Interludes

VIEWPOINTS – Pride Plays 2020: Mart Crowley’s THE MEN FROM THE BOYS and David Drake’s THE NIGHT LARRY KRAMER KISSED ME

• By drediman
• July 2, 2020
• No Comments

This past weekend was Pride Weekend here in New York City. Although it was a relatively somber affair – especially after last year’s splashy Stonewall 50 / WorldPride celebrations – it was still a meaningful one, as it coincided with the long-overdue tidal wave that is the Black Lives Matter movement. Happily, many in the Queer community, on its holiest of days, gave their wholehearted support to the matter, showing up for the Queer Liberation March for Trans and Queer Black Lives. As far as queer-oriented theater was concerned, it was a similarly restrained time, given the ongoing restrictions of the coronavirus pandemic on live performances. Luckily, there were a number of “theatrical” offerings available online to stream. I caught two of them.

The company of Pride Plays’ production of “The Men from the Boys” by Mart Crowley.

First up was the Pride Plays reading of Mart Crowley’s 2002 The Men from the Boys (RECOMMENDED), the sequel to the playwright’s seminal 1968 play The Boys in the Band. The play finds the iconic characters from the earlier play about 30 years on and well into middle age, as they explore their legacy and question their relevance in the world of their younger, less angst-ridden counterparts. The cast was made up of a bevy of noteworthy stage talents, among them Denis O’Hare, Mario Catone, Telly Leung, Lou Liberatore, and Kevyn Morrow, just to name a few. They were all excellent, each giving detailed, lived-in performances. Especially effective in the central role of Michael was Mr. O’Hare, whose uncanny, layered performance lifted the character far from the realm of caricature where it could have easily stayed. As for the play itself, it’s admittedly not nearly as satisfying as its celebrated predecessor. Consistent in both is the catty yet loving bickering, although the sequel understandably lacks the element of the characters’ simmering sexuality, which lent the original added juicy appeal. As a result, the tone of The Men from the Boys ultimately comes across as sad, even elegiac (particularly given the reason for these men’s reunion; no spoilers here) and resigned. The made-for-Zoom presentation was directed by stage and screen star Zachary Quinto (a memorable presence in the Tony-winning 2018 revival of The Boys in the Band), who managed to bring unity to the play despite the technological limitations of the medium.

The company of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS’ 20th anniversary benefit staging of “The Night Larry Kramer Kissed Me” by David Drake.

Also this past weekend, I caught a powerful revisal of David Drake’s The Night Larry Kramer Kissed Me (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED). The webcast, which was available for one-night-only for the benefit of the Provincetown Theater, was lifted from archival footage of the play’s 20th anniversary performance courtesy of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. For the 2013 event (which was filmed live at the Gerald Lynch Theater), Mr. Drake expanded his Obie-winning solo show – which he first performed to great acclaim during the early 1990s – into an ensemble piece. In a pre-show interview, the playwright referenced Ntozake Shange’s “choreo-poem” for colored girls who have considered suicide / when the rainbow is enuf as a major inspiration for the the recalibration of his monologue set. The influence of Ms. Shange’s pioneering work is  palpable throughout the production, especially as dynamically directed by Robert La Fosse. For the benefit performance, a stellar cast was assembled, featuring such stage talents as Mr. Drake, Brandon Cordeiro, Robin De Jesús, André De Shields, Claybourne Elder, Rory O’Malley, Anthony Rapp, Wesley Taylor, and BD Wong. Despite its more elaborate new form, Mr. Drake’s work fortunately retains its immediacy and vibrancy. Indeed, it remains an achingly honest depiction of the queer experience, particularly from the perspective of urban gay men living during the AIDS crisis. If anything, it’s made all the more powerful in this communal presentation. An important artifact of the times, this is.