BWW Reviews: Harvey Fierstein's 1987 ON TIDY ENDINGS - Still Witty, Still Raw, Still So Relevant

On Tidy Endings/by Harvey Fierstein/directed by Sara Wagner/The Complex's East Theatre/thru June 27, 2015

Harvey Fierstein's one-act On Tidy Endings, originally part of his 1987 Safe Sex trilogy, holds up very well in the abled reins of director Sara Wagner and her kick-ass cast. Set in a time when gay men only came out of their closets on a need-to-know basis (ex-wives, kids), contracting AIDS equalled a death sentence. Still, the after-effects of a gay man dying have similar revelancy in 2015.

Tidying up loose ends after Collin dies of AIDS, his ex-wife of 16 years Marion and his current lover of much less Arthur meet after the funeral services to sign the appropriate documents to divy up the sale of Collin and Arthur's living space, the living space Collin and Marion had first bought as an investment rental.

Marion arrives at Collin and Arthur's place with her pubescent daughter Jenny in tow. Her lawyer June delivers a thick stack of papers to be signed and after a few words of emotionless, strictly business advice, June leaves. The bulk of this hour-long show revolves around Marion and Arthur, initially dancing around each other with very awkward pleasantries, then quickly evolving into brutal accusations and even more devastating revelations. Michael Mullen as Arthur and Kimberly Patterson as Marion most skillfully inhabit their characters of Collin's survivors. The seesaw of blame and admission from now both former partners instantaneously make so much sense as Mullen and Patterson channel Fierstein's brilliant script. Never all gloom and doom, Fierstein throws in occasional clever zingers to break up the severity of the situations. Bravo Mullen and Patterson.

Nice assist from Kristin Towers-Rowles as lawyer June and Makayla Rowles as the bratty daughter Jenny.

http://www.hollywoodfringe.org/projects/2451?tab=tickets