3.00PM: A fourth prominent and openly gay New Zealander is listed in the New Years honours, becoming a Member of the New Zealand order of Merit, for services to entertainment. Stuart Devenie Renowned actor and director Stuart Devenie says he was "surprised and pleased" to receive the honour for theatrical, film and television work which stretches back to his first performance as Mr Dungbeetle in The Insect Play at age twelve in Hastings. Devenie counts as his favourite performances of recent times Torch Song Trilogy at Christchurch's Court Theatre, a six month national tour starring as Frankenfurter in The Rocky Horror Show, Uncle Vanya with the Auckland Theatre Company, and his tour de force one man show Hatch. Devenie says the secret to entertaining an audience is found in "getting a structure in rehearsals that is sufficiently open to let the audience into the piece... things get much deeper the more the audience members can feel their way into the performance," he says. "The audience is always right," he laughs. Devenie joins four other prominent gays and lesbians in receiving New Years honours (see links below) and is about to appear in a production of The Tempest, which also features his daughter, in Auckland. (Editor's note: This news story was delayed 24 hours until GayNZ.com could speak with Devenie to confirm that he was comfortable with being publicly identified as gay. He was and is.)
Credit: GayNZ.com News Staff
First published: Wednesday, 2nd January 2008 - 4:28pm