Written by:
Kathy Belge
Photographer:
Alexandra Hedison/Showtime
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this Issue of Curve:
18#4
While you were working on your tan and trying to firm up those abs before this year’s Dinah Shore Week, we sat down with L Word creator Ilene Chaiken and got her to share her favorite Dinah memories. She tells us how it all got started and what The Dinah and The L Word have in store for you this year. Turkish oil wrestling anyone?
I understand that ever since The L Word was at Dinah Shore in Season 1, the parties have just soared.
I’ve been told by some of the women who are responsible for The Dinah that that little bit of exposure on The L Word ramped it up for them exponentially.
Did you film at Dinah?
We had our idea for the Dinah show when we were breaking story ideas for the very first season. We had no idea if the show was going to be a success. We hadn’t been on the air yet, we didn’t have L.A. shooting budgets or anything. We shot our pilot. I sent a skeleton crew, really scrappy, totally unofficial, not even sanctioned by Showtime down to The Dinah for the weekend. I sent Rose Troche, who had directed the pilot and was one of my writer producers. I think Rose [Lam] took one or two people, but really unofficially. I don’t even know what kind of equipment they used. And they shot the scrappiest second unit footage. We didn’t even know what we were going to use it for. When we did the Dinah episode, we recreated the Dinah pool party around a pool in Vancouver.
How many time have you been to Dinah?
I have only been to the Dinah one time. I went last year for the first time. It doesn’t mean that The L Word hasn’t had a presence before. This last year was my first Dinah. I went for OurChart.
And you’re going again this year. What’s your impression of the Dinah?
I think it’s good fun. I’m all in favor of any excuse for tens of thousands of gay women to get together and have a good time.
Did you go to any golf?
No.
Do you tend to get as much attention as the stars of the show when you’re there?
Certainly not. The stars of my show are definitely noticeable, recognizable, fabulous and sought after. I’m for the most part, pretty anonymous.
What role are you going to have this year at The Dinah?
OurChart is putting on two events. We’re doing an event that we did last year with Mariah Hansen and Club Skirts. It’s an L Word-related event. It’s called Be Scene. We’re also producing a second event, which is going to be something we do I think a couple of times this year around the country. We’re launching our first pilot event here in L.A. and we’ll be doing it a second time in Palm Springs. It’s called Fyke.
Sounds intriguing, what is it?
It’s sort of mysterious. It’s an underground phenomenon. After we do our event this Saturday night people will understand what it’s about. It’s an event inspired by and connected to the story that we did on The L Word this season about Turkish oil wrestling. It’s a Turkish oil wrestling sort of event, but it has a whole other vibe and meaning to it. We’re doing it as a TV show on OurChart as well.
Are there selected participants or will it be open?
Selected participants. People who presumably have some experience in this sport have chosen to join teams. It’s not just come jump up on the stage, something that anyone can get involved in. That’s something that I’m sure is happening all over the place, in fact I’ve seen ads for different clubs and party planners doing Turkish oil wrestling. But this is a much more organized event.
And then there’s the Be Scene event. That’s an event that Kate Moennig, Leisha Hailey, Elizabeth Keener and I are all participating in [it] as judges.
That’s where people act out a scene from The L Word, correct?
Exactly. There will be 10 teams performing their scenes from The L Word. People will sign up in a pool to perform certain scenes. We’re going to be the judging panel who determines who does the best job of re-interpreting our work.
Tell me about last year’s event?
Last year was the first year that we did that. It was loads of fun. It was a little scrappy. It was inspired by our knowing that all over the country when girls get together for their L Word parties sometimes as an ancillary activity they do this. We saw some footage of some girls, from Brooklyn I think, acting out some L Word scenes and we all thought it was great. We decided to make a game, a competition of it.
We learned a lot from last year’s event. I will venture to guess that this year’s event will be better produced. We just put it out there last year. I think the biggest problem we had last year was, of the 10 teams, probably seven of them did the same scene. We’ve reorganized it so the audience will be seeing a lot of different scenes performed. And also there are going to be four of us on the panel and we’ll be interacting a more provocative way this year.
So some of the actors might jump into a scene? Is that what you’re saying?
No, no. The actors and I will be judges, but I think we’ll be [more involved]. If you think about American Idol and any other number of shows where the judges do really pick apart a performance and ask questions and ask about the choices that get made and make people responsible for their choices.
Last year Leisha Hailey did jump on stage and perform a Shane scene, which I think was the highlight.
What was the scene that all seven teams performed last year?
I know one scene that got performed numerous times was the scene with Alice and Dana in the bathroom at the Planet. I know there was one team that did the scene from Bette and Tina’s party where Marina picks Jenny up on the sofa.
Right, because I know The L Word fans all have their favorite scenes…
Yeah, and we chose our scenes. There are any number of restrictions on what we can and cannot do, but we chose our scenes based on thinking these are memorable scenes, scenes that we’ve heard fans talking about, but also thinking about what would be the most fun to see reenacted.
Definitely the Jenny and Marina scene from season one is stuck in people’s minds as one of their favorites.
Yes, that seems to be a memorable one.
Look for Ilene Chaiken and the other L Word stars at The Dinah, presented by Club Skirts and Planet Out, April 2–6, 2008 in Palm Springs, Calif. http://thedinah.com/
Also, get a taste of Fyke and Be Scene events at OurChart http://www.ourchart.com/video/p/1407432359/1431918682
http://www.ourchart.com/video/t/1448653919
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