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.
Smiley
Written by Guillem Clua
Directed by Ismanuel Rodriguez
Repertorio Español
June 28, 2019 Production website
💉💉💉 out of 5.
I was a bit worried when I bought tickets to RepertorioEspanol’s production of Smiley.After all, it was all in Spanish and beyond a few niceties, Spanish is all Greek to me.Two things swayed my opinion though.They offered live subtitles above the proscenium, much like an Italian opera AND the play was brought out in the press as one of the most interesting offerings for World Pride Month.I took a chance andwent.It was so damn fun and interesting.Continue reading Smiley→
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→
Life Sucks
Written by Aaron Posner
Directed by Jeff Wise
Theatre Row – Acorn Theatre
June 23, 2019 Production website
💉💉💉 out of 5.
Life Sucks – totally sucked in the first 10 minutes but then moment by moment totally become one of my most memorable plays of the summer.Life Sucks is “sort of adapted from ‘Uncle Vanya,’” as playwright, Mr. Posner puts it. (He had already gone to the Chekhov well three years ago with his well-received “Stupid _____ Bird,” based loosely on The Seagull. Here in Uncle Vanya land, the forlorn Vanya still shares a home with the plain Sonia but now we appear to be in the United States since there is talk of student loans and American money.Both Vanya and the brooding Dr. Aster still pine for Sonia’s stepmother, Ella. Continue reading Life Sucks→
Marvin J. Taylor on Underneath the Skin
