Sorry to miss the Sound Inside but The Closet is far from chopped liver. Awarded a heartfelt standing ovation, this well written comedy / drama was deftly performed with ensemble excellence and genuine heart.
2
The answer to Mr. Green's questions at the end of his review is obviously a vivid Yes. Those are some of the consequences of assimilationism at all costs.
1
Brazilianheat, it seems that while we still have to argue so vociferously that "we are just like you," and have to do so even more than we did two years ago, that means we have not been able to blend in yet, doesn't it?
It's a few days late (being July 10th), but in Broadway theater, "Fifth of July" felt like assimilation had really arrived in a Broadway hit, where the gay couple being gay (first played by on-the-rise Jeff Daniels and huge movie star Christopher Reeve; later in the run, summer 1981, Jeff Daniels and huge TV star Richard Thomas) was just there, so natural, in leading roles, and not even remotely the most eccentric characters onstage. Yes, we were breezily assimilated! "La Cage" meant a lot also. But "Gay" in New York soon meant the dread/fear of dying, and Broadway had to mirror that. It feels like politically, we are headed back to before a "Fifth of July," where the star-name lead being gay was a non-issue, could be possible.
3
“The Cake” provides access to human questions at the heart of all change: How much time do we give people to “evolve”? How civil must we be while we wait?"
Why is the assumption that all they need to do is "wait" for the opposition to "evolve", as if it is inevitable? Given Kennedy's retirement, the court system might stop treating gays as a discriminated-against group and the opposition would have no pressure to "evolve" at all.
10
Saw The Closet this afternoon. An exercise in bad taste. I sat there wondering why everyone around me was laughing so hard. A few good performances, but not by Broderick or Hecht. Big disappointment, especially after seeing something really special like The Sound Inside with Mary Louise Parker last week. I'd say rush to see it, but it closed today. Don't bother with The Closet.
1
I was one of those people laughing so hard at "The Closet." Bean's dialogue is exceptionally clever and funny. While I do think that both Broderick and Hecht could have made bolder and different choices (Or Mr. Brokaw could have guided them that way), Harada and Ashmanskas are non-stop hilarious. Bad taste? I think you just summed it up...we all need to step back and laugh at ourselves sometimes. "The Closet" lets us do that.
I was wondering why I’ve spotted far fewer theater celebrities walking around lately. I thought maybe they might have been staying indoors in the air conditioning, and having stuff brought in. But now I’m thinking it looks like they’re all in Massachusetts! (My aol tells me the last time I went to that area in the summer was to see Jefferson Mays in the spectacular “Quartermaine's Terms” - nine years ago! But the whole town and place is as vivid as last week.)
4