DECEMBER 23, 1994 GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE

EVENINGS OUT

Gay and lesbian theatre is moving into the mainstream

by Barry Daniels

Last year 1993, was a banner year for gay and lesbian people. Called "The Year of the Queer" by some, it was fueled by the energy of the March on Washington. In theatre, Tony Kushner's epic Angels in America won all the major awards and brought gay and lesbian politics into the mainstream theatre.

As 1994 comes to a close, I'd like to pull together some observations of the year from my perspective as a theatre critic. This year has certainly continued some of the momentum of the previous year. Stonewall 25 and the Gay Games made a mark, although the importance of Stonewall seemed to get lost in the party atmosphere of the events. The recent elections, however, have made it clear that there is going to be a long struggle before equal rights for gay people are the

norm.

I believe the arts are important in establishing visibility for our commuinity and believe that visibility is an essential step in effecting social change. Clevelanders can be proud of the vital presence of gay and lesbian work at the annual Cleveland Film Festival, in the Performance Art Festival and in the programming of the Cleveland Cinematheque. The Working Theatre has consistently presented fine gay plays. The world premiere of the late Harry Kondoleon's Saved or Destroyed was a high point of last season. And the Working Theatre's opening production of Nicky Silver's Pterodactyls has proven to be the best production of the fall season. William Finn's Falsettos was given an excellent production at the Jewish

Community Center and was a huge success. Gay and lesbian work has also traditionally been an important part of the New Play Festival at the Cleveland Public Theatre.

Sadly, Cleveland's regional professional theatres ignore this kind of work and continue to marginalize us. Something is clearly wrong at Playhouse Square where neither last year's national touring production of Falsettos nor this year's national tour of Angels in America has been booked.

Nationally, the trend of bringing gay work into the mainstream that Angels represented seems to be continuing. Last May the New York Times published a profile of Robert MacNeil and his son lan in which set designer lan discussed his relationship with director Stephen Daldry. They are responsible for the hit Broadway revival of An Inspector Calls, which is still running in New York.

Recently the cover story of the Sunday New York Times Arts and Leisure Section was a profile of the theatrical couple of the moment: playwright Jon Robin Baitz and actor-director Joe Mantello.

British director Declan Donnelan and designer Nick Ormond-cofounders of the Cheek By Jowl company-were a very out couple in all the publicity that surrounded their acclaimed production of As You Like It, which was part of the Next Wave Festival at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. These are proud queers who are no longer trying to hide their unique voices. The all-male Cheek By Jowl production of As You Like It was as queer as can be. The men playing the women's roles took delight in being in drag and seemed absolutely thrilled that their

The mainstream press tiptoed around the Five Lesbian Brothers' comedy The Secretaries.

suitors were other men.

Although Angels in America closed after an 18-month run at a loss of over $600,000, it should not be viewed as a failure. It is rather the economics of Broadway that are at fault, and Angels will probably recoup its investment with profits from the national tour and the film sale. Interestingly, the first play to open on Broadway under a new union contract that will cut costs and allow producers to reduce prices is Terrence McNally's new gay play, Love! Valour! Compassion! [reviewed in December 9 is-

sue]. It is now scheduled to start previews at the Walter Kerr Theatre-which housed Angels on January 20, after a sold-out run at the Manhattan Theatre Club.

Although the McNally play doesn't have the political sensibility of Kushner's work, it is a major and important play. Village Voice critic Michael Feingold made a pertinent observation when he wrote, "It's just a play about gay people going on living, in all their complexity, with the implied assumption that their lives will interest an audience Continued on next page

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