Entertainment :: Theatre
Hedda Lettuce :: The EDGE Interview by David Foucher
EDGE PublisherWednesday Aug 9, 2006Hedda Lettuce’s performance at Boston Pride was admittedly true to her art: the six-time NYC "Drag Queen of the Year," forced to stall while the Pride Committee awaited the arrival of headliner Shannon, launched into her controversial brand of off-color, gay-themed comedy.
It didn’t go down well; the Pride Committee quickly intervened, and Hedda (aka Stephen Polito) quit her job as emcee, leaving behind, according to her, something newsworthy about Boston Pride 2006.
"Please," Polito argues, pointing to the day’s lousy weather, "It was a rotten day that was not going to get better, and it was honestly not press-worthy. I did what I’m good at, you know? Nothing more."
The strange maelstrom of commentary - good and bad - about the prolific drag queen has gotten oddly aggressive in recent months.
"I really believe that even an obituary can be used as a wonderful press clipping for a show," he shrugs by way of comment, stating that for every bad comment he receives, he also fields accolades from his fans - even about Boston Pride. It is, perhaps, a sign that the comedian is merely hitting his stride.
"I think it’s great to have this dialogue," Polito states. "As gay people we’ve become too complacent, and we don’t have enough dialogue about where we fit in, and how things are changing for us. We’re going through growing pains - I’m going through growing pains too. And I’m a comedian, so I express my opinions in public, which leaves me open to comment and criticism, which is cool. I put it out there, so what do I expect? Not to be questioned? We’re not Stepford Wives here, we should be questioning things."
Polito has been doing so since he first put on a wig.
"I was part of Act Up!," he explains, "and then part of Queer Nation. I started doing street theatre - barking on the street, which ironically I’m still doing. I stood in Sheradon Square with friends, we lip synced with bad wigs and hair on our chests, and we raised money for those organizations. The gay village was flourishing then, and I was in the right place in the right time... and I had the aptitude to grow with it."
Hedda lives life on the edge, sporting fluorescent green hair and clothing and tackling socio-political issues with aplomb.
"Now, the character is becoming more of a fully formed human being," muses Polito. "She’s sort of a slightly boozy glamour girl trying to hold onto her stardom, you know? It’s funny when you’re able to let go of your youth; there’s nothing funny about being young. Comedy is about growing up."
From the perspective of his thirty-something years, Polito’s voice has grown as well, and he’s not afraid to use it. He attributes the adversarial voices on the streets of Boston and Provincetown to that lack of fear.
"Being gay used to mean being on the cutting edge. Now it means you want to be in the mainstream, be a part of regular society," he opines. "We’re too sensitive. And I think that we are in a very strange middle zone right now, and we don’t know where we fit in or what we want out of life. Should we emulate straight families? Is marriage something we really want? Are we emulating our oppressors? We definitely deserve to have families and equal rights, but I’m not sure if we’ve really thought about what happens if our goals are just to fit in."
A dissenting voice on gay marriage? Polito admits it’s the type of comment that gets him unapologetically into trouble.
"That touches a button," he admits. "I’m a drag queen, and honestly, on the food chain of homosexuality we’re pretty much at the bottom. People love us, they love the shows, the self-expression, but at the same time it’s a double edged sword, you know?
"You know when Kevin Aviance was bashed, I helped to organize a anti-violence march, and people gave me a lot of flak about that too, saying I should not have been out there in drag, that it was a shameless publicity stunt. But where does that stop? My career started in activism, I walk to work in drag, and I put myself out there all the time in that persona. Part of my life is being Hedda Lettuce, and I’m not ashamed of it - and if I can use that character for positive goals like that, it’s a blessing, and I wish other people could see that."
Instead, it has resulted in what Polito calls a "hotbed" of chatter, both in and out of the press. Many of his adversaries - no surprise - are competitive performers. But Hedda’s blogs online are notorious for stirring up issues close to the heart of the GLBT community.
"I can get away with a lot on stage, the character is over the top, and she’s got green hair and a green dress. But when I’m writing, people start treating Hedda Lettuce like she’s a real person." "It’s the most heated summer I’ve had, in terms of people being for me or against me. It’s very odd, very interesting," he states. But he’s also somewhat critical back, emphasizing the need for positive communications. "They get into name calling, calling me an old hag and this and that, and that type of criticism doesn’t serve any purpose," he asserts. "I understand what celebrities feel when they’re called names. That kind of negative stuff is odd - I’m not sure why they get into it. It’s better to think about what upsets them about what I said or did, and respond in a way that is productive, that has a purpose to it."
He pauses, and then drolly deadpans, "I get the nastiest things said, and I’m like, ’Wow.’"
His offhand manner is clearly not meant to suggest that he’s not listening; but rather underscores the thickness of his skin.
"Being a drag queen and being gay, I’ve been picked on and being talked about like this since I was a kid," he shrugs. "If I didn’t have a thick skin I wouldn’t be able to do the job. And I need to be someone who pushes the buttons in the gay community and helps us laugh at our troubles so that we can grow. I do laugh at the worst parts of people. That’s what makes comedy successful. The most tragic parts of life are also the most funny."
Lately, Polito has been cracking up his audiences about the Crystal Methamphetamine crisis in the gay community.
"I’m seriously devastated by crystal meth. It makes me so sad, these young beautiful boys in their twenties, desperate to define themselves, and because they have no place to go for some reason - we still don’t have our Martin Luther King, you know? They’re turning to this drug to fit in and I’m watching them destroy their lives, and if I didn’t laugh at it I’d be in my grave, it makes me so sad. And there are people in their 40s who have found it, and to turn to it later in life, it’s even worse."
The topic has also recently found a home on Hedda’s blog at heddalettuce.com - and as always, in an irreverent, humorous way. The feedback Polito receives from the blog has been, he admits, quite surprising.
"You can say something which is powerful, right? But when you write it it’s even more powerful," he declares. "I can get away with a lot on stage, the character is over the top, and she’s got green hair and a green dress. But when I’m writing, people start treating Hedda Lettuce like she’s a real person, and that’s really fascinating. She’s not real, gang, she’s a character. I didn’t realize how powerful the written word is until this summer. People read these things and they really take them to heart."
And to Polito, all of it - the controversies, the talk, the fan base increase - means that summer 2006 has represented her most significant season of growth. Working simultaneously in Provincetown and Ogunquit until late-September, Polito has also rediscovered some of the joys of the gig.
"People at the Art House are gems," Polito says of his performance venue on the Cape. "They really back you up, it’s such a blessing. Recently I had a funny experience on stage, the microphone hit me in the face, and my front tooth snapped in half. It happened at the end of the show - it was like Hedda Lettuce had one tooth in her mouth, a total hick. Everyone was on the phone that night to find me a dentist, and the next day they drove me out to Orleans and I had my tooth repaired. That kind of thing goes a very long way."
He’s equally enchanted with Ogunquit, where he maintains a weekly run at Maine Street.
"Ogunquit is great," he gushes. "Norm at Maine Street is really supportive; he’s behind me and has always been. I so appreciate that. It’s hard to find great people to work with, and this town is just so cool. They’re so smart, they get my comedy, they enjoy it. And the beach is just so beautiful."
To Polito, whose schedule doesn’t ease until well into 2007, the constant work is what he lives to do.
"Finding that my voice means something is great, working on my act and becoming a better performer is great. You can get lost in the cycle, but I’m actually working on my craft. I’m also learning to not be so rash, to think before I respond. But I won’t stop. I’m determined to push buttons. I’m determined to stay out there."
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Hedda performs at Provincetown’s Art House from Thursdays thru Sundays at 9pm and on Mondays at 10:30pm. In Ogunquit, Hedda can be seen at Maine Street each Wednesday at 9pm
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