Paul Foltz
Introduction:
Paul Foltz is a custom designer, a teacher, a performer and a gay man. He grew up in Steelton, Pennsylvania and now resides in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Paul is widely recognized in the Greater Harrisburg area primarily known for his role as Theatre Harrisburg's resident costume designer where he has worked since 1981. Paul also works as an adjunct faculty member for the Harrisburg Area Community College in their theatre department as well as runs his own small costume and design business. In addition to Paul's craft he was a founding member of the Harrisburg Men's Chorus and raised money for AIDS patients with Lily White and Company.
Early Life:
Paul grew up in Steelton, Pennsylvania in a strict Catholic household and later went to a Catholic college. Paul mentions his Catholic background and proximity to the church as a major factor of his confusion about his sexual orientation in his early life. Paul graduated with a degree in English Language and Literature from Saint Anselm College before going abroad to get a graduate degree in theatre studies. While abroad in London, England Paul first started living as an openly gay man.
Paul Foltz is a custom designer, a teacher, a performer and a gay man. He grew up in Steelton, Pennsylvania and now resides in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Paul is widely recognized in the Greater Harrisburg area primarily known for his role as Theatre Harrisburg's resident costume designer where he has worked since 1981. Paul also works as an adjunct faculty member for the Harrisburg Area Community College in their theatre department as well as runs his own small costume and design business. In addition to Paul's craft he was a founding member of the Harrisburg Men's Chorus and raised money for AIDS patients with Lily White and Company.
Early Life:
Paul grew up in Steelton, Pennsylvania in a strict Catholic household and later went to a Catholic college. Paul mentions his Catholic background and proximity to the church as a major factor of his confusion about his sexual orientation in his early life. Paul graduated with a degree in English Language and Literature from Saint Anselm College before going abroad to get a graduate degree in theatre studies. While abroad in London, England Paul first started living as an openly gay man.
"But when I came back here with my family, because I had been living so openly for close to two years, I just figured, [laughing] “I’m not going back in the closet! God, no!”
-Paul Foltz, Oral History, March 2015
Coming Out:
Paul Foltz recounts his coming out in conjunction with his time abroad in London. At the time that he was there London had recently decriminalized homosexual acts leading to a growing strong and open LGBTQ+ community. This encouraged him to be open with himself and others about his own sexual orientation. Upon returning to the United States, Paul continued to live openly as himself. He recounts his coming out to his parents individually, remarking on being "pretty lucky" because his coming out was relatively simple. Paul has always lived his life based on the principle "you take me as you get me," he mentions never coming directly out to others after his parents, never saying "surprise, I'm gay," but also never tried to hide who he was.
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image: costumes designed and made by Paul Foltz, photos courtesy of Paul Foltz
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Costumes and Queerness:
Paul Foltz has been involved in theatre for most of his life. The theater is both a place of expression, community, and passion for Paul. One of the main ways he interacts with the theater scene has been through costumes design and creation. Paul's costumes vary in style, era, extravagance and gender but are each works of art. Paul recounted feeling connected and accepted within the realm of theatre as a gay man, jokingly saying that "if you're not gay in the theatre, everyone just assumes you are anyway." |
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Lily White and Company: Paul Foltz founded Lily White and Company in 1982. It was an organization composed of entertainers and female impersonators, or drag queens. Operating in south central Pennsylvania, Lily White and Company ran from 1982-1997. The organizations focus was to raise funds and awareness for the HIV/AIDS crisis. During the Lily White and Company's life Paul's favorite show was the Christmas cabaret, a Lily White Christmas, which took slightly different forms over the years but never the less was a classic. Lily White and Company was an intersection between queerness, activism, and performance- things that have characterized Paul Foltz's life so far. |
image: Paul Foltz (left) on stage with another performer
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The Gay Chorus:
In the late 1980's Paul became one of the founding members of the Harrisburg Men's Chorus, affectionately referred to as the Gay Chorus by its members. Paul talks about the chorus founding, naming it an outlet both for art and camaraderie. The Gay Chorus was a way in which Paul met and created relationships with other members of the gay community, a rare opportunity outside of the few gay bars in the area. Despite the positive memories the Gay Chorus brought him, Paul also recounts it being a source of resistance from the community. While Paul was a member the group was only colloquially referred to as the Gay Chorus but officially operated as the Harrisburg Men's Chorus. However the group as a whole was still fairly open about the nature of their chorus which lead to a number of establishments and churches barring them from performing. The group later officially changed its name from the Harrisburg Men's Chorus to the Harrisburg Gay Men's Chorus. They operate under this name today.
In the late 1980's Paul became one of the founding members of the Harrisburg Men's Chorus, affectionately referred to as the Gay Chorus by its members. Paul talks about the chorus founding, naming it an outlet both for art and camaraderie. The Gay Chorus was a way in which Paul met and created relationships with other members of the gay community, a rare opportunity outside of the few gay bars in the area. Despite the positive memories the Gay Chorus brought him, Paul also recounts it being a source of resistance from the community. While Paul was a member the group was only colloquially referred to as the Gay Chorus but officially operated as the Harrisburg Men's Chorus. However the group as a whole was still fairly open about the nature of their chorus which lead to a number of establishments and churches barring them from performing. The group later officially changed its name from the Harrisburg Men's Chorus to the Harrisburg Gay Men's Chorus. They operate under this name today.
