his girlfriend, Nia Bradberry, all the time. Their relationship was soulful, and he taught her to live in the present. Always. “On a beautiful day, we ride up to Bold Bean and have a morning coffee,” she says. “He just makes the ordinary, everyday things extraordinary.” Speaking to me in December, 10 months after he had died, she still talks about Figura in the present tense. Figura — an award-winning photographer who shot for the Jaguars, major advertisers and local nonprofits — suffered a brain hemorrhage on Feb. 18. He died 10 days later at the age of 51. It’s a cliché when friends and family say a man lived every second to the fullest. Paul absolutely did, ever since his 30th birthday. He loved motorcycles and photography as a kid, and pursued those interests throughout his life. He became an avid surfer and enjoyed rising early to get a head start at his studio in San Marco. Despite his love of photography, he studied something practical, earning a degree in computer and information science engineering from the University of Florida in the early ’80s. “It was the best advice I ever got,” Figura told the Times-Union in 2009. “It funded my photography habit.” He was recruited out of college by the Maxwell House Coffee Company and continued as a computer engineer at JEA. Then, the day he turned 30, he quit. Amy Ploss-Samson, who worked as his assistant photographer and studio manager for 10 years, says that Figura was incredibly talented at sports, underwater and lifestyle photography. “Whatever challenge someone gave him, he could definitely overcome it,” she told me. His willingness to try new techniques and his ability to connect with people quickly made him one of the city’s most sought-after photogs. He took pictures of presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, among other celebrity speakers, while working with the Women’s Board of Wolfson Children’s Hospital for The Florida Forum series. He won multiple local and
ROBERT “BOBBY” WOOLVERTON regional ADDYs and an Emmy. He regularly shot the Jaguars and the ROAR cheerleaders. He helped raise two children — his son, Nick, and daughter, Taylor, are now in their early 20s. “He always looks at the best in people. He is ‘the forever optimist,’” Bradberry says. “He asks people about their interests and he understands them. He’d say, ‘In the end, all you can do is love and live in the present, and let go of things that aren’t in your control.’” Figura lived in the moment. He’d ask her: “Did you see the sky today?” — David Johnson
ROBERT “BOBBY” WOOLVERTON architect, activist, Renaissance man Age 80 Form follows function. Or so thought Robert “Bobby” Woolverton, an architect who spent his life designing everything from the waterslides at Silver Springs to million-dollar oceanfront homes on Northeast Florida’s coasts. Born in Mount Vernon, New York, Woolverton attended Princeton University and went on to earn a master’s degree in architecture at Georgia Tech. Princeton Alumni Weekly remembered him like this: “Possessed of a magnificent countenance and character, and personifying grace and elegance with justice and fairness as hallmarks of his behavior.” A Renaissance man in every way, Woolverton was also a world traveler, sailor, artist, preservationist and Avondale activist. He was highly involved in many community organizations, including the St. Johns Riverkeeper, the Nature Conservancy and the Wilderness Society. He also served as chairman of the Jacksonville Art Museum, was a board member of Riverside Avondale Preservation and was president of The Arts Council. Woolverton was also involved with the Downtown Development Authority. As an esteemed member of The American Institute of Architects, Woolverton worked with several architects before going into private practice. He approached each client with patience and respect, working to give them what they wanted while still maintaining his signature style. In addition to waterslides and oceanfront homes, Woolverton designed office buildings and warehouses, and served as the on-site architect for the massive Ramses II exhibit at the Prime Osborn Convention Center in the mid-1980s. Above all else, Woolverton loved Jacksonville. He moved here with his family in 1935 and
died from leukemia in his Ortega home at age 80. When he wasn’t building interesting and fluid structures, he was hard at work trying to preserve the reason most of us live in and love Northeast Florida — or, as the Princeton piece explains, “He was most focused on the arts and on nature and the preservation of the things that make life beautiful.” — Kara Pound
MARCIA GAIL BAKER hero to children Age 62 She was the boss. “Ms. Gail,” as the children called Marcia Gail Baker, founded the Donner Park Community Center and served as its recreation director for 20 years. She had the calling before she had the job. She used the authority the city of Atlantic Beach gave her as she had used it in her neighborhood, to guide the children who came into her orbit, to do her part to raise them, to enrich their lives, to teach them the meaning of responsibility and of leading by stern example leavened with a lot of loving kindness. She knew each child. She knew their parents and probably their grandparents, too. “She knew all kinds of little different things about each of the children,” says Opio Sokoni, who grew up in Atlantic Beach and is now president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference’s Jacksonville chapter. “If Kenny was acting up, she knew what to do. If little Martha had a bullying issue, she knew how to place certain children around other children to take care of it. She knew what to do for each one.” Ms. Gail wasn’t fazed much by misbehavior. All she had to do was have a talk. Parents trusted her. Even authority-defying, 18- and 19-yearolds hanging out at Donner Park took notice when Ms. Gail was around. The city of Atlantic Beach renamed the center after her and planted a tangerine tree in her honor. Tangerines are small and easy for little hands to pluck from the tree, Meade Coplan explained in an article she wrote for the Mayport Mirror. Ms. Gail left behind an example. She left behind a wonderful community center. There’s an annual Easter egg hunt, movies outdoors in the summer, flag football games, a cheerleading squad, help with homework. But the very good heart at the core of it all is gone. Now it’s time for those she touched to step up and carry on. At least that’s what I heard Ms. Gail say. — Susan Cooper Eastman mail@folioweekly.com
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A&E // MUSIC CONCERTS THIS WEEK SPADE McQUADE 6 p.m. Jan. 7 at Fionn MacCool’s Irish Pub, Jacksonville Landing, Ste. 176, Downtown, 374-1247. ASKULTURA, RYAN EL DRED 7 p.m. Jan. 7 at Jack Rabbits, 1528 Hendricks Ave., San Marco, 398-7496, $8. DON WILLIAMS 8 p.m. Jan. 7 at The Florida Theatre, 128 E. Forsyth St., Downtown, 355-2787, $35-$55. THE BAND BE EASY 7:30 p.m. Jan. 8 at Latitude 360, 10370 Philips Hwy.,
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Southside, 365-5555. ’70s Soul Jam: THE SPINNERS, THE STYLISTICS, THE MAIN INGREDIENT, CUBA GOODING SR., JIMMY WALKER 8 p.m. Jan. 8, The Florida Theatre, $35-$79. BREAD & CIRCUS 8 p.m. Jan. 8 at Burro Bar, 100 E. Adams St., Downtown. DO I HAVE A HIT SONG with TOMMY TUTONE, DREW COPELAND (SISTER HAZEL) 6 p.m. Jan. 9 at Mavericks at The Landing, 2 Independent Drive, Downtown, 356-1110, $10-$20. Winter Jam: SKILLET, JEREMY CAMP, FRANCESCA BATTISTELLI, BUILDING 429, FOR KING & COUNTRY, NEWSONG, FAMILY FORCE 5, TONY NOLAN, BLANCA, ABOUT A MILE, VERIDIA 7 p.m. Jan. 9 at Veterans Memorial Arena, 300 A. Philip Randolph Blvd., Downtown, 630-3900, $10. LEAST OF THOSE, BOYSIN, URSA MINOR, LYBECKER 7:30 p.m. Jan. 9 at Murray Hill Theatre, 932 Edgewood Ave. S., Westside, 388-7807, $8. ACE WINN 8 p.m. Jan. 9, Fionn MacCool’s Irish Pub, Downtown. THE FRED EAGLESMITH TRAVELING STEAM SHOW 8 p.m. Jan. 9 at Café Eleven, 501 A1A Beach Blvd., St. Augustine Beach, 460-9311, $20. Duval Gravity Movement 2: ELECTRIC WATER & THE SUPER SUPER FUNKY FUNK, THE UNITED TYLER OF TYLER, JEREMIAH MOTIONS, SMILE 4, JOE SHUCK & CHARLIE SHUCK 8 p.m. Jan. 9, Jack Rabbits, $8. THE DUSTY 45s 8 p.m. Jan. 9 at Underbelly, 113 E. Bay St., Downtown, 699-8186, $5. APPETITE FOR DESTRUCTION (GUNS N ROSES TRIBUTE) 8 p.m. Jan. 9 at Freebird Live, 200 N. First St., Jax Beach, 246-2473, $10. THE RIDE 8:30 p.m. Jan. 9, Latitude 360. “3” THE BAND 10 p.m. Jan. 9 & 10 at Flying Iguana, 207 Atlantic Blvd., Neptune Beach, 853-5680. STEVE POLTZ, DONNY BRAZILE 8 p.m. Jan. 10, Café Eleven, $15. ASKMEIFICARE, VIKTR/PLANETRAWK, SUNGHOST, YAK,
HOPE DARLINGS 8 p.m. Jan. 10, Jack Rabbits, $8. DOUG E. FRESH 8 p.m. Jan. 10 at The Ritz Theatre & Museum, 829 N. Davis St., Downtown, 807-2010, $44-$49. TOMBOI 8 p.m. Jan. 10, Underbelly, $5. MISERY HEAD, CRASHMIR, THE EMBRACED 8 p.m. Jan. 10, Freebird Live, $8. BOOGIE FREAKS 8:30 p.m. Jan. 10, Latitude 360. MELISSA FERRICK 8 p.m. Jan. 11, Café Eleven, $20. STANK SAUCE 7:30 p.m. Jan. 11, Latitude 360. GLEN PHILLIPS, NATALIA ZUKERMAN 8 p.m. Jan. 12, Café Eleven, $20. WISE RIVER, AUTHOR, BOYSIN, SONNET TO SLEEP 8 p.m. Jan. 12, Jack Rabbits, $8. PENNYWISE, ANTI-FLAG, A WILHELM SCREAM, FLAG ON FIRE 6:30 p.m. Jan. 13, Freebird Live, $25. LUCINDA WILLIAMS & HER BAND 7 p.m. Jan. 13 at Ponte Vedra Concert Hall, 1050 A1A N., 209-0399, $40. RAURY, 6LACKBEAR 8 p.m. Jan. 13, Jack Rabbits, $10; $45 VIP. JULIE DURDEN, HEATHER PIERSON 7:30 p.m. Jan. 14 at Mudville Music Room, 3104 Atlantic Blvd., San Marco, 352-7008.
UPCOMING CONCERTS THE DRUIDS Jan. 15, Ragtime Tavern LETTUCE Jan. 15, Mavericks ROD HAMDALLAH Jan. 15, Burro Bar ELISA AMBROGIO Jan. 15, Shanghai Nobby’s BANDITOS Jan. 15, Underbelly CHUCK NASH BAND Jan. 16 & 17, Flying Iguana RUSS T. NUTZ, J.W. TELLER Jan. 16, Burro Bar MARTYPARTY Jan. 16, Freebird Live TEDESCHI TRUCKS BAND Jan. 16, The Florida Theatre THE BOTH (AIMEE MANN, TED LEO), LAURA JANE GRACE Jan. 16, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall QWEL, TOUGH JUNKIE, LETHAL SKRITPTUREZ, COS McCONSCIOUS Jan. 16, rain dogs. CASE Jan. 16, Ritz Theatre SANDY HACKETT’S RAT PACK SHOW Jan. 16, T-U Center MONROE CROSSING Jan. 16, Mudville Music Room DIANE SCHUUR Jan. 17, Ritz Theatre TANTRIC Jan. 17, Underbelly GRAHAM NASH Jan. 17, The Florida Theatre HARDIN & BURNS Jan. 17, Mudville Music Room THE GLENN MILLER ORCHESTRA Jan. 18, FSCJ Wilson Center FOUR YEAR STRONG, COMEBACK KID Jan. 18, Underbelly OF MONTREAL, NEDELLE TORRISI Jan. 19, Freebird Live LARA HOPE & the ARK-TONES, MUDTOWN Jan. 19, Burro Bar SHOVELS & ROPE, CAROLINE ROSE Jan. 20, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall KRIS ALLEN Jan. 21, Jack Rabbits GAELIC STORM Jan. 21, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall THE INDEPENDENTS, BLACK CAT ATTACK Jan. 21, Burro Bar GREENSKY BLUEGRASS Jan. 21, Freebird Live KATHLEEN MADIGAN Jan. 22, The Florida Theatre BILL GAITHER & FRIENDS Jan. 23, Veterans Memorial Arena IRIS DEMENT, PIETA BROWN Jan. 23, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall THE DRUIDS Jan. 23 & 24, Flying Iguana NOTHIN’ FANCY Jan. 24, Mudville Music Room LINCOLN DURHAM Jan. 24, Jack Rabbits ABBA THE CONCERT (TRIBUTE) Jan. 24, The Florida Theatre CEDRIC the ENTERTAINER, MIKE EPPS, EDDIE GRIFFIN, D.L. HUGHLEY, GEORGE LOPEZ, CHARLIE MURPHY Jan. 24, Veterans Memorial Arena SHEN YUN Jan. 24 & 25, UNF Fine Arts Center MERLE HAGGARD Jan. 25, The Florida Theatre FRAMEWORKS, CRUEL HANDS, THE BEAUTIFUL ONES Jan. 25, Burro Bar RINGWORM Jan. 26, Burro Bar EARPHUNK Jan. 27, Freebird Live CRUEL HAND, FRAMEWORKS Jan. 27, Burro Bar LEON RUSSELL Jan. 28, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall ARLO GUTHRIE Jan. 29, The Florida Theatre GALACTIC Jan. 29, Freebird Live DAVID WILCOX Jan. 29, Café Eleven LUCKY PETERSON Jan. 30, Ritz Theatre AUSTIN PARK Jan. 30 & 31, Flying Iguana Limelight Theatre Gala: THE BAY KINGS SWING BAND
A&E // ARTS
STRICTLY PERSONAL A dramatic work explores the legal attacks on a celebrated 19th-century playwright, author and raconteur
T
he definition of “gross indecency” has changed consistently over the past 130 years, muddling the phrase. According to Collins Dictionary, it’s a category of crimes involving sex — especially consenting homosexual activity before it was decriminalized. Oscar Fingal O’Flahertie Wills Wilde (better known as Oscar Wilde) was an Irish writer and poet who gained notoriety in the late 1800s. Today, the often-quoted author is remembered for his pithy remarks, his novel The Picture of Dorian Gray, his masterpiece play The Importance of Being Earnest and the curious circumstances surrounding his imprisonment and death. Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde, written in 1997 by Moisés Kaufman, debuted off Broadway at Greenwich House Theater. The play is staged in Northeast Florida this week at Players by the Sea (PBTS). “Oscar Wilde is put into the center ring of the trial of the century where he is accused of being a ‘sodomite’ in Victorian England, where such activities are strictly outlawed,” says Dave Alan Thomas, the play’s director. “However, that’s only the basic historical event.” Using quoted text from various periods of history as well as transcripts from court records, Gross Indecency is, as Thomas puts it, a “transformational drama.” “This play is not one-sided; it presents the accounts of the past and insight into the aftermath and allows the audience to personally reflect on these events,” he says. Thomas was born in Gainesville, grew up in Alachua, received an MFA in theater directing at Florida Atlantic University and moved to Jacksonville in 2007. The 44-yearold, who currently resides in Murray Hill, has his hand in most anything theater-related in Northeast Florida. “I’ve been involved in theater all my life,” says Thomas. “So I sought out theater opportunities when I moved to Jacksonville. I auditioned and performed in musicals and plays; once I was known, it was easier to find directing positions with an established rapport. I was probably first noticed in the area as Roger De Bris in The Producers at Orange Park Community Theatre.” Thomas went on to direct The Merchant of Venice and Art at PBTS, RED and A Streetcar Named Desire at Atlantic Beach Experimental Theatre and The Drowsy Chaperone at Theatre Jacksonville. He’s also taken on numerous acting roles, including King Arthur in Monty Python’s Spamalot and Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman. As far as his directorial responsibilities for Gross Indecency went, Thomas expected the process to be difficult. 26 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | JANUARY 7-13, 2015
“It is delightfully more tricky than I had first thought, and I cherish artistic challenge,” he explains. “I have high standards for myself and for those who work with me on production. The members of this ensemble are striving to meet my goals by doing the work necessary to accomplish the needs of this demanding script.” The cast includes nine actors spanning an age range of four decades —from high school and beyond — and playing an array of characters. Local actor Bill Ratliff, who plays Wilde, is no stranger to working with Thomas — the two began their theater relationship on RED, in which Ratliff played tortured artist Mark Rothko. “Bill is an actor who unearths hidden layers to characters and accesses and exposes the emotional soul of the roles that he inhabits with artistry,” Thomas says. “He doesn’t wallow in an emotional swamp; he creates a selective performance from a full range of possibilities. He is gracious and giving and a true ensemble player.” A teacher of theater and English at Middleburg High School by day, Thomas is always looking for a lesson to be taught in the work that he takes on. “With the trials of Oscar Wilde, the idea of being separated in society by who we are attracted to came into our consciousness,” he says. “After Wilde, the world became labeled and divided by sexual identity. Although I’ve always celebrated diversity and I am an outspoken advocate for equality, I find great beauty in what makes us the same.” No stranger to Wilde’s work, Thomas previously directed The Importance of Being Earnest at a school in Pinellas County, wrote a post-graduate essay on how the outspoken author’s later years influenced his writing and even dabbled with writing the score for a musical version of The Picture of Dorian Gray. “The idea of humanity being a single entity, where our differences make us belong to the whole and how we are incomplete without the other, has become a clear lesson from this production,” he says of Gross Indecency. “Perhaps it has been since the dawn of time where sexuality is concerned, but it seems that our ongoing worldwide struggles derive from our inability to reconstruct ourselves as one.” Kara Pound mail@folioweekly.com
GROSS INDECENCY: THE THREE TRIALS OF OSCAR WILDE
8 p.m. Jan. 9, 10, 15-17, 22-24; 2 p.m. Jan. 18, Players by the Sea, Jax Beach, playersbythesea.org; $23; $20 senior, military, student.
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DINING DIRECTORY
CLAUDE’S CHOCOLATE, 145 Hilden Rd., Ste. 122, 829-5790, claudeschocolate.com. Hand-crafted premium Belgian chocolate, fruits, nuts, spices. Cookies, popsicles. $$ TO DICK’S WINGS & GRILL, 100 Marketside Ave., 829-8134, dickswingsandgrill.com. F 2014 BOJ winner. NASCARthemed; 365 kinds of wings, half-pound burgers, ribs. $ FB K TO L D Daily LARRY’S SUBS, 830 A1A N., 273-3993. F SEE ORANGE PARK.
PUSSER’S BAR & GRILLE, 816 A1A N., Ste. 100, 280-7766, pussersusa.com. 2014 BOJ winner. Bite Club. Innovative Caribbean cuisine features regional faves: Jamaican grilled pork ribs, Trinidad smoked duck, lobster macaroni & cheese dinner. Tropical drinks. $$ FB K TO L D Daily RESTAURANT MEDURE, 818 A1A N., 543-3797, restaurantmedure.us. Chef David Medure offers global flavors. Small plates, creative drinks, happy hour. $$$ FB D Mon.-Sat.
RIVERSIDE, 5 POINTS, WESTSIDE
13 GYPSIES, 887 Stockton St., 389-0330, 13gypsies. com. 2014 BOJ winner. Intimate bistro serves authentic Mediterranean peasant cuisine updated for American tastes, specializing in tapas, blackened octopus, risotto of the day, coconut mango curry chicken. $$ BW L D Tue.-Sat. AKEL’S DELI, 245 Riverside Ave., 791-3336. F SEE DOWNTOWN.
AL’S PIZZA, 1620 Margaret St., Ste. 201, 388-8384. F
Fernando Jackman, Marina Lakoskey, Jared Mcardle, Royer Vega and Lorena Silva at Espeto Brazilian Steakhouse – in its new location on Beach Boulevard in Jax Beach – present a leg of lamb and a picanha, plus tasty lime and strawberry caipirinhas. Photo: Dennis Ho sandwiches, popcorn, nachos, brownies. $$ BW Daily SUSHI CAFÉ, 2025 Riverside Ave., Ste. 204, 384-2888, sushicafejacksonville.com. Sushi variety: Monster Roll, Jimmy Smith Roll; faves Rock-n-Roll, Dynamite Roll. Hibachi, tempura, katsu, teriyaki. Indoor or patio. $$ BW L D Daily
SEE BEACHES.
BLACK SHEEP RESTAURANT, 1534 Oak St., 355-3793, blacksheep5points.com. New American fare has a Southern twist, made with locally sourced ingredients. Rooftop bar. $$$ FB R Sat. & Sun.; L D Daily BOLD BEAN COFFEE ROASTERS, 869 Stockton St., Stes. 1 & 2, 855-1181. 2014 BOJ winner. F Small-batch, artisanal coffee roasting. Organic, fair trade. $ BW TO B L Daily CORNER TACO, 818 Post St., 240-0412. Made-fromscratch “Mexclectic street food,” tacos, nachos, gluten-free and vegetarian options. $ BW L D Daily. DICK’S WINGS & GRILL, 5972 San Juan Ave., 693-9258. 2014 BOJ winner. SEE PONTE VEDRA. EDGEWOOD BAKERY, 1012 S. Edgewood Ave., 389-8054, edgewoodbakery.com. 2014 BOJ winner. 66+ years, full-service bakery. Fresh breakfast, pastries, petit fours, pies, cakes. Espresso, sandwiches, smoothies. $$ K TO B L Tue.-Sat. EUROPEAN STREET CAFÉ, 2753 Park St., 384-9999, europeanstreet.com. 2014 BOJ winner. 130+ imported beers, 20 on tap. NYC-style classic Reuben, sandwiches. Outside seating at some EStreets. $ BW K L D Daily GRASSROOTS NATURAL MARKET, 2007 Park St., 384-4474, thegrassrootsmarket.com. BOJ. F Juice bar; certified organic fruits, vegetables. 500+ craft/import beers, 250 wines, organic produce, humanely raised meats, plus a deli, as well as raw items, vegan, vitamins, herbs. $ BW TO B L D Daily HAWKERS ASIAN STREET FARE, 1001 Park St., 508-0342, hawkerstreetfare.com. 2014 BOJ winner. Authentic dishes from mobile stalls. $ BW TO L D Daily KNEAD BAKESHOP, 1173 Edgewood Ave. S. Locallyowned, family-run bake shop; made-from-scratch pastries, artisan breads, pies, specialty sandwiches, soups. $ TO B L Tue.-Sun. LARRY’S, 1509 Margaret, 674-2794. 7895 Normandy, 781-7600. 8102 Blanding, 779-1933. F SEE ORANGE PARK. METRO DINER, 4495 Roosevelt Blvd., Ortega, 999-4600. F 2014 BOJ winner. SEE SAN MARCO. MONROE’S Smokehouse BAR-B-Q, 4838 Highway Ave., 389-5551, monroessmokehousebbq.com. Wings, pulled pork, brisket, turkey, ribs. Homestyle sides: green beans, baked beans, mac-n-cheese, collards. $$ K TO L Mon.Sat.; D Fri. MOON RIVER PIZZA, 1176 Edgewood Ave. S., 389-4442. F 2014 BOJ winner. SEE AMELIA ISLAND. MOSSFIRE GRILL, 1537 Margaret St., 355-4434, mossfire.com. F Southwestern fish tacos, enchiladas. Happy hour Mon.-Sat. upstairs lounge, all day Sun. $$ FB K L D Daily O’BROTHERS IRISH PUB, 1521 Margaret St., 854-9300, obrothersirishpub.com. F Traditional shepherd’s pie with Stilton crust, Guinness mac-n-cheese, fish-n-chips. Patio dining. $$ FB K TO L D Daily THE SHEIK, 7361 103rd St., 778-4805. 5172 Normandy Blvd., 786-7641. SEE ARLINGTON. SUN-RAY CINEMA, 1028 Park St., 359-0049. F Beer (Bold City, Intuition), wine, pizza, hot dogs, hummus,
ST. AUGUSTINE
AL’S PIZZA, 1 St. George St., 824-4383. F SEE BEACHES. AVILES, 32 Avenida Menendez, 829-2277 F Hilton Bayfront. Progressive European menu; made-to-order pasta night, wine dinners, chophouse nights, breakfast buffet. Sun. champagne brunch bottomless mimosas. $$$ FB K B L D Daily CARMELO’S Marketplace & PizzeriA, 146 King St., 494-6658, carmelosmarketplace.com. F NY-style gourmet brick-oven-baked pizza, fresh rolls, Boar’s Head meats, cheeses, garlic herb wings. Outdoor dining, Wi-Fi. $$ BW TO L D Daily CLAUDE’S CHOCOLATE, 6 Granada St., 829-5790. In The Market. Wine and chocolate pairings, soft-serve ice cream, coffee bar, fresh fruit ice pops, cookies. $$ TO THE FLORIDIAN, 39 Cordova St., 829-0655, thefloridianstaug.com. Updated Southern fare; fresh ingredients. Vegetarian, gluten-free. Fried green tomato bruschetta, grits with shrimp, fish or tofu. $$$ BW K TO L D Wed.-Mon. GYPSY CAB COMPANY, 828 Anastasia Blvd., 824-8244, gypsycab.com. F A mainstay for 25+ years, Gypsy’s menu changes twice daily. Signature dish: Gypsy chicken. Seafood, tofu, duck, veal. Sun. brunch. $$ FB R Sun.; L D Daily THE ICE PLANT BAR, 110 Riberia St., 829-6553, iceplantbar.com. Farm-to-table, locally sourced; hand-crafted drinks, house-made bitters, syrups. $$$ FB TO D Nightly MELLOW MUSHROOM, 410 Anastasia Blvd., 826-4040. F Bite Club. 2014 BOJ winner. SEE BEACHES. MOJO OLD CITY BBQ, 5 Cordova, 342-5264. F 2014 BOJ winner. SEE BEACHES. PACIFIC ASIAN BISTRO, 159 Palencia Village Dr., Ste. 111, 808-1818, pacificasianbistro.com. F Chef Mas Lui creates 30+ sushi rolls; fresh sea scallops, Hawaiian-style poke tuna salad. Sake. $$-$$$ BW L D Daily SALT LIFE FOOD SHACK, 321 A1A Beach Blvd., 217-3256, saltlifefoodshack.com. 2014 BOJ winner. SEE BEACHES.
TEMPO, 16 Cathedral Place, 547-0240. Latin American fusion wine bar and restaurant offers traditional American fare with a Latin flair; sandwiches, too. $$ BW L D Tue.-Sun.
ST. JOHNS TOWN CENTER
BENTO CAFE Asian Kitchen & Sushi, 4860 Big Island Dr., Ste. 1, 564-9494, bentocafesushi.com. Pan-Asian fare: wok stir-fry, fire-grilled, fresh ingredients, sushi bar. $$ K FB TO L D Daily MOXIE KITCHEN+COCKTAILS, 4972 Big Island Dr., 9989744, moxiefl.com. 2014 BOJ winner. Chef Tom Gray does contemporary American cuisine – seafood, steaks, pork, burgers – locally sourced when possible. $$$ FB K L Mon.-Fri.; D Nightly M SHACK, 10281 Midtown Pkwy., 642-5000, mshack burgers.com. F 2014 BOJ winner. SEE BEACHES.
SAN MARCO, SOUTHBANK
BASIL THAI & SUSHI, 1004 Hendricks Ave., 674-0190, basilthaijax.com. F Authentic dishes: Pad Thai, curries, sashimi, fresh sushi, daily specials. $$ FB L D Mon.-Sat. DICK’S WINGS, 1610 University Blvd. W., 448-2110. 2014 BOJ winner. SEE PONTE VEDRA. EUROPEAN STREET, 1704 San Marco Blvd., 398-9500. 2014 BOJ winner. SEE RIVERSIDE. FUSION SUSHI, 1550 University Blvd. W., 636-8688, fusionsushijax.com. F Upscale sushi spot serves a variety of fresh sushi, sashimi, hibachi, teriyaki, kiatsu. $$ K L D Daily THE GROTTO Wine & Tapas Bar, 2012 San Marco Blvd., 398-0726. F Artisanal cheese plates, empanadas, bruschetta, cheesecake. 60+ wines by the glass. $$$ BW Tue.-Sun. HAMBURGER MARY’S Bar & Grille, 3333 Beach Blvd., Ste. 1, 551-2048, hamburgermarys.com. Wings, sammies, nachos, entrées, specialty drinks, burgers. $$ K TO FB L D Daily LA NOPALERA, 1631 Hendricks, 399-1768. F 2014 BOJ winner. SEE MANDARIN. MATTHEW’S, 2107 Hendricks Ave., 396-9922, matthews restaurant.com. Chef Matthew Medure’s flagship. Fine dining, artfully presented cuisine, small plates, martini/ wine lists. Happy hour Mon.-Fri. Reservations. $$$$ FB D Mon.-Sat. METRO DINER, 3302 Hendricks Ave., 398-3701, metrodiner.com. F 2014 BOJ winner. Original upscale diner in ’30s-era building. Meatloaf, chicken pot pie, homemade soups. $$ B R L Daily MOJO BAR-B-QUE, 1607 University Blvd. W., 732-7200. F 2014 BOJ winner. SEE BEACHES. PIZZA PALACE, 1959 San Marco, 399-8815. F SEE BAYMEADOWS.
PULP, 1962 San Marco Blvd., 396-9222, pulpaddiction. com. The juice bar offers fresh juices, frozen yogurt, teas, coffees, 30 kinds of smoothies. $ TO B L D Daily TAVERNA, 1986 San Marco, 398-3005, tavernasanmarco.com. Chef Sam Efron’s authentic Italian; local produce, meats. Regional craft beers, handcrafted cocktails. $$$ FB K TO R L D Daily
DANCIN DRAGON, 9041 Southside Blvd., Ste. 138D, 363-9888. BOGO lunches and an Asian fusion menu. $$ FB K L D Daily DICK’S WINGS, 10750 Atlantic Blvd., 619-0954. 2014 BOJ winner. SEE PONTE VEDRA. THE DIM SUM ROOM, 9041 Southside, Ste. 138D, 363-9888, thedimsumroom.com. Shrimp dumplings, beef tripe, sesame ball. Traditional Hong Kong noodles, barbecue. $ FB K L D Daily EUROPEAN STREET, 5500 Beach Blvd., 398-1717. 2014 BOJ winner. SEE RIVERSIDE. HZ CAFE, 6426 Bowden Rd., Ste. 206, 527-1078. Healthy concept cafe: juices, smoothies, traditional vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free meals and desserts. $ K TO B L Mon.-Fri. LARRY’S, 3611 St. Johns Bluff S., 641-6499. 4479 Deerwood Lake Pkwy., 425-4060. F SEE ORANGE PARK. MELLOW MUSHROOM, 9734 Deer Lake Ct., 997-1955. F Bite Club. 2014 BOJ winner. SEE BEACHES. MONROE’S Smokehouse BAR B-Q, 10771 Beach Blvd., 996-7900, monroessmokehousebbq.com. SEE RIVERSIDE. PAPI CHULO’S, 9726 Touchton Rd., Ste. 105, 3291763, ilovepapichulos.com. This brand new Tinseltown restaurant offers fresh, simple, authentic Mexican street food, top-shelf tequilas, specialty drinks. Kids eat free. $$ K FB L D Daily SEVEN BRIDGES Grille & Brewery, 9735 Gate Pkwy., 997-1999, 7bridgesgrille.com. F Local seafood, steaks, pizzas. Brewer Aaron Nesbit handcrafts ales, lagers. $$ FB K TO L D Daily TAVERNA YAMAS, 9753 Deer Lake Ct., 854-0426, tavernayamas.com. F Bite Club. Char-broiled kabobs, seafood, wines, desserts. Belly dancing. $$ FB K L D Daily TOMMY’S Brick Oven Pizza, 4160 Southside, Ste. 2, 565-1999, tbopizza.com. New York-style thin crust, brickoven-baked pizzas (gluten-free), calzones, sandwiches. Boylan’s soda. Curbside pick-up. $$ BW TO L D Mon.-Sat. THE VISCONDE’S Argentinian Grill, 11925 Beach Blvd., Ste. 201, 379-3925. The area’s only Argentinian place. Traditional steaks, varieties of sausages, pasta, sandwiches, empañadas, wines. $$$ BW TO L D Tue.-Sun. WORLD OF BEER, 9700 Deer Lake Court, Ste. 1, 5515929, worldofbeer.com. F Burgers, sliders,flatbreads, German pretzels, hummus, pickle chips. Craft German, Cali, Florida, Irish drafts. Wines. $$ BW L D Daily
SOUTHSIDE, TINSELTOWN
360° GRILLE, Latitude 360, 10370 Philips Hwy., 365-5555, latitude360.com. F Seafood, steaks, burgers, chicken, sandwiches, pizza. Patio, movie theater. $$ FB TO L D Daily AKEL’S, 7077 Bonneval Rd., 332-8700. F SEE DOWNTOWN. ALHAMBRA THEATRE & Dining, 12000 Beach Blvd., 641-1212, alhambrajax.com. USA’s longest-running dinner theater; Chef DeJuan Roy’s themed menus. Reservations. $$ FB D Tue.-Sun. BARBERITOS, 4320 Deerwood Lake Pkwy., Ste. 106, 807-9060. SEE AMELIA ISLAND. BENTO CAFE Asian Kitchen & Sushi, 9734 Deer Lake Ct., Ste. 11, 503-3238. SEE ST. JOHNS TOWN CENTER. CASA MARIA, 14965 Old St. Augustine, 619-8186. SEE BEACHES
SPRINGFIELD, NORTHSIDE
HOLA Mexican Restaurant, 1001 N. Main St., 356-3100, holamexicanrestaurant.com. F Fajitas, burritos, enchiladas, daily specials. Happy hour; sangria. $ BW K TO L D Mon.-Sat. LARRY’S SUBS, 12001 Lem Turner Rd., 764-9999. SEE ORANGE PARK.
SAVANNAH BISTRO, 14670 Duval Rd., 741-4404. F Low Country Southern fare, taste of Mediterranean and French. Crowne Plaza Airport. Crab cakes, NY strip, she crab soup, mahi mahi. $$$ FB K B L D Daily THE SHEIK, 2708 N. Main St., 353-8181. SEE ARLINGTON. UPTOWN MARKET, 1303 Main St. N., 355-0734, uptown marketjax.com. Bite Club. Fresh quality fare; farm-totable selections, daily specials. $$ BW TO B L Daily
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JANUARY 7-13, 2015 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | 35