BWW Reviews: SEX TIPS FOR STRAIGHT WOMEN FROM A GAY MAN @ DCPA

You might wonder why I took my boyfriend to see a show where a gay guy gives sex tips to a straight woman. Like, guys, you already know these secrets...

Don't worry. These queers had plenty to gain from Sex Tips for Straight Women from a Gay Man, currently playing at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts' Garner Galleria Theatre. So while you might hear a ton of bachelorette parties raving about this production, I'm gonna tell you what a couple theatre queens thought.

The show, directed by Tim Drucker, is based on a book of the same title, released in the late '90s and written by the OG "straight woman, gay man" bestie duo Dan Anderson and Maggie Berman. (Their book predates Will & Grace.) The play is written by Broadway producer Matt Murphy, who's balanced his career by currently producing a NYC production of The Berenstain Bears LIVE! (And he seems to be a straight man that really gets gay culture, which is important.)

The premise takes place at a "meet the author" event at a community college, where the professor who typically leads the discussion has suddenly died. That leaves her coworker, a mousy young conservative named Robyn (Jacklyn Collier), to take the reigns alongside her hunky assistant, Stefan (Michael Milton). The author, flamboyantly based on the book's original writer Anderson (Grant MacDermott), quickly claims bestie status with Robyn, using the forum as a way to get her out of her shell...and ultimately into Stefan's pants.

While you might expect a raucous exploitation of fabulous hand job techniques mixed with the sass you'd find at a brunch sponsored by Grindr...I mean, you're not totally wrong. But the production is so much more than that.

There's an actual plot to the whole thing. It's vibrant and non-stop. The crowd gets to play along and even choose what to call dicks for the rest of the night. The Galleria's cabaret style is a prime venue for this type of production.

Everyone is exactly who you need them to be. Collier gives Robyn a spunky personality that she evolves with a sexy awkwardness. I want to hang out with MacDermott's Anderson because he's witty and smart and hilarious. Milton's Stefan is ripped (which is very important), but his accent and timing gives the character nice levels. But mostly I was jealous of the lady who got to touch him (and epically failed at nipple-play.)

Expect what you will about this one, but see it for yourself. We had a blast. And I totally got to see one of my former bosses mime a pretty decent BJ on stage.

Sex Tips for Straight Women from a Gay Man plays the DCPA's Garner Galleria through July 24. Tickets are available at DenverCenter.org or by calling (303)893-4100.

Photos by Jeremy Shaffer

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