Swan Song

Pat Pitsenbarger was once Sandusky, Ohio's leading hairdresser and shining light of its gay community. Now living in a nursing home, he's informed that the town's society leader, a former customer, has requested his services for her funeral. Escaping the nursing home with only his flashy jewelry, he heads to town on foot. Along the way, he visits the grave of his late partner, whom he still loves deeply, and is treated to a flashy wardrobe makeover by a woman who always admired his style. Dropping by the gay bar where he used to perform drag as "Mr. Pat," he learns it's their final night. He attends the festivities and recaptures some of the joy of his youth. He also faces the anger he feels at having been betrayed by his beauty shop protégé and the customer who abandoned him when his partner died of AIDS. —Jay Phelps <jaynashvil@aol.com>