A big, hairy change of pace.
My friend J. Julian Christopher, a phenomenal actor and brilliant playwright, debuted his brand spankin' (ahem) new webseries, BULK, today. Co-created with writer D. R. Knott, BULK highlights the NYC bear community. And I'm not talking black, brown, and grizzlies. I think a bit of backstory is in order.
I was completely unaware of the bear community before meeting Julian. The LGBT community is, in fact, made up of a whole bunch of other communities and cultures, and it's completely fascinating (which, sidebar, is one of the plus sides of BULK - you don't have to be a bear to enjoy, as Julian tends to tap into the human drama in all of his work). Wikipedia dishes on bears here.
One of the funniest and most enlightening exchanges I've ever had with Julian was when he invited me to the Bear Fair after our writer's group. This discussion followed:
JULIAN: Pat, will you come with me?
PAT: What does the Bear Fair entail?
JULIAN: You know, a bunch of bears. Oh, and there's the wrestling. In honey.
PAT: !
I was unable to go because my girlfriend was home with pneumonia, but when I came home to take care of her and told her, I remember her saying, "You should have come back and taken me. That sounds awesome."
Anyway, the first episode is just the beginning of things. It very much feels like the first act in a longer piece, as the main function seems to be to introduce the culture, give us a peek into the lead character's life, and set up the (many) possible romantic situations he's juggling. It's a good start, and I'm along for the ride. If it's anything like Julian's prior work, the series should prove to be as entertaining as it is enlightening.
BULK airs every other Monday here. For more information and to interact with the team behind the show, follow them on Facebook.
Julian is also the Executive/Artistic Director of the Three Monos Ensemble. I've worked with them in the past, and they're much with the awesome. Check them out here.
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