Review: F**KING MEN at The Bent
Joe Dipietro’s play explores the different dynamics between men and the thrill of anonymous sex. The comic throughline of “Why do we bang strangers? Because it feels fantastic!” propels the action, and comedy carries the night but buried underneath are some deeper emotions, and complicated situations. When the opportunity to have a meaningless encounter occurs, there is always discussion leading up to it, but there is always an encounter because… see title.
Review: THE LINCOLN DEBATE at The Bent
The Lincoln Debate, an original play by Terry Ray, is a great concept: Debate the long bandied about “rumor” that Abraham Lincoln was gay or, at very least, bi-sexual, and throw in some comic re-enactments.
Review: THE BOYS IN THE BAND at The Bent
What did our critic think of THE BOYS IN THE BAND at The Bent?I went into this production by The Bent with some provenance. Back in the 20 teens I had the privilege of interviewing Larry Luckinbill on the 50th anniversary of Boys in the Band which was also the same year the remake came out. I watched the film. I read all about when the stage play came out in the 1960s, which is a powerful story in and of itself. I read about the playwright Mart Crowley, that there were two straight guys in the original production, and almost all of the other actors succumbed to AIDS.
Review: GENTLY DOWN THE STREAM at The Bent
What did our critic think of GENTLY DOWN THE STREAM at The Bent? The Bent, Palm Springs' new LGBTQ theatre company, is alive and well, and I couldn't be happier. Our previous gay theatre company drifted away from gay-centric pieces in its last seasons, and I didn't realize how much I missed seeing such shows. As I watched The Bent's recent production of Martin Sherman's Gently Down the Stream, exploring an older gay man's memories, I found myself saying 'These are my people. I know their story.' Not only is The Bent telling gay stories - they are consistently telling them damned well!
BWW Previews: ELECTRICITY at Desert Rose Playhouse
When I learned that Terry Ray's play Electricity was making a curtain call this weekend at the Desert Rose Playhouse, I felt like a beloved friend was coming to town for a visit. Electricity played in Palm Springs for two years at a hotel, accommodating just 20 guests per performance in an actual hotel room. Most of 2021, it played every Tuesday at Oscar's. I reviewed it early in the year and then came back a month later. It was a 'feel good' theatrical experience - the sort of show I would see every couple of months if it had an extended run. And its three years in Palm Springs were indeed in preparation for an extended run Off Broadway.