Marvin J. Taylor on Underneath the Skin
Mise-en-scene, Direction, Coreography, Video, Costume, and Set Design by John Kelly
Original Texts by Samuel Steward
NYU Skirball Theatre
October 12, 2019 Production website
💉💉💉 out of 5.
Underneath the Skin was a smart, smart play. It was a most novel dance-theatre piece based on the life of the classic star-****er and sexual maverick, Samuel Steward. Yes, this was another gay play but the fascinating history that came with the play made it much more than that! Here we have a living biography of Samuel Steward (1909-1993) who redefined himself often. He succeeded as a novelist, poet, scholar, gay erotic fiction writer, and tattoo innovator. And during all that he had time to sleep with Valentino, Lord Alfred Douglas (Boise), and Rock Hudson – while chumming up with good friends Gertrude Stein and Thornton Wilder. Is there enough material here for a night in the theatre?? Hell, yes!! Continue reading Marvin J. Taylor on Underneath the Skin→
Company XIV: Queen of Hearts
Created by Austin McCormick and Company
Company XIV Theatre
October 10, 2019 Production website
💉💉💉 out of 5.
Burlesque is alive and well and now living in Brooklyn. Company XIV’s seductive spin on the story of Alice in Wonderland, Queen of Hearts is a quite the success and quite the sexcess. From the minute you walk into the dim, highly incensed room of the theatre and are greeted by a most handsome collection of androgynous men in heels, you know that you are in store for an Alice in Wonderland that your mother never took you to.
The Happy Sad: We Need to Talk
Written by Ken Urban
Directed by McKenna Perry
The Producer’s Club and Applecor
June 27, 2019 Production website
💉💉💉 out of 5.
Warning:Whis will be a bit bias of a review in that one of my prized former students is part of this eager young group of actors working to stage this play in a tee tiny theatre.It was just such a joy to see him and really, such a wonderful time just experiencing the story.
The Happy Sad is all about being a twenty-something and facing the dating world of New York City.Most of the show is about trying to find your label or your definition when it comes to dating.Are you gay, straight or bi?Are you interested in an open relationship?What really is an open relationship?Does race or age play into the formula? Continue reading The Happy Sad: We Need to Talk→
55 Shades of Gay
Written by Jetron Neziraj
Directed by Leigh Silverman
Qendra Multimedia (Kosovo)
La Mama Theatre Workshop
March 15, 2019 Production website
💉 out of 5.
55 Shades of Gay has the very best of intentions.It sets out to be a burlesque production about LGBT politics in the Balkans. At its best, it is is an irreverent and satirical in look at the world the LGBT experience, systemic corruption, crippling unemployment, and crumbling infrastructure in Kosovo.
Kinsey Sicks in Things You Shouldn’t Say
Soho Playhouse
December 22, 2018 Production website
💉💉 out of 5.
The Kinsey Sicks is an institution in the gay community, and I never knew it!Thinking this was going to be just another drag show to fill a chilly New York winter, I came to the theatre with little expectations.I imagined that they were going to either 1.) be doing some off-color re-wordings of Christmas tunes or 2,) going to go down the “we are Jews revolting against Christmas, or 3.) Trump commentary. We got some of this – but, thankfully much more.
Marvin J. Taylor on Underneath the Skin
